bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community-Centric System – Support of Human Ties –
Authors: Sato-Shimokawara Eri ,   Faculty of System Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Yamaguchi Toru
Published: February 2017

[abstFig src='/00290001/01.jpg' width='300' text='Social robots for community-centric systems' ] Motivated toward the revitalization of local communities, we have started an aggressive study on community support systems. In particular, we have studied a “community-centric system,” in which individual persons are tied to each other in a natural manner. In this paper, based on this community-centric concept, we introduce different robot operating interfaces, dialogue robots, and a telepresence system for generating human ties.
Noise-Robust MUSIC-Based Sound Source Localization Using Steering Vector Transformation for Small Humanoids
Authors: Takeda Ryu ,   The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, Komatani Kazunori
Published: February 2017

[abstFig src='/00290001/03.jpg' width='300' text='Sound source localization and problem' ] We focus on the problem of localizing soft/weak voices recorded by small humanoid robots, such as NAO. Sound source localization (SSL) for such robots requires fast processing and noise robustness owing to the restricted resources and the internal noise close to the microphones. Multiple signal classification using generalized eigenvalue decomposition (GEVD-MUSIC) is a promising method for SSL. It achieves noise robustness by whitening robot internal noise using prior noise information. However, whitening increases the computational cost and creates a direction-dependent bias in the localization score, which degrades the localization accuracy. We have thus developed a new implementation of GEVD-MUSIC based on steering vector transformation (TSV-MUSIC). The application of a transformation equivalent to whitening to steering vectors in advance reduces the real-time computational cost of TSV-MUSIC. Moreover, normalization of the transformed vectors cancels the direction-dependent bias and improves the localization accuracy. Experiments using simulated data showed that TSV-MUSIC had the highest accuracy of the methods tested. An experiment using real recoded data showed that TSV-MUSIC outperformed GEVD-MUSIC and other MUSIC methods in terms of localization by about 4 points under low signal-to-noise-ratio conditions.
Simultaneous Identification and Localization of Still and Mobile Speakers Based on Binaural Robot Audition
Authors: Youssef Karim ,   Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Itoyama Katsutoshi , Yoshii Kazuyoshi
Published: February 2017

[abstFig src='/00290001/06.jpg' width='300' text='Efficient mobile speaker tracking' ] This paper jointly addresses the tasks of speaker identification and localization with binaural signals. The proposed system operates in noisy and echoic environments and involves limited computations. It demonstrates that a simultaneous identification and localization operation can benefit from a common signal processing front end for feature extraction. Moreover, a joint exploitation of the identity and position estimation outputs allows the outputs to limit each other’s errors. Equivalent rectangular bandwidth frequency cepstral coefficients (ERBFCC) and interaural level differences (ILD) are extracted. These acoustic features are respectively used for speaker identity and azimuth estimation through artificial neural networks (ANNs). The system was evaluated in simulated and real environments, with still and mobile speakers. Results demonstrate its ability to produce accurate estimations in the presence of noises and reflections. Moreover, the advantage of the binaural context over the monaural context for speaker identification is shown.
Audio-Visual Beat Tracking Based on a State-Space Model for a Robot Dancer Performing with a Human Dancer
Authors: Ohkita Misato ,   Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Bando Yoshiaki , Nakamura Eita , Itoyama Katsutoshi , Yoshii Kazuyoshi
Published: February 2017

[abstFig src='/00290001/12.jpg' width='300' text='An overview of real-time audio-visual beat-tracking for music audio signals and human dance moves' ] This paper presents a real-time beat-tracking method that integrates audio and visual information in a probabilistic manner to enable a humanoid robot to dance in synchronization with music and human dancers. Most conventional music robots have focused on either music audio signals or movements of human dancers to detect and predict beat times in real time. Since a robot needs to record music audio signals with its own microphones, however, the signals are severely contaminated with loud environmental noise. To solve this problem, we propose a state-space model that encodes a pair of a tempo and a beat time in a state-space and represents how acoustic and visual features are generated from a given state. The acoustic features consist of tempo likelihoods and onset likelihoods obtained from music audio signals and the visual features are tempo likelihoods obtained from dance movements. The current tempo and the next beat time are estimated in an online manner from a history of observed features by using a particle filter. Experimental results show that the proposed multi-modal method using a depth sensor (Kinect) to extract skeleton features outperformed conventional mono-modal methods in terms of beat-tracking accuracy in a noisy and reverberant environment.
Outdoor Acoustic Event Identification with DNN Using a Quadrotor-Embedded Microphone Array
Authors: Sugiyama Osamu ,   Preemptive Medicine & Lifestyle-Related Disease Research Center, Kyoto University Hospital, Uemura Satoshi , Nagamine Akihide , Kojima Ryosuke , Nakamura Keisuke , Nakadai Kazuhiro ,   Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology,   Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology,   Honda Research Institute Japan Co., Ltd.
Published: February 2017

[abstFig src='/00290001/18.jpg' width='275' text='Software architecture for OCASA with proposed AEI' ] This paper addressesAcoustic Event Identification (AEI)of acoustic signals observed with a microphone array embedded in a quadrotor that is flying in a noisy outdoor environment. In such an environment, noise generated by rotors, wind, and other sound sources is a big problem. To solve this, we propose the use of a combination of two approaches that have recently been introduced:Sound Source Separation (SSS)andSound Source Identification (SSI). SSS improves theSignal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)of the input sound, and SSI is then performed on the SNR-improved sound. Two SSS methods are investigated. One is a single channel algorithm,Robust Principal Component Analysis (RPCA), and the other isGeometric High-order Decorrelation-based Source Separation (GHDSS-AS), known as a multichannel method. For SSI, we investigate two types of deep neural networks namelyStacked denoising Autoencoder (SdA)andConvolutional Neural Network (CNN), which have been extensively studied as highly-performant approaches in the fields of automatic speech recognition and visual object recognition. Preliminary experiments have showed the effectiveness of the proposed approaches, a combination of GHDSS-AS and CNN in particular. This combination correctly identified over 80% of sounds in an 8-class sound classification recorded by a hovering quadrotor. In addition, the CNN identifier that was implemented could be handled even with a low-end CPU by measuring the prediction time.
PENGARUH PRODUK BANK SYARIAH TERHADAP MINAT MENABUNG DENGAN PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT SEBAGAI VARIABEL MODERATING DI PATI
Authors: Rusdianto Hutomo , Ibrahim Chanafi
Published: February 2017

This study aimed to know the products of Sharia Banks, especially in Kota   Pati district toward the interest of saving money by using the public perception as moderating. This research used descriptive quantitative method with populations Islamic Banking (BRI Syariah, BNI Syariah, Mandiri Syariah, Bank Jateng Syariah, Bank Muamalat) in Kota Pati district. The samples were the people who made transactions in Syaria Conventional  Banks  totaling  100  respondents  taken  using quota  sampling  technique.  Methods  of  data  analysis  used MRA (Moderating Regresion Analysis) test. The results of this study showed that the products of existing Islamic banks in microfinance particularly in Kota  Pati distrcit has impacts on people. It proves that the products (savings) of microfinance have benefits for customers. While the public perception can be moderating variables because the public banks can give education to the society that their products are free from usury.
PRODUK BANK SYARIAH SEBAGAI UPAYA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN LOYALITAS NASABAH KSPS PATI
Authors: Nailal Muna Muhammad Afif , Kuncoro Amin
Published: February 2017

This study aimed to test the loyalty of KSPS customers by maximizing the product of sharia banks. It used descriptive quantitative research to collect primary data as the data source. The populations of this study were all KSPS clients, while the sample collection technique used non-probability sampling with accidental sampling type, so the respondents were 100 active customers. The results of this study showed that the products of sharia banks are able to give contribution to the customers’ loyalty in KSPS. Empirically,t-value is greater than t table and significant value is less than 5%. It proves that customers dare to give information to friends, especially if they would make a transaction, either saving or borrowing using the contract in accordance with Islam so it will bee free from usury things.
SIGNIFIKANSI KAJIAN METODOLOGI DALAM PENGEMBANGAN BODY OF KNOWLEDGE EKONOMI ISLAM
Authors: Furqoni Hafas
Published: February 2017

Methodology in science philosophy study is usually discussed in the epistemological discussions which discuss nature, source, concept and theory of knowledge. Methodological discourse, therefore, follows the development of science phylosophy and epistemology discourse. However, there are differences in discussion focus and scope between epistemology and methodology. In epistemology, we study theory of knowledge, its nature and scope, while in methodology we study how to appraise a theory and evaluate it by scientific justification. As a new discipline, methodological discussion in Islamic economics is very important to develop the foundations of the discipline. A solid methodology would help to develop Islamic economics from its own sources of knowledge and use its own philosophical foundations. This paper aims to observe the relationship of Islamic epistemology and methodology of Islamic economics, the nature of Islamic economic methodology and its significance in developing Islamic economics.
STRATEGI PUSTAKAWAN DALAM MENYUKSESKAN AKREDITASI PERPUSTAKAAN SEKOLAH (STUDI KASUS PERPUSTAKAAN SD MUHAMMADIYAH SAPEN SDIT LUKMAN AL-HAKIM YOGYAKARTA)
Authors: Nurhayati Anna
Published: February 2017

This study will describe: the role of librarians in the successful accreditation of the school library. The approach qualitative research conducted with the type of case studies and research subjects SD Muhammadiyah Sapen and SDIT Lukman Al-Hakim. Informants involved is the librarian at the sites.The results of this study indicate that the library accreditation results are influenced by librarians competency managerial competencies; Information management competence, educational competence, personal competence; social competence, and competence of professional development.
Penilaian Kemampuan Penguasaan Teknologi Pengolahan pada Industri Teh Curah Indonesia
Authors: Suprihatini Rohayati
Published: February 2017

ABSTRAK

Teknologi merupakan faktor penentu dalam mencapai keunggulan bersaing pada industri teh nasional. Dalam rangka mempercepat pengembangan industri teh nasional, diperlukan suatu kajian yang bertujuan untuk (1) Menilai kemampuan penguasaan teknologi pengolahan; (2) Menilai kondisi komponen-komponen teknologi berupa technoware, humanware, infoware, dan orgaware; dan (3) Mendapatkan alternatif strategi untuk meningkatkan kemampuan penguasaan teknologi. Survey dilakukan di delapan perusahaan yang memproduksi teh curah. Anallsis non-numeric multi-criteria multi-person digunakan untuk menentukan tingkat kemampuan penguasaan teknologi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan penguasaan teknologi pengolahan pada industri teh curah Indonesia masih berada pada tingkat kemampuan yang rendah. Untuk mempercepat peningkatan kemampuan penguasaan teknologi pengolahan ke tingkat medium perlu perbaikan dalam manajemen inovasi. Salah satu strategi untuk meningkatkan kemampuan inovasi adalah dengan menciptakan dan mengembangkan lingkungan kerja yang inovatif. Kecanggihan komponen-komponen teknologi yaitu technoware, humanware, infoware, dan orgaware masing-masing masih berada pada tingkat sedang (medium). Oleh karena itu, untuk meningkatkan kemampuan penguasaan teknologi diperlukan peningkatan kecanggihan komponen-komponen teknologi tersebut ke tingkat tinggi. Sebagian besar responden (75%) memilih strategi peningkatan secara bertahap dan berkesinambungan sebagai strategi terbaik untuk meningkatkan kemampuan penguasaan teknologi. Oleh karena itu, strategi tersebut perlu dijadikan program kerja dari Asosiasi Teh Indonesia (ATI).
Tipologi Kecamatan Berdasarkan Beberapa Aspek Ketenagakerjaan Kasus Propinsi Jawa Timur
Authors: Taryoto Andin H.
Published: February 2017

Abstrak

Konsep Unit Daerah Kerja Pembangunan (UDKP) merupakan salah satu bentuk nyata dari usaha untuk menjadikan desa sebagai subyek pembangunan. Dengan UDKP, pembangunan di tingkat kecamatan dapat dianggap sebagai suatu sistem yang efektif dan efisien untuk mengembangkan seluruh desa dalam UDKP yang bersangkutan secara komprehensif dan terkoordinir. Kajian secara lebih mendalam tentang keadaan dan potensi kecamatan dengan demikian dianggap perlu untuk dilakukan. Tulisan ini mencoba menggambarkan hal itu, dengan tekanan pada beberapa aspek-aspek ketenagakerjaan di kecamatan-kecamatan Jawa Timur sebagai daerah penelitian. Studi kemudian dilanjutkan dengan penetapan tipologi kecamatan-kecamatan tersebut berdasarkan aspek-aspek ketenaga-kerjaan itu, dengan menggunakan Factor Analysis sebagai alat analisanya. Tipologi diharapkan dapat menjadi dasar kebijaksanaan yang dapat mencerminkan tindak pemerataan pembangunan beserta hasil-hasilnya.
Production Efficiency of Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea Var. Botrytis) at Cirateun, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Sugianto Tjahjadi
Published: February 2017

no abstract available
The Role and Financial Analysis of Mini Coffee-Processing Units
Authors: Siregar Masdjidin
Published: February 2017

no abstract available
Analytical results for a coagulation/decoagulation model on an inhomogeneous lattice
Authors: Crampé Nicolas
Published: February 2017

We show that an inhomogeneous coagulation/decoagulation model can be
mapped to a quadratic fermionic model via a Jordan-Wigner
transformation. The spectrum for this inhomogeneous model is computed
exactly and the spectral gap is described for some examples. We
construct our inhomogeneous model from two different homogeneous models
joined by one special bond (impurity). The homogeneous models we started
with are the coagulation/decoagulation models studied previously using
the Jordan-Wigner transformation.
Good Early Results Obtained with a Guided-Motion Implant for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Consecutive Case Series
Authors: Hommel Hagen , Wilke Kai
Published: February 2017

Background:

Previous studies have shown a high incidence of complications with a bi-cruciate stabilized (BCS) guided-motion total knee arthroplasty (TKA) design, which led to recent modifications of the design by the manufacturer.

Objective:

The current study was undertaken to assess whether the use of this TKA system with an extension-first surgical technique is associated with a similar rate of short-term adverse outcome as reported in literature.

Material and Methods:

This retrospective study enrolled 257 consecutive patients (257 knees) undergoing TKA for osteoarthritis of the knee, with the first 153 receiving cemented Journey BCS I implants and the remaining 104 receiving cemented Journey BCS II implants when these became available.

Results:

Mean follow-up time for the cohort was 24.5 ± 7.8 months (range, 12 - 36 months). There were no cases of stiffness. Incidence of iliotibial friction syndrome was considered low: three (2.0%) knees in the BCS I group and two (1.9%) in the BCS II group (p = 0.676). Five (2.5%) knees presented with mild instability in midflexion, three (2.0%) in the BCS I group and two (1.9%) in the BCS II group (p = 0.676). One patient with a BCS I implant required reoperation for aseptic loosening 23 months postoperatively. At one-year follow-up, there were no clinically relevant differences in any of the clinical outcomes.

Conclusion:

When used in combination with an extension-first surgical technique, good early functional results with an acceptable rate of complications were obtained with both the original and the updated Journey BCS knee implant.
CHRONIC UTERINE INVERSION ASSOCIATED WITH FIBROID
- A CASE REPORT
Authors: Goel J. K. , Sah Shanti , Arya Shashi Bala , Goel Ruchica , Agarwal Nandini
Published: February 2017

Introduction: Uterine inversion is a condition in which the uterus turns inside out with
prolapse of fundus through the cervix into or outside vagina. Chronic inversion cases are rare.
We present a rare case of chronic uterine inversion associated with uterine fibroids.
Case Report: A 42 year old female, P L , was admitted with complains of menorrhagia and pain 3 3
lower abdomen for 1 month. Speculum examination revealed a fleshy polyp filling whole of
vagina. On per vaginal examination size of mass could not be assessed and cervical lips could
not be felt. So, a provisional diagnosis of fibroid polyp was made. Per-operatively inversion of
tube and ovaries along with a sessile submucosal fundal fibroid polyp of size 10 x 8 cm was
found. A revised diagnosis of chronic uterine inversion with sessile fibroid polyp was made.
Patient then underwent Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-oophrectomy.
Conclusion: Chronic inversion should be kept as a differential diagnosis in a patient with
history of irregular bleeding associated with dragging pain of lower abdomen and feeling of a
mass coming out of introitus. Pre operatively it should be differentiated from fibroid polyp,
uterine prolapse and prolapsed hypertrophied ulcerated cervix.
Лікарські рослини у флорі Луганщини
Authors: Naumov S.Yu.
Published: February 2017

У роботі проаналізовано таксономічний склад лікарських рослин Луганщини. Виявлено три види, не описані раніше для даного регіону (Viscum album L., Salvia nemorosa L.) і Донецького басейну в цілому (Ajuga chia Schreb.). Визначено видове представництво в таксонах вищого рангу.
Фітотерапія гострих респіраторних вірусних захворювань
Authors: Ershova I.B. , Osypova T.F.
Published: February 2017

У статті наведено методи фітотерапії гострих респіраторних захворювань та їх ускладнень у дітей і дорослих. Також наводяться показання та протипоказання до проведення фітотерапії хворим на гострі респіраторні вірусні інфекції, правила призначення лікарських рослин дітям з урахуванням віку дитини та зазначенням доз фітопрепаратів, методів фітотерапії залежно від стадії захворювання, частоти використання лікарських трав та тривалості курсу лікування. Стаття містить рекомендації з використання лікарських трав для лікування гострих респiраторних вiрусних захворювань та їх ускладнень, таких як риніт, ларингіт, бронхіт, гiпертермiчний синдром, у дітей та дорослих. У статті наведені рекомендації професора О.Д Барнаулова щодо фітотерапії гострих респiраторних вiрусних захворювань, педіатра-фітотерапевта О.А. Данилюк щодо фітотерапії у дітей, правила застосування деяких лікарських рослин за Ю.І. Коршиковою, схема дозування фітопрепаратів дітям, запропонована Н.П. Меньшиковою, а також практичні рекомендації щодо складання фітосборів для лікування і профілактики гострих респіраторних вірусних інфекцій та прописи фітотерапевта О.В. Костарева.
Effect of Fertilizer Application on Groudwater Quality at an Oil Palm Plantation
Authors: Lubis Muhammad edwin syahputra
Published: February 2017

Oil palm plantations need fertilizers for optimum growth and production. However, excessive use of fertilizers can lead to pollution of groundwater. For this reason, a study was carried out to investigate groundwater quality of an oil palm ecosystem, which involved the measurement of 9-point monitor wells and run-off. This research was conducted in Kabun-Aliantan (N: 0002.925’ E: 100049.977’). Tandun, Riau-Indonesia. The location points of the monitored wells in this study comprised a young oil palm area (P1), an adult oil palm area near Lau river (P2), a housing complex at oil palm plantation (P3), an adult oil palm area at Marihat, Block A (P4), a housing 1 at the sub-district town (P5), a housing 2 at the sub-district town (P6), a cocoa area (P7), a village housing (P8), at the side of Lau river (PR), and a run-off in a micro catchment (N: 00027.936’ E: 100049, 977’). The parameters analyzed in the water samples were pH, nitrate-N (NO3-N), nitrite-N (NO2-N), ammonium-N (NH4-N), phosphate (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg).

In general, pH, NO3-N, NO2-N, NH4-N, P, K, Ca and Mg increased after fertilizer application and decreased with time. All levels of parameters were lower than the WHO standard for drinking water. This study showed that the fertilizers on the oil palm plantation did not pollute the groundwater quality. However, groundwater pollution was found to be caused by residential wastes, such as the use of detergents and other human activities.
Aspectos toxicológicos relacionados ao uso de cosméticos na conservação, alisamento e tingimento capilar: uma revisão de literatura
Authors: Machado Enéias Silva , Da Silva Gleison Vitor Ferreira de Castro , Moraes Lizandra Murielle de Carvalho , Marques Marcela Bezerra , Marques Rosemarie Brandim , Silva Layane Duarte
Published: February 2017

Produtos de higiene pessoal, cosméticos e perfumes são substâncias são usadas externamente em diversas partes do corpo, objetivando limpá-las, perfumá-las, alterar sua aparência ou corrigir odores corporais e ou protegê-las ou mantê-las em bom estado. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever os aspectos toxicológicos relacionados ao uso de cosméticos no alisamento, conservação e tingimento capilar, buscando descrever o mecanismo de ação e os efeitos adversos dos principais componentes de formulações cosméticas. Tratou-se de pesquisa descritiva, através de levantamento bibliográfico, sendo os critérios de inclusão artigos científicos acessados nas bases de dados SciELO, LILACS e MEDLINE, publicados nos últimos quatro anos. Foram pesquisados 01 dissertação de doutorado, 01 monografia, 02 dissertações de mestrado, 01 resolução da ANVISA (2014) e 19 artigos de revisão de literatura. O levantamento bibliográfico demonstrou que dentre os alisantes capilares, o formaldeído é usado nas concentrações de 0,4 a 29,7% e pode provocar desde uma irritação até câncer nas vias aéreas superiores e morte. Os parabenos são os preservantes mais utilizados em cosméticos, podendo interferir na atividade estrogênica e no trato reprodutivo masculino, também associados ao aumento da incidência de câncer de mama e aumento de adenocarcinomas. Dentre os corantes, as tinturas permanentes, tais como aminofenóis e p-fenilamina, têm levantado preocupações para a saúde humana devido a riscos associados a alergias, dermatites e nefrotoxidade. Com base nos dados levantados, conclui-se que os cosméticos relacionados ao alisamento, tingimento capilar e os conservantes podem provocar sérios danos à saúde dos indivíduos expostos, quando utilizados inadequadamente.
Thanatotranscriptome: genes actively expressed after organismal death
Authors: Gonzalez Karina , C. M. de Sousa Natalia
Published: February 2017

Estudo mostra que pelo menos um dos aspectos da vida continua: Genes permanecem ativos alguns dias após a morte de animais. Os investigadores podem ser capazes de apostar em melhores maneiras de preservar órgãos doados para transplantes e métodos mais precisos de determinar quando vítimas de assassinato foram mortas.
Fertility and the changing female educational attainment in Croatia
Authors: Cipin Ivan , Medjimurec Petra , Vlah-Jeric Silvija
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates the aggregate relationship between cohort fertility
and female educational attainment in Croatia. Numerous demographic studies
have examined the link between fertility and the level of education. However,
newer research indicates that the field of education might also play a role
when trying to explain fertility behavior. We contribute to existing
literature on macro-level factors related to reproductive outcomes by
considering both the level and field of education as possible sources of
cohort fertility differentials. The main goal of the present study is to
assess the effect of structural changes in educational attainment on cohort
fertility decline by means of demographic decomposition techniques. Our
analysis is based on detailed 2011 Census data, which provide information on
the number of livebirths by mother?s year of birth, birth order, marital
status and educational attainment (i.e. the level and field of education).
The results of our decomposition analyses reveal the dominance of the
structural effect in explaining the overall completed fertility decline in
Croatia. We assumed that the changing distribution of women by field of
education at least partially accounts for the observed patterns in completed
fertility but found no strong evidence in support of the outlined hypothesis.
Becoming “Pacific-Minded”
Authors: Johnston Anna
Published: February 2017

The travel writer Frank Clune saw World War II as a turning point in Australia’s
consciousness, turning its inhabitants’ attention to the Pacific region. Similarly,
the writer Ernestine Hill was delighted to find new American markets
for her Australian books in wartime as troops were mobilized across the Pacific theater. In America, as Janice Radway has shown, the sentimental mode
of “middlebrow personalism” enabled writers to engage their readers in wider
geopolitical affairs. Middlebrow intellectuals, texts, and institutions were crucial
in educating Americans about their evolving midcentury relationships
with Asia, just as writers such as Clune and Hill educated Australians about the
Pacific: a coalition of American and Australian mobilities and imaginaries in
middlebrow midcentury print culture. This article examines the multiple ways
in which these books and their writers “made Australia” in terms of a regional
imaginary that extended across the Pacific during this period.
Theorizing Mobility Transitions
Authors: Temenos Cristina , Nikolaeva Anna , Schwanen Tim , Cresswell Tim , Sengers Frans , Watson Matt , Sheller Mimi
Published: February 2017

Despite a surge of multidisciplinary interest in transition studies on low-carbon
mobilities, there has been little evaluation of the current state of the field,
and the contributions of different approaches such as the multi-level perspective
(MLP), theories of practice, or the new mobilities paradigm. As a step in
this direction, this contribution brings together scholars representing different
theoretical perspectives and disciplinary fields in order to discuss processes
and uneven geographies of mobility transitions as they are currently theorized.
First, we reflect upon the role of geographers and other social scientists in envisioning,
enabling, and criticizing mobility transitions. Second, we discuss how
different theoretical approaches can develop mobility transitions scholarship.
Finally, we highlight emerging issues in mobility transitions research.
Book Reviews
Authors: Stoffers Manuel , Morris Blake , Meyer Alan , Saramifar Younes , Cobbing Andrew , Emanuel Martin , Volti Rudi , Cohn Caitlin Starr , Leahy Caitríona , Stalter-Pace Sunny
Published: February 2017

Bruce D. Epperson, Bicycles in American Highway Planning: The Critical Years of Policy-Making 1969–1991 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2014), 248 pp., $45

Carlton Reid, Roads Were Not Built for Cars: How Cyclists Were the First to Push for Good Roads & Became the Pioneers of Motoring (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2015), 360 pp., $30

Karen O’Rourke, Walking and Mapping: Artists as Cartographers (London: MIT Press, 2016), 328 pp., £22.95

Jason Weems, Barnstorming the Prairies: How Aerial Vision Shaped the Midwest (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2015), 368 pp., 116 b&w photos, 16 color plates, $122.50 (hardback), $35 (paperback)

Christopher Schaberg and Mark Yakich, eds., Airplane Reading (Alresford, UK: Zero Books, 2016), 213 pp., $22.95 (paperback)

Catherine L. Phipps, Empires on the Waterfront: Japan’s Ports and Power, 1858–1899 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2015), 308 pp., 6 maps, 3 tables, $39.95

James Longhurst, Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2015), 294 pp., $34.95

David N. Lucsko, Junkyards, Gearheads, and Rust: Salvaging the Automotive Past (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), 283 + xii pp., 10 illustrations, $44.95

Steven E. Alford and Suzanne Ferris, An Alternative History of Bicycles and Motorcycles: Two-Wheeled Transportation and Material Culture (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2016), 189 pp., $80

Harald Fischer-Tiné, Pidgin-Knowledge: Wissen und Kolonialismus (Zurich and Berlin: Diaphanes, 2013), 104 pp., €10

Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (New York: Doubleday, 2016), 320 pp., $26.95
Intracranial intraaxial cerebral tufted angioma: case report
Authors: D'Amico Randy S. , Zanazzi George , Hargus Gunnar , Dyster Timothy , Chan Shirley , Lignelli-Dipple Angela , Wang Tony J. C. , Faust Phyllis L. , McKhann Guy M.
Published: February 2017

Tufted angioma (TA) is a rare, slow-growing, vascular lesion that commonly presents as a solitary macule, papule, or nodule arising in the soft tissues of the torso, extremities, and head and neck in children and young adults. Adult-onset cases have been infrequently reported. While typically benign, TAs may be locally aggressive. Complete physical examination and hematological workup are recommended in patients with TA to exclude the presence of Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP). The authors describe the case of a 69-year-old man with a contrast-enhancing frontal lobe lesion, with surrounding vasogenic edema, which was treated by gross-total resection. Characteristic histological features of a TA were demonstrated, with multiple cannonball-like tufts of densely packed capillaries emanating from intraparenchymal vessels in cerebral cortex and adjacent white matter. Tumor recurrence was detected after 4 months and treated with adjuvant Gamma Knife radiosurgery. To the extent of the authors' knowledge, this case illustrates the first report of TA presenting in an adult as an intracranial intraaxial tumor without associated KMP. The fairly rapid regrowth of this tumor, requiring adjuvant treatment after resection, is consistent with a potential for locally aggressive growth in a TA occurring in the brain.
Outcome after Hunt and Hess Grade V subarachnoid hemorrhage: a comparison of pre-coiling era (1980–1995) versus post-ISAT era (2005–2014)
Authors: Konczalla Juergen , Seifert Volker , Beck Juergen , Güresir Erdem , Vatter Hartmut , Raabe Andreas , Marquardt Gerhard
Published: February 2017

OBJECTIVE

Outcome analysis of comatose patients (Hunt and Hess Grade V) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is still lacking. The aims of this study were to analyze the outcome of Hunt and Hess Grade V SAH and to compare outcomes in the current period with those of the pre–International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) era as well as with published data from trials of decompressive craniectomy (DC) for middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction.

METHODS

The authors analyzed cases of Hunt and Hess Grade V SAH from 1980–1995 (referred to in this study as the earlier period) and 2005–2014 (current period) and compared the results for the 2 periods. The outcomes of 257 cases were analyzed and stratified on the basis of modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores obtained 6 months after SAH. Outcomes were dichotomized as favorable (mRS score of 0–2) or unfavorable (mRS score of 3–6). Data and number needed to treat (NNT) were also compared with the results of decompressive craniectomy (DC) trials for middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarctions.

RESULTS

Early aneurysm treatment within 72 hours occurred significantly more often in the current period (in 67% of cases vs 22% in earlier period). In the earlier period, patients had a significantly higher 30-day mortality rate (83% vs 39% in the current period) and 6-month mortality rate (94% vs 49%), and no patient (0%) had a favorable outcome, compared with 23% overall in the current period (p < 0.01, OR 32), or 29.5% of patients whose aneurysms were treated (p < 0.01, OR 219). Cerebral infarctions occurred in up to 65% of the treated patients in the current period.

Comparison with data from DC MCA trials showed that the NNTs were significantly lower in the current period with 2 for survival and 3 for mRS score of 0–3 (vs 3 and 7, respectively, for the DC MCA trials).

CONCLUSIONS

Early and aggressive treatment resulted in a significant improvement in survival rate (NNT = 2) and favorable outcome (NNT = 3 for mRS score of 0–3) for comatose patients with Hunt and Hess Grade V SAH compared with the earlier period. Independent predictors for favorable outcome were younger age and bilateral intact corneal reflexes. Despite a high rate of cerebral infarction (65%) in the current period, 29.5% of the patients who received treatment for their aneurysms during the current era (2005–2014) had a favorable outcome. However, careful individual decision making is essential in these cases.
Implementation of a linked Medical Organization Survey in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Authors: Cohen Steven B. , Cohen Joel W. , Stagnitti Marie N. , Lefkowitz Doris C.
Published: February 2017

Recent changes in the provision and organization of health care initiated by the Affordable Care Act have led to concerns about how these changes interact with the medical provider organizational characteristics to affect access, use, and expenditures for care. To examine the impact on individuals' use of care and costs, linked information is needed on both the characteristics of the medical providers' organizations and the individuals receiving care. There is currently no nationally representative data source that provides this essential information. Consequently, a Medical Organizations Survey (MOS) has been added as a component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to address this limitation. The MEPS-MOS will obtain essential data on provider organizational characteristics, policies, and treatment protocols for a nationally representative sample of physicians providing care to MEPS participants. This paper describes the survey and sample design of the MEPS-MOS, survey content and precision targets and its analytical focus. This addition will substantially enhance the analytic capacity of the MEPS by facilitating assessments of how provider organizational structures and policies impact on health care utilization and expenditures, health status, patient safety and the health outcomes of individuals.
Poverty, richness, and inequality: Evidence for Portugal using a housing comfort index
Authors: Fernandes Cristina , Crespo Nuno , Simoes Nadia
Published: February 2017

With data for Portugal we propose an index of housing comfort based on the Household Budget Survey. This index covers housing and durable goods grouped in two dimensions: basic comfort and complementary comfort. Taking this index as starting point we make two contributions. First we quantify the phenomena of poverty, richness, and inequality in housing comfort. Second, using an ordered probit model, we evaluate the determinants of housing comfort in Portugal. The results show significant rates of poverty(12.41%) and richness (22.03%). The evidence sustains that the differences between households derive mainly from complementary comfort and to a lesser extent from basic comfort items. Inequality in housing comfort, measured by the Gini coefficient, stands at 0.1263. The econometric study reveals that the region of residence of the household and the educational level and labor market state of the household reference person are among the most critical determinant factors of housing comfort.
Hydrogen and its compounds under extreme pressure*
Authors: Utyuzh A N , Mikheyenkov A V
Published: February 2017

In the last two or three years, significant advances in the study of hydrogen and its compounds under extreme conditions (ultrahigh pressures over a wide temperature range) have notably changed the hydrogen phase diagram, provided a break-through in understanding hydrides’ behavior under pressure (as exemplified by the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in hydrogen sulfide), and, finally, enabled achieving cold metallization of hydrogen. The situation prior to the 2010s is reviewed in brief and more recent work is examined in detail. While the primary focus is on experimental research, mention is also made of the theoretical and numerical work it stimulates.
Using FACE Systems to Screen Wheat Cultivars for Yield Increases at Elevated CO2
Authors: Bunce James
Published: February 2017

Because of continuing increases in atmospheric CO2, identifying cultivars of crops with larger yield increases at elevated CO2 may provide an avenue to increase crop yield potential in future climates. Free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) systems have most often been used with multiple replications of each CO2 treatment in order to increase confidence in the effect of elevated CO2. For screening of cultivars for yield increases at elevated CO2, less precision about the CO2 effect, but more precision about cultivar ranking within CO2 treatments is appropriate. As a small-scale test of this approach, three plots, each of four cultivars of wheat, were grown in single FACE and control plots over two years, and the cultivar rankings of yield at elevated and ambient CO2 were compared. Each replicate plot was the size used in traditional cultivar comparisons. An additional test using four smaller replicate plots per cultivar within one FACE and one ambient plot was used to compare nine cultivars in another year. In all cases, elevated CO2 altered the ranking of cultivars for yield. This approach may provide a more efficient way to utilize FACE systems for the screening of CO2 responsiveness.
On the Action of the Radiation Field Generated by a Traveling-Wave Element and Its Connection to the Time Energy Uncertainty Principle, Elementary Charge and the Fine Structure Constant
Authors: Cooray Vernon , Cooray Gerald
Published: February 2017

Recently, we published two papers in this journal. One of the papers dealt with the action of the radiation fields generated by a traveling-wave element and the other dealt with the momentum transferred by the same radiation fields and their connection to the time energy uncertainty principle. The traveling-wave element is defined as a conductor through which a current pulse propagates with the speed of light in free space from one end of the conductor to the other without attenuation. The goal of this letter is to combine the information provided in these two papers together and make conclusive statements concerning the connection between the energy dissipated by the radiation fields, the time energy uncertainty principle and the elementary charge. As we will show here, the results presented in these two papers, when combined together, show that the time energy uncertainty principle can be applied to the classical radiation emitted by a traveling-wave element and it results in the prediction that the smallest charge associated with the current that can be detected using radiated energy as a vehicle is on the order of the elementary charge. Based on the results, an expression for the fine structure constant is obtained. This is the first time that an order of magnitude estimation of the elementary charge based on electromagnetic radiation fields is obtained. Even though the results obtained in this paper have to be considered as order of magnitude estimations, a strict interpretation of the derived equations shows that the fine structure constant or the elementary charge may change as the size or the age of the universe increases.
AR Signaling in Breast Cancer
Authors: Rahim Bilal , O’Regan Ruth
Published: February 2017

Androgen receptor (AR, a member of the steroid hormone receptor family) status has become increasingly important as both a prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in breast cancer. AR is expressed in up to 90% of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer, and to a lesser degree, human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) amplified tumors. In the former, AR signaling has been correlated with a better prognosis given its inhibitory activity in estrogen dependent disease, though conversely has also been shown to increase resistance to anti-estrogen therapies such as tamoxifen. AR blockade can mitigate this resistance, and thus serves as a potential target in ER-positive breast cancer. In HER2 amplified breast cancer, studies are somewhat conflicting, though most show either no effect or are associated with poorer survival. Much of the available data on AR signaling is in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is an aggressive disease with inferior outcomes comparative to other breast cancer subtypes. At present, there are no approved targeted therapies in TNBC, making study of the AR signaling pathway compelling. Gene expression profiling studies have also identified a luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype that is dependent on AR signaling in TNBC. Regardless, there seems to be an association between AR expression and improved outcomes in TNBC. Despite lower pathologic complete response (pCR) rates with neoadjuvant therapy, patients with AR-expressing TNBC have been shown to have a better prognosis than those that are AR-negative. Clinical studies targeting AR have shown somewhat promising results. In this paper we review the literature on the biology of AR in breast cancer and its prognostic and predictive roles. We also present our thoughts on therapeutic strategies.
Revitalizing REDD+ Policy Processes in Vietnam: The Roles of State and Non-State Actors
Authors: Huynh Thu , Keenan Rodney
Published: February 2017

Vietnam was one of the first countries to introduce the National REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Action Program in 2012. The country has recently revised the Program to aim for a more inclusive 2016–2020 strategy and a vision to 2030. This study explores how Vietnam policy actors view REDD+ policy development and their influence in these processes. The results can contribute to the discussion on how policy actors can effectively influence policy processes in the evolving context of REDD+ and in the types of political arrangements represented in Vietnam. We examined the influence of state and non-state actors on the 2012 National REDD+ Action Program (NRAP) processes, and explored factors that may have shaped this influence, using a combination of document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 81 policy actors. It was found that non-state actors in REDD+ are still on the periphery of decision making, occupying “safe” positions, and have not taken either full advantage of their capacities, or of recent significant changes in the contemporary policy environment, to exert stronger influence on policy. We suggest that REDD+ policy processes in Vietnam need to be revitalized with key actors engaging collectively to promote the possibilities of REDD+ within a broader view of social change that reaches beyond the forestry sector.
Usage of Smartphone Data to Derive an Indicator for Collaborative Mobility between Individuals
Authors: Toader Bogdan , Sprumont François , Faye Sébastien , Popescu Mioara , Viti Francesco
Published: February 2017

The potential of geospatial big data has been drawing attention for a few years. Despite the larger and larger market penetration of portable technologies (nomadic and wearable devices like smartphones and smartwatches), their opportunities for travel behavior analysis are still relatively unexplored. The main objective of our study is to extract the human mobility patterns from GPS traces in order to derive an indicator for enhancing Collaborative Mobility (CM) between individuals. The first step, extracting activity duration and location, is done using state-of-the-art automated recognition tools. Sensors data are used to reconstruct individual’s activity location and duration across time. For constructing the indicator, in a second step, we defined different variables and methods for specific case studies. Smartphone sensor data are being collected from a limited number of individuals and for one week. These data are used to evaluate the proposed indicator. Based on the value of the indicator, we analyzed the potential for identifying CM among groups of users, such as sharing traveling resources (e.g., carpooling, ridesharing, parking sharing) and time (rescheduling and reordering activities).
Anthropogenic Landscapes, Human Action and the Process of Co-Construction with other Species: Making Anthromes in the Anthropocene
Authors: Fuentes Agustín , Baynes-Rock Marcus
Published: February 2017

We are in the Anthropocene. For millennia, human actions have been shaping the world to the degree that they are inscribed in the geological and ecological record. Recently, this has been occurring with increasing speed and influence. This means we need to be asking integrative and effective questions about the world and how we relate to and in it. Human niche construction has broad and deep effects not just on landscapes and environments, but on the myriad of other beings sharing space with us. Humans are self-appointed ecosystem managers and lead actors in seeking sustainability for planetary and local ecosystems. In order to accomplish this, we need to better understand how anthromes are shaped, inhabited and altered. To this end, we present two different examples of anthropogenic landscapes; one in Ethiopia and one in Bali, Indonesia. These are landscapes that are co-constructed by multiple species through complex webs of ecologies, economies and histories and represent the way that humans are drawn into relationships with non-humans; relationships which in turn alter landscapes.
Feasibility of Biomass Briquette Production from Municipal Waste Streams by Integrating the Informal Sector in the Philippines
Authors: Romallosa Aries , Kraft Eckhard
Published: February 2017

A technical and socio-economic feasibility study of biomass briquette production was performed in Iloilo City, Philippines, by integrating a registered group of the informal sector. The study has shown that the simulated production of biomass briquettes obtained from the municipal waste stream could lead to a feasible on-site fuel production line after determining its usability, quality and applicability to the would-be users. The technology utilized for briquetting is not complicated when operated due to its simple, yet sturdy design with suggestive results in terms of production rate, bulk density and heating value of the briquettes produced. Quality briquettes were created from mixtures of waste paper, sawdust and carbonized rice husk, making these material flows a renewable source of cost-effective fuels. An informal sector that would venture into briquette production can be considered profitable for small business enterprising, as demonstrated in the study. The informal sector from other parts of the world, having similar conditionality with that of the Uswag Calajunan Livelihood Association, Inc. (UCLA), could play a significant role in the recovery of these reusable waste materials from the waste stream and can add value to them as alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) for household energy supply using appropriate technologies.