bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nematode spatial distribution and the frequency of zeros in samples
Authors: Taylor Robin A.J. , Park Sun-Jeong , Grewal Parwinder S.
Published: January 2017

In the first longitudinal study of nematode spatial distribution with sufficiently large samples to estimate Taylor’s power law (TPL), we concluded that TPL is sensitive to life history strategy. We also observed that the value of TPL slope b was generally higher for more widespread and abundant taxa. We deduce that removal of empty samples increases b and discuss the results in relation to known causes of bias in estimating TPL. Only one cause might explain an increase in b with removal of empty quadrats: the underestimation of variance. Although bias cannot be ruled out in rare taxa, the consistency of the pattern with very abundant genera suggests a different explanation. TPL appears sensitive to the number of samples in a survey that do not contain the taxon of interest. We conclude that TPL measures the space between individuals as well as the density-dependence of the numerical distribution of abundance.
Annual Dynamics of Shortwave Radiation as Consequence of Smoothing of Previously Plowed and Harrowed Soils in Poland
Authors: Cierniewski Jerzy , Królewicz Sławomir , Kaźmierowski Cezary
Published: January 2017

Smoothing a rough, deeply plowed soil increases its albedo, which determines a lower amount of shortwave radiation absorbed by its surface layer. That surface emits less longwave radiation, leading to a reduction in its temperature, which in turn can affect the climate, influencing the energy transfer between soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. This paper presents a multistage procedure for estimating the annual dynamics of shortwave radiation reflected from bare soils as a consequence of smoothing the previously plowed and disk-harrowed fields in Poland. This procedure takes into account the spatial diversity of soil units and their properties within bare soil surfaces (extracted from Landsat 8 images), analyzed using digital maps of land use and soils as well as soil datasets stored in soil databases. One minimum and two peaks were found in the annual distribution of the radiation amount reflected from the soils only when smoothing the data. Expressing this reflected radiation as a fraction of the daily energy reaching the studied areas with clear-skies, it was predicted that those spring and summer peaks can reach about 2.2%–2.3% and 1%, respectively, of the incident shortwave radiation for soils that had been plowed and disk harrowed.
Downward Wave Reflection as a Mechanism for the Stratosphere–Troposphere Response to the 11-Yr Solar Cycle
Authors: Lu Hua , Scaife Adam A. , Marshall Gareth J. , Turner John , Gray Lesley J.
Published: January 2017

The effects of solar activity on the stratospheric waveguides and downward reflection of planetary waves during NH early to midwinter are examined. Under high solar (HS) conditions, enhanced westerly winds in the subtropical upper stratosphere and the associated changes in the zonal wind curvature led to an altered waveguide geometry across the winter period in the upper stratosphere. In particular, the condition for barotropic instability was more frequently met at 1 hPa near the polar-night jet centered at about 55°N. In early winter, the corresponding change in wave forcing was characterized by a vertical dipole pattern of the Eliassen–Palm (E–P) flux divergent anomalies in the high-latitude upper stratosphere accompanied by poleward E–P flux anomalies. These wave forcing anomalies corresponded with negative vertical shear of zonal mean winds and the formation of a vertical reflecting surface. Enhanced downward E–P flux anomalies appeared below the negative shear zone; they coincided with more frequent occurrence of negative daily heat fluxes and were associated with eastward acceleration and downward group velocity. These downward-reflected wave anomalies had a detectable effect on the vertical structure of planetary waves during November–January. The associated changes in tropospheric geopotential height contributed to a more positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation in January and February. These results suggest that downward reflection may act as a “top down” pathway by which the effects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the upper stratosphere can be transmitted to the troposphere.
Sensitivity of Subsurface Ocean Temperature Variability to Specification of Surface Observations in the Context of ENSO
Authors: Kumar Arun , Wen Caihong , Xue Yan , Wang Hui
Published: January 2017

To estimate the state of the ocean in the context of monitoring and prediction, ocean analysis products combine observed information from various sources that include both in situ ocean measurements and estimates of atmospheric forcings derived either from numerical models or from objective analysis methods. In the context of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability in the equatorial tropical Pacific, this study discusses two questions: 1) the role of surface forcings in resolving the observed variability of subsurface ocean temperatures, and 2) which component of surface forcings plays a more important role.

The analysis approach is based on ocean model simulations where specification of surface forcings is controlled and the resulting ocean state is either compared among various simulations or is compared with an independent ocean analysis (where information from in situ ocean temperature measurements is included). The results highlight the importance of the contribution of observed sea surface temperature (via its influence on surface winds due to coupled air–sea interactions) and the observed surface wind forcing in determining the evolution of subsurface ocean temperatures. Implications for assessing the feasibility of extending ocean analysis and forecasts back in time when in situ observations were limited are also discussed.
When Different Types of Education Matter
Authors: Byun Soo-yong , Park Hyunjoon
Published: January 2017

Using longitudinal data for a nationally representative sample of ninth graders in South Korea, we examine socioeconomic differences in the likelihood of making transitions into different types of high school and college with a goal of testing the validity of the effectively maintained inequality hypothesis. We find significant socioeconomic disparities in the likelihood of attending an academic high school and a 4-year university. However, the predicted probabilities suggest that even disadvantaged students typically choose an academic high school relative to a vocational high school. Furthermore, although disadvantaged students likely end up with a 2-year junior college, those disadvantaged students graduating from an academic high school typically choose a 4-year university, after controlling for academic achievement and other variables. We discuss the relevance of the effectively maintained inequality hypothesis for South Korea and broad implications for elsewhere where postsecondary education is increasingly available for the majority of population.
Seven Principles for Assessing Effectively Maintained Inequality
Authors: Lucas Samuel R. , Byrne Delma
Published: January 2017

Effectively maintained inequality (EMI) was proposed as a general theory of inequality, but the theory flows from a decades-long tradition of studying social background effects on educational attainment. After an orienting discussion of several historic challenges of the study of social background effects on educational inequality, proposed and adopted solutions to those challenges, and subsequent critiques of those solutions, we offer and justify seven principles that, if followed, produce a solid assessment of EMI. After conveying the seventh principle, two illustrative ways in which EMI addresses historic challenges with studying inequality are conveyed.
Effectively Maintained Inequality in Educational Transitions in the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Byrne Delma , McCoy Selina
Published: January 2017

While it is well established that the structure and organization of the education system affects youth transitions, less attention has been paid to the study of qualitative distinctions at the same level of education over time in the Irish context. Using data from the School Leavers’ Survey over the period 1980-2006, this paper considers the hypothesis of effectively maintained inequality in the case of the Republic of Ireland. The data capture young people’s transitions during three distinct and remarkable macro-economic fluctuations, and makes a particularly interesting test case for EMI. Over the cohorts under investigation, Ireland had changed from a recessionary economic climate and prolonged economic stagnation for much of the 1980s to a booming economy by the middle of the mid-2000s and one of the most dynamic economies in the world during the “Celtic Tiger” period. The patterns of social-class inequality over a 30-year paper reported in this article suggest that qualitative differences at the same level of inequality represent a persistent barrier to greater equality in the Irish context. Specifically, we find three notable patterns to support the hypothesis of EMI with regard to tracking decisions taken in the transition from lower secondary to upper secondary, subject-level differentiation in the upper secondary mathematics curriculum, and access to university higher education.
Development of a cross-cultural HPV community engagement model within Scotland
Authors: Carnegie Elaine , Whittaker Anne , Gray Brunton Carol , Hogg Rhona , Kennedy Catriona , Hilton Shona , Harding Seeromanie , Pollock Kevin G , Pow Janette
Published: January 2017

Objective:

To examine cultural barriers and participant solutions regarding acceptance and uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine from the perspective of Black African, White-Caribbean, Arab, Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani young people.

Methods:

In total, 40 young people from minority ethnic communities in Scotland took part in a qualitative study, involving seven focus groups and four paired interviews, to explore their views and experiences of the HPV vaccine. Using critical discursive psychology, the analysis focused on young people’s accounts of barriers and enablers to information, access and uptake of the HPV vaccination programme.

Results:

Participants suggested innovative strategies to tackle intergenerational concerns, information design and accessibility, and public health communications across diverse contexts. A cross-cultural community engagement model was developed, embracing diversity and contradiction across different ethnic groups. This included four inter-related strategies: providing targeted and flexible information for young people, vaccine provision across the life-course, intergenerational information and specific cross-cultural communications.

Conclusion:

This is the first HPV cross-cultural model inductively derived from accounts of young people from different ethnic communities. We recommend public health practitioners and policymakers consider using the processes and strategies within this model to increase dialogue around public engagement, awareness and receptivity towards HPV vaccination.
Do Firms Demand Temporary Workers When They Face Workload Fluctuation? Cross-Country Firm-Level Evidence
Authors: Dräger Vanessa , Marx Paul
Published: January 2017

The growth of temporary employment is one of the most important transformations of labor markets in the past decades. Theoretically, firms’ exposure to short-term workload fluctuations is a major determinant of employing temporary workers when employment protection for permanent workers is high. The authors investigate this relationship empirically with establishment-level data in a broad comparative framework. They create two novel data sets by merging 1) data on 18,500 European firms with 2) measures of labor-market institutions for 20 countries. Results show that fluctuations increase the probability of hiring temporary workers by 8 percentage points in countries with strict employment protection laws. No such effect is observed in countries with weaker employment protections. Results are robust to subgroups, subsamples, and alternative estimation strategies.
Community Families: Bridging the gap between mental health services and civil society – A qualitative study from users’ perspective
Authors: Væggemose Ulla , Lou Stina , Frumer Michal , Christiansen Nanna Limskov Stærk , Aagaard Jørgen , Ørtenblad Lisbeth
Published: January 2017

Background:

Social interventions to support people with severe mental illness are important to improving the quality of life. The perspectives of users are essential in this process. This article explores users’ experiences, investments and concerns of a befriending programme.

Material:

Focus group and individual qualitative interviews with service users.

Discussion:

Overall, the experiences with the programme were positive, and the social interaction was highly valued. However, that the relationships were arranged and facilitated by mental health workers remained an unresolved concern even after several years.

Conclusion:

People with severe mental illness benefit from relationships despite the need of professional assistant.
‘Not by Default Accepted’: The African Experience of Othering and Being Othered in Australia
Authors: Udah Hyacinth
Published: January 2017

In the face of the increasing migration of black Africans to Australia, this paper seeks to raise conversations about the meta-discourses of Otherness in the Australian society. The paper aims to provide insights into black Africans’ experience of othering and being othered in Australia. The paper draws from a broader study which examined the lived experiences of Africans in South East Queensland and highlights that the presentation of white as norm in Australia, one of or the institutional and social contexts that create conditions reinforcing othering practices, is perpetuated, especially, when the racial order in society is not acknowledged and challenged. The paper proposes that the condition of Africans in Australia may not just be explained by their immigration status or their lack of skills but linked to how they are positioned and constructed in Australia as visible ‘Others.’
Status Report on the Development of a Liquid HFC Blowing Agent
Authors: Knopeck G. M. , Parker R. C. , Richard R. G. , Shankland I. R.
Published: January 2017

CFC blowing agents have been eliminated from virtually all polyurethane foam applications and replaced, in many cases, with the more environmentally acceptable HCFCs. In many applications the preference has been to convert from one liquid blowing agent to another, i.e., from CFC-11 to HCFC-141b. With the planned phaseout of HCFC-141b less than a decade away, there is a clear need for a "next generation" liquid blowing agent to eventually replace HCFC-141b.

Previously, we reported the results of preliminary performance evaluations of four promising liquid HFC blowing agent candidates and the screening process used to select those four candidates. In this paper we discuss the environmental, toxicological and performance characteristics of our primary liquid HFC blowing agent candidate.

The first criterion for a new blowing agent is environmental acceptability. A candidate must have a zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and a low Global Warming Potential (GWP), and should be free from other environmental concerns. Accordingly, the paper begins with a discussion of environmental properties such as atmospheric lifetime and GWP.

It is equally important that the toxicological properties of a blowing agent candidate be well understood. The results of early toxicity tests have been very promising. These are reported along with a proposed timetable for additional toxicity testing.

Ultimately, the acceptability of a new blowing agent will be based on performance. Data from laboratory foam evaluations involving both polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foams are presented. In addition to foam properties, other key performance characteristics such as plastics compatibility, blowing agent stability, foam premix stability and decomposition have been evaluated and are discussed.
Design of a New Silicone Surfactant for Flexible Slabstock Polyurethane Foam
Authors: Frey John H. , Stanga Michael A.
Published: January 2017

Requirements for silicone surfactants for flexible slabstock polyurethane foam are varied and demanding and consideration must be given to new requirements for high water formulations, low density formulations, emulsification of high water levels into different types of polyols, and mixing for continuous and discontinuous foam manufacturing processes. The demands of these formulations and processes are reviewed. Surfactant molecular structure versus performance results are presented in formulations typical of those used today by the slabstock industry. A new surfactant, DABCOO DC5188, has been developed to meet the diverse requirements of these systems. The performance of this surfactant is reported.
Measurement of Gaseous Diffusion within Zero ODP Cellular Plastic Insulation
Authors: Fan Youchen , Kokko Erkki
Published: January 2017

Diffusion coefficients (D) of blowing agents and air in cellular plastic insulation are the key parameters in determining the thermal quality and dimensional stability of the foams. Measurement methods available for this purpose are briefly discussed. An apparatus based on the so called diffusion chamber method has been designed in this study. Strategies for preparing samples and for calculating the D-values are suggested in order to save measurement time. Diffusion of carbon-dioxide (CO2), oxygen (02) and nitrogen (N2) within five types of zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) foams will be shown. Results also show the dependence of D-values on temperature and foam densities. The D-temperature curve follows the Arrhenius type relationship. Different density foams at same temperature show different Ds, but no identical relationship is reached. Foams produced by different companies have dramatic differences in gaseous diffusion property.
Developmental Influences in Pictorial Depth Perception among Hong Kong Chinese Children
Authors: Dawson John L. M. , Young Brian M. , Choi Peter P. C.
Published: January 2017

A developmental model is presented relating to the expected age trends in the acquisition of Three-Dimensional Pictorial Perception (3DPPI as well as related sex differences. The Hong Kong Chinese data support the expected increase in 3DPP with ages from three to seventeen and the expected male 3DPP superiority after age eight, thought to stem from increased testosterone output from that age, stimulating the development of the cholinergic inhibitory perceptual processes, and interacting with appropriate cultural/educational stimuli to result in higher 30PP in male Ss. Lower socioeconomic level, field-dependence, harsher socialization, and more traditional attitudes were as expected associated with lower 3DPP scores, while the more permissive Eskimo had as predicted higher 3DPP than the Hong Kong Chinese sample.
Three Dimensions of Intellectual Functioning in Australian Aboriginal and Disadvantaged European Children
Authors: Taylor Lorne J. , de Lacey Philip R.
Published: January 2017

Tests of verbal intelligence, operational thinking, and divergent thinking were administered to thirty Aboriginal and thirty disadvantaged European children living in Alice Springs, N.T., Australia. Scores from the three types of tests were correlated with each other to determine the relationship among them. Differences were sought between age ranges and ethnic groups on each of the three kinds of tests by means of t tests and analyses of variance. With the exception of the correlation between the Matrices Test and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the correlations were similar to those reported previously. The t tests confirmed significant differences between the Aboriginal and European sample on the PPVT. However, there were no significant differences between the Aboriginal and European sample on any of the other tests.
Level of Abstraction of Disagreements as a Determinant of Interpersonal Perception
Authors: Triandis Harry C. , Weldon David E. , Feldman Jack M.
Published: January 2017

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that the higher the level of abstraction of a disagreement between two individuals, the greater would be the damage of the disagreement to interpersonal perceptions. In the first experiment, paper and pencil stimulus persons differing in race (black-white) and agreement versus disagreement on values (highly abstract), norms, roles, and facilities beliefs (least abstract) were presented to subjects who indicated their evaluation of and behavioral intentions toward the stimuli. The hypothesis was partially supported. In the second, slides coordinated with tape recordings of a white foreman agreeing or disagreeing with a black or white worker were presented to eighty white and eighty black males who guessed how the foreman or worker would evaluate each other and how they would intend to behave toward each other. The agreements/disagreements differed in level of abstraction. The hypothesis was supported. In addition, the order of presentation of agreements was a determinant of attraction, with an agreement following a series of disagreements leading to more attraction than an agreement following a series of agreements.
Biomimetic Enamel Regeneration Mediated by Leucine-Rich Amelogenin Peptide
Authors: Kwak S.Y. , Litman A. , Margolis H.C. , Yamakoshi Y. , Simmer J.P.
Published: January 2017

We report here a novel biomimetic approach to the regeneration of human enamel. The approach combines the use of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) to control the onset and rate of enamel regeneration and the use of leucine-rich amelogenin peptide (LRAP), a nonphosphorylated 56–amino acid alternative splice product of amelogenin, to regulate the shape and orientation of growing enamel crystals. This study builds on our previous findings that show LRAP can effectively guide the formation of ordered arrays of needle-like hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals in vitro and on the known role mineralization inhibitors, like PPi, play in the regulation of mineralized tissue formation. Acid-etched enamel surfaces of extracted human molars, cut perpendicular or parallel to the direction of the enamel rods, were exposed to a PPi-stabilized supersaturated calcium phosphate (CaP) solution containing 0 to 0.06 mg/mL LRAP for 20 h. In the absence of LRAP, PPi inhibition was reversed by the presence of etched enamel surfaces and led to the formation of large, randomly distributed plate-like HA crystals that were weakly attached, regardless of rod orientation. In the presence of 0.04 mg/mL LRAP, however, densely packed mineral layers, comprising bundles of small needle-like HA crystals, formed on etched surfaces that were cut perpendicular to the enamel rods. These crystals were strongly attached, and their arrangement reflected to a significant degree the underlying enamel prism pattern. In contrast, under the same conditions with LRAP, little to no crystal formation was found on enamel surfaces that were cut parallel to the direction of the enamel rods. These results suggest that LRAP preferentially interacts with ab surfaces of mature enamel crystals, inhibiting their directional growth, thus selectively promoting linear growth along the c-axis of enamel crystals. The present findings demonstrate a potential for the development of a new approach to regenerate enamel structure and properties.
Crisis or Chronic Strain?
Authors: Vignes Bo
Published: January 2017

This population-based study ( N = 908,468) examines the effects of spousal loss on being absent from work due to illness or injury (sickness absence) among employed individuals in Norway. Fixed-effects models capturing antecedent and short- and long-term effects of spousal loss over a 15-year period were estimated to explore gender and age differences in the impact of widowhood. The crisis model, the social-role model, and the life course perspective are discussed. Furthermore, the study calls into question whether parenthood explains the gendered age gradient of the widowhood effect. The results show that the theoretical relevance of the crisis and social-role models is best understood in dialogue with a gendered life course approach. The results show that the crisis response is especially high among young widowers, whereas the recovery period is markedly prolonged among young widows. Parenthood at the time of widowhood explains much of the age difference among widowers and widows.
Reimagining Heroism: A Conceptual Analysis Through Antigone and Medea
Authors: Martens Keegan
Published: January 2017

The definition of heroism is contested within the psychological literature, with some suggesting that a formal definition is unfeasible. Following these suggestions, to help clarify what is understood by “heroism,” I critique three potential understandings of heroism drawn from recent psychological work on heroism. In the first critique, I discuss the notion of heroes as displaying certain characters traits, or strengths. In the second, I argue that heroic action cannot be defined by its consequences. In the final critique, I explore whether heroism can be evaluated by the authority an actor supports or opposes. These critiques use Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea as their examples to show that these three understandings cannot express what is heroic about Antigone and not heroic about Medea. I suggest that, instead, the designation “hero” should be understood as an ethical evaluation of the person so designated.
Does Use of Text-to-Speech and Related Read-Aloud Tools Improve Reading Comprehension for Students With Reading Disabilities? A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wood Sarah G. , Moxley Jerad H. , Tighe Elizabeth L. , Wagner Richard K.
Published: January 2017

Text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools are being widely implemented in an attempt to assist students’ reading comprehension skills. Read-aloud software, including text-to-speech, is used to translate written text into spoken text, enabling one to listen to written text while reading along. It is not clear how effective text-to-speech is at improving reading comprehension. This study addresses this gap in the research by conducting a meta-analysis on the effects of text-to-speech technology and related read-aloud tools on reading comprehension for students with reading difficulties. Random effects models yielded an average weighted effect size of ([Formula: see text] = .35, with a 95% confidence interval of .14 to .56, p < .01). Moderator effects of study design were found to explain some of the variance. Taken together, this suggests that text-to-speech technologies may assist students with reading comprehension. However, more studies are needed to further explore the moderating variables of text-to-speech and read-aloud tools’ effectiveness for improving reading comprehension. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Word-level prominence in Persian: An Experimental Study
Authors: Sadeghi Vahid
Published: January 2017

Previous literature on the phonetics of stress in Persian has reported that fundamental frequency is the only reliable acoustic correlate of stress, and that stressed and unstressed syllables are not differentiated from each other in the absence of accentuation. In this study, the effects of lexical stress on duration, overall intensity and spectral tilt were examined in Persian both in the accented and unaccented conditions. Results showed that syllable duration is consistently affected by stress in Persian in both the accented and unaccented conditions across all vowel types. Unlike duration, the results for overall intensity and spectral tilt were significant only in the accented condition, suggesting that measures of intensity are not a correlate of stress in Persian but they are mainly caused by the presence of a pitch movement. The findings are phonologically interpreted as suggesting that word-level prominence in Persian is typologically similar to ‘stress accent’ languages, in which multiple phonetic cues are used to signal the prominence contrast in the accented condition, and stressed and unstressed syllables are different from each other even when the word is not pitch-accented.
Turning to Waheguru: Religious and Cultural Coping Mechanisms of Bereaved Sikhs
Authors: Ahluwalia Muninder Kaur , Mohabir Raman Kaur
Published: January 2017

Grief and loss are universal experiences for all individuals and communities. The experience of a loss due to death and the bereavement process to follow are influenced by an individual’s religious values and beliefs. In this article, we discuss the Sikh bereavement process in the United States. We provide brief personal narratives as exemplar case studies, highlight religious and cultural factors, and explain potential challenges of bereavement. Finally, we discuss implications for mental health clinicians and other providers of services that surround death and dying.
Learning from our elders
Authors: Moore Renee
Published: January 2017

Teachers in rural, black schools understood their communities and their students and provided lessons that are still relevant today. The three main lessons are to learn and use culturally appropriate teaching, initiate and maintain mutually respectful community connections, and expect great things from every student.
Why make it hard for teachers to cross state borders?
Authors: Goldhaber Dan , Grout Cyrus , Holden Kristian L.
Published: January 2017

Barriers to mobility, particularly those imposed by state-level licensure procedures have received growing attention in the media and in reform discussions. Much of this attention is driven by shortages of teachers in some regions and subject areas and the fact that barriers to mobility make it more difficult for states to address such shortages by drawing on whatever surplus of labor may exist out of state. But there are reasons to expect that lowering barriers to mobility would be beneficial to the teacher labor market even in the absence of shortages. To the extent that teachers value locational flexibility, lowering barriers to mobility could make the teaching profession more desirable to prospective entrants and reduce attrition among experienced teachers who may opt out of the profession following a move to a new state. The authors describe how licensure procedures and pension systems impose costs on teachers who cross state borders, discuss the evidence on whether teachers are responding to these disincentives to mobility, and consider possible reforms that would lower barriers to teacher mobility.
The Editor’s Note
Authors: Richardson Joan
Published: January 2017

Every change at an institution like a school has to begin with individual change. Since white educators make up the majority of the teachers and administrators in U.S. schools, we can accomplish little in the realm of changing beliefs about race until we change ourselves. And we cannot improve the education of children of color until we understand the complex interplay of the racial experiences we bring to school every day.
Leadership
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: January 2017

How a system allocates its resources is the most visible indication of its values. But district leaders can make a stronger case for greater resources by first doing a deep dive on how you’re using the resources already on hand. Doing that deep internal examination also prepares leaders for the political theater that surrounds budget season in every school district, the season when everyone pays attention to what’s happening in the schools.
The Divine Killer
Authors: Fraser Roderick
Published: January 2017

We congratulate Mr. Fraser on being awarded the joint Third Prize in our Competition, “A Job Well Done,” for the following article.
CLIPPERS and the need for long-term immunosuppression
Authors: Abkur Tarig M , Kearney Hugh , Hennessy Michael J
Published: January 2017

Chronic Lymphocytic Inflammation with Pontine Perivascular Enhancement Responsive to Steroids (CLIPPERS) is a rare chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. Herein, we describe the case of a 62-year-old female who presented with right sided facial tingling, gait ataxia and diplopia. Neuroimaging revealed pontine curvilinear enhancing lesions with extension into cerebellar peduncles, characteristic of CLIPPERS. This report discusses the differential diagnosis and the importance of prolonged immunomodulatory treatment for this rare neuro-inflammatory disorder. Long-term immunosuppression appears to be mandatory in order to achieve sustained remission and prevent disability related to atrophy of the structures involved in repeated attacks.
Characterizing continuous (s, S) policy with supplier selection using Simulation Optimization
Authors: Göçken Mustafa , Dosdoğru Ayşe Tuğba , Boru Aslı , Geyik Faruk
Published: January 2017

A real-world inventory control system, due to its nonlinear, stochastic, time-dependent nature, and the presence of complex interactions between supply chain members, can become quite challenging to optimize and requires a complex model. At this point, the Simulation Optimization (SO) model gains a better understanding of the complex and messy phenomenon of the inventory control of supply chain members. By creating SO models for Distribution Center (DC)s and Suppliers, we wish to present flexible and comprehensible research on the important decision of whether to minimize the differences between total overordering cost and total underordering cost (Model 1) or to minimize the total supply chain cost (Model 2). We also try to point out several important issues: the optimal value of the initial inventory, the reorder point, and the order-up-to level in continuous (s, S) policy for each DC and each Supplier; whether SO models can successfully integrate the supplier selection and continuous (s, S) policy for the supply chain environment; how to apply statistical analysis skills to compare these SO models with a greater level of detail. According to the cost analysis, the total supply chain cost of Model 1 is improved approximately 22% with Model 2. Also, Model 2 is the best one according to quantity-based analysis, order-based analysis, probability-based analysis, and lead-time-based analysis. Model 2 can be successfully applied for the actual situation of the supply chain inventory system and companies can obtain a remarkable amount of saving while increasing their competitive edge.
A pilot intervention with chitosan/cotton knitted jersey fabric to provide comfort for epidermolysis bullosa patients
Authors: Lam Ngan Yi Kitty , Zhang Meng , Yang Chenxiao , Ho Chu Po , Li Li
Published: January 2017

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare hereditary skin disease that causes skin fragility and blistering. Since the wounds of EB do not fully heal, and there is currently no available medical technology that can cure this skin disease, patients suffer from the related physical and psychological pain during their lifetime. Therefore, it is important that skin-protective apparel with protective functions be specifically developed for EB patients to improve their wear comfort and reduce their chances of further skin injuries through the interaction of clothing as a “second skin” and the human skin. This study investigated the fabric comfort properties of chitosan/cotton blend knitted jersey fabric in order to provide comprehensive knowledge to facilitate further medical textile development for EB patients. A proposed model determines the role of chitosan-based yarn in providing comfort to EB patients to determine scientifically the association between textile comfort and medical treatment, and establishes the relationship between percentage composition and comfort to facilitate further examination of medical textiles in both theoretical and practical aspects. The results show that increases in the concentration of chitosan (50% or above) in the blend ratio reduce the rigidity of the fabric and provide a softer handle for the inner surface of the fabric. The surface friction coefficient is reduced which means a smoother surface and the thermal maximum flux is also reduced, that intends a fabric with a cooler handle. It is concluded that fabric with a composition that incorporates chitosan fibers can provide better comfort, which in turn, facilitated the development of a skin-protective textile for EB patients, by the application of chitosan/cotton blend knitted jersey fabric.
Colorimetric assay and deodorizing/antibacterial performance of natural fabrics dyed with immature pine cone extract
Authors: Lee Young-Hee , Kim Ae-Li , Park Young-Gwang , Hwang Eun-Kyung , Baek Young-Mee , Cho Sunja , Kim Han-Do
Published: January 2017

To examine the deodorizing function and antibacterial activity of fabrics dyed with the extract of immature pine cone, a natural dyeing aqueous solution (the extract of immature pine cone, a natural colorant) was prepared. The colorimetric assay and deodorizing/antibacterial performance of fabrics (cotton, silk and wool fabrics) dyed with immature pine cone extract without/with mordant (aluminum sulfate) were evaluated. The components in the aqueous extract of immature pine cone were found to be hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose and tannin. The yellow color of fabrics dyed with immature pine cone extract might be attributed to the lignin component. The K/ S values of dyed fabrics with mordant showed higher values than those without mordant. The color fastness (washing, water and acid/alkaline perspiration fastness) of fabrics dyed without/with mordant was found to be very good (grade 4–5). All of the fabrics dyed without/with mordant also showed good deodorizing function and excellent antibacterial performance. These results demonstrate the strong potential of even natural fabrics dyed with immature pine cone extract without mordant as a functional material with both high antibacterial activity and deodorizing function.
The Use Of Requested Promotional Material By Pleasure Travelers
Authors: Etzel Michael J. , Wahlers Russell G.
Published: January 2017

This study suggests that destination specific travel literature requested by consumers is an important promotion medium in the travel industry. The booklets and brochures are used by a large number of travelers who have identifiable characteristics and attributes. Travel marketers should consider promotion materials in light of the results presented here as well as investigate unique features that may be inherent among users of the medium within their specific target markets.
An Overview of Approaches Used to Forecast Tourism Demand
Authors: Uysal Muzaffer , Crompton John L.
Published: January 2017

Decisions regarding appropriate investments in both the public and private sectors, as well as short-term marketing decisions, depend heavily on the accuracy of forecasts of tourism demand. This article reviews both the qualitative and quantitative approaches to demand forecasting in tourism and suggests that the two approaches combined produce more accurate forecasts.
An Inventory Depletion Overbooking Model For the Hotel Industry
Authors: Toh Rex S.
Published: January 2017

Travelers who have no intention of showing up often fail to cancel their hotel reservations in a timely manner. Because of this tendency, hotels in turn protect their revenue-generating but highly perishable inventory of rooms by overbooking in anticipation of no-shows and late cancellations. Unfortunately, the literature and a recent survey of hotels indicate that hotel overbooking levels are largely set by trial and error and may lead either to oversales and displaced guests or to an unprofitably high number of empty rooms and lost revenues. This study examines the institutional parameters and operating constraints of the hotel industry and treats overbooking as an inventory problem of fixed supply and variable demand, and proposes a statistically derived inventory depletion overbooking model that judiciously balances the opportunity cost of empty rooms with the adverse consequences of oversales. The model thus allows hotel managers to systematically establish optimal booking levels.
“Clean out of the map”: Knowing and doubting space at India’s high imperial frontiers
Authors: Simpson Thomas
Published: January 2017

During the second half of the nineteenth century, land frontiers became areas of unique significance for surveyors in colonial India. These regions were understood to provide the most stringent tests for the men, instruments, and techniques that collectively constituted spatial data and representations. In many instances, however, the severity of the challenges that India’s frontiers afforded stretched practices in the field and in the survey office beyond breaking point. Far from producing supposedly unequivocal maps, many involved in frontier surveying acknowledged that their work was problematic, partial, and prone to contrary readings. They increasingly came to construe frontiers as spaces that exceeded scientific understanding, and resorted to descriptions that emphasized fantastical and disorienting embodied experiences. Through examining the many crises and multiple agents of frontier mapping in British India, this article argues that colonial surveying and its outputs were less assured and more convoluted than previous histories have acknowledged.
A “Good Conscience”: Differences between Honor and Justice Orientation
Authors: Lienhard Ruth
Published: January 2017

In the 1940s, Ruth Benedict pointed out that there are shame cultures and guilt cultures. This essay argues that the salient difference between cultures is honor orientation and justice orientation, more so than shame and guilt. Honor or justice influence daily interactions. After a transgression, a justice orientation leads to feelings of guilt; an honor orientation produces shame. Restoration, depending on the culture, thus deals with guilt by seeing that justice is done or with shame by restoring honor. Finally, the article suggests that the Bible has a message of restoration for both honor- and justice-oriented people.
Begging as Resistance: Wealth and Christian Missionaries in Postcolonial Zaire
Authors: Warkentin Raija
Published: January 2017

This article is ethnographic in scope, describing the complex relationship between the Bira and the missionaries regarding material wealth. The Bira are a horticultural people of northeastern Zaire. Like some other indigenous peoples of Africa, the Bira came to view missionaries as cannibals and also as the wealthy favorite children of God. Embittered at the unequal distribution of wealth, the Bira used the missionaries as vehicles by which they might gain access to the material wealth of the whites. They utilized various methods for obtaining this wealth, including working, begging, and even harassing the missionaries. It is explained in this paper as resistance to the global unequal distribution of wealth. With their power to decide whom to reward with material wealth, the missionaries created a social hierarchy whereby they stood on top, followed by the church elders. The rest of the population competed fiercely along ethnic lines for scarce jobs, houses, and the goods that were available at the mission station. This situation at the grassroots level mirrored the larger relationship between Third World countries and Western nations, a relationship often termed post-colonialism.
Mission Strategies, Anthropologists, and the Harmon Foundation's African Film Projects: Presenting Africa to the Public the Inter-War Years, 1920–1940
Authors: Weber Charles W.
Published: January 2017

After World War I there was an international cooperative effort among mission leaders, such as J. H. Oldham and Emory Ross, and African anthropologists, such as Bronislaw Malinowski and Diedrich Westermann to cooperate in the study and understanding of Africa. This was accomplished through books; the activities of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures and its journal, Africa; and articles in The International Review of Missions, all of which promoted a functionalist approach. Efforts at translating this theory and conveying its ideas to the popular level in order to inform the public and to modify the “Tarzan” stereotypes were the two African film projects sponsored by the American-based Harmon Foundation. These projects produced a series of films intended to portray a more accurate view of Africa to schools, churches, and civic organizations. This article shows the linkages between anthropological and mission theories and the efforts at educating the public.
The Diabetes Disparity and Puerto Rican Identified Individuals
Authors: Johnson Jalil A. , Cavanagh Stephen , Jacelon Cynthia S. , Chasan-Taber Lisa
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this systematic review was to describe what is known about the diabetes disparity affecting Puerto Rican identified adults living in the continental United States as well as illuminate areas that merit further investigation.

Methods

The CINAHL and PubMed databases were searched using the keywords Hispanic, Puerto Rican, and type 2 diabetes. Search limits included < 10-year-old, peer-reviewed, systematic reviews, available in the English language. The abstracts of 124 articles were reviewed, and 7 articles were reviewed in depth.

Results

The Puerto Rican identified Hispanic subgroup is disproportionately affected by diabetes—the diabetes disparity. Puerto Rican identified Hispanic adults are less affected by citizenship status, may be less affected by English proficiency, use health care services differently, and have contextually different fatalistic views of diabetes compared with other Hispanic identified people. Spiritual/religious influences, associated mental health problems, and general cultural practices related to diabetes self-care are understudied in this group.

Conclusion

Ambiguous use of the term Hispanic should be avoided when describing Hispanic subgroups. Stronger, more robust studies are needed to understand the unique cultural forces influencing the poor diabetes outcomes and individual behaviors that contribute to generally suboptimal diabetes self-care for Puerto Rican adults with type 2 diabetes.
The Nature of Biomimicry
Authors: Fisch Michael
Published: January 2017

Biomimicry is a rising popular ecology movement and method that urges the derivation of innovative and environmentally sound design from organic systems. This essay explores the notion of nature in biomimicry as articulated by the movement’s founder, Janine Benyus, and the nature of biomimicry as practiced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) media ecologist Neri Oxman. Benyus’s approach, I show, promotes biomimicry as a science of nature in which nature is treated as a source for innovative design that can be emulated in technological apparatus. Such an approach is problematic, I argue, for its valorization of organic form, which results in both a rigid system of ethics demanding absolute separation of nature and technology. By contrast, Oxman’s work, I show, pursues biomimicry as a technology of nature. In so doing, I argue, it mobilizes a neomaterialist style of interaction with organic materials that ultimately enjoins a radically different way of thinking nature, technology, and technoethics.