bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Hawthorne Studies Revisited
Authors: Jung Chan Su , Lee Soo-Young
Published: October 2012

Many organization theorists have recognized the Hawthorne studies as path-breaking demonstrations of the influence of social and psychological factors in the workplace. We provide evidence that important implications of the Hawthorne studies can be applied to the federal workforce. Our analysis shows that social relations and participative management style have stronger influences than physical conditions on public employees’ perceived performance. This result is congruent with summary translations of the lessons of the Hawthorne studies: “Attention is gratifying!” and “The attention apparently raised morale, and morale raised productivity.” The present study indicates that the different approaches of management will show different effects on organizational performance according to the levels of performance.
Sweet Charity, revisited: Organizational responses to food insecurity in Hamilton and Toronto, Canada
Authors: Wakefield Sarah , Fleming Julie , Klassen Carla , Skinner Ana
Published: October 2012

In the last two decades, emergency food provision (e.g., food banks, meal programmes) has become an increasingly institutionalized form of hunger relief. Critiques of the emergency food system, as articulated by Poppendieck’s 1998 book Sweet Charity?, suggest that such programmes are unable to cope with growing hunger in a meaningful, stable, efficient, or culturally appropriate way, and that they may facilitate government retrenchment. Meanwhile, popular attention has increasingly focused on the environmental and social costs of our globalized industrial food system, and efforts to challenge it (e.g., urban fruit gleaning, chicken rearing) are becoming widespread. These efforts have drawn new kinds of organizations into the world of food (in)security. Drawing on organizational documents and key informant interviews, this paper examines how emergency food provision is changing because of the rise of ‘community food security’ discourse and practice in the period since Sweet Charity? Findings suggest that emergency food providers have responded to critiques in partial and incongruent ways. Organizations face structural constraints that curtail their ability to reorganize, while new kinds of organizations are engaging in community food security projects, both challenging and reinforcing the charity food model in ways that have relevance for progressive (food) organizing more generally.
Feeling Time and Celebrating Mystery
Authors: O’Loughlin Thomas
Published: October 2012

We humans construct time around us: in it we live, organise our activities, mark events, and celebrate our memories. This celebration of our memories, anamnesis, is part of who we are as the community who profess and proclaim faith. But because religious calendars have been part of every religion, Christians have sometimes been suspicious of marking time – this paper suggests that in a world where ‘time is money’, we should also assert that time is precious; and we should be sensitive to its place in celebrating the Christian mystery.
Dyadic coping with stepfamily conflict
Authors: King David B. , DeLongis Anita
Published: October 2012

Demand–withdraw patterns of spousal response to family conflict were examined among 83 couples living in a stepfamily context. Using daily process methods, husbands and wives were each asked to report separately on incidents of relationship conflict, responses to this conflict, and subsequent negative affect for a period of seven consecutive days. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling and interpreted from a dyadic coping perspective. Findings indicated that when husbands engaged in demand or withdraw responses both members of the dyad subsequently reported declines in mood. Wives demanding and withdrawing had no significant cross-spousal impact. Of particular interest was the finding that husbands’ use of confrontive demanding exacerbated the negative impact of wives’ withdrawal on wives’ mood.
Relationship discord and the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of psychopathology
Authors: Whisman Mark A.
Published: October 2012

This paper provides a selective review of the literature on the association between poor relationship adjustment (i.e., relationship discord) and the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of psychopathology. Relationship discord has been shown to covary with a variety of psychiatric disorders and predict the incidence of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders and increases in depressive symptoms. The association between relationship discord and psychopathology is moderated by several individual difference variables, including variables that have been shown to increase risk for psychopathology. Relationship discord is associated with poorer outcome to individual-based treatments for several common psychiatric disorders, and couple-based interventions have been shown to reduce depression and substance use as well as improve relationship discord.
Physical attraction, attachment styles, and dating development
Authors: Poulsen Franklin O. , Holman Thomas B. , Busby Dean M. , Carroll Jason S.
Published: October 2012

We test theoretical arguments developed by Hazan and Diamond (2000) suggesting that attachment theory presents a more parsimonious theory of mate selection than Buss’ sexual strategies theory. We hypothesized that physical attractiveness and indicators of attachment anxiety and avoidance would be related to mate choice variables (e.g., number of first dates, and the probability of entering into an exclusive relationship in a 32-week period). We used a sample ( N = 242) of Latter-day Saint (LDS) young single adults. In general, our results support the idea that both physical attractiveness and attachment dimensions are important for understanding romantic relationship formation and dating processes. Physical attractiveness is generally the strongest predictor, and is more meaningful for females. Implications for theory are discussed.
Fight or flight? Competing discourses of individualism and collectivism in runaway boys’ interpersonal relationships in India
Authors: Raval Vaishali V.
Published: October 2012

An examination of interpersonal relationships of runaway youth in varying cultural contexts provides an important glimpse into processes that help construct their personhood. Informed by Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT; Baxter, 2011), this ethnographic study explored competing discourses that animate the meaning of personhood in conflict communication of runaway boys in India. A discourse of individualism with accompanying themes of individual rights, fairness, and protection of self-worth dominated youths’ communications with peers, with secondary emphasis on interpersonal harmony. In contrast, a discourse of collectivism along with themes of respect for elders and non-expression were privileged over individual desires in the relationships between runaway youth and adults. A nuanced understanding of what it means to be a child in the context of relationships in India emerged.
Understanding the links between social ties and health
Authors: Uchino Bert N.
Published: October 2012

Social relationships have been reliably related to physical health outcomes. More specifically, relationship positivity and negativity have been associated with disease morbidity and mortality. Our program of research has also highlighted the potential value of considering both positivity and negativity (ambivalence) in linking relationships to health. However, stronger links are needed between relationship science and health researchers – especially to ask important "second-generation" questions. I argue that systematic attention to two basic questions is of importance. Firstly, what are the health-relevant antecedent processes that influence relationship positivity and negativity from a relationship science perspective? Secondly, what are the coordinated biological processes responsible for such links? Future interdisciplinary training and research in these areas can help to stabilize and strengthen the crucial bridge between relationship science and health.
The Administrative Broker
Authors: Lee Jongkon
Published: October 2012

Although traditional models of bureaucratic politics have relied on the old assumption that information is expensive, information is prevalent nowadays; the monopoly of bureaucratic expertise has been undermined as interest groups have significantly developed and are professionalized. As a result, what is really important in current bureaucratic politics is not just neutral expertise, but the political capacity to affect the behaviors of information sources. Through mediating conflicts of interest and minimizing unnecessary contingencies, agencies can persuade their stakeholders not to provide information to legislators and, therefore, indirectly affect legislators’ decisions on delegation and oversight. Different from traditional principal–agent theories, this article suggests the “administrative broker” model in which politically influential agencies can block information leakage to legislators and enhance their own discretion. Moreover, the administrative brokers occasionally transform traditionally hostile principal–agent relations into more favorable ones.
From Marketing Ideology to Branding Ideology
Authors: Levy Sidney J. , Luedicke Marius K.
Published: October 2012

This special issue of the Journal of Macromarketing is concerned with the globalization of marketing ideology. That topic raises the questions of what constitutes a marketing ideology and what might be its status on the global scene. The different approaches adopted in this special issue acknowledge the breadth of the topic and illuminate the intersection of marketing with the basic forces of cultures, politics, religion, conflicts, and a dismal financial debt crisis in the Western nations. To gain perspective, it seems relevant to observe the historical trajectory of marketing ideology and its likely continued path. To this end, we trace marketing ideology from a nineteenth-century premarketing ideology, to its initial focus on production/distribution technology, to its early twentieth-century focus on customer orientation and branding, to its current focus on network conversations and the significance of modern brand ubiquity. Using these insights, we then discuss three perspectives on future development and raise some potentially relevant questions.
Simultaneous localization and mapping with multimodal probability distributions
Authors: Pfingsthorn Max , Birk Andreas
Published: October 2012

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) has focused on noisy but unique data associations resulting in linear Gaussian uncertainty models. However, a unique decision is often not possible using only local information, giving rise to ambiguities that have to be resolved globally during optimization. To solve this problem, the pose graph data structure is extended here by multimodal constraints modeled by mixtures of Gaussians (MoG). Furthermore, optimization methods for this novel formulation are introduced, namely (a) robust iteratively reweighted least squares, and (b) Prefilter Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) where a preprocessing step determines globally consistent modes before applying SGD. In addition, a variant of the Prefilter method (b) is introduced in form of (c) Prefilter Levenberg–Marquardt. The methods are compared with traditional state-of-the-art optimization methods including (d) Stochastic Gradient Descent and (e) Levenberg–Marquardt as well as (f) Particle filter SLAM and with (g) an optimal exhaustive algorithm. Experiments show that ambiguities significantly impact state-of-the-art methods, and that the novel Prefilter methods (b) and (c) perform best. This is further substantiated with experiments using real-world data. To this end, a method to generate MoG constraints from a plane-based registration algorithm is introduced and used for 3D SLAM under ambiguities.
Modeling and Control of UAV Bearing Formations with Bilateral High-level Steering
Authors: Franchi Antonio , Masone Carlo , Grabe Volker , Ryll Markus , Bülthoff Heinrich H , Giordano Paolo Robuffo
Published: October 2012

In this paper we address the problem of controlling the motion of a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) bound to keep a formation defined in terms of only relative angles (i.e. a bearing formation). This problem can naturally arise within the context of several multi-robot applications such as, e.g. exploration, coverage, and surveillance. First, we introduce and thoroughly analyze the concept and properties of bearing formations, and provide a class of minimally linear sets of bearings sufficient to uniquely define such formations. We then propose a bearing-only formation controller requiring only bearing measurements, converging almost globally, and maintaining bounded inter-agent distances despite the lack of direct metric information.

The controller still leaves the possibility of imposing group motions tangent to the current bearing formation. These can be either autonomously chosen by the robots because of any additional task (e.g. exploration), or exploited by an assisting human co-operator. For this latter ‘human-in-the-loop’ case, we propose a multi-master/multi-slave bilateral shared control system providing the co-operator with some suitable force cues informative of the UAV performance. The proposed theoretical framework is extensively validated by means of simulations and experiments with quadrotor UAVs equipped with onboard cameras. Practical limitations, e.g. limited field-of-view, are also considered.
Public opinion about the source separation of municipal solid waste in Shanghai, China
Authors: Zhang Weiqian , Che Yue , Yang Kai , Ren Xiangyu , Tai Jun
Published: October 2012

For decades the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in Shanghai has been increasing. Despite the long-time efforts aimed at MSW management (MSWM), the disposal of MSW achieves poor performance. Thus, a MSW minimisation plan for Shanghai was proposed in December 2010. In this study, direct face-to-face interviews and a structured questionnaire survey were used in four different Shanghai community types. We conducted an econometric analysis of the social factors that influence the willingness to pay for MSW separation and discussed the household waste characteristics, the daily waste generation and the current treatment of kitchen wastes. The results suggested that the respondents are environmentally aware of separation, but only practise minimal separation. Negative neighbour effects, confused classification of MSW, and mixed transportation and disposal are the dominant limitations of MSW source-separated collection. Most respondents are willing to pay for MSWM. Public support is influenced by household population, income and cost. The attitudes and behaviours of citizens are important for reducing the amount of MSW disposal by 50% per capita by 2020 (relative to 2010). Concerted efforts should be taken to enlarge pilot areas. In addition, the source separation of kitchen wastes should be promoted.
Implicit Race/Ethnic Prejudice in Mexican Americans
Authors: Garza Christelle Fabiola , Gasquoine Philip Gerard
Published: October 2012

Implicit race/ethnic prejudice was assessed using Spanish- and English-language versions of an Implicit Association Test that used Hispanic/Anglo first names and pleasant/unpleasant words as stimuli. This test was administered to a consecutive sample of Mexican American adults residing in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas of whom about two-thirds chose to be tested in English and one-third preferred Spanish. Participants were mostly female (73%) with a mean age of 32 years and mean education of 13 years. Among 83 participants, 43% demonstrated in-group implicit prejudice while 26% showed out-group implicit prejudice toward Anglos. There was a significant negative correlation between family values (familism and filial piety) and implicit race/ethnic prejudice scores but no significant association was found between implicit race/ethnic prejudice scores and acculturation or skin tone. Results contribute to the ongoing controversy regarding the validity of implicit race/ethnic prejudice, supporting the concept that societal not individual prejudices are being measured.
Can the reputation of an established business school change?
Authors: Safón Vicente
Published: October 2012

A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. This paper examines the causes of business school reputation using two competing perspectives: the meritocratic and the institutional. The meritocratic perspective is based on the belief that reputation is an outcome of the business school’s achievements, which act as signals of organisational reputation. The institutional perspective highlights the importance of the institutional context in explaining reputation (business school past reputation and parent university reputation), minimising the effect of outcomes as reputation signals. The two perspectives are tested on a sample of US business schools via the use of multiple regressions and path analysis. The results lend weight to the institutional thesis, which brings into doubt the efficiency of short-term strategies that look to increase business school reputation.
Enhancing authentic leadership−followership
Authors: Crippen Carolyn
Published: October 2012

Much has been written about leadership in schools, but little mention has been made of followership. The article provides an awareness and foundation for future discussions about school followership. In 1992, Robert Kelly wrote The Power of Followership, which explains and analyses the world of followers and their relationship to leaders. Kelly’s framework provides the groundwork for this article and the important authentic leader−follower relationships that drives the life of a school, with particular attention to the teacher. We move back and forth along this leadership and followership continuum during our lives. Research questions include: Why do people choose to follow? Are there different types of followers? How can the leadership−followership relationship be nurtured in a school? The development of relationships that contribute to leadership−followership will be examined through the application of practical in-school activities with students and staff. Recent teacher feedback from over 400 Canadian teachers suggests that an effective school has established a balanced authentic leadership−followership dynamic that provides opportunities for all members of the school community, regardless of role, to participate.
Lesson study as an instrument for school reform
Authors: Saito Eisuke , Sato Masaaki
Published: October 2012

This article describes the case of a Japanese junior high school that experienced a turn-around in three years from one of the worst schools to one of the best by utilizing lesson study for learning community (LSLC) as a managerial tool. It will focus on how the principal: (i) established a vision of reform, (ii) organized LSLC to involve the entire school and (iii) overcame problems in the process of implementing school reform based on LSLC. The principal placed top priority on making learning more collaborative and on including not only cognitive but also social and ethical aspects. He subsequently implemented LSLC beyond subject boundaries with special attention to joint observation of and reflection on lessons. Further, the principal interacted with the teachers individually and developed both collegiality among the teachers and the capacities of middle-level leaders.
Intercultural communication in the Malaysian Vision Schools
Authors: Othman Azam , Ruslan Norbaiduri , Ahmad Ismail Sheikh
Published: October 2012

This article discusses intercultural communication in Vision Schools in Malaysia. It also elaborates the extent to which the Vision Schools foster racial interaction across the three major ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, and Indians. A total of 887 primary school students were surveyed across the Vision Schools. It was found that the intercultural communication in the Vision Schools had triggered intercultural understanding and awareness of cultural diversity in the schools. The dynamics of intercultural interaction were, however, more profound in the national school compared to the other two vernacular schools (Chinese and Tamil national-type schools). Nevertheless, students seemed to appreciate national integration beyond their school experience. Despite their youth, the children understood the significance of maintaining and sustaining national unity. Inspiring school leadership towards fulfilling intercultural awareness and exposure will lead the establishment and existence of Vision Schools in the right direction.
Developments in abrasive flow machining: a review on experimental investigations using abrasive flow machining variants and media
Authors: Cheema Manjot S , Venkatesh Gudipadu , Dvivedi Akshay , Sharma Apurbba K
Published: October 2012

The abrasive flow machining (AFM) technique uses a self-deforming tool, an abrasive laden media that is passed back and forth in the passage geometry of the hollow workpiece with the assistance of two hydraulically operated cylinders placed opposite to each other. The material is removed by abrasion generating finer surfaces in the area where flow is restricted. As the time advances various variants of AFM have been developed by different researchers to increase the productivity and improve the surface finish. Thus a combination of AFM and its process variants were developed to increase material removal rate and surface finish. This article provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in the process variants of AFM and the respective media.
Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Predicts Failure to Recall Negative Autobiographical Memories
Authors: Storm Benjamin C. , Jobe Tara A.
Published: October 2012

There is a positivity bias in autobiographical memory such that people are more likely to remember positive events from their past than they are to remember negative ones. Inhibition may promote this positivity bias by deterring negative memories from being retrieved. In our first experiment, we measured individual differences in retrieval-induced forgetting, a phenomenon believed to be the consequence of retrieval inhibition, and correlated that measure with individual differences in the recall of positive and negative autobiographical memories. Participants who exhibited lower levels of retrieval-induced forgetting recalled significantly more negative memories despite recalling fewer positive memories. In our second experiment, participants attempted to recall negative memories from childhood and from the previous month. Participants who exhibited lower levels of retrieval-induced forgetting recalled significantly more negative memories in both conditions. These results suggest that inhibition plays a key role in preventing the retrieval of negative autobiographical memories.
Practical notes on power plant machinery nozzle load and piping
Authors: Almasi Amin
Published: October 2012

The piping designers always want higher allowable machinery nozzle loads to simplify piping designs, while the rotating machine manufacturers want smaller allowable nozzle loads to assure good alignment, higher reliability and fewer operation complaints. From the power plant operator's point of view, where long-term reliability is a very important factor, the vote should go to the manufacturer. Optimum power piping design, support arrangement and layout configuration for rotating machines of a power plant (turbines, pumps, others) are addressed. Modern practical notes, new guidelines, recent lessons learned and latest achievements on power piping, power machinery nozzle load optimization, stress analysis and piping flexibility review are discussed.
Effect of Working Capital on Profitability of Selected Quoted Firms in Nigeria
Authors: Akinlo Olayinka Olufisayo
Published: October 2012

The article examines the relation between working capital management and profitability for a sample of 66 Nigerian non-financial firms for the period 1997–2007. Trade credit policy and inventory policy are measured by number of days accounts receivable, accounts payable and inventories; and the cash conversion cycle (CCC) is used as a comprehensive measure of working capital management. The results suggest that firm’s profitability is reduced by lengthening the number of days accounts receivable, number of days of inventory and number of days accounts payable. The result shows that shortening the CCC improves the profitability of the firms.
Emotional Labour and Organizational Role Stress: A Study of Aircraft Employees
Authors: Waddar Mahadevi S. , Aminabhavi Vijaylaxmi A.
Published: October 2012

The present study is conducted to investigate the emotional labour and organizational role stress of pilots, airhostesses and air traffic controllers. An emotional labour scale (Grandey, 2003) and an organizational role stress scale (Pareek, 1993) are administered on a sample of 90 aircraft employees. A one-way ANOVA test revealed that the three groups of aircraft employees differ significantly among each other in their emotional labour (F = 31.92; P < 0.001) and organizational role stress (F = 44.26; P < 0.001). More specifically, air traffic controllers are observed to have significantly higher organizational role stress compared to pilots and airhostesses; whereas airhostesses are observed to have significantly high emotional labour compared to pilots and air traffic controllers. Further stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed the factors significantly contributed to emotional labour and organizational role stress of aircraft employees. Findings of the study are helpful for the aircraft management authorities to come out with different strategies to improvise the emotional labour and organizational role stress.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Communication through Sustainability Reports by Indian and Multinational Companies
Authors: Tewari Ruchi , Dave Darshana
Published: October 2012

Purpose: To understand Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication made through the use of sustainability reports and to compare the CSR communication made by the Indian Companies and the Multinational Companies (MNCs) through the medium of sustainability reports.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Sustainability reports of the top 100 companies operating in the Information and Technology sector in India were taken and content analysis techniques of visual communication were used to compare the performance of the Indian and the MNCs in terms of CSR disclosure. Further, guidelines stated by the Global Reporting Initiatives (GRT) were taken as a measure of comparison to gauge the standardization of the sustainability reports published by the Indian companies and the MNCs.

Findings: The total number of Indian companies in the IT sector publishing sustainability reports is few but the quality of reports is of global standards and the international benchmarks stated by GRI are achieved by a larger percentage of the Indian companies as against the MNCs operating in India in the IT sector.

Research Limitations/Implications: The paper considers the sustainability reports only and no other medium of CSR communication. The study is limited to the companies operating in the IT sector only.

Originality/Value: Sustainability reports as a medium of CSR communication is highly ignored and therefore the findings will supplement and enhance the understanding of CSR communication.
Is there any Long-run Relationship between India’s Current and Capital Account Balance? A Time Series Analysis
Authors: Chakraborty Debashis , Mukherjee Jaydeep , Sinha Tanaya
Published: October 2012

The long-run relationship between current account balance (CAB) and capital account balance (KAB) and the repercussions of capital account convertibility (KAC) on the growth process of a country is a much-debated issue. In particular, in the aftermath of the Southeast Asian crisis, the limitation of the liberal capital regime for a developing country like India is often highlighted in the literature. However, the probable impact of introducing KAC on CAB in India is generally discussed theoretically. Though some empirical studies in India have recently focused on this research question, the current paper contributes to the literature first, by exploring the presence of any endogenous structural breaks in the individual series of CAB and KAB and then examining the nature of long-run relationship between them. Applying the ARDL method of co-integration, the empirical findings support the presence of a long term co-integrating relationship between capital and current account balance and reveals that a significant structural break is observed during 2002–03 for both the series.
Student Mobility Across the World and India
Authors: Misra Sheelan
Published: October 2012

In this era of educational marketing, education has become a commodity to be purchased by a consumer in order to build a skill set to be used in the market place and no more is it only recognized as the assets of skills, attitudes and values required for citizenship and effective participation in today’s society. Moreover, with the globalization phenomenon, which was always reflected in the education sector especially in India from olden times, has lead to the mobility of the students to the foreign countries either for quality or affordable education.

Educational marketing can be defined as a planned and systematic two-way process of communication between an educational institution and its stakeholders designed to build morale, goodwill, understanding and support for that organization. The outcomes are usually goodwill, positive attitudes, respect, understanding and basic support.

A developing country like India can use educational marketing as per its requirements. Therefore, this paper deals with two aspects in higher education in India. It tries to build a case for the need of decreasing outward student mobility and for more foreign students to be attracted to Indian higher education. To meet this purpose, the present study focuses light on the scenario of the higher education system worldwide and how economic globalization of higher education is shaping new horizons in the education sector. The present study details the statistics of student mobility world-wide and in India. The present study will also compare the composition and trends of exports of higher educational services by selected universities in Delhi, the capital and one of the metrocities of India.

The present study is based upon the data collected from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of HRD, WTO publications, University Annual Reports and various journals and books published by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).The three universities under study are the University of Delhi (DU), Jamia MiliaI slamia (JMI) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). These universities are involved in globalization by admitting foreign students. DU and JMI offer regular and distance education courses in India, therefore foreign students come to these universities and take admission and study, whereas IGNOU has a different modus operandi. It has the partner institutions (PIs) all over the world in different countries. Students from those countries get enrolled through the PIs and pursue courses from IGNOU as it offers only distance courses. These universities in New Delhi have been chosen as Delhi is the capital of India and has two functional universities acclaimed worldwide and one open university of international repute, in order to understand how the various modes attract the foreign students; and these being publicly funded universities, how much impetus has been put on internationalization of higher education despite all required infrastructure being available with them for conducting the courses effectively and efficiently.
Power harvesting in a helicopter rotor using a piezo stack in the lag damper
Authors: de Jong Pieter H , de Boer Andre , Loendersloot Richard , van der Hoogt Peter J M
Published: October 2012

A piezoelectrically augmented helicopter lag damper has been simulated for the purpose of harvesting electrical energy within the rotor of the aircraft. This energy can then be consumed locally for sensing, processing, and transmission of data to the cockpit. An 8.15-m radius rotor is considered, and in-plane rigid lagging motion forms the prime excitation of the damper. The piezoelectric stack is installed within the rod of the damper in such a manner that the stack is submitted to all damper loads. MATLAB and Simulink are used to simulate a simplified blade model. A number of electrical harvesting circuits are investigated, and the piezo stack is optimized for each circuit. Also the effect of nonlinear capacitance of the piezo material is investigated revealing a profound effect. The important design parameters are identified and optimized resulting in a power output of 5.1 W for a steady 130-knot forward flight profile.
Traditional Medicines, Collective Negotiation, and Representations of Risk in Indian Cancer Care
Authors: Broom Alex F. , Doron Assa
Published: October 2012

Cancer is emerging as a key disease in India, but there has been virtually no research exploring understandings of cancer and practices of communication within oncology settings. This is despite the fact that the Indian context presents clinicians, patients, and family members with a range of unique challenges, including those related to disease awareness, interpersonal dynamics, and the use of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines (TCAM). Drawing on a series of qualitative interviews with 22 Delhi-based oncology clinicians, in this article we examine clinicians’ accounts of communication with their cancer patients. The interviews reveal the challenges of communication given cancer’s relative novelty, cultural practices around collective negotiation, and rhetorical practices evident in advice-giving regarding TCAM. We conclude that with cancer set to become a major burden in India, research exploring competing forms of expertise, the politics of representation, and the nexus between traditional beliefs and techno-scientific development is urgently needed.
Measurement Invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition (BDI-II) Across Gender, Race, and Ethnicity in College Students
Authors: Whisman Mark A. , Judd Charles M. , Whiteford Natalie T. , Gelhorn Heather L.
Published: October 2012

Measurement invariance of the Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition (BDI-II) across gender, race, and ethnic groups was evaluated in a large sample of college students, using pooled data from 11 universities from diverse geographical regions in the United States ( N = 7,369). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the fit of several possible factor structures, and the results from these analyses indicated that the BDI-II was most adequately represented by a hierarchical four-factor structure, composed of three first-order factors and one second-order factor. Results based on analyses of covariance structures indicated there was factorial invariance for this hierarchical four-factor structure across groups, suggesting that the BDI-II provides an assessment of severity of depressive symptoms that is equivalent across gender, race, and ethnicity in college students.
Multiobjective dynamic topology optimization of truss with interval parameters based on interval possibility degree
Authors: Xu Bin , Jin Yu Jia
Published: October 2012

Static and dynamic multiobjective topology optimization of trusses with interval parameters is investigated. The uncertain parameters of the trusses are described by an interval model. The multiobjective topology optimization model of trusses with interval parameters is constructed. On the basis of Taylor expansion and natural interval extension, the stress and displacement response intervals under static loads and inherent natural frequency interval of truss are deduced. The non-deterministic optimization problem is transformed into a deterministic programming problem by minimizing maximum standards and the concept of interval possibility degree. The Pareto CMOPGA (genetic algorithm for constrained multiobjective optimization problem) embedding structural stability examination on the basis of ranking is adopted to solve the constrained multiobjective optimization problem. Two numerical examples show that the proposed method is effective and reasonable.
Neighborhood Features and the Rental Price of Villas and Cottages in Barbados
Authors: Kaidou Donna , Moore Winston , Charles-Soverall Wayne
Published: October 2012

Barbados is one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean. Historically most visitors were accommodated in hotels. In the past decade, however, the proportion of luxury rooms has declined in proportion to the expansion in the second home rental market. The behavior of rental prices for villas on the island, nevertheless, is not well understood. Using observations on 322 villas and cottages, this article estimates a hedonic regression of the prices for these properties. Prices are modeled as functions of structural, neighborhood, and environmental factors. The findings from the article suggest that the rental prices for villas and cottages on the island are largely because of unobserved neighborhood characteristics and structural features related to the property. The study contributes to the literature by providing an assessment of the villa market in a largely tourism-dependent economy and also proposes an approach for measuring unobserved neighborhood characteristics.
The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review
Authors: Cristiano E , Rojas JI , Romano M , Frider N , Machnicki G , Giunta DH , Calegaro D , Corona T , Flores J , Gracia F , Macias-Islas M , Correale J
Published: October 2012

The incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) varies geographically as shown through extensive epidemiological studies performed mainly in developed countries. Nonetheless, scant data is available in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The objective of this review is to assess epidemiological data of MS in LAC. We conducted a systematic review of published articles and gray literature from January 1995 to May 2011. Twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria after full-text review. Incidence data were found in only three studies and ranged from 0.3 to 1.9 annual cases per 100,000 person-years. Prevalence was reported in 10 studies and ranged from 0.83 to 21.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The most prevalent subtype of MS was the relapsing–remitting form (48% to 91% of the series). No data about mortality were found. This study showed low frequency for MS in LAC compared with North American and European countries. The role of environmental and genetic factors should be well studied, providing new insights about its etiology.
Characterization of anti-natalizumab antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Lundkvist M , Engdahl E , Holmén C , Movérare R , Olsson T , Hillert J , Fogdell-Hahn A
Published: October 2012

Background:

A small proportion of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with natalizumab develop anti-drug antibodies.

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to characterize the anti-natalizumab antibody response and to investigate differences between persistently and transiently antibody-positive patients.

Methods:

Screening for anti-natalizumab antibodies was performed using a standardized bridging ELISA. Antibody-positive samples were further analyzed for IgM and IgG1–4 antibodies using ELISA and ImmunoCAP®.

Results:

Anti-natalizumab antibodies developed in 57 of 1379 (4.1%) treated patients after a median treatment duration of three months. Of the positive patients, 20 (35%) patients reverted to negative, 19 (33%) patients were confirmed persistently positive and 18 (32%) patients were unconfirmed positive. Significantly higher anti-natalizumab antibody levels were detected in persistently compared to transiently positive patients. A cutoff value predicting persistence of antibodies could be determined with a sensitivity of 0.84 and a specificity of 0.80. IgM and IgG4 antibody levels were significantly higher in persistently compared to transiently positive patients, and IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4 increased significantly over time.

Conclusions:

The level of total anti-natalizumab antibodies in a first positive sample can be used to predict patients at risk for persisting antibody positivity. However, neither IgM nor IgG1–4 antibodies could be used to discriminate between transiently and persistently positive patients.
Enhancing the spaces of reflection
Authors: Lamb Penny , Lane Kathleen , Aldous David
Published: October 2012

Innovation in enhancing the reflective abilities of physical education trainee teachers was explored in this study through establishing peer ‘training buddies’ during their school placements. Opportunities for active engagement in peer- and self-reflection were provided to full-time Post-Graduate Secondary Physical Education trainee teachers ( n = 23). Data were collected through surveys, focus group interviews and trainee reflections shared through online discussion boards. Prior to their first school placement trainees were assigned a peer training buddy. Whilst on placement, they recorded each other teaching a physical education lesson; immediately afterwards, the pair watched the recorded lesson and conducted a joint evaluation. This dialogue allowed them to engage in reflective discussion. The process was repeated during the trainees’ second placement with a different peer training buddy. Grounded theory methodology informed an emergent model of reflective practice. By being and having a training buddy, trainees created, enabled and negotiated their own rules, structures and practices for implementing the process. Common themes emerging from the data pointed to a series of mutually-created spaces: safe – non-judgemental and creating a sense of solidarity; relaxed – non-pressured and conversational; equal – involving all participants at the same stage and status; pedagogic – collaborative and involving the sharing of ideas; negotiated – allowing autonomy and ownership of the process; and alternative – experiencing a different school environment. Trainees endorsed the peer review process as a method of engaging in critical reflection. The data illustrated the positive benefits that can be derived from sharing feedback with a peer. The emergent theory presented suggests that the collaborative spaces created by training buddies enhance reflective ability and practice.
Sexual well-being of a community sample of high-functioning adults on the autism spectrum who have been in a romantic relationship
Authors: Byers E. Sandra , Nichols Shana , Voyer Susan D. , Reilly Georgianna
Published: October 2012

This study explored factors (gender, age, relationship status, symptomatology) associated with the sexual well-being of 141 (56 men and 85 women) adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS) living in the community. Participants completed an online survey consisting of a measure of autistic symptoms as well as measures of dyadic and solitary sexual well-being. Canonical correlation analyses showed that participants who were currently in a romantic relationship reported more frequent dyadic affectionate and genital activity and greater sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction, pointing to the importance of context in an active sex life. After controlling for the first variate, men and individuals with less autism symptomatology, particularly in the social and communication domains, generally reported significantly greater dyadic sexual well-being, including greater sexual satisfaction, assertiveness, arousability, and desire and lower sexual anxiety and fewer sexual problems. Men also reported better solitary sexual well-being, including more sexual thoughts, more sexual desire, and more frequent solitary sexual activity; however, they had lower sexual knowledge. These results highlight the importance for research and sexuality education with individuals with HFA/AS to conceptualize sexual well-being as a multidimensional construct consisting of both dyadic and solitary aspects.
Brief report: Service implementation and maternal distress surrounding evaluation recommendations for young children diagnosed with autism
Authors: Warren Zachary , Vehorn Alison , Dohrmann Elizabeth , Newsom Cassandra , Taylor Julie Lounds
Published: October 2012

There is limited evidence surrounding the ability of families of children with autism spectrum disorders to access and implement recommended interventions following diagnosis. The distress a family may encounter with regard to inability to access recommended services is also poorly understood. In this study, we present preliminary data regarding implementation of clinical recommendations following autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as well as associations of implementation with maternal functioning. In total, 75 mothers of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through a university-based preschool autism clinic returned surveys regarding access to recommended services as well as maternal mental health and distress. Results indicate that while families were able to implement numerous recommendations, specific categories of intervention were less likely to be received. Challenges implementing recommended services were not related to increased maternal distress. These results suggest that despite potential barriers toward accessing some specific recommended services following diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, many families may be quite successful in implementing many other core recommended services and that failure to access such services may not necessarily negatively impact maternal mental health and distress.
Birth order rank as a moderator of the relation between behavior problems among children with an autism spectrum disorder and their siblings
Authors: Tomeny Theodore S , Barry Tammy D , Bader Stephanie H
Published: October 2012

Variability within the literature investigating typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder suggests that the quality of sibling outcomes may depend on specific factors. For this study, 42 parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder and a typically- developing sibling provided data via online questionnaires. Birth order rank of the child with an autism spectrum disorder significantly moderated the relation between externalizing behaviors in children with an autism spectrum disorder and externalizing behaviors in their typically-developing siblings. Children with an autism spectrum disorder and higher levels of behavior problems had typically-developing siblings with higher levels of behavior problems only when the child with an autism spectrum disorder was older. These results provide a hint of clarification about the complex nature of sibling relations, but a great deal more research is needed to further examine outcomes of typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder.