bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic study of the interactions of salicylic acid and granular activated carbon in solution at different pHs
Authors: Bernal Valentina , Giraldo Liliana , Moreno-Piraján Juan C
Published: September 2017

The inappropriate use of pain medication has led to the appearance of salicylic acid molecules (aspirin’s metabolite excretion) in surface water, which causes problems for the environment. The adsorption process using activated carbon is one of the processes that is used for the removal of organic compounds present in the aqueous phase; however, the percentage of removal depends on the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent and the adsorbate such as: pore size, surface area, surface chemistry, molecular size and solubility. In this work, we have studied the adsorbent–adsorbate interactions through the determination of the immersion enthalpy of the activated carbon in salicylic acid aqueous solutions; due to the solute and activated carbon surface have functional groups capable of ionized with the pH, the adsorption study was carried out at pH 2, 7, and 11. The activated carbons selected for the study were a granular activated carbon and a reduced activated carbon to 1173 K; as the immersion liquid were used salicylic acid aqueous solutions with concentrations between 0.072 mmol/ l and 0.72 mmol/ l, the solutions at pH 2 and 11 were prepared with HCl and NaOH solutions, respectively. It was determined that the immersion enthalpy is between −7.39 J /g and −22.5 J/g for the reduced activated carbon and between −7.63 J/g and −16.73 J/g for the granular activated carbon.
Roles of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in polymyositis: Inflammation and regeneration
Authors: Zou Yu-Qiong , Jin Wei-Dong , Li Ya-Song
Published: September 2017

Objective

To elucidate the clinical significance of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) serum concentration in patients with polymyositis.

Methods

Thirty-six patients with polymyositis were enrolled. Serum samples were obtained and stored to detect MIF and interleukin (IL)-6 using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The relationships between these cytokines and clinical data were analyzed.

Results

The serum MIF concentration was significantly lower in patients in remission (34.74 ± 17.75) and in healthy controls (38.87 ± 9.30 ng/ml) than that in patients with active polymyositis (50.04 ± 23.84 ng/ml). There were no significant differences between healthy controls and patients in remission. The serum IL-6 concentration in patients with active polymyositis (19.67 ± 7.16 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that in patients in remission (15.81 ± 4.00 pg/ml) and controls (8.14 ± 3.71 pg/ml). The serum IL-6 concentration was negatively correlated with the serum MIF concentration (r = −0.283). No relationship was found between the serum MIF concentration and glucocorticoid dose. The MIF concentration peaked twice during treatment when the creatine kinase concentration was decreasing.

Conclusion

MIF and IL-6 play important roles in the inflammation associated with polymyositis. MIF might also be involved in the early stage of regeneration in polymyositis. MIF may thus serve as a biomarker of disease activity and outcome.
From Family Violence Exposure to Violent Offending: Examining Effects of Race and Mental Health in a Moderated Mediation Model Among Confined Male Juveniles
Authors: Fix Rebecca L. , Alexander Apryl A. , Burkhart Barry R.
Published: September 2017

Depression, substance use, and impulsivity have been linked to family violence exposure and to the development of violent offending during adolescence. Additionally, the indirect effects associated with these factors may not generalize across different racial/ethnic adolescent populations. The present study tested whether race/ethnicity moderated the mediated relationship between family violence exposure and violent offending, with depression, substance use, and impulsivity as mediators. A sample of 1,359 male adolescents was obtained from a juvenile correctional program. Between-racial/ethnic group comparisons were generally consistent with previous findings. The overall moderated mediation model was significant in predicting violence for both racial/ethnic groups. Different factors influenced violent offending among African Americans and European Americans in the tested model. Furthermore, race/ethnicity moderated the relationship between family violence exposure and impulsivity and substance use. Implications and future directions resolving issues are discussed concerning whether race/ethnicity should be included as a moderator in models of violence.
Autonomy and Creativity in the Artisan Economy and the New Spirit of Capitalism
Authors: Munro Kirstin , O’Kane Chris
Published: September 2017

Small artisan businesses have been promoted as a liberatory alternative to large-scale enterprise. We analyze advice manuals for aspiring artisan entrepreneurs by extending Boltanski and Chiapello’s framework. While they analyze the transformation of large firms, we show the same themes have been adopted by small businesses. Focusing on themes of autonomy and creativity, we reveal that the artisan economy promoted by these texts represents a further evolution in capitalism’s co-option of the artistic critique.
Bodily relations and reciprocity in the art of Sonia Khurana
Authors: Wainwright Leon
Published: September 2017

This article explores the significance of the ‘somatic’ and ‘ontological turn’ in locating the radical politics articulated in the contemporary performance, installation, video and digital art practices of New Delhi-based artist, Sonia Khurana (b. 1968). Since the late 1990s, Khurana has fashioned a range of artworks that require new sorts of reciprocal and embodied relations with their viewers. While this line of art practice suggests the need for a primarily philosophical mode of inquiry into an art of the body, such affective relations need to be historicised also in relation to a discursive field of ‘difference’ and public expectations about the artist’s ethnic, gendered and national identity. Thus, this intimate, visceral and emotional field of inter- and intra-action is a novel contribution to recent transdisciplinary perspectives on the gendered, social and sentient body that in turn prompts a wider debate on the ethics of cultural commentary and art historiography.
Calibration for gimbaled platform inertial navigation system on centrifuge
Authors: Xu Yong-fei , Zhang Shi-feng
Published: September 2017

In order to calibrate the error coefficients of the gimbaled platform inertial navigation system on precision centrifuge precisely and effectively, a six-position calibration scheme is provided. Firstly, the error models of the platform inertial navigation system are established and the applied acceleration equation is given. Then, the redundancy of the error coefficients is analyzed and a method of studying the observability based on the correlation coefficients is proposed. Finally, the optimal calibration scheme is obtained using the genetic algorithm. Simulation results show that the error coefficients can be effectively calibrated through the proposed scheme.
Situating local stakeholders within national disaster governance structures: rebuilding urban neighbourhoods following the 2015 Nepal earthquake
Authors: Daly Patrick , Ninglekhu Sabin , Hollenbach Pia , Duyne Barenstein Jennifer , Nguyen Dori
Published: September 2017

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, killing nearly 9,000 people and destroying half a million homes. This paper analyses the effectiveness of Nepali government institutions managing the reconstruction. Using institutional ethnography, we analyse how the post-earthquake governance framework has incorporated the flexibility and decentralization outlined in pre-earthquake plans. We balance this with observations from five case study urban settlements in the Kathmandu Valley to provide a “bottom-up” perspective on how local stakeholders are engaged in rebuilding their communities. The creation of ad hoc national-level disaster management agencies can weaken already under-resourced local governance structures. The Nepal case study reveals that national disaster management plans drafted after the Hyogo and Sendai frameworks, which promote the decentralization of disaster governance, are not necessarily followed up with practical steps to empower local stakeholders and facilitate decentralization – and are readily dismissed in the face of a real emergency.
Epidemiology and clinics of mushroom poisoning in Northern Italy: A 21-year retrospective analysis
Authors: Cervellin G , Comelli I , Rastelli G , Sanchis-Gomar F , Negri F , De Luca C , Lippi G
Published: September 2017

Background:

Limited information exists about epidemiology and management of mushroom poisoning. We analyzed and described epidemiology, clinical presentation, and clinical course of mushroom-poisoned patients admitted to emergency departments (EDs) of the Province of Parma, Italy.

Methods:

Data from the database of mycological service were matched with clinical information retrieved from hospitals’ database, from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2016.

Results:

Mycologist consultation was obtained in 379/443 identified mushroom poisonings. A remarkable seasonality was found, with significant peak in autumn. Thanks to the collaboration, the implicated species could be identified in 397 cases (89.6%); 108 cases (24.4%) were due to edible mushrooms, Boletus edulis being the most represented (63 cases). Overall, 408 (92%) cases presented with gastrointestinal toxicity. Twenty cases of amatoxin poisoning were recorded (11 Amanita phalloides and 9 Lepiota brunneoincarnata). One liver transplantation was needed. We observed 13 cases of cholinergic toxicity and 2 cases of hallucinogenic toxicity. Finally, 46 cases were due to “mixed” toxicities, and a total of 69 needed hospitalization.

Conclusions:

Early identification and management of potentially life-threatening cases is challenging in the ED, so that a mycologist service on call is highly advisable, especially during periods characterized by the highest incidence of poisoning.
Nurses’, nursing students’, and nursing instructors’ perceptions of professional values: A comparative study
Authors: Bijani Mostafa , Tehranineshat Banafsheh , Torabizadeh Camellia
Published: September 2017

Background:

In order to prove their commitment to the nursing profession, nurses need to base their professional activities on certain acknowledged values. Although a large number of studies have addressed professional values in nursing, only a few studies are available on the identification and comparison of nurses’, nursing students’, and nursing instructors’ understanding of such values.

Objective:

The study aims to compare nurses’, nursing students’, and nursing instructors’ perception of nursing professional values.

Research design:

In this descriptive-comparative study, data were collected using Weis and Schank’s Nurses’ Professional Values Scale–Revised. The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (v 22).

Participants and research context:

A total of 299 nurses, 341 nursing students, and 100 nursing instructors from multisite, 20 different wards from 3 university hospitals and associated nursing schools located in the cities of Shiraz, Fasa, and Jahrom in Fars province, participated in 2016.

Ethical considerations:

The Institutional Review Board of the researchers’ primary university has verified that the study complies with research ethics.

Findings:

The total mean scores of the nurses’, nursing students’, and nursing instructors’ perception were found to be 4.23 (0.44), 3.92 (0.50), and 4.34 (0.35), respectively, in the domain of justice—this domain was the subjects’ top priority—and 3.40 (0.56), 3.29 (0.49), and 3.55 (0.36), respectively, in the domain of activism—this domain was attached the least importance by the subjects. There were significant differences across the three groups’ perception in all of the dimensions of professional values ( p < 0.001).

Discussion:

The three study groups’ overall mean scores fall within the range of relatively important or important. Several studies show the same results, but there are still controversies in this regard.

Conclusion:

There is need for plans to increase nurses’ awareness of certain professional duties and improve their professional performance in all areas alongside their care duties.
Book Review: Robert D. Hisrich and David W. Kralik, Advanced Introduction to Corporate Venturing
Authors: Shankar Raj K.
Published: September 2017

Robert D. Hisrich and David W. Kralik, Advanced Introduction to Corporate Venturing, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2016, 168 pp.
Using a Live Case Study and Co-opetition to Explore Sustainability and Ethics in a Classroom: Exporting Fresh Water to China
Authors: Charlebois Sylvain , Foti Lianne
Published: September 2017

The use of live case studies in business education is growing. Mixing realism entices students to think critically in an unpredictable environment. Live cases are often deemed appropriate for international business and strategic cases. This study reflects on an experience in which a live case study was used as a mechanism to invite students, unpredictably, to consider an ethical dilemma in international business. The live case incorporates the notion of sustainability, ethics and global business development. For one semester, a senior business course in international marketing was charged with the task of finding a strategy to export bottled water to China, from a Canadian source. In the process, some students won their way to China to assess how a strategy can be implemented first-hand. The experience shows that students were conflicted with the underlying principles of the mandate which involved exporting a natural resource abroad. Given that they were asked to share information with their competing colleagues (co-opetition), students themselves faced an ethical dilemma on a personal level. Some limitations and suggestions for future research are made.
Brachyspira hyodysenteriae detection in the large intestine of slaughtered pigs
Authors: Zeeh Friederike , De Luca Silvio , Nicholson Pamela , Grützner Niels , Nathues Christina , Perreten Vincent , Nathues Heiko
Published: September 2017

Detection of subclinical Brachyspira hyodysenteriae infection in pig herds using feces is challenging. However, the ability to detect the pathogen in intestinal samples of slaughtered pigs has not been investigated, to our knowledge. Therefore, we determined the detection of B. hyodysenteriae in the colon, cecum, and rectum from slaughtered pigs. We analyzed the correlation between detection rates and intestinal lesions, ingesta or fecal consistency, and time from sample collection until processing. A total of 400 ingesta-mucosal (colon, cecum) and 200 fecal (rectum) samples from 200 pigs originating from 20 different herds were bacteriologically examined using selective culture followed by Brachyspira spp. identification by PCR and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Ingesta or fecal consistency and intestinal lesions were scored. Brachyspira hyodysenteriae was detected in 23 samples from 16 intestines originating from 7 herds. Brachyspira spp. were detected in 96 samples. More intestinal (16) than fecal (7) samples tested positive for B. hyodysenteriae. For Brachyspira spp., this difference was significant (69 vs. 27; p < 0.01). In particular, colon samples tested positive ( n = 42, p = 0.06). Most (91%) of the intestines showed no lesions typical for clinical B. hyodysenteriae infection, and median ingesta or fecal consistency was “soft and formed,” indicating subclinical infection, colonization, or absence of infection. Ingesta from slaughtered pigs, in particular from the colon and sites with lesions, is useful material for detection of B. hyodysenteriae.
A decade of using small-to-medium throughput allele discrimination assay to determine prion protein gene (Prnp) genotypes in sheep in Slovenia
Authors: Zabavnik Jelka , Cotman Marko , Juntes Polona , Ambrozic Ivan
Published: September 2017

Sheep with valine (V) at codon 136 and glutamine (Q) at codon 171 of the prion protein gene ( Prnp) are highly susceptible to classical scrapie, whereas phenylalanine (F) at codon 141 and histidine (H) at codon 154 play a major role in the susceptibility to atypical scrapie. A TaqMan real-time PCR assay was developed to determine Prnp alleles at codons 136, 141, 154, and 171 and used in classical scrapie eradication and breeding programs adopted in Slovenia. The frequency of the most resistant genotypes ARR/ARR and ARR/ARQ increased significantly in tested animals ( n = 35,138) from 6.7 and 27.1% of the tested sheep in 2006 to 12.1 and 32.4%, respectively, in 2015. Frequencies of more susceptible genotypes ARQ/ARQ and ARQ/VRQ decreased significantly from 36.4 and 3.5% in 2006 to 31.1 and 1.8%, respectively, in 2015. The most susceptible genotype VRQ/VRQ was detected in <0.5% of tested sheep. Frequencies of alleles AFRQ and AHQ affecting the susceptibility to atypical scrapie did not change significantly. The developed assay was suitable for genotyping on a small-to-medium throughput scale and was successfully used in classical scrapie eradication, as well as for the selection of classical scrapie–resistant sheep within breeding programs in Slovenia.
Multi-locus sequence types of Mycoplasma bovis isolated from Ontario, Canada in the past three decades have a temporal distribution
Authors: Bell-Rogers Patricia , Parker Lois , Cai Hugh Y.
Published: September 2017

A total of 217 Mycoplasma bovis isolates cultured from clinical cases in Ontario, Canada, over the past 30 y were selected to be characterized by a multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) method. Eleven housekeeping genes were evaluated for suitability for MLST; 2 loci that had been used in prior MLST schemes, dnaN and metS, along with hsp70 were chosen for further sequence analysis. The remaining loci— adk, efp, gmk, gyrB, polC, rpoB, tpiA, and uvrC genes—were not used because they had little to no sequence variation. The sequence data from the chosen loci ( dnaN, hsp70, metS) generated 28 sequence types (STs), with the 3 loci having 15, 5, and 7 alleles, respectively. These molecular typing results revealed that the STs had a temporal distribution; over the course of 3 decades, some STs disappeared and new STs appeared. Recent isolates had a greater variety of STs, which may indicate that new strains are emerging more rapidly now than in the past.
Angioleiomyoma of Uterus: A Clinicopathologic Study of 6 Cases
Authors: Gupta Mayank , Suryawanshi Mayur , Kumar Ramani , Peedicayil Abraham
Published: September 2017

Background and Objectives. Angioleiomyoma is a benign perivascular neoplasm commonly involving subcutaneous tissue of extremities, head, and trunk region. They rarely involve the female genital tract. This study analyses clinicopathological features of 6 cases of uterine angioleiomyoma. Methods. Routine sections of 6 cases were reviewed and immunohistochemical markers namely muscle-specific actin, h-caldesmon, desmin, CD10, WT-1, HMB-45, and melan-A were done. Results. Of the 6 cases, 4 cases had tumor involving the corpus and 2 cases had tumor in the cervix. Grossly, all tumors had a whorled and congested cut surface. Microscopic examination of all the cases revealed circumscribed neoplasms composed of interlacing fascicles of benign perivascular smooth muscle cells with evenly distributed slit-like blood vessels (solid variant) along with vessels exhibiting thick muscular walls with swirling pattern (venous variant). In only 2 cases many dilated vessels were seen (cavernous variant). Immunohistochemically, all cases were positive for muscle-specific actin, h-caldesmon, and desmin. All cases were negative for CD10 and WT-1 ruling out endometrial stromal tumor and were negative for HMB-45 and melan-A ruling out perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (both endometrial stromal tumor and perivascular epithelioid cell tumor have prominent vessels but have different histomorphology). In all cases, surgical excision was curative and there were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. Follow-up of all the cases has been unremarkable. Conclusion. As the World Health Organization has not included angioleiomyoma in the classification of mesenchymal tumors of uterine corpus and cervix, we recommend that it should be included in the classification.
Association of State-Level Restrictions in Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice With the Quality of Primary Care Provided to Medicare Beneficiaries
Authors: Perloff Jennifer , Clarke Sean , DesRoches Catherine M. , O’Reilly-Jacob Monica , Buerhaus Peter
Published: September 2017

Context: State scope of practice (SoP) laws impose significant restrictions on the services that a nurse practitioner (NP) may provide in some states, yet evidence about SoP limitations on the quality of primary care is very limited. Method: This study uses six different classifications of state regulations and bivariate and multivariate analyses to compare beneficiaries attributed to primary care nurse practitioners and primary care physicians in 2013 testing two hypotheses: (1) chronic disease management, cancer screening, preventable hospitalizations, and adverse outcomes of care provided by primary care nurse practitioners are better in reduced and restricted practice states compared to states without restrictions and (2) by decreasing access to care, SoP restrictions negatively affect the quality of primary care. Findings: Results show a lack of consistent association between quality of primary care provided by NPs and state SoP restrictions. Conclusion: State regulations restricting NP SoP do not improve the quality of care.
Relaxed micromorphic modeling of the interface between a homogeneous solid and a band-gap metamaterial: New perspectives towards metastructural design
Authors: Madeo Angela , Barbagallo Gabriele , Collet Manuel , d’Agostino Marco Valerio , Miniaci Marco , Neff Patrizio
Published: September 2017

In the present paper, the material parameters of the isotropic relaxed micromorphic model derived for a specific metamaterial in a previous contribution are used to model its transmission properties. Specifically, the reflection and transmission coefficients at an interface between a homogeneous solid and the chosen metamaterial are analyzed by using both the relaxed micromorphic model and a direct FEM implementation of the detailed microstructure. The obtained results show excellent agreement between the transmission spectra derived via our enriched continuum model and those issued by the direct FEM simulation. Such excellent agreement validates the indirect measure of the material parameters and opens the way towards an efficient metastructural design.
Modelling flexible multi-link robots for vibration control: Numerical simulations and real-time experiments
Authors: Giorgio Ivan , Della Corte Alessandro , Del Vescovo Dionisio
Published: September 2017

In this paper, a method based on the experimental knowledge of the frequency response function at some points of a flexible multi-link robot is proposed to evaluate its deformation and, in particular, the position of the end-effector. The rationale behind the method, which can also be used for structures more complex than the one analysed in this paper, is to try to minimize the number of sensors, while maintaining a reasonable accuracy. We propose two simple control laws aimed at minimizing implementation costs and, in order to show the performance of the method, we experimentally test them on a spring steel flexible beam.
Evolution of Cellular Inclusions in Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy
Authors: Furusato Emiko , Cameron J. Douglas , Chan Chi-Chao
Published: September 2017

Bietti's crystalline dystrophy (BCD) consists of small, yellow-white, glistening intraretinal crystals in the posterior pole, tapetoretinal degeneration with atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and “sclerosis” of the choroid; in addition, sparking yellow crystals in the superficial marginal cornea are also found in many patients. BCD is inherited as an autosomal-recessive trait (4q35-tel) and usually has its onset in the third decade of life. This review focuses on the ultrastructure of cellular crystals and lipid inclusions of BCD.
A Serious Complication of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: Relapsing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Panniculitis
Authors: Ustun Celalettin , Farrow Stephanie , El-Geneidy Mohamed , Deremer David , Jillella Anand
Published: September 2017

A 58-year-old female following an allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) presented with tender subcutaneous nodule in the axillary and inguinal regions. One of the nodules was biopsied and cultured. The patient was diagnosed with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa) panniculitis. Blood cultures were negative for P. aeruginosa. The patient responded to 4 weeks of imipenem-cilastatin and gentamicin treatment but relapsed immediately after the discontinuation of antibiotic treatment with a change in the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to antibiotics. The patient received piperacillin-tazobactam and aztreonam with no recurrence for nine months. Differential diagnosis of subcutaneous nodules can be difficult in an alloSCT setting. P. aeruginosa should be kept in mind, and the biopsy and culture of a nodule should be obtained without delay. Blood cultures can be negative. Despite long term antibiotic treatment, relapse can occur.
Reliability of parent recall of symptom onset and timing in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Ozonoff Sally , Li Deana , Deprey Lesley , Hanzel Elise P , Iosif Ana-Maria
Published: September 2017

Past events are often reported as occurring more recently than they actually took place, an error called forward telescoping. This study examined whether forward telescoping was evident in parent reports of autism spectrum disorder symptom emergence and onset classification. Parents were interviewed when their child was 2–3 years old (Time 1) and approximately 6 years old (Time 2). Significant forward telescoping was found in both age of social regression and age when language milestones were achieved, but not age of language regression. The correspondence between Time 1 and Time 2 onset report was low ( kappa = 0.38). Approximately one-quarter of the sample changed onset categories, most often due to parents not recalling a regression at Time 2 that they had reported at Time 1. These results challenge the use of retrospective methods in determining onset patterns.
Code-switching within the noun phrase: Evidence from three corpora
Authors: Parafita Couto Maria Carmen , Gullberg Marianne
Published: September 2017

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

This study aims to improve our understanding of common switching patterns by examining determiner–noun–adjective complexes in code-switching (CS) in three language pairs (Welsh–English, Spanish–English and Papiamento–Dutch). The languages differ in gender and noun–adjective word order in the noun phrase (NP): (a) Spanish, Welsh, and Dutch have gender; English and Papiamento do not; (b) Spanish, Welsh, and Papiamento prefer post-nominal adjectives; Dutch and English, prenominal ones. We test predictions on determiner language and adjective order derived from generativist accounts and the Matrix Language Frame (MLF) approach.

Design/methodology/approach:

We draw on three publicly available spoken corpora. For the purposes of these analyses, we re-coded all three datasets identically. From the three re-coded corpora we extracted all monolingual and mixed simplex NPs (DetN) and complex NPs with determiners (determiner–adjective–noun (DetAN/NA)). We then examined the surrounding clause for each to determine the matrix language based on the finite verb.

Data and analysis:

We analysed the data using a linear regression model in R statistical software to examine the distribution of languages across word class and word order in the corpora.

Findings/conclusions:

Overall, the generativist predictions are borne out regarding adjective positions but not determiners and the MLF accounts for more of the data. We explore extra-linguistic explanations for the patterns observed.

Originality:

The current study has provided new empirical data on nominal CS from language pairs not previously considered.

Significance/implications:

This study has revealed robust patterns across three corpora and taken a step towards disentangling two theoretical accounts. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of comparing multiple language pairs using similar coding.
The cultural and economic power of advertisers in the business press
Authors: Atal Maha Rafi
Published: September 2017

Media studies scholarship on advertising has traditionally fallen into two camps. Cultural analysis emphasizes the signals advertisements send to consumers, focusing primarily on the role of advertising creatives. Economic analysis emphasizes advertising’s impact on media companies’ financial performance, focusing on the role of sales managers and proprietors. Both approaches minimize the role of reporters, against whose work advertisers place their messages. This article draws on interviews, as well as financial analysis, at six newsrooms to examine the impact of advertising practices on the editorial independence of reporters. Combining cultural and economic analysis, the article highlights the unique threat advertiser influence poses to critical business reporting, which takes as its subject the very firms who must choose to advertise against it. The article argues that the new forms of advertising, where branded content is presented alongside, and intended to mimic, reported content, increase the threat of advertiser capture. At four legacy outlets studied, investigative business coverage has declined as media organizations react to the changed operating environment with practices that compromise the divide between news and advertising staff. At two online startups studied, where new advertising formats have always been part of strategy, news and sales staff remain separate. Yet there is limited appetite at these outlets for conducting critical business journalism, which is not seen as key to organizational mission. The article concludes with policy recommendations to safeguard the viability of critical business journalism.
Enhancing learners’ awareness of oral presentation (delivery) skills in the context of self-regulated learning
Authors: Tsang Art
Published: September 2017

Oral presentations, activities often assessed and also a means by which learning could take place, are commonplace in higher education. General (delivery) skills in presentations are particularly useful beyond university such as in job interviews and communication with clients and colleagues in the workplace. However, little has been in place to equip learners with these vital skills. It is this very gap that motivated the research described in this article, which aimed at raising awareness of oral presentation (delivery) skills in the context of self-regulated learning. This article also reports on and discusses a compilation of an inventory of presentation skills and how learners’ awareness was raised through classroom discussion and the inventory. The implications of this article are relevant to all stakeholders in higher education.
What is Poststructuralism?
Authors: Dillet Benoît
Published: September 2017

In this article, I discuss the vitality and the limits of the poststructural archive. I argue against the temptation to essentialise poststructuralism or define its ‘ontology’; instead, I present some of the avenues that can be taken to further its theoretical practice. With Trump and the rise of ‘post-truth’ politics, poststructural political thought has recently come back to the centre of political debate. By using Pierre Macherey and François Châtelet’s perspective on Marxism, I turn to contemporary problems and studies to imagine how to renew the poststructuralist experience of thought. Following Boris Groys, I suggest that by producing theory as form, artists had a more immediate recourse to theoretical practice, by using all sorts of media to perform knowledge. Finally, by mainly referring to the work of Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault, I present some elements of a poststructural critique of political economy. I do this not by forcing the application of poststructural theories or concepts onto a supposedly external reality, but by immanently integrating more and more social and political problems into the schemes of thought. A poststructural theoretical practice means integrating into thought problems and events, in order to compose with them, and not simply study discursive strategies.
Reinforcing fabrics as the mechanical support of ion exchange membranes
Authors: Stránská Eliška , Neděla David
Published: September 2017

Mechanical, physical and electrochemical characteristics are one of the important properties of ion exchange membranes. These parameters are required for a next operation and for an application in an electrodialysis (as tightness of a stack, energy consumption, capacity of electrodialysis). The goal of this article is comparison of the influence of the different reinforcing fabric on the properties of ion exchange membranes. Six types of ion exchange membranes with the nonwoven fabric, the monofilament knit, the multifilament knit, the monofilament woven fabric, the multifilament woven fabric, and for comparison non-reinforcing ion exchange membranes were chosen. The most important properties of a fabric in this application are thickness, free area related to the warp and the weft, mechanical strength, the material (shrinkage), type of fabric (plain or twill weave, a knit, monofilament, multifilament) and of course price. Electrochemical, physical and mechanical properties of ion exchange membranes were studied. Non-reinforcing ion exchange membranes have lower mechanical strength, but the best elongation. These ion exchange membranes report big relative dimension changes after swelling in demineralized water and the lowest value of the areal resistance. The most appropriate ion exchange membrane is with woven fabric from monofilaments after comparison with other ion exchange membranes in terms of the quality of the lamination and other electrochemical, physical and mechanical parameters.
Educational Quality of YouTube Videos in Thumb Exercises for Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis: A Search on Current Practice
Authors: Villafañe Jorge Hugo , Cantero-Tellez Raquel , Valdes Kristin , Usuelli Federico Giuseppe , Berjano Pedro
Published: September 2017

Background: Conservative treatments are commonly performed therapeutic interventions for the management of carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA). Physical and occupational therapies are starting to use video-based online content as both a patient teaching tool and a source for treatment techniques. YouTube is a popular video-sharing website that can be accessed easily. The purpose of this study was to analyze the quality of content and potential sources of bias in videos available on YouTube pertaining to thumb exercises for CMC OA. Methods: The YouTube video database was systematically searched using the search term thumb osteoarthritis and exercises from its inception to March 10, 2017. Authors independently selected videos, conducted quality assessment, and extracted results. Results: A total of 832 videos were found using the keywords. Of these, 10 videos clearly demonstrated therapeutic exercise for the management of CMC OA. In addition, the top-ranked video found by performing a search of “views” was a video with more than 121 863 views uploaded in 2015 that lasted 12.33 minutes and scored only 2 points on the Global Score for Educational Value rating scale. Conclusions: Most of the videos viewed that described conservative interventions for CMC OA management have a low level of evidence to support their use. Although patients and novice hand therapists are using YouTube and other online resources, videos that are produced by expert hand therapists are scarce.
Traffic fatalities prediction using support vector machine with hybrid particle swarm optimization
Authors: Gu Xiaoning , Li Ting , Wang Yonghui , Zhang Liu , Wang Yitian , Yao Jinbao
Published: September 2017

Road traffic safety is essential, therefore in order to predict traffic fatalities effectively and promote the harmonious development of transportation, a traffic fatalities prediction model based on support vector machine is established in this paper. The selection of parameters greatly affects the prediction accuracy of support vector machine. Introducing particle swarm optimization can find the optimal parameters and improve the prediction accuracy of support vector machine by parameter optimization. However, standard particle swarm optimization is easy to trap into the local optimum, so that the best parameter solutions cannot be found. Therefore, the mutation operation of the genetic algorithm is introduced into particle swarm optimization, particle swarm with mutation optimization is generated. It expands the search space and makes parameter selection more accurate. This paper predicts fatalities of traffic accident using small samples and nonlinear data. The results show that compared with particle swarm with mutation optimization back propagation neural network prediction model, particle swarm optimization-support vector machine model, support vector machine, back propagation neural network, K Nearest Neighbor (K-NN), and Bayesian network, the prediction model of traffic fatalities based on particle swarm with mutation optimization-support vector machine has higher prediction precision and smaller errors. It is feasible and effective to use particle swarm with mutation optimization to optimize the parameters of support vector machine, and this model can predict the accident more accurately.
Population- and Individual-Level Changes in Life Satisfaction Surrounding Major Life Stressors
Authors: Doré Bruce , Bolger Niall
Published: September 2017

How do stressful life events impact well-being, and how does their impact differ from person to person? In contrast to work focusing on discrete classes of responding, the current study examines the adequacy of a model where responses to stressors are characterized by a population average and continuous variability around that average. Using decades of yearly data from a large German longitudinal study examining effects of divorce, spousal loss, and unemployment, we found that (1) in the overall population, life satisfaction was diminished for years preceding stressors and only incompletely recovered with the passage of time, and (2) there were large between-person differences around the average response, following normal and heavier-tailed continuous distributions rather than discrete classes. These findings provide a multilevel model of responses to stressors and suggest that individual differences can be understood in terms of continuous variation around what is typical for a given event and population.
Self-compassion and physical health: Exploring the roles of perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors
Authors: Homan Kristin J , Sirois Fuschia M
Published: September 2017

Growing evidence indicates that self-compassion is associated with better physical health, but the pathways that mediate this relationship are not well understood. This study tested a serial mediation model that linked self-compassion, perceived stress, health behaviors, and a comprehensive index of physical health. A sample of 176 individuals completed an online survey posted on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Self-compassion had an indirect effect on physical health via both mediators and through the sequential pathway, suggesting that taking a kind, accepting and mindful stance toward one’s flaws and failures may have benefits for reducing stress and promoting health behaviors.
Examining the Psychophysiological Efficacy of CBT Treatment for First Responders Diagnosed With PTSD: An Understudied Topic
Authors: Papazoglou Konstantinos
Published: September 2017

First responders are often exposed to multiple potentially traumatic incidents over the course of their career. However, scientific research showed that first responders are more resilient compared with the general population. In addition, experience of life-threatening situations and acute stress may lead first responders to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or posttraumatic stress symptoms. Current clinical research and practice has developed evidence-based treatments shown to be effective in helping first responders ameliorate their PTSD symptoms and perform their duties effectively. Literature showed that cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) entails multiple evidence-based techniques that lead those suffering from PTSD toward symptom improvement and trauma recovery. The current article aims to (a) provide readers with rigorous information about stress and trauma experienced by first responders, (b) present PTSD symptomatology as well as risk and protective PTSD factors prevalent among first responders, (c) provide information about the psychophysiology of PTSD, and (d) explore the efficacy of CBT treatment for first responders diagnosed with PTSD. The author highlights the necessity for psychophysiological measurement of CBT treatment efficacy for first responders diagnosed with PTSD; also, potential gaps in the current scientific literature regarding this issue are highlighted. Recommendations for future research and clinical practice are discussed so that health professionals and researchers continue to serve those who serve our communities.
Diversity in Dialectics: A Methodological Quest for En-gendering Security
Authors: Ahmed Imtiaz
Published: September 2017

En-gendering security is as much a political exercise as it is a methodological one. An earlier paper ( Ahmed, 1995 ) flagged the limits of positivism in understanding woman’s state of insecurity in a world informed and dictated by masculinity or what could be referred to as the purush jat. The critique was done by taking recourse to dialectics, of a kind that had its roots in the works of Hegel and Marx. However, after two decades, I see the limits of the effort, particularly when it comes to addressing the dialectic of gender relationship and the disempowered status of women in South Asia. This is not because Western dialectical method is at fault (which surely has a tendency of harbouring determinism) or because the utopias put forward by the Hegelians and the Marxists, although qualitatively different in nature, have foundered and transformed into living dystopias, but more because of a serious appreciation of the diversity in dialectics, including the contributions of the Chinese and Indian dialectics over the centuries. Put differently, approaching woman’s state of insecurity from the standpoint of yin-yang relationship and/or prasangika can make a far more meaningful contribution to the task of demystifying masculinity and ensuring women’s rights. En-gendering security in South Asia otherwise requires not only reimagining dialectics in the light of its diversity but also making the methodological quest local, indeed, related to the lived experience of the South Asians.
A dual role for the class III PI3K, Vps34, in platelet production and thrombus growth
Authors: Valet Colin , Levade Marie , Chicanne Gaëtan , Bilanges Benoit , Cabou Cendrine , Viaud Julien , Gratacap Marie-Pierre , Gaits-Iacovoni Frédérique , Vanhaesebroeck Bart , Payrastre Bernard , Severin Sonia
Published: September 2017

Key Points

Vps34 controls intracellular trafficking, migration, and platelet production in MKs. Vps34 and its stimulation-dependent PI3P production regulate platelet secretion and thrombus growth.
Cash transfers and female labor force participation: the case of AUH in Argentina
Authors: Garganta Santiago , Gasparini Leonardo , Marchionni Mariana
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we estimate the impact on female labor force participation of a massive conditional cash transfer program—Universal Child Allowance, AUH—launched in Argentina in 2009. We identify the intention-to-treat effect by comparing eligible and non-eligible women over time through a diff-in-diff methodology. The results suggest a negative and economically significant effect of the program on female labor force participation. The disincentive to participate is present for married women, while the effect is not statistically significant for unmarried women with children. We also find evidence on the heterogeneity of the effect depending on woman’s education, husband’s employment status, number and age of children, and whether the woman is the main responsible of domestic chores. The relatively large value of the benefit and the fact that transfers are mostly directed to mothers may explain the sizeable effect of the program on female labor supply. The welfare implications of the results are not clear and deserve further inspection.

JEL Classification:H53, I38, J16, J22
Experimental verification of spatially varying fracture-compliance estimates obtained from amplitude variation with offset inversion coupled with linear slip theory
Authors: Minato Shohei , Ghose Ranajit , Osukuku Godfred
Published: September 2017

The elastic compliance of a fracture can be spatially varying, reflecting the variation of microscale properties of the fracture, e.g., aperture, contact asperities, and fracture infill. Characterizing the spatial heterogeneity of a fracture is crucial in explaining the apparent frequency dependence of fracture compliance and in addressing the spatially varying mechanical and hydraulic properties of the fractured medium. Apparent frequency dependence of the estimated fracture compliance is caused when the used seismic wavelength is very large compared to the scale of heterogeneity. We perform ultrasonic laboratory experiments, and characterize the spatially varying compliance along a fluid-filled fracture. We simulate a horizontal fracture, and introduce heterogeneous fluid distribution along the fracture. We perform amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion of the P-P reflections, in which we obtain the theoretical angle-dependent reflection responses by considering the linear-slip model. The estimated compliance distribution clearly separates the dry region from the wet region of the fracture. The effective bulk modulus of the fluid is estimated using the derived values of the compliance. We find that the obtained bulk modulus is well-explained by the presence of minute quantity of air bubbles in the water. We also find new evidence of the existence of scattered waves generated at the boundary representing a sharp change in fracture compliance. The estimated boundary between the dry and the wet regions of the fracture, which is detected by AVO inversion, is slightly shifted compared with the actual location. This is possibly due to the interference of the scattered waves that are generated at the boundary. The linear-slip model can represent thin structures in rocks in a wide range of scale. Therefore, our methodology, results, and discussion will be useful in developing new applications for assessing laterally varying mechanical and hydraulic properties of thin nonwelded discontinuities, e.g., fractures, joints, and faults.