bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loss of Drosophila melanogaster TRPA1 Function Affects “Siesta” Behavior but Not Synchronization to Temperature Cycles
Authors: Roessingh Sanne , Wolfgang Werner , Stanewsky Ralf
Published: October 2015

To maintain synchrony with the environment, circadian clocks use a wide range of cycling sensory cues that provide input to the clock (zeitgebers), including environmental temperature cycles (TCs). There is some knowledge about which clock neuronal groups are important for temperature synchronization, but we currently lack knowledge on the temperature receptors and their signaling pathways that feed temperature information to the (neuronal) clock. Since TRPA1 is a well-known thermosensor that functions in a range of temperature-related behaviors, and it is potentially expressed in clock neurons, we set out to test the putative role of TRPA1 in temperature synchronization of the circadian clock. We found that flies lacking TRPA1 are still able to synchronize their behavioral activity to TCs comparable to wild-type flies, both in 16°C : 25°C and 20°C : 29°C TCs. In addition, we found that flies lacking TRPA1 show higher activity levels during the middle of the warm phase of 20°C : 29°C TCs, and we show that this TRPA1-mediated repression of locomotor activity during the “siesta” is caused by a lack of sleep. Based on these data, we conclude that the TRPA1 channel is not required for temperature synchronization in this broad temperature range but instead is required to repress activity during the warm part of the day.
Using Correspondence Analysis in Multiple Case Studies
Authors: Kienstra Natascha H.H. , van der Heijden Peter G.M.
Published: October 2015

In qualitative research of multiple case studies, Miles and Huberman proposed to summarize the separate cases in a so-called meta-matrix that consists of cases by variables. Yin discusses cross-case synthesis to study this matrix. We propose correspondence analysis (CA) as a useful tool to study this matrix. CA is a quantitative method that yields a graphical display of the rows and of the columns of a matrix. The rows and the columns receive coordinates that can be interpreted as quantifications, hence the cases can be compared using these quantifications. Using an example from qualitative educational research into teaching philosophy, we illustrate both methods and their complementarity. We discuss special features of the application of CA to case study research, such as flexible ways of coding the data, and the stability of the CA solution when the number of cases is much smaller than the number of variables.
Assessing the Effect of Panel Attrition on Log-linear Model Estimation
Authors: Liao Tim F.
Published: October 2015

Attrition is a common problem for analysts of panel data. In this paper, we assess the impact of panel attrition on the association between categorical or cross-classified data via a log-linear model. We devise a simulation study in which the effects of the three common missingness mechanisms – missing completely at random, missing at random, and missing not at random – are assessed for the three different sample sizes of 200, 500, and 1,000, allowing for varying attrition rates from 10 to 50 percent. Increase in attrition rates are found to decrease efficiency of estimation while sample size tends to improve efficiency. When missing data mechanisms are not known, missing-at-random models are preferred to the other missingness assumptions in terms of model fitting, unbiased estimation, and efficiency. An analysis of real-world data further supports this conclusion.
Analyzing Open-ended Questions by Means of Text Analysis Procedures
Authors: Popping Roel
Published: October 2015

Assume one has open-ended questions in a survey and seriously wants to analyze the answers to these questions. This text discusses a number of choices when a thematic text analysis is to be applied. It starts with requirements to be posed of the open-ended questions themselves and sketches choices in the development of a code system. Coding can be performed from an instrumental or a representational perspective. First, the coding is performed from the investigator’s point of view, and can be performed by a computer program. Secondly, the point of view of the respondent is acknowledged. Here, the computer can be used as a management tool, but the coding must be performed by a human coder. The choice of one of these methods depends on what the investigator is looking for and has consequences for how to proceed. When the representational coding is applied, there are questions of intercoder reliability. The codes to be used should be decided upon before or during the coding process.
Long-Term Consequences of Intimate Partner Abuse on Physical Health, Emotional Well-Being, and Problem Behaviors
Authors: Simmons Sara B. , Knight Kelly E. , Menard Scott
Published: October 2015

This study examines the physical health, emotional well-being, and problem behavior outcomes associated with intimate partner abuse (IPA) victimization and perpetration experiences by analyzing a nationally representative, prospective, and longitudinal sample of 879 men and women collected from the National Youth Survey Family Study (NYSFS) and assessed across a period of 9 years from 1993 to 2003. Using multivariate regression techniques, it was found that both men and women experience numerous negative outcomes associated with their IPA victimization and perpetration experiences. Implications of these findings are discussed, as are the study’s limitations, and future research directions.
Class Concepts and Stratification Research in Slovenia
Authors: Kramberger Anton , Stanojević Miroslav
Published: October 2015

This article deals with the concept of class and class analysis in sociological research in the last few decades in Slovenia. It reveals the specific reasons for the relatively marginal role of this sort of analysis before and especially after 1990. First, it lists a selection of the key class and stratification studies during the communist era. Second, it describes the class and stratification studies that occurred before and around the regime change (1980–1991). Third, it describes a number of stratification research studies after 1991 (to the present), with many international components. The research efforts of a few influential research groups in Slovenia that have engaged in class and stratification studies, following special approaches, are presented and commented on: the Marxist tradition, a Bourdieuian approach focusing on symbolic discourse, and a structurally based labor process approach. In the conclusion, both a substantive and methodological account of relative achievements in the field are offered.
Handicapped Class Analysis in Post-Soviet Ukraine, and a Push for Revision
Authors: Ryabchuk Anastasiya
Published: October 2015

Class analysis has never gone out of fashion in Ukraine, but it has been conducted in ways that limit its effectiveness and ability to make sense of the world. It is marked by four aspects inherited from Soviet times: a focus on large-scale surveys offering only surface presentations of findings, a gradational rather than relational orientation to class, unwillingness to engage with subjective experiences of class, and a tendency towards functional legitimation of the existing order. Data showing significant transformation of social structure and high levels of inequality tend to be presented with little consideration of its meaning for people’s lives. The absence of serious theoretical reflection, deep ethnographic analysis, or studies of class relations and power constitute significant handicaps for Ukrainian sociology. A recently created group of young sociologists gathered around the journal and website Commons/Spilne has been seeking to overcome these limitations. Embracing “public sociology’s” aim of producing reflexive knowledge for academic and non-academic audiences alike, this new milieu, with its creators trained in western universities and engaged with Marxist social science and left-wing politics, has explored topics such as changing relations in work, the informal economy, independent unions, labor mobilization, and ethnographic study of workers’ life-worlds. Pressing work still needs to be done on the oligarchical business class, middle-class activists, class politics across regions, and the Maidan events of 2014 and the conflicts and violence that have followed.
Governance Models for the Delivery of Public Services Through the Web 2.0 Technologies
Authors: Bolívar Manuel Pedro Rodríguez
Published: October 2015

The growing participation in social networking sites is altering the nature of social relations and changing the nature of political and public dialogue. This article contributes to the current debate on Web 2.0 technologies and their implications for local governance through the identification of governance models to be adopted by local governments if Web 2.0 technologies are implemented for providing public services. Also, this article analyzes whether the political competition could be an attribute that could explain the governance models to be adopted by municipalities. To achieve this aim, an e-survey during the period of May–July 2014 has been performed by policy makers responsible of strategies for e-government in Spanish municipalities. Findings indicate that policy makers are mainly prone to implement Web 2.0 technologies under the “Bureaucratic Model” framework, keeping the leading role in this implementation. Nonetheless, political competition seems to be essential to understand the findings of this article. Thus, majority governments are prone to implement collaborative models of governance, whereas minority governments are in favor to implement noncollaborative models of governance.
Wilber’s Integral Theory and Dossey’s Theory of Integral Nursing
Authors: Shea Linda , Frisch Noreen
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this article is to examine Dossey’s theory of integral nursing in relation to its major theoretical source, Wilber’s integral theory. Although several nursing scholars have written about integral theory in relation to nursing scholarship and practice, Dossey’s theory of integral nursing may be influencing how nurses take up integral theory in a significant way due to an extensive outreach in the holistic nursing community. Despite this wide circulation, the theory of integral nursing has yet to be reviewed in the nursing literature. This article (a) compares Dossey’s theory of integral nursing with Wilber’s integral theory and (b) contrasts Dossey’s integral approach with another integral approach used by other scholars of integral theory.
Experimental investigation on heat transfer enhancement from a channel with square blocks and identification of most influencing parameters using Taguchi approach
Authors: Sivasubramanian M , Rajesh Kanna P , Rajesh S , Uthayakumar M
Published: October 2015

Heat transfer is very essential process and, therefore, it is necessary to develop the optimization model. In this paper, an attempt has been made to develop an optimization model for complex heat transfer process using the Taguchi method. This paper presents the findings of an experimental investigation on the effects of input parameters such as Reynolds number, heat input, and Lx/ Ly ratio in a channel mounted with square blocks in staggered manner. The Nusselt number is considered as the output quality characteristics. Taguchi-based L27 orthogonal array has been used to accomplish the objective of the experimental study. An orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ( S/ N) ratio and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are employed to analyze the effect of input parameters on heat transfer enhancement. Based on the S/ N ratio value the optimal level of the input is identified and significant contribution of these parameters is determined by ANOVA. Confirmation test is also conducted to validate the optimal results. It is clearly shown that the output characteristic is improved by this approach. Taguchi method revealed that optimal combination of the heat transfer parameters for the enhancement of heat transfer rate is set as: Lx/ Ly at 2.5, heat input to be 250 W, and Reynolds number to be 300.
Increased expression of low density granulocytes in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients correlates with disease activity
Authors: Midgley A , Beresford M W
Published: October 2015

Neutrophils are implicated in a wide range of non-infectious inflammatory conditions. A subset of neutrophils in the peripheral circulation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients has been described and termed low density granulocytes (LDGs). This study investigates the expression of LDG in juvenile-onset SLE (JSLE) patients compared to controls, and any correlations with disease activity.

Neutrophils and LDGs were isolated from JSLE ( n = 13) and paediatric non-inflammatory control patients ( n = 12). Cell populations were assessed and compared using flow cytometry and morphological analysis. Standard clinical data, which included disease activity markers/scores, were collected for each patient.

Significantly increased LDG expression (%mean ± SEM, range) was observed in JSLE patients (10.4 ± 3.26, 3.41–36.3) compared to controls (2.4 ± 0.44, 0.36–5.27; p = 0.005). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between LDG expression and the British Isles Lupus Activity Group (correlation coefficient 0.685; p = 0.010) and SLE Disease Activity Index (correlation coefficient 0.567; p = 0.043) and the biomarker of dsDNA-antibodies (correlation coefficient 0.590; p = 0.043).

Here we observe increased expression in LDGs in JSLE patients, which correlate with dsDNA antibody concentration and scores of disease activity. These correlations indicate that the increased LDG expression observed in this study may have a potential role in the pathogenesis of JSLE, and may be a useful biomarker.
Streptococcus pneumoniae necrotizing fasciitis in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sánchez A , Robaina R , Pérez G , Cairoli E
Published: October 2015

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rapidly progressive destructive soft tissue infection with high mortality. Streptococcus pneumoniae as etiologic agent of necrotizing fasciitis is extremely unusual. The increased susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus is probably a multifactorial phenomenon. We report a case of a patient, a 36-year-old Caucasian female with 8-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus who presented a fatal Streptococcus pneumoniae necrotizing fasciitis. The role of computed tomography and the high performance of blood cultures for isolation of the causative microorganism are emphasized. Once diagnosis is suspected, empiric antibiotic treatment must be prescribed and prompt surgical exploration is mandatory.
Indian Microfinance Institutions: Performance of Young and Old Institutions
Authors: Rai Anand
Published: October 2015

This study focuses on the performance of Microfinance Institutions of India (MFI) based on their age. Using Life Cycle Approach method, three major classes of MFIs: the old, the mature and the young MFIs are identified. The growth and financial performance of a sample of 40 Indian MFIs were examined. It is a general notion of the industry that the older companies with bigger in size and scale used to financially perform better than the new comers. But in case of microfinance institutions, the scenario was found to be different. It was found that the young MFIs of India are creating better quality asset and growing at a faster rate as compared to the old and the mature MFIs. On average, the portfolio of the young Turks has grown three to five times between 2008 and 2010, with Equitas and Sahayata showing extremely high portfolio growth of 13 times and 16 times, respectively. The portfolio at risk (PAR) > 30 days of young MFIs was also very low and was in the range of 1–1.2 per cent during the year 2008–2011 as compared to the 4 per cent PAR > 30 days of old MFIs. It was also concluded that the mature MFIs are utilizing administrative and personnel expenses in a much better manner. The administrative and personnel expenses, which are measured by ‘Operating Expense/Loan Portfolio’, of the mature MFIs are 8 per cent while the young MFIs are operating at Operating Expense/Loan Portfolio of 13 per cent of the total portfolio size. The old MFIs, by and large, were the laggards in almost all the financial performance indicators.
Journey of Doing Quasi-ethnographic Study in Organizations
Authors: Awasthy Richa
Published: October 2015

The current article provides a detailed description of conducting qualitative research process and lived-in experience of a researcher when undertaking doctoral research. The article is written in ‘auto-ethnographic’ way. I studied the kinds of practices MNCs adopt and how these practices were experienced and perceived by Indian employees working in those MNCs. Organizational practices in MNCs is very relevant topic of study and there is dearth of literature in this area, especially in Indian context. This called for an exploratory study and appropriate methodology suitable to study domain which is un-researched and complex. They may require following certain interpretive methods. In particular, Yin’s multiple case study has been used to provide a structure to the research design involving four in-depth case study of an organization. The article presents the factors that convinced me to the appropriateness of a qualitative approach, to a consideration of the outcomes generated. In so doing, it demonstrates the value of using such an approach when undertaking MNCs research.
Nokia Ltd: Travails of a Market Leader
Authors: Pai V.S.
Published: October 2015

Nokia was the world’s largest manufacturer of mobile telephone handsets. At its peak in 2000 it accounted for around 4 per cent of Finland’s GDP. However, complacency set in and the company spent its cash reserves on paying dividends and share repurchase. This was done at a time when its competitors were investing in future technologies that would drive the telecom market in the years to come. As a result since 2009 its products were unable to compete with the superior technology based touch-screen smartphones from competitors especially the iPhone, by Apple, and devices running on Android, an open source operating system (OS), which was dominated by Samsung.

Nokia appointed a new CEO, Stephen Elop who took the decision to replace Symbian OS with Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS in all Nokia smartphones. There were operating issues with Windows Phone which made Nokia’s customers disillusioned. As a consequence its market share declined drastically so did its stock price from a high of $40 in late 2007 to under $2 in mid-2012. To tied over this situation Elop initiated several measures which included the launch of Windows-based smartphones, the new mid-priced Asha series of feature phones, dual-SIM card phones, downsizing, delayering, launch of Android-based smartphones, as well as moving manufacturing to low-cost Asian locations. The company hoped that these measures would enable it to compete better as well as attract and retain more customers.
Internal Marketing: Scale Development and Validation
Authors: Kaur Japneet , Sharma Sanjeev Kumar
Published: October 2015

Internal marketing has been an area of interest for the past few decades, and the rapid growth on internal marketing literature has evolved the concept further. However, this theoretical advancement has not been able to empirically strengthen the concept, and there exists disagreement on the key components of internal marketing. Thus, this article endeavours to identify the dimensions of internal marketing by probing in the extant literature. In addition, the aim of the article was to develop a robust and valid instrument for measuring internal marketing. Data were collected from qualitative study and from 154 employees of financial service sector. Analyses revealed 11 significant dimensions of internal marketing, namely, senior leadership and vision, inter-functional coordination, internal communications, organization structure and changes, staffing, training and development, incentive systems, physical environment, strategic rewards and empowerment. Construct validity and reliability were empirically ascertained along with the determination of the good fit for the proposed model.

The study highlighted the difference between strategic rewards and incentive systems as perceived by the employees. In addition, organization structure and change factors were tested to be significant, providing empirical evidence of their vital role in developing and implementing internal marketing practices in service firms. The article concludes by discussing the possible implications and future research avenues.
Book Review: Bruce Rosenstein, Create Your Future the Peter Drucker Way: Developing and Applying a Forward Focused Mindset
Authors: Paheli Pranati
Published: October 2015

Bruce Rosenstein, Create Your Future the Peter Drucker Way: Developing and Applying a Forward Focused Mindset. New Delhi, India: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Ltd. 2014, 202 pp., ₹ 445. ISBN: 9789332901759
Book Review: Rohitashya Chattopadhyay, Understanding India: Cultural Influences on Indian Television Commercials
Authors: Srivastava Ritu
Published: October 2015

Rohitashya Chattopadhyay, Understanding India: Cultural Influences on Indian Television Commercials. India: SAGE Publications. 2014, 175 pp., ₹ 695. ISBN: 9788132113928
Enhancing research quality through cultural competence: a case study in Queensland prisons
Authors: Heffernan Edward , Andersen Kimina , Kinner Stuart A
Published: October 2015

Objective:

To describe the processes undertaken to maximise cultural competence in a complex research project and illustrate how this enhanced the quality of the research and impact of the research outcomes.

Methods:

An epidemiological survey of the mental health of Indigenous people in custody in Queensland was conducted using culturally informed research processes.

Results:

The research process that enhanced cultural competence is described. The research outcomes were positive in terms of participant and community experiences, participation rates, publications and other research outputs, capacity building and translation of research findings.

Conclusions:

This paper describes in practical terms how to conduct culturally informed research and how this approach enhanced the scientific rigour of a complex Indigenous health research project. Indigenous health research should be conducted using a culturally competent method.
Creating a Meeting Point of Understanding
Authors: Granhagen Jungner Johanna , Tiselius Elisabet , Lützén Kim , Blomgren Klas , Pergert Pernilla
Published: October 2015

Purpose: Children and families with a foreign background and limited Swedish proficiency have to communicate through interpreters in childhood cancer care centers in Sweden. Interpreter-mediated events deal with many difficulties that potentially hinder the transfer of information. The purpose of our study was to explore interpreters’ experiences of interpreting between health care staff and limited Swedish proficiency patients/families in childhood cancer care. Design: Using purposive samples, we interviewed 11 interpreters individually. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: Analyses of the data resulted in the main theme of creating a meeting point of understanding, constructed from 3 subthemes: balancing between cultures, bridging the gaps of knowledge, and balancing between compassion and professionalism. Discussion: Our result shows that in order to create a sustainable meeting point of understanding, it is necessary to explain both the context and cultural differences. These results suggest that the responsibility for information transfer lies with both the health care profession and the interpreters. Tools have to be developed for both parties to contribute to creating the meeting point of understanding.
Giving Doctors’ Daily Progress Notes to Hospitalized Patients and Families to Improve Patient Experience
Authors: Weinert Craig
Published: October 2015

Hospital quality includes excellent physician–patient communication. The objective was to determine effects of distributing physicians’ notes to patients. Hospitalized patients or family members on 6 wards at a university hospital received daily a printed copy of their medical team’s progress note. Surveys were completed about the benefits and adverse effects of reading the physician notes. In all, 74% to 86% of patients or family members responded favorably that receiving doctors’ notes improved understanding of their health condition or gave them more control over their hospital course. Patient concerns about privacy or offense were uncommon, although 16% thought notes were confusing or caused worry. Note distribution had minor effects on physician note writing practice. Having patients and family members read their physicians’ progress notes is feasible and enhances patients’ understanding of their diagnostic and treatment plan. Notes supplement traditional physician–patient verbal communication practice and have the potential to improve the hospitalized patient experience.
A Rare Case of Sarcina ventriculi of the Stomach in an Asymptomatic Patient
Authors: Haroon Al Rasheed Mohamed Rizwan , Kim George J. , Senseng Carmencita
Published: October 2015

Sarcina ventriculi is a gram-positive coccus that grows in a tetrad arrangement in the stomach. In the past 35 years, less than 20 cases have been reported in the literature, and it has been associated with life-threatening complications such as emphysematous gastritis and perforation. Treatment of S ventriculi generally consists of proton pump inhibitors with or without adjuvant antibiotic therapy. We report the first ever case of S ventriculi, including the morphological and immunohistochemical features, occurring in an asymptomatic patient with a history of Helicobacter pylori gastric ulcers.
Perioperative Factors and Their Effect on the Fibrinolytic System in Arthroplasty Patients
Authors: Burleson Andrew , Guler Nil , Banos Andrew , Syed Daneyal , Wanderling Christopher , Hoppensteadt Debra , Rees Harold , Fareed Jawed , Hopkinson William
Published: October 2015

Background:

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients are mostly of advanced age and with comorbidities such as increased body mass index (BMI) and impaired glucose tolerance. These factors and type of surgery may affect the fibrinolytic system.

Aim:

To investigate the effect of age, sex, BMI, type of surgery, and tranexamic acid (TXA) treatment on the fibrinolytic system in TJA patients.

Methods:

Ninety-nine patients undergoing TJA (32 total hip arthroplasty [THA] and 67 total knee arthroplasty [TKA]) were included in this study. Blood samples were drawn at preoperative clinic appointments and on postoperative day 1. Antigenic levels of d-dimer, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Antiplasmin activity was measured using functional method. Age, gender, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and BMI were collected from the records.

Results:

Preoperative d-dimer and tPA levels were positively correlated with age, whereas preoperative antiplasmin was negatively correlated with age. Body mass index was only associated with preoperative tPA levels. There was no significant difference in postoperative levels of d-dimer, PAI-1, tPA, or antiplasmin between patients treated with TXA or without TXA. Percentage change in d-dimer and tPA showed significantly lower values in patients treated with TXA compared to the nontreated group. Type of surgery did not affect the fibrinolytic markers.

Conclusion:

These results confirm that advanced age and elevated BMI positively contribute to fibrinolytic dysregulation in TJA patients, whereas TXA seems to decrease the fibrinolytic activity.
Geometrical nonlinear free vibration analysis of laminated composite doubly curved shell panels embedded with piezoelectric layers
Authors: Singh Vijay K , Panda Subrata K
Published: October 2015

The nonlinear free vibration behaviour of laminated composite single/doubly curved shell panel embedded with the piezoelectric layer is investigated numerically in this article. For the analysis purpose, a general nonlinear mathematical model has been developed using higher-order shear deformation theory and Green-Lagrange nonlinearity including the quadratic variation of the electric potential across the thickness due to the piezoelectric layer. In order to capture the exact flexure of the shear deformable panel, all the nonlinear higher order terms are included in the present model. The nonlinear governing equation of free vibrated shell panel is derived using Hamilton’s principle and discretised through suitable finite element steps. The desired nonlinear responses are computed numerically using the direct iterative method. The developed nonlinear numerical model has been validated by comparing the responses with that to available published literature. Finally, the efficacy and applicability of the present nonlinear model has been checked by solving few numerical examples for different geometrical parameters (stacking sequence, thickness ratio, aspect ratio, curvature ratio, different support constraints and amplitude ratio) and number of piezo layers and discussed in details.
The Meaning of Leaning
Authors: Scherr Sebastian , Baugut Philip
Published: October 2015

Based on the subset of a representative survey of journalists with an active role perception in Germany, this article shows that more liberal journalists within the subset have (a) a more active role conception than more conservative journalists, (b) they perceive stronger discrepancies between their active role and its fulfillment, and (c) they are, thus, less satisfied with audiences and editorial policy. The indirect effect of the political leaning of this subset of journalists on their satisfaction with audiences and editorial policy underlines the significance of intrinsic factors for subdimensions of job satisfaction in journalism.
Witnessing Interparental Violence and Acceptance of Dating Violence as Predictors for Teen Dating Violence Victimization
Authors: Karlsson Marie E. , Temple Jeff R. , Weston Rebecca , Le Vi Donna
Published: October 2015

We examined the association between witnessing interparental violence, attitudes about dating violence, and physical and psychological teen dating violence (TDV) victimization. Participants were 918 teens with dating experience. Witnessing interparental violence and acceptance of dating violence were significant predictors of TDV victimization. Acceptance of dating violence was also a partial mediator between witnessing interparental violence and TDV victimization. Witnessing mother-to-father violence and acceptance of female-perpetrated violence were the most consistent predictors. TDV programs aiming to prevent victimization could benefit from targeting youth exposed to father-to-mother and mother-to-father violence, targeting attitudes about violence, and tailoring interventions to gender-specific risk factors.
High-performance conjugate gradient performance improvement on the K computer
Authors: Kumahata Kiyoshi , Minami Kazuo , Maruyama Naoya
Published: October 2015

The high-performance conjugate gradient (HPCG) is new benchmark software for supercomputers that provides a more realistic performance metric than existing benchmarks, such as the LINPACK benchmark. The HPCG measures the speed of solving symmetric sparse linear system equations using the conjugate gradient method preconditioned by a multigrid symmetric Gauss–Seidel smoother. The combination of a sparse linear system and a preconditioned conjugate gradient method is widely used in many scientific and engineering computer applications. This study introduces a tuning method for the K computer. According to weak-scaling measurements on the K computer, it has good parallel scalability. Therefore, our tuning strategy focuses on single CPU performance rather than parallel performance. Single CPU performance strongly depends on memory throughput and multicore utilization. Therefore, we attempt to improve memory/cache access performance and multithreading efficiency. As a result, a HPCG score obtained with the K computer achieved second place at SC’14.
Indirect Immunofluorescence for the Detection of Autoimmune Urticaria
Authors: Bahrani Bahar , Gattey Natasha T. , Hull Peter R.
Published: October 2015

Background:

An autoimmune basis is believed to be responsible for about half of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) cases. The autologous serum skin test is used as a possible indicator, but there is currently no test that directly indicates an autoimmune etiology. In this study, an indirect immunofluorescence was used to identify patients with autoantibodies directed at mast cells.

Methods:

Two substrates were used including paraffin embedded sections of skin biopsies from an infant with bullous mastocytosis and cord blood–derived mast cells (CBMC). Sera from 76 patients with CSU were incubated with substrates and conjugated with human IgG.

Results:

Using the bullous mastocytosis preparations, positive indirect immunofluorescence was found in 46% (n = 76), while the CBMC substrate was positive in 39% (n = 70).

Conclusion:

The IgG autoantibodies directed at mast cells could be detected in about half the patients with CSU. Indirect immunofluorescence should be considered as an indicator of the autoimmune form of CSU.
Lubrication characteristics of ball–cylinder pair in eccentric ball piston pumps
Authors: Zhao Hongmei , Wei Chao , Jing Chongbo , Lin Shuo
Published: October 2015

Ball–cylinder pair is the key friction pair of eccentric ball piston pumps. The reliability of ball–cylinder pair is significant to the performance of ball piston pump. The amended point contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) model of ball–cylinder pair is developed in this paper. Non-Newtonian behavior of lubricants and slide-roll feature of ball–cylinder pair are considered. Pressure distribution and film profile of ball–cylinder pair are calculated. The characteristics of friction and lubrication are analyzed. The result shows that a film dimple takes place at the inlet of the contact, corresponding to a pressure mutation. For friction coefficient, with the increase of entrainment velocity of ball–cylinder pair, the curve goes down first and then goes up to the peak. After that, the curve decreases slightly to stability. Also, the curve decreases first and increases slowly to stability with respect to the normal load of ball–cylinder pair. Tendency of the curves representing friction coefficient is different from the classical Stribeck curve. The simulating results are validated by test.
Media, passion and humanitarian reality television
Authors: Nikunen Kaarina
Published: October 2015

The article explores affective economy in a humanitarian reality television. It shows the ways in which reality television is increasingly occupied with ‘doing good’ by investigating Australian originated series Go Back to Where You Came From. The international format has been sold to nine countries and produced in co-operation with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. By bringing together theorizations of affective economy and post-humanitarianism, the article examines the emotional register and moral claims attached to the imagery of asylum seekers and refugees, and the conditions of television production for gearing audience participation towards humanitarian action. In the heart of this investigation lies the question of media change and marketization of the humanitarian field that proposes new forms of solidarities and moralities in public. The article identifies not only the potential but also the critical challenges of the combination of reality format and humanitarian message.
Passion and nostalgia in generational media experiences
Authors: Bolin Göran
Published: October 2015

One component in the generational experience strongly related to media is the intimate and often passionate relation that is developed towards media technologies and content from one’s formative youth period: musical genres and stars, as well as reproduction technologies such as the vinyl record, music cassette tapes, comics and other now dead media forms. Passion, however, is a dialectic concept that not only refers to the joyful desire and intense emotional engagement of cherished objects but also includes its dialectic opposite in the form of pain and suffering. This passion, it is argued in the article, is activated by the nostalgic relationships to past media experiences, the bittersweet remembrances of media habits connected to earlier life phases of one’s own. Taking its point of departure in generational theory of Mannheim and others, this article analyses a series of focus group interviews with Swedish and Estonian media users tentatively belonging to four different generations. Based on the analysis of these interviews, it is suggested that passion and nostalgia are produced, first, in relation to old technologies, second, in relation to childhood memories and, third, at the limits of shared intergenerational experience, that is, at the moment when one realises that one’s own experiences of past media forms cannot be shared by younger generations, and especially one’s own children.
Theorizing capitalism
Authors: Arnason Johann P
Published: October 2015

Contemporary reflections on capitalism as a social-historical formation build on the legacy of classical theorists and comparative analysts. To clarify the main lines of this ongoing debate, it seems useful to distinguish three dichotomies that have been central to interpretations of capitalist development. The question of unity and diversity has been most prominent in the controversies of the past few decades; its ramifications range from micro-economic research on ‘varieties of capitalism’ to less sustained discussions about the place and role of capitalism within the framework of multiple modernities. Another key distinction contrasts systemic perspectives on capitalism with historical ones. In this regard, Schumpeter’s work is particularly interesting, but as an illustration of the problematic rather than an answer to the basic questions. The notion of a spirit of capitalism is most frequently associated with Weber’s work, where the spirit appeared as the source of a dynamic to which it then fell victim. Reconsiderations of the issue have raised questions about more durable versions and more varied expressions of the spirit, less likely to be eliminated by a self-propelling dynamic. Finally, comments on the articles included in the special issue suggest that they all have something to say on all three aspects of the field, but that their most innovative content may consist in attempts to move beyond systemic models of unity.
Occurrence of sickness absence and disability pension in relation to childbirth: A 16-year follow-up study of 6323 Swedish twins
Authors: Narusyte Jurgita , Björkenstam Emma , Alexanderson Kristina , Ropponen Annina , Kjeldgård Linnea , Svedberg Pia
Published: October 2015

Background: Pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period may imply morbidity leading to work incapacity; however, this is seldom studied. This study aimed to compare twin sisters giving or not giving birth regarding occurrence of sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP). Methods: This population-based cohort study included all 6323 female twins born in Sweden 1959–1990, using register data for 1994–2010 about SA and DP. Average number of SA/DP days/year was calculated in relation to the year of the first delivery, or, if not giving birth, the year when the twin sister gave birth. Twin pairs discordant for delivery were used to investigate the importance of genetic and environmental factors for occurrence of SA and DP. Results: In all, 52% had a first delivery during 1994–2010. Except for the year of delivery, the average number of SA days/year was similar when comparing women who gave birth to those who did not, while number of DP days was significantly higher in women who did not give birth. Differences between the groups seem attributable to genetic factors. Women who delivered once had higher levels of SA and DP than those who had several deliveries. DP with mental diagnoses was more common among women who had not delivered whereas DP with musculoskeletal diagnoses occurred more often among women who delivered. Conclusions: Levels of SA were similar among women who gave birth and who did not. Women not giving birth had significantly higher levels of DP, indicating health selections into childbirth.
A naturalistic patient matching algorithm: Derivation and validation
Authors: Lee Martin Laurence , Clymer Robert , Peters Kate
Published: October 2015

With the vast amount of medical data being generated on an electronic basis, to ensure that individual patient information is properly linked across multiple sources, efficient patient matching algorithms are critical. We describe a novel naturalistic approach that is a hybrid of both deterministic (exact) and probabilistic (“close”) systems that allows for manual adjudication of cases where necessary, but whose basis stems from the thought processes that a rational individual would follow in the comparison of medical records. A validation of this algorithm using large databases from two disparate sources demonstrates that the naturalistic approach can largely eliminate false positives (false matches) and false negatives (false mismatches).
Archaeology and the MOOC: Massive, open, online, and opportunistic
Authors: Alcock Susan E , Dufton J Andrew , Durusu-Tanrıöver Müge
Published: October 2015

In 2013, Brown University launched Archaeology’s Dirty Little Secrets, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that, in its two iterations to date, has reached a global audience of some 30,000 people. We first discuss course design, content, assessment practices, and metrics of success within the context provided by other digital archaeological endeavors, as well as reviewing the composition of the online audience. Drawing on this experience, in the second part of the article we explore various opportunities for public outreach and engagement made possible by this platform, not least the potential participatory role of a new online community in archaeological activity and advocacy.
Association of the insertion allele of the common ACE gene polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus among Kuwaiti cardiovascular disease patients
Authors: Al-Serri Ahmad , Ismael Fatma G , Al-Bustan Suzanne A , Al-Rashdan Ibrahim
Published: October 2015

Background and objectives:

The D allele of the common angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE) I/D gene polymorphism (rs4646994) predisposes to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, results on which allele predisposes to disease susceptibility remain controversial in Asian populations. This study was performed to evaluate the association of the common ACE I/D gene polymorphism with both T2DM and CVD susceptibility in an Arab population.

Methods:

We genotyped the ACE I/D polymorphisms by direct allele-specific PCR in 183 healthy controls and 400 CVD patients with diabetes ( n=204) and without ( n=196). Statistical analysis comparing between the different groups were conducted using R statistic package “SNPassoc”.

Results:

Two genetic models were used: the additive and co-dominant models. The I allele was found to be associated with T2DM (OR=1.84, p=0.00009) after adjusting for age, sex and body mass index. However, there was no association with CVD susceptibility ( p>0.05).

Conclusion:

The ACE I allele is found to be associated with T2DM; however, no association was observed with CVD. The inconsistency between studies is suggested to be attributed to genetic diversity due to the existence of sub-populations found in Asian populations.
Introduction to special issue: Real-world justice and international migration
Authors: Little Adrian , Macdonald Terry
Published: October 2015

In this article, we introduce the project developed in this special issue: a search for principles of ‘real-world’ justice in international migration that can offer practical guidance on real political problems of migration governance. We begin by highlighting two sources of divergence between the principal topics of theoretical controversy within literatures on migration justice and the animating sources of political controversy within real national and international publics. These arise first in the framing of the problems on which normative theory is purported to offer guidance, and second in the character of the normative reasons that are invoked as grounds for settling the controversies. In response to these divergences, we propose that the development of action-guiding normative theories of international migration can be supported with resources from broadly ‘realist’ approaches to political theory. We outline three key dimensions in which the ‘real-world’ theoretical approaches developed in this collection of papers connect up with important themes in the wider theoretical literature on political ‘realism’: first, a problem-centred methodological strategy; second, a focus on the value of political legitimacy; and third, a commitment to reconciling systematic engagement with real political problems and circumstances with a critical normative orientation towards political problems.
Lessons Learned From Delivering Imara, an HIV/STI Risk Reduction Intervention for African American Girls in Juvenile Detention
Authors: Davis Teaniese L. , Boyce Lorin S. , Rose Eve , Swartzendruber Andrea , DiClemente Ralph , Gelaude Deborah , Fasula Amy M. , Carry Monique
Published: October 2015

A critical need exists for efficacious interventions to reduce sexual risk and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among African American girls in juvenile detention. Adapting evidence-based interventions is one strategy for developing interventions that might protect detained African American girls from adverse sexual health outcomes. To support development and implementation of evidence-based HIV/STI prevention interventions for this population, this qualitative study describes lessons learned from delivering Imara, an adapted HIV/STI prevention intervention for detained African American girls. Program implementation includes one-on-one sessions in the detention facility that offer logistical advantages; provide intervention contact inside the facility, soon after release, and frequently thereafter; address STI treatment for girls and their sexual partners; tailor intervention content based on individual risk and learning needs; and identify and acknowledge girls’ competing priorities. These lessons are discussed in the context of challenges encountered and solutions for addressing the challenges, and in terms of the structure and content of the intervention. The lessons learned from delivering Imara exemplify the continuous process of adapting an existing intervention for a new population and setting.