bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facilitating Strongly Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Data Assimilation with an Interface Solver
Authors: Frolov Sergey , Bishop Craig H. , Holt Teddy , Cummings James , Kuhl David
Published: September 2015

In a strongly coupled data assimilation (DA), a cross-fluid covariance is specified that allows measurements from a coupled fluid (e.g., atmosphere) to directly impact analysis increments in a target fluid (e.g., ocean). The exhaustive solution to this coupled DA problem calls for a covariance where all available measurements can influence all grid points in all fluids. Solution of such a large algebraic problem is computationally expensive, often calls for a substantial rewrite of existing fluid-specific DA systems, and, as shown in this paper, can be avoided.

The proposed interface solver assumes that covariances between coupled measurements and target fluid are often close to null (e.g., between stratospheric observations and the deep ocean within a 6-h forecast cycle). In the interface solver, two separate DA solvers are run in parallel: one that produces an analysis solution in the atmosphere, and one in the ocean. Each system uses a coupled observation vector where in addition to resident measurements in the target fluid it also includes nonresident measurements in the coupled fluid that are likely to have significant influence on the analysis in the target fluid (interface measurements). An ensemble-based method is employed and a localization function for coupled ensembles is proposed. Using a coupled model for the Mediterranean Sea (in a twin setting), it is demonstrated that (i) the solution of the interface solver converges to the exhaustive solution and (ii) that in presence of poorly known error covariances, the interface solver can be configured to produce a more accurate solution than an exhaustive solver.
Using Forecast Temporal Variability to Evaluate Model Behavior
Authors: Reynolds Carolyn A. , Satterfield Elizabeth A. , Bishop Craig H.
Published: September 2015

The statistics of model temporal variability ought to be the same as those of the filtered version of reality that the model is designed to represent. Here, simple diagnostics are introduced to quantify temporal variability on different time scales and are then applied to NCEP and CMC global ensemble forecasting systems. These diagnostics enable comparison of temporal variability in forecasts with temporal variability in the initial states from which the forecasts are produced. They also allow for an examination of how day-to-day variability in the forecast model changes as forecast integration time increases. Because the error in subsequent analyses will differ, it is shown that forecast temporal variability should lie between corresponding analysis variability and analysis variability minus 2 times the analysis error variance. This expectation is not always met and possible causes are discussed. The day-to-day variability in NCEP forecasts steadily decreases at a slow rate as forecast time increases. In contrast, temporal variability increases during the first few days in the CMC control forecasts, and then levels off, consistent with a spinup of the forecasts starting from overly smoothed analyses. The diagnostics successfully reflect a reduction in the temporal variability of the CMC perturbed forecasts after a system upgrade. The diagnostics also illustrate a shift in variability maxima from storm-track regions for 1-day variability to blocking regions for 10-day variability. While these patterns are consistent with previous studies examining temporal variability on different time scales, they have the advantage of being obtainable without the need for extended (e.g., multimonth) forecast integrations.
Complex description and measurement of two-ply yarn transversal proportions
Authors: Vysanska Monika
Published: September 2015

A diameter of single yarn is well known as one of the main geometrical descriptive characteristics of yarn formation. Many experimental methods also measure and define this parameter while assuming cylindrical shape of a single yarn. Very rare information exists in the case of two-ply yarn geometrical parameters. This paper, in its first part, introduces the geometrical parameters of two-ply yarn from a mathematical ideas point of view. The second part presents the longitudinal view method of their measurement. The longitudinal view method is functional also for single yarn diameter evaluation. Contribution proves the method on a set of five single polypropylene yarns variable in fineness and on a set of five polypropylene two-ply yarns different in ply twists, while two-ply yarn fineness stays constant. The third part of this paper presents a cross-sectional method of linear textiles, here of two-ply yarn and single yarn. Images of two-ply yarn and additionally single yarn cross-sections are used to measure transversal proportions of two-ply yarn and single yarn equivalent diameter. Results are discussed in terms of the set of five two-ply polypropylene yarns and some outputs are compared to those from the longitudinal view method.
Computer-aided design of luminous fiber embroidered fabric and characterization of afterglow performance
Authors: Li Jing , Chen Zhi , Ge Mingqiao
Published: September 2015

Luminous fiber embroidered fabric with a long afterglow effect is prepared by luminous fiber through a computer-aided embroidery machine. As the main raw material, rare earth luminescent material and polymer are used to produce the luminous fiber by the melt spinning process. In this research, the light-emitting portion of the fabric, which uses the principle of superposition of light, is designed by multi-layer construction in computer-aided design software. The afterglow performance of the designed fabric has been characterized. As a result, the size of stitch spacing is inversely proportional to the afterglow intensity of the fabric, and the fabric with a tatami needle has the maximum afterglow intensity in this experiment. Compared to the fabric with non-superimposed stitches in layers, the luminous fabric with superimposed stitches has higher brightness, longer duration of emitting light, and better stable luminescent properties.
The Illusion of Autonomy in “Food” Litigation
Authors: Diller Paul A.
Published: September 2015

Behavioral scientists have understood for decades that when it comes to food, we are anything but fully autonomous. One's choice of what and how much to eat is strongly influenced by environment and context. Give someone a larger bowl and serving spoon, and he will unwittingly eat more ice cream than if he used a smaller bowl and spoon. A person will eat more if out with friends, and may eat less if eating at a leisurely pace. The food industry has been fully aware of this science for decades; indeed, its scientists have been among the leading researchers in the area. Using this science to its advantage, the industry has manipulated the appearance, smell, taste, texture, and packaging of food to get Americans to eat more of the foods the industry sells, with often devastating consequences for the public health.
Nonprofit Stakeholder Response to Going-Concern Audit Opinions
Authors: Amin Keval , Harris Erica E.
Published: September 2015

Using a sample of industry-diverse nonprofit organizations, we find support for stakeholders’ use of nonprofit going-concern audit opinion (GCO) reports. We study the reactions of the three largest nonprofit stakeholder groups: donors, service recipients, and managers. Our findings suggest that although large (sophisticated) donors respond negatively to a GCO, small (unsophisticated) donors contribute more following a GCO. We also find that service recipients spend more at service-oriented organizations than at charitable nonprofits following a GCO. Finally, managers respond to a GCO by increasing organizational efficiency at service-oriented organizations. Taken together, the evidence suggests that GCOs are informative in the nonprofit sector, and stakeholders’ responses to GCOs depend on stakeholder and organization type.
Visions of Climate Control
Authors: Wiertz Thilo
Published: September 2015

Various geoengineering technologies that would deliberately alter the climate system have been proposed as a way to alleviate risks of global warming. Technologies that would shield incoming sunlight to cool the planet, so called solar radiation management (SRM), are particularly controversial. Considering insights from social studies of simulation modeling and research on expectations in science and technology, I argue that climate modeling has a central role in producing visions of SRM. I draw upon an empirical analysis of scientific research on SRM to examine how a creative play with technological ideas becomes possible through climate modeling. This enables scientists to project and study environmental impacts of speculative SRM methods in virtual experiments and to develop and refine ideas for adjusting sunlight. Hence, while climate models are used to improve scientific understandings of climate system behavior and to anticipate possible environmental impacts of SRM, they also become inventive tools, allowing scientists to envision novel ways of climate control and optimization. Given the importance of simulation studies to knowledge production on SRM, I critically reflect on the challenges that arise when visions about an engineered climate future are first and foremost produced in climate simulations.
Do campaigns matter outside the United States? Equilibrium and enlightenment in Korean presidential elections
Authors: Min Jeonghun , Gurian Paul-Henri
Published: September 2015

Do presidential campaigns matter outside the United States? We examine how public opinion responds to campaign events during Korean presidential campaigns. The fundamental variables of the election year influence vote intention before the campaign begins and substantially influence eventual vote choice. Campaign events assist voters to learn more about the fundamental variables – regionalism, party identification, and retrospective evaluations of the incumbent administration – and this leads to more informed intentions during the campaign. The results suggest that there is substantial congruence in the explanatory power of Holbrook’s ‘equilibrium’ theory and Gelman and King’s ‘enlightenment’ theory in presidential campaigns held in the US and in Korea.
Foucault's Point of Heresy: ‘Quasi-Transcendentals’ and the Transdisciplinary Function of the Episteme
Authors: Balibar Étienne
Published: September 2015

Major difficulties for readers of Foucault’s The Order of Things concern the historical function and the logical construction of the episteme. Our proposal is to link it with another notion, the ‘point of heresy’, less frequently addressed. This leads to asserting that irreconcilable dilemmas are in fact determined by the type of rationality governing the emergence of common objects of knowledge. It also introduces a possibility of ‘walking on two roads’: a dialogical adventure within rationality. Foucault is not content with either accepting or rejecting the ‘transcendental’ question ‘What is Man?’: with the help of quasi-transcendental categories performing a ‘transdisciplinary’ function, he wants to reach the ‘heretical’ point where anthropology becomes historicity within the horizon of finitude.
Logics of Generalization: Derrida, Grammatology and Transdisciplinarity
Authors: Cunningham David
Published: September 2015

This article seeks to explore some issues regarding the different modes of generality at stake in the formation of transdisciplinary concepts within the production of ‘theory’ in the humanities and social sciences. Focused around Jacques Derrida’s seminal account of ‘writing’ in his 1967 book Of Grammatology, the article outlines what it defines as a logic of generalization at stake in Derrida’s elaborations of a quasi-transcendental ‘inscription in general’. Starting out from the questions thereby raised about the relationship between such forms of generality and those historically ascribed to philosophy, the article concludes by contrasting Derrida’s generalized writing with more recent returns to ‘metaphysics’ in the work of Bruno Latour and others. Against the immediately ‘ontological’ orientation of much recent ‘new materialist’ or ‘object-oriented’ thought, the article argues for the necessity of ‘different levels of writing in general’ through a continual folding back of absolute generalization into historically specific disciplinary crossings and exchanges; something suggested by but never really developed in Derrida’s own work.
Individualism and entrepreneurship: Does the pattern depend on the social context?
Authors: Liñán Francisco , Moriano Juan A , Jaén Inmaculada
Published: September 2015

This article argues that cultural and personal values are relevant in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions; as such, the interplay between both value-levels deserves attention. Individualist values such as achievement, pleasure, self-direction and an exciting and stimulating life are related to entrepreneurial intention and activity, at both the cultural and personal levels. From a sample of 2069 adults with a university degree, the results support a double-effect of culture on entrepreneurial intention: the personal values effect (a more individualist culture leads to more members exhibiting higher entrepreneurial intentions) and the outlier effect (those who are more individualist than average in their culture will exhibit a higher entrepreneurial intention). Within the two individualist dimensions considered (self-enhancement and openness to change), the relationship of self-enhancement to entrepreneurial intention is stronger than that of openness to change. The implications of these results are discussed and avenues for future research are proposed.
The endogenous construction of entrepreneurial contexts: A practice-based perspective
Authors: Chalmers Dominic M. , Shaw Eleanor
Published: September 2015

This article investigates ways through which entrepreneurship scholars can overcome some of the methodological weaknesses preventing a more refined understanding of context. It is suggested that a framework based upon insights from ethnomethodology, conversation analysis and broader ‘practice turn’ in organisation studies can offer new perspectives on the situated nature of entrepreneurial practices. This article contributes to entrepreneurship scholarship in two ways. First, through studying real-time interaction data, it is possible to empirically demonstrate how entrepreneurial actors negotiate contextual constraints as they emerge and dissipate over time. Second, this article provides a framework that we hope will encourage a greater focus on actual instances of practice in entrepreneurship scholarship – something that is currently underrepresented.
Regional poverty mapping in Europe – Challenges, advances, benefits and limitations
Authors: Copus Andrew , Melo Patricia C , Kaup Stefan , Tagai Gergely , Artelaris Panagiotis
Published: September 2015

The ‘at-risk-of-poverty’ rate is the most widely recognised indicator of income poverty. Its principal advantage is that it is relatively straightforward to define and (given appropriate data) to calculate. National at-risk-of-poverty rates play a key role in monitoring EU2020 objectives relating to combating poverty. Regional patterns of poverty have the potential to deepen our understanding of processes of impoverishment and differentiation, and how they can be more effectively addressed by policy. Estimating regional poverty rates, and especially producing a European map, is a challenging task, given current data resources. This paper begins by placing the at-risk-of-poverty rate within the wider conceptual context relating to poverty, social exclusion and deprivation. It then provides an account of an exercise to map at-risk-of-poverty rates at NUTS 3 across 20 European countries. Together with data derived from national registers (where available) and more direct apportionment methods, coverage of most of Western Europe is achieved. The patterns revealed are described, and generalisations, which serve as pointers to further research on the processes responsible, are derived. The paper concludes with some reflections on the value of regional at-risk-of-poverty rates in advancing our understanding of the distribution and causes of poverty, and hence appropriate interventions to ameliorate it.
A cluster randomized controlled trial of a client-centred, activities of daily living intervention for people with stroke: one year follow-up of caregivers
Authors: Bertilsson Ann-Sofie , Eriksson Gunilla , Ekstam Lisa , Tham Kerstin , Andersson Magnus , von Koch Lena , Johansson Ulla
Published: September 2015

Objective:

Compare caregiver burden, provision of informal care, participation in everyday occupations and life satisfaction of caregivers to people with stroke, who either had received a client-centred, activities of daily living intervention or usual activities of daily living interventions.

Design:

A multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial in which 16 rehabilitation units were randomly assigned to deliver a client-centred, activities of daily living intervention or usual activities of daily living interventions. Caregiver outcomes were compared cross-sectionally at 12 months and changes in outcomes between three and 12 months after people with stroke were included in the study.

Setting:

Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation.

Participants:

Caregivers of people with stroke enrolled in the trial.

Intervention:

A client-centred, activities of daily living intervention aiming to increase agency in daily activities and participation in everyday life for people after stroke.

Main measures:

Caregiver Burden Scale, Occupational Gaps Questionnaire, LiSat-11.

Results:

There were no differences in outcomes between caregivers in the client-centred, activities of daily living ( n = 88) and the usual activities of daily living ( n = 95) group at 12 months. The caregiver burden score was 42.7 vs. 41.8, p = 0.75, mean occupational gaps were 3.5 vs. 4.0, p = 0.52 and satisfaction with life was 53% vs. 50%, p = 0.87. There were no differences in changes between three and 12 months. However, within groups there were significant differences in caregiver burden, factor general strain, for caregivers in the client-centred, activities of daily living group, and in provision of informal care for the usual activities of daily living group.

Conclusion:

The client-centred intervention did not bring about any difference between caregiver-groups, but within groups some difference was found for caregiver burden and informal care.
Numerical analysis of the influence of the damping rings’ dimensions on interrupted dynamic tension experiment results
Authors: González-Lezcano RA , del Río JM
Published: September 2015

This article discusses the influence of the dimensions of the damping rings used for interrupting a dynamic tension experiment on the results of a modified split Hopkinson tension bar. The damping rings enclosed in an external fixture which modifies the classical split Hopkinson tension bar play a significant role in buffering the dynamic tension experiments before the specimen reaches its failure strength. Finite element simulations of high-strain-rate tension experiments are accomplished on Aluminium 7017-T73 alloy specimens when varying the thickness or the cross-sectional area of the damping rings. Finite element analyses described herein are applied to simulate the effects of the variation of the damping rings’ dimensions to provide a reference for improvement of a modified split Hopkinson tension bar experimental apparatus and guidance for future studies in which optimum dimensions for the damping rings can be studied. In view of this research, it can be concluded that the thickness of the damping rings is a factor that can resolutely influence the interrupted dynamic tension experiment results, while their cross-sectional area can be excluded as a factor influencing the results of the modified split Hopkinson tension bar experiments.
Evaluation of the new ICHD-III beta cluster headache criteria
Authors: de Coo IF , Wilbrink LA , Haan J , Ferrari MD , Terwindt GM
Published: September 2015

Aim

In the revised criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III beta) the following items are added to the diagnostic criteria of cluster headache: ipsilateral sensation of fullness in the ear and ipsilateral forehead/facial flushing. We evaluated the possible additional value of these symptoms for diagnosing cluster headache.

Methods

In this cross-sectional cohort study of (potential) cluster headache patients we investigated these additional symptoms using a Web-based questionnaire. Patients not fulfilling the ICHD-II criteria for cluster headache but fulfilling the ICHD-III beta criteria were interviewed.

Results

Response rate was 916/1138 (80.5%). Of all 573 patients with cluster headache according to ICHD-II criteria, 192 (33.5%) reported ipsilateral ear fullness and 113 (19.7%) facial flushing during attacks. There was no difference in reporting ipsilateral ear fullness and facial flushing between patients who received a diagnosis of cluster headache and patients who did not. None of the patients who did not fulfill all ICHD-II criteria could be categorized as cluster headache according to the ICHD-III beta criteria.

Conclusion

The results of this study do not support the addition of ear fullness and facial flushing to the new ICHD-III beta criteria.
Systemic and cerebral endothelial dysfunction in chronic migraine. A case-control study with an active comparator
Authors: González-Quintanilla Vicente , Toriello María , Palacio Enrique , González-Gay Miguel A , Castillo Jesús , Montes Silvia , Martínez-Nieto Rosa , Fernandez Jenifer , Rojo Alvaro , Gutiérrez Silvia , Pons Enar , Oterino Agustín
Published: September 2015

Background and objective

Unlike migraine and migraine with aura, little information exists regarding chronic migraine (CM) as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In this study we aim to determine whether an association between CM and endothelial dysfunction exists.

Methods

Individuals 18 years and older diagnosed with episodic migraine (EM) and CM according to ICHD criteria were studied. After an overnight fast and abstinence from vasoactive drugs, ultrasound studies were performed and blood samples taken from patients and matched controls according to internationally agreed on protocols.

Results

A total of 113 individuals were enrolled (35 CM, 37 EM, 41 controls). CM patients had a lower percentage of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD; difference of means = 5.03%; p = 1.0E-6) and breath-holding index (BHI; difference of means 0.754; p = 2.0E-6), as well as increased carotid intima media thickness (cIMT; difference of means = 0.128 mm; p = 7.0E-5) than controls. The EM patients and controls comparison found similar, but less pronounced, differences: decreased BHI ( p = 0.031), and increased cIMT ( p = 0.028). Fibrinogen ( r = 0.277; p = 0.006), C-reactive protein ( r = 0.288; p = 0.003), and erythrocyte rate sedimentation ( r = 0.298; p = 0.002) also correlated with cIMT, and inversely with BHImV and FMD.

Conclusions

Migraine is associated with systemic and cerebral endothelial dysfunction demonstrated by ultrasound studies and biological markers. The degree of these changes was strongly associated with the severity of migraine. Our data indicate that migraine may be a cerebral disorder with systemic endothelial damage.
Individualizing the Tibial Tubercle–Trochlear Groove Distance
Authors: Camp Christopher L. , Heidenreich Mark J. , Dahm Diane L. , Stuart Michael J. , Levy Bruce A. , Krych Aaron J.
Published: September 2015

Background:

Patients with patellar instability and a tibial tubercle–trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance ≥20 mm may be candidates for distal tubercle realignment surgery. Although this variable has proven valuable in predicting recurrent dislocations, it is not individualized to patient size, bony structure, or patellofemoral mechanics.

Purpose:

To develop a patellar instability ratio (PIR) that predicts the risk of recurrent instability based on the TT-TG distance to patient-specific anatomy.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

On magnetic resonance imaging scans of 59 knees with patellar instability, the TT-TG distance, tibial tubercle–posterior cruciate ligament (TT-PCL) distance, sagittal patellar length (PL), sagittal trochlear length (TL), axial patellar width (PW), and axial trochlear width (TW) were calculated by 2 observers in a blinded and randomized fashion. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with a single dislocation and those with multiple (≥2) dislocations. The ability of the TT-TG and TT-PCL distances as well as the 8 different ratios to predict recurrent instability was assessed by calculating odds ratios (ORs), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for each measure.

Results:

Twelve knees (20%) experienced a single dislocation, while 47 (80%) sustained multiple dislocations. A TT-TG distance ≥20 mm was predictive of recurrent instability, with a sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of 21%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. The OR for TT-TG ≥20 mm was 5.38 ( P = .29), while the highest ORs for recurrent instability were noted for a TT-TG/PW ≥0.4 (OR, 7.37; P = .02) and a TT-TG/TW ≥0.5 (OR, 8.88; P = .04). The sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of a TT-TG/PW ≥0.4 were 62%, 83%, and 94%, respectively, while those of a TT-TG/TW ≥0.5 were 45%, 92%, and 95%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Two novel PIRs (TT-TG/TW and TT-TG/PW) were identified and found to more effectively predict recurrent instability than the TT-TG distance alone. Each ratio takes into account patient-specific anatomy and can be measured in an accurate and reliable fashion by clinicians. These PIRs are a step toward overcoming some of the limitations of using the TT-TG distance in isolation. Further investigation into the clinical applications and utility of the TT-TG/TW is warranted.
Interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in paediatric patients suffering from an underlying chronic disease
Authors: Esposito Susanna , Marseglia Gian Luigi , Colombo Carla , Iughetti Lorenzo , Terranova Leonardo , Ierardi Valentina , Gambino Monia , Principi Nicola ,   for the Italian Pneumococcal Study Groups on Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and Diabetes
Published: September 2015

Little is known about the interaction between Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in school-age children and adolescents suffering from an underlying chronic disease. To increase our knowledge in this regard, an oropharyngeal swab was obtained from school-age children and adolescents suffering from asthma (n = 423), cystic fibrosis (CF) (n = 212) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) (n = 296). S. pneumoniae detection and serotyping were performed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction, and S. aureus detection was performed using the RIDAGENE MRSA system. Among asthmatic, CF and DM1 patients, both pathogens were identified in 65/423 (15.4%), 21/212 (9.9%) and 62/296 (20.9%) children, respectively; S. pneumoniae alone was identified in 127/434 (30.0%), 21/212 (9.9%) and 86/296 (29.1%), respectively; S. aureus alone was identified in 58/434 (13.7%), 78/212 (36.8%) and 49/296 (16.6%), respectively. S. pneumoniae colonisation rates were higher in younger children and declined with age, whereas the frequency of S. aureus colonisation was quite similar in the different age groups. Among asthmatic and CF patients aged 6–9 years, S. aureus carriage was significantly higher in children who were positive for S. pneumoniae ( P <0.05). No significant association emerged between S. aureus carriage and carriage of S. pneumoniae serotypes included in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). This study shows for the first time that school-age children and adolescents with asthma, CF and DM1 are frequently colonised by S. pneumoniae and S. aureus and that no negative relationship seems to exist between these pathogens. Moreover, the supposed protection offered by PCV administration against S. aureus colonisation was not demonstrated.
Compensating the Innocent: Perceptions of Exonerees’ Deservingness to Receive Financial Compensation for Wrongful Convictions
Authors: Karaffa Kerry M. , Page Jaimie , Koch Julie M.
Published: September 2015

Those who have been wrongfully imprisoned face a variety of challenges upon reentering the community, and monetary compensation may be helpful in rebuilding one’s life following a period of incarceration. However, very little is known about factors that may impact public attitudes regarding compensation policy. Using a sample of 396 university students, we investigated the role of exonerees’ race/ethnicity and prior conviction history, as well as participants’ socially dominant and right-wing authoritarian attitudes in explaining beliefs about financial compensation. Results suggest that males, minority group members, and older participants tended to rate hypothetical exonerees as more deserving of financial compensation. Perceptions of deservingness for compensation did not differ according to the exonerees’ race/ethnicity, but exonerees who had no prior convictions were perceived as more deserving compared with those with prior misdemeanor or felony drug convictions. Participants’ right-wing authoritarianism scores were negatively associated with deservingness scores, whereas social dominance orientation scores were not significantly related to deservingness, after controlling for participant demographics and exoneree factors.
Katyń
Authors: Petrov Nikita V.
Published: September 2015

Using the cover of state secrets in order to suppress and conceal the conclusions of the Katyń investigation is a violation of current Russian law. And yet Russian prosecutors have engaged in a cover-up of the documentation involved in the long-standing international investigation into the Katyń Massacres of 1940. The outcome of the investigation is a far cry from a truthful accounting, instead attesting to the prosecutors’ eagerness to avoid any indictment of the USSR’s former top leadership, and more generally to their attempts to sweep the entire affair under the carpet. First, the Katyń Massacres are characterized not as a war crime but merely as an abuse of power by authorities. Second, the scope of culpability has been deliberately circumscribed: both Stalin and the Politburo members who approved the massacres have been absolved of blame. Third, the inquest shows serious lapses, as no complete list of victims has been made public—an essential step for both completeness of the investigation and for the possibility of the victims’ subsequent rehabilitation. This article explains in detail the political and legal logic behind this treatment of Katyń-related documentation by the Russian political establishment since the dawn of the twenty-first century.
The Katyń Families
Authors: Sariusz-Skąpska Izabella
Published: September 2015

By appearance it would seem that Rodziny Katyńskie—the Katyń Families—are a veterans’ organization. The elderly, the last witnesses of the terrible Second World War, make up the majority of members. But these are not heroes, and they are not veterans. Who are they? In the first days after Poland regained its independence, after the first free elections of 4 June 1989, people from many cities leave the quiet of their homes and for the first time in their lives start talking about the history of their fathers, who had gone missing after 17 September 1939. The Katyń Families were formed. Statutes were written, and the aims of the organization were defined: explaining all of the circumstances of the Katyń Massacres, finding all of the locations where Polish prisoners of war died, and, finally, accomplishing their dignified burial in Polish War Cemeteries.
Nurturing domestic firms through public procurement: A comparison between Brazil and Japan
Authors: Sorte Junior Waldemiro Francisco
Published: September 2015

Due to the significant amount of financial resources involved, public procurement can be used as a useful pull mechanism to stimulate private investment and to influence market dynamics, entrepreneurship, and R&D activities, in order to promote the growth of local industries. This study examines recent policies implemented by the Brazilian government aimed at using public procurement to foster the domestic industry. It also discusses how the Japanese government used public procurement as a tool to promote the growth of domestic firms before the country signed the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) in 1995, in order to present the advantages and drawbacks of each country’s approach. This study argues that, while the pre-GPA Japanese approach was efficient in creating more significant partnerships between the government and key domestic firms to achieve industrial policy objectives in strategic sectors, the Brazilian recently implemented policy has the advantage of being more accountable and transparent. This research argues for the possibility to harmonize transparency and accountability with initiatives to nurture domestic firms in public tenders and contends that an efficient strategy to use public procurement to promote the growth of the national industry should be a mixture of the Brazilian and Japanese approaches.
Rollover prevention for sport utility vehicles using a pulsed active rear-steering strategy
Authors: Zhang Yubiao , Khajepour Amir , Xie Xiaoping
Published: September 2015

Vehicle rollovers are a serious safety issue for drivers and passengers and have led to many fatal accidents on the road. This paper describes a system and a method of enhancing vehicular stability to reduce the likelihood of rollover for motor vehicles, and in particular for sport utility vehicles. Under the concept of pulsed active steering, one control strategy called pulsed active rear steering was investigated and is discussed in detail. To verify this system, the yaw and roll model was derived and the pulse signal parameters (the frequency and the amplitude) were evaluated to determine their optimum values. A full-vehicle model was built in CarSim and co-simulated with MATLAB/Simulink as the control module. Moreover, we designed and prototyped the proposed system for a sport utility vehicle and then conducted road tests with different manoeuvres. The results from simulations and experiments confirmed that the proposed pulsed active rear-steering system is promising for rollover prevention of sport utility vehicles.
Propagation characteristics of tunnel compression waves with multiple peaks in the waveform of the pressure gradient: Part 2: Theoretical and numerical analyses
Authors: Miyachi Tokuzo , Ozawa Satoru , Iida Masanobu , Fukuda Takashi , Arai Takakage
Published: September 2015

This paper is the second part of a two-part study on the propagation characteristics of compression waves generated by a train entering a long slab track tunnel with a tunnel entrance hood, which generates a tunnel compression wave with multiple peaks in the waveform of its pressure gradient. In Part 1, we described field measurements on the propagation characteristics of the compression waves generated by Shinkansen trains in a 9.7-km-long tunnel, and we compared the results with those of simulations. It was shown that initial waveforms whose pressure gradient waveforms have shallower valleys tend to steepen more easily, and a mathematical model of the distortion based on the field measurements using a quasi-laminar friction model was proposed. This follow-up report describes the theoretical and numerical analyses conducted on the basis of the mathematical model. Initial waveforms of the pressure gradient that have no valleys and are higher on their right-hand side grow up easily during propagation; this is due to the unsteady friction being small in the region where the magnitude of the second time derivative of the pressure is small. This results in a dependence of the propagation characteristics on the initial waveform of the compression wave.
Fast local representation of gravity anomaly along flight trajectory
Authors: Zhou Huan , An Xueying , Zheng Wei , Tang Guojian
Published: September 2015

A local representation of gravity anomaly along flight trajectory ballistic missile based on the net function approximation theory and an “infundibular tunnel” generated warping a standard trajectory is proposed. Even trading exactness against computational burden, the results achieved by the proposed method have sufficient precision for trajectory calculation. Being compared with 1080-order spherical harmonics, it takes just about one-thirtieth onboard computational time and needs only about 1000 data memorized to complete the gravity anomaly computation for a 12,000 km range trajectory, with an average approximation error of about 10−2 mgal and a consequent ballistic impact error beneath 8 m. The modest memory requirement and vastly decreased computational time allow this method to apply to onboard computations of gravity anomaly along any trajectory.
Survey of genitourinary medicine specialist registrars in the United Kingdom regarding genital dermatology training
Authors: Hartley A , Bates CM , Sashidharan PN
Published: September 2015

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV Genital Dermatology Special Interest Group (SIG) conducted a survey of specialist registrar training in genital dermatology (GD) to inform future training provision provided by the group and other services. The survey shows that training in GD is variable with most trainees receiving GD training through formal lectures or ad hoc clinical teaching, with fewer trainees having access to specialist GD clinics. There is mixed confidence in diagnosis and use of topical steroids, and few trainees are independent in GD practical procedures. Many trainees feel training could be improved with requests for a formalised attachment, formal qualification and greater training in practical procedures. The GD SIG, in liaison with British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), aims to optimise GD training for registrars. Plans for improved resources are in progress, including a practical skills course and e-learning. It is hoped this survey will also inform GD training at both local and national levels.
Adaptive estimator design for unstable output error systems: A test problem and traditional system identification based analysis
Authors: Tutsoy Onder , Colak Sule
Published: September 2015

A key open question in adaptive estimator design is how to assure that the parameters of the proposed algorithms are converging to their almost correct solutions; hence, the learning algorithm is unbiased. Moreover, determining the speed of parameter convergence is important as it provides insight about the performance of the learning algorithms. The main contributions of the article are fourfold: the first one is that the article, initially, introduces an adaptive estimator to learn the discounted Q-function and approximate optimal control policy without requiring linear, discrete time, unstable output error system dynamics, but using only the noisy system measurements. The simulation results show that the adaptive estimator minimizes the stochastic cost function and temporal difference error and also learns the approximate Q-function together with the control policy. The second one is consideration of a different approach by taking a simple test problem to investigate issues associated with the Q-function’s representation and parametric convergence. In particular, the terminal convergence problem is analyzed with a known optimal control policy where the aim is to accurately learn only the Q-function. It is parameterized by terms which are functions of the unknown plant’s parameters and the Q-function’s discount factor, and their convergence properties are analyzed and compared with the adaptive estimator. The third one is to show that even though the adaptive estimator with a large Q-function discount factor yields larger control feedback gains, so that faster state converges upright, the learning problem is badly conditioned; hence, the parameter convergence is sluggish, as the Q-function discount factor approaches the inverse of the dominant pole of the unstable system. Finally, the fourth one is comparison of the state output learned by the adaptive estimator with the ones obtained from traditional system identification algorithms. Simulation result for a higher order unstable output error system shows that the adaptive estimator closely follows the real system output whereas the system identification algorithms do not.
Equity Performance of Zero-debt Firms vis-à-vis Their Leveraged Counterparts
Authors: Deb Soumya Guha , Banerjee Pradip
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this article is to find out whether firms that operate with debt-free balance sheet are rewarded more by the investors at large. For this, we form portfolios of debt-free firms and compare their performance with performance of matching portfolios of leveraged firms from the same industry and of similar size. Both absolute and risk-adjusted return measures are used as performance proxies. Our results show that debt-free firms tend to outperform the leveraged counterparts in terms of both absolute and risk-adjusted performance measures.
A Review on Impact of Socialization Agents in Breeding Consumerism among Children
Authors: Lenka Usha , Vandana
Published: September 2015

This article extensively reviews literature to develop a conceptual framework elucidating the role of socialization agents in developing consumerism among children. The socialization agents are categorized as interpersonal and environmental agents. Interpersonal agents are family and peers. Environmental agents are schools, television and retail stores. Family, peers, schools, television and retail stores are certain antecedents influencing persuasive intent in children called ‘pester power’, which promotes materialistic attitude among them. Such attitude can be curbed through continued intervention of parents called ‘parental guidance’.
Book Review: S. Subramanian, Essays in Economics and Other Cheerful Themes—A Dismal Scientist’s Occasional Reflections on the World around Him
Authors: Tandon Deepak , Tandon Neelam
Published: September 2015

S. Subramanian, Essays in Economics and Other Cheerful Themes—A Dismal Scientist’s Occasional Reflections on the World around Him. New Delhi: SAGE South Asia Edition, SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd, 2014, 203 pp. ₹ 850 (ISBN: 978-81-321-1373-7 [HB])
Beliefs About Personal Weight Among African American Women
Authors: Pickett Stephanie , Peters Rosalind M.
Published: September 2015

The rate of obesity within the United States is dropping, yet the prevalence of obesity among young African American women continues to increase. This increase, in part, may be attributable to weight beliefs. The relationship between beliefs about personal weight and body mass index (BMI) was examined among 150 African American women, 18 to 40 years of age using weight descriptive characteristics, causal attributions, consequences, and calculated BMI. Key results show that the majority of participants described their weight as attractive, healthy, and normal despite a sample mean BMI in the obese category. Key beliefs about the causes of personal weight that were associated and predictive of BMI were unhealthy eating behaviors, limited physical activity, weight left from pregnancy, and not knowing how to maintain a healthy weight. Beliefs about the consequences of personal weight were not predictive of BMI. A discussion of study findings provides important implications for clinical practice.
Adult Outcome of ADHD: An Overview of Results From the MGH Longitudinal Family Studies of Pediatrically and Psychiatrically Referred Youth With and Without ADHD of Both Sexes
Authors: Uchida Mai , Spencer Thomas J. , Faraone Stephen V. , Biederman Joseph
Published: September 2015

Objective: We aimed to provide an overview of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Longitudinal Studies of ADHD. Methods: We evaluated and followed samples of boys and girls with and without ADHD ascertained from psychiatric and pediatric sources and their families. Results: These studies documented that ADHD in both sexes is associated with high levels of persistence into adulthood, high levels of familiality with ADHD and other psychiatric disorders, a wide range of comorbid psychiatric and cognitive disorders including mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders, learning disabilities, executive function deficits, emotional dysregulation, and autistic traits as well as functional impairments. The MGH studies suggested that stimulant treatment decreased risks of developing comorbid psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and functional outcomes. The MGH studies documented the neural basis of persistence of ADHD using neuroimaging. Conclusion: The MGH studies provided various insights on symptoms, course, functions, comorbidities, and neuroscience of ADHD.
Contagious Euroscepticism
Authors: Meijers Maurits J
Published: September 2015

This article examines whether the support for Eurosceptic challenger parties influences mainstream party position change on European integration in Western Europe. The key finding is that Eurosceptic challenger support is capable of influencing mainstream position shifts on European integration provided that, on average, EU issues are regarded as important by the Eurosceptic challengers. Moreover, the centre-left is more affected by Eurosceptic contagion since it is influenced by both radical right and radical left Eurosceptic success, whereas the centre-right is only susceptible to radical right success. The empirical analyses are based on panel regression analysis employing expert survey data provided by Chapel Hill Expert Survey. The findings presented in this article have important implications for the study of party positioning on European integration as well as for the study of party competition in general.
Beyond policy positions
Authors: Lacewell Onawa Promise
Published: September 2015

Do parties adapt their programmatic strategies in times of heightened economic globalization? Are these changes captured by right-left positional changes or do parties go beyond policy shifts and enact more comprehensive programmatic overhauls? Furthermore, are such changes linked to traditional party family classifications and, if so, do different party types re-program their manifestos differently? Finally, what role does radical right competition play in the changing programmatic strategies of mainstream centre-right and centre-left parties? This paper addresses these questions by developing a theoretical framework that accounts for economic globalization, cleavage change, and programmatic supply. Using Giebler et al.’s (2015) measure of programmatic clarity, the analysis reveals clear differences in party responses to economic globalization. Additionally, the results show that parties go beyond right-left positional changes and adapt their programmatic supply on a more general level. For social democratic parties, however, such adaptation hinges on whether a radical right competitor is present.
The double whammy
Authors: Grealis Kevin Barry
Published: September 2015

Kevin Grealis advises on cases involving multiple defendants and how one might approach them.