bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Formation of Moist Vortices and Tropical Cyclones in Idealized Simulations
Authors: Davis Christopher A.
Published: May 2015

The upscale aggregation of convection is used to understand the emergence of rotating, coherent midtropospheric structures and the subsequent process of tropical cyclone formation. The Cloud Model, version 1 (CM1), is integrated on an f plane with uniform sea surface temperature (SST) and prescribed uniform background flow. Deep convection is maintained by surface fluxes from an ocean with uniform surface temperature. Convection begins to organize simultaneously into moist and dry midtropospheric patches after 10 days. After 20 days, the patches begin to rotate on relatively small scales. Moist cyclonic vortices merge, eventually forming a single dominant vortex that subsequently forms a tropical cyclone on a realistic time scale of about 5 days. Radiation that interacts with clouds and water vapor aids in forming coherent rotating structures. Using the path to genesis provided by the aggregated solution, the relationship between thermodynamic changes within the vortex and changes in the character of convection prior to genesis is explored. Consistent with previous studies, the approach to saturation within the midtropospheric vortex accelerates the genesis process. A novel result is that, prior to genesis, downdrafts become widespread and somewhat stronger. The increased downdraft mass flux leads to stronger and larger surface cold pools. Shear–cold pool dynamics promote the organization of lower-tropospheric updrafts that spin up the surface vortex. It is inferred that the observed inconsistency between convective intensity and thermodynamic stabilization prior to genesis results from sampling limitations of the observations wherein the important cold pool gradients are unresolved.
Impact of the Depth-to-Width Ratio of Periodically Stratified Tidal Channels on the Estuarine Circulation
Authors: Schulz Elisabeth , Schuttelaars Henk M. , Gräwe Ulf , Burchard Hans
Published: May 2015

The dependency of the estuarine circulation on the depth-to-width ratio of a periodically, weakly stratified tidal estuary is systematically investigated here for the first time. Currents, salinity, and other properties are simulated by means of the General Estuarine Transport Model (GETM) in cross-sectional slice mode, applying a symmetric Gaussian-shaped depth profile. The width is varied over four orders of magnitude. The individual along-channel circulation contributions from tidal straining, gravitation, advection, etc., are calculated and the impact of the depth-to-width ratio on their intensity is presented and elucidated. It is found that the estuarine circulation exhibits a distinct maximum in medium-wide channels (intermediate depth-to-width ratio depending on various parameters), which is caused by a maximum of the tidal straining contribution. This maximum is related to a strong tidal asymmetry of eddy viscosity and shear created by secondary strain-induced periodic stratification (2SIPS): in medium channels, transverse circulation generated by lateral density gradients due to laterally differential longitudinal advection induces stable stratification at the end of the flood phase, which is further increased during ebb by longitudinal straining (SIPS). Thus, eddy viscosity is low and shear is strong in the entire ebb phase. During flood, SIPS decreases the stratification so that eddy viscosity is high and shear is weak. The circulation resulting from this viscosity–shear correlation, the tidal straining circulation, is oriented like the classical, gravitational circulation, with riverine outflow at the surface and oceanic inflow close to the bottom. In medium channels, it is about 5 times as strong as in wide (quasi one-dimensional) channels, in which 2SIPS is negligible.
Effect of Hematologic Parameters on Microvascular Reperfusion in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated With Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Karahan Zülküf , Uçaman Berzal , Uluğ Ali Veysel , Aydınalp Özlem , Uğurlu Murat , Çevik Kemal , Kaya İlyas , Öztürk Önder
Published: May 2015

Objectives:

Despite the significant role of certain hematologic parameters in reperfusion injury, their relationship with microvascular reperfusion remains not well understood. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the relationship between hematologic parameters at admission and microvascular reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI).

Methods:

A total of 213patients (mean age: 57.5 ± 11 years) with STEMI were included. Blood samples were obtained from all patients prior to primary PCI. Electrocardiographic recordings were made for the evaluation of ST-segment resolution (STR) before and after primary PCI. Angiographic assessment in the infarct-related artery was performed using the myocardial blush grade (MBG) and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow. Patients were categorized into 2 groups as those with impaired microvascular reperfusion (STR <70%, TIMI: 0-1, and MBG: 0-1) and those with normal microvascular reperfusion (STR >70%, TIMI: 2-3, and MBG: 2-3).

Results:

Of the overall study group, 139, 105, and 69 patients had an STR of <70%, MBG of 0-1, and TIMI of 0-1, respectively. Demographic parameters in both groups are shown in the tables. Patients with impaired microvascular reperfusion were found to have higher white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and mean platelet volume (MPV). Neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio and platelet count were similar between the 2 groups. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between lymphocyte count and STR ( r: −.195, P: .004), lymphocyte count and TIMI flow( r: −.09, P: .14), and lymphocyte count and MBG ( r: −.211, P: .002).

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that higher WBC count and MPV at admission are independent predictors of impaired microvascular perfusion in patients with STEMI. On the other hand, a negative correlation was found between lymphocyte count and impaired microvascular perfusion. Specifically, elevated lymphocyte count seemed to indicate the presence of impaired microvascular reperfusion in patients with STEMI.
The Impact of Human Resource Management on Corporate Social Performance Strengths and Concerns
Authors: Rothenberg Sandra , Hull Clyde Eiríkur , Tang Zhi
Published: May 2015

Although high-performance human resource practices do not directly affect corporate social performance (CSP) strengths, they do positively affect CSP strengths in companies that are highly innovative or have high levels of slack. High-performance human resource management (HRM) practices also directly and negatively affect CSP concerns. Drawing on the resource-based view and using secondary data from an objective, third-party database, the authors develop and test hypotheses about how high-performance HRM affects a company’s CSP strengths and concerns. Findings suggest that HRM and innovation are important capabilities because they create and enhance other capabilities.
Facing Our Feelings
Authors: Stevens Elise M. , Dillman Carpentier Francesca R.
Published: May 2015

According to mood management theory, individuals are hedonically motivated to select media content that facilitates a positive mood state, which at its core, suggests a desire to escape from—to avoid—affective states that are not positive. In efforts to explain when individuals might make non-hedonic media choices, two studies examined individuals’ coping tendencies and current affect, among other measures, before making a media content choice. Results showed that mood management was most predictive for people who were naturally inclined to cope with stressors using avoidance tactics. Those who were less inclined to engage in avoidance coping strategies did not appear compelled to escape from, that is, improve, their low positive affective state with “happy” media. Findings are discussed in terms of situating mood management behaviors within the larger context of coping strategies. Implications of this research include the furtherance of entertainment theory and technology innovation with regard to tailoring one’s entertainment media diet.
Indian adolescents’ cyber aggression involvement and cultural values: The moderation of peer attachment
Authors: Wright Michelle F. , Kamble Shanmukh V. , Soudi Shruti P.
Published: May 2015

Although research on cyberbullying and cyber aggression is growing, little attention has been given to examinations of these behaviors among adolescents in Asian countries, particularly in India. The present study examined the relationships among cyber aggression involvement and cultural values (i.e. individualism, collectivism), along with peer attachment as a moderator in these associations, while controlling for gender and face-to-face aggression involvement. Participants were 480 adolescents (ages 13- to 15-years-old) from India. Findings revealed that individualism and collectivism were related positively to peer attachment. In addition, individualism was associated positively with cyber aggression perpetration and cyber victimization, whereas these relationships were negative for collectivism. Peer attachment was related negatively to cyber aggression involvement. At lower levels of peer attachment, the association between cyber aggression perpetration and individualism was stronger. In contrast, the relationships between cyber aggression involvement (i.e. perpetration, victimization) and collectivism were more negative at higher levels of peer attachment. These results are discussed in the context of cultural values and peer attachment, and recommendations are given for future research and for school personnel in India.
Preparing Principals as Instructional Leaders
Authors: Taylor Backor Karen , Gordon Stephen P.
Published: May 2015

Although research has established links between the principal’s instructional leadership and student achievement, there is considerable concern in the literature concerning the capacity of principal preparation programs to prepare instructional leaders. This study interviewed educational leadership faculty as well as expert principals and teacher leaders to determine their perceptions concerning applicant screening; content to be taught, including functions, knowledge, skills, and dispositions; teaching and learning strategies; field experiences; and induction support. The researchers found considerable agreement across the three groups.
Evaluating an electronic performance support system for crime scene investigation units in Turkey
Authors: Yakin Ilker , Yildirim Soner
Published: May 2015

The primary goal of this study was to present the summative evaluation findings of an initial implementation to investigate the impact, effectiveness and perceived benefits of the Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) on the performance of Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers in Turkey. A sequential explanatory strategy as a procedure of mixed method design was used to collect data through a survey, interviews, and computer logs. While 191 CSI officers participated in the quantitative part of the study, the researchers also conducted interviews with 12 officers. Data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results showed that intrinsic support made a major contribution to officers’ performance with positive reactions. It revealed also that generating reports and establishing standardization were one of the main factors providing impacts on society. This study provides a viable application of Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation model for the CSI Unit; however, the model’s extended adaptations should also be carried out in different workplace settings for further studies.
Information needs of poultry farmers in selected rural areas of Tanzania
Authors: Msoffe Grace EP , Ngulube Patrick
Published: May 2015

This study assessed the information needs of poultry farmers in three rural districts of Tanzania. Methodological triangulation was used. Data from questionnaires were triangulated with data from interviews and focus group discussions to validate quantitative with qualitative findings. The findings indicated that poultry farmers had varying information needs including poultry disease management, poultry protection, shelter for poultry and poultry production. The key sources of information used by famers were family, friends, neighbours, extension officers, researchers and radio. There was very low identification and prioritization of farmers’ information needs. The findings implied that information providers were not aware of the farmers’ information needs and as a result they disseminated information that would not satisfy farmers’ needs. The key issues that constrained information providers from identifying and prioritizing farmers’ needs were inadequate resources, unfavourable working conditions, lack of facilities, and inadequate support from the government. Understanding the information needs of poultry farmers is crucial to effectively satisfying the felt information needs. It is recommended that information providers should conduct regular assessments of information needs, and ensure the information disseminated takes farmers’ needs into consideration.
Group Analysis in China—Challenges in a Changing Society
Authors: Beck Werner
Published: May 2015

In 1988, a legendary conference took place in Kunming, China, introducing western psychotherapy to Chinese colleagues. It consisted of three branches: psychodynamic, behaviour therapy and systemic family therapy. This conference found an immense echo all over China and raised a strong desire for training in these therapies to be set up. Soon, curriculae were created and proffered. A real run on these trainings followed, most of them in individual therapies.

A group of German psychoanalysts carried out the psychodynamic training in two-year long courses for Chinese psychologists and psychiatrists. In 2008, a two-year training course in psychodynamic group psychotherapy was added for those participants who had concluded their training as individual therapists.

In the beginning this training was oriented towards the concept of the German psychoanalyst Hermann Argelander (close to Bion), but later on was influenced by the model of Foulkes, studying the standard book of Behr and Hearst, that was soon translated into Chinese. The participants were members of an experiential group and of a working and supervisory group as well. Group work was complemented by daily lectures. The two-year course consisted of four blocks of eight training days each, comprising 56 experiential sessions altogether. Towards the end of the course, the participants had to establish a group of their own, find a supervisor and conduct the group for a reasonable time. They then had to write a report about their group, which was discussed in the supervisory group. This led to the conclusion of the course.

I joined this project from 2011 to 2013, conducted an experiential and a working group, and gave lectures on group analytic theory. During this period there were six such groups with German colleagues, who had regular meetings together with the Chinese staff and the interpreters.

This article tries to sum up the process in the experiential group, to show the development of the group and its characteristic features in this very different society compared to our western cultures. Is there anything that is ‘typical Chinese’ in these 56 sessions? What could that be? Does the application of the group analytic approach in such a different culture with such a different foundation matrix make sense?

There are many questions. I hope this clinical report answers at least some of them.
Psychodrama in Perspective: An Interview with Jonathan Moreno on His Father, Jacob Moreno, and the Lasting Impact of His Ideas
Authors: Schermer Victor L.
Published: May 2015

Jonathan Moreno’s book entitled Impromptu Man is about his father, Jacob Moreno, the founder of psychodrama and sociometry and covers Moreno’s life and career as well as 20th-century group psychotherapy, group dynamics, film and theatre, the encounter group movement, and social networking, with respect to his role and influence. In this interview, conducted in February 2015, Jonathan Moreno talks about his father in both personal and scholarly terms, elaborates on some of the key points in the book, and reflects on Jacob Moreno’s significance for dramaturgy, psychology, and the social sciences.
The influence of bath temperature on the properties of pultruded glass fiber reinforced rods
Authors: Borges Sandro G , Ferreira Carlos A , Andrade Juliana M , Prevedello André LA
Published: May 2015

Pultrusion is one of the several manufacturing processes for polymer composites. It involves resin-impregnated fibers that passed through a heated die, while the resin cures to produce a solid profile in the desired shape. Many processing variables such as die temperature, pull speed, fiber impregnation, resin viscosity, among others, affect the composite quality and the process efficiency. In fact, a good understanding and careful control of all these variables are needed to avoid defective profiles as well as to achieve better processing conditions. In this paper, the relationship between the resin bath temperature and the mechanical properties of pultruded rods such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, and hardness was established. The effect of resin viscosity on the fibers wet-out, cure position inside the die and the void formation was also investigated. The results showed that the rods made at higher bath temperatures presented higher tensile strength, elongation at break and hardness, but lower modulus of elasticity. This behaviour was correlated with the void content yielded during the profile formation.
Young Durkheimians and the temptation of fascism
Authors: Desan Mathieu Hikaru , Heilbron Johan
Published: May 2015

In this article we assess the general claim that Durkheimian sociology has reactionary, fascist, or totalitarian affinities, and the specific claim that Marcel Déat’s Durkheimian background was a significant factor in his becoming a Nazi sympathizer. We do so by comparing the different trajectories of the interwar generation of young Durkheimians and find that only one, i.e. Déat, can be said to have become fascist. Indeed, what characterizes this generation of Durkheimians is the variety of the ways in which they responded to the crises of the interwar years, both politically and scientifically. Nonetheless, most remained on the political left, and during the war many younger members of the Durkheimian group either fled the country or were involved in the French Resistance. As the only personal link between the Durkheimian group and fascism, Déat’s career is of particular interest. Instead of Déat’s being an orthodox Durkheimian, his successive engagements embody the intellectual fragmentation and heterodoxy characteristic of the interwar generation. We outline Déat’s career by foregrounding the conjunctural and dispositional factors that we believe point toward a more plausible explanation of Déat’s transformation than does an internalist history-of-ideas approach according to which his political evolution can be explained by reference to an underlying intellectual continuity. Déat’s fascism is better explained by the repeated frustration of his political and intellectual ambitions that ultimately led to a fateful accommodation with Nazi power than by any tendency inherent to Durkheimian sociology.
Control of the air system of a diesel engine using the intake oxygen concentration and the manifold absolute pressure with nitrogen oxide feedback
Authors: Park Yeongseop , Min Kyounghan , Chung Jaesung , Sunwoo Myoungho
Published: May 2015

In production-type engine control systems for passenger car diesel engines, the mass air flow is commonly used as a feedback variable for control of the exhaust gas recirculation system. However, the mass air flow is not appropriate as a feedback variable for control of the exhaust gas recirculation system because the mass air flow has a weak correlation with the formation of the nitrogen oxide emissions. Another defect of production-type engine control systems is that the emissions-relevant systems are controlled without emissions feedback. In order to address these problems, this study proposes air system control using the intake oxygen concentration as it has a strong correlation with the formation of the nitrogen oxide emissions with nitrogen oxide feedback. The intake oxygen concentration is estimated using a closed-loop observer, and the estimated intake oxygen concentration is used as a feedback variable for control of the exhaust gas recirculation system. The measured nitrogen oxide concentration is used as emissions feedback control. When the measured nitrogen oxide concentration exceeds the reference nitrogen oxide value, emissions feedback control is activated and causes the set value of the intake oxygen concentration to decrease in order to reduce the nitrogen oxide emissions when the measured nitrogen oxide concentration exceeds the typical value. The proposed air system control method is validated with engine experiments, and the nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 11.5–39.8% using nitrogen oxide feedback control in various test cases which cause the drift of the nitrogen oxide emissions.
Linear motion control with a low-power hydraulic switching converter - Part II: Flatness-based control
Authors: Kogler Helmut , Scheidl Rudolf
Published: May 2015

Hydraulic switching control is an opportunity for economic, robust and energy efficient hydraulic motion control. The hydraulic buck converter represents a promising concept, which meets these requirements. Part I of this publication has shown that for a convenient control performance a model-based control should be applied. In this paper a flatness-based controller for linear hydraulic motion control with a sub-kilowatt hydraulic buck converter is presented. A simple model-based on an averaging of the switching converter is employed to derive a flatness-based controller combined with a nonlinear observer to estimate all system states only from a position signal. Its performance is studied by simulations and experiments for large ramp type and sinusoidal motions of a heavy mass. Comparison of motion quality and energy consumption are made between the converter and a standard hydraulic proportional drive using a servo-valve instead of the switching converter. With this flatness-based controller a tracking performance as good as of a proportional drive can be achieved, yet at much better efficiency. Proportional control for the switching converter, however, leads to inferior results for this type of intended motions.
Womanspirit Still Rising? Some Feminist Reflections on ‘Religious Education’ in the UK
Authors: Jasper Alison
Published: May 2015

It is a complex and sometimes frustrating business to effect change that is in accordance with recognizably feminist principles in the world as it is and we inevitably risk confrontation, misunderstanding and compromise. In this paper I consider some of the complexities and obstacles to effecting feminist-friendly changes in educational spaces with specific reference to the field of teaching most familiar to a majority of us – Religion/Religious Studies or Theology and Religious Studies (TRS). I suggest an approach to change based on the mobilization of spirituality – characterized as becoming – as one metaphor that has been grasped to effect in the past by pioneers such as Carol Christ and Judith Plaskow to bring about changes in the western theological academy. This imaginative work has itself generated resistance and critique from scholars of religion and some feminists, but remains, I believe, one fruitful starting point for thinking through what needs to change in educational spaces identified as ‘religious’, and for avoiding the gendered traps that are laid for us in the process. Primarily these are traps that frustrate our abilities to explore the widest possibilities of difference/s and lead us back into the constrictions of sameness – here, that state of being tied either to a historical view of Christianity that privileges a disembodied, masculine, monotheistic God or to a post enlightenment view that privileges a disembodied, so-called ‘secular’ masculine rationality that just as fearfully excludes the Otherness of the feminine and all she represents.
A Hermeneutic of Pause(ing): A Considered Responding to Other as “Not-I”
Authors: McKinney Cathryn
Published: May 2015

I am proposing that when engaging with the narrative of another, there needs to be a conscious consideration, an essential articulation of enquiry; a pause.
Nurses’ adherence to ethical codes
Authors: Momennasab Marzieh , Koshkaki Afifeh Rahmanin , Torabizadeh Camellia , Tabei Seyed Ziaeddin
Published: May 2015

Background:

Ethical codes are guidelines that orient nurses and ensure that their decisions are in accordance with the values of the professional system. These codes show that there is a connection among values, patients’ rights, and nurses’ duties.

Objectives:

This study aimed to compare the viewpoints of patients, nurses, and nurse managers regarding the extent to which clinical ethical codes are observed.

Research design:

In this descriptive–comparative study, data were collected using three questionnaires based on Iranian nurses’ ethical codes with a focus on clinical care. The reliability of the questionnaire was verified by test–retest method (r = 0.9). The patients were interviewed by the researcher, but nurses and managers completed the questionnaires themselves. After all, the data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software (v 15).

Participants and research context:

In all, 100 patients, 100 nurses, and 30 managers from internal and surgical wards of two major hospitals in Shiraz, Iran, participated in 2014.

Ethical considerations:

This research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All the participants signed written informed consents.

Findings:

According to the results, 70% of the patients, 86% of the nurses, and 53.3% of the nurse managers rated nurses’ adherence to ethical codes as satisfactory. The mean scores (standard deviation) of the level of adherence to ethical codes were 38.44 (6.91) in the patients, 41.08 (4.82) in the nurses, and 37.83 (6.98) in the nurse managers. The results of analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the attitudes of the nurses and the other two groups (p = 0.001).

Discussion:

Nurses’ adherence to ethical codes was satisfactory in all three groups. Accordingly, our findings agree with the results of some national and international studies, although there are still controversies in this regard.

Conclusion:

Although the nurses rated their performance in certain fields more satisfactory compared to the patients and managers, all the three groups agreed that clinical ethical codes were properly observed in the internal and surgical wards. Nurses can improve the quality of care by considering the viewpoints of patients and managers about their ethical performance.
Empty Success or Brilliant Failure
Authors: Fang Wang , Clarke Anthony , Wei Yu
Published: May 2015

More than at any other time, the importance of internationalization and of establishing global partnerships in education is acknowledged by governments and higher education institutions. As a result, collaboration between institutions resulting in increased study abroad opportunities, now viewed as signifiers of internationalization, have multiplied. In joining the search for the improvement of study abroad programs, this study follows a cohort of 14 Chinese graduate students enrolled in a 2-year Master in Education program offered in a partnership between Northeast Normal University (NENU), China, and the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. The study was guided by the following research question: What is the nature and substance of the students’ study abroad experience within the context of the NENU/UBC Collaborative Master’s Program? Student interviews, questionnaires, and final program evaluations show that there is a fine line between success and failure of such experiences. The outcomes of this study point to the need for greater attention to at least four tensions in our program: the system of schooling versus the educative agenda, a teaching qualification versus a degree in Education, being tied to a desk versus being free to explore, and reporting on versus inquiring into practice.
Semi-active vibration control based on unsymmetrical synchronized switching damping: Circuit design
Authors: Ji Hongli , Qiu Jinhao , Zhang Jin , Nie Hong , Cheng Li
Published: May 2015

An unsymmetrical switch circuit is designed for semi-active control method based on synchronized switching damping principle of piezoelectric actuators. A bypass capacitor and an additional switch are used to realize unsymmetrical bipolar voltage. The control logic of the switches is introduced in detail and the switched voltages, which directly influence the control performance, are derived as functions of the vibration amplitude and the outputs of the voltage sources. Experiments were carried out to verify the designed circuit and the theoretical results of the switched voltage. For simplification of experimental conditions, the beam is fully clamped and the voltage is fully generated by the voltage source. The influence of the voltage source and bypass capacitor on the actuator was investigated. Experimental results show that the circuit leakage is a critical factor to the amplification of actuator voltage. The voltage ratio increases with increasing bypass capacitance, but its increasing rate decreases.
Footedness Is Associated With ADHD Symptoms in the Adult General Population
Authors: Tran Ulrich S. , Voracek Martin
Published: May 2015

Objective: Mixed-handedness among children has recently been proposed as a marker of neurodevelopmental disorder and ADHD. This study expanded this initial evidence to the questions of whether mixed-handedness as well as mixed-footedness are similarly associated with ADHD among adults. Method: Self-reported ADHD symptoms, handedness, footedness, and current depression and anxiety were assessed in a large, heterogeneous general population sample ( N = 2,592). Latent variable analysis was used to investigate the structure and measurement properties of ADHD symptoms, the dimensionality of footedness, and the classification of lateral preferences. Results: Mixed-footedness was associated with probable ADHD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76 [1.07, 2.89], p = .026). Left- and mixed-footedness were associated with higher inattention and impulsivity scores. Conclusion: Developmental continuities of the associations of mixed lateral preferences with ADHD from child to adult age seem to exist. In particular, mixed-footedness, rather than mixed-handedness, appears to be an ADHD marker among adults.
A new class for a new South Africa? The discursive construction of the ‘Black middle class’ in post-Apartheid media
Authors: Iqani Mehita
Published: May 2015

This article presents a qualitative discussion about the ways in which English-language media in South Africa labelled the Black middle class ‘new’ during the first decade of political freedom (the 1990s). The empirical approach is discursive, drawing on a corpus of archival media material in which the ‘new Black middle class’ is discussed and debated. The article argues that three key discursive trends are evident therein: the first claiming the new Black middle class as full of socio-economic potential (but also as immature and not capable of delivering on that potential), the second attempting to rehistoricize the Black middle class and the third accusing the class of materialism, greed and being ‘sell-outs’. These discursive themes are discussed in relation to relevant scholarly literature about ‘new’ middle classes. This article concludes that media narratives about the newness of the Black middle class were the site of the symbolic contestation and discursive construction of the consuming class in South Africa.
Refugees and justice between states
Authors: Gibney Matthew J
Published: May 2015

In this article, I consider the neglected question of justice between states in the distribution of responsibility for refugees. I argue that a just distribution of refugees across states is an important normative goal and, accordingly, I attempt to rethink the normative foundations of the global refugee regime. I show that because dismantling the restrictive measures currently used by states in the global South to prevent the arrival of refugees will not suffice to ensure a just distribution of refugees between states, a more detailed account of how responsibilities should be shared between states is required. To this end, I make three claims. First, I argue that the definition of ‘refugee’ must be broadened beyond those subjected to persecution to include harms of action or omission by states that seriously jeopardise personal security or subsistence needs. Second, I argue that allocating a fair share of refugees to states should be based on state’s integrative capacities. Finally, I argue that distributive justice between states must be balanced against the legitimate interests of refugees in their destination country and the duty of states to ensure they are settled in places where they are likely to flourish.
Reasons and practices of reasoning: On the analytic/Continental distinction in political philosophy
Authors: Owen David
Published: May 2015

This essay argues that whereas ‘analytic’ political philosophy is focussed on generating reasons that are oriented to the issue of articulating norms of justice, legitimacy and so on, that guide political judgements about institutions and/or forms of conduct; ‘Continental’ political philosophy is oriented to critically assessing the practices of reasoning that characterise our social and political institutions and forms of conduct as well as our first-order normative reflection on them. It explores the distinction between the two orientations in terms of, what are called, their ‘structural problematics’: the guidance problem and the critique problem, before considering briefly ways in which they may be combined.
Learning in preschool: Teachers’ talk about their work with documentation in Swedish preschools
Authors: Löfgren Håkan
Published: May 2015

This article investigates preschool teachers’ professionalism and professional strategies in relation to narratives about learning in preschool. These are expressed through the teachers’ talk about documentation. A policy on increased systematic documentation in preschools has been introduced in Sweden. Preschool teachers were interviewed about their work with documentation in different preschool settings. The analysis departs from theories considering education policy as interpreted and enacted in local contexts and from theories that stress the actor’s perspective on preschool teaching professionalism. Furthermore, the teachers’ references to an institutional narrative about learning are the focus. Institutional narratives that construct breaks and continuities within the institution’s past are referred to in texts and talk within institutions. They are used as a means to govern the institution and by the teachers to position themselves. Results show that the teachers frequently refer to a ‘preschool-kind of learning’ that departs from the children’s interests in their talk about documentation. This, I argue, stands out as a professional strategy that allows teachers to deal with contradictory policies about what should be documented. In their talk about how to conduct documentation, the teachers position themselves as learners. This is a way of ‘doing professionalism’ that allows teachers to deal with demands for accountability in a way that also allows for professional agency.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with increased arterial stiffness in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, but not pre-diabetes and diabetes
Authors: Chou Chieh-Ying , Yang Yi-Ching , Wu Jin-Shang , Sun Zih-Jie , Lu Feng-Hwa , Chang Chih-Jen
Published: May 2015

Aim:

To evaluate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and arterial stiffness in adults with normal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes after excluding known diabetes.

Methods:

A total of 4860 subjects were divided into normal glucose tolerance, pre-diabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes groups according to the American Diabetes Association 2011 diagnostic criteria. The severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was divided into mild and moderate to severe. Increased arterial stiffness was defined as brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) ⩾ 1400 cm/s.

Results:

There was a significant difference in the prevalence of mild and moderate to severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease between subjects with and without increased arterial stiffness. Mild (odds ratio (OR) = 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.43–2.84) and moderate to severe (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.33–3.46) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were independently associated with increased arterial stiffness in the normal glucose tolerance group. In the pre-diabetes and diabetes groups, neither mild nor moderate to severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with increased arterial stiffness.

Conclusion:

The effect of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on arterial stiffness is apparent in subjects with normal glucose tolerance, but not in diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Development of the Knowledge of Dementia Competencies Self-Assessment Tool
Authors: Curyto Kimberly J. , Vriesman Deedre K.
Published: May 2015

Competent dementia care requires caregivers with specialized knowledge and skills. The Knowledge of Dementia Competencies Self-Assessment Tool was developed to help direct care workers (DCWs) assess their knowledge of 7 dementia competencies identified by the Michigan Dementia Coalition. Item selection was guided by literature review and expert panel consultation. It was given to 159 DCWs and readministered to 57 DCWs in a range of long-term care settings and revised based on qualitative feedback and statistical item analyses, resulting in 82 items demonstrating good internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Performance on items assessing competencies rated as most important was significantly related to training in these competencies. The DCWs in day care obtained higher scores than those in home care settings, and their sites reported a greater number of hours of dementia training. Validation in a more diverse group of DCWs and assessing its relationship to other measures of knowledge and skill is needed.
Glucose Dysregulation Interacts With APOE-∊4 to Potentiate Temporoparietal Cortical Thinning
Authors: Foley Jessica M. , Salat David H. , Stricker Nikki H. , McGlinchey Regina E. , Milberg William P. , Grande Laura J. , Leritz Elizabeth C.
Published: May 2015

We examined the interactive effects of apolipoprotein ∊4 ( APOE-∊4), a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and diabetes risk on cortical thickness among 107 healthy elderly participants; in particular, participants included 27 APOE-∊4+ and 80 APOE-∊4− controls using T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging. Regions of interests included select frontal, temporal, and parietal cortical regions. Among APOE-∊4, glucose abnormalities independently predicted reduced cortical thickness among temporoparietal regions but failed to predict changes for noncarriers. However, among noncarriers, age independently predicted reduced cortical thickness among temporoparietal and frontal regions. Diabetes risk is particularly important for the integrity of cortical gray matter in APOE-∊4 and demonstrates a pattern of thinning that is expected in preclinical AD. However, in the absence of this genetic factor, age confers risk for reduced cortical thickness among regions of expected compromise. This study supports aggressive management of cerebrovascular factors and earlier preclinical detection of AD among individuals presenting with genetic and metabolic risks.
Pedagogic strategies: Using empowerment theory to confront issues of language and race within mathematics education
Authors: Naidoo Jayaluxmi
Published: May 2015

Within the classroom milieu a teacher wields considerable power; however, teaching may become overwhelming when the teacher is faced with somewhat diverse learners. Dealing with such in the classroom is a challenging task. This qualitative study aims to explore how teachers confront issues of language and race within mathematics education. It was carried out at one university in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. The participants are mathematics teachers who enrolled as postgraduate mathematics education students at the university. The study was framed using Perkins and Zimmerman’s notion of empowerment theory. Qualitative data were gathered during the 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 academic years, from a final sample of 22 postgraduate mathematics education students, and through a questionnaire administered to teachers and semi-structured interview schedules. The corollary findings provide a glimpse of how issues of language and race are confronted within mathematics education in South Africa, and they are important in terms of advancing curriculum and teacher development. Internationally and nationally, the findings have particular resonance and relevance when considering the powerful role that language and race play in mathematics education.
Teaching in the ‘edgelands' of the school day: The organisation of Mother Tongue Studies in a highly diverse Swedish primary school
Authors: Avery Helen
Published: May 2015

To promote attainment and inclusion, Sweden offers tuition in migrant pupils’ mother tongues as a regular school subject. However, the formulation of learning aims is problematic, and resources allocated to the subject do not correspond to ambitions expressed in steering documents. This case study presents an analysis of the organization of Mother Tongue Studies at a highly diverse urban primary school, based on interviews with teachers and head teachers. The practical organization of Mother Tongue Tuition affects how mother tongue teachers and pupils are perceived, but also potentially provides opportunities for empowerment and educational development. Results indicate that in the investigated case, such opportunities are not exploited, placing mother tongue teachers in a state of continuous structural stress, while limiting the forms their teaching relationships can take. Additionally, scheduling the school subject Mother Tongue Studies at the ‘edgelands' of the school day contributed to further marginalizing languages taught as mother tongue and minimized interaction with class teachers.
SERS Detection of Dopamine Using Label-Free Acridine Red as Molecular Probe in Reduced Graphene Oxide/Silver Nanotriangle Sol Substrate
Authors: Luo Yanghe , Ma Lu , Zhang Xinghui , Liang Aihui , Jiang Zhiliang
Published: May 2015

The reduced graphene oxide/silver nanotriangle (rGO/AgNT) composite sol was prepared by the reduction of silver ions with sodium borohydride in the presence of H2O2 and sodium citrate. In the nanosol substrate, the molecular probe of acridine red (AR) exhibited a weak surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) peak at 1506 cm−1 due to its interaction with the rGO of rGO/AgNT. Upon addition of dopamine (DA), the competitive adsorption between DA and AR with the rGO took place, and the AR molecules were adsorbed on the AgNT aggregates with a strong SERS peak at 1506 cm−1 that caused the SERS peak increase. The increased SERS intensity is linear to the DA concentration in the range of 2.5–500 μmol/L. This new analytical system was investigated by SERS, fluorescence, absorption, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques, and a SERS quantitative analysis method for DA was established, using AR as a label-free molecular probe.
Seed/Catalyst-Free Growth of Gallium-Based Compound Materials on Graphene on Insulator by Electrochemical Deposition at Room Temperature
Authors: Rashiddy Wong Freddawati , Ahmed Ali Amgad , Yasui Kanji , Hashim Abdul Manaf
Published: May 2015

We report the growth of gallium-based compounds, i.e., gallium oxynitride (GaON) and gallium oxide (Ga2O3) on multilayer graphene (MLG) on insulator using a mixture of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and gallium nitrate (Ga(NO3)3) by electrochemical deposition (ECD) method at room temperature (RT) for the first time. The controlling parameters of current density and electrolyte molarity were found to greatly influence the properties of the grown structures. The thicknesses of the deposited structures increase with the current density since it increases the chemical reaction rates. The layers grown at low molarities of both solutions basically show grain-like layer with cracking structures and dominated by both Ga2O3 and GaON. Such cracking structures seem to diminish with the increases of molarities of one of the solutions. It is speculated that the increase of current density and ions in the solutions helps to promote the growth at the area with uneven thicknesses of graphene. When the molarity of Ga(NO3)3 is increased while keeping the molarity of NH4NO3 at the lowest value of 2.5 M, the grown structures are basically dominated by the Ga2O3 structure. On the other hand, when the molarity of NH4NO3 is increased while keeping the molarity of Ga(NO3)3 at the lowest value of 0.8 M, the GaON structure seems to dominate where their cubic and hexagonal arrangements are coexisting. It was found that when the molarities of Ga(NO3)3 are at the high level of 7.5 M, the grown structures tend to be dominated by Ga2O3 even though the molarity of NH4NO3 is made equal or higher than the molarity of Ga(NO3)3. When the grown structure is dominated by the Ga2O3 structure, the deposition process became slow or unstable, resulting to the formation of thin layer. When the molarity of Ga(NO3)3 is increased to 15 M, the nanocluster-like structures were formed instead of continuous thin film structure. This study seems to successfully provide the conditions in growing either GaON-dominated or Ga2O3-dominated structure by a simple and low-cost ECD. The next possible routes to convert the grown GaON-dominated structure to either single-crystalline GaN or Ga2O3 as well as Ga2O3-dominated structure to single-crystalline Ga2O3 structure have been discussed.
Synthesis of CaCO3 Nanobelts for Drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy
Authors: Sun Dongmei , Peng Haibao , Wang Shilong , Zhu Dazhang
Published: May 2015

Nanobelt carriers have demonstrated some advantages such as good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and strain-accommodating properties. We prepared an optimized nanobelt carrier formulation for drug (etoposide) as an oral delivery system and estimated the potential of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanobelts. The nanobelts were prepared by the method of binary solvent approach and were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay test exhibited that etoposide-loaded calcium carbonate nanobelts (ECCNBs) showed a higher cell kill ratio against SGC-7901 cells compared with free drug. The apoptosis test and cell cycle test analysis revealed that etoposide entrapped in calcium carbonate nanobelts (CCNBs) could enhance the delivery efficiencies of drug and improved inhibition effect. The present findings demonstrated that ECCNBs might induce cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and cell apoptosis in a p53-related manner. It can be foreseen that CCNBs are a promising drug carrier to store the anti-cancer drug for cancer therapy and drug delivery.