bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of prolonged methylprednisolone treatment after pulse therapy for paraquat-intoxicated rats
Authors: Feng SY , Gao J , Wang J , Li Y
Published: January 2017

Objective:

This study was designed to evaluate prolonged methylprednisolone (MP) treatment after pulse therapy for paraquat (PQ)-intoxicated rats.

Method:

Acute PQ toxicity was induced by intraperitoneally injecting single toxic dose of 25 mg/kg of body weight. Rats were divided into four groups: control group (saline solution for 15 days), PQ group (saline solution for 15 days after PQ toxicity), pulse group (15 mg·kg−1·day−1 MP for 3 days after PQ toxicity and then saline solution for 12 days) and pulse + prolonged group (15 mg·kg−1·day−1 MP for 3 days after PQ toxicity; dosage was subsequently reduced by half every 2 days, and MP was terminated until 0.47 mg·kg−1·day−1). Hydroxyproline (HYP) content in lung tissues was evaluated through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and lung fibrosis was examined using a semiquantitative scoring system (Ashcroft staging criteria). Lung wet-to-dry weight (W/Dc) ratio and 15-day survival rates of the rats were also analysed.

Results:

Similar survival rates (55.0 vs. 65.0%) were obtained for the pulse group and the pulse + prolonged group. The W/Dc (4.79 ± 0.42 vs. 5.29 ± 0.35), HYP content in the lung tissues (3.23 ± 0.24 vs. 3.72 ± 0.23 μg/mg) and lung fibrosis scores (2.69 ± 0.74 vs. 3.12 ± 0.60) of the pulse + prolonged group were lower than those of the pulse group.

Conclusion:

Prolonged MP treatment after pulse therapy could effectively ameliorate PQ-intoxicated acute lung injury in rats. However, further studies should be performed to verify our findings.
Compassionate care during withdrawal of treatment: A secondary analysis of ICU nurses' experiences
Authors: Efstathiou Nikolaos , Ives Jonathan
Published: January 2017

Background:

Withdrawal of treatment is a common practice in intensive care units when treatment is considered futile. Compassion is an important aspect of care; however, it has not been explored much within the context of treatment withdrawal in intensive care units.

Objectives:

The aim was to examine how concepts of compassion are framed, utilised and communicated by intensive care nurses in the context of treatment withdrawal.

Design:

The study employed a qualitative approach conducting secondary analysis of an original data set. In the primary study, 13 nurses were recruited from three intensive care units within a large hospital in United Kingdom. Deductive framework analysis was used to analyse the data in relation to compassionate care.

Ethical considerations:

The primary study was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee and the hospital’s Research and Development services.

Findings:

Compassionate care was mostly directed to the patient’s family and was demonstrated through care and emotional support to the family. It was predominantly expressed through attempts to maintain the patient’s dignity by controlling symptoms, maintaining patient cleanliness and removing technical apparatus.

Conclusion:

This study’s findings provide insight about compassionate care during treatment withdrawal which could help to understand and develop further clinicians’ roles. Prioritising the family over the patient raised concerns among nurses, who motivated by compassion, may feel justified in taking measures that are in the interests of the family rather than the patient. Further work is needed to explore the ethics of this.
Consumer Trust in Internet Shopping
Authors: Tuteja Geetu , Gupta Shashank , Garg Vaishali
Published: January 2017

India has seen a tremendous growth in the number of Internet users in the last decade. Despite of the increase in the number of Internet users, the penetration rate of Internet shopping in the country remains low. Hence, this article focuses on building a model around the factors that are responsible for lack of trust in Indian consumers on Internet shopping and unveiling their effect on the consumers’ buying intention. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structure equation modelling (SEM) with AMOS 20.0 was used to confirm factor structure and to perform second-order SEM on the 5-point Likert scale proposed model tested empirically on a sample of 549 individuals. Our research indicates that there are various antecedents like brand orientation, website design, prior online purchase experience, quality orientation, perceived risk, perceived security control, perceived privacy control, perceived integrity, perceived competence, third-party integration and legal framework which affects consumer trust in Internet shopping which is positively associated with an intention to buy. However, the purchase intention of Indian consumers is influenced by the trustworthiness dimension of the model which depends on the factors affecting the consumer trust in e-shopping.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) as an Analytical Technique to Assess Measurement Error in Survey Research
Authors: Mishra Manit
Published: January 2017

Common method variance (CMV), a systematic measurement error, is a key source of contamination in survey research. This article examines a potential source of CMV—socially desirable responding (SDR)—in the context of Indian culture. The statistical remedies of method variance have been critically evaluated for their suitability to capture SDR. The statistical remedy of ‘controlling for the effect of a directly measured latent method factor’ using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has been profoundly explained. The procedural guidelines on executing CFA using AMOS have been delineated to facilitate substantive research vulnerable to method variance.
Exploratory Study on Relationship between Entrepreneur Characteristics and Dynamic Capabilities in Export SMES
Authors: Mudalige Darshana , Ismail Noor Azizi , Malek Marlin Abdul
Published: January 2017

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in economic and social development of any country. However, research has revealed that SMEs in Sri Lanka suffer from poor sustainability and low performance compared to other countries. According to the literature, SME performance is associated with directly unobservable owner and firm factors which are based on internal capabilities. With the ever-increasing dynamism of the market and increased competition from large multinational companies, it is essential for the SMEs to adapt to the environment promptly. Dynamic capabilities of export SMEs must be more amplified and leveraged than those of a firm with a less ambitious, purely domestic SMEs. Given the strong position of entrepreneur in the SME context, this study argues that antecedents to dynamic capabilities can be found at the individual entrepreneur level. It identifies entrepreneurial orientation, human capital and social capital of the entrepreneur as key characteristics at the individual level. This research used a quantitative research methodology and a randomly selected sample of 197 export SMEs in Sri Lanka were analyzed. The results were analyzed using partial least squares–structured equation modelling (PLS–SEM). This study empirically established that entrepreneur characteristics positively influence development of organizational dynamic capabilities. The outcome of this research will enhance the understanding of SME capability development process.
Detection of Classical swine fever virus infection by individual oral fluid of pigs following experimental inoculation
Authors: Petrini Stefano , Pierini Ilaria , Giammarioli Monica , Feliziani Francesco , De Mia Gian Mario
Published: January 2017

We evaluated the use of oral fluid as an alternative to serum samples for Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) detection. Individual oral fluid and serum samples were collected at different times post-infection from pigs that were experimentally inoculated with CSFV Alfort 187 strain. We found no evidence of CSFV neutralizing antibodies in swine oral fluid samples under our experimental conditions. In contrast, real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction could detect CSFV nucleic acid from the oral fluid as early as 8 d postinfection, which also coincided with the time of initial detection in blood samples. The probability of CSFV detection in oral fluid was identical or even higher than in the corresponding blood sample. Our results support the feasibility of using this sampling method for CSFV genome detection, which may represent an additional cost-effective tool for CSF control.
Sudden death in racehorses: postmortem examination protocol
Authors: Diab Santiago S. , Poppenga Robert , Uzal Francisco A.
Published: January 2017

In racehorses, sudden death (SD) associated with exercise poses a serious risk to jockeys and adversely affects racehorse welfare and the public perception of horse racing. In a majority of cases of exercise-associated sudden death (EASD), there are no gross lesions to explain the cause of death, and an examination of the cardiovascular system and a toxicologic screen are warranted. Cases of EASD without gross lesions are often presumed to be sudden cardiac deaths (SCD). We describe an equine SD autopsy protocol, with emphasis on histologic examination of the heart (“cardiac histology protocol”) and a description of the toxicologic screen performed in racehorses in California. By consistently utilizing this standardized autopsy and cardiac histology protocol, the results and conclusions from postmortem examinations will be easier to compare within and across institutions over time. The generation of consistent, reliable, and comparable multi-institutional data is essential to improving the understanding of the cause(s) and pathogenesis of equine SD, including EASD and SCD.
Cyanide poisoning of a Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Authors: Franson J. Christian
Published: January 2017

A Cooper’s hawk ( Accipiter cooperii) was found dead in a ditch leading from a heap leach pad at a gold mine in Nevada. Observations at autopsy included an absence of external lesions, traces of subcutaneous and coronary fat, no food in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and no lesions in the viscera. Cyanide concentrations (µg/g ww) were 5.04 in blood, 3.88 in liver, and 1.79 in brain. No bacteria or viruses were isolated from tissues, and brain cholinesterase activity was within the normal range for a Cooper’s hawk.
Cecal infarction in neonatal calves
Authors: Adaska John M. , Moeller Robert B. , Blanchard Patricia C. , Aly Sharif S.
Published: January 2017

Cecal infarction is an uncommon lesion in calves that results in localized peritonitis and, on occasion, perforation with secondary diffuse peritonitis and death. This lesion in calves has not been described previously. We reviewed the postmortem cases of cecal infarction in dairy calves ≤30 d of age that had been submitted over the course of 5 y to the Tulare branch of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. The area of cecal infarction and the associated lesion margins were examined histologically. Ischemic necrosis of the mucosal side of the cecal wall with various degrees of neutrophilic inflammation of subjacent tissues was found consistently, and thrombosis and vascular occlusion within the areas of necrosis and inflammation was found in 21 of 34 cases. Cecal infarction cases were then compared to controls using a retrospective matched case-control study design. Cases ( n = 34) and controls ( n = 86) were compared with respect to bacteremia (as defined by pure culture of a single bacterial agent from lung and/or liver), species of bacteria isolated, and for the presence of K99 Escherichia coli (calves ≤5 d), attaching and effacing E. coli, Cryptosporidium (calves ≥5 d of age), Salmonella isolation from the intestine, rotavirus, Bovine coronavirus, and Bovine viral diarrhea virus. In addition, the presence of rumenitis or abomasitis, and omphalitis were compared between cases and controls. There were no significant differences in ruminal, abomasal, or umbilical cord tissue inflammation, or pathogen test–positive status between cases and controls.
Finite element simulation and optimization of radial resistive force for shape memory alloy vertebral body stent
Authors: Wang Rong , Zuo Hong , Yang Yi-Min , Yang Bo , Li Qun
Published: January 2017

Vertebral body stent of shape memory alloy is an innovative device which helps recover the compression fractural vertebral at normal height due to its excellent superelasticity and the shape memory effect. A finite element modeling is carried out to optimize the mechanical behavior of the vertebral body stent of shape memory alloy accounting for the stress-induced phase transformation of the shape memory alloy. The radial resistive force of stent is paid more attention in order to meet the functional and surgical requirement. First, experimental procedure and finite element modeling computations are constructed to calculate the compression resistance force of an original design of vertebral body stent of shape memory alloy. It is found that numerical results are consistent with those of experimental observations so as to validate the accuracy of the finite element modeling model. Second, a series of numerical simulations are performed to optimize the topological structures of vertebral body stent of shape memory alloy by response surface methodology. The surgical condition of the lumen structure of fracture vertebral body and the size constrain condition of puncture instrument of minimally invasive surgery are introduced during finite element modeling simulation and response surface methodology optimization. Finally, an innovative design optimization is proposed by the series–parallel connection of four S-type representative stents. The proposed new structure can obtain the maximum radial resistive force of 831 N which is able to meet the functional requirement. In conclusion, it is expected that the finite element modeling simulations and optimizations can help the researchers to design and optimize the topological structures of vertebral body stent of shape memory alloy systems.
Team Learning
Authors: Lehmann-Willenbrock Nale
Published: January 2017

Team learning is a complex social phenomenon that develops and changes over time. Hence, to promote understanding of the fine-grained dynamics of team learning, research should account for the temporal patterns of team learning behavior. Taking important steps in this direction, this special issue offers novel insights into the dynamics of team learning by advocating a temporal perspective. Based on a symposium presented at the 2016 Interdisciplinary Network for Group Research (INGRoup) Conference in Helsinki, the four empirical articles in this special issue showcase four different and innovative approaches to implementing a temporal perspective in team learning research. Specifically, the contributions highlight team learning dynamics in student teams, self-managing teams, teacher teams, and command and control teams. The articles cover a broad range of methods and designs, including both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and longitudinal as well as micro-temporal approaches. The contributors represent four countries and five different disciplines in group research.
Introduction: Revisiting the Roles and Responsibilities of Trade Associations
Authors: Lawton Thomas C. , Rajwani Tazeeb
Published: January 2017

We explain that the reasons for this Dialog stem from the enduring gaps in our understanding of what trade associations are, how they work, and what impact they have on members, industries, markets, and societies. The Dialog includes an opening paper by Thomas Lawton, Tazeeb Rajwani and Amy Minto and is followed by contributions from Michael Barnett, Steven Kahl, Lyn Spillman, and Howard Aldrich. Building on previous and ongoing research, each author reflected on the key questions driving this Dialogue: Do trade associations matter and if so, how? We argue that not only do they matter but more attention needs to be given to their roles and responsibilities.
An Embodied Model of Learning, Plasticity, and Reward
Authors: Alexander William H , Sporns Olaf
Published: January 2017

We describe and discuss a neural network model of the dopaminergic system based on observed anatomical and physiological properties of the primate midbrain. The model relies on value-dependent synaptic modification to acquire temporal information regarding reward-related events and the stimuli with which such events are paired. Experience-dependent changes in synaptic plasticity allow the model to generate neuromodulatory responses corresponding to prediction errors. These phasic neural responses act as a value signal with positive and negative components, representing the unpredicted occurrence of rewarding stimuli and the omission of an expected reward, respectively. The value signal modulates widespread synaptic changes, including afferent connections of the value system itself. The model is embedded in an autonomous robot, and its behavior is tested as changes are applied to the robot's motor characteristics and as the stimulus content of the environment is varied. We observe the development of the system as a consequence of environmental stimuli and autonomous movement, leading to the conditioning of reward-related behaviors through the interaction between the robot and its surroundings.
On the Interplay Between Morphological, Neural, and Environmental Dynamics: A Robotic Case Study
Authors: Lungarella Max , Berthouze Luc
Published: January 2017

The robust and adaptive behavior exhibited by natural organisms is the result of a complex interaction between various plastic mechanisms acting at different time scales. So far, researchers have concentrated on one or another of these mechanisms, but little has been done toward integrating them into a unified framework and studying the result of their interplay in a real-world environment. In this article, we present experiments with a small humanoid robot that learns to swing. They illustrate that the exploitation of neural plasticity, entrainment to physical dynamics, and body growth (where each mechanism has a specific time scale) leads to a more efficient exploration of the sensorimotor space and eventually to a more adaptive behavior. Such a result is consistent with observations in developmental psychology.
Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity for Evolved Robots
Authors: Di Paolo Ezequiel
Published: January 2017

Plastic spiking neural networks are synthesized for phototactic robots using evolutionary techniques. Synaptic plasticity asymmetrically depends on the precise relative timing between presynaptic and postsynaptic spikes at the millisecond range and on longer-term activity-dependent regulatory scaling. Comparative studies have been carried out for different kinds of plastic neural networks with low and high levels of neural noise. In all cases, the evolved controllers are highly robust against internal synaptic decay and other perturbations. The importance of the precise timing of spikes is demonstrated by randomizing the spike trains. In the low neural noise scenario, weight values undergo rhythmic changes at the mesoscale due to bursting, but during periods of high activity they are finely regulated at the microscale by synchronous or entrained firing. Spike train randomization results in loss of performance in this case. In contrast, in the high neural noise scenario, robots are robust to loss of information in the timing of the spike trains, demonstrating the counterintuitive results that plasticity, which is dependent on precise spike timing, can work even in its absence, provided the behavioral strategies make use of robust longer-term invariants of sensorimotor interaction. A comparison with a rate-based model of synaptic plasticity shows that under similarly noisy conditions, asymmetric spike-timing dependent plasticity achieves better performance by means of efficient reduction in weight variance over time. Performance also presents negative sensitivity to reduced levels of noise, showing that random firing has a functional value.
An adaptive framework for mobile robot navigation
Authors: Güzel Mehmet Serdar , Kara Mehmet , Beyazkılıç Mehmet Sıtkı
Published: January 2017

Collective behaviours observed in nature bring new methodologies in proposing control algorithms for robot groups to perform a variety of complex tasks. In this article, an adaptive algorithm, allowing the safe navigation of a group of robots in a collective manner, is proposed. The algorithm, inspired from the adaptive particle swarm optimization technique, proposes an efficient control approach to overcome both static and moving obstacles. Accordingly, compared to the conventional particle swarm optimization algorithm, the proposed system allows a robot or group of robots (swarm) to complete the goal while avoiding static and moving obstacles as well as dynamic targets in a safe and collective manner. The simulation results verify the overall performance and reliability of the proposed system.
Filtering Out Use of DOACs in Hemodialysis
Authors: Dager William E. , Lee Jin A.
Published: January 2017

Published data exploring the best approach to initiating and maintaining anticoagulation in the setting of renal support therapy are scarce, as these patients were excluded in clinical trials. When developing an anticoagulation regimen in this setting, it is important to assess thrombosis risk, identify the unique drivers for thrombosis and bleeding, and recognize the limitations of supporting evidence behind approved prescribing indications for renal impairment. Available literature and considerations for using direct acting oral anticoagulants in the setting of renal support are reviewed.
Influence of partial blistering on the global and the local stress and couple stress field for a monolayer graphene resting on substrate
Authors: Sfyris D , Sfyris G I
Published: January 2017

Partial delamination of a thin film attached on a substrate is a phenomenon which is likely to occur in many film/substrate systems. Such a delamination strongly affects the developed stress and couple stress field of the film. The objective of this work is to accurately determine the effect of delamination on the stress and the couple stress field of a monolayer-thick graphene film bonded on a polymeric substrate. The theoretical framework we adopt is restricted to the materially and geometrically linear case; graphene is modeled as a hexagonal 2-lattice, while the substrate is assumed to behave in an isotropic linearly elastic manner. The present approach expands significantly on recent findings [4] for the case of partial blistering of the film resting on a substrate. We investigate the influence of the perfect bonding parameter, the substrate material and the size of the specimen, on stresses and couple stresses. Various stress and couple stress profiles illustrate the effect of the above on the local stress and couple stress fields. We also explore the effect on the global stress and global couple stress measures that we define by integrating the local stress and couple stress field along the surface of the film. Selected diagrams illustrate the effect delamination has on these global measures. Our theoretical analysis shows that the effect of delamination is of cardinal importance for the developed stress and couple stress fields of monolayer graphene.
Women in cabinets
Authors: Stockemer Daniel , Sundström Aksel
Published: January 2017

There is still relatively little research on what factors explain the share of women in cabinets across countries and time. Focusing on party ideology, we advance this budding research. First, we examine if heads of government from left-leaning and/or liberal parties tend to select a larger proportion female cabinet members than those from conservative parties. Second, we evaluate whether a switch toward a left-leaning or liberal government benefits women’s cabinet presence. We test both propositions empirically with a data set covering mainly Western and industrialized countries after 1968. Our statistical analysis only find lukewarm support for the first proposition, that is, left-wing parties are no longer more likely to nominate women to cabinet posts than other party families, particularly liberal parties. Rather, what we do find is that a change in government, regardless of whether the new formateur is left-wing, liberal, or conservative, benefits the nomination of women to cabinet posts.
Introduction: Transnational gender cultures and reality TV
Authors: Kavka Misha , Weber Brenda R
Published: January 2017

Having gained a global foothold in popular culture, reality TV offers to explicate, regulate and manipulate the social scripts we live by. This issue makes the claim that a transnational approach to reality TV provides a rich context for interrogating the international variability of gender cultures. As the analyses that are presented in this Special Issue indicate, while gender formations may operate according to globally patriarchal scripts, the manifestations, manipulations and resistances to such a script take locally specific forms, as shaped by the social, political and industrial histories of each particular place but with broader bearing on more ‘worldwide’ concerns, such as hegemony, patriarchy and capital.
Airflow and turbulence analysis inside a wide-body aircraft cabin mockup
Authors: Shehadi Maher , Hosni Mohammad , Jones Byron
Published: January 2017

Biological incidents such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and H1N1 (swine flu) transmission have been detected on flights. Ebola was the latest virus threat on board airflights. Chemical incidents were also detected and reported inside commercial aircraft passengers’ cabins. Odours and fumes from bleed air, as well as viruses, and bacteria can result in serious health hazards for cabin crews and passengers and have an important impact on aircraft air quality. The objective of this study was to understand airflow behaviour, gaseous transport and turbulence characteristics inside a Boeing 767 aircraft 11-row cabin mockup. The experimental results showed that there existed several eddies and circulations inside the cabin with two large-size circulations dominating over the front and middle sections of the cabin mockup. The airflow in the aft section of the cabin was more chaotic and experienced more complex flow characteristics than in other sections of the cabin. In addition to airflow investigation, this article examined the turbulence kinetic energy, turbulence intensity and viscous dissipation rates inside the cabin. Measurements and bias uncertainty calculations were done to investigate the measurements validity. Tracer gas testing showed uncertainty level of ±14%; and that the longitudinal length of the cabin controls the number of air circulations present in the cabin.
Do parents still model news consumption? Socializing news use among adolescents in a multi-device world
Authors: Edgerly Stephanie , Thorson Kjerstin , Thorson Esther , Vraga Emily K , Bode Leticia
Published: January 2017

This study seeks to understand how American youth (aged 12–17 years) learn to consume the news, with specific concern for which devices (television, computer, tablet, and mobile phone) they employ in consuming news. Using a national survey of parent–child dyads, we explore (1) the role of demographics in creating a home environment supportive of news use, (2) the importance of parental modeling of news use via different media devices and whether the effect of modeling is complicated by the shift from shared to individualized media consumption, and (3) the impact of other socialization agents, such as peers and schools, in promoting youth news consumption above and beyond characteristics of the home. Results indicate that parental modeling remains an important factor in socializing news consumption, even when modeling takes place via mobile devices. Additionally, we find consistent evidence for “matched modeling” between the devices parents use for news and those used by youth.
The endurance of critique
Authors: Fassin Didier
Published: January 2017

Critique in the humanities and the social sciences has recently been under attack and even declared lifeless. Considering the report of its death to be an exaggeration but acknowledging that one should never let a good crisis go to waste, I propose a reflection on the challenges faced by the practice of critical thinking in anthropology based on my own research on AIDS in South Africa, trauma among Palestinians, and policing and punishment in France, while resituating the questions it raises in a broader history of the discipline. More specifically, I discuss two major strands, genealogical critique and critical theory, suggesting how they may be combined, and two opposed views, critical sociology and the sociology of critique, showing that ethnography can surmount their supposed irreconcilability. Affirming that critique, under its multiple forms, is inherent to the anthropological project, I contend that it is more than ever needed in times laden with worrying spectres.
Behind the storefront of democracy: The case of media–politics relations in Lithuania
Authors: Lašas Ainius
Published: January 2017

This paper examines the dynamics of informality in the politics-media nexus. The case study of Lithuanian politics-media relations is used to explore an “average” CEE democracy, where informal rules and practices compete with formal rules and laws in defining everyday interactions between political and media elites. The findings, primarily driven by original interview data, suggest that local mass media can be not only the objects, but also the active subjects of corrupt practices. In contrast, foreign owned private media tends to play a largely positive role in diluting informality and boosting the levels of professionalism. Disputing longitudinal media freedom trends delineated by Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders, the paper points to a more optimistic present for media freedom in Lithuania.
Book Review: Clarke, D. 2012: Africa’s Future: Darkness to Destiny
Authors: Ojanperä Sanna
Published: January 2017

Clarke, D. 2012: Africa’s Future: Darkness to Destiny. London: Profile Books. 305 pp. £14.99. ISBN: 978-1-846-68570-5 (paperback). £14.99 ISBN: 978-1-847-65 799-2 (e-book).
Book Review: Ware, A., editor. 2014: Development in Difficult Sociopolitical Contexts: Fragile, Failed, Pariah
Authors: Said Maurice
Published: January 2017

Ware, A., editor. 2014: Development in Difficult Sociopolitical Contexts: Fragile, Failed, Pariah. Rethinking International Development Series. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. XIX + 334 pp. £81 (cloth). ISBN: 978–1-137–34762–6.
Tourists at the seaside: Exploring the spiritual dimension
Authors: Jarratt David , Sharpley Richard
Published: January 2017

Contemporary tourism is considered by many to embrace a spiritual dimension. That is, in increasingly secular modern societies, many forms of tourism represent a sacred journey that has the potential to fulfil the contemporary tourist’s spiritual needs. However, relatively few attempts have been made to explore this phenomenon, in particular, in the context of one of the most popular tourism settings, namely the seaside. This article addresses this gap in the literature. Drawing on research in Morecambe, a traditional seaside resort in the north-west of England, it seeks to identify the extent to which the seaside environment, in general, and the sea in particular, endow the touristic experience of the resort with emotional or spiritual significance. A number of clear themes emerge from the research that point to a spiritual dimension of the seaside experience, including a sense of connection, awesomeness, timelessness and nothingness. Nevertheless, further research in other coastal settings is required to substantiate these findings.
Measuring younger onset dementia: What the qualitative literature reveals about the ‘lived experience’ for patients and caregivers
Authors: Spreadbury John H , Kipps Christopher
Published: January 2017

Background

The qualitative research on young onset dementia is providing insights about the ‘lived experience’ of patients and caregivers. However, findings from these studies have seldom been integrated into descriptive overviews. Our aim was to search the qualitative research, to integrate the qualitative findings, and offer an account of the lived experience for patients and caregivers.

Method

The search of the qualitative research formed part of a broader comprehensive literature search investigating salient measurement issues in the young onset dementia psychosocial research. Five electronic databases were searched (Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, the Cochrane Library) plus supplementary searching of reference sections and use of online search engines. We identified 23 qualitative articles.

Results

In the pre-diagnostic period, patients experience changes in cognition and functioning but may be uncertain about changes and their significance. Caregivers may observe changes, think of explanations, and are important in instigating medical intervention. Obtaining a diagnosis may be a demanding process and the possibility of dementia may not be anticipated. In the post-diagnostic period, patients and caregivers use several strategies to cope and adjust. Patients can withdraw from established responsibilities while caregivers assume compensatory roles/duties. Patients perceive changes in their identity while caregivers perceive changes in the caregiver–patient relationship. Both can experience grief, isolation, and stigma.

Discussion

The diagnosis of dementia elicits significant changes in thinking, emotion, and lifestyle that patients and caregivers are unlikely to be ready for. Both receive insufficient support or guidance in particular of a psychological nature on how to cope and adjust.
Multi-feature entropy distance approach with vibration and acoustic emission signals for process feature recognition of rolling element bearing faults
Authors: Fei Cheng-Wei , Choy Yat-Sze , Bai Guang-Chen , Tang Wen-Zhong
Published: January 2017

To accurately reveal rolling bearing operating status, multi-feature entropy distance method was proposed for the process character analysis and diagnosis of rolling bearing faults by the integration of four information entropies in time domain, frequency domain and time–frequency domain and two kinds of signals including vibration signals and acoustic emission signals. The multi-feature entropy distance method was investigated and the basic thought of rolling bearing fault diagnosis with multi-feature entropy distance method was given. Through rotor simulation test rig, the vibration and acoustic emission signals of six rolling bearing faults (ball fault, inner race fault, outer race fault, inner ball faults, inner–outer faults and normal) are gained under different rotational speeds. In the view of the multi-feature entropy distance method, the process diagnosis of rolling bearing faults was implemented. The analytical results show that multi-feature entropy distance fully reflects the process feature of rolling bearing faults with the change of rotating speed; the multi-feature entropy distance with vibration and acoustic emission signals better reports signal features than single type of signal (vibration or acoustic emission signal) in rolling bearing fault diagnosis; the proposed multi-feature entropy distance method holds high diagnostic precision and strong robustness (anti-noise capacity). This study provides a novel and useful methodology for the process feature extraction and fault diagnosis of rolling element bearings and other rotating machinery.
Organizational strategies in the context of legitimacy loss: Radical versus gradual responses to disclosed corruption
Authors: Schembera Stefan , Scherer Andreas Georg
Published: January 2017

How do organizations respond to the loss of legitimacy in the context of disclosed corruption, and what drives the particular responses adopted? In this article, we study the organizational strategies of three multinational companies before, during, and after legitimacy loss due to disclosed organizational corruption. We explore why some multinational companies exceed regulatory expectations and choose radical strategies that substantially influence their environment by defining a new benchmark of anti-corruption practices, while others follow a more gradual approach. We build on the concept of legitimacy in institutional theory and focus on three strategies that organizations tend to adopt to regain legitimacy: isomorphic adaptation, moral reasoning, and strategic manipulation. Based on our empirical study, we suggest that when a transgression is accompanied by a strong legitimacy shock, transgressors are likely to see no alternative but to react both radically and instantly. We identify two distinct extremes of strategic manipulation: decoupling and substantial influence.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Rose Kevin , Herd Ann , Palacio Stephanie
Published: January 2017

The Problem

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are discretionary employee behaviors, such as helping fellow employees or voluntarily promoting the organization, that are important contributors to several aspects of performance in organizations. One of the defining aspects of OCBs is that these behaviors are offered freely by employees; they are engaged in voluntarily. However, for some employees, these kinds of behaviors may be considered expected or required as part of the employees in-role job prescriptions. This is the case with Soldiers in the United States Army.

The Solution

In this conceptual paper, we juxtapose the treatment and conceptualization of OCBs in Army work culture with that in civilian work culture and posit that individuals transitioning from a career in military service to a civilian career may encounter a need for reframing these behaviors in their new work contexts.

The Stakeholders

For Soldiers, OCB-like behaviors are expected as part of their role and are measured in evaluations of performance. Because these behaviors are required of service members, but discretionary for most civilian employees, dissonance can be created for Soldiers transitioning from a military career to the civilian workforce.
Post 9/11 Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities and their Transition to the Civilian Workforce
Authors: Stern Lisa
Published: January 2017

The problem

More than five million U.S. veterans are expected to return to our communities and the civilian workforce by the year 2020. The vast majority of Americans have little understanding of military service or the impact service may have on civilian employment outcomes. Connection to the labor force provides the swiftest means for a successful transition back home, yet almost half of post 9/11 veterans indicate finding a job is their biggest challenge. An exploratory literature review was conducted to examine if and how the career transition of post 9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities is presented in the human resource development (HRD) literature.

The solution

Based on the results of this exploratory literature review, three solutions are proposed: (a) examine what is working at work for veterans with disabilities in an effort to change the research conversation from problems to solutions, (b) understand and begin to deconstruct the veteran–civilian career identity conflict, and (c) explore the lived experiences of veterans with service-connected disabilities and their employers.

The Stakeholders

HRD researchers, HRD scholarly practitioners, and HRD professionals with an interest in the complexity of career transition and return-to-work issues facing veterans and people with disabilities.
Proven Leadership = College Credit
Authors: Bergman Matt , Herd Ann
Published: January 2017

The Problem

As service men and women transition to the civilian workforce because of a major drawdown of combat forces, many will face challenges with education requirements necessary to gain employment they desire in the civilian sector.

The Solution

Consequently, colleges and universities are adapting to this group of adult learners with convenient, flexible, and structured pathways to greater levels of educational attainment. One method of assisting military-connected students and student veterans is acknowledgment of credit for prior learning in the military. Portfolio development for prior learning assessment (PLA) has become a practice for adult learners in many institutions.

The Stakeholders

This article provides a review of the literature on PLA and discusses how it may address a multitude of challenges faced by transitioning military members who wish to consider formal education as an avenue to move forward in their careers and lives.
Preface
Authors: Minnis Sarah E.
Published: January 2017

In the 15 years that America has been at war in the Middle East, more than 2.5 million American service members have been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). These are in addition to associated and ongoing conflicts in the Global War on Terror. The time spent in military service has changed their lives and challenged these veterans in ways theymay not have expected. One of the most significant challenges the veterans face, is in finding and securing careers in the civilian employment sector after their military service has ended, or between deployments with the National Guard or military reserves. Civilian hiring managers, most often than not, have little or no knowledge about the variety of roles and range of skills that military veterans bring with them following military service. Likewise, veterans are often stymied by the experiences and expectations they experience in the civilian workforce. Misunderstandings and misconceptions plague both military veterans and civilian employers in the hiring and employment processes, leaving each side wondering how to effectively bridge the cultural divide.
Military Veterans’ Transferrable Skills
Authors: Davis Valerie E. , Minnis Sarah E.
Published: January 2017

The Problem

Military veterans face a number of employment challenges as they transition from military service to civilian employment. Although the American workforce has become much more diverse, there continues to be a lack of understanding and misperceptions about veterans’ skillsets and military experiences which inhibits successful employment after military service. Veterans are a source of talent for civilian employers as they bring distinctive capabilities and valuable skills developed through real-world, high-pressure experience, but some human resource development (HRD) practitioners may not be aware of the vast array of skills, training, and knowledge that veterans bring to the civilian workforce in addition to supervisory and management skills acquired during their time in the armed forces. Given the civilian public’s general lack of knowledge about military experience, HRD practitioners, in particular, may be less able to effectively evaluate and integrate veterans’ military experiences, skills, and capabilities in the civilian employment sector. These misunderstandings are contributing factors impacting veterans’ ability to transfer their skills from military to business cultures.

The Solution

It is imperative that HRD practitioners understand the potentially strong contributions and societal misperceptions regarding the business value of military veterans’ skills and experiences. This article will explore distinctive capabilities of veterans that make them assets in the civilian workforce as well as some potential concerns and highlight HRD’s role in recognizing and facilitating the development of veteran hiring and retention initiatives in civilian employment. Educating HRD professionals about how to integrate military veterans’ skills, knowledge, and abilities in business cultures and mitigate concerns is vital to promote veterans’ contributions to civilian organizations and is necessary for effective hiring and talent development.

The Stakeholders

Veterans, HRD professionals, scholars, practitioners, and policy makers interested in the HRD field, private sector, federal, nonfederal public sector, and U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Mass Media Reporting and Enabling of Mass Shootings
Authors: Murray Jennifer L.
Published: January 2017

This article identifies distinct mass media reporting stages used in the coverage of mass killings, and the inspiration they provide for future killers. Ethnographic content analysis was used to identify common and ordered stages/themes expressed through mass media accounts of the massacres committed by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris (Columbine High School), Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech), James Holmes (Aurora Movie Theater), Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook Elementary School), and Omar Mateen (Pulse nightclub Orlando). Many of these infamous killers reference/discuss their well-publicized prior homicidal role models in self-created archival documents they leave behind. They do not just copycat prior killers, they often relate to them, are inspired by them, and want to outdo them. The entertainment form and logic of mass mediated news provides the inspiration and fuel for later killings.
Roles of Communication Problems and Communication Strategies on Resident-Related Role Demand and Role Satisfaction
Authors: Savundranayagam Marie Y. , Lee Christopher
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the impact of dementia-related communication difficulties and communication strategies used by staff on resident-related indicators of role demand and role satisfaction. Formal/paid long-term care staff caregivers (N = 109) of residents with dementia completed questionnaires on dementia-related communication difficulties, communication strategies, role demand (ie, residents make unreasonable demands), and role satisfaction (measured by relationship closeness and influence over residents). Three types of communication strategies were included: (a) effective repair strategies, (b) completing actions by oneself, and (c) tuning out or ignoring the resident. Analyses using structural equation modeling revealed that communication problems were positively linked with role demand. Repair strategies were positively linked with relationship closeness and influence over residents. Completing actions by oneself was positively linked to role demand and influence over residents, whereas tuning out was negatively linked with influence over residents. The findings underscore that effective caregiver communication skills are essential in enhancing staff–resident relationships.
A Novel Technique to Reduce Contrast Exposure During Subclavian Interventions
Authors: Sanon Saurabh , Barsness Gregory W. , Gulati Rajiv
Published: January 2017

We describe a novel technique to minimize total body contrast exposure during endovascular angiography. A patient with severe renal impairment and history of contrast-induced nephropathy was referred for subclavian artery intervention. Angiography and intervention was performed via transfemoral access, while a transradial sheathless-guiding catheter was used to aspirate injected contrast/blood mix from the downstream axillary artery. Semiquantitative analysis indicated approximately 50% of the injected contrast was retrieved. Adaptation of this simple strategy could be considered for selected coronary, lower extremity, and carotid procedures, using contrast removal techniques from the coronary sinus, femoral, and jugular veins.
Endovascular Repair of Contained Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Using a Bilateral D-Shaped Stent System
Authors: van der Sluis Nanouk , Tielliu Ignace F. J. , Zeebregts Clark J. , Krievins Dainis , van Schaik Paul M.
Published: January 2017

To report the first case of the treatment of a contained aortic aneurysm rupture using a bilateral D-shaped endovascular stent graft system.