bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developmental plasticity in an unusual animal: the effects of incubation temperature on behavior in chameleons
Authors: Ballen Cissy J. , Shine Richard , Olsson Mats M.
Published: July 2015

The thermal environment within a reptile nest can affect the phenotypic traits of hatchlings, and hence (potentially) their fitness. Research on this topic needs to measure phenotypic traits relevant to the species involved; and hence, studies on unusual species need to measure unusual traits. We investigated the effects of two incubation temperatures on the morphology and behaviour of hatchling veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Colder-incubated eggs exhibited a longer incubation period, but produced larger faster-growing hatchlings. Incubation treatment also affected a chameleon’s activity level and its unique foraging tactics. Cold-incubated animals were more sedentary, caught prey faster, and extended their tongues farther to reach prey than did their warm-incubated counterparts. Thus, the fitness costs of low temperatures in the nest (slow development, and thus late hatching) may be offset by incubation-derived enhancements in hatchling growth rates and foraging abilities.
Space Debris Mitigation as an International Law Obligation
Authors: Li Lawrence
Published: July 2015

Human space activities have grown rapidly in recent decades, but the international legal framework, comprising of the five space treaties, has largely remained unchanged since the 1980s. One of the consequences is that international responsibility and liability for space debris, which is a major hazard to space activities, have also remained uncertain for years. Nonetheless, States have responded to these problems by implementing national voluntary measures. More importantly, two major non-binding international instruments have been laid down by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, respectively. This article argues that, in light of recent States practice established under these international instruments, and a proper interpretation of the space treaties, it has been recognised by the international community that States are obliged to mitigate the generation of space debris, a failure of which will lead to international liability.
Revision of the Simulium (Simulium) melanopus species-group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Sabah, Malaysia
Authors: TAKAOKA HIROYUKI , SOFIAN-AZIRUN MOHD , YA’COB ZUBAIDAH , CHEN CHEE DHANG , LAU KOON WENG , FERNANDEZ KEVIN , LARDIZABAL MARIA LOURDES
Published: July 2015

Species of the Simulium (Simulium) melanopus species-group in Sabah are taxonomically revised by examining type specimens of S. (S.) crassimanum S. (S.) laterale, and S. (S.) nigripilosum, all described from females by Edwards in 1933, and newly collected samples from the vicinity of Mt. Kinabalu. The females of these three species are redescribed, and their males and pupae are described for the first time based on adults reared from pupae. Simulium (S.) liewi Takaoka, 2007 and S. (S.) kinabaluense Smart & Clifford, 1969 are synonymized with S. (S.) crassimanum and S. (S.) laterale, respectively. Simulium (S.) cheedhangi Takaoka, Sofian-Azirun & Ya’cob, 2015 is newly recorded from Sabah. Two new related species, S. (S.) lardizabalae and S. (S.) timpohonense, are described from males reared from pupae. Keys to identify eight species of the S. melanopus species-group in Sabah are provided for females, males, pupae and mature larvae.
Taxonomic study of Central Asian species of the genus Macropsis Lewis, 1836 (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Macropsinae). III: Descriptions of two new willow-dwelling species, new synonym, annotated check-list, and key to species
Authors: TISHECHKIN DMITRI YU.
Published: July 2015

Macropsis milkoi Tishetshkin sp. n. from West Tien Shan, Alay and Hissar-Darvaz Mts. (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and Macropsis anufrievi Tishetshkin sp. n. from Hissar-Darvaz Mts. (Tajikistan) are described. M. elaeagni Emelyanov, 1964 = M. cyanescens Dubovskiy, 1966 syn. n. is redescribed and illustrated based on the material from Central Asia. Annotated check list and key to 30 Macropsis species from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the mountains of Southern Kazakhstan are given.
Feather mites of the genus Passeroptes Fain (Acariformes: Dermationidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) of China
Authors: MU NING , KUANG XI-JUN , WANG ZI-YING
Published: July 2015

Five new species of the feather mite genus Passeroptes (Acariformes: Dermationidae) are recorded from birds of the order Passeriformes in China: P. lioparis sp. nov. from Chrysotus chrysotis (Blyth) (Paradoxornithidae); P. motacillae sp. nov. from Motacilla cinerea Tunstall (Motacillidae); P. cyanodermae sp. nov. from Cyanoderma ruficeps Blyth (Timaliidae); P. periparus sp. nov. from Periparus ater (Linnaeus) (Paridae); P. aegithalos sp. nov. from Aegithalos iouschistos bonvaloti (Oustalet) (Aegithalidae).
Checklist of the species of Neoechinorhynchus (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) in fishes and turtles in Middle-America, and their delimitation based on sequences of the 28S rDNA
Authors: PINACHO-PINACHO CARLOS DANIEL , SERENO-URIBE ANA L. , DE LEÓN GERARDO PÉREZ-PONCE , GARCÍA-VARELA MARTÍN
Published: July 2015

Among the acanthocephalans, Neoechinorhynchus is one of the most speciose genera, with 116 described species distributed worldwide. The adults of Neoechinorhynchus are found in the intestine of freshwater and brackish water fish, as well as in freshwater turtles. In this study, a checklist of the congeneric species of Neoechinorhynchus occurring in Middle-American fish and turtles is presented. The checklist contains the records established in all published accounts, as well as novel data from survey work conducted in the region comprising Neotropical areas of Mexico, as well as some localities in Central America. The species delimitation criteria used to discriminate among species is based on molecular data. In the last years, a large database derived from sequences of the D2 + D3 domains of the large subunit of rDNA (28S) was generated for 262 specimens corresponding to nine species of Neoechinorhynchus. This molecular marker has shown to be useful in establishing species limits within Neoechinorhynchus and in resolving phylogenetic relationships at species level. Based on our results, the domains D2 + D3 of the 28S rDNA could be considered as potential DNA barcodes to complement mitochondrial DNA to discriminate among acanthocephalan species.
Theclini butterflies from Weixi, China, with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Authors: ZHUANG HAILING , YAGO MASAYA , WANG MIN
Published: July 2015

Thirteen species belonging to nine genera of the tribe Theclini are recorded from Weixi county, Yunnan province, China. Among which Noseozephyrus Koiwaya and Shirozuozephyrus kirbariensis machimurai Koiwaya are reported as a new record genus and a new record species for China, respectively, and two new species, Noseozephyrus lisus sp. n. and Shirozuozephyrus fibonacci sp. n., are described. All the species and their male genitalia are illustrated. A key for the genus of Shirozuozephyrus is provided.
The Paths of Extratropical Cyclones Associated with Wintertime High-Wind Events in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Booth James F. , Rieder Harald E. , Lee Dong Eun , Kushnir Yochanan
Published: July 2015

This study analyzes the association between wintertime high-wind events (HWEs) in the northeastern United States and extratropical cyclones. Sustained wind maxima in the daily summary data from the National Climatic Data Center’s integrated surface database are analyzed for 1979–2012. For each station, a generalized Pareto distribution is fit to the upper tail of the daily maximum wind speed data, and probabilistic return levels at 1, 3, and 5 yr are derived. Wind events meeting the return-level criteria are termed HWEs. The HWEs occurring on the same day are grouped into simultaneous wind exceedance dates, termed multistation events. In a separate analysis, extratropical cyclones are tracked using ERA-Interim. The multistation events are associated with the extratropical cyclone tracks on the basis of cyclone proximity on the day of the event. The multistation wind events are found to be most often associated with cyclones traveling from southwest to northeast, originating west of the Appalachian Mountains. To quantify the relative frequency of the strong-wind-associated cyclones, the full set of northeastern cyclone tracks is separated on the basis of path, using a crosshairs algorithm designed for this region. The tracks separate into an evenly distributed set of four pathways approaching the northeastern United States: from due west, from the southwest, and from the southeast and storms starting off the coast north of the Carolinas. Using the frequency of the tracks in each of the pathways, it is shown that the storms associated with multistation wind events are most likely to approach the northeastern United States from the southwest.
Predicted Changes in the Frequency of Extreme Precipitable Water Vapor Events
Authors: Roman Jacola , Knuteson Robert , Ackerman Steve , Revercomb Hank
Published: July 2015

A high amount of precipitable water vapor (PWV) is a necessary requirement for heavy precipitation and extreme flooding events. This study determined the predicted shift in extreme PWV from a set of CMIP5 global climate models using the highest emission scenario over three different spatial resolutions (global, zonal, and regional) and four different case regions (India, China, Europe, and eastern United States). For the globe, the frequency of the extreme 1% of PWV events between 2006 and 2030 was predicted to increase by a median factor (herein called an X factor) of 9 by 2075–99. Areas of high PWV, like the tropics, tended toward higher factors. The annual median X factor for India, China, central Europe, and the eastern United States was 24, 17, 15, and 16, respectively. For India, the minimum median X factor was 10 during December–February (DJF) and the maximum was 48 during June–August (JJA). In China, the minimum median X factor (8) occurred during DJF, and the maximum was 42 in JJA. For Europe, DJF and September–November (SON) had the smallest median X factor of 15, whereas JJA had the largest median X factor of 30. The smallest median X factor for the eastern United States (11) occurred during March–May (MAM), whereas the largest median X factor (32) occurred in JJA. Regional X factors were significantly larger than global (1.5–2 times larger), illustrating the importance of regional assessments of extreme PWV. The mean trend in the extreme PWV was approximately linear for all regions with a slope of about 3% decade−1. Observations for 10 (20) years are needed for the extreme PWV to change by an amount that exceeds a 3% (5%) measurement error.
Comparing Sudden Stratospheric Warming Definitions in Reanalysis Data*
Authors: Palmeiro Froila M. , Barriopedro David , García-Herrera Ricardo , Calvo Natalia
Published: July 2015

Sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) are characterized by a pronounced increase of the stratospheric polar temperature during the winter season. Different definitions have been used in the literature to diagnose the occurrence of SSWs, yielding discrepancies in the detected events. The aim of this paper is to compare the SSW climatologies obtained by different methods using reanalysis data. The occurrences of Northern Hemisphere SSWs during the extended-winter season and the 1958–2014 period have been identified for a suite of eight representative definitions and three different reanalyses. Overall, and despite the differences in the number and exact dates of occurrence of SSWs, the main climatological signatures of SSWs are not sensitive to the considered reanalysis.

The mean frequency of SSWs is 6.7 events decade−1, but it ranges from 4 to 10 events, depending on the method. The seasonal cycle of events is statistically indistinguishable across definitions, with a common peak in January. However, the multidecadal variability is method dependent, with only two definitions displaying minimum frequencies in the 1990s. An analysis of the mean signatures of SSWs in the stratosphere revealed negligible differences among methods compared to the large case-to-case variability within a given definition.

The stronger and more coherent tropospheric signals before and after SSWs are associated with major events, which are detected by most methods. The tropospheric signals of minor SSWs are less robust, representing the largest source of discrepancy across definitions. Therefore, to obtain robust results, future studies on stratosphere–troposphere coupling should aim to minimize the detection of minor warmings.
Geostrophic Closure of the Zonally Averaged Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Sévellec Florian , Huck Thierry
Published: July 2015

It is typically assumed that the meridional density gradient in the North Atlantic is well and positively correlated with the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). In numerical “water-hosing” experiments, for example, imposing an anomalous freshwater flux in the Northern Hemisphere leads to a slowdown of the AMOC. However, on planetary scale, the first-order dynamics are linked to the geostrophic balance, relating the north–south pressure gradient to the zonal circulation. In this study, these two approaches are reconciled. At steady state and under geostrophic dynamics, an analytical expression is derived to relate the zonal and meridional pressure gradient. This solution is only valid where the meridional density gradient length scale is shorter than Earth’s curvature length scale, that is, north of 35°N. This theoretical expression links the north–south density gradient to the AMOC and can be used as a closure for zonally averaged ocean models. Assumptions and shortcomings of the approach are presented. Implications of these results for paleoclimate problems such as AMOC collapse and asymmetry in the meridional overturning circulation of the Atlantic and of the Pacific are discussed.
Predictability of Two Types of El Niño Assessed Using an Extended Seasonal Prediction System by MIROC
Authors: Imada Yukiko , Tatebe Hiroaki , Ishii Masayoshi , Chikamoto Yoshimitsu , Mori Masato , Arai Miki , Watanabe Masahiro , Kimoto Masahide
Published: July 2015

Predictability of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is examined using ensemble hindcasts made with a seasonal prediction system based on the atmosphere and ocean general circulation model, the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, version 5 (MIROC5). Particular attention is paid to differences in predictive skill in terms of the prediction error for two prominent types of El Niño: the conventional eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño and the central Pacific (CP) El Niño, the latter having a maximum warming around the date line. Although the system adopts ocean anomaly assimilation for the initialization process, it maintains a significant ability to predict ENSO with a lead time of more than half a year. This is partly due to the fact that the system is little affected by the “spring prediction barrier,” because increases in the error have little dependence on the thermocline variability. Composite analyses of each type of El Niño reveal that, compared to EP El Niños, the ability to predict CP El Niños is limited and has a shorter lead time. This is because CP El Niños have relatively small amplitudes, and thus they are more affected by atmospheric noise; this prevents development of oceanic signals that can be used for prediction.
Vision Diagnoses Are Common After Concussion in Adolescents
Authors: Master Christina L. , Scheiman Mitchell , Gallaway Michael , Goodman Arlene , Robinson Roni L. , Master Stephen R. , Grady Matthew F.
Published: July 2015

Objective. To determine the prevalence of vision diagnoses after concussion in adolescents. Methods. Cross-sectional study from July 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014, of patients aged 11 to 17 years with concussion evaluated in a comprehensive concussion program. Results. A total of 100 adolescents were examined, with a mean age of 14.5 years. Overall, 69% had one or more of the following vision diagnoses: accommodative disorders (51%), convergence insufficiency (49%), and saccadic dysfunction (29%). In all, 46% of patients had more than one vision diagnosis. Conclusions. A high prevalence of vision diagnoses (accommodative, binocular convergence, and saccadic eye movement disorders) was found in this sample of adolescents with concussion, with some manifesting more than one vision diagnosis. These data indicate that a comprehensive visual examination may be helpful in the evaluation of a subset of adolescents with concussion. Academic accommodations for students with concussion returning to the classroom setting should account for these vision diagnoses.
Black Panther Radical Factionalization and the Development of Black Anarchism
Authors: Williams Dana M.
Published: July 2015

Racial justice social movements often fragment when their goals do not seem completely achievable. Former participants in the radical Black freedom struggles of the 1960s and 1970s, most of whom were Black Panther Party (BPP) members (and also participants in the Black Liberation Army) and identified with Marxist-Leninism, became disaffected with the hierarchical character of the Black Panthers and came to identify with anarchism. Through the lens of radical factionalization theories, Black anarchism is seen as a radical outgrowth of the Black freedom struggle. Black anarchists were the first to notably prioritize a race analysis in American anarchism. This tendency has a number of contemporary manifestations for anarchism, including Anarchist People of Color caucuses within the movement, and, more indirectly, the many anarchist strategies and organizations that share similarities with the BPP, prior to its centralization.
The politics of the genre of academic writing; or, Professor Curtin, Professor Clegg, and the African Studies network war
Authors: Cooper Brenda
Published: July 2015

What are the politics of the genre of academic writing, and its enabling networks? This genre of writing and those networks shape the form and substance of our writing within an African research context. I examine the dominant template of academic writing style, which operates across many fields of scholarly endeavour. It enables different sorts of knowledge to be accepted as true, or to be excluded. What and how to write academically have been filtered through the colonial library, making it urgent to surface this template and its operationalizing networks of academic writers. The links between the language of academic writing, the colonial past, the field of African Studies, and networks of academics who appoint each other to posts and review each other’s submissions to journals, is usually silent. They became deafening in the aftermath of what became known as the Philip Curtin debacle. This article is situated at the 20-year anniversary of the notorious Philip Curtin intervention in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Curtin suggested that academic jobs were being reserved for African American or African candidates and that the teaching of African Studies disciplines was being “ghettoize”. It is an important moment to wonder whether, 20 years down the line, the issues his intervention brought to bear — of power, politics, networks, and colliding knowledge highways within African Studies broadly defined — are still relevant. Finally, alternative forms and styles of academic writing, which may be more fit for purpose, are proposed and I touch on some of these possibilities towards the end of this paper. They include the role of fiction in academic writing; the possibility of the inclusion of the world of the gods and spirits; an interrogation of linear time and the nature of experiential knowledge in relation to academic knowledge.
Consequences of accelerated weathering in polylactide nanocomposites reinforced with halloysite nanotubes
Authors: Kaynak Cevdet , Kaygusuz Ilker
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore consequences of accelerated weathering on the behavior of polylactide/halloysite nanotube composites. Nanocomposites were compounded by melt mixing method via a twin-screw extruder while specimens for testing and analyses were shaped by injection molding. Behaviors of the specimens were compared before weathering and after exposure to UV irradiation and humidity steps according to Cycle-C of ISO 4892-3 standards for a total duration of 300 h. IR studies revealed that photolysis and partly hydrolysis were the main degradation mechanisms leading to random main chain scission of the PLA macromolecular structure, which was reflected with drastic reductions both in the molecular weight of PLA and the mechanical properties of flexural strength and fracture toughness. On the other hand, no significant reductions were observed in the values of thermal degradation temperatures, storage modulus and flexural modulus of the specimens, which was due to the compensating effect of higher amounts of crystallinity formed during UV irradiation cycles at 70℃.
Calm Abiding
Authors: Shaner Lynne , Kelly Lisa , Rockwell Donna , Curtis Devorah
Published: July 2015

Various aspects of meditation have been studied for more than 50 years, but little research has explored the lived experience of meditation in long-term meditators and examined what meaning this practice holds for the meditators. This interpretative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of the practice of meditation in the lives of six women who have practiced meditation daily for more than 10 years. This study addressed the questions of how the long-term practice of meditation is experienced and adhered to, how long-term meditators are motivated, what benefits practitioners receive, and what meaning they attribute to their practice. Data were gathered using telephone interviews and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological process. Eight superordinate themes arose including (a) consistent and mindful adherence to ritual and technique; (b) role of a teacher/mentor; (c) cultivation of self-awareness; (d) increased equanimity, compassion, and acceptance of self and others; (e) transcendent, peak experiences; (f) cultivation and deepening of personal spirituality; (g) life purpose and meaning; and (h) challenges and barriers to meditation. This study provides descriptions of the challenges and benefits of maintaining a long-term meditation practice. It points toward the potential of regular, long-term meditation to serve as a complementary healing modality.
A Comparative Analysis: Heuristic Self-Search Inquiry as Self-Knowledge and Knowledge of Society
Authors: Ozertugrul Engin
Published: July 2015

In research, the standard view of credibility seeks to illuminate what the researcher did with the data vis-à-vis collection, analysis, and interpretation. This works well in standard research where data can be checked through conventional validity measures (internal validity, external validity, reliability, replicability, and objectivity). It does not work well in heuristic self-search inquiry (HSSI) method where the data are in the researcher. In previous HSSI works, there is a level of uncertainty regarding the use of the method in knowledge exploration. It seems that there is still a need for the development of methodological understanding, particularly in terms of those who favor the use of multiple participants in HSSI, as opposed to those who do not. In this article, I compared four studies to clarify HSSI’s utility in knowledge production for future use.
Regulating the employment dynamics of domestic supply chains
Authors: James Phil , Walters David , Sampson Helen , Wadsworth Emma
Published: July 2015

This article sheds light on the role that the regulation of primarily domestic, rather than global, supply chains could play in protecting and enhancing standards of workplace health and safety, as well as employment standards more generally. The analysis presented confirms the potential relevance of such regulation in these regards. However, it also reinforces existing evidence pointing to the fact that only very rarely will market-related considerations on their own prompt purchasers to seek to directly influence the employment practices of their suppliers. The article ends therefore by highlighting a number of key issues relating to the design of regulatory initiatives aimed at protecting and enhancing employment conditions within supply chains.
The role of government in influencing labour conditions through the procurement of services: Some political challenges
Authors: Ravenswood Katherine , Kaine Sarah
Published: July 2015

The increasing complexity of the employment relationship in supply chains poses challenges to the protection of labour standards internationally. While there is significant research on labour standards in international supply chains, there is much less on domestic supply chains and public procurement. Furthermore, the role of government in supply chain labour standards is under-researched. This article uses the context of residential aged care in Australia and New Zealand to highlight the inadequacy of the current role of government in promoting decent labour standards in domestic supply chains. We argue that the role of government in the employment relationship needs to be reconceptualised in order to recognise its agency as an indirect employer, and its consumer power, in public procurement.
Global destruction networks, the labour process and employment relations
Authors: McGrath-Champ Susan , Rainnie Al , Pickren Graham , Herod Andrew
Published: July 2015

Although there has been a proliferation of writing recently on global commodity/value chains and production networks, labour and employment relations have been largely absent or conceived of in a limited manner in these discussions. As a counter to this, we argue for locating employment relations, labour and the labour process at the heart of analysis of both global production networks (GPNs) and of what we are calling global destruction networks (GDNs), which are networks through which commodities move at the purported ends of their lives. We argue that labour shapes the structure of both GPNs and GDNs. Through examining how GDNs – which often involve significant amounts of informal labour – are intimately connected to the operations of GPNs, we also challenge dualistic thinking that perceives some of the work involved in retrieving components from waste for reuse in GPNs as ‘wasted labour’.
A Randomized Control Trial of Working Memory Training With and Without Strategy Instruction
Authors: Peng Peng , Fuchs Douglas
Published: July 2015

Researchers are increasingly interested in working memory (WM) training. However, it is unclear whether it strengthens comprehension in young children who are at risk for learning difficulties. We conducted a modest study of whether the training of verbal WM would improve verbal WM and passage listening comprehension and whether training effects differed between two approaches: training with and without strategy instruction. A total of 58 first-grade children were randomly assigned to three groups: WM training with a rehearsal strategy, WM training without strategy instruction, and controls. Each member of the two training groups received a one-to-one, 35-min session of verbal WM training on each of 10 consecutive school days, totaling 5.8 hr. Both training groups improved on trained verbal WM tasks, with the rehearsal group making greater gains. Without correction for multiple group comparisons, the rehearsal group made reliable improvements over controls on an untrained verbal WM task and on passage listening comprehension and listening retell measures. The no-strategy-instruction group outperformed controls on passage listening comprehension. When corrected for multiple contrasts, these group differences disappeared but were associated with moderate to large effect sizes. Findings suggest—however tentatively—that brief but intensive verbal WM training may strengthen the verbal WM and comprehension performance of young children at risk. Necessary caveats and possible implications for theory and future research are discussed.
Adopting an International Innovation for Teacher Professional Development
Authors: Akiba Motoko , Wilkinson Bryan
Published: July 2015

The state of Florida has taken an unprecedented approach to teacher professional development in its Race to the Top (RTTT) Program application by proposing to promote an international innovation that originates in Japan, “lesson study,” as a statewide teacher professional development model. Since winning the US$700 million RTTT funding in 2010, the Florida Department of Education and districts have been promoting lesson study as one of the statewide vehicles to implement the state standards aligned with the Common Core State Standards. This study analyzed the state and districts’ approaches to promote lesson study using policy documents, statewide district survey data, and interviews. We found that a majority of districts mandated lesson study implementation without securing or spending sufficient funding. In addition, the existing organizational structures and routines for professional development pose a major challenge in capacity building of district leaders and teachers to engage in lesson study.
Analysis of the safety and efficacy of diabetic ketoacidosis management in a Community General Hospital, 2001–2010: a descriptive study
Authors: Peeters E , van IJperen WJ , Robertson L , Royle P , van IJperen WJ
Published: July 2015

Background

The recommended place for treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis in children is a paediatric High Dependency Unit. This facility is not available in all areas where children with type 1 diabetes mellitus are cared for.

Aims

This study investigates the safety and efficacy of diabetic ketoacidosis management in a community general hospital without a paediatric high dependency unit.

Methods

Data from children with diabetic ketoacidosis were collected from all diabetes related admissions in Dr Gray’s Hospital, Elgin from 2001 to 2010. Observations were compared with safety indicators (pH, bicarbonate, glucose, electrolytes and cerebral oedema) and were reviewed for the recovery to normal values (pH, bicarbonate), without abnormal fluctuation (electrolytes, glucose) and without neurological complications (cerebral oedema).

Results

The 114 patients generated 251 diabetes-related admissions, 118 for diabetic ketoacidosis treatment of whom 99 patients were treated with intravenous fluids and insulin. The mean time to recover to a pH of at least 7.30 was 655 minutes (120–1410 min). There were 79 (4.37% of 1808) glucose readings dropping more than 5.0 mmol/l per hour. There were six hypoglycaemic events (2.3–2.9 mmol/l) and in one case potassium dropped to 2.2 mmol/l. There was no case which developed into cerebral oedema.

Conclusion

Treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis in a community general hospital managed with a protocol for fluids, insulin and strict monitoring has shown to be effective in achieving recovery and to safely avoid complications.
Image inspection of knitted fabric defects using wavelet packets
Authors: Jeffrey Kuo Chung-Feng , Shih Chung-Yang , Huang Chang-Chiun , Wen Yao-Ming
Published: July 2015

Image inspection by wavelet packets and a neural network classifier is presented for non-defect and six kinds of defects in knitted fabrics. The types of defect include a hole, set mark (coarse), dropped stitch, oil stain, streak, and tight end. In this study, wavelet packet decomposition of a sample image is carried out based on the best-basis wavelet packet tree with three resolution levels. The lowest-two entropy among all sub-band images and the standard deviation for the original image are selected as feature inputs of the neural network classifier. These textural features are shown in seven groups, which are separately distributed in the feature space. We gathered a total of 112 experimental samples, with 16 samples in each of the seven aforementioned categories. The results demonstrate that with the three features, 56 test samples are correctly inspected. However, the lack of one of the three features yields wrong classification of some samples. Therefore, the three features selected are definitely suitable for recognition of our knitted fabric defects and also are the smallest number of features required to give accurate inspection.
Fairness, Free-Riding and Rainforest Protection
Authors: Armstrong Chris
Published: July 2015

If dangerous climate change is to be avoided, it is vital that carbon sinks such as tropical rainforests are protected. But protecting them has costs. These include opportunity costs: the potential economic benefits which those who currently control rainforests have to give up when they are protected. But who should bear those costs? Should countries which happen to have rainforests within their territories sacrifice their own economic development, because of our broader global interests in protecting key carbon sinks? This essay develops an argument from the “principle of fairness,” which seeks to establish that outsiders should pay states with rainforests so as to share the costs of protection. If they do not, they can be condemned for free-riding on forest states. The argument is, I suggest, compelling and also capable of enjoying support from adherents of a wide variety of positions on global justice.
The Missing Link of Value Congruence and Its Consequences
Authors: Ryu Geunpil
Published: July 2015

The current study examines an underlying mechanism of value congruence effect transmitted via vision acceptance on work outcomes such as job satisfaction and affective commitment. It addresses two main research questions: (a) whether value congruence affects job satisfaction and affective commitment and (b) whether employees’ acceptance of organizational vision mediates the relationship between value congruence and outcomes, such as job satisfaction and affective commitment. As a result, the presence of value congruence effects on job satisfaction and affective commitment was not supported. However, the mediating effects of employees’ vision acceptance on the relationship between value congruence and the outcomes were supported.
The legacy of Matteo Ricci and his companions
Authors: Mong Ambrose Ih-Ren
Published: July 2015

After many years of fruitless attempts by Western missionaries to establish a foothold in Beijing, Matteo Ricci and his companions were finally given permission to enter the Forbidden City to build a house and a church in accordance with Chinese laws. This breakthrough of Ricci and his Jesuit brethren represents a significant period in the history of cultural dialogue between East and West. He had come a long way, motivated by a fervent desire to spread the Catholic faith, to save souls for the greater glory of God— ad majorem Dei gloriam. To succeed in China, Ricci would need more than just a rugged faith to convert the Chinese who, by and large, believed themselves to be superior to everyone else in the world. He would need science and technology and a willingness to accommodate and learn from that mystifying oriental culture. Ricci was gifted with these traits to an extraordinary degree that made his life in China fascinating from a religious, historical, and cultural point of view. In Ricci’s life, we are introduced to the first significant encounter between European and Chinese civilizations. A bridge between East and West, Ricci’s life and work in China is one of the most fascinating episodes in mission history. This essay attempts to appraise Matteo Ricci’s effort to accommodate Confucianism in propagating Christianity in China and his polemics against Buddhism. It attempts a critical study of Ricci’s work, The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven, emphasizing its strengths and weaknesses.
Evidence for the Existence of Downward Real-Activity Earnings Management
Authors: Francis Bill , Hasan Iftekhar , Li Lingxiang
Published: July 2015

Prior studies of real-activity earnings management (REM) focus on earnings-inflating abnormal activities. We seek to establish the existence of downward REM by investigating several corporate events in which managers have incentives to temporarily deflate market valuations. Specifically, we focus on, and find downward REM before, share repurchases, management buyouts (MBOs), and CEO option awards. Large-sample evidence of downward REM is also found in our general analysis of earnings smoothing. Downward REM becomes much smaller or nonexistent when there is a lack of managerial incentives in those events, such as non-carry-through repurchases, incomplete MBOs, and unexpected option awards. Following the research design of Zang, we find that various REM and accrual-based earnings management (AEM) cost factors consistently influence the magnitude of downward REM and AEM around the three corporate events.
Developing Multilingual Capacity: A Challenge for the Multinational Enterprise
Authors: Welch Denice E. , Welch Lawrence S.
Published: July 2015

In this article, we examine how the multinational enterprise (MNE) develops the ability to function as a multilingual entity in order to facilitate communication, knowledge transfer, and absorptive capacity. While we acknowledge the role played by the adoption of a common corporate language, we argue that this response alone is insufficient to cope with the diverse foreign language demands that accompany global expansion. MNEs need what we conceptualize as language operative capacity (LOC): language resources that have been assembled and deployed in a context-relevant and timely manner throughout the MNE’s global network. Language resources are mainly derived from human and social capital, and their interaction, to form what is termed language capital. Managerial motivation and a preparedness to act are necessary to ensure that language capital is converted into LOC. Our theoretical explanation of LOC derivation is multilevel, incorporating two interacting processes: individuals develop, maintain, and contribute their own foreign language resources, but the MNE also plays a key role. It can influence individual behavior and, at the organizational level, provide its own language resources through the provision of computerized translation software and the like. The interaction between these two processes is seen to be critical in the formation and use of LOC. This multilevel explanation contributes to the growing body of literature that considers how human capital resources in general can be converted for productive purposes.
The effects of children’s reading skills and interest on teacher perceptions of children’s skills and individualized support
Authors: Kikas Eve , Silinskas Gintautas , Soodla Piret
Published: July 2015

This study examined the effects of children’s reading skills and interest in reading-related tasks on teacher perceptions of children’s literacy skills (reading and spelling) and the respective individualized support for children during the first two years of formal schooling. The participants were 334 children and their classroom teachers. Identical measures were administered at three time points (at the beginning of Grade 1 and at the end of Grades 1 and 2). Children’s reading skills were assessed with the word reading fluency test, and their interest in reading was assessed with self-reports. Also, teachers evaluated each child’s level of reading and spelling skills and reported the level of individual literacy support they provided. The results showed that children’s poor skills in reading at the beginning of Grade 1 were related to both teacher perceptions of children’s skills as being poor and to increased support at the end of Grade 1. In turn, teacher perceptions of children’s skills as being poor at the end of Grade 1 were related to more support at the end of Grade 2. Moreover, children’s reading skills at the beginning of school had an indirect effect via teacher perceptions at the end of Grade 1 on teacher support in Grade 2. The findings underscore the importance of examining the role of teacher perceptions in providing individualized support during literacy activities.
Children evoke similar affective and instructional responses from their teachers and mothers
Authors: Silinskas Gintautas , Dietrich Julia , Pakarinen Eija , Kiuru Noona , Aunola Kaisa , Lerkkanen Marja-Kristiina , Hirvonen Riikka , Muotka Joona , Nurmi Jari-Erik
Published: July 2015

In the present study, we examined the extent to which the responses of teachers and mothers toward a particular child are similar in respect to their instructional support and affect, and whether child characteristics predict these responses. The data of 373 Finnish child–teacher–mother triads (178 girls, 195 boys) were analysed. Teachers and mothers reported their instructional support and affective responses toward a child in the school/homework context in Grades 1, 2, 3, and 4. At the beginning of Grade 1, the children’s performance in reading and math was tested, and teachers evaluated the children’s externalizing and internalizing problem behaviour. The results demonstrated that mothers and teachers showed similar instructional support and affective responses toward a particular child at the end of Grade 1. Moreover, children’s poor performance in reading and math at the beginning of Grade 1 was associated with high amounts of both teachers’ and mothers’ instructional support at the end of Grade 1, while children’s externalizing problem behaviour was strongly related particularly to teachers’ but also to mothers’ negative affective responses at the end of Grade 1. The results provide evidence for the evocative impact of child characteristics on the child’s interpersonal environment at the start of child’s school career.
Jacques Derrida on the secular as theologico-political
Authors: Cassatella Andrea
Published: July 2015

The article explores Jacques Derrida’s view of the secular as the field of the socio-political. It focuses on his argument as to why religion and politics cannot be strictly separated as in the classical modern paradigm. By engaging Derrida’s later writings, this article shows that the secular domain cannot be purified of all faith and is best thought of as theologico-political, where ‘theologico-political’ indicates the interrelatedness and distinction between the theological and the political. The article’s central claim is that by opening up to some form of the theological that is not reducible to traditional conceptions, and to a faith that is not necessarily religious, Derrida provides significant resources for understanding the secular today in more complex and critical ways than usual approaches offer.
Sustained vs episodic mobilization among conflict-generated diasporas
Authors: Koinova Maria
Published: July 2015

There is increased interest in the connectivity of migrants with both their host-lands and their original homelands. This article brings a social movement perspective to bear on the issue of diaspora mobilization. Why do conflict-generated diasporas from the same original homeland and living in the same host-land mobilize in sustained versus episodic ways? This article focuses on the sustained mobilization of Bosnian Muslims versus the episodic mobilization of Croats and Serbs in the Netherlands in the early 2010s. I argue that a traumatic issue that binds three actors – diaspora, host-state, and home-state – is central to such mobilization. This issue is the failure of Dutch peace-keeping forces to protect the Srebrenica enclave in 1995. Migration integration regimes, threats from radical right parties, host-state foreign policy, and transnational influences can trigger episodic diaspora mobilization, but not sustain it.
Couple-Level Predictors of Perceived Fairness During Pregnancy in First-Time Parents
Authors: Gordon Alynn E. , Mickelson Kristin D.
Published: July 2015

Researchers have suggested that apart from the actual division of household labor, housework ideology and spousal support also influence perceptions of fairness regarding the division of household labor. Furthermore, although only individual perceived fairness predictors are typically examined, researchers acknowledge that an individual’s perceived fairness is often contingent on a combination of characteristics within a couple. In addition to self-perceived fairness, we examined perceptions of fairness for spouse in 104 couples expecting their first child. Results indicate that couple-level actual division of housework and housework ideology significantly predict perceptions of fairness. Furthermore, our data provide evidence to suggest that some predictors’ influence may depend on the level of analysis (couple vs. individual), as well as the type of perceived fairness examined (self vs. spouse). Findings illustrate the importance of considering predictors at the dyadic level, as well as examining self-perceived fairness and spousal perceived fairness as separate constructs.
Detection of Mild and Reversible Neurohistopathological Changes in the Brain of Juvenile (Preweaned) Beagle Dogs Treated with Vigabatrin for up to 91 Days
Authors: Bottomley Anna L. , Rowles Alison , Mitchell David J. , Rasmussen Allan D.
Published: July 2015

Neurohistopathological changes in the brain were assessed in juvenile beagle dogs given vigabatrin at 30 or 100 mg/kg/day by oral gavage from postnatal day 22 (PND22) until 16 weeks of age (PND112), when brain myelination is considered to reach the adult stage in dogs. Separate subgroups were treated from PND22 to PND35 or PND36 to PND49 to assess early effects. In addition to extensive brain histopathology, there were assessments of toxicokinetics, clinical condition, body weight, organ weights, and macroscopic pathology. In animals treated for 14 days from PND22, minimal or slight vacuolation was seen in the neuropil of the septal nuclei, hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebellum, and globus pallidus at 100 mg/kg/day and minimal vacuolation in the thalamus, globus pallidus, and cerebellum at 30 mg/kg/day. In animals given 100 mg/kg/day for 91 days from PND22, minimal or slight vacuolation was observed only in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and thalamus. No vigabatrin-related brain vacuolation was observed in animals given 30 or 100 mg/kg/day for 14 days from PND36. Clear evidence of recovery was observed after 14-day and 6-week off-dose periods that followed treatment from PND22 to PND35 or PND22 to PND112, respectively.
The Aging Voice
Authors: Vaca Miguel , Mora Elena , Cobeta Ignacio
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To evaluate the impact on voice quality of 2 pathogenic factors involved in age‐related dysphonia: glottal gap and decline in respiratory function.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional prospective.

Settings

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 105 healthy patients ≥65 years old were included, with a maximum phonation time ≤15 seconds for men and ≤12 seconds for women. Laryngostroboscopy and spirometry were conducted to assess the glottal gap and respiratory function, and 4 profiles were defined according to their combination: glottal deficit, respiratory deficit, combined deficit, and no deficit. Differences across profiles in phonation times, acoustic parameters, and GRBAS scale and Voice Handicap Index–10 scores were analyzed according to Kruskal‐Wallis and Mann‐Whitney nonparametric tests. Multiple regression was performed to estimate the influence of each pathogenic factor.

Results

Respiratory deficit was the most frequent profile (37%). When compared to the other groups, patients with combined deficit had shorter phonation times for men (8.5 seconds; Kruskal‐Wallis, P =. 009) and women (7.8 seconds; P =. 003), worse jitter (8.3%; P =. 001), GRBAS scale (5.8; P <. 001), and Voice Handicap Index–10 (7.7; P =. 002).

Conclusion

Age‐related respiratory and laryngeal changes have a negative impact on vocal quality, especially when both deficits are present.