bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resolving the ‘Highland Problem’: The Highlands and Islands of Scotland and the European Union
Authors: McCullough Katie Louise
Published: June 2018

Popular perception has historically constructed the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to be economically and socially backwards in comparison with the rest of the United Kingdom. As evoked in the phrase the ‘Highland Problem’, the area has been considered by outsiders to be beyond help and destined to remain in a state of underdevelopment and chronic depopulation. Despite the history of economic intervention in the area from the late 18th century onwards from private and government initiatives intended to alleviate poverty and bring wealth to the area, it was not until the 1980s with the implementation of sustained and tailored structural assistance from the European Union that emigration slowed and the population of the Highlands and Islands began to grow significantly. This economic success has largely been the result of not only a significant injection of capital but also the willingness of the EU to use local knowledge and collaborate with local agencies. This remarkable development, which is far from over, is being directly threatened by the Brexit phenomenon.
The Relationship Between Perceptions of Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Experience, Health-Care Provider Education, and Emergency Preparedness Levels
Authors: McNeill Charleen C. , Killian Tim S. , Moon Zola , Way Kelly A. , Betsy Garrison M. E.
Published: June 2018

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the self-reported level of individual emergency preparedness, the dependent variable, of people who attended a community health-related fair. The study’s independent variables included demographic characteristics, perceptions of preparedness, previous disaster experience, and the presence of a medical condition and were used to examine the variability in self-reported emergency preparedness levels.

Methods

Data came from attendees at two community health-related fairs. Multivariate analysis on 188 participants was performed. A model predicting preparedness levels with demographic variables was constructed; successive models were built adding perceptions of preparedness, personal experiences with disasters, and presence of a medical condition.

Results

Preparedness levels varied little across sociodemographic dimensions explaining virtually no variance in overall preparedness. Subsequent models adding perceptions of preparedness and personal experiences significantly increased the explained variance to 40%. Of participants who reported a medical condition, the model including discussions about emergency preparedness with health-care providers explained 67% of the variance in overall preparedness levels.

Conclusion

The strong, positive relationship between the health-care provider and preparedness levels indicates a pathway for effecting change in preparedness levels and ultimately community health after an emergency. The inclusion of such education at community events should be considered. Research agendas should include providing evidence for the contents of disaster supply kits.
Developing Machine-Learning Models to Predict Airfield Pavement Responses
Authors: Gungor Osman Erman , Al-Qadi Imad L.
Published: June 2018

Aviation promotes trade and tourism by connecting regions, people, and countries. Having a functional and efficient airport pavement network is important to improve aviation traffic and to provide safer mobility to almost 800 million passengers travelling in the U.S. per year. The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated and actively been participating in many projects to further advance pavement design and performance to meet user requirements. To accomplish that, quantitative data are needed; such data may be collected from the pavement response to gear and environment loading. In this study, responses from four instrumented taxiway concrete slabs at John F. Kennedy International Airport were analyzed. The collected data were used to develop machine-learning (ML) based prediction models to compute the temperature, curling and bending strains within pavement. The ML models were developed using the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The results showed that SVM based ML models can predict pavement responses with a high accuracy and low computation time. Furthermore, in the case of feeding more data from various airports, ML models have proven to be a promising technique for pavement analysis engine for future airport pavement design frameworks. This study also produces recommendations for future data collection projects to have well-designed databases for data-driven models development.
Transformative Relationships: Humans and Animals
Authors: Clarke Pamela N.
Published: June 2018

This column focuses on the transformative nature of human-animal relationships. In the context of nursing, these relationships are clearly therapeutic for veterans recovering from trauma. The time is right to begin to explore the science behind such unique healing relationships and the potential connection to nursing science.
Development of an ear cap in chronic suppurative otitis media using additive manufacturing and TRIZ
Authors: Mawale Mahesh B , Kuthe Abhaykumar , Mawale Anupama M , Dahake Sandeep W
Published: June 2018

The prevalence rate of chronic suppurative otitis media is high and its treatment continues to be a challenge for the otorhinolaryngologists. Due to middle ear infection, there may be pain, hearing loss and spontaneous rupture of the eardrum which results in perforation. Infections can cause a hole in the eardrum as a side effect of otitis media. The patients suffering from ear perforation or having a hole in eardrum require preventing entry of water in the ear. This article describes the development of ear cap using additive manufacturing and TRIZ (a collaborative tool) to prevent the entry of water in the ear during chronic otitis media.
The Attraction and Retention of Black Woman Actuaries
Authors: Phume Lettie Basani , Bosch Anita
Published: June 2018

The STEM disciplines are characterized by a shortage of women and actuarial science is no exception. This phenomenon is even more prevalent where black women are concerned. The purpose of this study was to investigate the internal and external factors that contributed to black women in South Africa choosing mathematics in school and actuarial science at university, and ultimately qualifying and persisting in the field. This multiple case study investigated the experiences of six black women qualified actuaries in South Africa. Narratives and interviews were used to collect data detailing experiences in three phases: choosing mathematics in school, choosing actuarial science at university and persisting with their studies, and persisting in the field. Thematic analysis was conducted. The results indicate that there were multiple external factors that had contributed to their choices, but the greatest determining internal factor was self-efficacy. Aspects that enhance self-efficacy are discussed from which management practice recommendations are made.
Higher Education in India from 1983 to 2014: Participation, Access and Labour Market Outcomes across Socio-religious Groups
Authors: Jacob Jannet Farida
Published: June 2018

This article uses National Sample Survey (NSS) data to analyse the trends in India’s higher education in terms of participation, access and institutional preferences during the last three decades between 1983 and 2014. It documents a remarkable participation growth in higher education across socio-religious groups since the early 1980s; the number of higher educated persons has doubled in each decade especially among the younger age cohort. The increase in participation of the socially disadvantaged groups (SDGs) in higher education, however, was not on a par with the participation levels of advantageous groups; rural females among the disadvantaged groups are particularly lagging. The share of enrolment in government institutions (GIs) has declined while in private institutions it has considerably increased from across social groups, albeit in varying degrees and from top quintile groups. The labour market outcomes show declining workforce participation rates among the higher educated, especially the female graduates who end up in domestic work. The greater wage premium for higher education has, however, not bridged the gap between social groups. Instead, the outcomes within the same education group vary, witnessed in the low real wage for the disadvantaged and declining wage ratio between the disadvantaged and the advantageous groups.
Music training and the academic achievement of Hong Kong students
Authors: Tai Dianne M. , Phillipson Shane N. , Phillipson Sivanes
Published: June 2018

Many Hong Kong Chinese parents believe that music training enhances the academic achievement of their children. The current study investigates the relationship between the extent and outcome of students’ music training, their perceptions of the value of the subjects they study and their academic achievement. A total of 286 students in Primary 4, 5 and 6 from one school in Hong Kong reported the extent and outcome of their music training, including the number of instruments they studied, the number of years spent training, highest grade and highest level achieved. For value, students completed a subscale of the Achievement Task Value Questionnaire to measure their liking and interest, perceived importance and usefulness of their school subjects. A nested structural equation model showed that, for both boys and girls, the extent and outcome of music training positively predicts academic achievement in Chinese, English and mathematics. Furthermore, the model shows that for both boys and girls, students’ perceived value of their school subjects negatively predicts academic achievement in Chinese, and age has a direct and negative effect on mathematics achievement. For girls, age positively moderates the extent and outcome of music training on academic achievement whereas the moderator effect of age on students’ perceived value of academic subjects is non-significant. For boys, in contrast, the moderator effect of age on extent and outcome of music training is non-significant, whereas its effect on students’ perceived value of academic subjects is negative. In broad terms, the results show that parents are justified in believing that music training is positively related to academic achievement. However, the results differ for boys and girls in connection to the role of age in this relationship.
Time, memory and class: The unintended consequences of the bourgeois gaze
Authors: Lund Anna
Published: June 2018

In this article, I argue that currently there is a middle-class bias that dominates in sociological culture and structures the ways the discipline operates as a form of bourgeois gaze. These forms of regulation and structuration within the discipline are also visible in Paul Willis's book Learning to Labour (1977), and they need to be illuminated, problematized and challenged if the discipline is to be able to contribute meaningfully and critically to an enlargement of its approach to sociological analysis, including the analysis of class and youth culture. My attempt is to make an exposure and reconsider Learning to Labour through the lens of time, memory and class, by performing an additional reading of the ‘the lads’ orientation toward different temporalities and conscious practices of memory work.
Arsehole aristocracy (or: Montesquieu on honour, revisited)
Authors: Brooke Christopher
Published: June 2018

The 18th-century French political theorist the Baron de Montesquieu described honour as the ‘principle’ – or animating force – of a well-functioning monarchy, which he thought the appropriate regime type for an economically unequal society extended over a broad territory. Existing literature often presents this honour in terms of lofty ambition, the desire for preference and distinction, a spring for political agency or a spur to the most admirable kind of conduct in public life and the performance of great deeds. Perhaps so. But it also seems to involve quite a bit of what the contemporary philosopher Aaron James calls ‘being an asshole’, and the article will explore what happens to Montesquieu’s political theory of monarchy – which is foundational for an understanding of modern politics – when we reverse the usual perspective and consider it through the lens of the arsehole aristocracy.
The Chameleon Subject: Representation, Law, and the Problem of Living Dead
Authors: Chalmers Shane
Published: June 2018

This article is concerned with the life of the subject that is always also an object. More specifically, it is concerned with the condition of being exposed to death by law, and how this is a condition of the living subject. The article examines this condition through analysis of two photographs by Beninese artists Joseph Moise Agbodjélou and Leonce Raphael Agbodjélou. These photographs enable us to see how representation is critical to the emancipation of the subject, creating the conditions for the “customization” of existence. They also enable us to see how law, like photography, is not to be perfected by transcending its representational frameworks. The critical work is ensuring such frameworks remain media of an “autonomous subjectivation.” The autonomous subject here is the emancipated subject: a living dead figure whose “autonomy” marks her off from the death-like petrifaction of mere representation without slipping into the conceit of a god-like subjectivity.
Exploring the experiences and psychosocial stresses of Taiwanese patients with pulmonary hypertension: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Chiang Yung‐Chih , Hu Li‐Yu , Couper Jeremy , Cheng Chin‐Chang , Wang Ling‐Hsiang , Huang Wei‐Chun , Lu Ti
Published: June 2018

About half of all patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) experience psychological and emotional disturbances that affect their quality of life (QOL). There is a lack of studies exploring how psychiatric professionals can provide specific and effective mental health treatment to patients with PH. This study aimed to explore and understand the treatment experiences of patients with PH in Taiwan. We employed an exploratory qualitative design involving interviews with 17 patients with PH who were treated at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan. Participants were interviewed by a psychiatrist; the interviews were audiotaped and transcribed for thematic analysis by two researchers. We corroborate earlier findings showing that patients who have the rare disease PH often experience psychological or emotional disturbances throughout the treatment process. This study explored a model for psychiatric intervention based on patients’ experience of having PH. We find that assessing and strengthening links to external resources can enhance patients’ long‐term coping abilities, and thereby help reduce their psychological and emotional disturbances and improve their QOL.
Quali-quantitative methods beyond networks: Studying information diffusion on Twitter with the Modulation Sequencer
Authors: Moats David , Borra Erik
Published: June 2018

Although the rapid growth of digital data and computationally advanced methods in the social sciences has in many ways exacerbated tensions between the so-called ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ approaches, it has also been provocatively argued that the ubiquity of digital data, particularly online data, finally allows for the reconciliation of these two opposing research traditions. Indeed, a growing number of ‘qualitatively’ inclined researchers are beginning to use computational techniques in more critical, reflexive and hermeneutic ways. However, many of these claims for ‘quali-quantitative’ methods hinge on a single technique: the network graph. Networks are relational, allow for the questioning of rigid categories and zooming from individual cases to patterns at the aggregate. While not refuting the use of networks in these studies, this paper argues that there must be other ways of doing quali-quantitative methods. We first consider a phenomenon which falls between quantitative and qualitative traditions but remains elusive to network graphs: the spread of information on Twitter. Through a case study of debates about nuclear power on Twitter, we develop a novel data visualisation called the modulation sequencer which depicts the spread of URLs over time and retains many of the key features of networks identified above. Finally, we reflect on the role of such tools for the project of quali-quantitative methods.
Association of Interindividual Variation in Plasma Oxytocin With Postcesarean Incisional Pain
Authors: Ende Holly B. , Soens Mieke A. , Nandi Meghna , Strichartz Gary R. , Schreiber Kristin L.
Published: June 2018

Oxytocin has known antinociceptive effects and is upregulated perinatally. This pilot study investigated the association of plasma oxytocin and postcesarean incisional pain. Plasma samples from 18 patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were drawn at 1 hour preoperatively and 1 and 24 hours postoperatively and analyzed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pain was assessed at 1 day, 8 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Incisional pain at 24 hours was inversely correlated with 1- and 24-hour oxytocin levels, with higher plasma oxytocin associated with lower pain (ρ, −0.52 and −0.66; P < .05).
Comparison of Broadband and Discrete Wavelength Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Algorithms for the Detection of Cytochrome aa3 Reduction
Authors: Thiele Robert H. , Ikeda Keita , Osuru Hari P. , Zuo Zhiyi
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND:

Cytochrome aa3, the terminal component of the electron transport chain, absorbs near-infrared radiation (NIR) differentially depending on its oxidation state (Cytox), which can in theory be measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) by relating light absorption at specific wavelengths to chromophore concentrations. Some NIRS algorithms use discrete wavelengths, while others analyze a band of NIR (broadband NIRS). The purpose of this study was to test the ability of discrete wavelength and broadband algorithms to measure changes in Cytox (primary outcome), and to determine whether or not a discreet wavelength NIRS algorithm could perform similarly to a broadband NIRS algorithm for the measurement of Cytox in a staged hypoxia–cyanide model (hypoxia and cyanide have oppositional effects on tissue saturation, but both cause cytochrome reduction).

METHODS:

Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with isoflurane, intubated, and instrumented. Blood pressure, end-tidal carbon dioxide, and arterial oxygen saturation were measured. A halogen light source transmitted NIR transcranially. NIR from the light source and the skull was transmitted to 2 cooled charge-coupled device spectrometers. Rats were subjected to anoxia (fraction of inspired oxygen, 0.0) until arterial oxygen saturation decreased to 70%. After recovery, 5 mg/kg sodium cyanide was injected intravenously. The cycle was repeated until cardiac arrest occurred. Relative concentrations of hemoglobin and cytochrome aa3 were calculated using discreet wavelength and broadband NIRS algorithms.

RESULTS:

Hypoxia led to an increase in calculated deoxyhemoglobin (0.20 arbitrary units [AUs]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17–0.22; P < .0001), a decrease in calculated oxyhemoglobin (−0.16 AUs; 95% CI, −0.19 to −0.14; P < .0001), and a decrease in calculated Cytox (−0.057 AUs; 95% CI, −0.073 to 0.0040; P < .001). Cyanide led to a decrease in calculated deoxyhemoglobin (−0.037 AUs; 95% CI, 0.046 to −0.029; P < .001), an increase in calculated oxyhemoglobin (0.053 AUs; 95% CI, 0.040–0.065; P < .001), and a decrease in calculated Cytox (−0.056 AUs; 95% CI, −0.064 to −0.048; P < .001). The correlations between “discreet” wavelength algorithms (using 4, 6, 8, and 10 wavelengths) and the broadband algorithm for the measurement of calculated Cytox were 0.54 (95% CI, 0.52–0.56), 0.87 (0.87–0.88), 0.88 (0.88–0.89), and 0.95 (0.95–0.95), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

The broadband and 10 wavelength algorithm were able to accurately track changes in Cytox for all experiments.
Parasympathetic Tone Activity Evaluation to Discriminate Ketorolac and Ketorolac/Tramadol Analgesia Level in Swine
Authors: Leitão Carlos J. , Lima-Rodríguez Juan Rafael , Ferreira Fatima , Avelino Catarina , Sánchez-Margallo Francisco M. , Antunes Luís
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND:

Evaluation of nociceptive–antinociceptive balance during general anesthesia is still challenging and routinely based on clinical criteria. Analgesic drug delivered may be optimized with parasympathetic tone activity (PTA) monitor. This study compares ketorolac and ketorolac/tramadol balance analgesia using a PTA monitor.

METHODS:

Pain intensity response was assessed using a 0–100 numerical state scale (PTA) after nociceptive stimuli in pigs under stable sevoflurane anesthesia. Bispectral index, heart rate, noninvasive blood pressure, and respiratory parameters were also measured. Animals were divided into 3 groups: without analgesia, ketorolac, and ketorolac/tramadol. Mean values or mean areas under the curve (AUC) in selected time periods were compared over time and between groups through a mixed-model repeated measures analysis of variance and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis tests, followed by Bonferroni or Dunn’s multiple comparisons.

RESULTS:

It was observed a significant decrease in the PTA AUC mean value after application of the stimulus in animals treated without analgesia and only with ketorolac. The PTA AUC mean value in the control group was significantly lower than the corresponding mean in ketorolac group. The ketorolac/tramadol group showed the highest PTA AUC mean values, significantly different from those obtained for the other 2 groups, with no significant differences detected over time. Bispectral index means showed no statistically significant differences either over time periods or between different treatment groups. Heart rate showed only a statistically significant increase in AUC mean between without analgesia and ketorolac/tramadol group, in the time period after the stimulus application. Noninvasive blood pressure means showed no statistically significant differences over time and between treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study shows that a low dose combination of ketorolac and tramadol is sufficient to block the pain responses induced with a needle holder in pigs 20 minutes after its administration. The PTA monitor was able to clearly recognize the analgesic level between treatments and may be used to optimize analgesic drug delivered.
Inflatable penile prosthesis in the radical prostatectomy patient: a review
Authors: Bennett Nelson , Huang I-shen
Published: June 2018

In the population of patients with prostate cancer, survivorship has come to the forefront of continuity-of-care. In addition to urinary control, erectile function is a significant issue after radical pelvic surgery. Penile prosthesis surgery remains an excellent option for restoring erectile function to those for whom more conservative measures have failed. This review article outlines the anatomical, surgical and post-operative consideration involved in the placement of a penile prosthesis in this special patient population.
Study of the Effect of Teaching Adaptational Disciplines on the Psychophysical State of Students with Disability
Authors: Колесникова Ирина , Kolesnikova Irina , Михальчи Екатерина , Mihal'chi Ekaterina
Published: June 2018

The practical experience of teaching the adaptive discipline (AD) "Social adaptation" for students with disability in the Institute of Business Administration of RANEPA is considered in the article. As an experimental group, students from the first year of the programms "International Relations" and "Foreign Regional Studies" were selected. The results of their training were compared on the criterial-level system with the results of training of students from the control group, who in the second year studied the discipline of the basic block "Psychology". Also, the study included the study of the impact of the implementation of adaptation disciplines on the psychophysical state of students with disability, which were trained in the experimental group, and conditionally healthy students. To study the psychophysical state, all students at the beginning and at the end of the educational process filled out the questionnaires "Health. Activity. Mood"and"Test of hardiness". The analysis of the results of the examination of the students' psychophysical state and the indicators of the generated knowledge, skills and habits according to the AD "Social adaptation" showed that the introduction of AD in the educational process of organizations of higher education is effective. This leads to an increase in the knowledge of students in the areas of special psychology and psychology of disability, and also affects the psychological attitudes and psychophysical state of students, increasing their mood, feeling, increasing vitality and responsibility for their lives.
Diagnostic Methods of Development of Design Competence of Future Teacher in the Period of Teaching Internship
Authors: Латынцев Сергей , Latyncev Sergey , Прокопьева Надежда , Prokopeva Nadezhda
Published: June 2018

The article is devoted to questions of development of a technique of diagnostics of development of design competence of future teacher in the course of his training in a pedagogical internship. The need of development of design competence of future teachers, proceeding from requirements of an education system is proved. The concept about a pedagogical internship as in a special way to the organized form of education in pedagogical higher education institution allowing students to plunge on professional Wednesday that contribute to the development of their professional competences, including design is given. The structure of design competence of the teacher is considered, levels of her development are allocated, their short characteristic is given. The appraisal and diagnostic tools developed by authors directed to diagnostics of the level of development of design competence of students when passing a pedagogical internship are given. Examples of tasks during which performance the design competence develops are also off ered and there is assessment of level of her development.
Toward Improving Factory Working Conditions in Developing Countries: An Empirical Analysis of Bangladesh Ready-Made Garment Factories
Authors: Liu Xiaojin , Mishra Anant , Goldstein Susan , Sinha Kingshuk K.
Published: June 2018

With supply chains now extending into developing countries, time and again, working conditions in supplier factories have been found to be unsafe. In this study, we focus on factories in the Bangladesh ready-made garment industry that supplies North American and European retailers. These retailers have adopted an innovative approach toward improving the working conditions of supplier factories by forming consortiums. The consortium of North American retailers is the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (“Alliance”). The consortium of European retailers is the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (“Accord”). The central question addressed in this study is the following: How do working conditions in a supplier factory impact the supplier’s trustworthiness from a retailer’s perspective? We characterize supplier factory working conditions in terms of three types of risks, namely, structural risk, fire risk, and electrical risk. Next, we examine the implications of each type of risk for supplier trustworthiness measured as the number of retailers contracting with the supplier factory. The empirical analysis is conducted using archival data on safety inspections from the Alliance and Accord. The results support the contention that retailers are sensitive to working condition risks in a supplier factory; that is, as working condition risks in a supplier factory increase, the supplier’s trustworthiness decreases. However, these associations vary with the type of risk. Specifically, fire and electrical risks are associated with decreased supplier trustworthiness, while structural risk has a marginal effect. Furthermore, the negative associations between working condition risks and supplier trustworthiness are moderated by the size of the supplier factory such that the negative associations are significantly attenuated for larger-sized supplier factories compared to the smaller-sized factories. The study findings, taken together, provide nuanced insights into the marketplace implications of working condition risks in supplier factories and highlight the sensitivity of the retailer–supplier relationship to such risks. These findings also provide actionable guidance on how to manage working condition risks.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0679 .

This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Issue on Value Chain Innovations in Developing Economies.
Does Learning from Inspections Affect Environmental Performance? Evidence from Unconventional Well Development in Pennsylvania
Authors: Mani Vidya , Muthulingam Suresh
Published: June 2018

Problem definition: We investigate whether firms improve their environmental performance by learning from their own inspection experience and from the inspection experience of other firms. Additionally, we examine how the various facets of inspection experience affect organizational learning. Academic/practical relevance: With the growing awareness that operations can affect the environment, regulators increasingly use facility inspections to assess whether a firm’s operations comply with or violate environmental regulations. A large body of work has explored the role of inspections in detecting violations. But, what remains relatively under studied is that firms can also learn from inspections about regulatory requirements and environmental issues. Thus, firms can develop organizational knowledge essential for improving environmental performance as they gain inspection experience. We aim to extend extant knowledge by exploring how environmental inspections can facilitate organizational learning. Methodology: We use econometric methods to analyze data from the development and inspection of unconventional wells in Pennsylvania. Our data has information on 13,606 unconventional wells that were developed in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2014. In this time frame, 55,278 environmental inspections were conducted at these unconventional wells. Results: We find that an unconventional well learns from the inspection experience of other units, both within the organization and outside the organization, only when inspections detect violations but not when they confirm compliance. Furthermore, penalties imposed for violations have a divergent effect—they support learning from the inspection experience with violations when such experience is gained at other units within the organization but not when it is gained at units outside the organization. Thus, we provide insights on how the outcomes of environmental inspections and penalties facilitate the development of organizational knowledge. Managerial implications: Our results provide pointers to regulators and operating managers on how information from inspection outcomes can be leveraged to improve environmental performance.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0695 .
More depth and detail: The new safeguarding guidance
Authors: O'Connell Suzanne
Published: June 2018

Local Safeguarding Children Boards may be on their way out but schools will still be on the frontline when it comes to child protection. Suzanne O'Connell outlines the major changes and implications for schools of the new Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance
The vocabulary gap: A cross-phase challenge
Authors: O'Connell Suzanne
Published: June 2018

Differences in vocabulary acquisition might be particularly noticeable at age 5, but it doesn't stop there. Teachers report that the word gap is increasing across primary education and into secondary. Suzanne O'Connell reports
Finding the Catch Zone…
Authors: Aubrey-Smith Fiona
Published: June 2018

How effective is your school's learning environment? How do you organise your classroom and school displays for maximum impact on learning? Fiona Aubrey-Smith discusses the secrets to success and introduces the Catch Zone…
Four cornerstones of lymphoedema care
Authors: Watts Tessa
Published: June 2018

Many care home residents have, or will develop lymphoedema, a painful and chronic condition. Tessa Watts reviews ways to prevent lymphoedema where possible and indicates the best ways to treat it and minimise progression.
Communities and institutions becoming dementia-friendly
Authors: Mendes Aysha , Palmer Sarah
Published: June 2018

Many people with dementia still live in their local communities and are able to perform various day-to-day tasks. Aysha Mendes and Sarah Palmer discuss recent initiatives that will help people living with the condition stay independent for longer.
Testing of Greenhouse Cladding Materials for Space Environments, Part 2: Laminates
Authors: Peterside David T. , Palaia Joseph E. , Schuerger Andrew C. , Correll Melanie J , Bucklin Ray A.
Published: June 2018

Abstract.

Plants grown in greenhouse-type structures are potential sources of food, oxygen, clean water, fiber, and other resources needed for bioregenerative life support systems during long-term space missions. Identification of cladding materials with appropriate optical and physical properties that can withstand the high ultraviolet radiation, low pressure, and low temperature Martian environment is necessary for greenhouse design. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of simulated Mars environmental conditions on yield strength and light transmissivity of composites composed of a layer of 0.15 mm polyimide film (LaRC™CP1) attached to acrylic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or polycarbonate cladding materials. The University of Florida’s Mars Simulation Chamber (MSC) at Kennedy Space Center was utilized to expose material samples to simulated Mars environmental conditions. Changes in control versus exposed material sample transmissivities were measured using a spectroradiometer over the PAR range of wavelengths from 400 to 700 nm and material peak yield strengths were determined using an Instron universal testing machine. Keywords: LaRC™CP1, Mars greenhouse, PAR transmission, Plastics, Strength of materials, UV damage.

The overall results comparing pre- and post-exposure of samples to simulated Martian conditions in the MSC showed that the addition of a layer of polyimide did not benefit either the transmissivity or strength of polycarbonate cladding materials, but did show benefits in retaining transmissivity for PVC and in maintaining strength for acrylics exposed to Mars simulated environment. However, transmissivities of the plastics were reduced by the addition of protective layers of polyimide. Keywords: LaRC™CP1, Mars greenhouse, PAR transmission, Plastics, Strength of materials, UV damage.
Spray Outputs from a Variable-Rate Sprayer Manipulated with PWM Solenoid Valves
Authors: Silva Joao Eduardo , Zhu Heping , Cunha João Paulo Arantes Rodrigues da
Published: June 2018

Abstract.

Pressure fluctuations from air-assisted orchard sprayers can cause nozzles to discharge inaccurate flow rates during variable-rate spray applications. Variations in total flow rate discharged from 40 nozzles, each coupled with a pulse-width-modulated (PWM) solenoid valve, were determined for a variable-rate air-assisted sprayer. Variables for the total flow rate measurements were number of active nozzles ranging from 1 to 40 and PWM duty cycle ranging from 10% to 100%. Experiments were conducted under conditions with and without operating pressure adjustments. Under the no-pressure-adjustment condition, the operating pressure in the spray line was not adjusted for compensation when either the number of active nozzles or PWM duty cycle was changed. Under the pressure-adjustment condition, the operating pressure was adjusted to retain at 242 kPa. The total flow rate increased as duty cycle and/or number of active nozzles increased under both pressure conditions. However, the operating pressure in the spray line dropped considerably as either the number of active nozzles or duty cycle increased under the no-pressure-adjustment condition, resulting in significant lower total flow rates compared to the pressure-adjustment condition. The differences in total flow rates between the two pressure conditions increased as duty cycle and number of active nozzles increased. To improve future intelligent sprayer accuracy, two-variable regression equations were established to predict and control total flow rates with different duty cycles and numbers of active nozzles operated simultaneously. Keywords: Flow control, Flow rate, Hydraulic nozzle, Pesticide, Precision sprayer.
Effect of Moisture Content on Coefficients of Friction between Triticale and Galvanized Steel
Authors: Chiputula Jonathan P. , Bucklin Ray A. , Blount Ann R.
Published: June 2018

Abstract.

Grain physical properties such as coefficients of friction are required to design harvesting, cleaning, and handing equipment, and storage structures. The objective of this study was to measure coefficients of friction between triticale grain and galvanized steel at grain pressures and velocities typical of those seen when filling and emptying storage bins and hoppers. Coefficients of friction were measured using an apparatus consisting of a box with openings so that a galvanized steel blade could be pulled through a sample of grain. The forces required to pulling the blades through the grain were measured for three different moisture contents [8%, 12%, and 16% wet basis(wb)] and three different normal pressures (6.9, 10.3, and 13.8 kPa). The velocity of the blade being pulled through grain was kept constant at 50 mm/min for all pressures and moisture contents. Keywords: Grain bin, Grain pressure, Grain storage.

Coefficients of friction were found to be statistically significantly dependent (p <0.0001) on moisture contents of triticale grain and were not statistically significantly influenced (p=0.149) by normal pressures. Coefficients of friction increased with increasing moisture content as has been observed in similar studies for grains including corn, wheat and soybeans. These results provide guidance for selecting physical properties for design of storage structures for triticale. Keywords: Grain bin, Grain pressure, Grain storage.
Influence of Airspeed and Adjuvants on Droplet Size Distribution in Aerial Applications of Glyphosate
Authors: Vieira Bruno C , Alves Guilherme S , Carvalho Fernando K , Da Cunha João Paulo AR , Antuniassi Ulisses R , Kruger Greg R
Published: June 2018

Abstract.

Drift is one of the most hazardous consequences of an improper aerial application of glyphosate. Wind, droplet size, application height, and distance to sensitive areas are the most important factors for drift. Droplet size is affected by nozzle, operating pressure, flight speed, deflection angle, and physicochemical properties of the spray solution. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of flight speed and the use of adjuvants on droplet size spectra in aerial applications of glyphosate. The study was conducted in a high-speed wind tunnel at the Pesticide Application Technology Laboratory (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte, Neb.). Aerial applications were simulated with four different airspeeds (44.4, 52.8, 61.1, and 69.4 m/s) and glyphosate combined with adjuvants (high surfactant oil concentrate, microemulsion drift reduction agent, nonionic and acidifier surfactant, polyvinyl polymer, and glyphosate alone). Droplet size spectra were evaluated using a Sympatec Helos laser diffraction instrument measuring 90 cm from the nozzle tip (CP11-4015). The volumetric droplet size distribution parameters (VMD, DV0.1, and DV0.9) and the percentage of droplets smaller than 100 µm were reported. The relative span was calculated to indicate the droplet size homogeneity [(DV0.9 - DV0.1) / DV0.5]. Glyphosate solutions with adjuvants had a larger VMD than the glyphosate alone solution at 44.4 m/s wind speed. At 69.4 m/s only the glyphosate solution with polymer had a larger VMD. Conversely, the glyphosate with polymer had the smallest DV0.1, and the greatest relative span and percentage of droplets smaller than 100 µm. Generally, adjuvants influence on droplet size was diminished or muted as the airspeed was increased. The polymer tested in this study failed as a drift agent reduction agent, especially at higher airspeeds. While not all polymers were tested, cautions should be taken if using these types of adjuvants in aerial applications. The interaction of airspeed and adjuvants influencing droplet size distribution in aerial applications of glyphosate should be considered by applicators in order to mitigate glyphosate drift to the surrounding environment. Further studies are necessary to better understand the interaction between solution viscosity and air shear effect on the atomization process and droplet size distribution, as well as confirm that trends hold true for other adjuvants in the polymer class. Although applicators tend to operate aircrafts with increased flight speeds in order to optimize the application time efficiency, this practice can reduce or mute adjuvants effects, decrease the droplet size distribution, and increase drift potential in aerial applications of glyphosate. Keywords: Drift reduction technologies, Flight speed, High-speed wind tunnel, Laser diffraction.
Twine Tension in High-Density Large Square Bales
Authors: McAfee Joshua R. , Shinners Kevin J. , Friede Joshua C.
Published: June 2018

Abstract.

When greater density bales are made, baler manufacturers recommend using twine with greater knot strength. When twine fails, bale integrity is lost, harvesting costs increase, and productivity suffers. Twine failure typically occurs in the knot on the top strand of the twine. A better understanding of twine tension in the top strands could help reduce failures, allow for improved knot strength recommendations, and ultimately lower baling costs. A system was developed to measure the tension of the top strands while baling a variety of crops with a high-density large square baler. Depending on the bale chute design, twine tension was greatest as the bale cantilevered from the chamber but had not yet touched the chute or just as the bale fully exited the bale chamber. In either case, the absolute maximum recorded tensions were typically less than 60% of the twine specified knot strength. Pulses in synchronization with the plunger frequency were superimposed on the nominal twine tension. Tension was usually greatest in the outer left twine and the other right twine because for each, there was only one neighboring twine to share the load. Average twine tension over the first 60 s after the bale rested on the ground was linearly related to bale density. Crop stress relaxation reduced tension up to 20% within 20 min after the bale was placed on the ground. Top strand tension approached 60% of knot strength for only a short duration as the bale exited the chamber and after that, the tension was much less than the specified knot strength. Therefore, design changes or strategies that reduce tension during the critical period when the bale exits the chamber could reduce maximum knot strength requirements and lead to lower baling costs. Keywords: Bales, Density, Tension, Twine.
Effect of Corn Processing and Wet Distiller’s Grains with Solubles on Odorous Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Urine and Feces of Beef Cattle
Authors: Spiehs Mindy J. , Jaderborg Jeffrey P , Hales Kristin E , DiCostanzo Alfredo , Crawford Grant I , Parker David B
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Wet distiller’s grains with solubles (WDGS) are a common feed ingredient in beef feedlot diets but the high nitrogen content of these diets creates air quality issues, primarily due to the aromatic compounds emitted during protein fermentation. Use of high moisture corn (HMC) instead of dry-rolled corn (DRC) in cattle feedlot diets has been shown to reduce some odors associated with excess starch in cattle feedlot diets. We hypothesized that using HMC in place of DRC in diets containing WDGS would reduce some of the odors associated with WDGS-DRC diets. A 4 × 4 replicated Latin square with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. Diets contained either DRC or a 2:1 ratio of HMC and DRC, with WDGS at either 25% or 45% of the diet dry matter resulting in four treatments: DRC-25, HMC-25, DRC-45 and HMC-45. Odorous compounds were measured from feces and urine of cattle fed the four diets. Feces from cattle fed diets containing 45% WDGS had a higher flux of p-cresol (9.42 µg m-3 min-1), 4-ethyphenol (0.04 µg m-3 min-1), and total aromatic compounds (13.56 µg m-3 min-1) compared to feces from cattle fed 25% WDGS (3.38, 0.03, and 6.86 µg m-3 min-1, respectively). Corn processing did not influence fecal odor flux. Urinary flux of odorous compounds was largely unaffected by corn processing method and only p-cresol (9.58 µg m-3 min-1), and total aromatic compounds (11.34 µg m-3 min-1) were higher for cattle fed 45% WDGS compared to cattle fed 25% WDGS (7.65 and 9.12 µg m-3 min-1, respectively for p-cresol and total aromatics). Overall there were no significant differences in odor potential, as determined by odor activity value (OAV), for cattle fed diets containing HMC and DRC with either concentration of WDGS. From these results, we interpret that producers may feed diets containing HMC or DRC in combination with WDGS at inclusion rates up to 45% with only minimal impacts of air quality. Keywords: Beef cattle manure, Distiller’s dried grain solubles, Dry-rolled corn, High-moisture corn, Odor, Volatile organic compounds.
Metaphors to work by: the meaning of personal assistance in England
Authors: Shakespeare Tom , Stöckl Andrea , Porter Tom
Published: June 2018

Personal assistance is an innovative role within social care whereby disabled people directly employ others to provide support. Defining personal assistance as a commodified support relationship is insufficient as it fails to capture the lived complexity of these relationships. This article reports on qualitative interviews in England with 30 disabled people and 30 personal assistants. In the absence of any normative interpretive framework, participants defined their relationships through metaphor: ‘paid friends’, ‘staff’ and ‘quasi-family’. We explore the structure and significance of these descriptors, and offer an overview of the emotional, social and cultural dynamics that shape personal assistance relationships, and give them meaning.