bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservación del patrimonio construido, acción ciudadana y redefinición disciplinar. La Tabacalera de Lavapiés - La Casa Invisible de Málaga
Authors: Reus Martínez Patricia , Blancafort Sansó Jaume
Published: November 2014

Este texto transita los caminos emprendidos por ciudadanos anónimos que participan en el desarrollo de Centros Socioculturales Independientes. En concreto se observan, desde una óptica arquitectónica, aquellas iniciativas que se instalan en edificios públicos y vacíos ubicados en el centro histórico de Madrid y Málaga. La acción es por tanto un acto político que apuesta por un nuevo modelo de gestión del dominio público pero también constituye una forma de velar por la salud física, ambiental y social de un fragmento especialmente sensible de estas ciudades.El objetivo es analizar el fenómeno a través de dos casos. La intención es dilucidar el papel del arquitecto en un modo de hacer indeterminista y participativo que está demostrando ser altamente eficaz a nivel material y emocional lo que puede ofrecer pistas sobre la actual redefinición de la disciplina: del que gobierna la obra (αρχιτεκτωυ) a mediador entre expectativas y realidad.
Heterogeneous Electro-catalysis by Ni(III/II)Cyclam Embedded in a Sol-gel Matrix
Authors: Burg Ariela , Shamir Dror , Apelbaum Lina , Maimon Eric , Meyerstein Dan
Published: November 2014

The simplicity of preparation \(SiO_2\) matrices, using the sol-gel method, as well as the relative inertness and stability of the matrices, have promoted their use in a wide range of processes. It was decided to check whether sol-gel matrices in which a redox agent is entrapped, can be used as an electro-catalyst. Methyl amines such as \((CH_{3})_{n}NH_{3-n}\), are formed as waste in dyestuff, agriculture, and catalysis industries. Therefore, their treatment has environmental importance. In this study Ni(III)Cyclam was chosen as an electro-catalyst for methyl amines treatment. Preliminary results indicate that such electro-catalytic processes based on sol-gel electrodes can be developed.
Blueberry jam: sensorial analyzes and effect of storage on physical and chemical properties.
Authors: Guimarães Daniela Helena Pelegrine , Alves Gisele Leticia , Querido Amanda Faria
Published: November 2014

The proposal of the present research includes eight Blueberry jam formulations, from Rabbiteye species (Climax and Powder Blue varieties). For gelling, four formularizations were used: synthetic ATM pectin (F1), pectin obtained from passion fruit skin extraction (F2), synthetic BTM pectin (F3), and synthetic BTM pectin mixed with gums mixture (F4). Product Sensorial tests were performed and sensorial attributes evaluated were flavor, color, texture and appearance. According with sensorial tests and the Anova results, it could be concluded that the two more accepted formularizations were: F2 and F4 (For Climax variety) and F1 e F4 (for Powder Blue variety). Therefore, these formulations were evaluated for pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, water activity, total and reducing sugars, total and anthocyanins, from the first day of storage and after 30, 90 and 120 days to analyze the storage effect on jam characteristics. Jam processing reduces anthocyanins content (about 57% for conventional formulations and 35% for light jam); however, the jam may still be considered anthocyanins source, owing to the high content even after processing. After 40 storage days a significant decrease on jam anthocyanin levels was observed, except the products with higher sugar contents. Comparing the anthocyanin levels at time zero and after 120 days of storage, it appears that the decrease in pigment concentration was higher in the climax of fruit variety (approximately 44%). After 30 days of storage, the percentage of acidity, pH, water activity, moisture and soluble solids content remained constant.

 

DOI: 10.14685/rebrapa.v5i1.150
A note on the Dancer–Fučík spectra of the fractional p-Laplacian and Laplacian operators
Authors: Perera Kanishka , Squassina Marco , Yang Yang
Published: November 2014

We study the Dancer–Fučík spectrum of the fractional p-Laplacian operator. We construct an unbounded sequence of decreasing curves in the spectrum using a suitable minimax scheme. For p = 2, we present a very accurate local analysis. We construct the minimal and maximal curves of the spectrum locally near the points where it intersects the main diagonal of the plane. We give a sufficient condition for the region between them to be nonempty and show that it is free of the spectrum in the case of a simple eigenvalue. Finally, we compute the critical groups in various regions separated by these curves. We compute them precisely in certain regions and prove a shifting theorem that gives a finite-dimensional reduction in certain other regions. This allows us to obtain nontrivial solutions of perturbed problems with nonlinearities crossing a curve of the spectrum via a comparison of the critical groups at zero and infinity.
Deposition of Zn-containing films using atmospheric pressure plasma jet
Authors: Galmiz Oleksandr , Stupavska Monika , Wulff Harm , Kersten Holger , Brablec Antonin , Cernak Mirko
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this work was to deposit
Zn-containing films on Si substrates using the commercial atmospheric pressure plasma jet “kINPen’09.” In preliminary experiments Zn-containing films were deposited on the silicon substrates immersed in water solutions of Zn(NO3)2•6H2O salt. The surface composition of deposited films was analyzed by the XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) technique while the bulk composition was studied by means of XRD (X-ray diffraction) mesurements. The film thickness was measured by a profilometer. We have determined that the concentration of the zinc nitrate solution as well as changes in the deposition time resulted in a large fluctuation of the deposited film thickness. However, the successful deposition of the Zn-containing films on the Si substrate was definitely confirmed.
Conversion of tetrachloromethane
in large scale gliding discharge reactor
Authors: Młotek Michał , Reda Ewelina , Krawczyk Krzysztof
Published: November 2014

Gliding discharge plasma in a large scale reactor was used for decomposition of tetrachloromethane. The new power supply system based on a power inverter was used. The conversion of CCl4 was investigated in air at normal pressure. The reactor was made of a quartz-glass tube 60 mm in diameter and contained three converging electrodes 140 mm long. Effects of the initial CCl4 concentration, gas flow rate and discharge power on CCl4 conversion have been studied. The conversion of CCl4 was high in all cases reaching a maximum of 90%. The conversion of tetrachloromethane decreased with increasing initial concentration of CCl4 in the reaction mixture. Changing the gas flow rate from 1000 Nl h-1 to 1400 Nl h-1 decreased the conversion of tetrachloromethane.
Derived Reid's recipe for abelian subgroups of SL3(ℂ)
Authors: Cautis Sabin , Craw Alastair , Logvinenko Timothy
Published: November 2014

For any finite subgroup

G
⊂

SL
3

⁡

(
ℂ
)

{G\subset\operatorname{SL}_{3}(\mathbb{C})}

,
work of Bridgeland–King–Reid constructs an equivalence
between the G-equivariant derived category of

ℂ
3

{\mathbb{C}^{3}}

and the derived category of the crepant resolution

Y
=

G
⁢
-
⁢
Hilb

ℂ
3

{Y=\mathop{{G}\hbox{-}\mathrm{Hilb}}\mathbb{C}^{3}}

of

ℂ
3

/
G

{\mathbb{C}^{3}/G}

. When G is abelian, we show that this equivalence gives a natural correspondence
between irreducible representations of G and exceptional subvarieties
of Y, thereby extending the McKay correspondence from two
to three dimensions. This categorifies Reid’s
recipe and extends earlier work from [3] and [14] which dealt only
with the case when

ℂ
3

/
G

{\mathbb{C}^{3}/G}

has one isolated singularity.
On Commitments and Other Uncertainty Reduction Tools in Joint Action
Authors: Michael John , Pacherie Elisabeth
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we evaluate the proposal that a central function of commitments within joint action is to reduce various kinds of uncertainty, and that this accounts for the prevalence of commitments in joint action. While this idea is prima facie attractive, we argue that it faces two serious problems. First, commitments can only reduce uncertainty if they are credible, and accounting for the credibility of commitments proves not to be straightforward. Second, there are many other ways in which uncertainty is commonly reduced within joint actions, which raises the possibility that commitments may be superfluous. Nevertheless, we argue that the existence of these alternative uncertainty reduction processes does not make commitments superfluous after all but, rather, helps to explain how commitments may contribute in various ways to uncertainty reduction.
Az Erzsébet Tudományegyetem névváltozatai
Authors: Polyák Petra
Published: November 2014

Az Erzsébet Tudományegyetem hivatalos elnevezése 1912-es felállítását követően – a névadást is beleszámítva – ötször változott meg. A többnyire kényszerű változtatások a korszak fontosabb (felsőoktatás-)politikai fordulópontjaihoz kapcsolódtak, így egyben az intézmény történetének meghatározó eseményeit is jelzik. Mivel az egyes névelemek az egyetem öndefiníciója szempontjából fontos tartalmakat jelenítettek meg, a megváltoztatásukra vagy törlésükre irányuló kísérletek szinte minden esetben markáns intézményi reakciókat váltottak ki.
“The Pebble in the Water”
Authors: Cochran Timothy B.
Published: November 2014

In volume six of Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologie, Olivier Messiaen uses the phrase “the pebble in the water” to identify a class of especially stark rhythmic contrasts in Debussy’s music that feature long durations interrupted by rapid rhythms. He invests these contrasts with an expressive logic built around the concept of shock—that is, the sudden stimulation of a static context by an outside presence. Messiaen unites various images—both natural and psychological—around this expressive pattern via analogy, suggesting that its essence is transferrable within a network of associated metaphors. Although for the most part in volume six Messiaen refrains from linking interpretations of Debussy with his own music, many of his rhythmic contrasts manifest the same expressive logic that he ascribes to Debussy’s music, particularly durational events that signify the interjection of birdsong within serene environments and that signal the striking appearance of divine power on earth. In addition to stylistic and semiotic correlations, the logic of shock theorized for the pebble in the water recurs more abstractly in Messiaen’s idiomatic views on musical experience and spiritual encounter. His interpretation of rhythmic contrast bears the marks of his more general aesthetics of shock, which in turn can be read as a reorientation of a broader modernist hermeneutic.
“Judaism” as Political Concept
Authors: Nirenberg David
Published: November 2014

This article traces a long history in Christian political thought of linking politics, statecraft, and worldly authority to the broader category of carnal literalism, typed as “Jewish” by the Pauline tradition. This tradition produced a tendency to discuss political error in terms of Judaism, with the difference between mortal and eternal, private and public, tyrant and legitimate monarch, mapped onto the difference between Jew and Christian. As a result of this history, transcendence as a political ideal has often figured (and perhaps still figures?) its enemies as Jewish.
Crossed Geographies
Authors: Hill Christopher L.
Published: November 2014

Textual evidence indicates that the novelist Endō Shūsaku read the anticolonialist writer Frantz Fanon in the early 1950s, incorporating Fanon’s arguments on color and colonialism into his depiction of Japanese subjects after 1945. Examination of that heretofore unnoticed encounter provides an opportunity to reconsider the paradigms by which each writer is understood today and the terms in which they imagined a world not ordered by empires, whether European, American, or Japanese.
Intratumoural inflammation and endocrine resistance in breast cancer
Authors: Murray Jill I , West Nathan R , Murphy Leigh C , Watson Peter H
Published: November 2014

It is becoming clear that inflammation-associated mechanisms can affect progression of breast cancer and modulate responses to treatment. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα (ESR1)) is the principal biomarker and therapeutic target for endocrine therapies in breast cancer. Over 70% of patients are ESR1-positive at diagnosis and are candidates for endocrine therapy. However, ESR1-positive tumours can become resistant to endocrine therapy. Multiple mechanisms of endocrine resistance have been proposed, including suppression of ESR1. This review discusses the relationship between intratumoural inflammation and endocrine resistance with a particular focus on inflammation-mediated suppression of ESR1.
Duration of Rhinovirus Shedding in the Upper Respiratory Tract in the First Year of Life
Authors: Loeffelholz Michael J. , Trujillo Rocio , Pyles Richard B. , Miller Aaron L. , Alvarez-Fernandez Pedro , Pong Dan L. , Chonmaitree Tasnee
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND:

Current molecular diagnostic methods have detected rhinovirus RNA in a high proportion of asymptomatic infants and children, raising the question of the clinical significance of these findings. This study investigates the prevalence of prolonged rhinovirus RNA presence in the upper respiratory tract of infants during the first year of life.

METHODS:

In a longitudinal study, infants were followed from birth up to 12 months. Nasopharyngeal specimens were collected monthly (months 1–6 and month 9) and during an upper respiratory infection. Rhinoviruses were detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Presence of repeated rhinovirus RNA was evaluated by nucleotide sequence analysis.

RESULTS:

A total of 2153 specimens from 362 infants were studied; 341 distinct rhinovirus infections in 216 infants were identified. Follow-up specimens were available within 30 days for 179 infections, creating the sample set to assess prolonged rhinovirus presence. Of the 179 infections, 46 involved the detection of the same rhinovirus strain in repeated specimens, including 8 events of prolonged presence of the same strain (detected in specimens collected >30 days apart), representing 4.5% of the evaluable rhinovirus infections. There were 26 events in which a rhinovirus strain was replaced by a different strain within a 30-day interval, representing 14.5% of the 179 infections.

CONCLUSIONS:

Although rhinovirus infections are common in healthy infants, prolonged presence of rhinovirus RNA in the respiratory tract after an upper respiratory infection was uncommon (<5%). Detection of rhinovirus RNA in an infant most likely represents an infection within a 30-day period.
News methods for second trimester screening of Down syndrome: statistical analysis of the use of nasal bone length and prenasal thickness
Authors: Szili Károly , Szabó Andrea , Vanya Melinda , Bártfai György , Szabó János
Published: November 2014

Introduction: Sonographic measurements of nasal bone length and prenasal soft tissue thickness are ultrasonographic methods for prenatal screening of Down syndrome. Aim: The aim of the authors was to create a local normogram for nasal bone length and prenasal soft tissue thickness measurements and to test the performance of different statistical methods. Method: Euploid (N = 1500) and trisomy 21 foetuses (N = 10) studied between April 2008 and December 2013 were included. Nasal bone length and prenasal thickness measurements were performed at the Medisono Fetal and Maternal Health Research Centre, Szeged, and cytogenetic tests were performed at the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Szeged, Hungary. Normograms were created with different number of patients (N = 100, 300, 500, 750. 1000 and 1500) and using 3 different statistical methods (linear regression, square-based regression, and box-plot analysis). Results: The results indicated that at least 1000 measurements are strongly recommended for the normograms. The increase of patient number improved the efficacy of the normograms in each of the 3 statistical methods used for analysis. In general practice box-plots provides a better performance over the other screening methods. However, advanced level screening requires local linear normograms for the best screening results. Conclusion: The use of box-plots is recommended for the use in the daily practice but regression-based normograms are necessary for advanced prenatal screening. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(47), 1876–1881.
Use of comet assay for the risk assessment of oil- and chemical-industry workers
Authors: Megyesi János , Biró Anna , Wigmond László , Major Jenő , Tompa Anna
Published: November 2014

Introduction: The comet assay is a fluorescent microscopic method that is able to detect DNA strand-breaks even in non-proliferative cells in samples with low cell counts. Aim: The aim of the authors was to measure genotoxic DNA damage and assess oxidative DNA damage caused by occupational exposure in groups exposed to benzene, polycyclic aromatic carbohydrates and styrene at the workplace in order to clarify whether the comet assay can be used as an effect marker tool in genotoxicology monitoring. Method: In addition to the basic steps of the comet assay, one sample was treated with formamido-pirimidine-DNA-glycolase restriction-enzyme that measures oxidative DNA damage. Results: An increase was observed in tail moments in each group of untreated and Fpg-treated samples compared to the control. Conclusions: It can be concluded that occupational exposure can be detected with the method. The comet assay may prove to be an excellent effect marker and a supplementary technique for monitoring the presence or absence of genotoxic effects. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(47), 1872–1875.
Evaluation of endometrial echotexture and cervical cytology in cows during and after treatment of endometritis
Authors: Kaya D. , Emre B. , Bollwein H. , Özyurtlu N. , Mülazımoğlu S. B. , Aslan S. , Küçükaslan I.
Published: November 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the endometrium by using echotexture parameters during and after treatment of endometritis with intrauterine administration of an intra ute rine antiseptic solution (Lotagen®, 3% metacresolsulphonic acid and formaldehyde) in cows which became pregnant after treatment. Material and methods: According to the severity of endometritis 21 cows were divided into three groups: E1 (slight, n = 7), E2 (moderate, n = 8), E3 (severe, n = 6). The control group (C, n = 11) consisted of cows without endometritis that did not receive an intrauterine medication. A software (Bs200 Pro®) was used to evaluate echotexture parameters Contrast (CON), Gradient (GR), Homogeneity (HOM), Mean Gray Level (MGL) of images taken during the examinations at hours (h) 0, 1 and 6 and days (d) 2, 3, 5 and 10. Results: At 0 h, GR was significantly lower in group E2 than in groups E1 and C (p < 0.05). There was an increase in GR values between 0 h and 10 d in group E2 and E3, but a decrease during the same time interval in group C (p < 0.05). In contrast, CON values of group E2 were lower (p < 0.05) at 0 h compared to other timepoints of examination and lower than in group C. HOM values were lower (p < 0.05) in groups E1, E2 and E3 than in group C on d 5 and d 10. HOM values were higher at 1 h compared to 6 h, d 2 and d 10 in group E3 (p < 0.05). By contrast to GR values, HOM values were higher in group C at 6 h and d 10 than they were in group E3. MGL values of group E2 were higher (p < 0.05) than in group C until d 10 and higher (p < 0.05) in group E3 than in group C at 6 h after treatment. In group E2 an increase of MGL values until d 2 was followed by a decrease (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Echotexture parameters determined by the evaluation of sonographic B-mode images reflect changes in the endometrium and could be used for the evaluation of the recovery period after treatment of endometritis.
Clinical Management of BCLP with a Severe Hypoplastic and Retruded Premaxilla
Authors: Nemes Bálint , Fábián Gábor , Nagy Krisztián
Published: November 2014

Bilateral cleft lip and palate with a severe hypoplastic and backward rotated premaxilla and lack of soft tissues is a rare congenital facial deformity. No treatment protocol for this type of cleft is widely accepted. In patient with bilateral cleft lip and palate, the premaxilla was protracted by nasoalveolar molding before lip surgery. The nasal tip was elevated and the columella lengthened by nasal components incorporated into the palatal guidance plate. After 4 months of nasoalveolar molding, surgery could be performed without complications. Postoperative use of a guidance plate prevented relapse of the premaxillary segment, the nasal conformers maintained the nostril form.
Parasite and nutrient enrichment effects on Daphnia interspecific competition
Authors: Decaestecker Ellen , Verreydt Dino , De Meester Luc , Declerck Steven A. J.
Published: November 2014

Increased productivity due to nutrient enrichment is hypothesized to affect density‐dependent processes, such as transmission success of horizontally transmitting parasites. Changes in nutrient availability can also modify the stoichiometry and condition of individual hosts, which may affect their susceptibility for parasites as well as the growth conditions for parasites within the host. Consequently, if not balanced by increased host immuno‐competence or life history responses, changes in the magnitude of parasite effects with increasing nutrient availability are expected. If these parasite effects are host‐species specific, this may lead to shifts in the host community structure. We here used the Daphnia–parasite model system to study the effect of nutrient enrichment on parasite‐mediated competition in experimental mesocosms. In the absence of parasites, D. magna was competitively dominant to D. pulex at both low and high nutrient levels. Introduction of parasites resulted in infections of D. magna, but not of D. pulex and, as such, reversed the competitive hierarchy between these two species. Nutrient addition resulted in an increased prevalence and infection intensity of some of the parasites on D. magna. However, there was no evidence that high nutrient levels enhanced negative effects of parasites on the hosts. Costs associated with parasite infections may have been compensated by better growth conditions for D. magna in the presence of high nutrient levels.
Anammox moving bed biofilm reactor pilot at the 26th Ward wastewater treatment plants in Brooklyn, New York: start-up, biofilm population diversity and performance optimization
Authors: Mehrdad M. , Park H. , Ramalingam K. , Fillos J. , Beckmann K. , Deur A. , Chandran K.
Published: November 2014

New York City Environmental Protection in conjunction with City College of New York assessed the application of the anammox process in the reject water treatment using a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) located at the 26th Ward wastewater treatment plant, in Brooklyn, NY. The single-stage nitritation/anammox MBBR was seeded with activated sludge and consequently was enriched with its own ‘homegrown’ anammox bacteria (AMX). Objectives of this study included collection of additional process kinetic and operating data and assessment of the effect of nitrogen loading rates on process performance. The initial target total inorganic nitrogen removal of 70% was limited by the low alkalinity concentration available in the influent reject water. Higher removals were achieved after supplementing the alkalinity by adding sodium hydroxide. Throughout startup and process optimization, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses were used for monitoring the relevant species enriched in the biofilm and in the suspension. Maximum nitrogen removal rate was achieved by stimulating the growth of a thick biofilm on the carriers, and controlling the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bulk flow and the nitrogen loading rates per surface area; all three appear to have contributed in suppressing nitrite-oxidizing bacteria activity while enriching AMX density within the biofilm.
Interdisciplinary Trauma Management in an Elderly Patient, A Case Report
Authors: Felt George T , Soolari Ahmad
Published: November 2014

The current report reviews a case of mixed dental trauma consequent to a fall by an older patient. The patient’s teeth were forced out of alignment by the trauma and suffered pulpal necrosis. Treatment involved not only healing the acute injuries, but also attending to some subtle delayed problems that became apparent during treatment. Treatments involving endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, and restorative dentistry were used to address all of the patient’s concerns. This insured that the traumatic occlusion was corrected, appropriate esthetics was restored and normal speech and function was regained. All signs of trauma were recognized, every treatment step was documented, and appropriate follow-up was provided throughout the recovery period.
An NTS2 Analog Enhances the Analgesic Effects of Morphine in an Animal Model of Persistent Pain and Does not Exhibit Tolerance
Authors: Boules Mona , Fredrickson Paul , Richelson Elliott
Published: November 2014

The analgesic efficacy of neurotensin agonists depends on their activation of two receptor subtypes, NTS1 and/or NTS2. In this study we determined the role of NTS2 in an animal model of persistent pain (intraplantar injection of formalin) with the use of the NTS2-selective analog, NT79 and NTS2-knockout mice (NTS2-/-). Wild type (WT) and NTS2-/- mice were pretreated with NT79 and tested for formalin-induced lifting and biting. Additionally, the effect of repeated administration of NT79 and morphine alone and in combination was determined in WT mice. Intraplantar injection of formalin produced the typical biphasic nociceptive response of this persistent pain model. Formalin evoked lower pain intensity in NTS2-/- mice as compared to that for WT mice. Pretreatment with NT79 attenuated formalininduced nociception throughout phase II in the WT mice, and in early phase II in the NTS2-/- mice. Lifting and biting responses were attenuated, indicating spinal and supra-spinal modulation of persistent nociception. More importantly,
repeated injection of NT79 enhanced, while that of morphine reduced their antinociceptive effects, respectively. Subchronic co-administration of NT79 and morphine enhanced the analgesic effect over either drug alone. These data support the role of NTS2 in modulating formalin-induced pain. Additionally, these data provide a rationale for the potential therapeutic role of NTS2-selective analogs in chronic pain management alone or in combination with morphine and without the development of tolerance.
Introducing Mobile Technology in Graduate Professional Education
Authors: Anand Gopesh , Chhajed Dilip , Hong Seung Won , Scagnoli Norma
Published: November 2014

The insertion of mobile technology in educational settings is becoming more prevalent, making it important to understand the effectiveness of such technology in enhancing students' learning and engagement. This article is based on research conducted to study the effects of the use of mobile technology – specifically iPads – by students in a graduate professional program in management. We describe the approach taken by the program administration to introduce mobile technology and discuss the impact of the adoption of this technology in three areas – engagement, learning, and professional development – based on surveys and interviews with students, faculty and administrative staff.
A Second-Order Implicit Knowledge: Its Implications for E-Learning
Authors: Noaparast Khosrow Bagheri
Published: November 2014

The dichotomous epistemology of explicit/implicit knowledge has led to two parallel lines of research; one putting the emphasis on explicit knowledge which has been the main road of e-learning, and the other taking implicit knowledge as the core of learning which has shaped a critical line to the current e-learning. It is argued in this article that the dichotomy should be overcome by means of pointing out a second-order implicit dimension of knowledge according to which each of the two features of knowledge has an indication of the other. This Janus-faced metaphor has implications for e-learning. Accordingly, e-learning should happen within the sphere of interplay between explicit and implicit knowledge or theory and practice. In effect, any generalisation should be qualified by informing the student of idiographic aspects of the situation concerned; as any rigidity to the particularities of a situation should be modified by introducing a nomological aspect in relation to similar situations.
A Model of Acceptance of Web 2.0 in Learning in Higher Education: A Case Study of Two Cultures
Authors: Usoro Abel , Echeng Razep , Majewski Grzegorz
Published: November 2014

Though a few empirical studies on acceptance of Web 2.0 as a social networking tool in teaching and learning exist, apparently none consider students' and faculties' views from different cultures, which is the focus of this study. This article reports on a pilot study that begins to fill this gap by investigating the perceptions, attitude and acceptance of Web 2.0 in teaching and learning from two countries (developed and developing). A conceptual model of nine variables and associated hypotheses was designed based on a literature review and initial primary study. A questionnaire was developed from the model operationalisation and used to collect data from 317 students from five universities in Nigeria and 273 students and lecturers from one university in Scotland. The findings that came from data analysis indicate that all the variables are validated from the data collected in Scotland but motivation via learning management systems (LMS) which are not presently used in these universities in Nigeria affect intention to use Web 2.0 in e-learning in Nigeria. Some of the validated variables are perceived usefulness and prior knowledge. The major conclusions and recommendations include the utilisation of Web 2.0 facilities to stimulate participation in learning. This work will contribute to the body of knowledge on acceptance of Web 2.0 social networking tools in teaching and learning. It will aid the key players of e-learning which include content developers, technology vendors and service providers. It may also support management decisions toward investing better in technology so as to improve the educational sector.
Visual Communication in Transition: Designing for New Media Literacies and Visual Culture Art Education Across Activities and Settings
Authors: Zuiker Steven J.
Published: November 2014

As an example of design-based research, this case study describes and analyses the enactment of a collaborative drawing and animation studio in a Singapore secondary school art classroom. The design embodies principles of visual culture art education and new media literacies in order to organize transitions in the settings of participation and interplay between the formality and informality of learning across these settings. The case report considers the process of co-design of a studio-based curriculum with one art educator and his perspectives on a curricular enactment with 39 students. Findings address challenges and opportunities associated with shaping social and technical innovations in schools and consider future studies.
Conceptual Change in Psychology Students' Acceptance of the Scientific Foundation of the Discipline
Authors: Amsel Eric , Ashley Aaron , Baird Todd , Johnston Adam
Published: November 2014

Two studies explored conceptual change in undergraduate psychology students' acceptance of the scientific foundations of the discipline. In Study 1, Introductory Psychology students completed the Psychology as Science questionnaire (PAS) at the beginning and end of the semester and did so from their own (Self Condition) and their instructors' (Professor Condition) perspectives. Study 2 replicated Study 1 with advanced students enrolled in research-oriented courses. In both studies, students had higher PAS scores in the Professor than the Self Condition and there was a modest change from the beginning to the end of the semester in Self PAS scores. The change in Self PAS scores was positively related to higher Professor PAS scores at the end of the semester, when controlling for initial Professor PAS scores and other variables. The discussion highlights pedagogical practices that promote students' representation of their professors' thinking about the discipline as distinct from and an alternative to their own misconceptions.
Integrating Global Learning into a Psychology Course Using an Online Platform
Authors: Forden Carie L. , Carrillo Amy M.
Published: November 2014

There is a demand for the integration of global learning/diversity across the curriculum. A series of cross-cultural assignments was created to facilitate global learning in two social psychology classes, one in Egypt, and one in the USA. In these assignments, students collected data and applied course concepts to real-life problems, then discussed their work on a Facebook page. A survey at the end of the semester found that students reported a greater appreciation for diversity, a decline in prejudice, and a new recognition of cultural similarities. Students also felt that their cross-cultural collaboration had helped them better understand and think more deeply about course concepts. Considerations for using online platforms as a global learning tool are discussed.
High Calorie Intake Is Associated With Worsening Insulin Resistance and β-Cell Function in Hispanic Women After Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Chen Zhanghua , Watanabe Richard M. , Stram Daniel O. , Buchanan Thomas A. , Xiang Anny H.
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVE

To assess associations between dietary intake and rates of change in insulin resistance and β-cell function in Hispanic women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Sixty-two nondiabetic Hispanic women with pregnancies complicated by GDM completed oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests and bioelectrical impedance measurements of body fat every 12–15 months postpartum for up to 12 years. Self-reported dietary intake was collected at all visits by structured food frequency questionnaires developed for Hispanics. Mixed-effects models were used to assess the relationship between dietary intake and rates of change in metabolic outcomes during follow-up.

RESULTS

The median length of follow-up from the first postpartum evaluation was 8.0 years (interquartile range 4.5–10.8 years). At baseline, women were 32 ± 5.7 years old and had a median calorie intake of 2,091 kcal/day. Over the course of follow-up, dietary intake did not change significantly. Higher baseline calorie intake was associated with a faster decline in insulin sensitivity, measured by the insulin sensitivity index (SI) (P = 0.029), and β-cell compensation, measured by the disposition index (DI) (P = 0.027), over time. These associations remained after adjustment for baseline characteristics; changes in BMI, calorie intake, levels of physical activity; and additional pregnancies during the follow-up period. The median rates were −0.06 vs. −0.02 units/year for SI and −810 vs. −692 units/year for DI for women with baseline calorie intake above versus below the cohort median.

CONCLUSIONS

High calorie intake is associated with a faster decline in insulin sensitivity and β-cell compensation in Hispanic women who are at high risk for type 2 diabetes, independent of adiposity.
Inlays Made From a Hybrid Material: Adaptation and Bond Strengths
Authors: Bottino MA , Campos F , Ramos NC , Rippe MP , Valandro LF , Melo RM
Published: November 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal fit, marginal adaptation, and bond strengths of inlays made of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing feldspathic ceramic and polymer-infiltrated ceramic. Twenty molars were randomly selected and prepared to receive inlays that were milled from both materials. Before cementation, internal fit was achieved using the replica technique by molding the internal surface with addition silicone and measuring the cement thicknesses of the pulpal and axial walls. Marginal adaptation was measured on the occlusal and proximal margins of the replica. The inlays were then cemented using resin cement (Panavia F2.0) and subjected to two million thermomechanical cycles in water (200 N load and 3.8-Hz frequency). The restored teeth were then cut into beams, using a lathe, for microtensile testing. The contact angles, marginal integrity, and surface patterns after etching were also observed. Statistical analysis was performed using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (p<0.05), the Tukey test for internal fit and marginal adaptation, and the Student t-test for bond strength. The failure types (adhesive or cohesive) were classified on each fractured beam. The results showed that the misfit of the pulpal walls (p=0.0002) and the marginal adaptation (p=0.0001) of the feldspathic ceramic were significantly higher when compared to those of the polymer-infiltrated ceramic, while the bond strength values of the former were higher when compared to those of the latter. The contact angle of the polymer-infiltrated ceramic was also higher. In the present study, the hybrid ceramic presented improved internal and marginal adaptation, but the bond strengths were higher for the feldspathic ceramic.
In Vitro Longevity of Bonding Properties of Universal Adhesives to Dentin
Authors: Muñoz MA , Luque-Martinez I , Malaquias P , Hass V , Reis A , Campanha NH , Loguercio AD
Published: November 2014

Purpose

To evaluate the immediate and 6-month resin-dentin bond strength (μTBS) and nanoleakage (NL) of universal adhesives that contain or do not contain methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) and are used in the etch-and-rinse and self-etch strategies.

Methods and Materials

Forty caries-free extracted third molars were divided into eight groups for μTBS (n=5). The groups were bonded with the Clearfil SE Bond (CSE) and Adper Single Bond 2 (SB) as controls; Peak Universal, self-etch (PkSe) and etch-and rinse (PkEr); Scotchbond Universal Adhesive, self-etch (ScSe) and etch-and-rinse (ScEr); and All Bond Universal, self-etch (AlSe) and etch-and-rinse (AlEr). After composite restorations, specimens were longitudinally sectioned to obtain resin-dentin bonded sticks (0.8 mm2). The μTBS of the specimens was tested immediately (IM) or after 6 months of water storage (6M) at 0.5 mm/min. Some sticks at each storage period were immersed in silver nitrate and photo developed, and the NL was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy. Data were analyzed with two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and Tukey test (α=0.05).

Results

At the IM period, PkSe and PkEr showed μTBS similar to the control adhesives (p>0.05) but increased NL pattern and lower μTBS after 6M (p<0.05). ScSe and ScEr showed intermediary μTBS values at the IM period but remained stable after 6 months (p>0.05). AlSe showed the lowest μTBS (p<0.05), but μTBS and NL remained stable after 6M (p>0.05). AlEr showed higher IM μTBS but showed higher degradation after 6M (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Universal adhesives that contain MDP showed higher and more stable μTBS with reduced NL at the interfaces after 6 months of water storage.
The Interaction of Climate Change and Agency in the Collapse of Civilizations ca. 2300–2000 BC
Authors: Wiener Malcolm H.
Published: November 2014

Human history has been marked by major episodes of climate change and human response, sometimes accompanied by independent innovations. In the Bronze Age, the sequencing of causes and reactions is dependent in part on dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating. This paper explores the interaction of a major, prolonged desiccation event between c. 2300 and 2000 BC and human agency including migrations, the displacement of trading networks, warfare, the appearance of weapons made of bronze, and the first appearance of sailing vessels in the Mediterranean.
Use of Monte Carlo Simulation for a Sensitivity Analysis of Highway Safety Manual Calibration Factors
Authors: Trieu Vanvi , Park Seri , McFadden John
Published: November 2014

The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is a comprehensive traffic safety tool that allows administrators, planners, engineers, and other agency representatives to make informed decisions about programs for highway safety improvement. Part C of the HSM contains predictive models for quantifying the safety of roadways and intersections; these models require significant data inputs. Because the models were developed with data from specific states, the HSM recommends the use of a calibration factor to account for local conditions when a model is applied elsewhere. The calibration process uses a set of sites and criteria for calculating the calibration factor. The accuracy and the precision of these models depend on the calibration process that develops the factor. This study evaluated the HSM calibration criteria's guidance for two-lane, two-way undivided urban arterial roadways and examined a method for improving the accuracy and precision of calibration factors. A sensitivity analysis used calibration sets of various sizes in a Monte Carlo simulation to resample sites. Results indicated that the current HSM criterion of 30 to 50 sites was insufficient for evaluating locations with many sites and that the minimum threshold of observed crashes per year should be reconsidered. A traffic volume analysis revealed a strong correlation between the traffic volume distribution of all sites in a jurisdiction in comparison with selected sites. This relationship was directly linked to the derivation of high-quality calibration factors. The ratio formula for the calibration factor in Part C, Appendix A, of the HSM was validated through another site allocation strategy. The findings provide prompts for future research into enhancing the HSM calibration process.
Evaluating the Safety Effects of Signal Improvements
Authors: Schultz Grant G. , Dowell Ashley L. , Roundy Ryan , Saito Mitsuru , Reese C. Shane
Published: November 2014

Many fatal and injury crashes on roadways occur at intersections. Traffic signals are often installed or modified to reduce these severe crashes. Whether the traffic signal improvements help reduce severe crashes can be evaluated with crash modification factors (CMFs). Recent research showed that traditional safety evaluation methods were inadequate for developing CMFs. Bayesian statistical methods have been used in traffic safety studies to analyze the effectiveness of safety improvements more accurately. The hierarchical Bayesian method is an advanced statistical technique that can account for the shortcomings of traditional methods and more fully reflect the effectiveness of safety improvements. This study used a hierarchical Bayesian model to analyze the effectiveness of new traffic signal installations and modifications to existing traffic signals from permissive-only phasing to protected–permissive left-turn phasing through the development of CMFs for multiple scenarios. A benefit-to-cost (B-C) analysis was performed for each improvement to determine how long it would take to recover the cost of installation. The results showed a slight increase in overall and nonsevere crashes and a decrease in severe crashes for both new signal installations and modifications to existing signals. The B-C analysis indicated that a benefit came from both improvements and that new signal installation costs could be recovered in approximately 5 years and the cost of the installation of a left-turn signal modification could be recovered in approximately 9 weeks.
Developing Safety Performance Function for Freeways by considering Interactions between Speed Limit and Geometric Variables
Authors: Islam M. Saidul , Ivan John N. , Lownes Nicholas E. , Ammar Reda A. , Rajasekaran Sanguthevar
Published: November 2014

Safety performance functions (SPFs) are crash prediction models that quantitatively relate the expected number of crash counts with traffic volume and roadway and roadside geometries. SPFs help traffic safety officials identify unsafe locations and take appropriate counteractive measures. A study assembled crash and roadway geometry data of freeways (only Interstate highway data were used for this study) in Connecticut for development of SPFs. Models were estimated separately for single-vehicle and multivehicle crashes. Total and fatal and injury crashes were considered for model estimation for both single-vehicle and multivehicle crashes. For each crash category, three model estimations were performed with negative binomial distribution models with all geometric variables, with speed limit only, and with interaction between speed limit and roadway geometric variables. The best models were selected for each crash category through a comparison of goodness-of-fit measures (Akaike information criterion). Interaction models were found to be the best models for all crash categories. This finding suggests the importance of incorporating the interaction effect between variables, in particular between speed limit and geometric variables such as number of lanes, shoulder width, and median type, for estimation of crash prediction models.
Method for Modeling Crash Severity with Observable Crash Data
Authors: Ray Malcolm H. , Carrigan Christine E. , Plaxico Chuck A.
Published: November 2014

This paper presents a new method to rank the severity of an impact with a roadside hazard that is based on observable crash data. This method has been incorporated into the third update of the Roadside Safety Analysis Program. The equivalent fatal crash cost ratio (EFCCR) is a dimensionless value that represents the severity of a crash on a scale of zero to unity, where zero represents no chance of injury and unity represents absolute certainty of a fatal injury. The method uses a census of police-reported data, which ideally covers a range of speed limits. The purpose is to determine the severity distribution of crashes in cases in which no events preceded the crashes with the hazard under evaluation and which did not result in a penetration or a rollover. The number of unreported crashes is estimated and added into the severity distribution with the assumption that the number represents crashes that led to property damage only. The average expected crash cost is then calculated and normalized to a reference speed of 65 mph so that it is directly comparable to EFCCR values calculated for other types of hazards. Unlike the earlier subjective severity index method, the new EFCCR method has its basis in observed crash data and uses a systematic approach to calculate crash severities that can be used in benefit–cost and other safety analyses.