bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Partisanship, Polling and Strategic Voting in East Asia: Evidence From an Experimental Web Survey
Authors: Rich Timothy S
Published: March 2018

How does polling information, the polling source, and how it is presented influence strategic voting? Few studies capture at what point individuals become strategic voters or how polling information affects this behavior. Furthermore, strategic voting research in mixed member systems remains largely confined to aggregate district level analyses. This analysis employs an experimental survey implemented in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. The results suggest that reminding respondents of the margin of error encourages strategic behavior, while polls originating from partisan sources discourage defection.
The Fate of Former Authoritarian Elites Under Democracy
Authors: Albertus Michael
Published: March 2018

Why do some former authoritarian elites return to power after democratization through reelection or reappointment to political office, or by assuming board positions in state-owned or major private enterprises, whereas others do not and still others face punishment? This article investigates this question using an original data set on constitutional origins and the fate of the upper echelon of outgoing authoritarian elites across Latin America from 1900 to 2015. I find that authoritarian elites from outgoing regimes that impose a holdover constitution that sticks through democratization are more likely to regain political or economic power—especially through national positions where the potential payoffs are largest—and less likely to face severe or nominal punishment. I also find a positive role for political capital among former elites. These results are robust to alternative explanations of authoritarian elites’ fate and using instrumental variables to address potential endogeneity. The findings have important implications for democratic consolidation and quality.
Perceived Discrimination and Intergroup Behaviors: The Role of Muslim and American Identity Integration
Authors: Saleem Muniba , Dubow Eric , Lee Fiona , Huesmann Rowell
Published: March 2018

In this article, we test the proposition that identity integration—or perceptions of compatibility versus conflict between one’s social identities—predicts behaviors in intergroup contexts. Using a sample of 171 Muslim Arab American adolescents aged 13 to 19, we examine the relations between identity integration of Muslim and American identities, experiences of discrimination, and intentions to avoid and approach members of the majority group. For adolescents who perceived their American and Muslim identities as being in conflict, we found that perceived discrimination was positively related to intentions to avoid the majority group. However, this trend was not significant for those who perceived their American and Muslim identities as highly integrated. These effects held after controlling for participants’ strength of identification with both American and Muslim identities, and number of years lived in the United States. These results provide support for the idea that identity integration among stigmatized minorities may buffer the negative effects of discrimination on intergroup behaviors.
Anaesthetic effects of alfaxalone administered intraperitoneally alone or combined with dexmedetomidine and fentanyl in the rat
Authors: Arenillas Mario , Gomez de Segura Ignacio A
Published: March 2018

Alfaxalone is a neuroactive steroid used as a general anaesthetic in several species including dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. It has a wide margin of safety and a similar anaesthetic profile to propofol. To increase its aqueous solubility, a new formulation with cyclodextrins has been marketed recently. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anaesthetic effect of several doses of alfaxalone alone, considering differences between sexes, and alfaxalone combined with dexmedetomidine and fentanyl in the rat administered by the intraperitoneal route. A total of 40 Sprague Dawley rats, involved in three studies, were used. Firstly, 25, 35 and 45 mg kg–1 of alfaxalone alone were tested. In a second study, alfaxalone (25 mg kg–1, females; 75 mg kg–1, males) was combined with dexmedetomidine (0.05 mg kg–1). Finally, alfaxalone (20 mg kg–1, females; 60 mg kg–1, males) was combined with dexmedetomidine (0.05 mg kg–1) and fentanyl (0.1 mg kg–1). Times of onset and duration of anaesthesia, and analgesia, deemed as losing of withdrawal pedal reflex, were recorded. Alfaxalone alone produced a 2 - to 3-fold longer time of anaesthesia in females, although surgical anaesthesia was not achieved in either sex. The addition of dexmedetomidine and fentanyl to alfaxalone produced a similar time of analgesia as well as increased time of anaesthesia in both sexes. In conclusion, alfaxalone produces light anaesthesia in rats, and males required a higher dose. The combination with other sedatives or analgesics, such as dexmedetomidine or fentanyl, allows a more prolonged anaesthesia with analgesic effects, potentially suitable for invasive procedures.
Can Exposure to Online Conversations About Death and Dying Influence Death Competence? An Exploratory Study Within an Australian Massive Open Online Course
Authors: Miller-Lewis Lauren , Tieman Jennifer , Rawlings Deb , Parker Deborah , Sanderson Christine
Published: March 2018

A Massive Open Online Course, Dying2Learn, was designed to foster community death conversations and strengthen community awareness of palliative care and death as a normal process. This exploratory study used a pre–post prospective design to determine if participation in Dying2Learn and exposure to online conversations about death and dying resulted in any significant influence on death competence in 134 participants who completed the Coping-with-Death-Scale both at the beginning and end of the course in 2016. Death competence refers to a range of attitudes and capabilities people have for dealing with death. Results at the end of the course indicated that engagement in Dying2Learn led to significant improvements in death competence scores over time (medium-to-large effect size). The positive impact was greater for those who completed more of the course, and effectiveness did not depend on sociodemographic characteristics. In conclusion, this study found that an online learning platform in the form of a Massive Open Online Course could engage community members in meaningful social discussion about death and dying, and that exposure to these conversations was beneficial for all participants regardless of previous exposure to death. Further exploration is required to determine whether this change in death competence will have an impact on participant’s behavior in the community regarding death conversations and preparedness.
Reconciling mental health, public policing and police accountability
Authors: McDaniel John LM
Published: March 2018

The paper evaluates a range of policy documents, parliamentary debates, academic reports and statutes in an attempt to contextualise the condition of mental health policing in England and Wales. It establishes that mental health care plays an important role in public policing and argues that police organisations need to institute urgent reforms to correct a prevailing culture of complacency. An unethical cultural attitude towards mental health care has caused decision-making and the exercise of police discretion to be neither well informed nor protective in many cases, resulting in the substandard treatment of people with mental health problems. The paper argues that changes introduced by the Policing and Crime Act 2017 and the revised College of Policing mental health guidelines do not go far enough and that more extensive root-and-branch reforms are needed.
What Drives People to Protest in an Authoritarian Country? Resources and Rewards vs Risks of Protests in Urban and Rural China
Authors: Ong Lynette H , Han Donglin
Published: March 2018

What drives people to protest in an authoritarian country? Drawing from a rich set of individual-level data from the China General Social Survey 2010, we address the question of protest participation by focusing on the factors of resources, and rewards vs risks, that might be unique to protestors in an authoritarian state. We find strong evidence for education, typically conceived as a key enabling resource in protests, to be negatively associated with likelihood of participation. There are, however, significant differences between political behavior in urban and rural samples. We find some, though rather weak, evidence to suggest that as urban residents become wealthier over time, they will increasingly turn to protests as a form of political participation, demanding greater accountability of government and corporate actions.
Social Media Envy: How Experience Sharing on Social Networking Sites Drives Millennials’ Aspirational Tourism Consumption
Authors: Liu Hongbo , Wu Laurie , Li Xiang (Robert)
Published: March 2018

The sharing of travel experiences has become ubiquitous in today’s era. This study focuses on a pervasive trend among Millennial consumers: the experience of benign envy toward others’ positive travel experience sharing on social networking sites. Drawing on social comparison theory, the current study reveals why and under what conditions others’ positive experience sharing may trigger Millennial consumers’ destination visit intention. Using a mixed experimental design, this study finds that, among consumers with low trait self-esteem, luxury travel experiences shared by similar others stimulate focal consumers’ own intentions to visit the same destination. In addition, destination visit intention is triggered by benign envy toward the experience sharer. Important theoretical insights are provided regarding peer influence mechanism on social networking sites and travel consumption. Finally, managerial implications for destination marketers are presented with a focus on how to improve the effectiveness of social media marketing in targeting Millennials.
“Compassion for the Weak”: Juvenile Offenders in the Qing Dynasty Legal System
Authors: Fenghua Jing
Published: March 2018

When children committed homicide during the Qing dynasty, their cases were handled by the same justice system used for adult offenders. But from a very early time, Chinese law endorsed the notion that children and other vulnerable groups were worthy of the law’s compassion. This article explores legal avenues to that compassion, from the law’s efforts to clarify and define what marked a perpetrator as “weak” to the various legal provisions permitting such “weak” offenders to memorialize for mercy or request reduction and redemption of punishment. It finds that compassion for the weak was woven into both the letter of the law and the law in practice, resulting in a justice system that balanced the needs of victims and offenders alike.
Novel ISS criteria for digital filters using generalized overflow non-linearities and external interference
Authors: Kumar Mani Kant , Kokil Priyanka , Kar Haranath
Published: March 2018

Sufficient criteria for input-to-state stability (ISS) of fixed-point state-space interfered digital filters with generalized overflow non-linearities are presented. The generalized overflow non-linearities under consideration cover the usual types of overflow arithmetic employed in practice, such as saturation, zeroing, two’s complement and triangular. The criteria not only ensure diminishing consequence of external interference but also confirm the asymptotic stability of the system when external interference disappears. The criteria are derived in the linear matrix inequality (LMI) framework. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the utility of the presented approach. With the help of one example, it is illustrated that the presented approach can lead to a less stringent ISS condition for the digital filters with saturation non-linearities compared with a previously reported approach.
Using Graduated Guidance to Teach iPad Accessibility Skills to High School Students With Severe Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Jimenez Bree A. , Alamer Khulod
Published: March 2018

Advances in and the decreased cost of technology has resulted in a significant increase in educational programming that incorporates technology into the school curriculum. Specifically, the use of iPads has become quite common to support students social, communication, and academic outcomes in recent years; however, many students with moderate to severe disability do not have the access skills necessary to navigate these devices independently. This study investigated the effect of graduated guidance on iPad accessibility skill acquisition for three high school students with severe intellectual disability. Students were taught to swipe, drag, touch tap, minimize, and enlarge images on an iPad to access high-interest websites, images, and instructional resources. A multiple probe across students design was used to examine the effects of graduated guidance on the number of trials completed independently on each accessibility skill. Results indicated a functional relationship between the use of graduated guidance and student independent correct physical responses for all three students. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Time, Resident Involvement, and Supply Drive Cost Variability in Septoplasty with Turbinate Reduction
Authors: Quinn Nicholas A. , Alt Jeremiah A. , Ashby Shaelene , Orlandi Richard R.
Published: March 2018

Objective

To determine factors that influence cost variability in septoplasty with inferior turbinate reduction.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary care hospital and affiliated ambulatory surgical center.

Subjects and Methods

Surgical costs were reviewed for adult patients undergoing septoplasty with inferior turbinate reduction between December 2014 and September 2017. Cases where additional procedures were performed were excluded. Operative supply costs, operative time, room time, and resident involvement were determined. Contribution of these factors to total costs and variability were analyzed.

Results

The study included 116 patients (mean age, 38 years) and 4 faculty surgeons. Total cost was primarily driven by operative time (74%), with a smaller portion of total cost arising from supplies (26%). Time cost (P <. 0001) and supply cost (P =. 006) varied significantly among surgeons. A resident was involved in 46.6% of cases. When subanalyzed by resident year, no‐resident and senior resident (postgraduate years 4 and 5) cases had nearly identical mean times, while junior resident (postgraduate years 1‐3) cases had mean times and operative time costs that were 39% greater (P <. 001).

Conclusion

For septoplasty with inferior turbinate reduction, the greatest driver of cost variation was operative time. Resident involvement correlated with increased time and cost. Supply costs had a much smaller impact. When subanalyzed by resident year, junior resident–involved cases were significantly longer than no‐resident cases.
Longitudinal Tracking of Sound Exposure and Hearing Aid Usage through Objective Data Logs
Authors: Doyle John B. , Raghunathan Rohit R. , Cellum Ilana , Li Gen , Golub Justin S.
Published: March 2018

Objective

To use data‐logging technology to objectively track and identify predictors of hearing aid (HA) usage and aided sound exposure.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

Tertiary academic medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Individuals with HAs between 2007 and 2016 were included (N = 431; mean, 74.6 years; 95% CI, 73.1‐76.0). Data‐logging technology intrinsic to new‐generation HAs was enabled to track usage and sound exposure. With multivariable linear regression, age, sex, number of audiology visits, duration of audiologic follow‐up, pure tone average, and HA side were assessed as predictors of usage (hours/day) and aided sound exposure (dB‐hours/day; ie, “dose” of sound per day).

Results

Mean follow‐up was 319 days (95% CI, 277‐360). Mean HA usage was 8.4 hours/day (95% CI, 8.0‐8.8; N = 431). Mean aided sound exposure was 440 dB‐hours/day (95% CI, 385‐493; n = 110). HA use (β < 0.001, P =. 45) and aided sound exposure (β = −0.006, P =. 87) were both stable over time. HA usage was associated only with hearing loss level (pure tone average; β = 0.030, P =. 04). Aided sound exposure was associated only with duration of audiologic follow‐up (β = 0.100, P =. 02).

Conclusion

While measurement of HA use has traditionally relied on subjective reporting, data logging offers an objective tool to longitudinally track HA use and sound exposure. We demonstrate the feasibility of using this potentially powerful research tool. Usage and sound exposure were stable among patients throughout the study period. Use was greater among subjects with greater hearing loss. Maximizing aided sound exposure might be possible through continued audiology follow‐up visits.
Direct Analysis of Pathogenic Structures Affixed to the Tympanic Membrane during Chronic Otitis Media
Authors: Monroy Guillermo L. , Hong Wenzhou , Khampang Pawjai , Porter Ryan G. , Novak Michael A. , Spillman Darold R. , Barkalifa Ronit , Chaney Eric J. , Kerschner Joseph E. , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: March 2018

Objective

To characterize otitis media–associated structures affixed to the mucosal surface of the tympanic membrane (TM) in vivo and in surgically recovered in vitro samples.

Study Design

Prospective case series without comparison.

Setting

Outpatient surgical care center.

Subjects and Methods

Forty pediatric subjects scheduled for tympanostomy tube placement surgery were imaged intraoperatively under general anesthesia. Postmyringotomy, a portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system assessed for the presence of any biofilm affixed to the mucosal surface of the TM. Samples of suspected microbial infection–related structures were collected through the myringotomy incision. The sampled site was subsequently reimaged with OCT to confirm collection from the original image site on the TM. In vitro analysis based on confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) images of fluorescence in situ hybridization–tagged samples and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provided microbiological characterization and verification of biofilm activity.

Results

OCT imaging was achieved for 38 of 40 subjects (95%). Images from 38 of 38 (100%) of subjects observed with OCT showed the presence of additional microbial infection–related structures. Thirty‐four samples were collected from these 38 subjects. CLSM images provided evidence of clustered bacteria in 32 of 33 (97%) of samples. PCR detected the presence of active bacterial DNA signatures in 20 of 31 (65%) of samples.

Conclusion

PCR and CLSM analysis of fluorescence in situ hybridization–stained samples validates the presence of active bacteria that have formed into a middle ear biofilm that extends across the mucosal layer of the TM. OCT can rapidly and noninvasively identify middle ear biofilms in subjects with severe and persistent cases of otitis media.
A mixed treatment comparison on efficacy and safety of treatments for spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Fu Xiying , Wang Yanqiao , Wang Can , Wu Huijie , Li Jinyao , Li Ming , Ma Qianqian , Yang Wei
Published: March 2018

Objectives:

This study is aimed at providing a quantitative evaluation on different therapies of spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.

Data sources:

PubMed and Embase database.

Review methods:

We searched for randomized controlled trials that met the requirements. Percentages of improved patients’ spasticity scale, mild adverse effect and severe adverse effect were extracted as outcomes. The forest plots accompanied with surface under the cumulative ranking curves were used to reveal the efficacy and safety of these therapies.

Results:

In all, 23 randomized controlled trials with a total of 2720 patients were included in our study. Cannabinoids and botulinum toxin had shown a significantly better efficacy than placebo in the percentage of improved patients. Botulinum toxin also showed such significant difference compared with tizanidine and baclofen. No significant difference was found in spasticity scale. Cannabinoids, tizanidine and diazepam had significantly more mild adverse effect reports than placebo. Surface under the cumulative ranking curves suggested that cannabinoids, botulinum toxin and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation were preferable therapies.

Conclusions:

We recommended botulinum toxin as the optimal intervention for multiple sclerosis–related spasticity. Cannabinoids and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation could also be considered as multiple sclerosis–related spasticity treatments but their safety remained to be verified.
Bidirectional influence of amygdala β1-adrenoceptors blockade on cannabinoid signaling in contextual and auditory fear memory
Authors: Nasehi Mohammad , Shahbazzadeh Saman , Ebrahimi-Ghiri Mohaddeseh , Zarrindast Mohammad-Reza
Published: March 2018

The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a major target and modulator of stress and has a critical role in the neural circuitry presenting learned fear behaviors. On the other hand, both the endocannabinoid and noradrenergic systems may be involved in regulating the stress responses, fear, and anxiety. Considering the aforementioned, we have investigated the involvement of the BLA β1-adrenoceptors in conditioned fear responses induced by ACPA, a CB1 receptor (CB1R) agonist. In adult male NMRI mice, freezing responses to context and cue were measured using a Pavlovian fear conditioning apparatus. Pre-training intra-BLA microinjection of xamoterol (0.01 and 0.02 µg/mouse), a partial β1-adrenoceptor agonist, or atenolol (0.5 µg/mouse), a β1-adrenoceptor antagonist, decreased freezing behavior, which suggests an impairment of contextual and auditory fear retrieval. Similar results were found with pre-training intraperitoneal administration of ACPA (0.5 mg/kg). A sub-threshold dose of xamoterol, infused into the BLA, decreased ACPA (0.005 and 0.05 mg/kg) effect on both memories, while atenolol increased ACPA response to the context at the middle dose and decreased ACPA response to the tone at the lower dose. It can be concluded that the blockade of BLA β1-adrenoceptors differentially affects ACPA response on the contextual and auditory conditioned fear memories.
Microsimulation Modeling for Health Decision Sciences Using R: A Tutorial
Authors: Krijkamp Eline M. , Alarid-Escudero Fernando , Enns Eva A. , Jalal Hawre J. , Hunink M. G. Myriam , Pechlivanoglou Petros
Published: March 2018

Microsimulation models are becoming increasingly common in the field of decision modeling for health. Because microsimulation models are computationally more demanding than traditional Markov cohort models, the use of computer programming languages in their development has become more common. R is a programming language that has gained recognition within the field of decision modeling. It has the capacity to perform microsimulation models more efficiently than software commonly used for decision modeling, incorporate statistical analyses within decision models, and produce more transparent models and reproducible results. However, no clear guidance for the implementation of microsimulation models in R exists. In this tutorial, we provide a step-by-step guide to build microsimulation models in R and illustrate the use of this guide on a simple, but transferable, hypothetical decision problem. We guide the reader through the necessary steps and provide generic R code that is flexible and can be adapted for other models. We also show how this code can be extended to address more complex model structures and provide an efficient microsimulation approach that relies on vectorization solutions.
Citizen Expectations and Satisfaction Over Time: Findings From a Large Sample Panel Survey of Public School Parents in Denmark
Authors: Hjortskov Morten
Published: March 2018

Expectations are thought to affect how citizens form their attitudes and behavior toward public services. Such attitudes may include citizen satisfaction, where expectations play a fundamental role, and relevant behaviors include choice of services and the decision to voice opinions about them. However, there are few investigations into what drives citizen expectations and even fewer that consider these relationships across time. This article tests whether prior expectations, perceived performance, and citizen satisfaction influence future expectations, using a unique dataset that follows individual citizens across two subsequent school satisfaction surveys from 2011 and 2013. The results show that prior expectations have a large and consistent influence on future expectations, as predicted by the literature, whereas the influence from prior perceived performance seems less consistent. Prior satisfaction may also influence future expectations, although the effect is minor. The results indicate that citizens’ expectations are rather stable across time and may contain normative values and beliefs about how public services should perform.
An incremental constraint-based framework for task and motion planning
Authors: Dantam Neil T , Kingston Zachary K , Chaudhuri Swarat , Kavraki Lydia E
Published: March 2018

We present a new constraint-based framework for task and motion planning (TMP). Our approach is extensible, probabilistically complete, and offers improved performance and generality compared with a similar, state-of-the-art planner. The key idea is to leverage incremental constraint solving to efficiently incorporate geometric information at the task level. Using motion feasibility information to guide task planning improves scalability of the overall planner. Our key abstractions address the requirements of manipulation and object rearrangement. We validate our approach on a physical manipulator and evaluate scalability on scenarios with many objects and long plans, showing order-of-magnitude gains compared with the benchmark planner and improved scalability from additional geometric guidance. Finally, in addition to describing a new method for TMP and its implementation on a physical robot, we also put forward requirements and abstractions for the development of similar planners in the future.
Effects of Facial Skin Smoothness and Blemishes on Trait Impressions
Authors: Jaeger Bastian , Wagemans Fieke M. A. , Evans Anthony M. , van Beest Ilja
Published: March 2018

People make trait inferences based on facial appearance, and these inferences guide social approach and avoidance. Here, we investigate the effects of textural features on trait impressions from faces. In contrast to previous work, which exclusively manipulated skin smoothness, we manipulated smoothness and the presence of skin blemishes independently (Study 1) and orthogonally (Study 2). We hypothesized that people are particularly sensitive to skin blemishes because blemishes potentially indicate poor health and the presence of an infectious disease. We therefore predicted that the negative effect of blemished skin is stronger than the positive effect of smoothed skin. The results of both studies are in line with this reasoning. Across ratings of trustworthiness, competence, maturity, attractiveness, and health, the negative influence of skin blemishes was stronger and more consistent than the positive influence of skin smoothness (Study 1). Moreover, the presence of skin blemishes diminished the positive effect of skin smoothness on attractiveness ratings (Study 2). In sum, both facial skin blemishes and facial skin smoothness influence trait impression, but the negative effect of blemished skin is larger and more salient than the positive effect of smooth skin.
Characterization of ash melting behaviour at high temperatures under conditions simulating combustible solid waste gasification
Authors: Niu Miaomiao , Dong Qing , Huang Yaji , Jin Baosheng , Wang Hongyan , Gu Haiming
Published: March 2018

To achieve high-temperature gasification-melting of combustible solid waste, ash melting behaviour under conditions simulating high-temperature gasification were studied. Raw ash (RA) and gasified ash (GA) were prepared respectively by waste ashing and fluidized bed gasification. Results of microstructure and composition of the two-ash indicated that GA showed a more porous structure and higher content of alkali and alkali earth metals among metallic elements. Higher temperature promoted GA melting and could reach a complete flowing state at about 1250°C. The order of melting rate of GA under different atmospheres was reducing condition > inert condition > oxidizing condition, which might be related to different existing forms of iron during melting and different flux content with atmosphere. Compared to RA, GA showed lower melting activity at the same condition due to the existence of an unconverted carbon and hollow structure. The melting temperature for sufficient melting and separation of GA should be at least 1250°C in this work.
Considerations on reaction to fire tests of polyethylene foam with a cone calorimeter apparatus
Authors: Apostolopoulou Nikolitsa , Romeos Alexandros , Hinopoulos George , Perrakis Konstantinos , Panidis Thrassos
Published: March 2018

This work describes efforts to improve the repeatability of cone calorimeter tests of polyethylene flexible foam, used for pipe insulation. This material presented significant random deformation during burning, such as warping and rolling, which led to drainage of the tar formed during material degradation and altered randomly the heating and burning processes. These effects severely undermined the repeatability of the tests and the accurate assessment of the reaction to fire characteristics of the material. Standard techniques to alleviate the problem, such as use of a retainer frame or a grid, were proven either inadequate to secure the specimen in place or undermined the accurate estimation of the material properties. The selected solution was to incorporate thin metallic pins in the sample holder, which along with the use of a retainer frame was able to eliminate the problems, producing results with good repeatability and small standard deviation.
Beyond Double Movement and Re-regulation: Polanyi, the Organized Denial of Money Politics, and the Promise of Democratization
Authors: Feinig Jakob
Published: March 2018

Although Karl Polanyi is best known for his theorization of market regulation and the double movement, democratizing the economic was one of his core concerns. He believed societies need to bring labor, land, and money under collective oversight to displace the logic of market fundamentalism with the logic of human needs. In this article, the author draws on Polanyi’s vocabulary to shed light on the denial of money politics and the possibility of democratization. The author illustrates these dynamics through an analysis of long-term dynamics of (de)politicization in British colonial America and the United States through the 1930s. The author developed this approach hoping that it can contribute to nudging public debates beyond regulation and monetary policy techniques and toward popular involvement and knowledge.
The Heterosexual Matrix as Imperial Effect
Authors: Patil Vrushali
Published: March 2018

While Judith Butler’s concept of the heterosexual matrix is dominant in gender and sexuality studies, it is a curiously aspatial and atemporal concept. This paper seeks to re-embed it within space and time by situating its emergence within colonial and imperial histories. Based on this discussion, it ends with three lessons for contemporary work on gender and sexuality and a broader theorization of sex-gender-sexuality regimes beyond the heterosexual matrix.
The Love of Neuroscience: A Sociological Account
Authors: Abend Gabriel
Published: March 2018

I make a contribution to the sociology of epistemologies by examining the neuroscience literature on love from 2000 to 2016. I find that researchers make consequential assumptions concerning the production or generation of love, its temporality, its individual character, and appropriate control conditions. Next, I consider how to account for these assumptions’ being common in the literature. More generally, I’m interested in the ways in which epistemic communities construe, conceive of, and publicly represent and work with their objects of inquiry—and what’s thereby assumed about them and about the world. I argue that these implicit or explicit assumptions are a distinct type of explanandum, whose distinctiveness sociology hasn’t adequately appreciated and taken advantage of. I think it should and I hope it will.
Réflexion autour du positionnement de la vidéographie comme outil de théorisation
Authors: Rokka Joonas , Hietanen Joel
Published: March 2018

Résumé

L’objectif du présent article consiste à examiner d’un œil critique la vidéographie dans le répertoire des approches visuelles et à définir un positionnement qui serait caractéristique, inspirant et audacieux. Nous préconisons notamment des approches vidéographiques différentes qui élargissent le domaine au-delà du « mode de représentation » dominant en reconnaissant le pouvoir évocateur de la vidéo. Ce n’est que de cette manière que la recherche vidéographique pourrait apparaître comme une méthode de recherche autonome sans relever d’autres ordres d’analyse représentatifs, tels que le fait d’être interprétée « comme un texte » ou figée dans des « instantanés » photographiques. Ce faisant, nous développons une image de pensée des vidéographies des consommateurs, dans laquelle les forces affectives de la vidéo sont exploitées au profit de la « théorisation », sous une forme émergente plutôt que descriptive.
Family Violence: An Insight Into Perspectives and Practices of Australian Health Practitioners
Authors: Soh Han Jie , Grigg Jasmin , Gurvich Caroline , Gavrilidis Emmy , Kulkarni Jayashri
Published: March 2018

Family violence is threatening behavior carried out by a person to coerce or control another member of the family or causes the family member to be fearful. Health practitioners are well placed to play a pivotal role in identifying and responding to family violence; however, their perceived capacity to respond to patients experiencing family violence is not well understood. We aim to explore Australian health practitioners’ current perspectives, practices, and perceived barriers in working with family violence, including perceived confidence in responding effectively to cases of family violence encountered during their work with patients. A total of 1,707 health practitioners primarily practicing in the wider Melbourne region were identified, and 114 health practitioners participated in the study between March 2016 and August 2016 by completing an investigator-developed questionnaire. Descriptive, qualitative, and thematic analyses were performed. The majority of participants recognized family violence to be a health issue and that family violence would impact the mental health of afflicted persons. Despite this, only a fifth of participants felt they were very confident in screening, supporting, and referring patients with family violence experiences. Perceived barriers to inquire about family violence included time constraints and greater importance placed on screening for other health issues. Health practitioners reported that additional training on screening, supporting, and referring patients would be beneficial. Australian health practitioners need to be upskilled. Recently, in Australia, state-relevant toolkits have been developed to provide succinct information about responding to initial patient presentations of family violence, how to inquire about family violence, and how to handle disclosures (and nondisclosures) by patients. Further resources could be developed to aid health practitioners in providing assistance to their patients as indicated. These initiatives would be a step toward addressing the concerns with regard to the lack of training and could possibly optimize outcomes for patients experiencing family violence.
Identifying Youth at Risk for Commercial Sexual Exploitation Within Child Advocacy Centers: A Statewide Pilot Study
Authors: Brandt Tiffany West , Lind Teresa , Schreier Alayna , Sievers Chad M. , Kramer Teresa L.
Published: March 2018

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a social problem in the United States that has recently received growing attention from policy makers, advocates, and researchers. Despite increasing awareness of this issue, information on the prevalence, demographic profile, and psychosocial needs of victims of CSEC is scarce. To better understand the scope of CSEC and to examine the feasibility of screening for CSEC in Child Advocacy Centers (CACs), a pilot study was initiated through Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) to identify youth who may be at risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Data for this pilot study were collected from all of the state’s CACs ( n = 14) over a 6-month period. Family advocates completed a screening questionnaire adapted from Greenbaum, Dodd, and McCracken with 918 youth aged 12 to 18 years old treated at CACs. Almost 20% of youth were identified as being at high risk for experiencing CSEC. Furthermore, youth classified as high-risk for commercial sexual exploitation reported significantly more avoidance symptoms on the UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) Reaction Index than youth classified as low-risk. The results suggest that a significant portion of youth treated at CACs in Arkansas are at high risk for experiencing commercial sexual exploitation, which may be associated with a particular pattern of trauma symptoms. These findings also lend support for the feasibility and utilization of a screening questionnaire as part of routine care in CACs to potentially identify youth at risk for CSEC.
Policy and Legal Protection for Breastfeeding and Incarcerated Women in Canada
Authors: Paynter Martha Jane
Published: March 2018

Most incarcerated women in Canada are mothers. Because women are the fastest growing population in carceral facilities, protecting the rights of incarcerated women to breastfeed their children is increasingly important. There is considerable evidence that incarcerated women in Canada experience poor physical and mental health, isolation, and barriers to care. Incarcerated women and their children could benefit significantly from breastfeeding. This Insight in Policy explores policy and legal protection for breastfeeding in Canada as it relates to carceral facilities, considers key cases regarding breastfeeding rights among incarcerated women, and presents recommendations for policy development and advocacy. The Canadian Constitution and human rights legislation across Canada prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender and includes pregnancy and the possibility of becoming pregnant as a characteristic of gender. Some provinces note that breastfeeding is a characteristic of gender. Women’s Wellness Within, a nonprofit organization providing volunteer perinatal support to criminalized women in Nova Scotia, conducted a scan of all provincial and territorial correctional services acts and the federal Corrections and Conditional Release Act: none mention breastfeeding. Protocols for breastfeeding during arrest and lockup by police were not available in any jurisdiction across Canada. International law, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Nelson Mandela Rules, and the Bangkok Rules, have application to the rights of incarcerated breastfeeding women. The Inglis v. British Columbia (Minister of Public Safety) (2013) and Hidalgo v. New Mexico Department of Corrections (2017) decisions are pivotal examples of successful litigation brought forward by incarcerated mothers to advance breastfeeding rights. Improved application and understanding of existent law could advance breastfeeding rights.
An improved thermal estimation model of the inverted planetary roller screw mechanism
Authors: Qiao Guan , Liu Geng , Ma Shangjun , Shi Zhenghong , Wang Yawen , Lim Teik C
Published: March 2018

The inverted planetary roller screw mechanism has recently become competitive in the electro-mechanical actuation system due to its high load-carrying capacity and small assembly size. However, a significant amount of heat at the frictional contact interfaces and power loss inside the electrical machine can be naturally generated in a compact and high-load inverted planetary roller screw mechanism system. The conductive heat leads to the temperature rise of inverted planetary roller screw mechanism components that subsequently results in thermal drift and error as well as the actuation accuracy degradation. An analytical approach is applied to calculate the friction torque of the contact pairs and support bearings in the inverted planetary roller screw mechanism system. As the thermal load, heat generation is derived from the friction in nut-roller-screw section and bearings. Then, the heat generation and convection boundary conditions are formulated to facilitate thermal behavior analysis. Finally, using the finite element method, steady-state and transient thermal-mechanical coupling analyses are performed to estimate the temperature distribution and thermal expansion of the inverted planetary roller screw mechanism components. Computational results reveal that operating conditions of rotation speed and external load have significant influence on the thermal characteristics of the inverted planetary roller screw mechanism. This study can serve as a foundation for modeling temperature field and analyzing coupled thermal-mechanical response of inverted planetary roller screw mechanism in electro-mechanical actuation system, which can be useful in determining thermal error compensation.
The machining characteristics and surface integrity of Ni-rich NiTi shape memory alloy using wire electric discharge machining
Authors: Bisaria Himanshu , Shandilya Pragya
Published: March 2018

Owing to the increasing demand for Ni-rich shape memory alloys in various sectors such as biomedical, aerospace, and robotics, the efficient machining of shape memory alloys is vital for their productive exploitation. The aim of this experimental investigation is to explore the influence of wire electric discharge machining process parameters such as spark gap voltage, wire tension, spark off time, wire speed, and spark on time, on the cutting efficiency and surface roughness of Ni50.89Ti49.11 SMA using one factor at a time approach. The results reveal that cutting efficiency and surface roughness are strongly influenced by spark off time, spark on time, and spark gap voltage, whereas wire speed and wire tension have the inconsequential effect. The presence of many microcracks, craters, voids, bulges of debris, and the re-solidified layer of molten material on the machined surface have been detected in scanning electron micrographs. The results of phase analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction divulge the migration of foreign elements from the brass wire and dielectric to the machined surface. Due to the formation of recast layer and various oxides, the hardening effect near the machined surface was also observed. The hardness near the machined surface has been increased several times in comparison to bulk hardness.
Use of artificial neural networks for the prediction of time-dependent air speed variation in metro stations
Authors: Koc Gencer , Sert Cuneyt , Albayrak Kahraman
Published: March 2018

In this study, the time-dependent, induced air speeds at critical sections of underground metro stations are assessed using a novel one-dimensional data-driven approach. For this purpose, three artificial neural networks are used, each trained for the most basic configuration of a single train moving in a single tunnel. The first two are trained to provide the maximum and time averaged values of the induced air speeds while the train is moving inside the approach tunnel or the station. The third one is used to simulate the time-dependent air speed variation during train stoppage and departure. Typical structures of a metro system such as staircases and ventilation shafts are introduced into the solution using simple analytical relations based on loss coefficients. The developed approach is tested using two different metro stations that are currently in operation in Turkey. The selected stations are constructed using different tunneling techniques resulting in different air flow characteristics. The results show that the time variation of the air speed predicted by the developed model is, in general, in good agreement with the results of the Subway Environmental Simulation software, although further studies are necessary to model the acceleration and deceleration of trains more realistically.
Voluntary agreements to achieve energy efficiency, a comparison between China and The Netherlands
Authors: Zhang Mingshun , Li Huanhuan , Jin Wei , ter Avest Erik , van Dijk Meine Pieter
Published: March 2018

China has gained experience with voluntary agreements. In this paper the experiences in China will be analysed and compared to the factors contributing to the success of this model in the Netherlands. Are voluntary agreements an alternative for the Chinese command and control system? We distinguish different types of voluntary agreements and compare those in China and the Netherlands on a number of dimensions. The hypothesis is tested that voluntary agreements are more effective in achieving pollution control than the traditional command and control approach. It is found that indeed most voluntary agreements score good in China as well as in the Netherlands on a number of chosen indicators. Voluntary agreements are effective in achieving ambitious energy saving targets in a flexible and cost-effective way. Voluntary agreements have the function to mobilise support for energy saving, which is not easily mobilised through the traditional command-and-control approaches. There are however some important differences between the functioning of the system in China and in the Netherlands, where a more bottom-up approach is common. The Netherlands has a tradition of stakeholders' involvement and experience over a longer time of monitoring the effectiveness of the project and adjusting them if necessary.
Shame and passion: The affective governing of young unemployed people
Authors: Pultz Sabina
Published: March 2018

This study investigates how young, well-educated, unemployed people are governed and how they govern themselves through affective capacities, focusing here on shame and passion. The empirical material consists of field observations made at an unemployment fund and in-depth interviews with 33 young unemployed people in the Danish welfare state. Inspired by governmentality studies including recent contributions concerning affectivity, I analyse how affect, emotions, and feelings are pivotal instruments of governmentality. On the one hand, unemployed people are encouraged to cultivate a passion for their profession and display this passion in their quest for a job. On the other hand, they are encouraged to feel ashamed for receiving unearned money from the state. The study applies the theoretical framework from governmentality studies and combines it with concepts in Ahmed (2014) in order to unfold the affective sides of governing young unemployed people. The study contributes theoretically by developing Ahmed’s idea of “sticky emotions” in an explicit psychological manner by identifying an embodied and a phenomenological dimension. It concludes that shame and passion influence unemployed people differently in relation to their subjective life courses as well as in relation to their social and societal circumstances and that people deal with the stickiness of unemployment shame in different ways. Some get rid of it by sticking it to other unemployed groups and some by dis-identifying with their formal status and instead conducting themselves as freelancers. The study begins to fill in the gap of how the more diffuse sides of governing can be made psychologically identifiable and in doing so it sheds light on the intimate relationship between politics and psychology.