bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing the Millennium Bug
Authors: Montazemi Ali Reza
Published: September 2016

As the year 2000 approaches⁄ software companies the world over are grappling with a new challenge: the millennium bug. This paper by Montazemi discusses the background and the issues involved and suggests a plan of action for surving the year 2000 computing crisis.
Meta-analysis of Advertising Elasticity Estimates: How to Correct for the Sampling Error Bias
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Subir
Published: September 2016

Meta-analysis is a powerful statistical technique that allows social scientists to cumulate research findings across studies. Marketing researchers have used meta-analysis to measure the effectiveness of marketing mix strategies⁄ e.g., advertising, pricing, and promotion. Typically, researchers determine an average elasticity as a measure of the strategy to influence sales, and try to demonstrate causal relationship between the elasticity and some moderator variables. However, extreme caution should be exercised before making any causal inference from meta-analytic results. For example, the variance of an elasticity may be biased due to the sampling error in each estimate. Hence, the sampling error variance must be measured and accounted for before attempting to unravel any causal relationship between the elasticity and moderator variables. In this study by Bandyopadhyay⁄ a meta-analysis of advertising elasticity is done to demonstrate how to correct for the sampling error variance and measure the effect of moderator variables on elasticities. The results, according to the author, can help brand managers make useful inferences about the overall advertising effectiveness.
Manufacturing Technology in India: The New Challenges
Authors: Mashelkar Ramesh
Published: September 2016

People describe India in many different ways. Many say, India is a rich country where poor people live. The Indian challenge is simply that rather than being described as a rich country where poor people live⁄ some day someone will have to describe us as a rich country where rich people live. This can happen only when we realize the wealth creation potential of knowledge. Creating wealth out of knowledge is a crucial challenge for us. Among other things⁄ mastery of manufacturing technology assumes a key role in this entire process of wealth creation. In this paper⁄ Ramesh Mashelkar discusses the new challenges that India will face in manufacturing technology as we enter the twenty-first century.
Complexity in Manufacturing: Some Lessons to Learn in Planning and Implementation
Authors: Sunderraman G.
Published: September 2016

This paper by Sunderraman explains the need to complement the reductionism of planning' with the holism of ‘learning’ from the perspective of the new science of complexity. The interconnectedness, nonlinearity, discontinuity, feed back loops and human interventions make manufacturing a complex adaptive system. Inherent complexity and random perturbations cause unpredictable fluctuations in manufacturing at all levels. The learning heuristics of adaptive system can effectively tackle situations in manufacturing where the underlying cause structure is unknowable or difficult to isolate. The basic understanding of the tenets of chaos and complexity helps respond to manufacturing reality. The appreciation of real-time learning as a useful complement to planning will bridge the growing divide between implementors and planners in manufacturing.
Strategic Planning: Different Aspects of Modes and Mode-switching
Authors: Roy Dilip
Published: September 2016

This paper by Dilip Roy deals with executives' preferences for different pure modes of strategic planning and the mode-switching behaviour of firms. Based on a survey, he points out that the adaptive mode plays a significant role under environmental turbulency and the most likely mode under environmental stability is the planning mode. The author also describes the mode-switching process through a three-dimensional approach and suggests three hypotheses on the switching pattern.
Alternate Means of Financing Railways
Authors: Raghuram G , Babu M Ravi
Published: September 2016

This paper by Raghuram and Ravi Babu focuses on the financial requirements of Indian Railways and the means of providing for them. Drawing lessons from the existing modes of finance, the pros and cons of the potential modes including budgetary support, internal resource generation, market borrowings, BOLT (Build, Operate, Lease, Transfer), and BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) are discussed. With declining budgetary support and expensive market borrowings, the paper seeks to focus attention on internal resource generation and BOLT⁄BOT schemes which involve stakeholders. Increased internal resource generation is possible by increasing revenues through value added service and innovative pricing, and reducing cost through improved asset utilization.
Performance Evaluation Model for Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
Authors: Dongre Yashavantha , Swamy M V Narayana
Published: September 2016

This article by Dongre and Narayana Swamy is an attempt to evolve an appropriate statistical model to evaluate the financial performance of the primary agricultural credit societies. It is based on the empirical data gathered from 14 sample societies of two talukas in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state. Considering that fund management is the basic weak link in most primary agricultural credit societies, it is imperative that they be able to evaluate their performance and, based on the feedback, restructure their financial policies. It is hoped that the model suggested here comes handy to the management in periodic evaluation, feedback, and follow-up activities.
Diagnoses
Authors: Ranganathan V
Published: September 2016

The April-June 1998 issue of Vikalpa had published a Management Case titled ‘Aokam Perdana Berhad’ by Jayanth R Varma and V Raghunathan which discussed the issue of put options spelling bankruptcy for financially weak companies like Aokam. In this issue, we carry V Ranganathan's response on the case.

The July-September 1998 issue had featured a Management Case titled ‘Splendor Decorative Laminates India Ltd.’ by Abraham Koshy which focused on the evaluation of market research proposals and selecting an appropriate market research agency. In this issue, we carry two responses on the case by V Sanal Kumar and Ashis Mishra.
Learning Leadership and Decision-making from Literature
Authors: Singh Sampat P
Published: September 2016

To provide the 21st century world with leaders of great breadth and versatility and understanding is a big challenge. Leadership role demands perspectives, worldviews, and beliefs; a passionate commitment to some values, ends, or, ultimate purposes balanced by a sense of responsibility and proportion that depends on listening to others, maintaining humility, and a sense of humour. One can dig into classical literature and obtain significant insights into content and process of leadership and decision-making. The available material is vast. How do we select relevant pieces of literature, interpret them, and relate them to problems of organizational leadership and decision-making? These are questions which have no simple heuristic answers. They involve a continuous life-long process somewhat like the case method. The approach has to be illustrative. This paper attempts to explain this new trend in business education.
Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol: An Application in a Multi–speciality Hospital
Authors: Aruldas Vijay
Published: September 2016

Though organizations are concerned with the appropriate use of resources, they find it difficult to identify when the use is appropriate and when it is not. Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) helps them find this out. This study uses AEP in a hospital setting to evaluate appropriateness of use of inpatient bed. It was found that high bed occupancy coexisted with high levels of inappropriate utilization. More than 50 per cent of the inappropriate bed-days were found to be due to reasons that were within the control of the hospital. The AEP approach could be usefully applied to other settings prone to ambiguity, such as eligibility for foodgrains in the public distribution system or for assistance from povertyalleviation programmes.
Malaysia: Strategy for the Twenty–first Century
Authors: Vachani Sushil
Published: September 2016

Malaysia dramatically transformed itself from a developing country into a newly industrializing country, and one of the ten most competitive nations of the world, in just two decades. The case describes the important challenges that Malaysia's ambitious leader, Dr Mahathir, faced in 1997 as he looks to the future with the objective of making Malaysia a developed country by the year 2020.

Readers are invited to send their responses on the case to Vikalpa Office.
Asoka Spintex
Authors: Gupta Parvinder
Published: September 2016

The case featured in this issue discusses the turnaround of Asoka Spintex from an ailing company in 1987 to a growing company in the year 1997. What strategies should Anang Lalbhai adopt for the long-term survival of the company?

Readers are invited to send their responses on the case to Vikalpa Office.
Customer Orientation in B2B Marketing: Making it Happen in Engineering Consultancy Sector
Authors: Chatterjee P K , Prasad A
Published: September 2016

Since 1991, the business scenario in India has undergone a transformation. In this context, it is imperative for engineering consultancy organizations to consider a comprehensive and innovative approach for doing business with focus on customer orientation. However, there is considerable misconception within engineering organizations as to what really constitutes customer orientation. This paper, therefore, addresses the salient elements and issues of developing and implementing the concept of customer orientation in the context of engineering consultancy industry.
Indian Food Specialties Limited
Authors: Deodhar Satish Y , Tirupati Devanath
Published: September 2016

Indian Food Specialties Limited (IFS) introduced tools of food quality management in May 2000 in response to changing market conditions and poor profitability. Spoilage in the production process was very high and the company had incurred losses for three successive years starting from 1996-97. The company addressed quality concerns by introducing management tools such as quality control charts and process capability indices, and was considering implementation of a food safety system called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The case describes the changing market conditions and the company's response to improving quality, and provides a learning exercise on quality control charts, process capability indices, and HACCP.
Efficiency of Thermal Power Plants in India
Authors: Shanmugam K R , Kulshreshtha Praveen
Published: September 2016

Thermal power industry plays a leading role in power generation in India. This study employs the stochastic frontier production function methodology to measure the technical efficiency of Indian thermal power plants using latest available panel data. Efficiency varies widely across firms and regions and is timevariant. Mean technical efficiency increased from 79 per cent in 1994-95 to 85 per cent in 1996-97 which indicates that there is scope for raising power production without employing additional resources. The findings can aid policy-makers and international agencies in adopting appropriate strategies to improve power generation in India.
Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity and Access to Foreign Capital of Overseas Listed Indian Firms
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Bhole L M , Saudagaran Shahrokh M
Published: September 2016

Between May 1992 and June 2001, 72 Indian firms listed their 85 Depositary Receipt (DR) programmes on the foreign capital markets. Most Indian DR programmes are listed on the European exchanges rather than on the US exchanges. This paper studies firm-level financial data of foreign listed Indian firms to see whether the ‘improved access to external capital markets’ is an important consideration for Indian firms listing on the foreign markets.

The results of the study can be interpreted in terms of informational disclosure requirements of the foreign markets (in our case the Global Depositary Receipts– GDR markets) where sample Indian firms have listed their securities. The firms listed on the US exchanges have to necessarily follow US GAAP in casting of their accounts and disclose more. Hence, US listing acts as a signal about the firm's level of transparency and disclosures which, in turn, reduces informational asymmetry between managers and external investors. Thus, listing of emerging markets' firms on the US exchanges improves their access to the external capital markets and hence reduces their investment-to-cash flow sensitivity.

Also, till recently, two-way fungibility in the Indian DRs was not allowed. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs), investing in the Indian GDRs, are restricted from owning and trading in Indian shares listed on the Indian stock exchanges. Besides, Indian citizens were prohibited from owning and trading in Indian DRs listed on the foreign markets. These factors impede the free flow of information between the GDR markets and Indian markets. Thus, GDR listings by the Indian firms are rendered ineffective in removing the information asymmetry about the listing firms and in improving Indian firms' access to the external markets.

The results of the study have the following implications: The policy makers should adopt a regulatory framework so that firms are encouraged to disclose more and thus become transparent. Managers should prefer listing firms' securities only on stringent and transparent foreign markets with listing requirements. The measures proposed will reduce the informational asymmetry for the Indian firms and hence improve their access to the external capital markets. But if these markets do not improve their transparency and disclosure levels, they will lose out to the US markets. Naturally, firms contemplating fresh listing on foreign markets will list their securities on the more transparent US markets to improve their access to the external capital markets. Corporate decision makers should realize that the listings on the US markets send strong signals about the firms' level of transparency and disclosures to the investing community. This signalling effect is rather less in case of listing on the GDR markets. This could be the reason for US exchanges becoming more successful in attracting foreign listings by the Indian firms compared to the London and the Luxembourg exchanges in recent years.
The Art of Growing a Company: An Entrepreneurial Monologue
Authors: Nair Rajesh
Published: September 2016

This paper presents entrepreneurship as an emotional pursuit. It is the gut feeling that is most important in making a start-up decision. Drawing on his own experiences and of those closely associated with start-ups, the author offers a framework that reflects on how a company can be started-the various stages, the key problems in each stage, and suggestions for sailing smoothly through them. The different stages are as follows: Confusion: It includes three phases of Fright, Flight, and Fantasy. The initial apprehensions of a failure could hold an aspirant from starting up. It is possible that he gets frightened about the possibility of failure or gets frustrated about his lack of focus and keeps jumping from one idea to another or be overconfident about the success of his idea. Crossing threshold: The limited few who cross the stage of confusion face the three P's: Peer Pressure, Procrastination, and Poverty. A green signal from family, friends, and industry leaders and the confidence of a sound financial backing are important for a take-off. Although starting up should be a bold step, yet one needs to have at least six months financial expenses, an activity plan for the first month, and lots of ‘hope’ in the baggage. Start-up: The key issues at this stage include how to set up a team, share equity or raise funds. It is important to realize that responsibilities cannot be shared equally. There has to be a leader with highest equity who would be ready to own the consequences of a decision. First thousand days: This is believed to be the decisive phase. There could be difficulties in capturing clients, managing too many jobs at a time or getting payments in time. At this stage, it is very important to have a clear set of priorities, be flexible, and responsible. Success or failure would also depend a lot on how the ‘hard’ issues such as finance, marketing, technology, and partnership and alliances are tackled. Growth: Once the company crosses the hurdles of the first thousand days and is in the winning track, there emerges the fear of losing focus. This is the most difficult period in the company's life with the possibility of the business ending up in a disaster. To sustain the focus on organizational growth, it is important for the entrepreneurs to: decide whether he really wants to grow and if yes, be prepared to face the emerging issues separate the two roles of investor and entrepreneur-manager break the vicious cycle of money-recruitment-retention align the important individuals to a common organizational vision through equity.

No entrepreneur should forget the supremacy of cash, mind, and intuition. He who has these would be able to fight, take rational decisions, and remove mistakes at the earliest. Above all, what is important is to enjoy the journey towards the destination.
Description grammars: A general notation
Authors: Stouffs Rudi
Published: September 2016

A description grammar, in conjunction with a shape grammar, serves to generate verbal descriptions of designs, next to the spatial descriptions. These verbal descriptions can also assist in guiding the generative process. This paper presents a general notation for descriptions and description rules that accounts, extensively if not entirely, for many of the applications of description grammars found in literature. Specifically, a review of the notation with respect to these description schemes supports the explication of its strengths and limitations and the identification of future work. A follow-up paper revisits selected applications of description grammars and demonstrates the applicability of this general notation to these case studies.
Description grammars: Precedents revisited
Authors: Stouffs Rudi
Published: September 2016

A description grammar, in conjunction with a shape grammar, serves to generate verbal descriptions of designs, next to the spatial descriptions. These verbal descriptions can also assist in guiding the generative process. This paper revisits applications of description grammars found in literature and demonstrates how they can be recast and redeveloped to make use of a general notation and implementation for description grammars. The review of this notation was the topic of a previous paper; this paper is both meant as an illustration and as a confirmation of those review analysis results.
Angiotensin II, hypertension and angiotensin II receptor antagonism: Roles in the behavioural and brain pathology of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Wiesmann Maximilian , Roelofs Monica , van der Lugt Robert , Heerschap Arend , Kiliaan Amanda J , Claassen Jurgen AHR
Published: September 2016

Elevated angiotensin II causes hypertension and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease by affecting cerebral blood flow. Angiotensin II receptor blockers may provide candidates to reduce (vascular) risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. We studied effects of two months of angiotensin II-induced hypertension on systolic blood pressure, and treatment with the angiotensin II receptor blockers, eprosartan mesylate, after one month of induced hypertension in wild-type C57bl/6j and AβPPswe/PS1ΔE9 (AβPP/PS1/Alzheimer’s disease) mice. AβPP/PS1 showed higher systolic blood pressure than wild-type. Subsequent eprosartan mesylate treatment restored this elevated systolic blood pressure in all mice. Functional connectivity was decreased in angiotensin II-infused Alzheimer’s disease and wild-type mice, and only 12 months of Alzheimer’s disease mice showed impaired cerebral blood flow. Only angiotensin II-infused Alzheimer’s disease mice exhibited decreased spatial learning in the Morris water maze. Altogether, angiotensin II-induced hypertension not only exacerbated Alzheimer’s disease-like pathological changes such as impairment of cerebral blood flow, functional connectivity, and cognition only in Alzheimer’s disease model mice, but it also induced decreased functional connectivity in wild-type mice. However, we could not detect hypertension-induced overexpression of Aβ nor increased neuroinflammation. Our findings suggest a link between midlife hypertension, decreased cerebral hemodynamics and connectivity in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Eprosartan mesylate treatment restored and beneficially affected cerebral blood flow and connectivity. This model could be used to investigate prevention/treatment strategies in early Alzheimer’s disease.
Arsenic exposure and seafood intake in Korean adults
Authors: Bae H-S , Kang I-G , Lee S-G , Eom S-Y , Kim Y-D , Oh S-Y , Kwon H-J , Park K-S , Kim H , Choi B-S , Yu I-J , Park JD
Published: September 2016

Arsenic (As) is widely distributed in the environment, and humans can be exposed to As from various sources such as air, water, soil, and food. This study was performed to evaluate the As exposure levels in Korean adults by measuring total As in urine and its relation with the consumption of seafood, a favorite food in Korea. A total of 2077 adults were the study subjects; they ranged in age from 19 to 83, and they were recruited by probability sampling stratified by area, sex, and age. None of the subjects had been exposed to As occupationally. We collected information about the demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and food consumption of study subjects using a questionnaire and followed urine sampling. Diet was assessed in individual interviews using the 24-h recall method. Total As in urine was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (PerkinElmer NEXION 300S; Concord, Ontario, Canada). The geometric mean concentration of total As in urine was observed to be 97.6 µg/L and was higher in males (103.9 µg/L) than in females (93.0 µg/L). Total As levels in urine were affected by sex, age, seafood intake, and geographic location. In this study, total As in urine was positively correlated with fish and shellfish consumption, and was mainly determined by As intake through fish and shellfish/grains/flavors. These findings suggest that seafood consumption might be a major contributor to urinary As levels in Korean adults.
The use of concurrent hormonotherapy and radiotherapy does not deteriorate radiation-induced cardiac toxicity
Authors: Yavas C , Yavas G , Toy H , Ata O
Published: September 2016

Postmenopausal patients with breast cancer have two options for adjuvant endocrine therapy, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) as well as radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy. However, there is limited data regarding the optimal sequencing of RT and tamoxifen/AIs. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effects of tamoxifen and AIs on radiation-induced cardiotoxicity. Eighty ovariectomized rats were divided into eight groups (G). G1 was defined as a control group; G2, G3, G4, and G5 were RT, tamoxifen, anastrozle, and letrozole groups, respectively; G6, G7, and G8 were RT plus tamoxifen, anastrozle, and letrozole groups, respectively. Drugs were started 1 week before RT and continued until the animals were killed 16 weeks after RT. The heart tissues were then dissected and examined with light microscopy to determine endocardial thickness and cardiac fibrosis. The endocardial thickness scores of both RT alone and the tamoxifen groups as well as the cardiac fibrosis score of RT alone were higher than that the control group ( p < 0.05 for all). There was no difference in the endocardial thickness and cardiac fibrosis scores of the RT-only group and the RT plus hormonotherapy groups ( p > 0.05 for all). Concurrent administration of RT and hormonal therapy with either tamoxifen or AIs did not further amplify radiation-induced cardiac toxicity. This issue warrants further study.
Flatness versus depth: A study of algorithmically generated camouflage
Authors: Mollicchi Silvia
Published: September 2016

For the past two decades, the camouflage patterns used on military uniforms have been computed by families of algorithms. The article argues that these computation methods fit within a genealogy of discourses on camouflage practices, which the text reconstructs along the axes of flatness and depth. Camouflage can be explained as an attempt at flattening information related to a target onto the underlying background, by producing general invariances within the environment and in accordance with the observer’s perceptive faculties. Carrying out this task, static camouflage responds to the aporia of using one pattern to disguise presence within multiple contexts. After analysing two discourses on camouflage in relation to the notion of flatness, the article considers a case of algorithmically generated static camouflage. Its disguising method abstracts information from both the environment in which an army is expected to fight and the observer’s perceptive capacities and then computes these threads of abstraction together in a pattern. The meshing function of computation thus flattens the principles embedded in the fabric, making them individually illegible. This changes the value that camouflage usually gives to target/background relations and to the observer’s perceptive faculties.
Green Purchasing Behaviour of Young Indian Consumers: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Uddin S.M. Fatah , Khan Mohammed Naved
Published: September 2016

There is a growing pressure from the stakeholders and regulatory bodies to promote green consumption. Heightened environmental consciousness is also contributing to greater adoption of green products and services. But still there exists a value–action gap in the way the consumers’ think and respond. This study explores the psychological factors which affect the green purchasing behaviour (GPB) of young consumers in India. Our primary question was ‘what are the factors which play a vital role in the adoption and curtailment of green purchasing behaviour of young Indian consumers?’ Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed existence of five underlying variables namely environmental attitude (EA), environmental consciousness (EC), GPB, environmental involvement (EI) and perceived effectiveness of environmental behaviour (PEEB). Subsequently, regression analysis was performed to explain the role of EI of these young consumers in overall GPB. The study makes significant contribution to existing literature by providing valuable insights into the psyche of young consumers.
Book Review: M.S. Ashokan, Karmayogi: A Biography of E. Sreedharan
Authors: Singh Leena
Published: September 2016

M.S. Ashokan, Karmayogi: A Biography of E. Sreedharan, New Delhi: Penguin Books Ltd, 2015, 264 pp., ₹175 (ISBN: 978-0143425304) (PB)
On accumulation of water droplets in piezoelectric energy harvesting
Authors: Wong Voon-Kean , Ho Jee-Hou , Sam Hui-Ken
Published: September 2016

Recent studies have demonstrated that it is feasible to harvest energy from raindrop. A challenge in designing a raindrop energy harvester is the rain droplet would accumulate on the surface of the harvester and affect its performance. In a previous work, we have modelled the dynamics of a piezoelectric beam subjected to water droplet impacts with a water layer formed on the surface. This work presents a theoretical model to describe the transient dynamics during the formation of water layer on the beam. The average water droplet impact force is described by a partially inelastic impact coefficient that varies during the formation of water layer. The maximum root mean square voltage measured experimentally is 0.05 V with an average percentage error of 6.94% compared to the theoretical model. Experimental result revealed that the optimal performance of the harvester occurs before the water layer spreads to the width end of the beam.
Socioeconomic marginality in sentencing: The built-in bias in risk assessment tools and the reproduction of social inequality
Authors: van Eijk Gwen
Published: September 2016

This article develops a sociological analysis and critique of including socioeconomic factors such as education, employment, income and housing in risk assessment tools that inform sentencing decisions. In widely used risk assessment tools such as the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) (Canada, US), the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) (US), the Offender Assessment System (OASys) (UK) and the Recidive InschattingsSchalen (RISc) (the Netherlands), socioeconomic marginality contributes to a higher risk score, which increases the likelihood of a (longer) custodial sentence for underprivileged offenders compared to their more privileged counterparts. While this has been problematized in relation to gender and racial/ethnic bias, the problem of socioeconomic bias in itself has received little attention. Given the already marginalized position of many justice involved individuals and longstanding concerns about such disparities, and the adverse effects of imprisonment on socioeconomic opportunities, it is essential to evaluate the unintended social consequences of assessing socioeconomic marginality as ‘risk factor’. Elaborating on earlier critiques, I conceptualize risk-based sentencing as a meaning-making process through which (access to) resources and recognition are distributed among offender populations. Through tracing in detail two cultural processes – stigmatization and rationalization – I analyse how risk assessment is likely to produce sentencing disparities as well as to reproduce, and possibly exacerbate, social inequalities more generally.
The 2011 England riots in European context: A framework for understanding the ‘life-cycle’ of riots
Authors: Newburn Tim
Published: September 2016

This article examines the 2011 England riots and seeks to place them in their recent comparative context. Briefly, it sets out a ‘life-cycle’ model for (historical and comparative) analysis, and then uses this as the basis for contrasting the English experience with the rioting witnessed in other European countries in recent times – in particular the riots in France in 2005 and in Sweden in 2013. Using a range of sources, the analysis identifies a number of similarities and differences between the aetiology, nature and aftermath of the riots in the different countries, and argues that this illustrates both the potential of comparative analysis and the importance of moving beyond an examination of their causes, to study riots ‘in the round’.
Popular uprisings in Turkey: Police culpability and constraints on dialogue-oriented policing in Gezi Park and beyond
Authors: Atak Kıvanç , della Porta Donatella
Published: September 2016

The policing of riots and uprisings poses severe challenges to the police. Yet the police are often culpable in the disturbances touched off by a precipitating incident of police violence or a crackdown on a peaceful protest. The Gezi Park uprisings in Turkey also broke out shortly after excessive force by the Istanbul police against a handful of peaceful activists in Taksim Square. In the aftermath of the mobilizations, however, a drift towards a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach has prevailed over protest control strategies. Drawing on field notes, interviews with activists, excerpts from the news media, protest event analysis and secondary literature, we argue that the chances of dialogue-oriented policing are hampered by two major predicaments in Turkey. The first pertains to the negative biases in police perceptions about protests and protesters that serve to justify and perpetuate a conflict-driven understanding of policing. The second is rooted in the institutional and policy realm and stems from the prevalence of a law-and-order approach to crowd control and public order.
‘Glocal’ disorder: Causes, conduct and consequences of the 2008 Greek unrest
Authors: Xenakis Sappho , Cheliotis Leonidas K.
Published: September 2016

This article examines the unrest that emanated in Athens and rolled out across Greek cities in December 2008 as a case through which to advance understanding of how local, national and international arenas may together shape localized episodes of disorder. We begin by addressing the proximate and structural causes of the unrest, before turning to explore the multifarious character of protest actions, including novel and derivative forms of contestation deployed by protestors, and public debate about the appropriate apportioning of blame amongst the variety of actors involved. Finally, we look at the diverse outcomes of the unrest and their impact upon extant socio-political tensions. For each stage of the life-cycle of the unrest, we evaluate the relevance of international actors, practices and discourses. Our analysis of the Greek unrest of 2008 suggests, first, that the array of intersections between global, national and local dimensions of unrest is more diverse than has heretofore been recognized by pertinent scholarship, and, second, that international or transnational factors may play a significant role in the emergence, conduct and consequences of disorder even in instances where national and local dynamics remain predominant.
Making sense of French urban disorders in 2005
Authors: Body-Gendrot Sophie
Published: September 2016

The dynamics of contention that unrolled in the French riots of 2005 in France were hardly the first of their kind, but the intensity, contagion, locations and scale of disruption that followed the horrifying deaths of two youths chased by the police in Clichy-sous-Bois were unusual and became imbued with symbolic significance. In this article, based on numerous conversations with involved participants and secondary sources, I distinguish on the one hand the interaction of active protestors, bystanders and police forces, which I call the ‘silent riots’ because so few of those actors talked during these leaderless and spontaneous events, and, on the other, a vast amount of a posteriori comment and analysis, the ‘paper riots’. The merit of the latter was to point out that the root causes of the disorders were relative deprivation, social exclusion, heavy-handed policing, discrimination and disrespect. An alternative comprehensive framework incorporates such dimensions and I add that routine relations were modified by the operation of multiple forces that, in the course of fluid and indeterminate situations, came together to produce a certain type of public disorder. These included the media, the issue of local space, cultural and religious dimensions, and unusual forms of political expression confronting a path of dependency at work in France. Did these ‘riots’ produce change? Except for massive urban renewal operations, the inability of French elites to increase the mobility of a generation of youths from deprived urban neighbourhoods, to alleviate the banlieues’ economic deterioration in terms of jobs and public services, to increase their political representation and to insert Islam’s values into French core values was made possible by the stability of the regime. Nevertheless, disturbances of this type are needed to trigger a public debate, slowly leading to reforms. Other countries face similar dilemmas.
Credibility in evaluating on-line wear-depth detection of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings
Authors: Li Wei , Hu Zhanqi , Yang Yulin , Qi Xiaowen , Zhou Haili
Published: September 2016

The wear-depth detecting precision of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings directly affects the accuracy of evaluating on the tribological properties of bearings. However, because of the varying environmental factors, the detecting errors in the on-line experimental data of the wear depth affect the accuracy of the detecting data. In this article, we come up with the definition of the credibility of the on-line wear-depth detection of spherical plain bearings on the similarity between the on-line wear depth data and the conventional true value of the wear depth and present two evaluating indexes of the credibility of the on-line wear-depth detection according to the features of spherical plain bearing testers—the small sample, the dynamic measurement, and the complex operating conditions with much interference. The two indexes are the index I, the similarity between the on-line detecting curve and the off-line detecting curve using the algorithm of the discrete Fréchet distance, and the index II, the fluctuating amplitude of the on-line wear-depth detecting curve through adopting the computing method of the profile arithmetic average error of the surface roughness. Finally, we use the above evaluating indexes to analyze the comparative study of the detecting credibility for the same tester of spherical plain bearings before and after the thermal error compensation.
Design of in-pipe robot based on inertial positioning and visual detection
Authors: Song Hua , Ge Kunshan , Qu Di , Wu Huapu , Yang Jing
Published: September 2016

The horizontal directional drilling technology is widely used to lay the underground pipelines. These pipelines are of small or medium diameters with a dip angle ranging from 10° to 20°, special pipelines to 30°. In-pipe robot is commonly used to detect the pipeline fault. A new type of telescopic in-pipe robot is designed in this article, which is driven by step motor and screw, and supported by wheels. The robot has advantages of waterproof grade of IP68, stable motion state, and larger traction force. The speed is between telescopic robots and wheeled robots. Through force analysis and calculation, its maximum climbing angle is larger than 35°. The robot has good passing ability through the pipelines with bends. The inertial technology is used to locate the robot under the condition of disturbances. The pipeline fault detection algorithm based on the visual identification technology is designed to detect the pipeline fault. It can not only achieve autonomic positioning but also detect the pipeline fault.
Divided we fall: Examining the relationship between horizontal communication and team commitment via team cohesion
Authors: Kim Seungmo , Magnusen Marshall J , Andrew Damon PS
Published: September 2016

The present study examined the relationship between horizontal communication (intra-team) and team commitment via team cohesion. Horizontal communication included positive conflict, distinctiveness, negative conflict, and acceptance dimensions. Team cohesion included group integration-task and group integration-social dimensions. A total of 340 intercollegiate student–athletes from several different institutions in Hong Kong, China, participated in the study. Data analysis included a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equational modeling. Several interesting results were found. The acceptance dimension of horizontal communication had a significant positive association with both group integration-task and group integration-social. The negative conflict dimension of horizontal communication also had a significant negative association with both group integration-task and group integration-social. No direct effects of horizontal communication on team commitment were found. However, the data showed that horizontal communication had indirect effects on team commitment via both team cohesion dimensions. The links between acceptance and commitment via group integration-task and group integration-social, for example, were both significant.
Player migration and opportunity: Examining the efficacy of the UEFA home-grown rule in six European football leagues
Authors: Bullough Steve , Moore Richard , Goldsmith Simon , Edmondson Lee
Published: September 2016

The introduction of UEFAs home-grown rule occurred for the start of the 2006–2007 season with the full quota in place from the 2008–2009 season, which imposed quotas on European clubs. From 2008, clubs are required to have at least 8 players classified as home-grown in the 25-player squad, up from 4 in 2006–2007 and 6 in 2007–2008. This study examines the efficacy of this rule across the six major European leagues (England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Spain) in relation to playing opportunities (minutes played and appearances) between 1999 and 2015. This was also examined in relation to age. Since the home-grown rule was introduced for the six nations hosting the major leagues, the rule had different impacts by nationality. Only Germany saw significant increases in the proportion of minutes played by their players when comparing the periods before and after the home-grown rules were imposed. Holland, albeit seeing a slight decrease overall, saw significant increases for playing time for under 21s and 22- to 25-year olds. England and Italy were the two nations where statistically significant decreases in indigenous playing opportunities were recorded since the home-grown rules were introduced.
The efficacy of vertical vs. horizontal plyometric training on speed, jumping performance and agility in soccer players
Authors: Manouras Nikolaos , Papanikolaou Zisis , Karatrantou Konstantina , Kouvarakis Polydoros , Gerodimos Vassilis
Published: September 2016

This study compared the efficacy of a vertical and horizontal plyometric training program on acceleration, speed, jumping performance, and agility in young soccer players during the in-season period. Thirty male soccer players (19.1 ± 5.8 years) were assigned into a horizontal plyometric, a vertical plyometric, or a control group. The horizontal plyometric group and vertical plyometric group participated in an eight-week training program that was performed one day/week (in conjunction with conventional soccer training) and consisted of horizontal (for the horizontal plyometric group) or vertical plyometric exercises (for the vertical plyometric group). Acceleration (10-m sprint), speed (30-m sprint), agility, and jumping performance (horizontal and vertical) were assessed prior and after the completion of plyometric training programs. Agility, 30-m sprint performance, and vertical jumping performance (p < 0.01) improved following the completion of training in both horizontal plyometric group and vertical plyometric group, whereas horizontal jumping performance improved only in horizontal plyometric group (p < 0.01). There were no significant effects on acceleration for both horizontal plyometric group and vertical plyometric group. Furthermore, no differences were observed between groups in all performance parameters. In control group, acceleration, speed, agility, and jumping performance remained stable throughout the study. To sum up, horizontal or vertical plyometric training programs, consisted of one session/week, may be used by coaches and fitness professionals as effective exercise modalities for preserving or improving jumping performance, acceleration, speed, and agility in young soccer players during the in-season period.
A simple method of bronchial occlusion with silicone spigots (Endobronchial Watanabe Spigot; EWS®) using a curette
Authors: Morikawa Sayako , Okamura Takuya , Minezawa Tomoyuki , Goto Yasuhiro , Hayashi Masamichi , Yamaguchi Teppei , Isogai Sumito , Mieno Yuki , Yamamoto Naoki , Uozu Sakurako , Nakanishi Toru , Okazawa Mitsushi , Imaizumi Kazuyoshi
Published: September 2016

Background:

Bronchial occlusion with an Endobronchial Watanabe Spigot (EWS) has been shown to be useful in managing prolonged bronchopleural fistulas and intractable hemoptysis. EWS bronchial occlusion using a curette is less technically demanding. This retrospective study evaluated the clinical utility and simplicity of this method.

Methods:

A total of 18 consecutive patients (15 men, 3 women, aged 47–85 years) who underwent bronchial occlusion using an EWS from April 2012 to August 2014 were evaluated. The method involves sticking the tip of a curette into an EWS to the first joint, allowing it to be turned in any direction or at any angle. The time required to occlude the target bronchus was measured on routinely recorded digital videos. Other parameters evaluated included success rates, complications, and clinical outcomes.

Results:

Of the 18 patients, 11 underwent bronchial occlusion for intractable pneumothorax, 5 for postoperative bronchopleural fistula, two for intractable empyema, and one for hemoptysis. Each patient required 1–7 EWSs (median 4). Target bronchi included the right upper ( n = 8), left upper ( n = 5), right lower ( n = 2), left lower ( n = 2), and right middle ( n = 1) bronchi. The success rate of EWS insertion into the target bronchus was 100%. Time per EWS occlusion ranged from 65–528 sec (median 158.5 sec). Of the 62 insertions, 36 (58.1%) were completed within 3 min, and 58 (93.5%) within 5 min. Successful outcomes were observed in 15 (83.3%) of the 18 patients.

Conclusions:

EWS bronchial occlusion using a curette is a simple method for managing intractable bronchopleural fistulas in daily clinical settings.
Characterization of Exercise and Alcohol Self-Management Behaviors of Type 1 Diabetes Patients on Insulin Pump Therapy
Authors: Grando Maria Adela , Groat Danielle , Soni Hiral , Boyle Mary , Bailey Marilyn , Thompson Bithika , Cook Curtiss B.
Published: September 2016

Background:

There is a lack of systematic ways to analyze how diabetes patients use their insulin pumps to self-manage blood glucose to compensate for alcohol ingestion and exercise. The objective was to analyze “real-life” insulin dosing decisions occurring in conjunction with alcohol intake and exercise among patients using insulin pumps.

Methods:

We recruited adult type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients on insulin pump therapy. Participants were asked to maintain their daily routines, including those related to exercising and consuming alcohol, and keep a 30-day journal on exercise performed and alcohol consumed. Thirty days of insulin pump data were downloaded. Participants’ actual insulin dosing behaviors were compared against their self-reported behaviors in the setting of exercise and alcohol.

Results:

Nineteen T1D patients were recruited and over 4000 interactions with the insulin pump were analyzed. The analysis exposed variability in how subjects perceived the effects of exercise/alcohol on their blood glucose, inconsistencies between self-reported and observed behaviors, and higher rates of blood glucose control behaviors for exercise versus alcohol.

Conclusion:

Compensation techniques and perceptions on how exercise and alcohol affect their blood glucose levels vary between patients. Improved individualized educational techniques that take into consideration a patient’s unique life style are needed to help patients effectively apply alcohol and exercise compensation techniques.