bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gait Speed and Variability for Usual Pace and Pedestrian Crossing Conditions in Older Adults Using the GAITRite Walkway
Authors: Brown Kristin C. , Hanson Heather M. , Firmani Flavio , Liu Danmei , McAllister Megan M. , Merali Khalil , Puyat Joseph H. , Ashe Maureen C.
Published: December 2015

Objectives: To determine gait characteristics of community-dwelling older adults at different speeds and during a crosswalk simulation. Methods: Twenty-two older adults completed walking trials at self-selected slow, usual, and fast paces, and at a crosswalk simulation, using the GAITRite walkway. These objective measures were complemented by self-report health and mobility questionnaires. Results: Gait speeds at self-selected slow, usual, and fast paces were 98.7 (18.1) cm/s, 140.9 (20.4) cm/s, and 174.0 (20.6) cm/s, respectively, and at simulated crosswalk conditions was 144.2 (22.3) cm/s. For usual pace, right step length variability was 2.0 (1.4) cm and step time variability was 13.6 (7.2) ms, compared with 2.4 (1.3) cm and 17.3 (9.7) ms, respectively, for crosswalk conditions. Discussion: Our sample of healthy older adults walked at a speed exceeding standards for crossing urban streets; however, in response to a crosswalk signal, participants adopted a significantly faster and more variable gait.
A Transdisciplinary Approach for Teaching Implementation Research and Practice in Public Health
Authors: Alonge Olakunle , Frattaroli Shannon , Davey-Rothwell Melissa , Baral Stefan
Published: December 2015

The transdisciplinary approach for teaching implementation research and practice (IR&P) in public health seeks to present related concepts on IR&P from multiple perspectives without paying an exclusive service to a specific home discipline. It is a response to the demand for a pedagogical approach to teaching that promotes a unity of knowledge around a subject that extends beyond the disciplinary boundaries within public health. Based on the experience of establishing a flagship course in IR&P at a graduate school of public health, we draw from existing theories and offer practical steps for developing and delivering content for IR&P from a transdisciplinary perspective. The potential of this teaching approach is its ability to demonstrate the pervasiveness and easy transfer of relevant concepts in IR&P across multiple disciplines and settings. This teaching approach has relevance for influencing the overall technique to graduate-level instruction in the health professions where multiple disciplines intersect.
Assessing Teacher Confidence and Proficiency With Sexuality Education Standards
Authors: Fisher Christine M. , Cummings Carol A.
Published: December 2015

The timely emergence of the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education in the United States will transform preparation of future educators and provide guidance for professional development training of current sexuality educators. This article focuses on identifying factors that affect sexuality education by examining perceptions and experiences held by certified Rhode Island public school health educators. Study participants were asked to respond to questions addressing their confidence in teaching sexuality education topics, ability to plan and implement sexuality lessons with the National Health Education Standards, and ability/proficiency in the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education. The topic of identity (36%), which addresses people’s understanding of who they are, was the only topic identified by the National Sexuality Education Standards that teachers were uncomfortable teaching. The majority of the educators felt very confident in their abilities to teach lessons integrated with four of the six National Health Education Standards. Less than half of the educators felt very confident with integrating communication and advocacy skills. The educators surveyed also believed to be very confident in meeting all seven National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education. This article concludes that gauging current teacher’s confidence and proficiency with these standards can isolate factors that either impede or enhance quality sexuality education for youth. Expanding the understanding of these factors can influence professional development and provide meaning as to what confident and proficient sexuality educators look like in practice.
A spiral scaffold underlies cytoadherent knobs in Plasmodium falciparum–infected erythrocytes
Authors: Watermeyer Jean M. , Hale Victoria L. , Hackett Fiona , Clare Daniel K. , Cutts Erin E. , Vakonakis Ioannis , Fleck Roland A. , Blackman Michael J. , Saibil Helen R.
Published: December 2015

Key Points

Plasmodium falciparum–generated cytoadherent knobs on infected erythrocytes contain a spiral framework linked to the red cell cytoskeleton. The findings suggest a structural basis for transmission of shear forces in adhesion of infected cells.
Use of a topical haemoglobin spray for oxygenating pressure ulcers: healing outcomes
Authors: Tickle Joy , Bateman Sharon Dawn
Published: December 2015

A published evaluation ( Tickle, 2015 ) of the use of a topical haemoglobin spray plus standard care in 18 patients with pressure ulcers showed that, following 4 weeks of treatment, the wound size reduced in 17 wounds and there was a progression toward healing in all 18. All but one of the wounds were over 2 months in duration at baseline. This article reports the results of the healing rates at 3 months of the 11 patients who continued to be treated with the haemoglobin spray. Nine of the 11 wounds healed, and 2 reduced in size by week 12 (i.e. 1 wound reduced from 30 cm2 at baseline to 7 cm2, while the other reduced from 6 cm2 to 4 cm2). Of the 10 patients who were experiencing wound pain at baseline, 9 were pain free by week 8. Rapid elimination of slough was observed in all patients. The 82% healing rate achieved at 3 months and the fact that most patients continued to receive the same standard care as they had in the 4 weeks before recruitment into the evaluation increases the likelihood that the clinical outcomes observed here can be attributed to the haemoglobin spray. Topical haemoglobin shows promise in terms of its ability to accelerate healing in chronic pressure ulcers.
Diagnosing and managing venous leg ulcers in patients in the community
Authors: Day Julie
Published: December 2015

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are a chronic condition affecting between 0.1% and 0.3% of the population in the UK. Healing rates are variable and recurrence rates are high. The diagnosis, assessment, and management of this patient group is primarily carried out in the community. Assessment of this patient group requires skill and competence to ensure a correct diagnosis is made. When carrying out the assessment, it is important to consider the patient's past medical history, medication, and allergies, as well as to record the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI), pain level, palpation of pulses, and ankle joint movement, among other aspects of the assessment. VLUs heal with compression therapy, and practitioners should be knowledgeable about the various compression systems available in order to offer patients the most suitable and informed choices.
Aetiology and management of atrophie blanche in chronic venous insufficiency
Authors: McVittie Elizabeth , Holloway Samantha
Published: December 2015

The presence of chronic venous insufficiency results in venous hypertension, which can lead to the development of venous leg ulceration. Patients often present with oedema of the lower limb and skin changes, for example, the presence of haemosiderin and lipodermatosclerosis, as well as ulceration. In some instances, patients can also develop atrophie blanche (AB)—white fibrotic areas on the skin adjacent to the ulcer. AB remains an ambiguous term owing to the use of many synonyms. Hence, health professionals need to be aware of the clinical presentation of AB and should be able to clearly differentiate between scarring caused by previous ulcers and that caused by the presence of AB. In this article, the authors discuss the underlying diseases associated with AB and explore the treatment of AB in patients with chronic venous insufficiency.
Unilateral blepharoptosis secondary to the intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin
Authors: Adami Raina Zarb , Nikkhah Dariush , Shariff Zakir , Rodrigues Jeremy , Saetta Alexandra
Published: December 2015

Botulinum toxin type A is widely used to reduce the dynamic rhytides associated with repetitive use of the underlying muscles in the upper third of the face. However, as its use has grown, appreciation of the risk of complications and their management may be underestimated. This case report of a 33-year-old female patient presenting with eyelid ptosis, or unilateral myogenic blepharoptosis, revisits the management of a complication associated with the use of botulinum toxin type A for facial rejuvenation. The patient reported difficulty in attaining maximal aperture of the left eye 3 days post treatment. This was successfully managed using 0.5% apraclonidine instilled three times daily for 6 weeks.
Should the UK have rigorous aesthetic nursing qualifications like the US?
Authors: Senior Yvonne
Published: December 2015

The existence of the Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist exam in the US has led many practitioners to consider the quality and regulation of training in the UK. However, according to Yvonne Senior, this system of qualification is not as progressive as it seems, with many US aesthetic nurses requiring the support of their medical counterparts to administer non-surgical interventions, such as injectables
Building a brand campaign: how to create a timeline and communications schedule
Authors: Ratcliffe Jason
Published: December 2015

To convert customers into loyal clients, clinics need to run campaigns and plan activities to drive engagement. Successful campaigns require several components, including a theme, clear timeline and supporting events. Jason Ratcliffe advises aesthetic practitioners on getting inspiration, setting targets, offering genuine discounts and deals, and measuring the effectiveness of your efforts
How can aesthetic nurses make the initial consultation with a patient effective?
Authors: Fletcher Leslie
Published: December 2015

In a competitive area such as medical aesthetics, first impressions count. Ensuring that each patient's initial consultation is successful can make all the difference to the way they share their experience with others and encourage them to come back for more treatments. Leslie Fletcher shares her top tips on consulting with the aesthetic patient and recommends key questions to ask during their first appointment
Fitting and removing long-acting reversible contraception
Authors: Kipps Sarah
Published: December 2015

Nurses should be aware of the procedures involved in the fitting of long-acting reversible contraception. Sarah Kipps provides an overview
New developments in inhaled therapy
Authors: Booth Andrew
Published: December 2015

Recent years have seen a plethora of new inhaled therapies for the treatment of asthma and COPD. Andrew Booth provides an overview of these
Perceptions of health professionals involved in a NHS Health Check care pathway
Authors: Baker Colin , Loughren Elizabeth A , Crone Diane , Kallfa Nevila
Published: December 2015

Background:

The national NHS Health Check programme in England aims to help people stay well for longer and is designed to support individuals aged between 40 and 74 years to manage their risk of developing vascular diseases by offering a cardiovascular risk assessment every 5 years.

Aim:

To investigate health professionals' experiences and perspectives concerning the implementation of a local HC programme and challenges to delivery.

Methods:

Surveys including standardized quantitative questions and qualitative questions were administered to GP practice staff (n=25) directly involved in the implementation of Health Checks within a single county in the South West of England.

Results:

There was a lack of clarity concerning the expectations for Health Checks and barriers to consistently implementing the pathway. Practitioners were not always confident in communicating risk or supporting change in patient health behaviours.

Conclusions:

There is a need for on-going training and support in respect to Health Checks for those engaged in its implementation.
Diabetic foot ulcers: Prevention is in your hands
Authors: Watt David
Published: December 2015

David Watt discusses a device that is currently available on prescription to prevent a common complication of diabetes—diabetic foot ulcers
Research roundup: December
Authors: Winter George
Published: December 2015

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that may be of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Final year placements in primary care: A student's view
Authors: Crowther Hannah
Published: December 2015

Hannah Crowther completed her final placement in general practice and loved it so much she decided to become a practice nurse
Methylene Blue Adsorption on the Basal Surfaces of Kaolinite: Structure and Thermodynamics from Quantum and Classical Molecular Simulation
Authors: Greathouse Jeffery A. , Geatches Dawn L. , Pike Darin Q. , Greenwell H. Christopher , Johnston Cliff T. , Wilcox Jennifer , Cygan Randall T.
Published: December 2015

Organic dyes such as methylene blue (MB) are often used in the characterization of clays and related minerals, but details of the adsorption mechanisms of such dyes are only partially understood from spectroscopic data, which indicate the presence of monomers, dimers, and higher aggregates for varying mineral surfaces. A combination of quantum (density functional theory) and classical molecular simulation methods was used to provide molecular detail of such adsorption processes, specifically the adsorption of MB onto kaolinite basal surfaces. Slab models with vacuum-terminated surfaces were used to obtain detailed structural properties and binding energies at both levels of theory, while classical molecular dynamics simulations of aqueous pores were used to characterize MB adsorption at infinite dilution and at higher concentration in which MB dimers and one-dimensional chains formed. Results for the neutral MB molecules are compared with those for the corresponding cation. Simulations of the aqueous pore indicate preferred adsorption on the hydrophobic siloxane surface, while charge-balancing chloride ions adsorb at the aluminol surface. At infinite dilution and in the gas-phase models, MB adsorbs with its primary molecular plane parallel to the siloxane surface to enhance hydrophobic interactions. Sandwiched dimers and chains are oriented perpendicular to the surface to facilitate the strong hydrophobic intermolecular interactions. Compared with quantum results, the hybrid force field predicts a weaker MB adsorption energy but a stronger dimerization energy. The structure and energetics of adsorbed MB at infinite dilution are consistent with the gas-phase binding results, which indicate that monomer adsorption is driven by strong interfacial forces rather than by the hydration properties of the dye. These results inform spectroscopic studies of MB adsorption on mineral surfaces while also revealing critical areas for development of improved hybrid force fields.
Organo-Clays As Sorbents of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants: Sorptive Characteristics and Approaches to Enhancing Sorption Capacity
Authors: Zhu Runliang , Zhou Qing , Zhu Jianxi , Xi Yunfei , He Hongping
Published: December 2015

When clay minerals, notably smectites, intercalate organic cations, their interlayer surfaces change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The resultant intercalates, known as organo-clays (OCs), have a large affinity for hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). Organo-clays are used as sorbents of HOCs in wastewater treatment and as sorptive barriers in landfill liners. The structural and sorptive characteristics of OCs with respect to HOCs have been studied extensively, and a large volume of literature has accumulated over the past few decades. The interactions of OCs with HOCs and the various approaches to improving the sorption capacity of OCs are reviewed here, with particular reference to the application of novel analytical techniques, such as molecular modeling, to characterizing the OC—HOC interaction.
Ceramic Membranes Prepared from a Silicate and Clay-mineral Mixture for Treatment of Oily Wastewater
Authors: Eom Jung-Hye , Yeom Hee-Jong , Kim Young-Wook , Song In-Hyuck
Published: December 2015

The application of ceramic membranes is limited by the high cost of raw materials and the sintering process at high temperatures. To overcome these drawbacks, the present study investigated both the preparation of ceramic membranes using cost-effective raw materials and the possibility of recycling the membranes for the treatment of oily wastewater. Ceramic membranes with a pore size of 0.29–0.67 μm were prepared successfully at temperatures as low as 1000–1100°C by a simple pressing route using lowcost base materials including diatomite, kaolin, bentonite, talc, sodium borate, and barium carbonate. The typical steady-state flux, fouling resistance, and oil-rejection rate of the low-cost virgin membranes sintered at 1000°C were 2.5 × 10−5 m3m−2s−1 at 303 kPa, 63.5%, and 84.1%, respectively, with a feed oil concentration of 600 mg/L. A simple burn-out process of the used membranes at 600°C in air resulted in >95% recovery of the specific surface area (SSA) of the virgin membranes, a significantly increased steady-state flux, decreased fouling resistance, and increased oil-rejection rate. The typical steady-state flux, fouling resistance, and oil-rejection rate of the low-cost ceramic membrane sintered at 1000°C and subsequently heat treated at 600°C for 1 h in air after the first filtration were 5.4 × 10−5 m3m−2s−1 at 303 kPa, 27.1%, and 92.9%, respectively, with a feed oil concentration of 600 mg/L. The present results suggest that the low-cost ceramic membranes used for oily wastewater filtration can be recycled by simple heat-treatment at 600°C in air. As the fouling resistance of the low-cost ceramic membranes decreased with a decrease in pore size, the preferred pore size of the membranes for oily wastewater filtration is <0.4 μm.
Analytical Performance of Multiplexed Screening Test for 10 Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Perianal Swab Samples
Authors: Walker G Terrance , Rockweiler Tony J , Kersey Rossio K , Frye Kelly L , Mitchner Susan R , Toal Douglas R , Quan Julia
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND

Multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a threat to patients and place an economic burden on health care systems. Carbapenem-resistant bacilli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers drive the need to screen infected and colonized patients for patient management and infection control.

METHODS

We describe a multiplex microfluidic PCR test for perianal swab samples (Acuitas® MDRO Gene Test, OpGen) that detects the vancomycin-resistance gene vanA plus hundreds of gene subtypes from the carbapenemase and ESBL families Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), Verona integron-mediated metallo-β-lactamase (VIM), imipenemase metallo-β-lactamase (IMP), OXA-23, OXA-48, OXA-51, CTX-M-1, and CTX-M-2, regardless of the bacterial species harboring the antibiotic resistance.

RESULTS

Analytical test sensitivity per perianal swab is 11–250 CFU of bacteria harboring the antibiotic resistance genes. Test throughput is 182 samples per test run (1820 antibiotic resistance gene family results). We demonstrate reproducible test performance and 100% gene specificity for 265 clinical bacterial organisms harboring a variety of antibiotic resistance genes.

CONCLUSIONS

The Acuitas MDRO Gene Test is a sensitive, specific, and high-throughput test to screen colonized patients and diagnose infections for several antibiotic resistance genes directly from perianal swab samples, regardless of the bacterial species harboring the resistance genes.
Impact of Implementing Preanalytical Laboratory Standards on the Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Daly Niamh , Flynn Iseult , Carroll Ciara , Farren Maria , McKeating Aoife , Turner Michael J
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, but risk is reduced with identification and early treatment. Glucose measurements are affected by preanalytical sample handling, such as temperature of storage, phlebotomy–analysis interval, and use of a glycolysis inhibitor. We evaluated glucose concentrations and the incidence of GDM after strict implementation of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) preanalytical guidelines, compared with usual hospital conditions.

METHODS

Women screened selectively for GDM at 24–32 weeks' gestation were recruited at their convenience before a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Paired samples were taken: the first sample followed ADA recommendations and was transferred to the laboratory on an iced slurry for immediate separation and analysis (research conditions), and the second sample was not placed on ice and was transferred according to hospital practice (usual conditions).

RESULTS

Of samples from 155 women, the mean fasting, 1-h, and 2-h results were 90.0 (12.6) mg/dL [5.0 (0.7) mmol/L], 142.2 (43.2) mg/dL [7.9 (2.4) mmol/L], and 102.6 (32.4) mg/dL [5.7 (1.8) mmol/L], respectively, under research conditions, and 81 (12.6) mg/dL [4.5 (0.7) mmol/L], 133.2 (41.4) mg/dL [7.4 (2.3) mmol/L], and 99 (32.4) mg/dL [5.5 (1.8) mmol/L] under usual conditions (all P < 0.0001). GDM was diagnosed in 38.1% (n = 59) under research conditions and 14.2% (n = 22) under usual conditions (P < 0.0001). The phlebotomy–analysis interval for the fasting, 1-h, and 2-h samples was 20 (9), 17 (10), and 17 (9) min under research conditions and 162 (19), 95 (23), and 32 (19) min under usual conditions (all P < 0.0001). All cases of GDM were diagnosed on fasting or 1-h samples; the 2-h test diagnosed no additional cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of ADA preanalytical glucose sample handling recommendations resulted in higher mean glucose concentrations and 2.7-fold increased detection of GDM compared with usual hospital practices.
Theatres of revolution: The performativity of public and private memories in Romania after 1989
Authors: Levick Carmen
Published: December 2015

Focusing on issues of memory, representation and performativity, this paper will discuss three facets of representing and remembering the Romanian Revolution of December 1989. Firstly, it will tackle the televisual representations of the event, the story of the “live revolution” and the depiction of the revolutionary narrative through filmic devices. Secondly, this paper will look at theatrical representations of the Revolution and its aftermath, both in Romania (through playwrights such as Saviana Stanescu) and in the UK (Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest). Last but not least, it will look at the varied ways in which the Romanian Revolution is remembered today, discussing the issue of revolutionary heroes and the process of “forgetting”, which has determined the 21st century relationship between Romania and its revolution.
“Thinking with audience” – Dissecting what is to be remembered and forgotten: Interview with Rabih Mroué
Authors: Hahn Daniela , Mroué Rabih
Published: December 2015

While the conversation with Philip Auslander – printed in this issue – mainly revolved around the theoretical and medial conditions of the relationship between performance and document with regard to performance documentation, this interview with the Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué sheds light on his artistic approach to documents and archives, related to historical and current political events in the Middle East. Departing from one of his latest pieces The Pixelated Revolution (2012), the question is raised of how theatre and performance have the potential to engender a reflection on the mediation and mediality of memory and on how we engage with images of war and death, their use and misuse for political and ideological purposes and create possible counter-narratives.
Old documents, new media: Elevator Repair Service’s documentary theatre
Authors: Arjomand Minou
Published: December 2015

Between 2011 and 2013, the theatre ensemble Elevator Repair Service collaborated with media artist Ben Rubin on two projects: Shuffle (2011) and Arguendo (2013). Each of these productions uses new media to explore a range of different roles for text and documents within both literary and documentary theatre performances. Both of these productions challenge conventions of recent documentary theatre and introduce fruitful possibilities for how artists may continue to explore the genre.
Disappearing object?
Authors: Rošker Anja
Published: December 2015

The Live Art Almanac Volume 3 brings together various genres of texts written on live art in 2011 and 2012. The systematisation of chapters is telling since we are introduced into the book by a selection of contributions on the relation between live art and institutions which, based on works by artists such as Marina Abramović, Tino Sehgal and La Ribot, show the ambivalence of the modern age torn between the tendency to preserve and materialise the transient and the tendency towards constant continued movement. The Almanac continues with a chapter on performance art in mass media and pop culture. It thus raises the question of the influence of capitalism on performance art since the constant attempts at objectivizing disappearing events coincide with the predominating consumerist mentality of the West. This chapter is followed by a series of discussions on politically engaged art that trace the difference between performance in the West and performance in former colonies. The Almanac concludes its dramaturgical arch with essays on death rituals, thus opening the question of the “survival” of the live in the age of consumer products. The Live Art Almanac 3 is a sort of an archive of live art that offers the reader material for further research and thus, in accordance with the Western archive fever, builds the foundations for new beginnings.
In memoriam: Andrej Inkret (1943-2015): The great witness of Slovenian theatre
Authors: Predan Vasja
Published: December 2015

In early August 2015, a serious illness robbed us of Andrej Inkret, theatre critic and professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television. In his nearly 40-year-long career, he established himself as one of the most important witnesses of Slovenian theatre in the second half of the 20th century.
Editorial: The afterlives of performances
Authors: Hahn Daniela
Published: December 2015

How do documents matter in theatre performances? Do documents perform? How do ‘events’ become documents? What can be known about those events through documents? And what are the political and economic implications of acts and regimes of documentation? – By taking up these questions, this issue investigates performative practices of collecting, displaying, reconstructing and disseminating documents in order to reconsider the relationship between performance and documents as well as to examine the role documents play in shaping artistic modes of writing history. The contributions by scholars, artists, and curators assembled in this issue manifest that exploring documents in and through performance as well as exploring performance in and through documents is not primarily about reconnecting to and preserving a past that is irretrievably lost or displaced. Instead, they advance an epistemological understanding of the relations between performance and documents – characterised by constant translations and shifting constellations – as the basis for outlining a contemporary theater of documents and for bringing into view the processes of historicisation within the performing arts.
Editorial: To be continued
Authors: Kraigher Amelia
Published: December 2015

The present issue of Maska focuses on complex connections among performative practices, documenting and archiving, and the questions arising from these connections. The contributors are researchers in the field of documenting and archiving performative practices, as well as artists who approach this issue from different angles: the archive and document as performance material; the manipulation of documentary material as part of the creative process; the reconstruction of performances; documentary theatre; problems with documenting and archiving live art; documents as witnesses to past artistic events that then, over time, assume the place of the original...
Life documentation
Authors: Quaranta Domenico
Published: December 2015

In the summer of 2007, three artists from Slovenia legally changed their names to “Janez Janša”. This life event introduced a break in their artistic practice, which evolved into one of the most radical explorations of life in the age of biopolitics. This essay discusses their recent work, a continuum that is sometimes produced by companies and institutions as a reaction to their life, sometimes by isolating and documenting specific moments in their life. ID cards, passports, and bank cards become the means of a research that undermines the very concepts of “art” and “artwork”, and that challenges the economic system, the legal system, and the art system while actively seeking for their complicity in order to exist.
The weird dinner guest who came and then just stayed
Authors: Alfirević Dragana , Morrish Andrew
Published: December 2015

I talked with dance pedagogue Andrew Morrish about his beginnings as a teacher and his understanding of education, his motivation to do solo improvisation as a performative practice, and about what his work brings to his colleagues and to this world. He told me about some of the different layers of his work during improvisation that became his methodology, about what it means to be a dancer (and it’s not about how high your legs can go), and what it means to be an artist. He spoke about differences between therapy and solo improvisation, between professional and non-professional artists, and about the transparency one should work with on stage. He also told me that his work is his political response to the current situation in society.
Former West: Documents, constellations, prospects
Authors: Hlavajova Maria
Published: December 2015

FORMER WEST (2008–2016) is a long-term contemporary art research, education, publishing, exhibition and discursive project that aims at developing a critical understanding of the legacy of the radical resistance to power in 1989, in order to both imaginatively reevaluate the present and speculate about global futures. It employs the “retroperspective” method – allowing for imaginative thinking and acting through both global pasts and future prospects simultaneously. The work of art plays a critical role in this context and is understood as a “document” through which to re-read the recent course of history otherwise than the way in which we’ve gotten to know it, demonstrating thus the imaginative potential of artistic practice in shaping and transforming the world.
The scenario of the map: Discovering documents and performance in East Art Map project by IRWIN
Authors: Darian Veronika
Published: December 2015

“History is not given. Please help to construct it.” Shortly after the turn of the millennium, this speech act performed the onset of the East Art Map project by the Slovenian artist collective IRWIN. Instead of just documenting the realities of (art) history, the project also set out to construct them anew by deconstructing binary configurations, such as West and East, being inside or outside the map(s), as well as by investigating the preconditions for producing art and (art) history. By offering a constellation of artistic documents – respectively, documentary artifacts – EAM explored a specific “scenario of discovery”, yet also aimed at subverting and reversing its hegemonic strategies.
Allegories of exceptionalism: Lusotropicalism in mass culture (1960–74)
Authors: Cardão Marcos
Published: December 2015

The concept of lusotropicalism inspired various stereotypes about Portugal and the Portuguese, namely the idea they were more adaptable to the tropics because of their alleged plasticity – materialized in an adaptation to different climates, mobility and the ability to miscegenate – and more successful colonizers than the rest of the Europeans. The maintenance and reproduction of lusotropicalism was supported by a set of national fantasies, which precluded the political disagreements that traversed colonial society. Those fantasies proliferated through the cultural realm, particularly in mass culture events that offered a fertile ground for interpreting and understanding the dissemination of lusotropicalism as an ‘imagined political community’. In this article I intend to forge new connections between the everyday politics of nationalism and the cultural politics of mass culture, seeking new forms to identify the ubiquity of nationalist discourses.
Dividing the waters: The sea in Portuguese post-revolutionary popular music
Authors: Trindade Luís
Published: December 2015

This article analyses the role of the sea in the early 1980s songs of singer-songwriter Fausto and pop band Heróis do Mar. Despite their formal and political differences, both use the sea as an insistent trope to discuss Portugal and its history. The sea thus becomes an important element in post-revolutionary Portuguese political cultures, appropriated by opposing political ideologies and cultural forms. And yet a close analysis of the compositions in Por Este Rio Acima/Up the River (released by Fausto in 1982), Heróis do Mar/Heroes of the Sea and Mãe/Mother (released by Heróis do Mar in 1981 and 1983, respectively) suggests that those ideological oppositions determine the ways in which the past is addressed by different musical genres. In this sense, the sea can be seen as a flexible object in which the tensions between the left and right – particularly in relation to the memory of Imperial past in post-colonial Portugal – are negotiated through the formal aspects, both musical and literary, of songs. More specifically, the contrasting ways in which Heróis do Mar and Fausto address the history of Portuguese Empire will have a dramatic impact in the rhythm of their songs and the syntax of their lyrics. It can thus be said that the politics of both pop band and singer-songwriter can be more decisively grasped at the level of form than content.
Pragmatism and liberation: Freli MO and the legitimacy of an African independence movement
Authors: Panzer Michael
Published: December 2015

This article introduces a new paradigm for scholars interested in liberation movements’ political development and strategies for legitimation. Specifically, the article argues for the historicity of revolutionary pragmatism as a lens to study liberation movements. The decisions, discourses and, most importantly, actions of the leaders of the Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (FRELIMO – Mozambique Liberation Front) during the 1960s reflected a series of evolving strategies that were necessary to achieve legitimacy for the liberation movement during the anti-colonial war against Portugal. As an attribute of its early political development, legitimacy was an essential aspect of FRELIMO’s status as a liberation front because it was the foundation upon which to establish a viable authority that appealed to both Mozambicans and international observers. FRELIMO’s leaders actively sought to establish and maintain the loyalty of many ordinary Mozambicans who either joined the liberation front or, at the very least, sympathized with the movement’s efforts to fight the Portuguese and liberate Mozambique. The initial interactions between FRELIMO cadres and Mozambicans from 1962 to 1968 necessitated organizational adaptability to contend with the unpredictable contingencies of war. As a hallmark of the liberation movement’s revolutionary pragmatism, then, FRELIMO leaders held a foundational First Congress that established a framework of ideological and ‘governing’ strategies in order to achieve the desired ends of independence.
Revisiting the Guinea-Bissau liberation war: PAIGC, UDEMU and the question of women’s emancipation, 1963–74
Authors: Ly Aliou
Published: December 2015

The relationship between social revolutions and women’s emancipation remains an unresolved controversy in historical scholarship. The ways in which various constituencies of a revolutionary movement view and relate to women’s emancipation organizations raise very uncomfortable questions. Under European colonialism, no sizeable African women’s movement devoted to women’s liberation existed in any African territory. In anti-colonial movements, the absence of viable women’s organizations working for women’s liberation presented several challenges to the African feminist activists and the male-led national liberation movements. It was only after the Second World War that the demands of women across the continent converged with those of national liberation movements as women proved to be a very reliable asset. The Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC – African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) offers a strikingly unusual example of an African national liberation movement stressing the need for equality between men and women in the context of the revolution, ensuring that women occupied leadership positions, and the União Democrática das Mulheres da Guiné e Cabo Verde (UDEMU – Democratic Union of Women of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde) in 1961. Many party members did not support this radical approach, and internal conflict among the men caused UDEMU to disband in 1966. By examining the specific challenges the women’s emancipation agenda posed to the revolutionary leadership in Guinea-Bissau, this article reveals the sociocultural and gender biases among even the most advanced male leaders. This bias, I argue, is the primary reason this unique women’s emancipation agenda remained unfulfilled. Further, such bias influenced disagreement among the women themselves and so hindered them from articulating and applying a coherent programme. Only by delving into these biases and divisions can historians and activists begin to understand both the essential connections between national liberation and women’s liberation, and the reasons for the failure to put into practice these connections.
Quality of financial reporting: approaches to measuring
Authors: Renkas Jurij , Goncharenko Olena , Lukianets Olena
Published: December 2015

Financial reporting must meet many criteria to be considered high quality because it is the quality of information that determines the viability of future strategic decisions. The article investigates the essence of the concept of "quality" and "quality of financial infor-mation", and defines indicators and criteria of the financial reporting quality. As for the quality of the financial reporting, it is found that the latter is a structured reflection of financial condition and financial results of the entity, therefore, can be regarded as a set of components: quality of the financial information; quality of presentation of the financial information. It was found that the quality of the reporting of financial information is evaluated using a system of indicators that are qualified by the Financial reporting framework as the qualitative characteristics of useful financial information and National Accounting Statement (standard) 1 as the qualitative characteristics of financial reporting. In terms of formalization (presentation within the legislation forms) of the financial information presentation in Ukraine, we can speak of quality only in respect of the notes to the financial statements. It has been established that quality assessment indicators of presenting the financial information in the notes may be: readability of the information, visualization of the representation. Research of the quality requirements for the financial statements (information) of the participating countries of the former Soviet Union has identified many variations, but the most commonly used features are relevance, reliability, comparability and understandability. It is indicated that most post-Soviet countries, including Ukraine, gradually bring its legislation on the regulation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS. But there are still many unresolved differences, chief among which are the qualitative characteristics of the financial statements that should provide the information needs of different user groups.
Rubrics on the Fly: Improving Efficiency and Consistency with a Rapid Grading and Feedback System
Authors: Moyer Adam C. , Young II William A. , Weckman Gary R. , Martin Clarence (Red) , Cutright Ken
Published: December 2015

Many learning management systems (LMS) used in higher education provide customizable rubrics that aid in the process of grading and providing feedback for many forms of assessments commonly used by educators today. Rapid Grade is a grading and feedback feature built into a non-commercialized LMS developed by a large, public, Midwestern university in the United States. In this research, Rapid Grade was compared to a grading and feedback system found in one of the most utilized LMS found in higher education. It should be noted that the name of this particular LMS is not named. Using the Technology Acceptance Model to validate that Rapid Grade empirically improves upon existing methods, survey results indicate that Rapid Grade is a significant improvement in terms of ease of use and usefulness when grading and providing feedback for a given assessment. The Rapid Grade framework as well as the specific results of the TAM is presented.
Rapid Onset of Motor Deficits in a Mouse Model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6 Precedes Late Cerebellar Degeneration
Authors: Jayabal Sriram , Ljungberg Lovisa , Erwes Thomas , Cormier Alexander , Quilez Sabrina , El Jaouhari Sara , Watt Alanna J.
Published: December 2015

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is an autosomal-dominant cerebellar ataxia that has been associated with loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Disease onset is typically at midlife, although it can vary widely from late teens to old age in SCA6 patients. Our study focused on an SCA6 knock-in mouse model with a hyper-expanded (84X) CAG repeat expansion that displays midlife-onset motor deficits at ∼7 months old, reminiscent of midlife-onset symptoms in SCA6 patients, although a detailed phenotypic analysis of these mice has not yet been reported. Here, we characterize the onset of motor deficits in SCA684Qmice using a battery of behavioral assays to test for impairments in motor coordination, balance, and gait. We found that these mice performed normally on these assays up to and including at 6 months, but motor impairment was detected at 7 months with all motor coordination assays used, suggesting that motor deficits emerge rapidly during a narrow age window in SCA684Qmice. In contrast to what is seen in SCA6 patients, the decrease in motor coordination was observed without alterations in gait. No loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells or striatal neurons were observed at 7 months, the age at which motor deficits were first detected, but significant Purkinje cell loss was observed in 2-year-old SCA684Qmice, arguing that Purkinje cell death does not significantly contribute to the early stages of SCA6.
An Equation to Predict the Accuracy of Genomic Values by Combining Data from Multiple Traits, Populations, or Environments
Authors: Wientjes Yvonne C J , Bijma Piter , Veerkamp Roel F , Calus Mario P L
Published: December 2015

Predicting the accuracy of estimated genomic values using genome-wide marker information is an important step in designing training populations. Currently, different deterministic equations are available to predict accuracy within populations, but not for multipopulation scenarios where data from multiple breeds, lines or environments are combined. Therefore, our objective was to develop and validate a deterministic equation to predict the accuracy of genomic values when different populations are combined in one training population. The input parameters of the derived prediction equation are the number of individuals and the heritability from each of the populations in the training population; the genetic correlations between the populations, i.e., the correlation between allele substitution effects of quantitative trait loci; the effective number of chromosome segments across predicted and training populations; and the proportion of the genetic variance in the predicted population captured by the markers in each of the training populations. Validation was performed based on real genotype information of 1033 Holstein–Friesian cows that were divided into three different populations by combining half-sib families in the same population. Phenotypes were simulated for multiple scenarios, differing in heritability within populations and in genetic correlations between the populations. Results showed that the derived equation can accurately predict the accuracy of estimating genomic values for different scenarios of multipopulation genomic prediction. Therefore, the derived equation can be used to investigate the potential accuracy of different multipopulation genomic prediction scenarios and to decide on the most optimal design of training populations.
ESTUDIO AUTECOLÓGICO DE SCHROEDERIA SETIGERA EN EL EMBALSE TROPICAL RIOGRANDE II, ANTIOQUIA, COLOMBIA
Authors: Ramírez-Restrepo John J. , Meneses-S. Verónica , Vergara-C. Alejandra
Published: December 2015

El propósito de esta investigación es conocer la dinámica de Schroederia setigera en las escalas espacial y temporal, determinar cuáles son las causas próximas de su dinámica poblacional, y localizar el organismo en el sistema de Asociaciones de Reynolds y en el de Grupos Morfo-Funcionales. La investigación fue efectuada en el embalse Riogrande II (6°35'57'' - 6º28'79'' Norte, 75o32'17'' - 75° 25'85'' Oeste) cuyo tiempo medio de retención es de 72.8 días. En él fueron muestreadas cinco estaciones a intervalos quincenales durante un año (julio 2002 a julio 2003) en las que se obtuvieron datos de tres variables climáticas, cinco físicas y 15 químicas. Para la especie fueron calculadas sus tasas media de crecimiento y renovación, el tiempo de generación medio, el tipo de crecimiento, y la disposición espacial y temporal. Para la relación entre las variables biológicas y las ambientales se utilizó un Análisis de Redundancia (RDA). En el tiempo el alga ajustó a un patrón de tres ‘picos’ ocurridos en los periodos de menor pluviosidad en los que efectivamente los nutrientes se concentraron, el clima de luz se afectó. En las cinco estaciones la especie estuvo agrupada, y en el espacio su disposición fue aleatoria. Los primeros cuatro ejes del RDA incluyeron NO3-, SiO2, pH, SS, y %SO2, coeficiente de atenuación vertical para irradiancia descendente, Clorofila y diferentes competidores. S. setigera es un estratega tipo C que, al igual que otras clorococales, es un taxón característico de sistema eutróficos, poseedor de altas tasas de crecimiento y de cambio, tiempo de generación relativamente corto, y patrón de distribución temporal de contagio, por ende, regida por una ecología de no-equilibrio, más concentrada en los periodos de menor pluviosidad en los que efectivamente los nutrientes se concentraron y el clima de luz se afectó. En el espacio la especie mostró una distribución aleatoria debida al régimen de corrientes en el embalse. Es además una especie no limitada por recursos, que responde adaptándose al clima óptico del cuerpo de agua con su con su sección circular elíptica, su forma acicular y atenuada hacia ambos extremos, que la sitúan como una buena antena captadora de luz.; por ello, puede incluirse en la asociación J o en la X1 y en el Grupo morfo-funcional IV. 