bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Online Shopping Values and Website Cues on Purchase Behaviour: A Study Using S–O–R Framework
Authors: Prashar Sanjeev , Sai Vijay T. , Parsad Chandan
Published: March 2017

Executive Summary

The e-commerce industry in India has seen unprecedented growth in last few years. Eyeing India’s substantial e-retail opportunity across multiple segments, investors have been aggressively funding the e-commerce sector. This growth has been fuelled by rapid adoption of technology, improving standards of living, an increasing young population, and economically advancing middle class, besides increasing access to the Internet through broadband and use of smartphones and tablets. The entry of global e-commerce giants has intensified the competition for home-grown players. E-retailers use web atmospherics to differentiate themselves from their competitors and evoke positive cognitive and emotional states of online consumers. However, though this Indian online market is growing at an exponential rate, it is still unexplored in terms of its shopping behaviour. Using structural equation modelling, this study applies the concept of the stimulus–organism–response to explain Indian buyers’ online shopping behaviour, besides examining the importance of design elements in enabling website satisfaction (WS). Using a survey method to test the research model, primary data were collected from five Indian metropolitan cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad during the months of May and June 2015. Confirmatory factory analysis (CFA) was used to estimate the measurement model with respect to convergent and discriminant validities. This was followed by testing the structural model framework and research hypotheses. Findings suggest that both internal and external elements have direct influence on WS. As the mediating variable, WS affects purchase intention. This research highlights on why and how ‘satisfaction with website’ matters in the contribution of shopping values and website atmospherics to behavioural outcomes by presenting its mediating role.
From subsistence to resistance: Asylum-seekers and the other ‘Occupy’ in Hong Kong
Authors: Vecchio Francesco , Ham Julie
Published: March 2017

In 2014, the Refugee Union – the only asylum-seeker-led organisation in Hong Kong – organised an eight-month-long protest against assistance policies and practices which they argued dehumanised and jeopardised their dignity and survival. Central to this public protest, termed ‘Refugee Occupy’, was the transformation of a traditional mechanism for asylum-seeker containment – the refugee camp – into a vehicle for asylum-seeker voice, participation and resistance. In this article, we discuss the asylum-seeker assistance policies and practices over the last decade that have resulted in a borderless refugee camp in Hong Kong. We explore the asylum-seekers’ use of the camp concept and its spatial and political transformation into an instrument for asylum-seeker resistance and political engagement. We conclude by situating the Refugee Union’s formation alongside other migrant-led social movements in Hong Kong and globally.
Catering for flight: Rethinking aeromobility as logistics
Authors: Lin Weiqiang
Published: March 2017

This article employs in-flight catering as an inroad for rethinking aeromobility—and other mobilities—as both a vehicle and a product of logistics. It posits that the production of airline food, or in-flight catering, is representative of how aeromobility as a whole is realised through particular technocratic processes of fragmentation and coordination. Drawing on existing literatures, international news reports, company publications and participant observation at an in-flight catering kitchen, this article examines the globalised coordinative practices, uneven spatial expressions, and exploitative labour regimes that logistically shape in-flight catering and, by extension, air transport. It argues for a more nuanced understanding of supply chain capitalism that does not simply focus on the overt circulation of goods, but also on the production of mobilities as logistical orders. Doing so exposes logistics’ pervasive reach even in the ancillary functions of the global economy, allowing for its injustices and exclusions to be charted more fully.
Unregulated saphenous vein graft distension decreases tissue viscoelasticity
Authors: Wise Eric S. , Hocking Kyle M. , Evans Brian C. , Duvall Craig L. , Cheung-Flynn Joyce , Brophy Colleen M.
Published: March 2017

Objectives:

Unregulated intraoperative distension of human saphenous vein (SV) graft leads to supraphysiologic luminal pressures and causes acute physiologic and cellular injury to the conduit. The effect of distension on tissue viscoelasticity, a biophysical property critical to a successful graft, is not well described. In this investigation, we quantify the loss of viscoelasticity in SV deformed by distension and compare the results to tissue distended in a pressure-controlled fashion.

Materials and Methods:

Unmanipulated porcine SV was used as a control or distended without regulation and distended with an in-line pressure release valve (PRV). Rings were cut from these tissues and suspended on a muscle bath. Force versus time tracings of tissue constricted with KCl (110 mM) and relaxed with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were fit to the Hill model of viscoelasticity, using mean absolute error (MAE) and r2-goodness of fit as measures of conformity.

Results:

One-way ANOVA analysis demonstrated that, in tissue distended manually, the MAE was significantly greater and the r2-goodness of fit was significantly lower than both undistended tissues and tissues distended with a PRV (p<0.05) in KCl-induced vasoconstriction and SNP-induced vasodilation.

Conclusions:

Unregulated manual distension of SV graft causes loss of viscoelasticity and such loss may be mitigated with the use of an in-line PRV.
Effects of yoga on chronic neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Cramer Holger , Klose Petra , Brinkhaus Benno , Michalsen Andreas , Dobos Gustav
Published: March 2017

Objective:

The aim of this review was to systematically assess and meta-analyze the effectiveness of yoga in relieving chronic neck pain.

Methods:

PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and IndMED were screened through January 2017 for randomized controlled trials assessing neck pain intensity and/or neck pain-related disability in chronic neck pain patients. Secondary outcome measures included quality of life, mood, and safety. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool.

Results:

Three studies on 188 patients with chronic non-specific neck pain comparing yoga to usual care were included. Two studies had overall low risk of bias; and one had high or unclear risk of bias for several domains. Evidence for short-term effects was found for neck pain intensity (standardized mean difference (SMD) = −1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −1.18, −0.75; P < 0.001), neck pain-related disability (SMD = −0.97; 95% CI = −1.44, −0.50; P < 0.001), quality of life (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.17, 0.197; P = 0.005), and mood (SMD = −1.02; 95% CI = −1.38, −0.65; P < 0.001). Effects were robust against potential methodological bias and did not differ between different intervention subgroups. In the two studies that included safety data, no serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusion:

Yoga has short-term effects on chronic neck pain, its related disability, quality of life, and mood suggesting that yoga might be a good treatment option.
Imaging and spectroscopic approaches to probe brain energy metabolism dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Bonvento Gilles , Valette Julien , Flament Julien , Mochel Fanny , Brouillet Emmanuel
Published: March 2017

Changes in energy metabolism are generally considered to play an important role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases. Whether these changes are causal or simply a part of self-defense mechanisms is a matter of debate. Furthermore, energy defects have often been discussed solely in the context of their probable neuronal origin without considering the cellular heterogeneity of the brain. Recent data point towards the existence of a tri-cellular compartmentation of brain energy metabolism between neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, each cell type having a distinctive metabolic profile. Still, the number of methods to follow energy metabolism in patients is extremely limited and existing clinical techniques are blind to most cellular processes. There is a need to better understand how brain energy metabolism is regulated in health and disease through experiments conducted at different scales in animal models to implement new methods in the clinical setting. The purpose of this review is to offer a brief overview of the broad spectrum of methodological approaches that have emerged in recent years to probe energy metabolism in more detail. We conclude that multi-modal neuroimaging is needed to follow non-cell autonomous energy metabolism dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases.
The “Watchful Eye of God”: The Role of Religion in the Rehabilitation and Reentry of Repentant Jewish Prisoners
Authors: Morag Michal , Teman Elly
Published: March 2017

Can participation in a religious rehabilitation program benefit a released prisoner’s reentry into the community, and if so, how? Which elements of the religious worldview can be translated into tools for promoting desistance? Using a qualitative approach, we conducted 30 interviews with released prisoners from 3 months to 5 years beyond release who participated in a Jewish faith-based rehabilitation program administered by Israel’s Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority. We interviewed participants in the Torah Rehabilitation Program about the role of religion in their lives and in their desistance from crime. We map out the spiritual, behavioral, and psychological tools they feel aided them in facing the challenges of reentry.
An analytic solution for bending of thin-walled laminated composite beams of symmetrical open sections with influence of shear
Authors: Vukasović Marko , Pavazza Radoslav , Vlak Frane
Published: March 2017

An approximate analytic solution for bending of thin-walled laminated composite beams of symmetrical open sections with influence of shear is presented. Symmetrically laminated beams that possess membrane orthotropy are considered. The classical Euler–Bernoulli’s and Timoshenko’s bending beam theories are augmented by terms which take into account the shear strain in beam mid-surface as well as the warping of the cross section due to shear. Consequently, the beam is subjected to bending with the influence of shear caused by transverse forces acting in the plane of symmetry and in addition to tension/compression due to shear in the case of cross sections with one axis of symmetry. The beam is subjected only to bending with the influence of shear in the case of transverse forces acting in the planes of symmetry. The expressions for the normal stresses and displacements are presented in the closed analytic form. The factor that depends on the fiber orientation is introduced in order to analyze the material influence on shear. Simply supported and clamped beams subjected to distributed transverse load are investigated. The solutions obtained for open sections are also valid for mono-symmetrical closed sections, taking into account the constraint that loads act in the beam longitudinal plane of symmetry/planes parallel to the longitudinal plane of symmetry. Illustrative examples are provided, and the analytic results show a very good agreement with the results obtained by the finite element analysis utilizing three-dimensional shell elements.
Subsequent Injuries Are More Common Than Injury Recurrences: An Analysis of 1 Season of Prospectively Collected Injuries in Professional Australian Football
Authors: Finch Caroline F. , Cook Jill , Kunstler Breanne E. , Akram Muhammad , Orchard John
Published: March 2017

Background:

It is known that some people can, and do, sustain >1 injury over a playing season. However, there is currently little high-quality epidemiological evidence about the risk of, and relationships between, multiple and subsequent injuries.

Purpose:

To describe the subsequent injuries sustained by Australian Football League (AFL) players over 1 season, including their most common injury diagnoses.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Within-player linked injury data on all date-ordered match-loss injuries sustained by AFL players during 1 full season were obtained. The total number of injuries per player was determined, and in those with >1 injury, the Subsequent Injury Classification (SIC) model was used to code all subsequent injuries based on their Orchard Sports Injury Classification System (OSICS) codes and the dates of injury.

Results:

There were 860 newly recorded injuries in 543 players; 247 players (45.5%) sustained ≥1 subsequent injuries after an earlier injury, with 317 subsequent injuries (36.9% of all injuries) recorded overall. A subsequent injury generally occurred to a different body region and was therefore superficially unrelated to an index injury. However, 32.2% of all subsequent injuries were related to a previous injury in the same season. Hamstring injuries were the most common subsequent injury. The mean time between injuries decreased with an increasing number of subsequent injuries.

Conclusion:

When relationships between injuries are taken into account, there is a high level of subsequent (and multiple) injuries leading to missed games in an elite athlete group.
Avoiding Tommy John Surgery: What Are the Alternatives?
Authors: Rebolledo Brian J. , Dugas Jeffrey R. , Bedi Asheesh , Ciccotti Michael G. , Altchek David W. , Dines Joshua S.
Published: March 2017

The number of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstructions being performed has risen sharply in recent years, most notably in the young amateur athlete. While successful outcomes have been reported with reconstruction, the surgery and the associated rehabilitation timeline may be difficult for the nonelite athlete to incur. Return-to-play expectations, along with level of competition, should help guide surgeons in exploring management options. While reconstruction remains a mainstay, focused research exploring nonreconstructive options has expanded. This review discusses the clinical approach to those with UCL injury, including current support for rehabilitation, biologic strategies, and available repair or augmentation alternatives.
The Absence of Detectable ADAMTS-4 (Aggrecanase-1) Activity in Synovial Fluid Is a Predictive Indicator of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Success
Authors: Wright Karina Therese , Kuiper Jan Herman , Richardson James Bruce , Gallacher Pete , Roberts Sally
Published: March 2017

Background:

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is used worldwide in the treatment of cartilage defects in the knee. Several demographic and injury-specific risk factors have been identified that can affect the success of ACI treatment. However, the discovery of predictive biomarkers in this field has thus far been overlooked.

Purpose:

To identify potential biomarkers in synovial fluid and plasma that can be used in the preoperative setting to help optimize patient selection for cell-based cartilage repair strategies.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Fifty-four ACI-treated patients were included. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), hyaluronan, soluble CD14 levels, and aggrecanase-1 (ADAMTS-4) activity in synovial fluid and COMP and hyaluronan in plasma were measured. Baseline and postoperative functional outcomes were determined using the patient-reported Lysholm score. To find predictors of postoperative function, linear and logistic regression analyses were performed. The dependent variables were the baseline and postoperative Lysholm score; the independent variables were patient age and body mass index, defect location, defect area, having a bone-on-bone defect, type of defect patch (periosteum or collagen), requirement of an extra procedure, and baseline biomarker levels.

Results:

The mean baseline Lysholm score was 47.4 ± 17.0, which improved to 64.6 ± 21.7 postoperatively. The activity of ADAMTS-4 in synovial fluid was identified as an independent predictor of the postoperative Lysholm score. Indeed, simply the presence or absence of ADAMTS-4 activity in synovial fluid appeared to be the most important predictive factor. As determined by contingency analysis, when ADAMTS-4 activity was detectable, the odds of being a responder were 3 times smaller than when ADAMTS-4 activity was not detectable. Other predictive factors were the baseline Lysholm score, age at ACI, and defect patch type used.

Conclusion:

The absence of ADAMTS-4 activity in the synovial fluid of joints with cartilage defects may be used in conjunction with known demographic risk factors in the development of an ACI treatment algorithm to help inform the preclinical decision.
The Interaction of Dopamine Genes and Financial Stressors to Predict Adulthood Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration
Authors: Schwab-Reese Laura M. , Parker Edith A. , Peek-Asa Corinne
Published: March 2017

Three dopamine genes (DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4) have been associated with interpersonal delinquency, aggression, and violence when individuals experience adverse environmental exposures. Guided by the catalyst model of aggression, risk alleles identified in previous studies were hypothesized to be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in the presence of financial stressors, a possible environmental trigger. This hypothesis was tested using weighted, clustered logistic regression with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. The direct effects DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 on IPV perpetration, and the interaction of DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 and financial stressors on IPV perpetration were assessed. Due to cell size, only White men and women were included in this analysis. Increasing number of financial stressors was associated with increased odds of IPV perpetration, regardless of DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4 alleles. As predicted, increasing number of financial stressors was more strongly associated with IPV perpetration among individuals with high-risk DAT1 alleles, than individuals with low-risk alleles. However, this relationship was inverted for DRD2. Although there was still a significant interaction between DRD2 and financial stressors, individuals with low-risk alleles had higher odds of IPV perpetration in the presence of financial stressors. A similar, nonsignificant relationship was found for DRD4. These findings indicate that these genes may interact differently with environmental exposures and types of violent behavior. In addition, the findings may, if replicated, suggest dopamine plays a different role in IPV perpetration compared with other forms of aggression and violence.
Risk Factors for Spousal Physical Violence Against Women in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Eldoseri Halah M. , Sharps Phyllis
Published: March 2017

This study aimed to explore selected risk factors for spousal physical violence (SPV) in women frequenting primary health care clinics (PHCs) in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study design was conducted in six PHCs, where one-on-one, private interviews with 200 women were conducted using a standardized World Health Organization (WHO) violence against women questionnaire (v.10.0). SPV was reported by 45.5% of women. Husband-specific risk factors including alcohol or drug addiction, unemployment, control of wealth in the family, and physical aggression toward other men were significant predictors for SPV. A multisectoral approach should be implemented with focus on providers’ training, women’s safety, and involvement of men in violence prevention and intervention programs.
Obstacles to innovation in Brazil
Authors: Rapini Marcia Siqueira , Chiarini Tulio , Bittencourt Pablo Felipe
Published: March 2017

Through an investigation of data available from the Brazilian Innovation Survey (Pesquisa de Inovação) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) and from a national survey on university–firm interactions (the BR Survey), the authors show that Brazilian industrial firms lack qualified individuals for two key activities: the promotion of innovation and the establishment of a dialogue between universities and firms. Brazilian firms’ weaknesses and the inadequacy of the workforce supply generate scarce (or inadequate) ‘know-why’. Furthermore, a restricted perspective in Brazilian universities, focused on creating a more educated society rather than augmenting the stock of technological knowledge, constrains the generation of ‘know-what’ and ‘know-who’.
Synthesis and properties of transparent polyimides derived from 1,4-cyclohexylene bis(trimellitate anhydride)
Authors: Chen Guofei , Zhou Yu , Ma Kai , Wang Wei , Fang Xingzhong
Published: March 2017

A series of polyimides (PIs) derived from 1,4-cyclohexylene bis(trimellitate anhydride) (TACH) was synthesized by conventional two-step method with chemical imidization. The resulting PIs had glass transition temperatures ( Tgs) in the range of 188–240°C and exhibited good mechanical properties with tensile strengths of 50.0–90.2 MPa, tensile moduli of 2.2–3.9 GPa, and elongations at break of 2.9–5.8%. These PI films showed high optical transparency with cut-off wavelengths of 345–369 nm and high transmittance at 500 nm with more than 84%. Compared with PIs derived from 1,4-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)cyclohexane dianhydride, the TACH-based PIs showed higher Tg, better solubility, and competitive transparency.
Aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol over TEMPO-functionalized polyimide as a heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Nabae Yuta , Mikuni Masatomo , Takusari Nobuhiro , Hayakawa Teruaki , Kakimoto Masa-aki
Published: March 2017

Hyperbranched polyimide functionalized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) was studied as a heterogeneous catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. The catalyst material was synthesized by an A2 + B3 polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene followed by an end-capping reaction with 4-amino-TEMPO. Selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde has been demonstrated using the prepared materials as a catalyst. The recyclability of these materials has been confirmed by recycling tests using the catalyst collected by filtration.
Synthesis and photophysical study of new blue fluorescent poly(azomethine-1,3,4-oxadiazole)s containing dimethylamino groups
Authors: Hamciuc Elena , Homocianu Mihaela , Hamciuc Corneliu , Carja Ionela-Daniela
Published: March 2017

New aromatic polyazomethines were synthesized by polycondensation reaction of a diamine containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring, namely, 4,4′-diamino-4″-[2-(4-phenoxy)-5-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole)]triphenylmethane, with terephthalic aldehyde or bis(4-formylphenoxyphenyl)fluorene, by using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) as solvent. The polymers were easily soluble in polar solvents, such as NMP, N, N-dimethylacetamide, or chloroform, and showed high thermal stability with the initial decomposition temperature above 415°C and the temperature of 10% weight loss in the range of 450–460°C. They exhibited high char yield at 800°C in the range of 52–56%. Optical properties were studied by absorption and photoluminescence spectra. In solution, the polymers presented two absorption maxima in the ranges 273–278 and 330–346 nm and emitted violet-blue light in the range of 413–468 nm, depending on the solvent polarity. The Stokes shift and emission quantum yield values depend on the polymer structure and solvent polarity. The emission intensity in NMP solution was enhanced upon increasing the HCl concentration, while the absorption spectral profile was slightly influenced.
The development of a novel unsteady flow control method: Controlling the rotating nozzle ring
Authors: Cao K , Newton P , Flora H , Martinez-Botas RF
Published: March 2017

The turbocharger is continuously fed with highly unsteady exhaust flow from a reciprocating engine. Despite that, the pulsating exhaust flow can provide more kinetic energy to the turbine compared with the moderated flow in a constant pressure turbocharging, it still significantly deteriorates the efficiency of the turbocharger, as the turbocharger turbine works at off-design point at most instances in an exhaust cycle. In order to address the issue, a novel mechanism named ‘rotating nozzle ring’ has been developed. It was shown that by rotating a nozzle ring around the turbine, the deviation of the flow angle from the design point can be reduced and, therefore, the performance of the turbocharger can be improved. This novel idea is further presented in this paper, by introducing a passive control method to control the speed of the rotating nozzle ring. It will be demonstrated that the rotating nozzle ring can be controlled by the exhaust flow by means of pre-setting a particular nozzle angle, and the rotation will stabilise at an approximately constant speed. An optimised nozzle profile will also be presented, with the intention to reduce the incidence loss on the rotating nozzle ring. A detailed full-stage computational fluid dynamics model will be built to investigate this passive control method. Results of both quasi-steady and transient calculation will demonstrate that, the passively controlled rotating nozzle ring can effectively suppress the unsteadiness level of turbine’s unsteady operation. As a result, the performance of the turbocharger turbine is improved, with the variation of the velocity ratio through a pulse cycle reduced by 8.5% and the isentropic energy weighted cycle averaged efficiency increased by 4.7%, compared to a traditional stationary nozzle ring.
Enhancement of fault vibration signature analysis for rotary machines using an improved wavelet-based periodic group-sparse signal estimation technique
Authors: He Wangpeng , Chen Binqiang , Zi Yanyang
Published: March 2017

In this paper, a wavelet-based periodic group-sparse signal denoising approach is proposed for detecting faults in rotary machines. The proposed approach exploits group sparsity in the wavelet domain. For this purpose, a periodicity-induced overlapping group shrinkage technique is utilized to threshold the wavelet coefficients. The wavelet coefficients are obtained by using the tunable Q-factor wavelet transform to decompose the measured vibration signals. The proposed approach is constrained to promote sparsity more strongly than convex regularization for estimating periodic group-sparse signals in noise, while avoiding nonconvex optimization. In addition, this maximally sparse convex approach has the advantage of preserving the oscillatory behavior of the useful fault features. A simulated signal is formulated to verify the performance of the proposed approach in periodic feature extraction. The detection performance of the proposed approach is compared with that of the comparative methods via root mean square error values. Finally, the proposed approach is applied to fault diagnosis of both experimental cases and engineering application. The processed results demonstrate that the proposed feature extraction technique can effectively detect the fault features from heavy background noise.
Optimization of the selective catalytic reduction structure of a vehicle based on the improvement in the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides distribution
Authors: Yu Shu , Lü Lin
Published: March 2017

As the sensor probe occupies a small proportion of the cross-sectional area of the pipe, the concentration of nitrogen oxides measured by the sensor may not reflect the average concentration of nitrogen oxides at the measured section when the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides is poor. The uniformity of the nitrogen oxides at the measured section is influenced by the structure of the selective catalytic reduction system of the vehicle, and particularly by the structure of the variable cross-section behind the catalyst. In this paper, a model of the selective catalytic reduction system is established to explore the rules for influencing the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides. The conclusion shows that the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides is influenced by five structure factors, which are as follows: the nozzle location; the structure of the mixing chamber; the exhaust velocity; the pipe-diameter ratio of the variable-cross-section structure; the distance between the measured section and the catalyst and the catalyst outlet. When the nozzle is further away from the catalyst inlet and the mixing chamber is designed as a cone-shaped guide plate, the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides is better. When the relative flow velocity is greater than 4.5–7.5 s−1, the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides is positively related to this factor; otherwise, the uniformity stays invariant. When the pipe-diameter ratio of the variable cross-section is 0.34, the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides is the best. The distance between the measured section and the catalyst outlet is logarithmically related to the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides. Based on the laws for the parameters influencing the uniformity of the nitrogen oxides, the structure of selective catalytic reduction in a vehicle can be optimized to improve the objectivity of the measurements, thereby guaranteeing the accuracy of the vehicle’s on-board diagnostic system, in which the nitrogen oxides sensor is applied.
Characteristic investigations on magnetic field and fluid field of a giant magnetostrictive material-based electro-hydrostatic actuator
Authors: Yang Xulei , Zhu Yuchuan , Zhu Yongkai
Published: March 2017

In this study, an integrative giant magnetostrictive material-based electro-hydrostatic actuator (GMEHA) was designed. Firstly, the uniform of magnetic field distribution on giant magnetostrictive material rod was obtained by using finite element method, i.e. the nonuniformity of the axis and radial direction magnetic field intensity were less than 3% and 0.05%, respectively. Secondly, the flow rate model through the reed valve model was established in COMSOL Multiphysics software, and the relevant properties of reed valves were studied. Thirdly, the dynamic mathematical model of GMEHA was systematically established based on the operational principles of the GMEHA, accordingly, and the simulation model of GMEHA was built in Matlab/Simulink. Finally, the model and simulation results were subsequently verified with the experimental data, which indicates the effective output stroke of the designed GMEHA reached 70 mm, and the maximum no-load output flow was 0.85 L/min at approximately 250 Hz with the best working frequency; the blocked force was nearly 120 N. These results demonstrated the accuracy of the theoretical model and provided a foundation for the design and optimization of the GMEHA.
Orbit design and control method for satellite clusters and its applications to NetSat project
Authors: Zhou Liang , Luo Jian-jun , Nogueira Tiago , Schilling Klaus
Published: March 2017

In this paper, an optimal orbit design and control method for satellite clusters is presented and the method is applied to the four pico/nano-satellite system NetSat. Firstly, the relative motion based on relative eccentricity/inclination vectors is reviewed. Then, an optimal orbit design method for the cluster flight is developed, and the initial states of satellites in the cluster are derived using a graphical representation of the relative eccentricity/inclination vectors combined with a constrained nonlinear programming method. Next, a novel satellite cluster feedback control method is designed, and an optimal three-maneuver strategy is proposed, which could maintain the satellites in a bounded relative motion, satisfying the tight fuel consumption constraints and fuel balance for a long operational lifetime. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the optimal orbit design and control for satellites cluster and its application to NetSat project are verified through numerical simulations.
Pigeon-inspired optimization and lateral inhibition for image matching of autonomous aerial refueling
Authors: Sun Yongbin , Duan Haibin
Published: March 2017

Autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) is an essential application of unmanned aerial vehicles for both military and civilian domains. In this paper, a hybrid algorithm of the pigeon-inspired optimization (PIO) and lateral inhibition (LI), called LI-PIO, is proposed for image matching problem of AAR. LI is adopted for image pre-processing to enhance the edges and contrast of images. PIO, inspired from the homing characteristics of pigeons, is a novel bio-inspired swarm intelligence algorithm. To demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of our proposed algorithm, we make extensive comparative experiments with particle swarm optimization (PSO), particle swarm optimization based on lateral inhibition (LI-PSO), and PIO. It can be concluded from the experimental results that our proposed LI-PIO has excellent performances for image matching problem of AAR, especially in convergent rate and computation speed.
‘Little Ice Age’ glacier extent and subsequent retreat in Svalbard archipelago
Authors: Martín-Moreno Raúl , Allende Álvarez Fernando , Hagen Jon Ove
Published: March 2017

The influence of the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) on the glaciers of Svalbard has been well documented for a long time. This paper presents new data on the LIA maximum glacier extent and retreat by aerial photo interpretation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. We also make cartography where all results are shown in greater detail. During the LIA maximum, we find that the glacier area of Svalbard was 38,871 km2, and since then, the total glacier area loss in the archipelago has been 5096 km2 (13.1%). The total current glaciated area from the late 2000s is 33,775 km2. Since the LIA, the glaciers in the main islands of the archipelago have retreated by 12.8% in Spitsbergen, 13.4% in Nordaustlandet, and 16.7% in Barentsøya and Edgeøya. The analysis of the LIA maximum glacier extent in the different major drainage basins shows important differences; about 100 years ago, some glacier basins were more than 19% larger in the western and central regions of Spitsbergen, or even more than 23% larger in southern Nordaustlandet, while other small basins found in the northeast of this island were barely 1% larger. The greatest retreats are found in the tidewater glaciers, more variable and responsive to the water temperature changes, water dynamics, and bathymetry. In addition, the advances at some of these glaciers may correspond with surges, which means that the rapid retreats are caused by the post-surging phases as well as climate. The conclusions of this research point out an important ice loss in all of Svalbard since the LIA and the high vulnerability of this Arctic archipelago to global warming.
Metabolic profiling reveals new serum biomarkers of lupus nephritis
Authors: Li J , Xie X-W , Zhou H , Wang B , Zhang M-J , Tang F-Y
Published: March 2017

Metabolomics has been applied to explore altered metabolite profiles in disease and identify unique metabolic signatures specific to certain pathologies. The aim of the current study is to characterize the metabolic profile of patients diagnosed with lupus nephritis (LN) and explore new insights into underlying disease processes. A metabolomic approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) was developed in serum samples from 32 LN patients, 30 idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) patients and 28 healthy controls (HCs). Potential biomarkers were screened from orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminate analysis (OPLS-DA) and further evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analysis (ROC). A total of 14 potential biomarkers were screened and tentatively identified for LN patients compared to HCs. Compared to HCs and INS patients, the LN patients had increased serum levels of sorbitol and glycocholic acid metabolites and decreased levels of cortisol, creatinine and L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine. A panel of three metabolomics (theophylline, oxidized glutathione and capric acid) was identified as biomarkers of LN with a sensitivity of 87.50% and a specificity of 67.86% using ROC analysis. Our results suggest that UPLC-HRMS based quantification of circulating metabolites was a useful tool for identification of biomarkers with the ability to segregate LN patients from INS patients and HCs. The potential biomarkers indicated that the LN metabolic disturbance may be closely associated with inflammation injury, oxidative stress and phospholipid metabolism.
‘I am somewhat puzzled’: Questions, audiences and securitization in the proscription of terrorist organizations
Authors: Jarvis Lee , Legrand Tim
Published: March 2017

A recent wave of scholarship has drawn attention to the need for further engagement with the role of ‘the audience’ in securitization ‘games’. This article contributes to this discussion both theoretically and empirically by exploring the types of question an audience may ask of a securitizing actor before a securitizing act meets with success or failure. To do this, it offers a discursive analysis of all 27 UK parliamentary debates on the extension of proscription powers to additional terrorist organizations between 2002 and 2014. We argue first that these debates are characterized by a wide range of questions relating to the timing, criteria, mechanics, consequences and exclusions of proscription; and second, that these questions function as demands upon the executive to variously justify, explain, clarify, elaborate and defend decisions to extend the UK’s list of designated groups. Taking these questions seriously, we suggest, therefore allows insight into a variety of ways in which audiences might participate in security politics that are not adequately captured by notions of consent or resistance, or success or failure. This has empirical and theoretical value for understanding proscription, parliamentary discourse and securitization alike.
Portfolio Selection—The Asset Optimization Dilemma
Authors: Jayasree M. , Prasad N.V. Sri Ranga
Published: March 2017

Krishna Sinha, a fund manager with around 10 years of investment experience, was looking at the returns of indexed stocks. He was currently investing big funds in index equity Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) with a growth objective. A couple of days ago, he read an article in one of the leading newspapers that sector indices were performing better than the BSE Sensex traded funds. A detailed observation of sector indices gave an insight that they were yielding higher returns than index equity ETF. Further, the examination of index volatility as measured by value at risk was higher for some of the individual stocks in the BSE Sensex than the sectoral stocks. Mr. Sinha now wanted to have a portfolio that promised more returns with less volatility.
Striving for Self-sustainability: Case of a Pakistani NGO
Authors: Saqib Zunaira , Khan Maria , Michael Maham , Haleem Roshaan , Khalid Hira
Published: March 2017

Towards the end of 2013, Edwin Samson, the Chief Coordinator of Adult Basic Education Society Teacher Empowerment Centre (ABES-TEC), a non-profit, non-sectarian NGO promoting quality education in the private and the public schools of Pakistan, began to reflect in earnest over ways to make the organization self-sustainable. ABES-TEC was responsible for implementing different projects initiated by local as well as international donors. Due to a reliance on donor funding, Samson had recently downsized the NGO workforce yet again. This was a course of action that he had been unwilling to undertake as he felt that abrupt downsizing would demotivate all the NGO employees and adversely affect their work performance. In order to retain employees, ABES-TEC had to strive for self-sustainability rather than depending solely on arbitrary project funding.
Divergent Migration Patterns and Foreign Community in Urban Neighbourhood
Authors: Shafray Ekaterina , Kim Seiyong
Published: March 2017

In public realm, migration and social mobility constantly acquire a larger scale and affect societies in Asia and worldwide. However, they are very diverse as each migration group has its individual purposes and reasons. This article is focused on South Korea, where the percentage of immigrants still remain low, but have taken on increased importance with recent trends. This article regards multiculturalism, a prevailing approach to address the situation in many countries, and compares it with Korean immigration strategies. Then it draws attention to less numerous (compared to other foreign expats in Korea) immigration from post-Soviet countries and adaptation of ‘koryosaram’ (ethnic Koreans) in a host society. It presents the case of Gwanghui-dong near Dongdaemun markets—one of the urban neighbourhoods in Seoul, where a number of foreigners appear to become high.This study presents analysis of initial social survey at the area with 77 respondents in 2013 and is viewing recently appeared initiatives and facilities (2013–2016) with the connection to damunhwa Korean multiculturalism directions. Current study tries to enrich the understanding of migration patterns by considering lessons from particular case.
An Analysis of ‘Migrant-intensity’ in India and Indonesia
Authors: Randolph Gregory F. , Naik Mukta
Published: March 2017

Emerging economies are witnessing the large-scale movement of internal migrants. While the popular discourse on internal migration imagines migrants from villages flooding into the large metropolis, scholarship is increasingly emphasizing the existence of multiple migration pathways, as well as the emergence of more dispersed patterns of urbanization. To root these discussions in particular geographies, this paper introduces the concept of ‘migrant-intensity’ as an empirical way of understanding the places that experience migration in the most profound and transformative ways—where the challenges and opportunities inherent in transience and mobility are most apparent. Analyzing census data from India and Indonesia, we show that ‘migrant-intensity’—a measure of in- and out-migrant concentration—is highest in a diverse set of non-metropolitan spaces, including secondary and tertiary cities and ‘rurban’ geographies. We argue that migrant-intensity as an empirical tool can advance scholarship on complex migration patterns by identifying the places at the crossroads of migrant pathways. Moreover, it can help planners and policymakers to address unique challenges, opportunities and constraints of migrant-intensive places.
Circular Migration and Localized Urbanization in Rural India
Authors: Iyer Soundarya
Published: March 2017

Internal migration is a major driving force for urbanization all over the world and is of concern in Asia due to its rising magnitude. Most studies on internal migration focus on the migrant in the process of migration and a large majority of studies are interested in understanding the conditions of the migrant at the destination for policy concerns. This article makes a case for studying the source of migration and the role that circular migration plays in processes of urbanization at the source of migration. This is particularly important in the context of the growing urbanization away from cities in India. Using the case of a dryland village in northeastern Karnataka, this article attempts to understand the role that circular migration for construction work to cities has in the process of localized urbanization in the village.
A City of Two Tales
Authors: Das Ashok
Published: March 2017

This paper describes shelter and related deprivations that poor migrants to Surabaya, Indonesia, endure. Surabaya is renowned as the pioneer of the Kampung Improvement Program (KIP)—a type of citywide slum upgrading, an effective pro-poor shelter intervention. Although Surabaya has ostensibly embraced inclusive planning and governance, this paper argues it still unjustly burdens poor migrants with policies that are exclusionary and iniquitous. Qualitative evidence from a decade of field research in Surabaya points out that shelter accessibility discriminates between its eligible and ineligible poor, that is, the city’s so-called citizens and outsiders. It posits that Surabaya’s contemporary shelter interventions comprises two phases, KIP and post-KIP. Extensive settlement upgrading marked the pre-decentralization KIP-phase. After decentralization in 1999, the post-KIP phase saw the city prioritize rental flats for the poor. Curiously, it is because of the KIP-phase, which did not address housing per se, that Surabaya’s migrants still find affordable shelter. The post-KIP phase has done little to alleviate the shelter woes of the city’s poor migrants despite their demonstrated potential to produce sustainable and inclusive alternatives. The analysis suggests that political will and civil society participation can alter the shelter status quo of Surabaya’s migrant poor.
Socio-economic Conditions of Migrant Female Teachers in Pune City
Authors: Jose Justina
Published: March 2017

Existing literature on migration studies indicates the existence of analyses of different facets of migration. But the common thread that strings these studies together is the analysis about dynamics of migrant labourers. The labour class is the focal point for internal migration studies leaving the middle and upper class to be a grossly under-researched section of society. This study has attempted to analyze the socio-economic conditions of a small section of the migrant middle class: female teachers. Based on questionnaire and survey through interviews data on different indicators of socio-economic conditions from teachers working in schools around Pune was collected. An analysis of this data led to the conclusion that migration has improved the socio-economic condition of the teachers and that they did not suffer from problems plaguing migrant labourers.
Migrant Informalities of Indian Steel Towns
Authors: Mazereeuw Miho , Ojha Mayank , Barve Aditya
Published: March 2017

This article examines the territorialization of migrant informality as a result of specific planning policies in Indian steel cities of Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela. Conceived of as ‘temples of modern India’ and built with Soviet, German and British collaboration during the height of the Cold War, these sites internalized a post-colonial, migrant rural workforce, and hoped to forge a singular national identity. Planned around steel mills that transformed the raw iron ore into a ‘metal of the age’, the towns also intended to reform the rural agrarian labour into skilled, modern, urbane technicians, through the design of spaces that they would inhabit. However, these cities—designed with conflicting urban ideologies—excluded access to shelter and livelihood to a vast majority of other migrating residents. Due to their strong planning focus on the ‘ideal’ industrial employee, planners of these cities relegated the non-industrial, informal workforce to the crevices within and around the planned area. As these very settlements are now being considered for urban upgrading with mass housing schemes, surveys of over three-hundred residents and fieldwork undertaken in three steel cities highlight how specific design decisions played a role in creating the housing mismatch that we see today in the steel cities of India.