bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female entrepreneurial networking in the marketing services sector
Authors: Foster Carley , Brindley Clare
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Networking is a key element of entrepreneurial and SME activity. The skills required to network share similarities to those of a marketer and can be associated with feminine traits, such as relationship building. Yet, little is known about how female SME marketers engage in networking. This study aims to address this gap by exploring how self-employed female services marketers build, use and value networks over the lifetime of their business.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth narrative interviews were conducted with 26 self-employed women working in the UK marketing services sector. Template analysis was used to analyse the materials.

Findings

A model encapsulates the fluid nature of the networking activity throughout the lifetime of the participants’ businesses by illustrating which networks the women used and their perceived value. Networking led to multi-directional outsourcing opportunities and philanthropic marketing activity, all of which supported the success of the SME. Despite support from family, friends and the community, these were not regarded as networks by the women.

Practical implications

At the individual level, insights are offered into which networking activity is more valuable for female entrepreneurs working in the sector. For policymakers, the study indicates that participants did not see value in the formal, government networks and the women did not engage with professional bodies. More creative solutions to supporting female marketing entrepreneurs are required.

Originality/value

The study is original, in that it offers qualitative insights into how self-employed female marketers use and value networks throughout the lifetime of their business. It concentrates on one sector (marketing services) and so answers criticisms that studies in entrepreneurship do not consider specific sectors. In contrast to studies which focus on one stage of the business lifecycle, this research contributes to a holistic, longitudinal understanding of entrepreneurial female networking activity in marketing. More generally, it contributes to the paucity of literature which explores the reality of working in the marketing services sector.
Disseminating environmental ethics and values: a study of ecotourism business owners
Authors: Bowles Leonie , Ruhanen Lisa
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Establishing a shared understanding of the environment and sustainable development between stakeholders should be fundamental to theraison d'êtreof ecotourism businesses. Indeed, many will begin ecotourism businesses with the objective of sharing their own personal environmental ethics and values with their customers through the tourism experience. Yet it is not always the business owner that interacts with the customer, the organisations’ employees will also interact with the guest and are thus responsible for communicating the environmental ethics and values that underpin the business. The purpose of this paper is to explore how ecotourism business owners ensure that their employees convey their environmental ethics and values to their customers. So how do ecotourism business owners ensure that employees convey their environmental ethics and values to their customers?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on the findings of interviews with 18 eco-tourism business owners in Australia who sought to examine their strategies for disseminating environmental ethics and values with the organisation’s employees.

Findings

It was found that strategic recruitment to attract like-minded employees was important which was reinforced through education, training and mentoring to develop an organisational culture underpinned by shared values and responsibility.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to the growing body of literature focused on the supply side of ecotourism businesses. It has addressed a gap in our understanding by specifically investigating the strategies that ecotourism business owners adopt to disseminate their personal environmental ethics and values to their employees.
Politics of The Ring: Limits to Public Participation in Engineering Practice
Authors: Hillier Joseph
Published: February 2018

How engineering in the context of urban socio‐environmental challenges is practically and effectively mobilized has been the subject of some debate. Numerous professional bodies have encouraged engineers to approach socio‐environmental issues through increased engagement with, and accountability to, the public through effective participatory practices. This article presents a close empirical analysis of a major engineering project in London to argue that engineering has a more complex relationship with social, political and environmental conditions than the idealistic participatory conception supposes. In fact, the spatial, technical and economic arrangements of engineering practice may limit the potential for public participation. Through a detailed analysis of the example of the London Water Ring Main (from around 1988 to 1994), this article shows how myriad sometimes conflicting engineering issues and responsibilities interfered with key elements of effective participation. Therefore, although increased public engagement in engineering may be desirable in theory, substantial professional, institutional and political change may have to occur before this is possible in practice.
The Engineer and The Plumber: Mediating Mumbai's Conflicting Infrastructural Imaginaries
Authors: Björkman Lisa
Published: February 2018

Two decades ago, the rules governing the provision of piped municipal water supply in Mumbai became linked to the policy frameworks governing eligibility for a property titling scheme. This article outlines the ideological basis and practical implications of the shift, as well as the contradictions of the new regulatory regime. The article demonstrates how these contradictions have been mediated by the material and practical knowledge, embodied expertise, local authority and wide‐ranging socio‐political work of two sets of actors: municipal water engineers and a cast of characters known locally as ‘plumbers’. The social, political and hydraulic imaginaries animating the work of ‘plumbing’ are bound up with a temporal and spatial imaginary distinctly at odds with the network‐flow conception of hydraulic engineering within which the work of water supply planning and distribution in Mumbai is conceptualized, materialized and institutionalized. The hydraulic and legal contradictions of these clashing infrastructural idioms––of flow and event––have rendered the regulatory framework highly unstable. These contradictions eventually erupted in Mumbai's waterscape, leaving the city's water infrastructures suspended in a highly politicized state of limbo between dueling infrastructural imaginaries.
Delinquencies, Default and Borrowers' Strategic Behavior toward the Modification of Commercial Mortgages
Authors: Buschbom Stephen L. , Kau James B. , Keenan Donald C. , Lyubimov Constantine
Published: February 2018

This article constructs a model of mortgage delinquency which tests the extent to which borrowers anticipate a loan modification resulting from such a delinquency. Using a sample of modified loans from commercial mortgage‐backed securities (CMBS), we estimate the present value of modified cash flows and project modification benefits each month for all CMBS loans which serve to proxy for a borrower's anticipation of a beneficial modification. Our results confirm a borrower's anticipation of a modification increases the delinquency hazard, and supports the theory that borrower delinquency is strategically endogenous.
Nurr1 promotes neurogenesis of dopaminergic neuron and represses inflammatory factors in the transwell coculture system of neural stem cells and microglia
Authors: Chen Xiao‐Xiang , Qian Yuan , Wang Xiang‐Peng , Tang Zhi‐Wei , Xu Jiao‐Tian , Lin Hai , Yang Zhi‐Yong , Song Xiao‐Bin , Lu Di , Guo Jia‐Zhi , Bian Li‐Gong , Li Yu , Zhou Lei , Deng Xing‐Li
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are the most promising cells for cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, a majority of the transplanted NSCs differentiated into glial cells, thereby limiting the clinical application. Previous studies indicated that chronic neuroinflammation plays a vital role in the degeneration of midbrain DA (mDA) neurons, which suggested the developing potential of therapies for PD by targeting the inflammatory processes. Thus, Nurr1 (nuclear receptor‐related factor 1), a transcription factor, has been referred to play a pivotal role in both the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in embryonic stages and the maintenance of the dopaminergic phenotype throughout life.

Aim

This study investigated the effect of Nurr1 on neuroinflammation and differentiation of NSCs cocultured with primary microglia in the transwell coculture system.

Results

The results showed that Nurr1 exerted anti‐inflammatory effects and promoted the differentiation of NSCs into dopaminergic neurons.

Conclusions

The results suggested that Nurr1 protects dopaminergic neurons from neuroinflammation insults by limiting the production of neurotoxic mediators by microglia and maintain the survival of transplanted NSCs. These phenomena provided a new theoretical and experimental foundation for the transplantation of Nurr1‐overexpressed NSCs as a potential treatment of PD.
Sensitivity to the Sampling Process Emerges From the Principle of Efficiency
Authors: Jara‐Ettinger Julian , Sun Felix , Schulz Laura , Tenenbaum Joshua B.
Published: February 2018

Humans can seamlessly infer other people's preferences, based on what they do. Broadly, two types of accounts have been proposed to explain different aspects of this ability. The first account focuses on spatial information: Agents' efficient navigation in space reveals what they like. The second account focuses on statistical information: Uncommon choices reveal stronger preferences. Together, these two lines of research suggest that we have two distinct capacities for inferring preferences. Here we propose that this is not the case, and that spatial‐based and statistical‐based preference inferences can be explained by the assumption that agents are efficient alone. We show that people's sensitivity to spatial and statistical information when they infer preferences is best predicted by a computational model of the principle of efficiency, and that this model outperforms dual‐system models, even when the latter are fit to participant judgments. Our results suggest that, as adults, a unified understanding of agency under the principle of efficiency underlies our ability to infer preferences.
ENTRY DETERRENCE AND STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
Authors: Gayle Philip G. , Xie Xin
Published: February 2018

Researchers have written extensively on the impact that strategic alliances between airlines have on airfare, but little is known of the market entry deterrent impact of strategic alliances. Using a structural econometric model, this paper examines the market entry deterrent impact of codesharing, a form of strategic alliance, between incumbent carriers in domestic air travel markets. We find evidence of market entry deterrence, but deterrence impact depends on the specific type of codesharing between market incumbents as well as the identity of the potential entrant. We quantify the extent to which market incumbents' codesharing influences potential entrants' market entry cost and probability of market entry. (JEL L13, L93)
A review of cutaneous manifestations within glucagonoma syndrome: necrolytic migratory erythema
Authors: Tolliver Starling , Graham Jaqueline , Kaffenberger Benjamin H.
Published: February 2018

Necrolytic migratory erythema (NME) is a rare skin disorder that is a cutaneous manifestation of the glucagonoma syndrome. It presents with annular eruptions of migrating erythematous papules and plaques with superficial epidermal necrosis, central flaccid bullae, and crusted erosions located primarily in the intertriginous areas. Treatment with the long‐acting somatostatin analog Octreotide is a potential therapy to help ameliorate skin symptoms. We present a case of a patient with a 1‐year history of a pancreatic glucagonoma that developed an ulcerated, plaque‐like, weeping rash over multiple areas of their body despite current treatment with Octreotide and stable pancreatic tumor staging. The patient had a similar rash when initially diagnosed with a glucagonoma, and it quickly improved after Octreotide treatment. Clinical examination and biopsy were consistent with necrolytic migratory erythema due to an underlying glucagonoma. This rare case adds to our understanding of the clinical presentation of NME, as well as highlights the relapsing and remitting course, even if the underlying pancreatic tumor is stable and the patient is undergoing treatment.
Effect of scaling and root planing on gingival crevicular fluid cytokine/chemokine levels in smokers with chronic periodontitis: A systematic review
Authors: Eshghipour Baharak , Tofighi Hamid , Nehal Faham , Vohra Fahim , Javed Fawad , Akram Zohaib
Published: February 2018

In the present study, the impact of scaling and root planing (SRP) on gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) cytokine/chemokine levels in smokers with chronic periodontitis was assessed. The PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) question was: In smokers with chronic periodontitis (population), what is the effect of SRP (intervention) in comparison to SRP in non‐smokers with chronic periodontitis (comparison) on the GCF cytokine/chemokine level (outcome)? Indexed databases were searched up to September 2017. Of 4330 titles, nine studies reporting the levels of 13 different cytokines/chemokines were included. Eight studies had a moderate risk of bias, while one study had a high risk of bias. Almost all cytokines/chemokines were pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Five cytokines/chemokines studied in four clinical studies were decreased in the smoker‐chronic periodontitis group following SRP. One study observed that the GCF levels of interleukin‐17 increased, while anti‐inflammatory osteoprotegerin was reduced in both the SCP and non‐smoker‐chronic periodontitis groups at follow up. However, the majority of cytokines/chemokines did not change in the SCP groups at follow up. The current weight of evidence is not sufficient to prove that SRP has an impact on GCF cytokine/chemokine profile in smokers with chronic periodontitis. Evaluation of wide panels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines/chemokines related to collagen degradation and alveolar bone destruction in future studies are warranted.
Sexual Minority Adults: A National Survey on Depression, Religious Fundamentalism, Parent Relationship Quality & Acceptance
Authors: Heiden‐Rootes Katie , Wiegand Ashley , Bono Danielle
Published: February 2018

Sexual minority persons from religious families may experience low acceptance by parents, however, little is known about the relationship of religiosity and parent relationships on mental health into adulthood. This study sought to test a moderated mediation model predicting depression based on religious fundamentalism, parent acceptance, and parent‐child relationship quality. Sexual minority adult participants (n = 384) from across the U.S. completed a web‐based, anonymous survey. Results found a conditional indirect effect of religious fundamentalism on depression through parent acceptance with the parent‐child relationship quality moderating the relationship between parent acceptance and depression. This was significant up to age 52. Clinical implications and future research with sexual minority adults and their families are explored.
What Makes a Good Trader? On the Role of Intuition and Reflection on Trader Performance
Authors: CORGNET BRICE , DESANTIS MARK , PORTER DAVID
Published: February 2018

Using laboratory experiments, we provide evidence on three factors influencing trader performance: fluid intelligence, cognitive reflection, and theory of mind (ToM). Fluid intelligence provides traders with computational skills necessary to draw a statistical inference. Cognitive reflection helps traders avoid behavioral biases and thereby extract signals from market orders and update their prior beliefs accordingly. ToM describes the degree to which traders correctly assess the informational content of orders. We show that cognitive reflection and ToM are complementary because traders benefit from understanding signals’ quality only if they are capable of processing these signals.
Deleterious effect of anti‐angiotensin II type 1 receptor antibodies detected pretransplant on kidney graft outcomes is both proper and synergistic with donor‐specific anti‐HLA antibodies
Authors: Malheiro Jorge , Tafulo Sandra , Dias Leonídio , Martins La Salete , Fonseca Isabel , Beirão Idalina , Castro‐Henriques António , Cabrita António
Published: February 2018

Aim

Both donor‐specific antibodies (DSA) and anti‐angiotensin II type 1 receptor antibodies (AT1R‐abs) have been associated with poor graft outcomes after kidney transplantation (KT). We aimed to understand the impact of pretransplant AT1R‐abs with or without concomitant DSA on KT outcomes.

Methods

Seventy‐six patients transplanted in 2009 were studied. DSA (MFI > 1000) and/or AT1R‐abs (>10UI) were detected by solid‐phase assays in pre‐KT sera. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to determine independent predictors of outcomes: acute rejection (AR) and graft failure.

Results

At transplant, 48 patients were AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (−), 12 AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (−), 9 AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (+) and 7 AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (+). Incidence of acute rejection at 1‐year increased from 6% in AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (−), to 35% in AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (−), 47% in AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (+) and 43% in AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (+) (P < 0.001). No difference in DSA strength and C1q‐binding ability was observed between AT1R‐abs (−) /DSA (+) and AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (+) patients. Graft survival at 6‐years was the lowest in AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (+) (57%), followed by AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (−) (67%), and higher in AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (−) (94%) and AT1R‐abs (−)/DSA (+) (89%) patients (P = 0.012). AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (−) (HR = 6.41, 95% CI: 1.43–28.68; P = 0.015) and AT1R‐abs (+)/DSA (+) (HR = 7.75, 95% CI: 1.56–38.46; P = 0.012) were independent predictors of graft failure.

Conclusion

Acute rejection incidence and graft failure were associated with both DSA and AT1R‐abs. These results demonstrate a proper negative effect of AT1R‐abs on graft outcomes, besides a synergistic one with DSA. Pretransplant AT1R‐abs should be acknowledged to better stratify patients’ immunological risk.
Organic zinc and copper supplementation on antioxidant protective mechanism and their correlation with sperm functional characteristics in goats
Authors: Narasimhaiah M , Arunachalam A , Sellappan S , Mayasula VK , Guvvala PR , Ghosh SK , Chandra V , Ghosh J , Kumar H
Published: February 2018

Contents

Trace minerals feeding had significant effects on sperm production and fertility with better absorption and proper utilization within the body for optimum reproductive function. Several studies have shown that more influenced trace elements in the diets of animals are copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Bucks showing deficiency of this mineral might affect the quality of semen production which in turn would affect the fertility. This experiment was thus designed to test the effects of organic Cu and Zn supplementation on antioxidants enzyme activities and sperm functional attributes in fresh semen of bucks. Forty bucks (n = 40, Aged 5 months) were assigned to ten groups of four animals in each group, supplemented (for a period of 8 months) with different levels of organic Zn: 20 mg (T2), 40 mg (T3) and 60 mg (T4), organic Cu: 12.5 mg (T5), 25 mg (T6), 37.5 mg (T7) and combined organic Zn and Cu: 20 + 12.5 mg (T8), 40 + 25 mg (T9), 60 + 37.5 mg (T10), respectively, per kg dry matter and no additional mineral diet (control; T1). One hundred and sixty semen samples were collected through electro‐ejaculator and analysed for sperm quantity, quality, acrosome intactness and plasma membrane integrity and correlated with the catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzyme activities in seminal plasma. The results indicated organic Cu and zinc supplemented bucks produced more sperm cells, had higher sperm concentrations, maintained higher (p < .01) sperm livability, plasma membrane and acrosome integrities, more motility and velocity. The increased antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced oxidative stress and lowered lipid peroxidation were positively correlated (p < .05) with the sperm functional attributes. In conclusion, organic Cu and Zn supplement to male goats showed protective roles against oxidative damage and maintained better fresh semen characteristics.
Public health response to an imported case of canine melioidosis
Authors: Ryan C. W. , Bishop K. , Blaney D. D. , Britton S. J. , Cantone F. , Egan C. , Elrod M. G. , Frye C. W. , Maxted A. M. , Perkins G.
Published: February 2018

Melioidosis in humans presents variably as fulminant sepsis, pneumonia, skin infection and solid organ abscesses. It is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, which in the United States is classified as a select agent, with “potential to pose a severe threat to both human and animal health, to plant health or to animal and plant products” (Federal Select Agent Program, http://www.selectagents.gov/, accessed 22 September 2016). Burkholderia pseudomallei is found in soil and surface water in the tropics, especially South‐East Asia and northern Australia, where melioidosis is endemic. Human cases are rare in the United States and are usually associated with travel to endemic areas. Burkholderia pseudomallei can also infect animals. We describe a multijurisdictional public health response to a case of subclinical urinary B. pseudomallei infection in a dog that had been adopted into upstate New York from a shelter in Thailand. Investigation disclosed three human contacts with single, low‐risk exposures to the dog's urine at his residence, and 16 human contacts with possible exposure to his urine or culture isolates at a veterinary hospital. Contacts were offered various combinations of symptom/fever monitoring, baseline and repeat B. pseudomallei serologic testing, and antibiotic post‐exposure prophylaxis, depending on the nature of their exposure and their personal medical histories. The dog's owner accepted recommendations from public health authorities and veterinary clinicians for humane euthanasia. A number of animal rescue organizations actively facilitate adoptions into the United States of shelter dogs from South‐East Asia. This may result in importation of B. pseudomallei into almost any community, with implications for human and animal health.
The Effect of 12 Weeks of Ski Training on Some Biometric Features of Girls
Authors: Taş Murat , Kiyici Elif , Kiyici Fatih
Published: February 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of skiing on the biomotoric characteristics of children with evaluating tests of girls between the ages of eight and 14 before and after the season. The experimental group of this study was 15 girls who had just started skiing and the control group of 30 girls. In total, 45 volunteers joined the study. To follow the development of the children in the study, the Bruininks biomotoric-Oseretsky proficiency testing of engines, Second Edition Short Form (BOT 2 brief) test: Fine Motor Precision, Fine Motor Integration, Manual Dexterity, Bilateral Coordination, Balance, Running Speed and Agility, Upper-Limb Coordination, and Strength was used and total scores were measured. All measurements observed changes in the first test by applying the latest testing methods. The Windows SPSS 17.0 statistical package program was used to analyze the data with Independent-Sample t-test to find the differences between the groups. Statistically meaningful levels resulted as p< 0.05 and p< 0.001. No meaningful differences were found in the comparison of the motoric features of the girls who ski and those who do not in their pre-test. A meaningful difference was found in fine motor skills, fine motor accord and total score after ski training. Ski training contributed to the fine motor skills, fine motor accord and total score of the girls.
Examining the Relation Between the Fear of Negative Evaluation and the Anxiety for Social Appearance in Folk Dancers
Authors: Doğan Pınar Karacan
Published: February 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze and examine the relationship between the fear of negative evaluation and the anxiety for social appearance in folk dancers. The relational survey method was used in the study. “The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) Scale”, which was developed by Leary (1983) and the “Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS)”, which was developed by Hart et al. (2008) were used as the data collection tools in the study. The participants of this study consisted of 215 volunteer folk dancers who were selected with random sampling method in Interuniversity Folk Dances Championship in 2016-2017.When the findings obtained in the study were examined in terms of demographical variables, there was significant difference in the gender, income levels and folk dance experience. According to the scores obtained in the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, it was determined that the dancers who spent most of their life at their villages, who had middle-level income, who were female, and who had less folk dance experience had higher average values. According to the correlation results between the scales, it was determined that there is a positive and high-level relation between social appearance anxiety and the fear of negative evaluation.
The Effect of Case-Based Curriculum on Cognitive and Affective Characteristics of Students
Authors: İlhan-Beyaztaş Dilek , Özdemir Burhanettin
Published: February 2018

This study aims to determine the effect of case-based curriculum (CBC) on the cognitive and affective characteristics of the pre-service teachers. The case-based curriculum was developed within the scope of the "Introduction to Educational Science" course at the university level. It was applied to experimental groups by two different methods that are CBL1 and CBL2, respectively. The CBL1 was implemented through the presentation of the unit subjects, applying the teaching strategy and using the cases, while CBL2 was implemented by ensuring students to reach information through the cases rather than the presentation of the unit subjects by the instructor. The study used a mixed method approach which employed the semi-experimental methods for data collection using pretest-posttest control group design. The study group consists of 334 freshmen taking the "Introduction to Educational Science" course, of education faculties of two different universities. The purposive sampling technique was used to select these students. The result of the study indicates that there was a significant difference in the course "introduction to educational sciences" in favor of the experimental groups in terms of their learning levels. In interviews with students; it has been found that case-based learning (CBL) techniques have a positive impact on students' socialization and communication skills development, and support cooperation. In addition, a large majority of the students stated that CBL contributes to their interest to the course as well as their awareness towards and adoption of the teaching profession. Therefore, CBL can be taken as a basis for developing curricula and the effectiveness of these curricula can be viewed in terms of improving the cognitive, social and affective skills of students.
Role of ionic strength in the thicknesses of the biopolymer fringes, spring constants, and Young's moduli of Pseudomonas putida
Authors: Ramezanian Somayeh , Uzoechi Samuel , Muhunthan Balasingam , Abu-Lail Nehal
Published: February 2018

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to probe the mechanical properties of the soil microbe, Pseudomonas putida, as a function of the ionic strength (IS). By modeling the linear and nonlinear regimes of the AFM force-indentation data, the spring constant and the Young's modulus of the bacterial cell were estimated, respectively. In addition, the thickness of the biopolymer fringe that covers the bacterial surface was estimated as the transition distance between the linear and nonlinear regimes of a given force-indentation curve. The authors' results indicated that as the IS increased from 0.16 to 0.52 M, the bacterial spring constant remained unchanged, suggesting that the turgor pressure of the bacteria is unchanged in that range. This finding further suggests that P. putida arrives to osmotic equilibrium with its surroundings in the IS range of 0.16 and 0.52 M. Their results further indicated that as the IS increases from 0.02 to 0.52 M, the thickness of the biopolymer fringe decreased by ∼3-fold and this decrease was associated with a ∼6-fold apparent increase in the Young's modulus of the bacterial cell. Combined, their results suggest that enhanced soil-biofilm composite mechanical properties can be achieved via the application of higher IS solutions in soil. The use of low IS solutions should be avoided in applications where enhanced soil mechanics are sought because hydraulic conductivity is expected to be high.
A Tale of Two Slinkies: Learning about Model Building in a Student-Driven Classroom
Authors: Berggren Calvin , Gandhi Punit , Livezey Jesse A. , Olf Ryan
Published: February 2018

We describe a set of conceptual and hands-on activities based around understanding the dynamics of a Slinky that is hung vertically and released from rest. This Slinky drop experiment typically lasts a fraction of a second, but when observed in slow motion, one sees the Slinky compress from the top down while the bottom portion remains at rest—naively seeming to defy gravity—until the Slinky has completed its collapse. The motion, or lack thereof, of the bottom of the Slinky after the top is released sparks student curiosity by challenging expectations and provides motivation and context for learning about scientific model building.
Using the Real-time Instructor Observing Tool (RIOT) for Reflection on Teaching Practice
Authors: Paul Cassandra , West Emily
Published: February 2018

As physics educators, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our practice. There are many different kinds of professional development opportunities that have been shown to help us with this endeavor. We can seek assistance from professionals, like mentor teachers or centers for faculty development, we can attend workshops to learn new curricula or pedagogical skills, and we can engage in learning communities to develop shared visions and become more reflective educators. However, when these activities end, what can we do on our own to continue to improve? How can we track our improvement? And perhaps even most importantly, what can we do when these resources aren’t available to us? While publications like The Physics Teacher offer excellent pedagogical practices we can try out in the classroom, how do we get feedback on what we decide to implement?
Electro-Mechanical Resonance Curves
Authors: Greenslade Thomas B.
Published: February 2018

Recently I have been investigating the frequency response of galvanometers. These are direct-current devices used to measure small currents. By using a low-frequency function generator to supply the alternating–current signal and a stopwatch smartphone app to measure the period, I was able to take data to allow a resonance curve to be drawn. This is the sort of project that should provide a fascinating research experience for the introductory physics student. In this article I will discuss the galvanometers that I used in this work, and will show a resonance curve for one of them.
Learning the Rules of the Game
Authors: Smith Donald A.
Published: February 2018

Games have often been used in the classroom to teach physics ideas and concepts, but there has been less published on games that can be used to teach scientific thinking. D. Maloney and M. Masters describe an activity in which students attempt to infer rules to a game from a history of moves, but the students don’t actually play the game. Giving the list of moves allows the instructor to emphasize the important fact that nature usually gives us incomplete data sets, but it does make the activity less immersive. E. Kimmel suggested letting students attempt to figure out the rules to Reversi by playing it, but this game only has two players, which makes it difficult to apply in a classroom setting. Kimmel himself admits the choice of Reversi is somewhat arbitrary. There are games, however, that are designed to make the process of figuring out the rules an integral aspect of play. These games involve more people and require only a deck or two of cards. I present here an activity constructed around the card game Mao, which can be used to help students recognize aspects of scientific thinking. The game is particularly good at illustrating the importance of falsification tests (questions designed to elicit a negative answer) over verification tests (examples that confirm what is already suspected) for illuminating the underlying rules.
The PASCO Wireless Smart Cart: A Game Changer in the Undergraduate Physics Laboratory
Authors: Shakur Asif , Connor Rainor
Published: February 2018

With the introduction of the Wireless Smart Cart by PASCO scientific in April 2016, we expect a paradigm shift in undergraduate physics laboratory instruction. We have evaluated the feasibility of using the smart cart by carrying out experiments that are usually performed using traditional PASCO equipment. The simplicity, convenience, and cost-saving achieved by replacing a plethora of traditional laboratory sensors, wires, and equipment clutter with the smart cart are reported here.
Adventures from Justin’s Life: Engaging Your Physics Students
Authors: Ridgley James A. , Herron Sherry S.
Published: February 2018

Many teachers have had students ask the proverbial question, “When will I ever use this in my life?” In the sciences, especially physics, teachers seem to battle this torrent of indifference continually. Although many areas of our students’ lives can distract them from their academic pursuits, we as teachers must be introspective in order to prevent our teaching style from becoming one of our students’ potential distractions. For example, a problem source with teaching physics may be an inability to successfully pique students’ interest in our lessons. According to Barrett, student engagement is critical in order for learning to occur. Student engagement is so crucially important that researchers from across the globe attempt to assist teachers in the careful construction of pedagogical “hooks” whereby they can actively engage their students. A student who is not academically engaged may find little use for what is presented and may be bored stiff during the lesson. Regardless of your theoretical perspectives on learning, constructivists to traditionalists alike have no excuse to be boring, and therefore should engage their students before presenting physics concepts.
Thomson’s Jumping Ring Over a Long Coil
Authors: Jeffery Rondo N. , Amiri Farhang
Published: February 2018

The classic jumping ring apparatus consists of a coil with an iron core that extends out of the coil. A copper or aluminum ring placed over the iron core jumps upward when AC power is applied to the coil. In this paper we will examine a modified design of the jumping ring apparatus, called the “long-coil design.” It allows the ring to jump upward or downward, depending on the starting position of the ring. These features shed significant light on the study of the force that causes the ring to jump.
Modal smoothing for analysis of room reflections measured with spherical microphone and loudspeaker arrays
Authors: Morgenstern Hai , Rafaely Boaz
Published: February 2018

Spatial analysis of room acoustics is an ongoing research topic. Microphone arrays have been employed for spatial analyses with an important objective being the estimation of the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of direct sound and early room reflections using room impulse responses (RIRs). An optimal method for DOA estimation is the multiple signal classification algorithm. When RIRs are considered, this method typically fails due to the correlation of room reflections, which leads to rank deficiency of the cross-spectrum matrix. Preprocessing methods for rank restoration, which may involve averaging over frequency, for example, have been proposed exclusively for spherical arrays. However, these methods fail in the case of reflections with equal time delays, which may arise in practice and could be of interest. In this paper, a method is proposed for systems that combine a spherical microphone array and a spherical loudspeaker array, referred to as multiple-input multiple-output systems. This method, referred to as modal smoothing, exploits the additional spatial diversity for rank restoration and succeeds where previous methods fail, as demonstrated in a simulation study. Finally, combining modal smoothing with a preprocessing method is proposed in order to increase the number of DOAs that can be estimated using low-order spherical loudspeaker arrays.
Relationship between Tolerance and Persistence Mechanisms in Acinetobacter baumannii Strains with AbkAB Toxin-Antitoxin System
Authors: Fernández-García Laura , Fernandez-Cuenca Felipe , Blasco Lucía , López-Rojas Rafael , Ambroa Anton , Lopez María , Pascual Álvaro , Bou Germán , Tomás María
Published: February 2018

The molecular mechanisms of tolerance and persistence associated with several compounds in
Acinetobacter baumannii
clinical isolates are unknown. Using transcriptomic and phenotypic studies, we found a link between mechanisms of bacterial tolerance to chlorhexidine and the development of persistence in the presence of imipenem in an
A. baumannii
strain belonging to clinical clone ST-2 (OXA-24 β-lactamase and AbkAB toxin-antitoxin [TA] system carried in a plasmid). Interestingly, the strain
A. baumannii
ATCC 17978 (AbkAB TA system from plasmid) showed persistence in the presence of imipenem and chlorhexidine.
Enzyme Activities of Two Recombinant Heme-Containing Peroxidases,
Tv
DyP1 and
Tv
VP2, Identified from the Secretome of Trametesversicolor
Authors: Amara Sawsan , Perrot Thomas , Navarro David , Deroy Aurélie , Benkhelfallah Amine , Chalak Amani , Daou Marianne , Chevret Didier , Faulds Craig B. , Berrin Jean-Guy , Morel-Rouhier Mélanie , Gelhaye Eric , Record Eric
Published: February 2018

Trametes
versicolor
is a wood-inhabiting agaricomycete known for its ability to cause strong white-rot decay on hardwood and for its high tolerance of phenolic compounds. The goal of the present work was to gain insights into the molecular biology and biochemistry of the heme-including class II and dye-decolorizing peroxidases secreted by this fungus. Proteomic analysis of the secretome of
T. versicolor
BRFM 1218 grown on oak wood revealed a set of 200 secreted proteins, among which were the dye-decolorizing peroxidase
Tv
DyP1 and the versatile peroxidase
Tv
VP2. Both peroxidases were heterologously produced in
Escherichia coli
, biochemically characterized, and tested for the ability to oxidize complex substrates. Both peroxidases were found to be active against several substrates under acidic conditions, and
Tv
DyP1 was very stable over a relatively large pH range of 2.0 to 6.0, while
Tv
VP2 was more stable at pH 5.0 to 6.0 only. The thermostability of both enzymes was also tested, and
Tv
DyP1 was globally found to be more stable than
Tv
VP2. After 180 min of incubation at temperatures ranging from 30 to 50°C, the activity of
Tv
VP2 drastically decreased, with 10 to 30% of the initial activity retained. Under the same conditions,
Tv
DyP1 retained 20 to 80% of its enzyme activity. The two proteins were catalytically characterized, and
Tv
VP2 was shown to accept a wider range of reducing substrates than
Tv
DyP1. Furthermore, both enzymes were found to be active against two flavonoids, quercetin and catechin, found in oak wood, with
Tv
VP2 displaying more rapid oxidation of the two compounds. They were tested for the ability to decolorize five industrial dyes, and
Tv
VP2 presented a greater ability to oxidize and decolorize the dye substrates than
Tv
DyP1.

IMPORTANCE
Trametes
versicolor
is a wood-inhabiting agaricomycete known for its ability to cause strong white-rot decay on hardwood and for its high tolerance of phenolic compounds. Among white-rot fungi, the basidiomycete
T. versicolor
has been extensively studied for its ability to degrade wood, specifically lignin, thanks to an extracellular oxidative enzymatic system. The corresponding oxidative system was previously studied in several works for classical lignin and manganese peroxidases, and in this study, two new components of the oxidative system of
T. versicolor
, one dye-decolorizing peroxidase and one versatile peroxidase, were biochemically characterized in depth and compared to other fungal peroxidases.
Parent-reported prevalence and persistence of 19 common child health conditions
Authors: Liu Tracy , Lingam Raghu , Lycett Kate , Mensah Fiona K , Muller Joshua , Hiscock Harriet , Huque Md Hamidul , Wake Melissa
Published: February 2018

Objective

To estimate prevalence and persistence of 19 common paediatric conditions from infancy to 14–15 years.

Design

Population-based prospective cohort study.

Setting

Australia.

Participants

Parallel cohorts assessed biennially from 2004 to 2014 from ages 0–1 and 4–5 years to 10–11 and 14–15 years, respectively, in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.

Main outcome measures

19 health conditions: 17 parent-reported, 2 (overweight/obesity, obesity) directly assessed. Two general measures: health status, special health care needs. Analysis: (1) prevalence estimated in 2-year age-bands and (2) persistence rates calculated at each subsequent time point for each condition among affected children.

Results

10 090 children participated in Wave 1 and 6717 in all waves. From age 2, more than 60% of children were experiencing at least one health condition at any age. Distinct prevalence patterns by age-bands comprised eight conditions that steadily rose (overweight/obesity, obesity, injury, anxiety/depression, frequent headaches, abdominal pain, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Six conditions fell with age (eczema, sleep problems, day-wetting, soiling, constipation, recurrent tonsillitis), three remained stable (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy) and two peaked in mid-childhood (dental decay, recurrent ear infections). Conditions were more likely to persist if present for 2 years; persistence was especially high for obesity beyond 6–7 (91.3%–95.1% persisting at 14–15).

Conclusions

Beyond infancy, most Australian children are experiencing at least one ongoing health condition at any given time. This study’s age-specific estimates of prevalence and persistence should assist families and clinicians to plan care. Conditions showing little resolution (obesity, asthma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) require long-term planning and management.
Recurrent epistaxis leading to diagnosis of primary sinonasal melanoma
Authors: Tawagi Karine , Akaraz-Avedissian Rita , Burman-Solovyeva Irina
Published: February 2018

A 48-year-old man presented to urgent care with recurrent epistaxis over 6 months. Initially, nosebleeds were controlled with packing or cautery. Ultimately, he was referred to ear, nose and throat department and underwent nasal endoscopy which revealed polypoid tissue. A biopsy of the polyp showed non-specific inflammation with no evidence of malignancy. Follow-up maxillofacial CT revealed a large mass lesion in the right maxillary sinus, right nasal fossa, much of the ethmoids and right sphenoid, with destruction of adjacent bony structures. MRI revealed a mass in the right nasal cavity with extension into the ethmoid and anterior sphenoid sinus, anterior cranial fossa and medial orbits. Staging CT discovered metastatic disease in the adrenal glands and lymphadenopathy in the neck. The patient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery with debulking and tissue diagnosis of malignant melanoma. He completed radiation therapy to sinus and was subsequently enrolled in a clinical trial. Most recent imaging revealed complete metabolic response on positron emission tomography.
Defining quality indicators for emergency care delivery: findings of an expert consensus process by emergency care practitioners in Africa
Authors: Broccoli Morgan C , Moresky Rachel , Dixon Julia , Muya Ivy , Taubman Cara , Wallis Lee A , Calvello Hynes Emilie J
Published: February 2018

Facility-based emergency care delivery in low-income and middle- income countries is expanding rapidly, particularly in Africa. Unfortunately, these efforts rarely include measurement of the quality or the impact of care provided, which is essential for improvement of care provision. Our aim was to determine context-appropriate quality indicators that will allow uniform and objective data collection to enhance emergency care delivery throughout Africa. We undertook a multiphase expert consensus process to identify, rank and refine quality indicators. A comprehensive review of the literature identified existing indicators; those associated with a substantial burden of disease in Africa were categorised and presented to consensus conference delegates. Participants selected indicators based on inclusion criteria and priority clinical conditions. The indicators were then presented to a group of expert clinicians via on-line survey; all meeting agreements were refined in-person by a separate panel and ranked according to validity, feasibility and value. The consensus working group selected seven conditions addressing nearly 75% of mortality in the African region to prioritise during indicator development, and the final product at the end of the multiphase study was a list of 76 indicators. This comprehensive process produced a robust set of quality indicators for emergency care that are appropriate for use in the African setting. The adaptation of a standardised set of indicators will enhance the quality of care provided and allow for comparison of system strengthening efforts and resource distribution.