bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of grain source and marginal change in lucerne hay particle size on feed sorting, eating behaviour, chewing activity, and milk production in mid‐lactation Holstein dairy cows
Authors: Nasrollahi S. M. , Ghorbani G. R. , Khorvash M. , Yang W. Z.
Published: March 2014

Summery

This study investigated the effects of grain source and lucerne hay (LH) particle length on eating behaviour, chewing activity, and milk production of lactating dairy cows. Eight Holstein dairy cows (175 ± 21 days in milk) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 21‐days periods. The experiment was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with barley grain alone or equal blend of barley and maize grains combined with short (15 mm) and long (30 mm) LH. Diets were fed ad libitum as total mixed ration with a concentrate to forage ratio of 60:40. Interactions between grain source and LH particle length on feed particle distributions, sorting index, chewing activity, and milk production were minimal. Partially replacing barley grain with maize in the diet overall did not change diurnal distributions of particles retained on the sieves of Penn State Particle Separator but reduced the proportion of particles on 1.18‐sieve and increased that of particles on pan (p < 0.05). Grain source did not affect sorting index and chewing activity. However, feeding long LH increased (p < 0.01) intakes of long particles retained on 19‐ and 8‐mm of sieve, prolonged (p < 0.05) eating time, and lowered eating rate (p < 0.05). Interestingly, cows fed with long LH ate more coarse particle during critical‐early time post feeding (i. e. 1.5 h), where eating time increased and eating rate decreased (p < 0.05). Increasing particle length of dietary LH tended to increase milk fat‐to‐protein ratio (p = 0.08). The results suggested that the increased eating time and decreased eating rate as a result of marginally increasing LH particle length would be beneficial to alleviate reduction of ruminal pH and milk fat percentage following the ingestion of highly fermentable diets.
Phylogeography of an alpine aquatic herb Ranunculus bungei (Ranunculaceae) on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Authors: CHEN Jin‐Ming , DU Zhi‐Yuan , YUAN Yang‐Yang , WANG Qing‐Feng
Published: March 2014

Many phylogeographic studies of terrestrial plant species on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) have been carried out to elucidate the range shifts in response to climatic oscillations in the Quaternary. However, patterns of range shifts for aquatic plants following the climate change on the QTP are poorly understood. Here, we studied the historical range shifts of the aquatic herb Ranunculus bungei Steud. on the QTP using four chloroplast (cpDNA) non‐coding spacers. We revealed low within‐population genetic diversity (HS = 0.052) and high interpopulation genetic differentiation (GST = 0.914; NST = 0.954). But the high population differentiation was not coupled with a distinct phylogeographic structure (NST > GST, P > 0.05). Phylogenetic analyses revealed two main cpDNA haplotype lineages and the split between these two lineages can be dated back to the late Tertiary (3.84–11.90 Ma). Two independent range expansions within the two intraspecific lineages at approximately 0.15–0.46 and 0.17–0.50 Ma were revealed. Our results suggested that R. bungei survived the Last Glacial Maximum and/or previous glacial periods on the QTP. Colonization or recolonization during the repeated range expansions may have replaced the early haplotypes and the pre‐existing genetic structure and could explain the non‐significant phylogeographical structure.
Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Practice: Changes in Family Treatment Court Norms Over Time
Authors: Fay‐Ramirez Suzanna
Published: March 2014

Family treatment court (FTC) is an example of an increasing number of problem‐centered courts currently operating in the United States. Problem‐centered courts such as FTC encompass the ideas of therapeutic jurisprudence but operate within the broader court system. Presented are the results of an FTC case study that seeks to understand the evolution of courtroom norms and practice over time. Observations of courtroom interactions and interviews with courtroom personnel show that initial observations are consistent with the ideals of therapeutic jurisprudence. However, over time, daily demands and pressures on the courtroom undermine the therapeutic approach.
Peritoneal‐dialysis related peritonitis caused by Gordonia species: Report of four cases and literature review
Authors: Ma Terry King‐Wing , Chow Kai‐Ming , Kwan Bonnie Ching‐Ha , Lee Kin‐Ping , Leung Chi‐Bon , Li Philip Kam‐Tao , Szeto Cheuk‐Chun
Published: March 2014

Aim

To investigate the clinical course and outcome of peritoneal dialysis‐associated peritonitis secondary to Gordonia species.

Method

We reviewed all Gordonia peritonitis episodes occurring in a single dialysis unit from 1994 to 2013.

Results

During the study period, four episodes of Gordonia peritonitis were recorded. All were male patients. One patient responded to vancomycin therapy. One patient had refractory peritonitis despite vancomycin, but responded to imipenem and amikacin combination therapy. One patient had relapsing peritonitis and required catheter removal. The fourth patient had an elective Tenckhoff catheter exchange. No patient died of peritonitis. Causative organism was not fully identified until 7 to 18 days of peritonitis.

Conclusion

Gordonia species is increasingly recognized to cause serious infections. In patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, Gordonia peritonitis should be considered in case of refractory Gram‐positive bacilli peritonitis, especially when the exact organism could not be identified one week after the onset of peritonitis. A close liaison with a microbiologist is needed for a timely diagnosis.
The Self‐Evidencing Brain
Authors: Hohwy Jakob
Published: March 2014

An exciting theory in neuroscience is that the brain is an organ for prediction error minimization (PEM). This theory is rapidly gaining influence and is set to dominate the science of mind and brain in the years to come. PEM has extreme explanatory ambition, and profound philosophical implications. Here, I assume the theory, briefly explain it, and then I argue that PEM implies that the brain is essentially self‐evidencing. This means it is imperative to identify an evidentiary boundary between the brain and its environment. This boundary defines the mind‐world relation, opens the door to skepticism, and makes the mind transpire as more inferentially secluded and neurocentrically skull‐bound than many would nowadays think. Therefore, PEM somewhat deflates contemporary hypotheses that cognition is extended, embodied and enactive; however, it can nevertheless accommodate the kinds of cases that fuel these hypotheses.
Metabolically healthy obesity and risk of incident type 2 diabetes: a meta‐analysis of prospective cohort studies
Authors: Bell J. A. , Kivimaki M. , Hamer M.
Published: March 2014

The risk of type 2 diabetes among obese adults who are metabolically healthy has not been established. We systematically searched Medline (1946–August 2013) and Embase (1947–August 2013) for prospective studies of type 2 diabetes incidence (defined by blood glucose levels or self‐report) among metabolically healthy obese adults (defined by body mass index [BMI] and normal cardiometabolic clustering, insulin profile or risk score) aged ≥18 years at baseline. We supplemented the analysis with an original effect estimate from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), with metabolically healthy obesity defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg m−2 and <2 of hypertension, impaired glycaemic control, systemic inflammation, adverse high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and adverse triglycerides. Estimates from seven published studies and ELSA were pooled using random effects meta‐analyses (1,770 healthy obese participants; 98 type 2 diabetes cases). The pooled adjusted relative risk (RR) for incident type 2 diabetes was 4.03 (95% confidence interval = 2.66–6.09) in healthy obese adults and 8.93 (6.86–11.62) in unhealthy obese compared with healthy normal‐weight adults. Although there was between‐study heterogeneity in the size of effects (I2 = 49.8%; P = 0.03), RR for healthy obesity exceeded one in every study, indicating a consistently increased risk across study populations. Metabolically healthy obese adults show a substantially increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with metabolically healthy normal‐weight adults. Prospective evidence does not indicate that healthy obesity is a harmless condition.
Acute Pain Services and Postsurgical Pain Management in the Netherlands: A Survey
Authors: van Boekel Regina L. M. , Steegers Monique A. H. , Verbeek‐van Noord Inge , van der Sande Rob , Vissers Kris C. P.
Published: March 2014

Background

Acute postoperative pain is still inadequately managed, despite the presence of acute pain services (APSs). This study aimed to investigate the existence, structure, and responsibilities of Dutch APSs and to review the implementation of the Dutch Hospital Patient Safety Program (DHPSP).

Methods

Information was gathered by a digital questionnaire, sent to all 96 Dutch hospitals performing surgical procedures.

Results

Completed questionnaires were received from 80 hospitals (83%), of which 90% have an APS. Important duties of the APS are regular patient rounds, checking complex pain techniques (100%), supporting quality improvement of pain management (87%), pain education (100%), and pain research (21%).

Implementation of the DHPSP

Regular in‐hospital pain training is not provided in 46% of the hospitals. Thirteen percent of the hospitals offer no patient information about pain management.

Conclusions

Almost all hospitals have an APS. They differ in both the way they are locally organized, along with the activities they employ. Future research needs to compare the effect of patient and nonpatient‐related activities of APSs on outcomes related to pain management.
Gender Patterns and Value of Unpaid Care Work: Findings FromChina's First Large‐Scale Time Use Survey
Authors: Dong Xiao‐yuan , An Xinli
Published: March 2014

Using data from the 2008China Time Use Survey, this paper examines the gender patterns of time allocation over paid work, unpaid care work, and non‐work activity and estimates the monetary value of unpaid care work. A seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) technique is applied to explore the tradeoff between the three types of activity. The estimates show that, holding constant individual characteristics and regional effects, the total work time of women is higher than that of men by 7 hours per week in the rural sector and by 10.5 hours per week in the urban sector. The monetary value of unpaid care work is estimated by five methods. Depending on the method used, the value assigned to unpaid care work varies from 25 to 32 percent ofChina'sGDP, from 52 to 66 percent of final consumption, and from 63 to 80 percent of the gross products of tertiary industry.
An Iterative Detection and Removal Method for Detecting Spatial Clusters of Different Densities
Authors: Liu Qiliang , Tang Jianbo , Deng Min , Shi Yan
Published: March 2014

A fundamental element of exploratory spatial data analysis is the discovery of clusters in a spatial point dataset. When clusters with distinctly different local densities exist, the determination of suitable density level is still an unsolved problem. On that account, an iterative detection and removal method is proposed in this study. In each step of the novel method, there are two stages. In the detection stage, density level is statistically modeled as a significance level controlled by the number and support domain of the points in the dataset, and then a hypothesis test is used to detect the high‐density points. In the removal stage, the Delaunay triangulation network is used to construct clusters and support domains for the identified high‐density points, and then the high‐density points and their support domains are removed from the dataset. The detection and removal operation are iteratively implemented until no high‐density points can be detected. Experiments and comparisons show that the proposed method, on the one hand, outperforms four state‐of‐the‐art methods for detecting clusters of complex shapes and diverse densities, and on the other hand, no user‐specified parameters are required. In addition, the support domains of clusters are very useful for spatial analysis.
Bortezomib for chronic relapsing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a case report
Authors: Yates Sean , Matevosyan Karen , Rutherford Cynthia , Shen Yu‐Min , Sarode Ravi
Published: March 2014

Background

Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity. Although therapeutic plasma exchange (PLEX) is the standard of care, 30% to 50% patients develop exacerbation or relapse, requiring immunomodulatory agents. Of these agents, glucocorticoids, rituximab, and cyclosporine A are the most frequently used.

Case Report

We report a case of chronic relapsing TTP in a patient who had eight relapses over a 14‐year period. After her seventh relapse, the patient demonstrated only partial response to glucocorticoids, two courses of rituximab, and cyclophosphamide. The eighth relapse occurred 58 days after her last PLEX and subsequent to this she received a course of bortezomib (Velcade, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). After treatment with bortezomib the patient demonstrated a complete response with a progressive increase in ADAMTS13 activity from less than 5% to 22% accompanied by undetectable inhibitor, and she has remained PLEX free for more than 169 days.

Conclusion

Bortezomib may serve as an adjunct treatment in patients with acquired TTP who exhibit an incomplete response or are refractory to conventional management.
Optimized feline vitrectomy technique for therapeutic stem cell delivery to the inner retina
Authors: Jayaram Hari , Becker Silke , Eastlake Karen , Jones Megan F. , Charteris David G. , Limb G. Astrid
Published: March 2014

Objective

To describe an optimized surgical technique for feline vitrectomy which reduces bleeding and aids posterior gel clearance in order to facilitate stem cell delivery to the inner retina using cellular scaffolds.

Procedures

Three‐port pars plana vitrectomies were performed in six‐specific pathogen‐free domestic cats using an optimized surgical technique to improve access and minimize severe intraoperative bleeding.

Results

The surgical procedure was successfully completed in all six animals. Lens sparing vitrectomy resulted in peripheral lens touch in one of three animals but without cataract formation. Transient bleeding from sclerotomies, which was readily controlled, was seen in two of the six animals. No cases of vitreous hemorrhage, severe postoperative inflammation, retinal detachment, or endophthalmitis were observed during postoperative follow‐up.

Conclusions

Three‐port pars plana vitrectomy can be performed successfully in the cat in a safe and controlled manner when the appropriate precautions are taken to minimize the risk of developing intraoperative hemorrhage. This technique may facilitate the use of feline models of inner retinal degeneration for the development of stem cell transplantation techniques using cellular scaffolds.
Adjustment of Measures of Strength and Power in Youth Male Athletes Differing in Body Mass and Maturation
Authors: Meylan Cesar Marius , Cronin John , Hopkins Will G. , Oliver Jonathan
Published: March 2014

Adjustment for body mass and maturation of strength, power, and velocity measures of young athletes is important for talent development. Seventy-four youth male athletes performed a ballistic leg press test at five loads relative to body mass. The data were analyzed in maturity groups based on years from peak height velocity: −2.5 to −0.9 y (n = 29); −1.0 to 0.4 y (n = 28); and 0.5 to 2.0 y (n = 16). Allometric scaling factors representing percent difference in performance per percent difference in body mass were derived by linear regression of log-transformed variables, which also permitted adjustment of performance for body mass. Standardized differences between groups were assessed via magnitude-based inference. Strength and power measures showed a greater dependency on body mass than velocity-related variables (scaling factors of 0.56–0.85 vs. 0.42–0.14%/%), but even after adjustment for body mass most differences in strength and power were substantial (7–44%). In conclusion, increases in strength and power with maturation are due only partly to increases in body mass. Such increases, along with appropriate adjustment for body mass, need to be taken into account when comparing performance of maturing athletes.
Serum vitamin D levels may not reflect tissue-level vitamin D in sarcoidosis
Authors: Berlin Jill Lauren , Palamaner Subash Shantha Ghanshyam , Yeager Henry , Thomas-Hemak Linda
Published: March 2014

Hypercalcemia in sarcoidosis is due to three mechanistic reasons: (1) systemic conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D by the enzyme 1-α hydroxylase produced by activated monocyte/macrophage system, (2) production of parathormone-related peptide (PTHrP) by the sarcoid granuloma, (3) tissue-level conversion of 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D by 1-αhydroxylase produced by local monocyte/macrophage system in the sarcoid granuloma. We report two cases of one proposed mechanism of hypercalcaemia in sarcoidosis (mechanism 3). Both individuals presented with sarcoidosis and 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and developed symptomatic hypercalcaemia with vitamin D replacement. Given their low serum parathormone and parathormone-related peptide levels, low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D and normal serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the systemic 25-hydroxy vitamin D deficiency may not have reflected an increased activity of vitamin D at the local granulomatous tissue level.
An incremental optimal routing strategy for scale-free networks
Authors: Jiang Zhong-Yuan
Published: March 2014

The link congestion based traffic model can more accurately reveal the traffic dynamics of many real complex networks such as the Internet, and heuristically optimizing each link's weight for the shortest path routing strategy can strongly improve the traffic capacity of network. In this work, we propose an optimal routing strategy in which the weight of each link is regulated incrementally to enhance the network traffic capacity by minimizing the maximum link betweenness of any link in the network. We also estimate more suitable value of the tunable parameter β for the efficient routing strategy under the link congestion based traffic model. The traffic load of network can be significantly balanced at the expense of increasing a bit average path length or average traffic load.
Survival of new physics: Anomaly-free neutral gauge boson at the LHC
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wang Qing
Published: March 2014

An anomaly-free U(1)′ effective Lagrangian as a benchmark of new physics beyond the standard model is proposed to survey the maximal parameter space constrained by the precise electroweak measurements at the Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP) and direct detection of the dilepton decay channel at [Formula: see text] at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). By the global fit of the effective couplings of the Z boson to the Standard Model fermions, parameters Δ11, Δ21 and g′′Δ31 related to mixings and r related to the U(1)′ charge assignment are bounded. The allowed areas are plotted not only in the r–g′′ plane, but also in the mZ′–g′′ plane. They show that a sub-TeV Z′ is still permissible as long as the coupling g′′ is of order ~0.01. The results hint at possible new physics beyond the standard model. A prediction of the possible signal for the dilepton decay channel at [Formula: see text] at LHC is also provided.
National and Industrial Strategies for Value Creation in a Global Context
Authors: Lee Chung-Shing , Ho Jonathan C.
Published: March 2014

The development and growth of Taiwan's industries, especially the semiconductor and electronics industries, has been emphasizing overwhelmingly on cost-leadership innovation and strategy. Although such capital-intensive, volume-driven and cost-down strategies have been successfully measured by industrial and economic growth, the amounts of value created and captured in global value chain and innovation networks are insignificant. We apply the framework of creation and capture of value to analyze the industrial value creation strategy in newly industrialized countries for the last four decades. We examine their past industrial policy and business strategy, and argue that the transformation of policy and strategy must gear toward creating and capturing higher value in the global innovation network. Several managerial and policy implications are also discussed.
A survey on ontologies for human behavior recognition
Authors: Rodríguez Natalia Díaz , Cuéllar M. P. , Lilius Johan , Calvo-Flores Miguel Delgado
Published: March 2014

Describing user activity plays an essential role in ambient intelligence. In this work, we review different methods for human activity recognition, classified as data-driven and knowledge-based techniques. We focus on context ontologies whose ultimate goal is the tracking of human behavior. After studying upper and domain ontologies, both useful for human activity representation and inference, we establish an evaluation criterion to assess the suitability of the different candidate ontologies for this purpose. As a result, any missing features, which are relevant for modeling daily human behaviors, are identified as future challenges.
A survey on standards for real-time distribution middleware
Authors: Pérez Héctor , Gutiérrez J. Javier
Published: March 2014

This survey covers distribution standards oriented to the development of distributed real-time systems. Currently, there are many distribution standards that provide a wide and different set of real-time facilities to control the temporal aspects of applications. Besides giving a general overview of these standards, we describe the real-time mechanisms proposed by each standard to manage both processor and network resources, discuss whether the available facilities are sufficient to guarantee determinism throughout the whole application, and identify a set of features and deployment options that would be desirable in any real-time distribution middleware regardless of its distribution model and standard. The survey identifies open issues and key challenges for future research.
Fault-tolerant scheduling in homogeneous real-time systems
Authors: Krishna C. M.
Published: March 2014

Real-time systems are one of the most important applications of computers, both in commercial terms and in terms of social impact. Increasingly, real-time computers are used to control life-critical applications and need to meet stringent reliability conditions. Since the reliability of a real-time system is related to the probability of meeting its hard deadlines, these reliability requirements translate to the need to meet critical task deadlines with a very high probability. We survey the problem of how to schedule tasks in such a way that deadlines continue to be met despite processor (permanent or transient) or software failure.
Bounded biharmonic weights for real-time deformation
Authors: Jacobson Alec , Baran Ilya , Popović Jovan , Sorkine-Hornung Olga
Published: March 2014

Changing an object's shape is a basic operation in computer graphics, necessary for transforming raster images, vector graphics, geometric models, and animated characters. The fastest approaches for such object deformation involve linearly blending a small number of given affine transformations, typically each associated with bones of an internal skeleton, vertices of an enclosing cage, or a collection of loose point handles. Unfortunately, linear blending schemes are not always easy to use because they may require manually painting influence weights or modeling closed polyhedral cages around the input object. Our goal is to make the design and control of deformations simpler by allowing the user to work freely with the most convenient combination of handle types. We develop linear blending weights that produce smooth and intuitive deformations for points, bones, and cages of arbitrary topology. Our weights, called bounded biharmonic weights, minimize the Laplacian energy subject to bound constraints. Doing so spreads the influences of the handles in a shape-aware and localized manner, even for objects with complex and concave boundaries. The variational weight optimization also makes it possible to customize the weights so that they preserve the shape of specified essential object features. We demonstrate successful use of our blending weights for real-time deformation of 2D and 3D shapes.
Conserved Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms in Aortic Valve Development and Disease
Authors: Wirrig Elaine E. , Yutzey Katherine E.
Published: March 2014

There is increasing evidence for activation of developmental transcriptional regulatory pathways in heart valve disease. Here, we review molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in heart valve progenitor development, leaflet morphogenesis, and extracellular matrix organization that also are active in diseased aortic valves. These include regulators of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transitions, such as the Notch pathway effector RBPJ, and the valve progenitor markers Twist1, Msx1/2, and Sox9. Little is known of the potential reparative or pathological functions of these developmental mechanisms in adult aortic valves, but it is tempting to speculate that valve progenitor cells could contribute to repair in the context of disease. Likewise, loss of either RBPJ or Sox9 leads to aortic valve calcification in mice, supporting a potential therapeutic role in prevention of disease. During aortic valve calcification, transcriptional regulators of osteogenic development are activated in addition to valve progenitor regulatory programs. Specifically, the transcription factor Runx2 and its downstream target genes are induced in calcified valves. Runx2 and osteogenic genes also are induced with vascular calcification, but activation of valve progenitor markers and the cellular context of expression are likely to be different for valve and vascular calcification. Additional research is necessary to determine whether developmental mechanisms contribute to valve repair or whether these pathways can be harnessed for new treatments of heart valve disease.
Primula subpyrenaica (Primulaceae) a new species from the Pyrenean range (south-western Europe)
Authors: Aymerich Pere , LÓPEZ-ALVARADO JAVIER , SÁEZ LLORENÇ
Published: March 2014

A new species in the genus Primula, P. subpyrenaica, is described from the Pyrenean range in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. The species belongs to P. sect. Auricula, and is related to P. auricula and P. lutea mainly on a morphological basis. However, P. subpyrenaica differs from those two species and from other related taxa by various morphological characters (non-scariose and longer bracts, fragrant leaves, yellowish or brownish when pressed). Data on its ecology, taxonomic relationships and conservation status of this narrow endemic is also provided.
Typification of the plant names described by Nedeljko Košanin from the Balkan Peninsula
Authors: Vukojicic Snezana , Jakovljevic Ksenija , Djurovic Sanja , Kuzmanovic Nevena , Jankovic Ivana , Stevanovic Vladimir
Published: March 2014

Nedeljko Košanin was one of the most important Serbian botanists from the beginning of the 20th Century. He dedicated most of his life to investigate the flora of Southern Serbia as well as Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Since he was working at the Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden in Belgrade, the majority of his collection is deposited in BEOU. While describing new taxa, in most of his publications he did not indicate the holotype. The present study discusses the lectotypification of 7 names published by Košanin alone, or with his contemporaries.
New species and distribution records of selenopid spiders of the genus Hovops Benoit in Madagascar (Araneae, Selenopidae)
Authors: ARTIGAS SANDRA MÓNICA RODRIGUEZ , CORRONCA JOSE ANTONIO
Published: March 2014

Hovops Benoit is a heterogeneous genus of selenopid spiders that was prior to this study represented by seven species that are endemic to Madagascar. Here, we describe four new species: H. antakarana sp. n. (♀), H. ikongo sp. n. (♀), H. menabe sp. n. (♀), and H. vezo sp. n. (♀). A map of the new species is provided as well as new records on two of the known species H. pusillus (Simon, 1897) and H. legrasi (Simon, 1887).
“We Didn’t Have Adventures Like That”: The Lure of Adventure Stories and Courageous Females for Girls Growing Up in the United States During the Mid-20th Century
Authors: Thiel-Stern Shayla , Mazzarella Sharon R. , Hains Rebecca C.
Published: March 2014

Based on oral history interviews conducted with 30 women born in the United States in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, this project presents women’s memories of their girlhood relationship to popular media and culture. Specifically, they told us about a preference for adventure stories including those of adventurous and/or strong real-life females. We conclude with a discussion of how these findings may reflect the social-cultural constraints placed on girls growing up at that time such that adventure stories enabled them to live vicariously and to negotiate a future identity in which they too could lead lives of daring and adventure.
Rights, affect and precarity: Post-racial formations in carework
Authors: Hua Julietta , Ray Kasturi
Published: March 2014

Bringing together two sites of carework, the human household and the chimpanzee sanctuary, this article considers the limits of a politics of precarity, where vulnerabilities and differences are conceptualized as shared rather than hierarchical. Outlining the ways the notion of shared precarity produces a post-racial landscape where the labor taking place in human households is rendered equivalent to the work of providing lifelong care for captive chimpanzees formerly used in state-sponsored biomedical research—both captured under the shared sign of “carework”—we argue instead for attention to the different and differentiating mechanisms that come to define carework. We trace the ways differentiation takes place at the site of carework, both among humans and between human careworkers and chimpanzees in order to highlight the ways the politics of shared precarity reproduces the very differentiation it claims to move beyond. We examine the differential dispersal of deserving subjectivity through affective economies that govern and also exceed the legal personhood of the careworker; we argue that affect enables equivocal analogies of understanding carework for chimpanzees as like carework for humans, hiding the ways the frame of moral obligation for and to care institutes differentiating mechanisms on which the notion of humanity is itself constructed.
Goldwater’s left hand: Post-raciality and the roots of the post-racial racist state
Authors: Rodríguez Dylan
Published: March 2014

Post-racial discourse rests on the allegation of a particular undoing to which we must urgently attend. There is almost nothing empirically credible about this pseudo-historical narrative structure, yet as a (growing) field of knowledge production, the post-racial discursive regime is no less formidable and far-ranging. Perhaps most importantly, it has attempted to reconstitute (and has undeniably already altered) some of the operative truth assumptions of racial discourse writ large: as a teleological marking, post-racialism minimally posits that the long modern era’s reliance on various iterations of racial power/violence—from modalities of human classification to strategies of mass geographic containment and social liquidation—has yielded to other forms of social ordering, which are no longer centrally premised on this particular form of human differentiation and brutal hierarchy.
Individual Preference for Procedural Order and Process Accountability in Group Problem-Solving
Authors: Liu Yi-Ching , McLeod Poppy Lauretta
Published: March 2014

An experiment compared interaction process and task performance of groups composed of members with high or low preference for procedural order, assigned to an individual or group process accountability condition. Procedural order preference did not affect the use of procedures nor did procedures affect task performance. Competing hypotheses on the effects of process accountability were tested: One set of hypotheses was based on higher motivation among high order preference groups because accountability amplifies their natural work predispositions; the other set was based on higher motivation among low order preference groups because accountability induces cognitive dissonance in them. Results supported the amplifying hypotheses. High order preference groups exchanged more information, perceived their discussions as more orderly, and produced more feasible task solutions. Compared with group process accountability, individual accountability led to less information exchange in both high and low order preference groups, but low order preference groups under individual accountability produced the least feasible task solutions of all groups. Implications for the match between individual work habit preferences and task context demands are discussed.
Grasping at Threads, and Finding Power in Networks
Authors: Fordyce Robbie
Published: March 2014

“The network” is a paradigm that dominates contemporary thought. Whether communicational, economic, political or computation, the concept of the network is regularly used to explain relationships between objects. The ontology of the network is heavily contested, and the political consequences are, at times, dire. Manuel Castells and Antonio Negri each argue for a networked form of communicational politics, but use reasonably different concepts of “power”. By accounting for the differences between these authors the tensions can be made apparent, and, more importantly, the political limits for each model become clear.
Communicating Bushfire Safety in Australia: The Challenge for Government of Increasing Community Participation
Authors: Brady Danielle , Webb Naomi
Published: March 2014

Bushfires are a major part of the Australian natural disaster landscape; causing severe property damage and loss of life. Since 2009 there have been four major bushfire events in Australia warranting government inquiry. The recommendations from such inquiries are intended to drive future policy and decision making, reflecting a commitment on behalf of authorities to learn from past events. For authorities, ensuring the successful communication of bushfire safety is the key to securing legitimacy, yet communication within the public sector is characterized by politics, legal constraints, media attention and public scrutiny. The perception of risk and the desire to promote an image of competence can inhibit innovation, particularly in relation to public sector internet communications. We should not assume that governments want greater community participation when there is both economic and political risk involved in doing so. Nevertheless, greater community participation in bushfire communications appears to be a key recommendation of the recent bushfire inquiries and which the public sector generally and fire and emergency services organizations specifically, are under some pressure to accommodate. Internet-based communications have a key role to play in filling the gap, but must balance community desire for participation with government requirements to be reliable and minimize risk. As part of preparations for a project which aims to provide greater community involvement in the Landgate FireWatchinternet map service, this article reviews the opportunities and threats inherent in government/community bushfire communication.
Buy Local: Media Constructions of a “Green” Political Identity
Authors: Wang Ying , Henderson Alison
Published: March 2014

The focus of this study is to provide a greater understanding of language use as an exercise of power and identity construction within political public relations through the use of media campaigns. Using Fairclough’s ( 1992 ) three dimensional discourse analysis, we examine the discourses employed by the New Zealand Green Party in the construction and reproduction of its identity and ideology, communicated through key messages in the “Buy Kiwi Made” media campaign from 2005 to 2009. The findings suggest that the Green Party contested the free trade discourse that has driven economic policy in Aotearoa New Zealand since the middle of the 1980s, and positioned itself as the lead political party for New Zealand’s sustainable development. The campaign enabled the public to identify with the philosophy of the Green Party through a process of meaning creation. It demonstrates language use as an exercise of power, through which the Green Party struggled for a stronger political position. The study also contributes to public relations theory building through incorporating a critical discourse perspective into understanding the dynamic functions of media campaigns, as well as the implications of political public relations.
From Stalingrad to Grozny: Patriotism, political pressure, and literature in the war reporting of Vassily Grossman and Anna Politkovskaya
Authors: Rodgers James
Published: March 2014

Comparing the work of the 20th-century Soviet journalist and writer, Vassily Grossman, with that of his compatriot, Anna Politkovskaya, almost half a century later, this article examines the two journalists’ writing for what it tells us about the changing nature of Russian journalism, and reporter involvement in the coverage of war. Grossman was reporting on his country’s fight for survival in a war with Nazi Germany; Politkovskaya had no peer in her coverage of the bloodiest consequence of the collapse of that country, the Soviet Union: the wars in Chechnya. It also considers the literary nature of Grossman and Politkovskaya’s reporting. The article argues that the two journalists’ work has significance far beyond the time when they were reporting, and should therefore be more widely read and studied for what it tells us about covering conflict, and especially civilian suffering and, in the case of Politkovskaya, counter-insurgency.
Strategic narrative: A new means to understand soft power
Authors: Roselle Laura , Miskimmon Alister , O’Loughlin Ben
Published: March 2014

Soft power in its current, widely understood form has become a straitjacket for those trying to understand power and communication in international affairs. Analyses of soft power overwhelmingly focus on soft power ‘assets’ or capabilities and how to wield them, not how influence does or does not take place. It has become a catch-all term that has lost explanatory power, just as hard power once did. The authors argue that the concept of strategic narrative gives us intellectual purchase on the complexities of international politics today, especially in regard to how influence works in a new media environment. They believe that the study of media and war would benefit from more attention being paid to strategic narratives.
Emerging treason? Politics and identity in the Emerging Church Movement
Authors: Reed Randall W.
Published: March 2014

The Emerging Church is one of the more interesting new movements in the religious landscape of the United States today. The Emerging Church has come out of US Evangelicalism, which has found itself in crisis, with a diminishing number of young people remaining in the church and a general popular impression of being intolerant, judgmental, and right-wing. Many in the Emerging Church are attempting to construct a vision of Christianity that addresses these problems. However, the Emerging Church is not a monolith; it includes a variety of perspectives and positions. What I will argue in this article is that there is, among several different perspectives within the movement, a critique of the US political and economic system that provides an interesting and new way of thinking about the relationship between Christianity, politics, economics, and identity that may serve to create a challenge to the hegemonic system of the United States. For the purposes of this article I use three examples to illustrate my point: Shane Claibourne’s “New Monasticism”/”Red Letter Christians” movement; Brian McLaren’s recent work, Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross The Road; and Peter Rollins as a self-proclaimed inheritor of the radical tradition. I will show that the Emerging Church thinkers, by challenging the theological constructions of US Evangelicalism, are likewise providing fodder, to varying degrees, for a critique of the US political and economic system. Whether this will coalesce into a real significant challenge or will ultimately be reabsorbed by the status quo and/or marginalized remains to be seen.
Why should one be interested in the theological dimension within the project of modern politics? On the Chinese acceptance of Carl Schmitt's political theology
Authors: Shuangli Zhang
Published: March 2014

Why has Schmitt's political theology been influential among some Chinese scholars? It is pointed out in this article that this special phenomenon resulted from the Chinese awareness of the deep crisis within modern politics as well as the Chinese hope for the alternative model of modern politics. To these Chinese scholars, Schmitt, by making clear the hidden theological dimension of modern politics, seems to have offered both a sharp criticism of the tendency of mechanization of the state and a creative proposal to save modern politics. Based on the analysis of the reasons for these Chinese scholars' preference for Schmitt's political theology to Marx's criticism of modern politics, it is also argued that this acceptance of Schmitt's political theology could actually hamper the Chinese efforts toward new possibilities of modern politics.
Higher Education Embracing Students’ Health Protection Technologies: A Practical Evaluation
Authors: Танеева Екатерина , Taneeva Ekaterina , Троицкая Нина , Troitskaya Nina
Published: March 2014

Personal health is a universally recognized asset leading to higher life satisfaction and life expectancy.

According to the data provided by the World Health Organization, 20% of personal health is determined

by hereditary biological factors, 20% is accounted for by environmental variables, a minor fraction of 10%

depends on the healthcare system, and a major of 50% of personal health is related to individual lifestyles.

With over a third of Russia’s population neglect health issues, top national priority is given to new initiatives

within the framework of the National Project ‘Health’, as well as other state projects designed to promote

healthy lifestyles among all the age groups.
Adaptive Logic as Applied to Educational and Production Technologies
Authors: Сучилин Владимир , Suchilin Vladimir , Архипова Татьяна , Arkhipova Tatyana
Published: March 2014

The article discusses the elements of educational continuity and production technology related scientific outlook

on these processes in the past and the modern world. Noted that Conceptual innovations in science and

technology contribute to the emergence of the scientific and technical world of active development of modern

analytical technologies of a new type. Relying on new trends in science, engineering and technology is considered

one of them, the most relevant in the present — nanotechnology. It is noted that in the scientific and

technical world appear and actively develop overtime analysis of a new type of technology, the theory of which

is based on the provisions of the adaptive logic. Touched on the importance of using artificial neural networks

to solve applied problems. The importance of such technologies highlighted by the fact that they will contribute

to the solution of ill-posed problems that often arise in practical human activity. The practical results of the

adaptation of technical and technological solutions to the conditions of their functioning. Introduces the algorithm

of group technology manufacturing processes. It is noted that modern educational technologies based on

dichotomous methods and adaptive learning systems. Stressed the importance of the workplace and in various

industrial applications of intelligent neural network controller that can detect potentially dangerous situations

to notify people about them and take adequate and, most importantly, timely.
Using Internet for Teaching: Pedagogical Analysis at School
Authors: Макотрова  , Makotrova Galina
Published: March 2014

The paper presents experimental justification of teaching conditions and methodology of using Internet for nurturing educational and research culture

among high school students at classes. The author considers various effective forms and methods of the Internet usage at each stage of the suggested

educational technology and highlights the ways to further optimizing it.
How to Develop Multiform Geometric Vision in Schoolchildren
Authors: Виситаева  , Visitaeva Maret
Published: March 2014

Different interpretations for the notion of «section» are presented followed by classification of tasks, aimed at developing ability to operate with

different configurations of geometric sections by types thereof (propaedeutical tasks on geometric sections; tasks on recognizing geometric figures by

their geometric sections configurations; tasks on recognizing geometric sections by configurations of a given geometric figure; tasks on constructing

geometric figure by a set of its geometric sections; tasks on constructing geometric sections by configuration of a given geometric figure, mixed tasks).
Classifying Techniques of Educational Activities
Authors: Бершадский  , Bershadskiy Mikhail
Published: March 2014

The paper considers issues related to classifying techniques of educational activities. The lack of logically consistent overall classification of educational

activities is emphasized. To develop such classification it is proposed to identify explicit and implicit attributes of the «technique» notion. One of the

explicit attributes is a set of conditions necessary for the technique to be designed and implemented. Implicit attributes depend on psychological and

pedagogical theories applied for technique designing in the course of pedagogical phenomena modeling. The author identifies three groups of explicit

attributes, namely, educational goals; educational contents; contingent of learners. Possible variations of the said attributes are described. Also described

are various taxonomies of goals, kinds of educational contents and types of learners by stage of education and intellectual development of learners. To

facilitate classification of educational activities techniques the orthogonal three-dimensional model is constructed to serve as a morphological matrix,

describing a set of technologies, necessary to implementing the State educational standards.
Differential diagnosis of myelopathies
Authors: Sawaya Raja , Nachef Zahi
Published: March 2014

We present a review on myelopathies. We introduce each category of etiologies by a case study, followed by a short review of the different causes of myelopathies in this category. We elaborate on clinical presentation, laboratory workup, imaging and treatment. This extensive review elaborates on myelopathies caused by demyelinating diseases, infectious agents, connective tissue diseases and vasculopathies, neoplasms, toxic substances, metabolic derangements and the idiopathic myelopathies. Interesting images are incorporated in this review. Keywords: myelopathies, spinal cord, demyelinating, infectious, neoplasm, idiopathic.