bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investing in Life, Investing in Difference: Nations, Populations and Genomes
Authors: Hinterberger Amy
Published: June 2012

This article explores the contemporary scientific practice of human genome science in light of Michel Foucault’s articulation of the problem of population. Rather than transcending the politics of social categories and identities, human genome research mobilizes many different kinds of populations. How then might we aim to avoid overgeneralized readings of the refiguring of human difference in the life sciences and grapple with the multiple and contradictory logics of population classification? In exploring the study of human variation through the case of the ‘Quebec founder population’ at a private genome research laboratory in Canada, the article argues that the power to define and shape meanings of human variation and to organize vitality is not held by any one institution or form of scientific practice. While molecular genomics may be transforming conceptions of human difference, the laboratory is only one of many places where human genomic variation accrues value, meaning and relevance. Molecular configurations of human difference gain meaning through a traffic in populations that extends beyond the laboratory. In the case explored here this traffic in populations is constituted within a nexus of empire, national census practices and contemporary articulations of multicultural policies.
Luhmann, the Non-trivial Machine and the Neocybernetic Regime of Truth
Authors: Hörl Erich
Published: June 2012

In a time in which an exuberant, trans-classical, non-trivial machine culture redesigns terminologies, remodels logics, produces new evidence, and reorganizes semantic resources, a new, neocybernetic regime of truth is taking shape. Many of our recent self-descriptions and theory formations are coined by our media-technological condition. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the work of Niklas Luhmann, especially in his inherent narrative of the history of rationality. This essay attempts to reconstruct Luhmann’s redescription of European rationality, especially the media- and machine-historical conditions that remain apparent in Luhmann’s account. The decisive issue is that Luhmann’s history of rationality reveals the technological unconscious of systems theory and indeed the epochal imaginary it belongs to. With the help of the theories of machines developed by von Foerster, Simondon and Günther, Luhmann’s oeuvre must be read as probably the most striking conceptual edifice to emerge from what could be called the 20th-century’s epochal technological shift of meaning.
Governmentality Meets Theology: ‘The King Reigns, but He Does Not Govern’
Authors: Dean Mitchell
Published: June 2012

While this ‘extraordinary’ book appears as an intermezzo within the Homo Sacer series (Negri, 2008), it supports two fundamental theses with its own philological, epigraphic, liturgical and religious-historical research, and a close reading of figures such as Ernst Kantorowicz and Marcel Mauss. These theses concern political power first as an articulation of sovereign reign and economic government and, secondly, as constituted by acclamations and glorification. These can be approached theoretically through its author’s engagement with Michel Foucault’s genealogy of governmentality and with the Erik Peterson/Carl Schmitt debate on the closure of political theology. Agamben’s reformulation of power and his derivation of liberal governmentality from the theological oikonomia prove convincing. A renewed analytics of power and politics of resistance should be possible, however, without recourse to a project seeking to deactivate all profane powers including those of public bureaucracies.
Sexual Violence, Bodily Pain, and Trauma: A History
Authors: Bourke Joanna
Published: June 2012

Psychological trauma is a favoured trope of modernity. It has become commonplace to assume that all ‘bad events’ – and particularly those which involve violence – have a pathological effect on the sufferer’s psyche, as well as that of the perpetrators. This essay explores the ways victims of rape and sexual assault were understood in psychiatric, psychological, forensic, and legal texts in Britain and America from the 19th to the late 20th century. It argues that, unlike most other ‘bad events’, which were incorporated within trauma narratives from the 1860s, the ascription of psychological trauma was only applied to rape victims a century later. Why and what were the consequences?
Mindfulness training for self-regulation and stress with incarcerated youth
Authors: Himelstein Sam , Hastings Arthur , Shapiro Shauna , Heery Myrtle
Published: June 2012

The current study investigated the feasibility of implementing a 10-week mindfulness-based intervention with a group of incarcerated adolescents. Before and after completion of the 10-week intervention, 32 participants filled out self-report questionnaires on trait mindfulness, self-regulation, and perceived stress. We hypothesized that self-reported mindfulness and self-regulation would significantly increase, and perceived stress would significantly decrease, as a result of participation in the treatment intervention. Paired t-tests revealed a significant decrease ( p < .05) in perceived stress and a significant increase ( p < .001) in healthy self-regulation. No significant differences were found on self-reported mindfulness. Results suggest that mindfulness-based interventions are feasible for incarcerated adolescents. Limitations and future research are discussed.
Out of the box – Freescale: How free models scale in the world of information
Authors: James Roger
Published: June 2012

In the physical sciences, as complex systems approach a phase transition (a change in a feature of a physical system that results in a discrete transition of that system to another state), there is an abundance of micro-events and new signals. There is evidence of a similar turbulence in the fusion of digital technology and publishing. As observers and participants, the hardest part of this is not in chronicling the changes but in recognizing the emerging patterns in order to make predictions for the future. As technology develops, it presents new options for content in a digital world and potential opportunities grow exponentially. However, the sustaining growth factors do not lie in technology, but lie with the economics of the markets and the ecology of adoption. Using the recent history of the Encyclopaedia Britannica as a template I present the three Internets – of People, of Things and the Social Internet. These three Internets enable different market phenomena: growing demand, improving efficiency, transforming production. Recognizing this difference is to see the future of the library amidst the declining economics of the printed world. There is optimism, but only once we abandon a fixation on books and, as a profession, we re-think production in a socially connected digital world.
Protest logics and the mediation opportunity structure
Authors: Cammaerts Bart
Published: June 2012

This article aims to bridge a gap between social movement studies and media and communication studies. A conceptual framework is presented that integrates the political opportunity structure approach and the logics of contentious action with the concept of mediation. The author argues that mediation opportunity structure is a fruitful concept to encompass a wide variety of ways in which media and communication are relevant to protest and social movements. It refers to mainstream media representations of protest and movements, to movements ‘becoming the media’ and counter-spinning, as well as to media and communication practices that constitute protest and resistance in their own right. The manifold articulations of mediation illustrate that media and communication are not merely relevant to the symbolic and discursive realms in which social movements operate, but that they are also instrumental and material to realizing their immediate goals. Activists are becoming more aware and conscious of the mediation opportunity structure, through their lay-knowledge of how the mainstream media and technologies operate, partially adapting to them or appropriating them. The nature and degree of mediation opportunities for activists and the structural constraints impeding the opportunities varies according to the type of protest logic that is being used.
Communicating policy change: Media framing of economic news in post-communist Bulgaria
Authors: Kostadinova Petia , Dimitrova Daniela V
Published: June 2012

This study analyzes the role of media type, political institutions and type of news on the use of episodic, thematic, economic consequences, human interest and conflict frames when reporting economic news during seven elections in Bulgaria for the period 1990–2009. Analyzing 543 news stories from six newspapers, the authors find that thematic and economic consequences framing are determined both by the type of economic policy that is reported and by the type of newspaper that is publishing the story. The frequency of human interest framing is also affected by the kind of economic news that is the focus of the news story as well as partially by the broader political environment; such framing is also used more frequently in stories reporting highly contentious economic issues.
Effects of Simulation to Teach Students With Disabilities Basic Finance Skills
Authors: Rowe Dawn A. , Test David W.
Published: June 2012

This study used a multiple probe design across participants to examine the effects of classroom simulation using static picture prompts to teach students to make a purchase using a debit card and track expenses by subtracting purchase amounts and adding deposits into a check register. Results demonstrated a functional relation between simulated instruction and students’ ability to complete a 20-step task analysis of debit card use and expense and deposit tracking in a check register. Students were able to generalize purchasing skills to new community settings up to 5 weeks after intervention. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are described.
Antioxidant status in MgO nanoparticle-exposed rats
Authors: Kiranmai G , Reddy A Rama Narsimha
Published: June 2012

In this present study, antioxidant status was evaluated in rat serum following exposure to magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles. The lungs of rats were intratracheally instilled with (single dose) phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + 1% of Tween 80 (solvent control) or MgO or carbonyl iron (negative control) or quartz particles (positive control) at a dose of 1 and 5 mg/kg of body weight. The blood samples were collected at 1, 7, and 30 days of postinstillation of nanoparticles after their exposure, and different parameters were estimated to assess the oxidative stress induced by the instillation of MgO. Exposure of rats to MgO produced a significant ( p < 0.05) dose-dependent reduction in blood total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity levels than PBS + 1% Tween 80 control group. This reduction in the antioxidant capacity in MgO nanoparticle-exposed rats indicates the reduction in antioxidant defense mechanisms due to the instillation of MgO. These results indicate that exposure to MgO nanoparticles induces oxidative stress by reducing the total antioxidant capacity in rats. The findings suggest possible occupational health hazard in chronic exposures.
Flexible Rewards From a Strategic Rewards Perspective
Authors: Baeten Xavier , Verwaeren Bart
Published: June 2012

Flexible reward arrangements (e.g., flexible benefit plans) have been around for a rather important period of time. Although some authors have examined the antecedents and consequences of adopting such plans from a theoretical perspective, empirical studies are rather scarce. Furthermore, there is a need to apply a strategic rewards perspective to flexible reward plans in order to help firms to move from “best practice” toward “best fit.” This article interprets the results of a survey held in Belgium and the Netherlands regarding the prevalence and perceived outcomes of adopting flexible reward plans within a model of strategic alignment of reward management.
Patterns of Parliamentary Representation and Careers in Ukraine: 1990–2007
Authors: Semenova Elena
Published: June 2012

This article focuses on the patterns of parliamentary representation and careers in post-communist Ukraine. The data includes individual information on 1768 members (with substitutes) of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, from the parliamentary elections in 1990 through to 2007. Low chances for the social upward mobility of sociodemographic groups such as women and poorly educated people were identified, as well as the high impact of social status on inclusion in the political ruling strata, as exemplified by business elites. Furthermore, MPs with an entrepreneurial background have a greater chance of staying in parliament for three or more legislative terms. The chances of remaining in the Verkhovna Rada are also greater for former Supreme Council parliamentarians, while a high-ranking nomenklatura position has no significant effect on the status of an incumbent. Experience in a political party is crucial for a career in parliament. Parliamentarians with leading party experience prior to their recruitment are likely to obtain an incumbent status, while MPs who substitute their elected colleagues have lower chances of becoming long-standing incumbents.
Breastfeeding Support in Neonatal Intensive Care
Authors: Maastrup Ragnhild , Bojesen Susanne Norby , Kronborg Hanne , Hallström Inger
Published: June 2012

Background:

The incidence of breastfeeding of preterm infants is affected by the support provided at the hospital and in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, policies and guidelines promoting breastfeeding vary both nationally and internationally.

Objectives:

The aim of this survey was to describe breastfeeding support in Danish NICUs, where approximately 98% of mothers initiate lactation.

Methods:

A national survey of all 19 Danish NICUs was conducted in 2009. Four NICUs were at designated Baby-Friendly hospitals, and 5 had a lactation consultant. In all NICUs, it was possible for some parents to stay overnight; 2 units had short restrictions on parents’ presence. Five NICUs had integrated postpartum care for mothers. Breastfeeding policies, written guidelines, and systematic breastfeeding training for the staff were common in most NICUs. Seventeen NICUs recommended starting breast milk expression within 6 hours after birth, and mothers were encouraged to double pump. Most NICUs aimed to initiate skin-to-skin contact the first time the parents were in the NICU, and daily skin-to-skin contact was estimated to last for 2-4 hours in 63% and 4-8 hours in 37% of the units. The use of bottle-feeding was restricted.

Conclusions:

The Danish NICUs described the support of breastfeeding as a high priority, which was reflected in the recommended policies for breast milk pumping, skin-to-skin contact, and the parents’ presence in the NICU, as well as in the restricted use of bottle-feeding. However, support varied between units, and not all units supported optimal breastfeeding.
Expansion of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding into Neonatal Intensive Care
Authors: Nyqvist Kerstin Hedberg , Häggkvist Anna-Pia , Hansen Mette Ness , Kylberg Elisabeth , Frandsen Annemi Lyng , Maastrup Ragnhild , Ezeonodo Aino , Hannula Leena , Koskinen Katja , Haiek Laura N.
Published: June 2012

The World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: Revised, Updated, and Expanded for Integrated Care (2009) identifies the need for expanding the guidelines originally developed for maternity units to include neonatal intensive care. For this purpose, an expert group from the Nordic countries and Quebec, Canada, prepared a draft proposal, which was discussed at an international workshop in Uppsala, Sweden, in September 2011. The expert group suggests the addition of 3 “Guiding Principles” to the Ten Steps to support this vulnerable population of mothers and infants:

1. The staff attitude to the mother must focus on the individual mother and her situation.

2. The facility must provide family-centered care, supported by the environment.

3. The health care system must ensure continuity of care, that is, continuity of pre-, peri-, and postnatal care and post-discharge care.

The goal of the expert group is to create a final document, the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative for Neonatal Units, including standards and criteria for each of the 3 Guiding Principles, Ten Steps, and the Code; to develop tools for self-appraisal and monitoring compliance with the guidelines; and for external assessment to decide whether neonatal intensive/intermediate care units meet the conditions required to be designated as Baby-Friendly.

The documents will be finalized after consultation with the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund, and the goal is to offer these documents to international health care, professional, and other nongovernmental organizations involved in lactation and breastfeeding support for mothers of infants who require special neonatal care.
Hospital Practices and Breastfeeding Rates before and after the UNICEF/WHO 20-Hour Course for Maternity Staff
Authors: Zakarija-Grković Irena , Šegvić Olga , Božinović Toni , Ćuže Anamarija , Lozančić Toni , Vučković Ana , Burmaz Tea
Published: June 2012

Background:

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is the most widely promoted program for increasing breastfeeding rates.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of BFHI training on hospital practices and breastfeeding rates during the first 12 months of life.

Methods:

Eighty percent of maternity medical and nursing staff at the University Hospital in Split, Croatia, completed the updated and expanded United Nations Children’s Fund/World Health Organization 20-hour course. Seven hundred seventy-three mothers (388 in the pre- and 385 in the post-training group) were included in a birth cohort and interviewed at discharge and at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum to evaluate hospital practices and infant feeding. Six out of 10 Baby-Friendly practices were assessed using standard BFHI forms.

Results:

Three months after training was completed, 3 of the Baby-Friendly practices assessed (Step 4, “Initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth”; Step 7, “Rooming-in”; and Step 8, “Feeding on demand”) had significantly improved. The proportion of newborns exclusively breastfed during the first 48 hours increased from 6.0% to 11.7% ( P < .005). There was no difference in breastfeeding rates at discharge or at 3, 6, or 12 months between the pre- and post-training groups.

Conclusion:

Training of health professionals, based on the BFHI, was associated with significant improvement in some Baby-Friendly hospital practices and initial exclusive breastfeeding rates. A high rate of in-hospital supplementation may partly explain the lack of improvement in breastfeeding exclusivity and duration after discharge. Strong institutional support and commitment is needed to enable full implementation of recommended Baby-Friendly practices.
Gemcitabine-Induced Severe Peripheral Edema in a Patient With Lung Cancer
Authors: Katsenos Stamatis , Nikolopoulou Melita
Published: June 2012

Gemcitabine, alone or in combination with a platinum-based agent, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer. It is generally a well-tolerated drug. Despite its lack of significant toxicity, the most commonly reported side effects include myelosuppression, gastrointestinal disturbances (eg, nausea and vomiting), influenza-like symptoms, skin rash with pruritus, and elevation of liver transaminase enzymes. Peripheral edema has rarely been described as an adverse effect. Herein, we report a patient with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer who experienced severe peripheral edema after gemcitabine administration. Immediate gemcitabine discontinuation and the administration of diuretics resulted in definite regression of peripheral edema.
Clinical Pharmacogenomics of Warfarin and Clopidogrel
Authors: Shin Jaekyu
Published: June 2012

Genetic polymorphisms significantly influence responses to warfarin and clopidogrel. Polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 and vitamin K epoxide reductase genes change warfarin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, respectively. Because these polymorphisms influence warfarin dose requirements, they may primarily help determine therapeutic warfarin doses in patients who newly start on the drug. To assist in estimating therapeutic warfarin doses, the warfarin label provides a pharmacogenomic dosing table and various warfarin pharmacogenomic dosing algorithms are available. On the other hand, polymorphisms in the CYP2C19 gene affect clopidogrel pharmacokinetics. These polymorphisms may be useful to identify clopidogrel nonresponders who may benefit from taking an alternative antiplatelet agent such as prasugrel and ticagrelor. Although both drugs have pharmacogenomic tests available for clinical use, their clinical utilities have not been established and are currently being actively studied. In this review, clinical application of warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomics will be focused. With the current level of evidence, potential patients who may get benefit from warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomic testing will be discussed. In addition, the interpretation of the warfarin and clopidogrel test results and the current barriers to widespread use of warfarin and clopidogrel pharmacogenomic testing will be discussed.
Synchronous whirl mode maps for rotor vibration with stator interaction across clearance annuli in multiple planes
Authors: Cole Matthew OT , Wongratanaphisan Theeraphong
Published: June 2012

For rotating machines having rotor–stator structures with non-linear stiffness characteristics or finite clearances between rotor and stator parts, there can be a multiplicity of possible vibration behaviours for any given operating speed. When the dynamic characteristics of the machine structure possess rotational symmetry, possible vibration modes arising due to unbalance can be calculated exactly from the frequency response of the structure. This study extends current theory by considering systems for which rotor–stator contact interaction may occur in multiple transverse planes. Damping and friction effects arising from contact mechanics are also accounted for. The model equations can be used to compute a complete set of vibration solutions involving circular whirl and thereby establish parametric regions where a low amplitude whirl can transgress to a high amplitude one with rotor–stator contact in one or more planes. Experimentally identified whirl modes for a flexible rotor system interacting with two clearance bearings show a good correlation with the theoretical predictions and thus indicate the suitability of the approach as a tool for prediction and design. The results are pertinent to the design of magnetic bearing and auxiliary bearing systems but are also relevant to a wide range of machines where rotor vibration may exceed clearance limits or boundaries of linearity.
An entropy-based global sensitivity analysis for the structures with both fuzzy variables and random variables
Authors: Zhangchun Tang , Zhenzhou Lu , Wang Pan , Feng Zhang
Published: June 2012

Based on the entropy of the uncertain variable, a novel importance measure is proposed to identify the effect of the uncertain variables on the system, which is subjected to the combination of random variables and fuzzy variables. For the system with the mixture of random variables and fuzzy variables, the membership function of the failure probability can be obtained by the uncertainty propagation theory first. And then the effect of each input variable on the output response of the system can be evaluated by measuring the shift between entropies of two membership functions of the failure probability, obtained before and after the uncertainty elimination of the input variable. The intersecting effect of the multiple input variables can be calculated by the similar measure. The mathematical properties of the proposed global sensitivity indicators are investigated and proved in detail. A simple example is first employed to demonstrate the procedure of solving the proposed global sensitivity indicators and then the influential variables of four practical applications are identified by the proposed global sensitivity indicators.
Towards improved damage location using acoustic emission
Authors: Eaton Mark J , Pullin Rhys , Holford Karen M
Published: June 2012

The acoustic emission technique is a passive non-destructive testing technique that has significant potential for use as a structural health monitoring technique for many large-scale structures, allowing continuous global monitoring. The location capability of the acoustic emission technique is its most beneficial attribute; however, the location accuracy can often be limited in complex materials and structures. This article discusses recent advances in the location of acoustic emission signals. The key sources of errors are identified as signal arrival time measurement and processing algorithm limitations. A series of strategies for reducing the effects of both causes of error are presented. Additionally, the results of a case study are used to demonstrate a novel mapping technique for acoustic emission source location of fatigue crack signals in an aircraft landing gear component. Improvements in location accuracy of up to 87.5% were observed when compared with standard location calculation algorithms.
Study on inducer and impeller of a centrifugal pump for a rocket engine turbopump
Authors: Hong Soon-Sam , Kim Dae-Jin , Kim Jin-Sun , Choi Chang-Ho , Kim Jinhan
Published: June 2012

A hydraulic performance test is conducted for a fuel pump of a liquid rocket engine turbopump. The pump driven by an electric motor is tested in a water environment. Experimental results indicate that the inducer has a negligible effect on the head and efficiency of the pump but a significant effect on the cavitation performance. Additionally, an autonomous inducer test is carried out to investigate the effect of the inducer on the pump performance in more detail, and it is found out that the pump reaches a critical cavitation point when the inducer head is dropped by 55%. A reduction of required net positive suction head of the centrifugal pump by attachment of an inducer is also calculated considering the flow interference between the inducer and the centrifugal impeller, and it is found that the calculation shows a reasonable agreement with the test.
Flutter of functionally graded open conical shell panels subjected to supersonic air flow
Authors: Davar Ali , Shokrollahi Hassan
Published: June 2012

In this article, analysis of supersonic flutter of functionally graded open conical shell panels with clamped and simply supported edges is presented. The aeroelastic stability problem is formulated based on first-order shear deformation theory as well as classical shell theory and solved using Galerkin method. The effects of the volume fractions of constituent materials, the semi-vertex and subtended angles, thickness, and length on the flutter of the functionally graded conical shell panel are investigated. It is shown that the discrepancies between the results of the present classical shell theory and first-order shear deformation theory for the critical aerodynamic pressure are generally greater than those for the frequencies.
Social media networks and the discourse of resistance: A sociolinguistic CDA of Biafra online discourses
Authors: Chiluwa Innocent
Published: June 2012

This study focuses on how Social Media Networks (SMN) have been used in recent times to champion social protests and resistance against oppression and political power abuse. Hence, ‘discourse of resistance’ takes a cue from the current waves of resistance and political revolutions in North Africa and the Arab world, which have been largely attributed to the vibrant SMN. In Nigeria, SMN have been used to mobilize support and active participation in popular efforts to achieve socio-political reforms. The corpus comprises mainly blogs and discussion forums hosted by the Biafra Online Campaign Groups (BOCG). The BOCG consist of persons and groups of the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria, living in and outside of the country, that advocate a separate nation for the Igbos and accuse the government of Nigeria of marginalizing them. The study applies a sociolinguistic-based Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to investigate how sociolinguistic issues such as virtual community, identity, language variations and social interaction are used to project self-determination and the struggle for political independence. It further examines how ideology is reflected in this context via the discourses produced by BOCG in relation to the Nigerian state.
KNN–Q(λ) algorithm-based line-grasping control of a de-icing robot
Authors: Wei Shuning , Wang Yaonan , Tang Yong
Published: June 2012

Flexible mechanical characteristics of power lines and the complex environment induce difficulties for line-grasping control of a de-icing robot when crossing obstacles. An online learning supported line-grasping control method for a de-icing robot based on the KNN– Q( λ) algorithm is presented in this paper. The proposed KNN– Q( λ) algorithm combines reinforcement learning with the k-nearest neighbor algorithm to perceive continuous states and uses a collective decision making mechanism in the action selection process to output continuous actions. Benefiting from the ability of online learning, the KNN– Q( λ)-based line-grasping control method may tolerate possible robot model errors, robot arm attitude errors and environment interferences to line-grasping control. Simulation experiment results show that as a continuous-states-continuous-actions reinforcement learning algorithm, the KNN– Q( λ) algorithm outperforms traditional reinforcement learning algorithms for the application of line-grasping control in terms of leaning rate and robustness.
An impact-based filtering approach for literature searches
Authors: Vista Alvin
Published: June 2012

This paper aims to present an alternative and simple method to improve the filtering of search results so as to increase the efficiency of literature searches, particularly for individual researchers who have limited logistical resources. The method proposed here is scope restriction using an impact-based filter, made possible by the emergence of freely available citation databases in conjunction with new tools to access and process the data efficiently. Results from a simulated search are compared between a conventional date-ranged filtered search and an impact-based filtered search using Publish or Perish as the citation analysis software. The utility and practical implications of this approach are further discussed.
Books in their suitcases: Leisure reading in the lives of Russian-speaking immigrants in Canada
Authors: Dali Keren
Published: June 2012

This article investigates the role of leisure reading in the acculturation process of immigrants in a new country. It analyzes empirical data collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews with a sample of Russian-speaking immigrant readers residing in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It traces the positive and negative roles of leisure reading in immigrant lives and the influence of reading on altering or supporting specific acculturation patterns. It investigates the significance of leisure reading in coping with culture shock, illuminating the humorous side of challenging situations, sharing the immigration experience of others, re-evaluating the national cultural heritage, stabilizing identity, learning about a new country, improving English-language skills, and compensating for the deficiencies in immigrant life. Informed by an innovative theoretical combination of reading and immigration scholarships, this article reveals the potential of understanding the experience of immigration through leisure reading.
Do librarians have a shared set of values? A comparative study of 36 codes of ethics based on Gorman’s Enduring Values
Authors: Foster Catherine , McMenemy David
Published: June 2012

Thirty-six ethical codes from national professional associations were studied, the aim to test whether librarians have global shared values or if political and cultural contexts have significantly influenced the codes’ content. Gorman’s eight core values of stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, rationalism, literacy and learning, equity of access to recorded knowledge and information, privacy and democracy were used as a benchmark. A quantitative analysis was carried out of which values each code contained. The codes were further qualitatively analysed, to examine how each value was expressed. It was found that on average codes featured five of Gorman’s eight values. The most popular values were: service, privacy, equity of access, stewardship and intellectual freedom. The least popular value was rationalism, across all codes. Some codes omitted certain values because of their specific focus, such as the Native American code. Codes varied in how values were expressed, for example some codes limited principles by law, while some did not. Expression of stewardship and democracy was found to be stronger in countries which have recently experienced conflict or colonialism. The relationship between the profession and the state was another area of variation. Countries in the Asia-Pacific put more emphasis on the power of the State.
Stress Variances Among Informal Hospice Caregivers
Authors: Wittenberg-Lyles Elaine , Demiris George , Parker Oliver Debra , Washington Karla , Burt Stephanie , Shaunfield Sara
Published: June 2012

Care interventions are not routinely provided for hospice caregivers, despite widespread documentation of the burden and toll of the caregiving experience. Assessing caregivers for team interventions (ACT) proposes that holistic patient and family care includes ongoing caregiver needs assessment of primary, secondary, and intrapsychic stressors. In this study, our goal was to describe the variance in stressors for caregivers to establish evidence for the ACT theoretical framework. We used secondary interview data from a randomized controlled trial to analyze hospice caregiver discussions about concerns. We found variances in stress types, suggesting that caregiver interventions should range from knowledge and skill building to cognitive-behavioral interventions that aid in coping. Family members who assume the role of primary caregiver for a dying loved one need to be routinely assessed by hospice providers for customized interventions.
Fatigue life prediction methodology using entropy index of stress interaction and crack severity index of effective stress
Authors: Kim Junghoon , Yi Jio , Kim Jihwan , Zi Goangseup , Kong Jung Sik
Published: June 2012

Fatigue life in critical parts of structure components, which is subjected to variable amplitude loading, is a very complex subject. When a fatigue life is influenced by these load variations, accelerations and/or retardations in crack growth rate can occur. Thus, an accurate prediction of fatigue life requires an adequate evaluation of these stress interaction effects. There are many different indexes for calculating fatigue damage at critical locations. The crack severity index based on crack growth is one of the methodologies implemented for modern military aircrafts to define mission severity relative to a known reference usage. But, this index cannot consider stress interaction. In this study, a novel index was proposed to evaluate an effect for stress interaction by using entropy concept, and fatigue life prediction methodology was developed by using entropy index of stress interaction and crack severity index of effective stress.
Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma With Lipoma-Like Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma
Authors: Iwasa Yoko , Nakashima Yasuaki
Published: June 2012

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDL) is defined as nonlipogenic sarcoma, with an abrupt transition from coexisting well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDL). However, intermingled transition in a mosaic pattern between WDL and DDL is not infrequently encountered. Here, the authors review clinicopathological features of 30 cases of DDL associated with lipoma-like WDL. Histological examination revealed 20 tumors that showed an abrupt transition between WDL and DDL. Among these, 13 tumors showed high-grade spindle-cell sarcoma having histological features of unclassified malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH)-like sarcoma (high-grade DDL [HDDL]). The remaining 7 tumors showed moderate cellular spindle-cell proliferation with mild nuclear atypia and scant mitotic figures (low-grade DDL [LDDL]). The other 10 tumors showed intermingled transition between WDL and DDL. The interface between these 2 components overlapped, resulting in frequent occurrence of a lipogenic spindle-cell component (comingling DDL). Based on the cellularity and nuclear atypia of the spindle-cell components, there were 7 comingling HDDLs and 3 comingling LDDLs. The histology of comingling LDDL simulated an admixture of spindle-cell liposarcoma and LDDL, and distinction from each other was practically difficult. The histology of comingling HDDL simulated pleomorphic liposarcoma. Follow-up data, available for 23 patients (median, 39 months), showed that 2 patients died of tumor (both had HDDL), and 1 patient died of unrelated disease; 8 patients were alive with recurrent or metastatic diseases (3 HDDLs, 3 LDDLs, and 2 comingling HDDLs). Statistical analysis by Fisher’s exact test showed no correlation between histological subtypes (HDDL and LDDL, and typical DDL and comingling DDL).
Are RIASEC Interests Traits? Evidence Based on Self–Other Agreement
Authors: Nauta Margaret M.
Published: June 2012

Two studies examined the conceptualization of career interests as traits using self–other agreement data. Study 1 participants were 114 college student–friend dyads, and Study 2 participants were 93 student–parent dyads. In each study, students provided interest (using Holland’s realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional [RIASEC] dimensions) and personality (using the Big Five factors) self-ratings, and friends/parents completed parallel measures on which they rated the students. Self–other agreement for interests was similar in magnitude to that for personality, providing support for a trait conceptualization. Student–parent dyads were in closer agreement regarding realistic than investigative or conventional interests, but among friends the degree of agreement across RIASEC interest dimensions did not differ. The magnitude of agreement between friends was comparable to that of student–parent dyads, but whereas one index of agreement between student–parent dyads was associated with students’ vocational identity, agreement with friends was unrelated to vocational identity. Implications for theory, intervention, and research are presented.
French videogaming
Authors: Dauncey Hugh
Published: June 2012

This article discusses developments in French public policy towards videogaming in the 2000s, and explains them by locating them within the context of French cultural policy during the Fifth Republic (especially since the 1980s), and evolving interpretations of what kinds of activities can contribute to France’s ‘cultural presence’ in the world.
Tales of healthy men: Male reproductive bodies in biomedicine from ‘Lebensborn’ to sperm banks
Authors: Kampf Antje
Published: June 2012

Using the example of ‘sperm tales’, borne out of the biomedical technologies that went hand in hand with the establishment of the ‘science of man’ (andrology), the article engages with the epistemic evolution of interrelated biomedical theories and concepts of what constitutes a ‘healthy’ reproductive male body. The article asks: how has the normative ideal male body been either perpetuated or interrogated through these tales of male reproduction at the interface between scientific and medical technologies? And how were changes to the normalization of male bodies central to clinical practices and cultural understandings of health and illness? With many aspects of the medical history of male reproduction in the 20th century still unexplored, this article will focus on the growing intervention of biomedicine to ‘treat’ male infertility by way of the classification, standardization and normalization of male corporeality, focusing in particular on the representation and construction of men and the male body, as reflected in medical science and practice from the second half of the 20th century onwards in Germany. The article analyses the rise in importance of sperm in biomedical investigation, including a consideration of the construction of infertility as the defining force behind concepts of ‘healthy men’, and examines the related conceptualization of male reproductive bodies at the crossroad between ‘healthy’ and ‘normal’. It is argued that the ideal of male reproduction as being inherently healthy has lost ground. By the late 20th century, male bodies have become vulnerable, at least as represented in medical science and technology.
Working around a contested diagnosis: Borderline personality disorder in adolescence
Authors: Koehne Kristy , Hamilton Bridget , Sands Natisha , Humphreys Cathy
Published: June 2012

This discourse analytic study sits at the intersection of everyday communications with young people in mental health settings and the enduring sociological critique of diagnoses in psychiatry. The diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is both contested and stigmatized, in mental health and general health settings. Its legitimacy is further contested within the specialist adolescent mental health setting. In this setting, clinicians face a quandary regarding the application of adult diagnostic criteria to an adolescent population, aged less than 18 years. This article presents an analysis of interviews undertaken with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians in two publicly funded Australian services, about their use of the BPD diagnosis. In contrast with notions of primacy of diagnosis or of transparency in communications, doctors, nurses and allied health clinicians resisted and subverted a diagnosis of BPD in their work with adolescents. We delineate specific social and discursive strategies that clinicians displayed and reflected on, including: team rules which discouraged diagnostic disclosure; the lexical strategy of hedging when using the diagnosis; the prohibition and utility of informal ‘borderline talk’ among clinicians; and reframing the diagnosis with young people. For clinicians, these strategies legitimated their scepticism and enabled them to work with diagnostic uncertainty, in a population identified as vulnerable. For adolescent identities, these strategies served to forestall a BPD trajectory, allowing room for troubled adolescents to move and grow. These findings illuminate how the contest surrounding this diagnosis in principle is expressed in everyday clinical practice.
Problematizing the neurochemical subject of anti-depressant treatment: The limits of biomedical responses to women’s emotional distress
Authors: Fullagar Simone , O’Brien Wendy
Published: June 2012

In this article we situate empirical research into women’s problematic experiences of anti-depressant medication within broader debates about pharmaceuticalization and the rise of the neurochemical self. We explore how women interpreted and problematized anti-depressant medication as it impeded their recovery in a number of ways. Drawing upon Foucauldian and feminist work we conceptualize anti-depressants as biotechnologies of the self that shaped how women thought about and acted upon their embodied (and hence gendered) subjectivities. Through the interplay of biochemical, emotional and socio-cultural effects medication worked to shape women’s self-in-recovery in ways that both reinscribed and undermined a neurochemical construction of depression. Our analysis outlines two key discursive constructions that focused on women’s problematization of the neurochemical self in response to the side-effects of anti-depressant use. We identified how the failure of medication to alleviate depression contributed to women’s reinterpretation of recovery as a process of ‘working’ on the emotional self. We argue that women’s stories act as a form of subjugated knowledge about the material and discursive forces shaping depression and recovery. These findings offer a gendered critique of scientific and market orientated rationalities underpinning neurochemical recovery that obscure the embodied relations of affect and the social conditions that enable the self to change.
Medication communication during ward rounds on medical wards: Power relations and spatial practices
Authors: Liu Wei , Manias Elizabeth , Gerdtz Marie
Published: June 2012

Communication plays a crucial role in the management of medications. Ward rounds are sites where health professionals from different disciplines and patients come together to exchange medication information and make treatment decisions. This article examines power relations and spatial practices surrounding medication communication between patients and health professionals including doctors, nurses and pharmacists during ward rounds. Data were collected in two medical wards of a metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection methods involved participant observations, field interviews, video-recordings, together with individual and group reflexive interviews. A critical discourse analysis was undertaken to identify the location sites where power relations were reproduced or challenged in ward rounds. Findings demonstrated that traditional medical hierarchies constructed the ways in which doctors communicated about medications during ward rounds. Nurses and pharmacists ventured into the ward round space by using the discourse of preparation and occupying a peripheral physical position. Doctors privileged the discourse of medication rationalization in their ward round discussions, competing with the discourse of inquiry taken up by patients and families. Ward rounds need to be restructured to provide opportunities for nurses and pharmacists to speak at dedicated times and in strategic locations. By critically reflecting upon the complex process of medication communication during ward rounds, greater opportunities exist for enhanced team communication among health professionals.
Beyond power
Authors: Jiménez-Anca Juan J.
Published: June 2012

Today, very few would doubt that there are plenty of reasons to liken Weber’s and Foucault’s theories of power. Nevertheless, their respective works have divergent ethical and ontological preoccupations which should be reconsidered. This article explores Foucault’s account of a historical episode in Discipline and Punish and Weber’s theory of life spheres, uncovering evidence that there is a need to reassess the conceptual bridges which have been built so far. The exploration reveals a radical difference between a monological theory of power (Foucault) and a multidimensional approach to power (Weber). Yet by unbridging the two thinkers and focusing on other aspects of their theories along with their ideas about power, we also find that alternative links between the two frameworks may offer a more promising critical theory.