bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The use of complementary serological and molecular testing for blood-borne pathogens and evaluation of socio-demographic characteristics of intravenous drug users on substitution therapy from Sumadia district of Serbia
Authors: Borovcanin Nemanja , Ristanovic Elizabeta , Todorovic Milena , Borovcanin Milica , Jovanovic Mirjana , Balint Bela
Published: September 2017

Background/Aim. Intravenous drug users (IDUs) are still a high risk-group for cross-reacting blood-borne infections, for vertical pathogen transmission as well as for potentially blood/plasma donation (especially as ?paid? donors). The aim of our study was to establish the profile of opiate addict and prevalence of blood-borne pathogens ? Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among 99 patients on substitution therapy with methadone and buprenorphine from Sumadia District. Methods. The Treatment Demand Indicator (TDI) of Pompidou-questionnaire was used to assess the history of drug abuse and risk behavior. All blood samples were tested for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and HIV antigen/antibody (HIVAg/ Ab) by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) or Chemiluminescent Immuno-Assay (CIA). Investigations were also performed for HBV, HCV and HIV by molecular testing ? Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Results. The majority of patients were males (81.8%), median age 32 (19?57) years, lived in a city (99%), unemployed (58.6%), with finished secondary school (67.7%), unsafe injecting practices (34.3%) and never previously tested for HBV (39.4%), HCV (36.4%) nor HIV (28.3%); only 4% of them previously got HBV-vaccine. The complementary testing resulted with following results: HBV ELISA/CIA and PCR negativity for 66 patients and positive results (by ELISA/CIA and PCR) for 19 patients. However, a difference was observed in the ELISA/CIAnegative/ PCR-positive result for 12 and ELISA/CIApositive/ PCR-negative for two patients respectively. Further, the negative results for HCV (ELISA/CIA and PCR testing) were found in 15 IDUs and positive results (using both methods) were found in 58 patients. Different results for ELISA/CIA-negative / PCR-positive results were found in 11 IDUs and ELISA/CIA-positive/PCR ? negative results were found in 15 patients. All investigated IDUs were negative for HIV (ELISA/CIA and PCR testing) and for pathogens of opportunistic infection (Cryptococcus neoformans; Pneumocystis carinii; PCR testing), as well as for West Nile Virus (PCR testing). Just one IDU was positive for syphilis (ELISA and confirmatory testing). Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that the positivity for HBV and HCV is still very high (33.4% and 84.8%, respectively) in IDUs. Thus, we suggest that drug users have to be periodically screened using a complementary serological/molecular testing ? concerning differences/discrepancies in the results obtained using these methods.
Effect of Exercise-Induced Lactate Elevation on Brain Lactate Levels During Hypoglycemia in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia
Authors: Wiegers Evita C. , Rooijackers Hanne M. , Tack Cees J. , Groenewoud Hans J.M.M. , Heerschap Arend , de Galan Bastiaan E. , van der Graaf Marinette
Published: September 2017

Since altered brain lactate handling has been implicated in the development of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) in type 1 diabetes, the capacity to transport lactate into the brain during hypoglycemia may be relevant in its pathogenesis. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases plasma lactate levels. We compared the effect of HIIT-induced hyperlacticacidemia on brain lactate during hypoglycemia between 1) patients with type 1 diabetes and IAH, 2) patients with type 1 diabetes and normal awareness of hypoglycemia, and 3) healthy participants without diabetes (n = 6 per group). All participants underwent a hypoglycemic (2.8 mmol/L) clamp after performing a bout of HIIT on a cycle ergometer. Before HIIT (baseline) and during hypoglycemia, brain lactate levels were determined continuously with J-difference–editing 1H-MRS, and time curves were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. At the beginning of hypoglycemia (after HIIT), brain lactate levels were elevated in all groups but most pronounced in patients with IAH. During hypoglycemia, brain lactate decreased ∼30% below baseline in patients with IAH but returned to baseline levels and remained there in the other two groups. Our results support the concept of enhanced lactate transport as well as increased lactate oxidation in patients with type 1 diabetes and IAH.
¿Actualizar ó vender su máquina antigua?
Authors: Guiza Amaya José Seiggubar
Published: September 2017

Se cuenta  la experiencia que tuvo el Centro ASTIN en la actualización de la máquina inyectora alemana marca DEMAG, de 150 Ton, que  no la usaba  por obsolescencia de elementos de control que no eran producidos por el fabricante. Se hizo una evaluación de los diferentes sistemas: eléctrico, mecánico, hidráulico, de PLC, entre otros. Se trabajó con un  equipo multidisciplinario para incorporarar la inyectora a la producción. Se logró la apropiación del know-how en software de control y monitoreo, control de caudal y presión hidráulica, todo esto solo con el cambio del PLC y un mínimo cambio de elementos eléctricos, sin cambios mecánicos.
Deposición y caracterización de recubrimientos de Nitruro de Boro producidos por pulverización catódica
Authors: Bejarano G. Gilberto , Caicedo R. J.M. , Prieto Pedro , Zambrano G. , Baca E. , Moran O.
Published: September 2017

El nitruro de boro (BN) es un material de gran importancia tecnológica, con propiedades térmicas, eléctricas y mecánicas que se aproximan a las del diamante. El nitruro de boro se puede formar principalmente en tres estructuras cristalinas: cúbico (c-BN). wurtzite (w-BN) y hexagonal (h-BN). El c-BN es la estructura más interesante, debido a su conjunto único de propiedades. Tres parámetros son comunes a todos los experimentos PVD para la producción exitosa de c-BN: Bombardeo de la película en crecimiento con iones energéticos (generalmente 100-500eV), elevada temperatura del substrato (300-400°C) y la correcta estequiometria en la película. En este trabajo se revisó la literatura de deposición física de vapor y caracterización de películas delgadas de c-BN, poniendo especial énfasis en el voltaje de polarización del substrato (d.c. y r.f.) como efecto dominante en el contenido de c-BN dentro de la película. Se prepararon películas delgadas de BN usando voltaje de polarización del substrato d.c. y r.f. Se identificó el voltaje crítico para la formación de la fase c-BN en ambos casos. Las películas se caracterizaron por medio de espectroscopia de Infrarrojo con Transformada de Fourier (FTIR), usada para la identificación de fase, Microscopia de Fuerza Atómica (AFM) y Microscopia Electrónica de Barrido (SEM) para la caracterización morfológica. La caracterización de las películas obtenidas este de acuerdo con el modelo estructural de capas propuesto en la literatura.
Sistema de Gestión Metrológica: Una forma de asegurar la calidad
Authors: Pretel Otero Edgar Marino
Published: September 2017

Medir adecuadamente es el medio para gerenciar sobre la base de datos y así, descartar el yo creo, me parece, yo pienso, muchos, pocos, entre otros. Es decir, se debe dejar de lado las opiniones subjetivas y tomar decisiones de acuerdo con las cuantificaciones realizadas, por cuanto los datos ayudan a confirmar o replantear la teoría.
Nuevos cabezales con distribuidor en espiral
Authors: Wortberg Johannes
Published: September 2017

En el presente artículo se mencionan las características que deben cumplir los diseños modernos de los cabezales con distribuidor en espiral con el fin de que puedan satisfacer un flujo uniforme de la masa fundida y, en consecuencia, un producto con gran uniformidad de espesores de pared, sin líneas de unión.  Además, deben cumplir con importantes requisitos adicionales, sobre todo en la coextrusión.
Diseño para manufactura y ensamble
Authors: Kallewaard Echeverri Valentina , Vanegas Useche Libardo V. , Burbano Jaramillo Juan Carlos
Published: September 2017

El diseño para manufactura y ensamble es un proceso de ingeniería simultanea diseñado para optimizar las relaciones entre diseño, manufacture y ensamble; se presenta una revisión de los métodos para su aplicación.
El subsector de los plásticos en Cali y Yumbo
Authors: Villarreal Mesa Marco Antonio
Published: September 2017

Se presenta el estudio realizado el CDT ASTIN, en lo relacionado con  las necesidades de los clientes, la evolución de las tecnologías relacionadas con el nicho de mercado y la competencia existente en el medio con el fin de ajustar la oferta de Formación Profesional y Servicios Tecnológicos hacia la generación de soluciones pertinentes para las cadenas productivas "metalmecánica", e "hidrocarburos - plástico - caucho- fibras sintéticas”.
Visión artificial: Nuevas vías para el reciclaje
Authors: Garrote Estibaliz , Gutiérrez José A. , Andueza Juan J. , García-Tejedor Javier
Published: September 2017

Se describe un método orientado a la separación de residuos por visión artificial "Sistema de separación de partículas por métodos ópticos”, el cual aborda las optimizaciones necesarias para obtener un mayor beneficio de los procesos de reciclaje.
Proceso de mecanizado por electroerosión
Authors: Rúa José Ramiro
Published: September 2017

Se describe la electroerosión, sus tipos, propiedades y modos de empleo para dar formas sencillas o complejas, desprendiendo virutas muy finas; lo que permite trabajar materiales como aceros, que pueden estar endurecidos, el metal duro aluminio, bronce y todos aquellos que presentan como característica una buena conductividad.
Fresado de alta velocidad de moldes y matrices
Authors: Gómez A.
Published: September 2017

Se describe la técnica de mecanizado de alta velocidad (MAV) de moldes y matrices en las aplicaciones  de fresado sobre aceros endurecidos y fresado sobre materiales blandos.
El nuevo papel del productor de plásticos: Decisiones estratégicas a comienzos del siglo XXI
Authors: Hensel Thomas L. , Main Frankfurt Am
Published: September 2017

Se presentaron  opciones estratégicas para los productores de plástico, basado en un análisis del estado de la industria y su prospectiva, incluyendo opciones en la búsqueda de ventajas para el cliente, diferenciación y solidez (rentabilidad persistente).
Propiedades mecánicas y tribológicas de recubrimientos duros: Uso de la técnica de nanoindentación
Authors: Sequeda Osorio Federico , Trujillo J. A. , Benavides M. , Bejarano Gaitán Gilberto
Published: September 2017

Se describe la fabricación y la caracterización mecánica y tribológica de recubrimientos duros (CrN, ZrN, AITiN), depositados sobre acero HSS utilizando Ia técnica PVD - Evaporación por Arco, para la caracterización mecánica y tribológica, se utilizó la técnica de nanoindentación.
Análise comparativa da umidade da vegetação de áreas de caatinga preservada, agricultura irrigada e sequeiro
Authors: Brito Pedro Vinícius da Silva , Morais Ygor Cristiano Brito , Ferreira Henrique dos Santos , Silva Jadson Freire da , Galvíncio Josiclêda Domiciano
Published: September 2017

O uso não planejado dos recursos do bioma caatinga vem provocando diversos processos de degradação ambiental, os quais interferem negativamente sobre sistemas físico-naturais e biológicos da região semiárida. Sendo assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as diferenças de parâmetros biofísicos em áreas de caatinga preservada e degradada, bem como das áreas de agricultura irrigada e sequeiro. Foram utilizadas duas imagens do satélite Landsat 8 – Sensor OLI, correspondentes aos dias 22/05/2016 e 17/01/2017. Nas quais foram aplicados os cálculos de refletância, NDVI e NDWI. Os resultados mostraram uma diferença nos valores de NDVI e NDWI entre as imagens de 2016 e 2017 de acordo com os diferentes tipos de vegetação. As áreas de caatinga apresentaram predominância de valores de NDVI de 0,4 a 0,6. Os perímetros irrigados destacaram-se por apresentar NDVI e NDWI maiores do que nas áreas de caatinga e de sequeiro. Tais diferenças entre os dias analisados resultaram da ausência e/ou baixa quantidade de precipitação nos meses que antecederam os dias de imageamento. Quanto à agricultura irrigada, esta apresentou a maior disponibilidade de água, o que influencia diretamente na atividade fotossintética das plantas e no conteúdo de água presente na no solo.
Concurrent Reactivation of VZV and HSV-2 in a Patient with Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report
Authors: McDonald Philip J. , Krishnan-Natesan Suganthini
Published: September 2017

Background:

Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) are neurotropic herpesviruses that cause vesicular mucocutaneous eruptions. They both establish latency in peripheral ganglia and can reactivate to cause episodic outbreaks. HSV occurs more often in the young and may reactivate frequently. VZV reactivation is associated with advancing age due to a decline in the VZV-specific T cell population. While both viruses have been isolated from the same sensory ganglia, they rarely cause simultaneous disease. In most of these cases the viruses have been isolated at different body sites in immunocompromised hosts. However, clinical disease with concurrent detection of both HSV and VZV from the same anatomic location has been described. In a prior study of dual positive specimens, a lower PCR cycle threshold (Ct) was consistently observed for VZV, suggesting that zoster caused subsequent reactivation of HSV.

Case presentation:

Here we describe the case of a 64-year-old patient with uncontrolled diabetes who presented with painful penile ulcers and a dermatomal, crusted, left lower abdominal rash. His penile ulcers were positive for both HSV-2 and VZV by PCR. Ct data suggested that primary zoster led to secondary genital HSV-2. Hyperglycemia is known to cause reversible T cell dysfunction and was the likely precipitating factor for the patient’s illness, which responded to oral valacyclovir.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge this is the first report of diabetes-related concurrent herpesvirus reactivation. Clinicians should consider the possibility of simultaneous HSV and VZV infection in patients who present with dermatomal zosteriform lesions since higher antiviral doses are recommended for herpes zoster as compared to herpes simplex.
Linezolid induced optic neuropathy, a serious yet reversible adverse effect: a case report
Authors: Shah Ritesh Kumar , Lamichhane Samir
Published: September 2017

Background:

Linezolid like many other systemic drugs can cause reversible sight threatening adverse reaction. A proper causality assessment tool can aid a decision to discontinue a drug when an adverse event is suspected.

Case presentation:

We describe a case of progressive visual loss in a 28-year-old lady undergoing long term linezolid for extensively drug resistant tuberculosis. A marked improvement in vision was seen on discontinuation of linezolid.

Conclusion:

A knowledge of visual monitoring in patients undergoing long-term linezolid therapy among physicians and ophthalmologists is important, especially in developing countries where infectious disease is still a problem and use of antimicrobials is hardly monitored.
Thin corpus callosum as a diagnostic marker for hereditary spastic paraparesis due to mutations in the SPG11 gene: a case report
Authors: Murugan Archana , Mallick Andrew Ashok , Dibble Laraine , Babiker Mohamed Osman Eltahir
Published: September 2017

Background:

Hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP) is a rare neurodegenerative condition that results in gradual deterioration of lower limb function due to spastic weakness. It can manifest at any age and predominantly presents as gait abnormalities especially tip toe walking. They are classified as simple or complicated based on additional clinical/neurological symptoms apart from lower limb involvement. These are genetically heterogeneous disorders with mutations discovered in more than 50 genes. The association of thin corpus callosum (TCC) along with clinical features of spastic paraplegia is particularly described in mutations of SPG11 gene.

Case presentation:

We describe two unrelated cases of childhood onset HSP-TCC associated with mutations in exon16 and exon 28: exon 30 respectively. Both these patients also have associated learning difficulties.

Conclusion:

The constellation of clinical symptoms and MRI findings led to targeted genetic testing and subsequent identification of their diagnosis.
Pseudo-lipomas or a camouflage of metastatic differentiated papillary thyroid cancer: a case report
Authors: Rasheed Rashid , Gillani Jawad A. , Naqvi Syed Ali Raza , Rasheed Shahid , Murtaza Ghulam , Fatima Tatheer
Published: September 2017

Background:

Papillary thyroid carcinoma is a type of well differentiated cancer showing fair response to iodine ablation therapy. Mainly it spreads into nodes and mediastinum however other areas of metastases include lungs and bone.

Case presentation:

A 54 year old female presented with soft partially mobile lumps in skull and back, associated with chronic pain. These painless lumps were declared lipomas due to their soft consistency on clinical examination by the local practitioners for last three years. But detailed radiological investigations by tertiary care hospital, followed by FNAC, showed papillary variant of thyroid cancer with metastatic lytic deposits.

Conclusion:

Clinical examination of all suspicious lumps should be followed by radiological correlation and tissue diagnosis so that patients may avoid future complications.
The Application of Social Networks in Assisting out-of-class Interactions: A case Study of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Dalat University
Authors: Tuan Nguyen Van , An Nguyen Thanh Hong
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the application of social networks in assisting out-of-class interactions in the context of Vietnam. A group of lecturers and students from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Dalat University was chosen to participate in a pilot scheme, using a social network called Edmodo to assist the out-of-class interactions between lecturers and students in the courses in charge in one academic year. The results show that the social network improves the efficiency of out-of-class interactions among participants and receive positive feedbacks from both students and lecturers. The results also indicate that the use of social networks in education is feasible and will improve the teaching and learning efficiency. However, the results also suggest that lecturers should carefully plan academic activities and provide students with proper incentives to motivate their participation into the class online interactive activities.
Teacher’s Perception of “A good English Language Teacher”
Authors: Viet Hung Nguyen
Published: September 2017

This article, as a part of a bigger research project on teachers' perceptions about the role of the teacher in teaching English in Vietnam, is to contribute a voice in clarifying the competence of a language teacher (teaching language) in view of ELT methodologists in the world. First author presents different perspectives on English teacher competence framework, then makes analysis of the competence frameworks, caregorizes them into groups, so that readers easily find the strengths and weaknesses of the model. Then the article summarizes the results of a study on the perception of secondary school teachers in Hanoi about “a good English language teacher” and necessary competences of English language teachers. Theoretical framework for data analysis is based on Dudzik's Competency Framework for English Language Teachers (2008) and the Guidebook for use of Competency Framework for English Language Teachers from NFL2020 (2015). Research results will bring new information and necessary knowledge to help teachers and administrators (especially NFL2020) make appropriate adjustments to improve the quality of English language teaching in Vietnam.
Evaluation of a CO2 Tax in Chile: Emissions Reduction or Design Problems?
Authors: Mardones Cristian , Flores Belén
Published: September 2017

In 2014, Chile introduced a tax reform on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that began to be collected in 2017; the reform is restricted to large industrial and power generation sources with thermal power greater than 50 megawatts (MW). Therefore, this study evaluates each industrial source’s option to reduce its taxes by switching to cleaner fuels (investing in new combustion equipment, such as boilers and dual burners). The results show that a tax of US$5 per ton of CO2 for industrial sources of more than 50 MW of thermal power is wholly ineffective in reducing emissions. If a carbon tax is applied to all independent sources of power, only a few industrial sources are predicted to change their current fuel, mainly changing coal to biomass. The conclusion is that the carbon tax serves to raise tax revenues rather than reduce emissions.
El triunfo de la libertad negativa: Discurso parlamentario en Chile acerca de la libertad de expresión
Authors: Sapiezynska Ewa
Published: September 2017

Se presenta un análisis temático de tres debates parlamentarios claves para el tema de la libertad de expresión en el ámbito mediático en Chile desde la vuelta a la democracia: la discusión en torno a la Ley de Prensa 1993–2001, el Informe de la Comisión Especial sobre las Libertades de Pensamiento y Expresión 2007–2010 y el debate de la Ley de Televisión Digital 2008–2014. En todos ellos, la batalla principal se ha librado por el significado mismo de la libertad de expresión, por su contenido meramente negativo —como la libertad de “injerencia” estatal— o el positivo que supone un Estado activo. Los ganadores de los debates argumentaron en contra de la regulación viéndola como una intromisión estatal limitante para el mercado, y reduciendo así la noción de la libertad de expresión a la libertad de empresa.
Report from the Editor (2017)
Authors: Pérez-Liñán Aníbal
Published: September 2017

Report presented at the meeting of the Executive Council of the Latin American Studies
Association in Lima, Peru, April 27, 2017.
On The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Girard, and the relationship between desire and violence
Authors: Damen Fleur
Published: September 2017

see MJLA
Can Mindfulness Beat Alzheimer's Disease?
Authors: Heutz Rachel Anna Marjet
Published: September 2017

Abstract:The purpose of this paper is to identify to what extent the development of Alzheimer’s disease can be delayed or prevented by the use of mindfulness-based interventions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) plays an important role. This leads to neuronal cell death and synaptic degeneration, especially in the default-mode network (DMN). No current effective treatment is available. Mindfulness has been related to an increase in volume and connectivity of the exact brain areas affected in AD. Therefore, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), meditation and yoga have been tested in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is seen as a transitional state between healthy age-related cognitive decline and AD pathology, hence an open window for early intervention. In this paper it is found that mindfulness has great potential to prevent AD-related pathology of the DMN, hence decreasing cognitive decline in people with MCI.
MODERN CATHOLICISM AND FEMALE IDENTITY
Authors: Aengenheyster Johannes , Masoliver Caitlin
Published: September 2017

This research explores the experiences of young Catholic women in contemporary Western European society. Using qualitative research methods, several in-depth interviews reveal how young Catholic’s idenity are structured and negotiated within an increasingly secularized society. It shows that young women today emphasize values of tolerance and indiscriminate love over traditional Catholic teachings. Furthermore community serves as important frame of reference for their religious engagement. The findings offer interesting comparisons and contradictions to the existing literature in the field.
In Defence of a Magic Circle: The Social, Mental and Cultural Boundaries of Play
Authors: Stenros Jaakko
Published: September 2017

This article reviews the history of the concept of the magic circle, its criticism and the numerous other metaphors that have been used to capture the zone of play or the border that surrounds it, such as world, frame, bubble, net, screen, reality, membrane, zone, environment, or attitude. The various conceptions of social, mental and cultural borders are reviewed and identified. Finally, a model is put forward where the psychological bubble of playfulness, the social contract of the magic circle and the cultural game forms are separated.
Player Types: A Meta-synthesis
Authors: Hamari Juho , Tuunanen Janne
Published: September 2017

This paper investigates different ways in which players have been typified in past research literature in order to distinguish relevant typologies for further research as well as for designing and marketing of games. The goal is to synthesize the results of various studies and to find the prevailing concepts, compare them, and draw implications to further studies. The research process for this study proceeded from a literature search, to author-centric (Webster & Watson 2002) identification and categorization of previous works based on the established larger factors such as demographic, psychographic and behavioral variables. The previous works on player typologies were further analyzed using concept-centric approach and synthesized according to common and repeating factors in the previous studies. The results indicate that player types in previous literature can be synthesized into seven primary dimensions: Intensity, Achievement, Exploration, Sociability, Domination, Immersion and In-game demographics.
A Practical Guide to Using Digital Games as an Experiment Stimulus
Authors: Järvelä Simon , Ekman Inger , Kivikangas J. Matias , Ravaja Niklas
Published: September 2017

Digital games offer rich media content and engaging action, accessible individually or in groups collaborating or competing against each other. This makes them promising for use as a stimulus in research settings. This paper examines the advantages and challenges of using games in experimental research with particular focus on strict stimulus control through the following four areas: (1) matching and regulating task type, (2) data segmentation and event coding, (3) compatibility between participants, and (4) planning and conducting data collection. This contribution provides a breakdown of the steps necessary for using a digital game in experimental studies, along with a checklist for researchers illustrating variables that potentially affect the reliability and validity of experiments. We also offer a study example to illustrate how these considerations apply to practice. The aim is to provide support to researchers planning and conducting empirical experiments involving games, and also to those evaluating the works of others.
The Roll of the Dice in Warhammer 40,000
Authors: Carter Marcus , Harrop Mitchell , Gibbs Martin
Published: September 2017

In this article we discuss the role that the physicality of dice has in the experience of the non-digital tabletop strategy game Warhammer 40,000. Numerous previous approaches towards the digital augmentation of non-digital games have considered dice rolling a menial or tedious computational task to be designed away. We disagree. In this article we argue that the physicality of dice has a positive effect on players’ experience and enjoyment of the game. This occurs through their tangibility, their role as a representational object (situationally, imaginatively and audibly), and through enabling shared experiences. Thus, while digital augmentation of physical games has the potential to make strong contributions to game play experiences, more careful consideration should be given to what might be lost through such efforts.
Editors of Play: The Scripts and Practices of Co-creativity in Minecraft and LittleBigPlanet
Authors: Abend Pablo , Beil Benjamin
Published: September 2017

Computer games can be described as assemblages which, to use a term borrowed from Science and Technology Studies, provide different scripts, setting the scene for user practices. Scripts include the game world’s possibilities, restrictions, and the degree of freedom provided tothe player. Lately, a new genre of games challenges these specifics. Socalled editor games, like Minecraft or LittleBigPlanet, which entered the market with sweeping success, are not games in the traditional sense (in which players follow certain rules guided by narrative elements framing the gameplay). Instead, these sandbox games – often labeled as ‘digitalLEGO’ or ‘co-creative open worlds’ – afford constructing a game world rather than playing within one. Following a praxeological approach, this essay will try to make co-creative processes in editor games accessible as a research object, by performing a critical evaluation of established methods within Game Studies, complemented by an experimental focus group analysis.
Vatikan II setelah 50 Tahun: Quo Vadimus
Authors: Heatubun Fabianus Sebastian
Published: September 2017

Pope Francis’s statement “I am the Vatican II” sounds a manifesto. To which direction is the wind blowing the Church’s ark, we might have already guessed. The existing dichotomy between the liberal and the conservative as well as the tension between the primacies of the pastoral and the dogmatic will yet be conflicting and colliding with each other. After 50 years, the 2nd Vatican Council and the ongoing future discussions about the basic pastoral directions within the Catholicism are to this day white-hot. The Pope could be anyone. But theologians, for these are who make the lineamenta of a new document, will continue to colour the trend of the Church in giving responses to the signs of the time. The future of Catholicism will not be viewed as limited as the lens of the Vatican II. The future humanism will challenge the Church with wider and more complex considerations rather than dwelling on the problems of dialogue with other religions apologetically or racketing with traditionalism, liberalism, and sekularism. There are pressing matters such as ecology, global warming, terrorism, and the sprawling gap between the poor and the rich. Macro-ethics has become more imperative than micro-ethics. The Catholic Church is called out to create “a better world for all” – the Kingdom of God that is inclusive and at a stroke pluralistic.
Martin Heidegger mengenai Mengada secara Otentik dan Relevansinya bagi Pelayanan Kesehatan
Authors: Jena Yeremias
Published: September 2017

Human existence is perceived by Martin Heidegger as Dasein, that being-in-the-world. The modes of existence of Dasein in the world are Being-with-the-other (Mitsein), Being-alongside-things (Sein-bei), and Being-one’s-self (Selbstein). For Heidegger, the ideal mode of existence of Dasein is Being-one’s-self (Selbstein). Only through this mode of being that Dasein forms its distinctiveness from other entities which are just being-within-the-world. As to the convenience of enjoying the objects of the world, idle talk or gossipping can cause Dasein to forget its authentic being. After describing the thoughts of Heidegger on the fall of Dasein into being unauthentic, this paper highlights the ontological awareness of the existence of Dasein towards death as an authentic mode of existence. At the end of this writing, I propose narration as a ‘tool’ to be used by health care providers in assisting the patient to affirm and accept illness experience as their modes of being.
Sewaka Darma: Pembelajaran Keutamaan Kehidupan dan Implikasi Pedagogisnya
Authors: Siswantara Yusuf
Published: September 2017

Education has been developed in the western part as well as in the eastern part of the world, although each might have brought forth quite different methods and values. Education also has evolved in Indonesia since long before the contemporary systems. Sewaka Darma, an ancient Sundanese text, contains a particular model of education by way of teaching the wisdom of life. This text inspires further discussion on how education has been understood long time ago in its particular Sundanese context. Sewaka Darma is a kind of textbook for teaching that contains discourses between a teacher and his or her student. The teacher presents the teachings in a form of kawih (advice). By implementing a narrative model, the teacher conveys philosophy of life, the way of perfection, and moksha. The core of these teachings could be summarized: (a) that life is about suffering, being mortal, and a temporary condition, and (b) that life moves towards the perfection in moksha. On the level of practical everydayness, in order to gain perfection human strives to be a knowing and integral person. Sewaka Darma shows particular educational elements, that is, (a) virtue teachings for the sake of finding the basis of life through a spiritual outlook and (b) virtue advices that insinuate a learning methodology: on the wholeness and integrity of the self, on the character education by way of nyantrik (to be a follower in order to learn) method, on teachers as the role-model, and on the educational community.
Mengenal Fenomenologi Persepsi Merleau-Ponty tentang Pengalaman Rasa
Authors: Sebastian Tanius
Published: September 2017

Phenomenology of Perception is one of the main philosophical works of a France phenomenological philosopher, Maurice Merleau-Ponty. In this book, Merleau-Ponty elaborates his reflection on the nature of the body based on the perception of the world. In “Sense Experience,” which is part of Phenomenology of Perception, explains the bodily experience and its relation to human’s mode of being in the world. This part is important to look upon, for it serves as the basis for Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological thought on perception. In “Sense Experience”, while affirming his critique on empiricism and intellectualism, Merleau-Ponty also reflects the meaning of sense experience, the unity of the sense, the analytical attitude, the nature of the body, and the ambiguity of sense experience itself. Two key ideas surface from “Sense Experience,” that is, sense experience with and through the body, and bodily experience with and through the world. One might speak of the world, yet one is part of it. It is the body that allows such ambiguity.
Percepción del proceso de quejas y reclamos en una facultad de medicina
Authors: Gonzalez Quiñones Juan Carlos , Montaña Rodríguez María Mónica , Morales Pérez Juan Camilo , Moreno Erika , Olmos Clavijo Ada Luz , Ortiz Vásquez Laura Lucía , Ovalle Méndez Juanita , Ramírez Peña Diana Paola
Published: September 2017

Objetivo: Medir la percepción que tienen los estudiantes del sistema de quejas y reclamos en una facultad de Medicina y plantear una propuesta para mejorarlo.Metodología: Se aplicó una encuesta autodiligenciada en una comunidad estudiantil.Resultados: Los estudiantes del ciclo de fundamentación (primero a cuarto semestre) tuvieron la mayor participación (60 %). 39 % se encuentra parcialmente satisfecho con la facultad. 36 % de los encuestados tiene quejas o reclamos que no han expresado por diferentes razones (desconocimiento del conducto regular, falta de tiempo o miedo a represalias). 69,3 % de las quejas están relacionadas con el personal de la facultad y el área con mayor número de quejas interpuestas es la oficina del área de gestión académica.Conclusiones: De acuerdo con la percepción de los estudiantes, el sistema de quejas y reclamos de la facultad es deficiente.
Increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases associated with travel to Dubai among travellers from the United Kingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands, October 2016 to end August 2017
Authors: Dabrera Gavin , Brandsema Petra , Lofdahl Margareta , Naik Falguni , Cameron Ross , McMenamin Jim , Pebody Richard , Phin Nick
Published: September 2017

Between 1 October 2016 and 31 August 2017, 51 Legionnaires’ disease (LD) cases from the United Kingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands were identified with associated travel to Dubai. Cases did not all stay in the same accommodation, indicating that no single accommodation could be the source for all these infections. While local investigations continue into other potential sources, clinicians should remain alert to the possibility of LD among travellers returning from Dubai with respiratory illness.
Effects of Dual-Language Immersion Programs on Student Achievement
Authors: Steele Jennifer L. , Slater Robert O. , Zamarro Gema , Miller Trey , Li Jennifer , Burkhauser Susan , Bacon Michael
Published: September 2017

Using data from seven cohorts of language immersion lottery applicants in a large, urban school district, we estimate the causal effects of immersion programs on students’ test scores in reading, mathematics, and science and on English learners’ (EL) reclassification. We estimate positive intent-to-treat (ITT) effects on reading performance in fifth and eighth grades, ranging from 13% to 22% of a standard deviation, reflecting 7 to 9 months of learning. We find little benefit in terms of mathematics and science performance but also no detriment. By sixth and seventh grade, lottery winners’ probabilities of remaining classified as EL are 3 to 4 percentage points lower than those of their counterparts. This effect is stronger for ELs whose native language matches the partner language.
Defined by Outcomes or Culture? Constructing an Organizational Identity for Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Authors: Garcia Gina A.
Published: September 2017

While Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) enroll at least 25% Latinx students, the perennial question facing HSIs is, “What does it mean for postsecondary institutions to be Latinx-serving”—essentially an organizational identity question. Guided by the extant literature on organizational identity, culture, and institutionalism and using an in-depth case study of a federally designated, four-year HSI, this study focused on the way members construct an organizational identity for serving Latinxs. Findings suggest that while members constructed an ideal Latinx-serving identity based on legitimized outcomes (i.e., graduation), they constructed their current identity from environmental cues about cultural practices. Using two theoretical lenses, I present a typology that considers outcomes and culture in a Latinx-serving identity. Future research should explore the construction of a Latinx-serving identity in a nuanced way.
W.E.B. Du Bois and Caste Education
Authors: Pierce Clayton
Published: September 2017

This essay provides the first account and examination of caste education in the work of W.E.B. Du Bois. In so doing, I argue that caste education plays a central role in realizing the political and social goals of racial capitalist society for Du Bois. Using Du Bois’s caste analytic, I take up and articulate three biopolitical governing strategies of the racial capitalist state/industrial schooling regime. The final section ties Du Bois’s caste analytic to recent work in Afro-pessimist thought to look at the charter/choice debate. I argue here that Du Bois’s caste analysis, when paired with Afro-pessimist thought, shows how even critical scholarship on charter/choice policies fall short in their reliance on a model democracy and humanism based on antiblackness.
“As Nice a Little Saleswoman, As I Am a Housewife”: Domesticity, Education, and Separate Spheres in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables
Authors: Masterson Kelly
Published: September 2017

This article considers Nathaniel Hawthorne's intervention into the separate spheres ideology in The House of the Seven Gables. By depicting Phoebe Pyncheon's domestic and industrial skills, Hawthorne raises the possibility of women successfully negotiating the business world but contains them within the home by merging marketplace values and domestic education principles.
Impact of Geospatial Classification Method on Interpretation of Intelligent Compaction Data
Authors: Mazari Mehran , Tirado Cesar , Nazarian Soheil , Aldouri Raed
Published: September 2017

Intelligent compaction is an emerging technology in the management of pavement layers, more specifically, of unbound geomaterial layers. Different types of intelligent compaction measurement values (ICMVs) are available on the basis of the configuration of the roller, vibration mechanism, and data collection and reduction algorithms. The spatial distribution of the estimated ICMVs is usually displayed as a color-coded map, with the ICMVs categorized into a number of classes with specific color codes. The number of classes, as well as the values of the breaks between classes, significantly affect the perception of compaction quality during the quality management process. In this study, three sets of ICMV data collected as a part of a field investigation were subjected to geostatistical analyses to evaluate different classification scenarios and their impact on the interpretation of the data. The classification techniques were evaluated on the basis of the information theory concept of minimizing the information loss ratio. The effect of the ICMV distribution on the selection of the classification method was also studied. An optimization technique was developed to find the optimal class breaks that minimize the information loss ratio. The optimization algorithm returned the best results, followed by the natural breaks and quantile methods, which are suited to the skewness of the ICMV distribution. The identification of less-stiff areas by using the methods presented will assist highway agencies to improve process control approaches and further evaluate construction quality criteria. Although the concepts discussed can apply to any compacted geomaterial layer, the conclusions apply to the type of compacted soil in this particular test section.
Use of Semicircular Bending Test and Cohesive Zone Modeling to Evaluate Fracture Resistance of Stabilized Soils
Authors: Zhang Jun , Little Dallas N. , Grajales Javier , You Taesun , Kim Yong-Rak
Published: September 2017

The fracture resistance of a chemically stabilized base or subbase layer is important to the durability and sustainability of a pavement structure. Thus, an appropriate test protocol to characterize the fracture resistance of stabilized bases, subbases, and subgrade soils is essential to the design of pavement materials and structures. This paper proposes a protocol developed on the basis of the semicircular bending test to measure fracture resistance (i.e., fracture energy and fracture toughness) of chemically stabilized material. The effects of three test variables, including specimen thickness, notch length, and loading rate, on fracture properties were investigated, and appropriate values for these test variables were selected for the semicircular bending test protocol. The proposed semicircular bending test method was successful in characterizing the fracture resistance of three chemically stabilized materials. To address fracture properties of the chemically stabilized material more definitively, three-dimensional zone modeling was used and the simulations agreed very well with the experimental results. Both the fracture properties obtained from the experiment and the cohesive zone modeling indicated that polymer-stabilized limestone exhibited a much higher fracture resistance than cement-stabilized limestone and cement-stabilized sand. However, the polymer used demonstrated susceptibility to degradation in the presence of water. Correction of this limitation is the focus of ongoing research on this type of polymer.
Assessment of Guar Gum Biopolymer Treatment toward Mitigation of Desiccation Cracking on Slopes Built with Expansive Soils
Authors: Acharya Raju , Pedarla Aravind , Bheemasetti Tejo V. , Puppala Anand J.
Published: September 2017

Expansive soil embankments are prone to shallow slope failures caused by associated swell–shrink movements. Previous studies have confirmed that seasonal changes and corresponding volumetric changes are responsible for desiccation cracking, which is a major factor behind shallow slope failures of highway embankments. For the past few years, soil stabilization proved to be an effective way to mitigate the swell–shrink property of expansive clays. The current study addresses the feasibility of guar gum biopolymer in mitigating the swell–shrink behavior of clays and in turn making it possible to adopt them as stable geomaterials. The sustainable benefits of biopolymers far exceed the environmental benefits from conventional stabilizers that contractors typically use. This paper presents a comprehensive laboratory study, followed by finite difference modeling analysis, on biopolymeric guar gum–remediated expansive soils collected from shallow slope failure-prone areas. For this study, two dam locations, at Grapevine Lake and Joe Pool Lake, Texas, that were originally constructed with expansive soils, were considered. The engineering performance of biopolymer-treated soils was evaluated and an optimum dosage was recommended for mitigating desiccation cracking at the test sites. Slope stability analyses were conducted using Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in Three Dimensions software by adopting laboratory-determined strength parameters to determine the range of the factor of safety for the slopes. The variation of the factor of safety computed with the inclusion of enhanced engineering parameters from guar gum treatments revealed the advantages of adopting this treatment.
Germany: From Civilian Power to a Geo-economic Shaping Power
Authors: Szabo Stephen F.
Published: September 2017

Germany has become a geo-economic power since its unification
in 1990. Its foreign policy agenda has been shaped by its economic interests
and the role of its export sector. Nevertheless, Russian actions in Ukraine and
elsewhere in Europe combined with the accession of the Trump Administration
in the United States and the rise of China have resulted in a transition in
the foreign policy paradigm toward Germany as a shaping power and more
of a geopolitical actor which has to balance its economic interests with the
new strategic challenges of a newly unstable Europe.