bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Danish Demarcations
Authors: du Plessis Gitte
Published: April 2015

This article examines the population of the Danish welfare state as an affluent middle class that demarcates itself in relation to a foreign proletariat within a global, neoliberal division of labor. Drawing on Slavoj Žižek’s psychoanalytical conceptualizations of nationalism, it traces relations between Danish nationalism and the xenophobic blaming of foreigners for structural threats to continued Danish affluence and the welfare state. The article then shifts to a discussion of the dialectical relationship between the nation-state and capitalism in securing the Danish middle-class status in a global, neoliberal world order, and suggests that the threat to the Danish welfare lies not in multicultural pressures but in the simultaneous desires to open Danish borders for surplus extraction and to close them for foreigners. This article ends with a discussion of new perspectives on cohabitation and equality beyond state borders.
Geographies of making
Authors: Carr Chantel , Gibson Chris
Published: April 2015

Making material things remains central to human economies and subsistence, and to how earthly resources are transformed. Yet experiences and knowledges of those who make things – especially in the heart of the industrial complex – are notably absent in existing debates on shifting to a less resource-intensive future. We review research on materials and their making, presenting three research trajectories: making beyond binaries of craft and manufacturing; the social life of making; and acknowledging industrial cultures, workers and capacities amidst climate change. Success in transforming economy and society in anticipation of volatile futures depends on material acknowledgements and accomplishments.
Under examination
Authors: Owen Gwilym , Harris Richard , Jones Kelvyn
Published: April 2015

Since the 1990s, multilevel models have become popular tools for looking at contextual effects upon health. However, the way that geography is incorporated into these models has received criticism due to somewhat arbitrary definitions of what counts as context, the models’ discrete and, arguably, aspatial view of geographical effects, and the lack of any clear theoretical specification of the processes involved. This review draws together and extends these criticisms, arguing that while currently there are problems with how geography is conceived within multilevel models, there are ways of addressing them, and indeed that it is important to do so.
The use of illicit drugs as self-medication in the treatment of cluster headache: Results from an Italian online survey
Authors: Di Lorenzo C , Coppola G , Di Lorenzo G , Bracaglia M , Rossi P , Pierelli F
Published: April 2015

Background

Cluster headache (CH) patients often receive unsatisfactory treatment and may explore illicit substances as alternatives. We aimed to explore this use of illicit drugs for CH treatment.

Methods

We invited CH patients from an Internet-based self-help group to complete a questionnaire regarding their therapeutic use of illicit substances.

Results

Of the 54 respondents, 29 were classified as chronic and 39 were drug-resistant cases. Fifty patients had previously tried subcutaneous sumatriptan, 40 had tried O2, and 48 had tried at least one prophylactic treatment. All 54 patients specified that they were dissatisfied with conventional treatments. Thirty-four patients had used cannabinoids, 13 cocaine, 8 heroin, 18 psilocybin, 12 lysergic acid amide (LSA), and 4 lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).

Discussion

Some patients with intractable CH decided to try illicit drugs concomitantly with cessation of medical care. Most of these patients found suggestions for illicit drug use on the Internet. Many patients seemed to underestimate the judicial consequences of, and had an overestimated confidence in the safety of, such illicit treatments. Physicians are often not informed by patients of their choice to use illicit drugs. This leads to questions regarding the true nature of the physician-patient relationship among dissatisfied CH patients.
Determination of the thermal protective performance of clothing during bench-scale fire test and flame engulfment test: Evidence from a new index
Authors: He Jiazhen , Wang Min , Li Jun
Published: April 2015

The protective performance of heat- and flame-resistant materials can be studied using a bench-scale test or a full-scale instrumented manikin test. However, there are some limitations of these evaluation methods. The existing bench-scale test could not be applied entirely to assess the thermal protective performance of fabrics if the exposure duration is fixed, while the existing manikin test only provides limited information about the local difference in thermal insulation. This study developed a new index of maximum attenuation factor to second-degree burn injury (maximum attenuation factor) as an improved quantitative method of the thermal protective performance, and then investigated the use of maximum attenuation factor during the bench-scale test as well as the manikin test. It demonstrated that the calculations of maximum attenuation factor were highly repeatable. In both the bench-scale and the manikin test, strong correlations were found between the results derived from the proposed method and the measurements from the existing test method. The results between the bench-scale test and the manikin test can also be compared as a united index.
Effect of hexavalent chromium-treated sperm on in vitro fertilization and embryo development
Authors: Yoisungnern Ton , Das Joydeep , Choi Yun-Jung , Parnpai Rangsun , Kim Jin-Hoi
Published: April 2015

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is an environmental contaminant that is associated with reproductive abnormalities in both humans and animals. In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effect of Cr(VI) on sperm function and subsequent embryo development after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sperm obtained from BDF1 male mice were treated with potassium dichromate (0, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, or 50 μM) for 3 h. Cr(VI) significantly decreased sperm viability and acrosome reaction with increasing dose. These Cr(VI)-treated sperms were further used for IVF of oocytes obtained from BDF1 female mice. Results showed that Cr(VI)-treated sperm caused a significant reduction in IVF success, higher developmental arrest at the two-cell stage of embryos, and delayed blastocyst formation with increasing dose. In particular, most blastocysts from the Cr(VI)-treated sperm resulted in hatching failure as well as decreased inner cell mass and trophectoderm (TE). Furthermore, blastocysts obtained from Cr(VI)-treated sperm showed lower expression of not only TE-associated genes ( eomes, cdx2, and krt8) but also pluripotent marker genes ( sox2, pou5f1, and klf4) that are responsible for further embryo development of blastocyst embryos. The results of our current study showed that Cr(VI)-treated sperm had negative effects on oocyte fertilization and subsequent embryo development.
What Does It Take to Get Elected in a Post-Communist Democracy?
Authors: Trumm Siim
Published: April 2015

The literature on post-communist democracies has traditionally suggested that organisational strength is considerably less important for electoral success than extensive media-based campaigns. Recent studies on party-level electoral dynamics, however, indicate that this might not be the case any longer. Building on these insights, this study goes beyond the party-level analyses of electoral success and failure by focusing on the electoral fortunes of individual candidates in a post-communist democracy. Using original data from the 2011 Estonian Candidate Survey, this article looks at the comparative impact of candidates’ campaign spending and the strength of their local party organisation, alongside other potentially relevant characteristics, on their likelihood of getting elected and vote share. The findings suggest that candidates’ electoral performance in Estonia is still first and foremost shaped by their own campaign spending. In addition, I find evidence that candidates fare better if they have prior local-level and national-level political experience, conduct more personalised campaigns, and are positioned higher up on their party’s district-level list.
Leveraging a Research University for New Economy Capacity Building in a Rural Industrial Region
Authors: Trauth Eileen M. , DiRaimo Michael , Hoover M. Richard , Hallacher Paul
Published: April 2015

The Pennsylvania State University received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop a model of university–industry engagement that would leverage university resources to address the challenges facing Pennsylvania in its transition to the new economy that is defined by innovation, knowledge, and continuous learning. Influenced by two reports about Pennsylvania by the Brookings Institution in the early 2000s, the resulting university–industry model contains three components. First, it leverages university research to support industrial competitiveness in the region. This includes both technology transfer and helping firms to develop greater capacity for competitiveness in the new economy. Second, it leverages university research to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Finally, it leverages the land grant university’s education mission to develop and retain a new economy workforce. Thus, the university goes beyond educating its youth; it also creates linkages between the educated workforce and the needs of companies.
Physical gelation process as direct evidence for crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene/clay composites
Authors: Sarvi Ali , Sharif Farhad
Published: April 2015

Early stage crystallization kinetics of polypropylene (PP)/clay composites is studied using rheometery. Relaxation modulus of composites is measured at low frequencies near liquid–solid transition. Small amplitude oscillating shear flow is applied at low frequencies to obtain relaxation modulus. Relaxation modulus of polymeric materials at the liquid–solid transition follows [Formula: see text], at long times ( λ < t < ∞), where λ is the time to crossover to a different relaxation regime, s is the gel stiffness, and n is the relaxation exponent. Inverse quenching technique is then employed to retain degree of crystallization while rheological measurements are made. Lower gel time is observed as clay concentration increased, indicating the formation of more nuclei. An improvement to Avrami’s equation is proposed to predict crystallization kinetics for PP/clay composites. There is a good agreement between predicted relative crystallinity values and empirical values.
The Longitudinal Relationship Between Protean Career Orientation and Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Intention-to-Quit
Authors: Supeli Abas , Creed Peter A.
Published: April 2015

We surveyed 168 young adults (83% male; mean age = 24 years), who worked for a large electronics manufacturing company in Indonesia, on two occasions, six months apart, on measures of protean career orientation, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention-to-quit, and tested the relationships between protean career orientation and the three outcome variables over time. We tested three cross-lagged models (standard causal, reverse causal, and reciprocal causal), and found support for the standard causal model. Higher levels of protean career orientation at T1 were associated with lower levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction and higher levels of intention-to-quit at T2, after the effects of T1 were controlled. Results indicated poorer individual and organizational outcomes after six months for employees with higher levels of protean orientation.
From Complicit Citizens to Potential Prey: State Imaginaries and Subjectivities in US War Resistance
Authors: Brissette Emily
Published: April 2015

The movements against the Vietnam and Iraq wars gave rise to analogous resistance efforts, in the form of draft resistance and counter-recruitment, respectively. Despite their many similarities, the draft resistance and counter-recruitment movements emerged in distinct historical eras marked by very different ‘state imaginaries’ or assumptions about the nature of the state and people’s relation to it. Drawing on original archival work, this paper excavates these state imaginaries and examines how they conditioned activists’ subjectivities in each era. More specifically, this paper argues that the 1960s were marked by an imaginary of the state based on consent, which positioned draft resisters as complicit citizens and engendered a sense of personal responsibility for the war. This state imaginary was displaced in the neoliberal era by an imaginary of the state as an alien and invasive force, which positioned counter-recruitment activists (or their children) as potential prey and impelled efforts at self-defense.
Changes of Health Status and Institutionalization Among Older Adults in China
Authors: Peng Rong , Wu Bei
Published: April 2015

Objective: To examine rates of institutionalization of Chinese older adults aged 65+ and the impact of changes in health status on the likelihood of institutionalization. Method: Using data from the 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), admission rates for each 3-year interval between waves were calculated. Logistic regression models were used to assess the changes of five health status variables as risk factors. Results: Between the first (2002-2005) and third (2008-2011) intervals, the institutionalization rate increased from 0.5% to 0.8%. Risk of institutionalization increased 70% for respondents with declining ability to perform activities of daily living, 53% for those with declining cognitive function, and 44% for those with increasing number of chronic diseases. Discussion: Development of policies and programs to improve older adults’ health status is essential to delay institutionalization. Quality of workforce is also critical in meeting the care needs.
Alcohol-Related Diagnoses in Hospital Admissions for All Causes Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Sacco Paul , Unick George Jay , Kuerbis Alexis , Koru A. Güneş , Moore Alison A.
Published: April 2015

Objective: This aim of this study was to characterize trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions among middle-aged and older adults from 1993 to 2010 in relation to age, gender, race, and cohort membership. Method: This study utilized repeated cross-sectional data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Using alcohol-related classified admissions, yearly rates and longitudinal trends of alcohol-related inpatient hospitalizations based on age, period, birth cohort, gender, and race were estimated. Results: Among those aged 45 and older, admissions rose from an estimated 610,634 to more than 1,134,876, and rates of any alcohol-related diagnosis also increased from 1993 to 2010. Rates for men were consistently higher than women, and rates for Blacks were higher than Whites. Age was associated with decreasing rates, but post–World War II cohorts displayed higher rates over time. Discussion: Rates of alcohol-related admissions are increasing among adults above age 45, which may be a function of cohort effects. Training the health care workforce is crucial to respond to this trend.
The Role of Energy Balance in Successful Aging Among Elderly Individuals
Authors: Tyrovolas Stefanos , Haro Josep Maria , Mariolis Anargiros , Piscopo Suzanne , Valacchi Giuseppe , Makri Kornilia , Zeimbekis Akis , Tyrovola Dimitra , Bountziouka Vassiliki , Gotsis Efthimios , Metallinos George , Tur Josep-Antoni , Matalas Antonia , Lionis Christos , Polychronopoulos Evangelos , Panagiotakos Demosthenes
Published: April 2015

Objective: The determinants that promote living beyond life expectancy and successful aging still remain unknown. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the role of energy balance in successful aging, in a random sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean basin. Method: During 2005 to 2011, 2,663 older (aged 65-100 years) adults from 21 Mediterranean islands and the rural Mani region (Peloponnesus) of Greece were voluntarily enrolled in the study. Dietary habits, energy intake, expenditure, and energy balance were derived throughout standard procedures. A successful aging index (range = 0-10) was used. Results: After adjusting for several confounders, high energy intake (i.e., >1,700 kcal/day), b-coefficient [95% CI] = −0.21[−0.37, −0.05], as well as positive energy balance, b-coefficient [95% CI] = −0.21 [−0.37, −0.05], were inversely associated with successful aging. Conclusion: A diet with excessive energy intake and a positive energy balance seems to be associated with lower quality of life, as measured through successful aging.
Nonprofit Influence on Public Policy
Authors: Ljubownikow Sergej , Crotty Jo
Published: April 2015

This article examines the advocacy tactics of Russian nonprofits. While Russian nonprofits and their activities have been widely researched, specific insight into their use of advocacy tactics remains limited. In this article, we address this gap by broadening the understanding of how Russian nonprofits engage in advocacy. To do so we engage both Mosley’s indirect/insider framework and qualitative data collected from health and education nonprofits (HEnonprofits) in three Russian industrial regions. We demonstrate that Russian HEnonprofits, while having access to various advocacy tactics, fail to use them effectively. They are instead used for organizational maintenance and case/client advocacy. In conclusion, we discuss a potential typology of advocacy tactics in Russia, the usefulness of Mosley’s framework in this context and the implications of the failure to advocate for democratization within the Russian Federation.
Numerical simulation of observed flow phenomena in the supply and control ports and associated feed channels of a mini-vortex amplifier
Authors: Francis J , Parker D
Published: April 2015

The trajectory and reach of jets issuing from tangential control ports at the periphery of a vortex amplifier's swirl chamber depend largely on design geometry, size and pressures applied. Excessive control port pressure causes these jets to extend too far across the face of the radial supply ports, to impact on the opposing supply port wall whereupon, they bifurcate to create back diffusion of control port flow along the supply port channels.

Flow through vortex amplifier geometry is simulated using a baseline Reynolds stress turbulence model with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFX) automatic wall treatment. Anisotropic stress and vortex stretching in the swirl chamber and outlet have not prevented convergence (based on normalised vortex amplifier residuals). Known flow structures are reproduced. This paper is focussed on simulation close to pressures needed for bifurcation. Just before the point on an operating characteristic at which bifurcated tangential flow appears, the recirculation zone crossing most of the radial supply stretches to intermittently cut off the radial flow. The steady state results indicate asymmetry between the four ports, as smoke visualisation tests also imply. The transient results are sufficient to demonstrate time-dependent structures and suggest periodicity of flow structures. The model can be used to inform design and operability studies. Moreover, a curious near-wall structure of spinning flow not previously reported has been predicted close to the axis and hugging the swirl chamber wall opposite the outlet, at radii within the forced part of the Rankine vortex.
An investigation on secondary force contacts of tooth pairs in conventional harmonic drives with involute toothed gear set
Authors: Routh Bikash , Maiti Rathindranath , Ray Asok K , Sobczyk Andrzej
Published: April 2015

Originally fixed and uniform circular pitches of flex spline (FS) teeth of a ‘Strain Wave Gearing’ or ‘Harmonic Drive’ (HD) experience variations in pitch lengths when teeth move on ‘strain wave generating’ oval-shaped cam. This is due to varying root deformations of teeth. In case of teeth with widely used involute profile, away from the contacts on line of action through pitch point, they definitely experience force closeness to or separation from the circular spline’s (CS) originally conjugate tooth. We have estimated the deformed pitch distances at no load considering that FS teeth remain rigid while the rim deforms. The geometry of the oval-shaped pitch curve which is parallel to the elliptical outer profile of the cam is also defined. Similarly to maintain an elliptical pitch curve of FS, the oval cam is also defined. Both cases of tooth mesh of undeformed FS with CS and tooth mesh of deformed FS with CS, with involute teeth, are considered to find out tooth positions. Geometries of involute teeth profiles in mesh are examined and compared considering oval-shaped (on deformation) base drum of FS, whereas the base circle of the CS remained circular.
Kinematics and dynamics of a novel hybrid manipulator
Authors: Lu Yi , Zhang Canguo , Cao Chengjun , Dong Yansheng , Liu Yang
Published: April 2015

A novel hybrid manipulator is proposed and its kinematics and dynamics are analyzed systematically. First, a 3D prototype of the hybrid manipulator is constructed and analyzed. It is composed of a 5-DoF parallel manipulator with two equivalent composite universal joints and three fingers. Second, the kinematics formulae are established for solving the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the parallel manipulator and the finger mechanisms. Third, the dynamics formulae are derived for solving the dynamic active and constrained forces of the parallel manipulator and the finger mechanisms. Finally, a numerical example is given for solving the kinematics and the dynamics of the hybrid manipulator and the analytic solved results are verified by the simulation mechanism.
Distracted by Cues for Suppressed Memories
Authors: Hertel Paula T. , Hayes Jeffrey A.
Published: April 2015

We examined the potential cost of practicing suppression of negative thoughts on subsequent performance in an unrelated task. Cues for previously suppressed and unsuppressed (baseline) responses in a think/no-think procedure were displayed as irrelevant flankers for neutral words to be judged for emotional valence. These critical flankers were homographs with one negative meaning denoted by their paired response during learning. Responses to the targets were delayed when suppression cues (compared with baseline cues and new negative homographs) were used as flankers, but only following direct-suppression instructions and not when benign substitutes had been provided to aid suppression. On a final recall test, suppression-induced forgetting following direct suppression and the flanker task was positively correlated with the flanker effect. Experiment 2 replicated these findings. Finally, valence ratings of neutral targets were influenced by the valence of the flankers but not by the prior role of the negative flankers.
Comparative study of cholinergic and oxidative stress biomarkers in brains of diabetic and hypercholesterolemic rats
Authors: Hegazy AM , Azeem AS Abdel , Shahy EM , El-Sayed EM
Published: April 2015

Objective:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypercholesterolemia (HC) when poorly controlled lead to debilitating central nervous system complications including cognitive deficits and memory impairment. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms that may be responsible for such deficits.

Methods:

Both diabetes and HC were induced in two groups of rats independently using alloxan and high cholesterol diet, respectively.

Results:

Acetyl cholinesterase was significantly increased in brain of diabetic rats. Also, brain malondialdehyde level was extremely elevated in both diabetic and hypercholesterolemic groups. Meanwhile, brain albumin was markedly decreased in both of them. However, the brain iron level was significantly increased in DM with concomitant increase in total antioxidant capacity in the same group as compared to the normal control. The concentration of brain calcium was noticeably increased in HC group. Our results were confirmed by the increased activity of lactate dehydrogenase in both DM and HC groups, indicating major brain cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

Overall, our results suggested that both DM and HC have deleterious effects on the brain which may be attributed to oxidative stress and dysregulation of both cholinergic function and calcium level. Administration of antioxidant is recommended in both cases.
Weibull mixture regression for marginal inference in zero-heavy continuous outcomes
Authors: Gebregziabher Mulugeta , Voronca Delia , Teklehaimanot Abeba , Santa Ana Elizabeth J
Published: April 2015

Continuous outcomes with preponderance of zero values are ubiquitous in data that arise from biomedical studies, for example studies of addictive disorders. This is known to lead to violation of standard assumptions in parametric inference and enhances the risk of misleading conclusions unless managed properly. Two-part models are commonly used to deal with this problem. However, standard two-part models have limitations with respect to obtaining parameter estimates that have marginal interpretation of covariate effects which are important in many biomedical applications. Recently marginalized two-part models are proposed but their development is limited to log-normal and log-skew-normal distributions. Thus, in this paper, we propose a finite mixture approach, with Weibull mixture regression as a special case, to deal with the problem. We use extensive simulation study to assess the performance of the proposed model in finite samples and to make comparisons with other family of models via statistical information and mean squared error criteria. We demonstrate its application on real data from a randomized controlled trial of addictive disorders. Our results show that a two-component Weibull mixture model is preferred for modeling zero-heavy continuous data when the non-zero part are simulated from Weibull or similar distributions such as Gamma or truncated Gauss.
Moral distress in undergraduate nursing students
Authors: Sasso Loredana , Bagnasco Annamaria , Bianchi Monica , Bressan Valentina , Carnevale Franco
Published: April 2015

Background:

Nurses and nursing students appear vulnerable to moral distress when faced with ethical dilemmas or decision-making in clinical practice. As a result, they may experience professional dissatisfaction and their relationships with patients, families, and colleagues may be compromised. The impact of moral distress may manifest as anger, feelings of guilt and frustration, a desire to give up the profession, loss of self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.

Objectives:

The purpose of this review was to describe how dilemmas and environmental, relational, and organizational factors contribute to moral distress in undergraduate student nurses during their clinical experience and professional education.

Research design:

The research design was a systematic literature review.

Method:

The search produced a total of 157 articles published between 2004 and 2014. These were screened with the assessment sheet designed by Hawker and colleagues. Four articles matched the search criteria (one quantitative study and three qualitative), and these were separately read and analyzed by the researchers. The process of review and analysis of the data was supervised by a colleague experienced in moral distress who provided an independent quality check.

Ethical consideration:

Since this was a systematic review, no ethical approval was required.

Findings:

From the analysis, it emerged that inequalities and healthcare disparities, the relationship with the mentor, and students’ individual characteristics can all impact negatively on the decisions taken and the nursing care provided, generating moral distress. All these factors condition both the clinical experience and learning process, in addition to the professional development and the possible care choices of future nurses.

Conclusion:

Few studies dealt with moral distress in the setting of nurse education, and there is a knowledge gap related to this phenomenon. The results of this review underline the need for further research regarding interventions that can minimize moral distress in undergraduate nursing students.
Multilevel Determinants of Capital Structure: Evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Nejad Niloufar Rezaie , Wasiuzzaman Shaista
Published: April 2015

Given the special characteristics of the Malaysian market, the current study aims to investigate the impact of variables from different levels (firm, industry and country) on the firms’ debt policies. Considering the dynamic nature of capital structure, the study takes the novel approach of examining three levels of determinants simultaneously with respect to time effect. To achieve this, the dataset is constructed from 171 firms listed on the Main Market of the Bursa Malaysia resulting in a total of 1026 firm-year observations within 2005–2010. The firms are from seven different sectors and 63 industries. Based on the ordinary least squares (OLS) results, growth opportunities, profitability, size, ownership, dividend, industry leverage and inflation rate have highly significant relationships with leverage. Board size and firm’s asset liquidity show 5 per cent predictive power while industry liquidity, lending rate and gross domestic products (GDP) demonstrate weakly significant influences on debt levels. Meanwhile, risk, tangibility, age, tax, industry concentration and non-debt tax shields (NDTS) represent insignificant values. Generalized method of moments (GMM) results are similar except for those of dividend and tax, which have opposite signs to the results in OLS, and profitability, firm liquidity and GDP, which lose significance compared to the OLS model. There is also evidence of firms adjusting to a target level of leverage.
Understanding of Social Marketing: A Conceptual Perspective
Authors: Singaiah G. , Laskar Sahnaj Rahmatulla
Published: April 2015

In most of the developed countries social marketing has been a well accepted concept in the non-profit arena. But in India and other developing countries where there is real need in various undisturbed social issues, the concept is not at all clear and is confined to only few family planning programmes. ‘The lack of definitional clarity and consensus is seen as a hindrance to the evolution of the discipline’ (McDermott et al., 2005). Basically this article will try to see the in sight of social marketing in various theoretical and conceptual settings. Though the social marketing approach has been developed from commercial marketing, it is a holistic approach from many disciplines from other social sciences like marketing, psychology, sociology, mass communication and economics. It is basically an art to explore new ways of analyzing problems and solving them effectively. This approach is still a debatable issue and often many of us view this approach as a matter of suspicion and argue how ‘profit motive marketing’ comes in the vicinity of non-profit? Here we have attempted to explore the social marketing framework in the light of different perspectives and theories.
A Study to Develop an Instrument to Measure Work Ethic
Authors: Sharma Baldev R. , Rai Snigdha
Published: April 2015

Work ethic is one of the most notable constructs that has endured over a long period of time. Among other things, it indicates the extent to which a person considers work as his central life interest. The purpose of the study on which this article is based is to develop an instrument to measure work ethic. Surprisingly, the role of ethical behaviour has not been adequately studied in India in spite of the widespread clamour in the country against corruption! The instrument to be developed through this study, it is hoped, will enable social and behavioural scientists to study this neglected aspect of employee attitude and behaviour. Data for the study was collected from a sample of 507 managerial employees working in the Indian wing of a multinational organization. The 10-item scale developed through this study is uni-dimensional and its psychometric properties were established with the help of appropriate statistical tools and techniques.
A Study of Corporate Environmental Disclosure Practices of Companies Doing Business in India
Authors: Chaklader Barnali , Gulati Puja Aggarwal
Published: April 2015

There is a growing pressure from the stakeholders, particularly government and international funding agencies, to publish environmental reports. Environmental reporting and disclosure practices are a means of communicating to the stakeholders about the impact of the organization’s actions on the environment. The reporting can be done in the form of financial or non-financial reporting. We have conducted a study on 50 companies on the basis of turnover from the list brought out by ET 500. We have studied the environmental disclosure practices of Indian companies and also the impact of different independent variables on environmental disclosure index (EDI). Based on a review of literature, we have classified the independent variables according to profitability, size, type of industry, financial leverage, multinational status and environmental certification. We have constructed year-wise pooled regression model with EDI as dependent variables and profitability, size, type of industry, financial leverage, multinational status and environmental certification as independent variables. We find that in all the four years, size and environmental certification are statistically significant at the 1 per cent level and are positively associated. This indicates that bigger-sized companies and the environmentally certified companies by an external agency disclose more environmental information. Environmental certification reduces the agency cost as it reduces the monitoring cost since the firms voluntarily follow an external set of measured objectives. No other variable was found to be significant.
A Study on the Impact of Workplace Commuting on Citizenship Behaviour of Employees Working with Public and Private Sector Organizations
Authors: V.A. Santhosh
Published: April 2015

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) a key determinant of organizational success is getting prime focus in the research arena. The different antecedents and consequences of this discretionary behaviour are being considered as important for management of human resources. From among the different impacting variables explored through numerous researches, the relationship with workplace commuting, the daily travel between place of work and place of residence stands critical. The study focuses on finding out the impact of workplace commuting on citizenship behaviour of employees. Different dimensions of workplace commuting were identified and related with those of citizenship behaviour. Statistical analysis revealed the relationship between independent and dependent variable.

Even though the relationship between the variables are rejected by the study, the negative correlation figures indicating lowering of citizenship behaviour as a result of workplace commuting and its different variables is worth noting. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of further research including variables like culture and performance.
The Academic Discipline of Management and the Bologna Process: The Impacts on the United States in a Globalizing World
Authors: Inamete Ufot B.
Published: April 2015

This study aims at examining how the Bologna Process impacts the academic discipline of management in the United States (US). The study also analyzes the structure and goals of the Bologna Process. The possible future dynamics for the relations between management (and other business disciplines) in the US and the Bologna Process region are also analyzed by this study.
Book Review: Common Sense Talent Management: Using Strategic HR to Improve Company Performance
Authors: Jaiswal Shweta
Published: April 2015

Steven T. Hunt, Common Sense Talent Management: Using Strategic HR to Improve Company Performance. USA: Wiley. 2014, 444 pp., (Paperback). ₹ 3276. ISBN: 978-0-470-44241-8.
‘People have a knack of making you feel excluded if they catch on to your difference’: Transgender experiences of exclusion in sport
Authors: Hargie Owen DW , Mitchell David H , Somerville Ian JA
Published: April 2015

While there is a growing literature in the field of gender, sexuality and sport, there is a dearth of research into the lived experiences of transgender people in sport. The present study addresses this research gap by exploring and analysing the accounts of transgender people in relation to their experiences of sport and physical activity. These are examined within the theoretical rubrics of social exclusion and minority stress theory. The findings from in-depth interviews with 10 transgender persons are detailed. Four interconnected themes emerged from the interviewee accounts: the intimidating nature of the changing/locker room environment; the impact of alienating sports experiences at school; the fear of public space and how this drastically constrained their ability to engage in sport and physical activity; and the overall effects of being denied the social, health and wellbeing aspects of sport. The findings are discussed in relation to the distinctive quality of transgender exclusion, and the related distal and proximal stressors experienced by this particular minority group.
A Review of Information and Communication Technology Enhanced Social Work Interventions
Authors: Chan Chitat , Holosko Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Objectives:

Information and communications technology (ICT) has impacted almost all human service disciplines and currently is evolving in social work. This study provides a systematic review of ICT-enhanced social work interventions, with particular reference to their intervention fidelity (IF), validity, and the role of ICT in the helping relationship process.

Method:

We assessed specific articles published in journals classified under the “Social Work” research area in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI; N = 17).

Results:

All studies that met specific criteria indicated positive intervention outcomes, most of them were of “good” or “fair” quality in terms of their validity, and almost all of them upheld IF. However, there was room for improvement in the conceptualization component of the ICT intervention application.

Conclusions:

These ICT-enhanced intervention studies established a foundation to enable unique practice insights to advance social work practice knowledge. Additional practice and research in this area are necessary in order to further our understanding about ICT and their use in social work interventions. Implications are discussed and suggestions are provided.
An Assessment of Intervention Fidelity in Published Social Work Intervention Research Studies
Authors: Corley Nicole A. , Kim Irang
Published: April 2015

Objectives:

Intervention fidelity is a critical strategy to help advance the usefulness and integrity of social work research. This study assessed the extent to which a selected sample of published social work intervention researchers reported its intervention protocols.

Methods:

Six core social work journals were reviewed in this analysis. The authors reviewed every scholarly article within each journal published from 2009 through 2013 ( N = 1,380). A total of N = 32 (2.3%) published intervention research articles met the inclusion criteria. All N = 32 studies were evaluated using 11 criteria developed by the research team related to assessing the study’s treatment fidelity.

Results:

The finding suggests that although attention to treatment fidelity in social work research has increased, methodological inconsistencies still remain.

Conclusion:

Effective social work research of an intended intervention is largely dependent on the intervention’s fidelity. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.
Motivational Interviewing Post-Stroke
Authors: Auton Malcolm F. , Patel Kulsum , Carter Bernie , Hackett Maree , Thornton Tim , Lightbody Catherine E. , Leathley Michael J. , Watkins Caroline L.
Published: April 2015

Our earlier research demonstrated that participation in four sessions of motivational interviewing (MI) early post-stroke has a positive impact on stroke survivors’ mood. However, the theoretical underpinnings of MI in supporting adjustment (rather than its traditional use in supporting behavior change) require clarification. This article describes a content analysis of MI transcripts for 10 participants in our previous study, to identify the focus of discussions (patient “concerns”) and potential effective components of our MI approach. Patients’ post-stroke concerns were shown in 16 categories, including frustration, family impact, and getting well. There was a pattern of change discourse across sessions: “Sustain talk” (reasons for not changing) reduced from Session 1 onward, “change talk” (intent to change) increased then reduced, and “change expressed” (changes achieved) increased from Sessions 1 to 4. MI facilitates healthy adjustment post-stroke in some patients, in turn affecting mood, but clarification of how this effect is achieved requires further exploration.
The Structural Violence of Patient Participation in Cambodian HIV Services
Authors: Bureau-Point Eve , Phan Sovannoty
Published: April 2015

Participation of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) has become a new standard of good governance in HIV services worldwide, and most HIV organizations make reference to it. This standard has had a considerable impact in Cambodia, where hundreds of PLHA have been recruited by organizations to participate in the development of HIV services. However, participation is a vague concept with various interpretations and applications. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted between 2006 and 2008, this article first clarifies what promoters expect from patient participation in Cambodia and then examines its meanings and uses for one category of PLHA working in hospitals (hereafter “volunteers”). It shows that volunteers have played a valuable role in the scaling-up of access to care and treatment policy, and that although international organizations in Cambodia see patient participation as empowering PLHA, these volunteers face structural violence caused by inherent conflicts within Cambodia’s strict health care hierarchy.
Using Instagram as a Modified Application of Photovoice for Storytelling and Sharing in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Yi-Frazier Joyce P. , Cochrane Katherine , Mitrovich Connor , Pascual Michael , Buscaino Emil , Eaton Lauren , Panlasigui Neil , Clopp Bailey , Malik Faisal
Published: April 2015

Photovoice is a research method developed to help communities share images as a tool for discussion of key issues. Although this may be useful to promote healthy behavior, using Photovoice in adolescents has been logistically challenging. Given adolescents’ engagement in social media, our study explored the feasibility of using a photo-sharing mobile phone application, Instagram, to accomplish the principles of Photovoice. Twenty adolescents 14 to 18 years old with type 1 diabetes were asked to use Instagram to post any diabetes-related photo for 3 weeks. Individual interviews and a focus group were also offered, and recruitment and retention statistics were tracked. Of those approached ( n = 47), 43% agreed to participate. Twelve were actively engaged. Shared photos were most likely to fall into the categories of diabetes care, humor, or food. Engaged participants universally reported the project to be a positive experience; however, there were technological and personal factors to consider for widespread implementation.
Is the System Really the Solution? Operating Costs in Hospital Systems
Authors: Burns Lawton Robert , McCullough Jeffrey S. , Wholey Douglas R. , Kruse Gregory , Kralovec Peter , Muller Ralph
Published: April 2015

Hospital system formation has recently accelerated. Executives emphasize scale economies that lower operating costs, a claim unsupported in academic research. Do systems achieve lower costs than freestanding facilities, and, if so, which system types? We test hypotheses about the relationship of cost with membership in systems, larger systems, and centralized and local hub-and-spoke systems. We also test whether these relationships have changed over time. Examining 4,000 U.S. hospitals during 1998 to 2010, we find no evidence that system members exhibit lower costs. However, members of smaller systems are lower cost than larger systems, and hospitals in centralized systems are lower cost than everyone else. There is no evidence that the system’s spatial configuration is associated with cost, although national system hospitals exhibit higher costs. Finally, these results hold over time. We conclude that while systems in general may not be the solution to lower costs, some types of systems are.
The “Single Consciousness-and-‘I’” of the Child at Different Ages
Authors: Witz Klaus G.
Published: April 2015

In elaborating their thesis that the subjective being of a person should be regarded as “a single consciousness-and-‘I’” or as “a single reality of consciousness” “from childhood to old age,” Witz and Goodwin based themselves only on their experience in qualitative research with adults (with the consciousness-and-“I” of participants who were adults aged 12 to 60 or so). The bulk of the present article first argues that the fundamental characteristics of the single consciousness-and-“I” in adults (“Foreshadowing the future,” “Consciousness-and-‘I’ distilling in innumerable ‘I-feelings’ throughout the day,” and “Taking for granted one is always the same person”) exist already but take different forms at every age in childhood and that these forms merge into the conscious-and-“I” in the adult. The final portion of the article then discusses how one can in principle go about getting an idea of the consciousness-and-“I” of a child at a particular age.
Quasi-static thermal stresses due to a concentrated moving heat source in a thin plate
Authors: Shahani Amir Reza , Kalani Samad
Published: April 2015

Temperature and thermal stress distributions in a two-dimensional infinite thin plate subjected to a moving heat source with variable power and velocity are obtained by solving quasi-static thermoelasticity equations analytically with the aid of a thermoelastic displacement potential. The results show good agreement with experimental data for a stationary source with constant power and with a steady-state analytical solution in the open literature. It is shown that the quasi-static solution can predict changes of the thermal stress field during the movement of the heat source, and can give the effect of changes of power and velocity of the heat source on the thermal stress field during its movement.
Verbal Memory Function in Intellectually Well-Functioning Adults With ADHD: Relations to Working Memory and Response Inhibition
Authors: Lundervold Astri J. , Halleland Helene Barone , Brevik Erlend Joramo , Haavik Jan , Sørensen Lin
Published: April 2015

Objective: To investigate verbal memory function with relation to working memory (WM) and response inhibition (RI) in adults with ADHD. Method: Verbal memory function was assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition (CVLT-II), WM by the Paced Serial Addition Test, and RI by the Color-Word Interference Test from Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System in a sample of adults with normal to high intellectual function (IQ). Results: The ADHD group ( n = 74) obtained lower scores than controls on measures of learning, recall, and immediate memory (CVLT-II). WM and RI explained a substantial part of verbal memory performance in both groups. A group to executive function (EF) interaction effect was identified for the total number of intrusions and false positive responses on the CVLT-II recognition trial. Conclusion: Verbal memory performance only partially overlaps with EF in intellectually well-functioning adults with ADHD. Both EF and verbal memory function should be assessed as part of a neuropsychological evaluation of adults with ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. XXXX; XX(X) XX-XX)