bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When a Giant became a ‘Reluctant Peacekeeper’: South Africa and Peacekeeping Operations between 1994–2003
Authors: Ozkan Mehmet
Published: April 2014

South Africa joined the international community after its transformation from apartheid to democracy in 1994. The transformation created its own reverberations both regionally and globally as democratic South Africa aroused high hopes that it would assume leadership on the continent. With the help of Pretoria, it was hoped, Africa could solve its own problems. However, South Africa did not fully assume this expected role until 2003. Its low level participation, especially in peacekeeping in Africa—the theme of this article—should be attributed to its own domestic consolidation preoccupations, lack of training and incoherency in its foreign policy until roughly the early twenty-first century.
Book Review: Ruchita Beri (Ed.), India and Africa Enhancing Mutual Agreement
Authors: Pan Jashobanta
Published: April 2014

Ruchita Beri (Ed.), India and Africa Enhancing Mutual Agreement, IDSA, Pentagon Press, New Delhi, 2013, ₹ 795, pp.163, ISBN-978-81-8274-751-7.
Adaptation and Testing of Instruments to Measure Cervical Cancer Screening Factors Among Vietnamese Immigrant Women
Authors: Nguyen-Truong Connie K. Y. , Leo Michael C. , Lee-Lin Frances , Gedaly-Duff Vivian , Nail Lillian M. , Gregg Jessica , Le Tuong Vy , Tran Tuyen
Published: April 2014

Purpose: Vietnamese American women diagnosed with cervical cancer are more likely to have advanced cancer than non-Hispanic White women. We sought to (a) develop a culturally sensitive Vietnamese translation of the Revised Susceptibility, Benefits, and Barriers Scale; Cultural Barriers to Screening Inventory; Confidentiality Issues Scale; and Quality of Care from the Health Care System Scale and (b) examine the psychometric properties. Design: Cross-sectional study with 201 Vietnamese immigrant women from the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. Method: We used a community-based participatory research approach and the U.S. Census Bureau’s team approach to translation. Results: Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .57 to .91. The incremental fit index ranged from .83 to .88. Discussion and Conclusions: The instruments demonstrated moderate to strong subscale internal consistency. Further research to assess structural validity is needed. Implications for Practice: Our approaches to translation and psychometric examination support use of the instruments in Vietnamese immigrant women.
Barriers and Facilitators to Breast Cancer Screening Among Migrant Women Within Turkey
Authors: Tuzcu Ayla , Bahar Zuhal
Published: April 2014

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine facilitators and barriers that migrant women in Turkey identified related to breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography. Design: Focus group method was conducted with 39 women. An interview guide based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Health Promotion Model (HPM) was used. Results: Three main themes became apparent as a result of data analysis: (a) knowledge and awareness about breast cancer, (b) personal factors, and (c) medical service provider and social environment. Conclusions: Focus groups conducted in line with HBM and HPM were effective in explaining barriers and facilitators toward participation of women in screening behaviors. Lack of information, indifference, and cultural factors are the most important barriers of women. Recommendations for Practice: The study will shed light on health care professionals working in primary health care organizations for developing the health training programs and consulting strategies in order to increase breast cancer screening practices of migrant women.
Complicit surveillance, interveillance, and the question of cosmopolitanism: Toward a phenomenological understanding of mediatization
Authors: Christensen Miyase , Jansson André
Published: April 2014

The institutional and meta-processual dimensions of surveillance have been scrutinized extensively in literature. In these accounts, the subjective, individual level has often been invoked in relation to subject–object, surveillor–surveilled dualities and in terms of the kinds of subjectivity modern and late-modern institutions engender. The experiential, ontological realm of the “mediatized everyday” vis-a-vis surveillance remains less explored, particularly from the phenomenological perspective of the lifeworld. Academic discourses of surveillance mostly address rhetorically oriented macro-perspectives. The same diagnosis largely applies to the debates on the cosmopolitanization process. The literature of cosmopolitan ism revolves around broad cultural and ethical transformations in terms of the relationship between Self and Other, individual and humanity, and the local and the universal. Our aim in this article is to conceptualize the dynamics that yield a cosmopolitan Self and an encapsulated Self under conditions of increasingly interactive and ubiquitous forms of mediation and surveillance.
Male ICU Nurses’ Experiences of Taking Care of Dying Patients and Their Families
Authors: Wu Tammy W. , Oliffe John L. , Bungay Vicky , Johnson Joy L.
Published: April 2014

Male intensive care unit (ICU) nurses bring energy and expertise along with an array of beliefs and practices to their workplace. This article investigates the experiences of male ICU nurses in the context of caring for dying patients and their families. Applying a gender analysis, distilled are insights to how masculinities inform and influence the participants’ practices and coping strategies. The findings reveal participants draw on masculine ideals of being a protector and rational in their decisive actions toward meeting the comfort needs of dying patients and their families. Somewhat paradoxically, most participants also transgressed masculine norms by outwardly expressing their feelings and talking about emotions related to these experiences. Participants also reported renewed appreciation of their life and their families and many men chronicled recreational activities and social connectedness as strategies for coping with workplace induced stresses. The findings drawn from this study can guide both formal and informal support services for men who are ICU nurses, which in turn might aid retention of this subgroup of workers.
Is There a Rationale for Penile Rehabilitation Following Radical Prostatectomy?
Authors: Barazani Yagil , Stahl Peter J. , Nagler Harris M. , Stember Doron S.
Published: April 2014

Erectile function recovery after radical prostatectomy (RP) is an increasingly prominent quality-of-life outcome following surgery. Following RP many men, despite the advent of cavernous nerve-sparing surgical technique, have moderately or significantly impaired erectile function (EF). The term penile rehabilitation (PR) is used to define interventions that maintain the health of erectile tissue in the context of nervous, vascular, and structural tissue injury. The goal of PR is to regain, as closely re-approximate, preoperative erectile function. PR is based on an increasing volume of preclinical and clinical data, but conclusive evidence of efficacy has not been established, and therefore the concept of PR remains controversial. The optimal PR regimen has not been established, but all strategies rely on one or more erectile dysfunction treatments to be administered on a regular basis regardless of actual use for sexual activity. This review highlights recent studies and evidence related to PR.
The role of arthrodesis of the wrist in spastic disorders
Authors: Neuhaus V. , Kadzielski J. J. , Mudgal C. S.
Published: April 2014

We investigated the functional and radiographic outcome of wrist arthrodesis in 11 adults with spastic wrist deformities, carried out by one surgeon between 2003 and 2012. The underlying cause of spasticity was a cerebrovascular insult in five, traumatic brain injury in four, and cerebral palsy in two patients. A dorsal plate and local bone graft was used in all patients. The mean radiographic flexion deformity significantly improved from 67° pre-operatively to 4° of dorsal angulation post-operatively. Thumb-in-palm deformity was more pronounced in three patients after the operation. The functional House score improved in all patients an average of two levels (range 1–3).

Level of evidence: IV (Case series).
Dietary factors and the risk of glaucoma: a review
Authors: Bussel Igor I. , Aref Ahmad A.
Published: April 2014

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by a progressive typical pattern of optic neurodegeneration and visual field loss. A relatively high proportion of glauctomatous individuals admit to interest in dietary modification in an attempt to manage their disease. Heavy caffeine consumption appears to have a transient effect on increasing intraocular pressure (IOP). This effect may be clinically insignificant for nonglaucomatous individuals, but the association warrants clinical consideration in those with the disease. Studies investigating the relationship between self-reported antioxidant intake and risk of glaucomatous disease have reported conflicting results. Preliminary studies investigating the relationship between self-reported glaucoma diagnosis and consumption of the oxidants calcium and iron suggest a possible relationship indicating increased risk of the disease with increased consumption of these dietary factors. Initial reports in the literature suggest a potential role for dietary modification in the treatment of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Further study, with randomized controlled trials, may be necessary to further characterize these relationships.
Implications of software-based mobile media for social research
Authors: Boase Jeffrey
Published: April 2014

Software-based mobile media devices such as smartphones and tablets pose both theoretical challenges and methodological opportunities for social research. The first part of this article discusses how the complex, changing, and often idiosyncratic configuration of software-based mobile devices challenges the production of theoretical generalizations within and across populations. It is argued that overcoming this challenge involves attention to the mobile nature of these devices and focusing on clearly defined, widespread affordances. The second part of this article discusses ethical, philosophical, and theoretical issues surrounding the methodological opportunity to collect large quantities of behavioral data using software-based mobile devices.
Mobile media and communication in everyday life: Milestones and challenges
Authors: Linke Christine
Published: April 2014

The article contributes conceptual ideas to the multi- and interdisciplinary forum for research on social aspects of Mobile Media & Communication. Starting with everyday observations, a review of selected milestones regarding matters of space and presence, sociality and emotion and on multiple dialectics is offered to demonstrate the significant and complex interrelations in the field of mobile communication in everyday life. Finally, it is argued that the challenge of non-deterministic and sustainable research approaches has to be met in order to deepen and broaden future research and contribute to an understanding of mobile media and communication.
From domestication to mediated mobilism
Authors: Hartmann Maren
Published: April 2014

Domestication is an approach which considers media appropriation processes in detail, looking at media technologies as doubly articulated and integrated into moral economies. Originally developed for the study of household contexts, the domestication framework has increasingly been used to study the appropriation of mobile media in diverse contexts. The article summarizes this development briefly to then suggest that another concept – of mediated mobilism – might be a useful extension to study mobile media and mobility in future.
Mobile donation in America
Authors: Chen Wenhong , Givens Travis
Published: April 2014

Mobile donation has gained mainstream media attention since the Haiti Earthquake Relief in 2010. Yet, there is still a lack of research on mobile donation as a new venue of technology-mediated civic engagement. Using nationally representative survey data, this research examines the variations in mobile donation by mobile phone usage patterns and user characteristics such as age, race, and socioeconomic status. Results show that the diversity of mobile phone use and the frequency of relational mobile communication are positively associated with mobile donation. As importantly, mobile donation helps to overcome age, race and SES gaps, giving members of disadvantaged social groups a more accessible tool for civic engagement. Internet donation and mobile donation complement rather than compete with each other.
Simulation of XRD patterns as an optimal technique for studying glacial and interglacial clay mineral associations in bottom sediments of Lake Baikal
Authors: Solotchina E. P. , Prokopenko A. A. , Vasilevsky A. N. , Gavshin V. M. , Kuzmin M. I. , Williams D. F.
Published: April 2014

A new method is proposed for modelling complex X-ray diffraction patterns effectively. The method is based on the calculation of the interference function of the onedimensional disordered crystals with finite thickness. First, we calculated the diffraction effects from structures of individual mineral phases with different layer defects modelled according to the Reynolds’ algorithm. To fit the theoretical to the observed XRD patterns more accurately, we then used a specially developed optimization procedure. This iterative procedure selects the optimal set of chemical and structural parameters (probability and domain size) and yields consistent solutions.

The composition of the clay component in bottom sediments of Lake Baikal relates strongly to glacial/interglacial climate cyclicity. Besides changes in the relative abundance of illite and illite/ smectites between glacial and interglacial periods, significant differences are observed in the crystal chemistries and structures of layered minerals. A change from chlorite during glacial periods to chlorite-smectite during interglacials is probably indicative of the weathering processes in the watershed. Changes in the degree of ordering, in domain size and grain-size distribution of illitesmectites imply differences in genesis of this mineral phase in different palaeoenvironments. These findings further strengthen the case for using clay minerals in the sedimentary record of Lake Baikal as palaeoclimate indicators.

One of our findings was that none of the fractions separated by Stokes’ settling is representative of the bulk sample for either the glacial or interglacial intervals. For the interglacial sample, illitesmectite was concentrated in the <2 μm fraction whereas, for the glacial sample, most of illitesmectite is contained in the <1 μm fraction. The selective use of one fraction is yet another potential source of uncontrolled errors that has to be avoided. We suggest using X-ray patterns of bulk samples as a preferred method of analysis of Lake Baikal (and other) sediments.
Prevalence of infectious keratitis in Central China
Authors: Cao Jin , Yang Yanning , Yang Wanju , Wu Ruoxi , Xiao Xuan , Yuan Jing , Xing Yiqiao , Tan Xiaodong
Published: April 2014

Background

The baseline data pertaining to the national epidemiological survey of infectious keratitis remain scarce in China, and currently there is no corneal blindness control strategy developed by the nation.

Methods

Geographically defined cluster sampling was used to randomly select a cross-section of residents from representative urban and rural populations in Hubei Province. Participants were selected from village registers, followed by door-to-door household visits. The assessment items included a structured interview, visual acuity testing, external eye examination, and anterior segment examination using slit lamp. Causes and sequelae of corneal disease were identified according to uniform customized protocol.

Results

The prevalence of presenting corneal diseases was 0.8% (211/26 305), while the prevalence of infectious keratitis was 0.148% (39/26 305). The prevalences of viral, bacterial, and fungal keratitis were 0.065, 0.068, and 0.015%, respectively. There were no significant differences found between the prevalences of viral (accounting for 43.6%) and bacterial (accounting for 46.2%) corneal ulcers. cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis were not found. Infectious keratitis was the leading cause of corneal blindness (85.7%), and the prevalence of blindness in at least one eye resulting from infected corneas was 0.091% (95% CI: 0.067-0.127%).

Conclusions

Viral and bacterial mechanisms constitute the most important risk factors for infectious corneal ulcers in Central China. To reduce the rate and severity of infectious keratitis, he public health care policy should be focused on designing cost-effective strategies and operational programs for the prevention and prompt treatment of infectious corneal ulcers.
Ginsenoside compound K induces apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via activation of apoptosis-inducing factor
Authors: Law Carmen Ka-Man , Kwok Hoi-Hin , Poon Po-Ying , Lau Chi-Chiu , Jiang Zhi-Hong , Tai William Chi-Shing , Hsiao Wendy Wen-Luan , Mak Nai-Ki , Yue Patrick Ying-Kit , Wong Ricky Ngok-Shun
Published: April 2014

Background

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a high incidence rate in Southern China. Although there are conventional therapies, the side effects and toxicities are not always tolerable for patients. Recently, the tumoricidal effect of ginsenosides on different cancer cells has been studied. This study aims to investigate the anti-cancer effect of ginsenosides on NPC cells and their underlying mechanism.

Methods

The cytotoxicity of ginsenosides on NPC cell line HK-1 was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was detected by propidium iodide staining followed by flow cytometry. A xenograft tumor model was established by injecting nude mice with HK-1 cells. The activation of caspases and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Nuclear translocation of AIF was also studied by immunofluorescence staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by JC-1 dye using flow cytometry.

Results

Four ginsenosides, 20 (S)-Rh2, compound K (CK), panaxadiol (PD) and protopanaxadiol (PPD), induced apoptotic cell death in HK-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. CK inhibited HK-1 xenograft tumor growth most extensively and depleted mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization and induced translocation of AIF from cytoplasm to nucleus in HK-1 cells. In addition, depletion of AIF by siRNA abolished CK-induced HK-1 cell death.

Conclusion

Ginsenoside CK-induced apoptosis of HK-1 cells was mediated by the mitochondrial pathway and could significantly inhibit tumor growth in vivo.
MEF2 Is Restricted to the Male Gonad and Regulates Expression of the Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A1
Authors: Daems Caroline , Martin Luc J. , Brousseau Catherine , Tremblay Jacques J.
Published: April 2014

Leydig cell steroidogenesis is controlled by the pituitary gonadotropin LH that activates several signaling pathways, including the Ca2+/calmodulin kinase I (CAMKI) pathway. In other tissues, CAMKI regulates the activity of the myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors. MEF2 factors are essential regulators of cell differentiation and organogenesis in numerous tissues but their expression and role in the mammalian gonad had not been explored. Here we show that MEF2 factors are expressed in a sexually dimorphic pattern in the mouse gonad. MEF2 factors are present in the testis throughout development and into adulthood but absent from the ovary. In the testis, MEF2 was localized mainly in the nucleus of both somatic lineages, the supporting Sertoli cells and the steroidogenic Leydig cells. In Leydig cells, MEF2 was found to activate the expression of Nr4a1, a nuclear receptor important for hormone-induced steroidogenesis. In these cells MEF2 also cooperates with forskolin and CAMKI to enhance Nr4a1 promoter activity via two MEF2 elements (−318 and −284 bp). EMSA confirmed direct binding of MEF2 to these elements whereas chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that MEF2 recruitment to the proximal Nr4a1 promoter was increased following hormonal stimulation. Modulation of endogenous MEF2 protein level (small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown) or MEF2 activity (MEF2-Engrailed active dominant negative) led to a significant decrease in Nr4a1 mRNA levels in Leydig cells. All together, our results identify MEF2 as a novel testis-specific transcription factor, supporting a role for this factor in male sex differentiation and function. MEF2 was also positioned upstream of NR4A1 in a regulatory cascade controlling Leydig cell gene expression.
USP7 Attenuates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis Through Modulation of FoxO1 Gene Promoter Occupancy
Authors: Hall Jessica A. , Tabata Mitsuhisa , Rodgers Joseph T. , Puigserver Pere
Published: April 2014

Hepatic forkhead protein FoxO1 is a key component of systemic glucose homeostasis via its ability to regulate the transcription of rate-limiting enzymes in gluconeogenesis. Important in the regulation of FoxO1 transcriptional activity are the modifying/demodifying enzymes that lead to posttranslational modification. Here, we demonstrate the functional interaction and regulation of FoxO1 by herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7; also known as herpesvirus-associated ubiquitin-specific protease, HAUSP), a deubiquitinating enzyme. We show that USP7-mediated mono-deubiquitination of FoxO1 results in suppression of FoxO1 transcriptional activity through decreased FoxO1 occupancy on the promoters of gluconeogenic genes. Knockdown of USP7 in primary hepatocytes leads to increased expression of FoxO1-target gluconeogenic genes and elevated glucose production. Consistent with this, USP7 gain-of-function suppresses the fasting/cAMP-induced activation of gluconeogenic genes in hepatocyte cells and in mouse liver, resulting in decreased hepatic glucose production. Notably, we show that the effects of USP7 on hepatic glucose metabolism depend on FoxO1. Together, these results place FoxO1 under the intimate regulation of deubiquitination and glucose metabolic control with important implication in diseases such as diabetes.
Enhanced Immunostimulation with Crosslinked CpG-DNA/β-1,3-Glucan Nanoparticle through Hybridization
Authors: Miyamoto Noriko , Mochizuki Shinichi , Sakurai Kazuo
Published: April 2014

β-Glucan schizophyllan (SPG) and CpG oligonucleotides (ODNs) can form a complex (denoted by CpG-dA40/SPG), which drastically induces immune-response owing to a combination of immunocyte-targeting delivery due to SPG and immunostimulative CpG ODN. We crosslinked CpG-dA40/SPG by adding cCpG-dA40/SPG to obtain larger particles than the original one by using cCpG–CpG hybridization, where cCpG denotes the complementary sequence of CpG. The crosslink particles showed higher immune stimulation and can thus be used as a more potent vaccine adjuvant than CpG-dA40/SPG itself.
Spatial Development
Authors: Desmet Klaus , Rossi-Hansberg Esteban
Published: April 2014

We present a theory of spatial development. Manufacturing and services firms located in a continuous geographic area choose each period how much to innovate. Firms trade subject to transport costs and technology diffuses spatially. We apply the model to study the evolution of the US economy in the last half-century and find that it can generate the reduction in the manufacturing employment share, the increased spatial concentration of services, the growth in service productivity starting in the mid-1990s, the rise in the dispersion of land rents in the same period, as well as several other spatial and temporal patterns. (JEL J21, L16, L60, L80, O33, R11, R32)
Do Physicians' Financial Incentives Affect Medical Treatment and Patient Health?
Authors: Clemens Jeffrey , Gottlieb Joshua D.
Published: April 2014

We investigate whether physicians' financial incentives influence health care supply, technology diffusion, and resulting patient outcomes. In 1997, Medicare consolidated the geographic regions across which it adjusts physician payments, generating area-specific price shocks. Areas with higher payment shocks experience significant increases in health care supply. On average, a 2 percent increase in payment rates leads to a 3 percent increase in care provision. Elective procedures such as cataract surgery respond much more strongly than less discretionary services. Non-radiologists expand their provision of MRIs, suggesting effects on technology adoption. We estimate economically small health impacts, albeit with limited precision. (JEL I11, I18, J44, O32)
Knowledge is (Less) Power: Experimental Evidence from Residential Energy Use
Authors: Jessoe Katrina , Rapson David
Published: April 2014

Imperfect information about product attributes inhibits efficiency in many choice settings, but can be overcome by providing simple, low-cost information. We use a randomized control trial to test the effect of high-frequency information about residential electricity usage on the price elasticity of demand. Informed households are three standard deviations more responsive to temporary price increases, an effect that is not attributable to price salience. Conservation extends beyond pricing events in the short and medium run, providing evidence of habit formation and implying that the intervention leads to greenhouse gas abatement. Survey evidence suggests that information facilitates learning. (JEL D12, D83, L11, L94, Q41, Q54)
Prescriptive Mechanisms of Military-Socium Everyday-Life Regulation (Case study: the Workers´ and Peasants´ Red Army in 1941-1945)
Authors: Ларионов Алексей , Larionov Aleksey
Published: April 2014

This paper deals with the problem of centralized management of everyday life of the Red Army during World War II. The paper considers the role and interaction of the Soviet Union supreme bodies of state and military power in regulating the daily routine of the army, analyses the features of the organization of both spiritual and material facets of the frontline everyday life, and identifies the role of personality factors in the management of the daily life of the Red Army in 1941—1945.
The Interdisciplinary Approach to Crisis Management: Recent Trends in International Studies
Authors: Илькевич Сергей , Ilkevich Sergey , Шлапак Вера , Shlapak Vera
Published: April 2014

Despite the fact that crisis management both in terms of the nature of knowledge required and approaches used is largely a synthesis of various disciplines, interdisciplinary aspects and the relationships do not receive sufficient attention. International literature of recent years allows a somewhat broader look at a number of both theoretical and practical aspects of crisis management in a wider context of topics and disciplines. A thorough multi-disciplinary approach to crisis management could be an important part of both the domestic research and training, and practice in the field of crisis management. This article reviews some of the most important interdisciplinary connections of crisis management with risk management, corporate governance, macroeconomic shocks, the concepts of stakeholders and corporate social responsibility, information technology, new institutional economic theory, and a number of concepts from sociology and psychology. The list of categories, models, individual concepts and theories of different subject areas which are closely interrelated with crisis management, according to international researchers, is quite long. In connection with the problems of crisis management this paper considers integrated risk management, holistic risk management, COSO-approach, moral hazard, the abuse of information asymmetry, opportunism, adverse selection, bounded rationality, the propagation model of bankruptcies depending on macroeconomic factors, the models of the influence of international integration and globalization on the dynamics of bankruptcies, epidemic models in crisis management, the sociological concept of disaster management, stakeholder theory of crisis management, the concept of reputation damage of crises, high-frequency trading in financial instruments, and the concepts of organizational learning and organizational storytelling. These and other interdisciplinary concepts serve as a book of recipes that can be applied with varying degrees of relevance to various crises in a company. It is plausible to assume that, other things being equal, crisis management, using an interdisciplinary arsenal, will be more effective and adaptive than the more limited approach based solely on the core of crisis management: economic analysis, legal regulation, management and marketing basics.
Typology of Problem Regions in Russian and Abroad
Authors: Кривко Сергей , Krivko Sergey , Теленкова Ольга , Telenkova Olga
Published: April 2014

The article reveals the possible options for the development of disadvantaged regions, discovers and investigates the specific typology of the most popular regions that have been developed to overcome the less-developed regions of the Russian Federation and the EUzone. Background study confirms the need to address one of the most difficult issues of the modern economy of the Russian Federation — the formation and development of certain types of regions within a single country´s economy. The growing socio-economic disparity in regional development, the emergence of problem (occasionally to the extent of crisis) regions, the disintegration of the Russian economic zone call for innovative mechanisms to facilitate socio-economic stability and sustainability in the regions. The article identifies the types and subtypes of underdeveloped regions in the European Union. At the same time, the urgency and the variety of regional issues in the Russian Federation require detailed strategic research initiatives and innovative proposals coming from representatives of regional authorities. Significant contribution into this process is made through the development of theoretical and methodological solutions to problems of state regulation of the processes of lagging regions ´sustainable development. There is an urgent need for a broad picture of the economic reforms in the Russian regions, for a track-record of major destabilizing factors incidence, for a potential economic growth model, for options and mechanisms for ongoing socio-economic growth as dependent mainly on the internal potential of the region and the most effective use of its own resources and capabilities. The to-date opinions, strategy and market environment conditions are not consistent with the concept of sustainable development in general and the locally-shared vision of sustainable development.
On Creation and Development of the North Caucasian Federal District Tourist Cluster
Authors: Шебзухова Татьяна , Shebzukhova Tatyana , Киселева Наталья , Kisyelyeva Natalya , Санкин Александр , Sankin Aleksandr
Published: April 2014

The article highlights the challenges facing the process of creation and development of the North Caucasian Federal District tourist cluster. It provides the results of an analytical research into the development of the tourist industry in the Russian Federation, identifies the constraints to tourist cluster development, the major problems and plausible solutions that may pave the way towards the targeted results. The authors lay out a scheme for tourist cluster creation and define priority directions of training personnel for the tourist and service sector.
Effect of Intercalation Method and Intercalating Agent Type on the Structure of Silane-Grafted Montmorillonite
Authors: Qin Shuhao , Yao Yong , He Wentao , Yu Jie , He Min , Xu Chen , Xu Guomin , Qin Zhang
Published: April 2014

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) processing has been proven as a method for preparing polymer/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites with improved platelet dispersion. The influence of scCO2 processing on the shape and size of the MMT tactoid/platelet, which is of great importance to the final platelet dispersion in the polymer matrix, is scarcely reported in the literature. In the present study, the pristine MMT was first surface modified with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (the grafted MMT is labeled as GMMT), and then intercalated using three kinds of intercalating agents, myristyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (MTAB), tetradecyltrihexylphosphonium chloride (TDTHP), and ethoxyltriphenyl-phosphonium chloride (ETPC), in water or scCO2, to study the effect of intercalating agent type and intercalation method on the morphology and thermal properties of GMMT, as a part of a program devoted to the synthesis of polymer/MMT nanocomposites. The structure of intercalated GMMT was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimum intercalation conditions in scCO2 were established by trying a range of reaction times and pressures. The structures of intercalated GMMT obtained under optimum scCO2 conditions and water were compared. The basal spacing of GMMT intercalated in scCO2 was almost the same as that in water, and both were obviously larger than that of GMMT. The GMMT exhibited a compact spherical morphology (examined using SEM), and the surface structures (including surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface compactness) of samples intercalated in water became ‘less compact’ and the degree of the ‘compactness’ of samples intercalated in scCO2 decreased further. Whether in water or scCO2, samples intercalated with TDTHP exhibited a larger basal spacing and the extent of disorder increased compared to that for samples intercalated with MTAB. The pristine MMT was also intercalated for comparison and silane grafting was proven to contribute to the increased basal spacing and ‘less compact’ surface structure.
Noninvasive Measurement of Glucose in Artificial Plasma with Near-Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Xue Jintao , Chen Han , Xiong Dongmei , Huang Guo , Ai Hong , Liang Yan , Yan Xinyu , Gan Yuan , Chen Cong , Chao Ruobing , Ye Liming
Published: April 2014

The goal of this research was to develop a method for noninvasive blood glucose assay. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, two more promising techniques compared to other methods, were investigated in two kinds of artificial plasma (AP). Calibration models were generated by performing partial least squares (PLS) regression and optimized individually by considering spectral range, spectral pretreatment methods, and number of model factors. The two spectroscopic models were validated for the determination of glucose, and the results show that the two spectroscopic models established are robust, accurate, and repeatable. Compared to Raman spectroscopy, the performance of NIR spectroscopy was much better, with lower root mean square errors of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.128 and 0.094 mg/ml, lower root mean square errors of validation (RMSEP) of 0.061 and 0.046 mg/ml, higher correlation coefficients ( R) of 99.15% and 99.55%, and higher residual predictive deviations (RPD) of 10.8 and 15.0 for artificial plasma I and II, respectively.
On-Line Application of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Monitoring Water Levels in Parts per Million in a Manufacturing-Scale Distillation Process
Authors: Lambertus Gordon , Shi Zhenqi , Forbes Robert , Kramer Timothy T. , Doherty Steven , Hermiller James , Scully Norma , Wong Sze Wing , LaPack Mark
Published: April 2014

An on-line analytical method based on transmission near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the quantitative determination of water concentrations (in parts per million) was developed and applied to the manufacture of a pharmaceutical intermediate. Calibration models for water analysis, built at the development site and applied at the manufacturing site, were successfully demonstrated during six manufacturing runs at a 250-gallon scale. The water measurements will be used as a forward-processing control point following distillation of a toluene product solution prior to use in a Grignard reaction. The most significant impact of using this NIRS-based process analytical technology (PAT) to replace off-line measurements is the significant reduction in the risk of operator exposure through the elimination of sampling of a severely lachrymatory and mutagenic compound. The work described in this report illustrates the development effort from proof-of-concept phase to manufacturing implementation.
Concerning Media Ecology
Authors: McLuhan Eric
Published: April 2014

The world, especially the West, is currently in the grip of the largest and grandest renaissance in all of human history, and the author contends that the situation should be of profound media ecological concern. Every imaginable corner of culture, arts, and sciences demonstrate evidence of the present ferment of discovery and rediscovery, rendered almost invisible by the presence and pervasiveness facilitated by electronic media. Electronic media have also engendered a shift toward nomadism—physical, cultural, and metaphysical. Media ecology, he asserts, has a duty to warn the public and legislators of the toxic side effects of new media/environments in the world’s cultures and societies, including our own. The author invites media ecologists to renew their fervour in efforts to understand and explain the services, disservices, and rearrangements in the scale and pace of life and culture and self that we make in accommodating ourselves to new technologies.
Grammar as Pedagogy
Authors: Zucker Marc
Published: April 2014

The author poses the argument that grammar be used as a basis for a pedagogical tool throughout all disciplines. Specific examples are chosen to highlight the ability of grammar to be used as a basis for reflection on language and beyond that as a pedagogical catalyst for reflective thought in any discipline. He shows that it is the students’ own intuitive grasps on the use of language that are the driving forces behind this approach.
Engaging, critical, entertaining: Transforming public service television for children in Denmark
Authors: Christensen Christa Lykke
Published: April 2014

This article offers a critical periodization of the children’s programming offered by Denmark’s primary public broadcaster, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). Through a careful analysis of content produced by DR and its youth section since 1951, the article argues that four distinct periods of children’s television can be identified, leading up to today’s competitive period. The article shows how Danish public service children’s TV has played an important role in the modernization of the view of children, serving as an experimental platform for putting the perspective of active and independent children on the agenda. The argument is that this agenda has been contested by the increased demands for entertaining content due to increased competition among TV channels and due to obeying demands for ever more content to complete programming schedules.
Alinhamento Estratégico e Indicadores de Desempenho: Um Estudo para a Integração de Processos de Gestão da Qualidade
Authors: Vianna William Barbosa
Published: April 2014

Resumo: O objetivo deste artigo é estruturar indicadores de características estratégicas para os processos de gestão da qualidade ambiental a partir de processos já implantados, com vistas a promover o alinhamento entre a gestão ambiental e a gestão estratégica da organização estudada. A metodologia utilizada emprega um Estudo de Caso, apoiado pela Análise Documental, com caráter exploratório, e tem a finalidade de identificar e estruturar os indicadores de qualidade ambiental a partir de processos de gestão já adotados na organização, quais sejam, 5S, SGQ (Sistema de Gestão da Qualidade), Certificações ISO 9000 e 14000 e SIG (Sistema Integrado de Gestão). Os resultados identificam indicadores in-line, off-line e on-line, que estavam implícitos ou localizados no nível operacional, que podem compor um instrumento de gestão e de controle do alinhamento estratégico que potencializa a postura da organização frente ao mercado consumidor.   Palavras-Chave: Administração Estratégica; Sistemas de Gestão da Qualidade; Indicadores de Desempenho.
Qualidade em serviços públicos de saúde: uma avaliação da estratégia saúde da família
Authors: Righi Angela Weber , Schmidt Alberto Souza , Venturini Jonas Cardona
Published: April 2014

Esta pesquisa objetivou avaliar a qualidade da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) através da mensuração da satisfação dos usuários em relação aos serviços prestados, identificando a relação entre esta satisfação e a percepção da qualidade pelos funcionários. Sendo assim, caracteriza-se como um estudo de caso, descritivo e quantitativo, desenvolvido junto a 606 usuários e 39 profissionais pertencentes a cinco unidades da ESF em um município da Região Central do Rio Grande do Sul, através de questionários baseados na Escala SERVQUAL. Como resultado obteve-se uma avaliação negativa da ESF por ambos os atores: usuários mostram-se insatisfeitos e profissionais caracterizam como inaceitável a qualidade dos serviços. Torna-se importante destacar que nenhum ponto foi avaliado como satisfatório ou de qualidade excelente. Este estudo contribuiu para análise e reorganização das práticas utilizadas atualmente pela ESF na prestação de seus serviços, tendo os aspectos aqui identificados como norteadores de ações de melhoria.
Evoluindo da cadeia de valor para cadeia de suprimentos
Authors: Santos Marciano Silva , Leite Maria Silene Alexandre , Lucena André Duarte , Junior Tarcisio Ferreira Grilo
Published: April 2014

Com a tendência das empresas concentrarem-se nas suas competências essenciais (core competences) e transferir a terceiros as demais atividades que antes eram executadas internamente em estruturas mais verticalizadas, a cadeia de valor das empresas tendem a assumir configurações estendidas e aumentar o número de empresas envolvidas na maioria das cadeias de suprimentos. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é mostrar como a cadeia de valor pode contribuir para a compreensão da formação da cadeia de suprimentos de uma empresa. Para este fim foi realizado um estudo em uma empresa do setor de comunicação e mídia, uma empresa do setor gráfico e outra do setor governamental. Ao final da pesquisa foi possível construir a cadeia de suprimentos da empresa focal a partir da análise de sua cadeia de valor, bem como do seu cliente e fornecedor mais relevante.
Avaliação da compatibilidade entre processos produtivos e os ecossistemas locais pela determinação da capacidade suporte dos recursos hídricos: um estudo de caso em Santa Cruz do Sul, RS
Authors: Costa Adilson Ben da , Dalberto Daiana
Published: April 2014

A presente pesquisa descreve a aplicação de métodos ecotoxicológicos para avaliar a capacidade de suporte do rio Pardinho, município de Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, frente ao lançamento de efluentes de diferentes origens: estação de tratamento de esgoto doméstico, frigorífico de suínos, indústria de alimentos (massas e biscoitos), indústria de curtimento de couro, indústria têxtil e lavanderia hospitalar. Os resultados obtidos permitiram identificar que em uma situação na qual qualquer um destes efluentes fosse lançado neste corpo receptor, mesmo que de forma isolada, resultaria em sérios prejuízos ambientais decorrentes de efeitos agudos e crônicos. A baixa vazão deste recurso hídrico reduz por conseqüência a sua capacidade de suportar impactos deste tipo, denunciando uma completa incompatibilidade entre as atividades geradoras destes resíduos e o ecossistema local. Assim, a alternativa para compatibilizar estes fatores passa pela otimização de processos industriais e a implantação de políticas voltadas ao reuso de águas no processo, de forma a minimizar o volume de efluente gerado e a sua ecotoxicidade.
Acreditação do laboratório de metrologia dimensional da universidade de Brasília, região centro-oeste do Brasil
Authors: Piratelli-Filho Antonio
Published: April 2014

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso envolvendo a acreditação de um Laboratório de Calibração da área de metrologia dimensional, pertencente à Universidade de Brasília, junto ao Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial (INMETRO). O laboratório localizado nesta Universidade Federal da região Centro-oeste brasileira, realiza calibração de instrumentos de medição de comprimento. A motivação para a acreditação tem origem na necessidade de reduzir as diferenças de desenvolvimento entre as regiões do Brasil, sendo que laboratórios inseridos nas Universidades tem um papel estratégico na sociedade, com um grande potencial para disseminar aspectos técnicos e organizacionais da qualidade. O desenvolvimento foi feito pela apresentação das exigências dos organismos de acreditação descritas pela Norma ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2005, sendo que as características intrínsecas e as ações implementadas no laboratório para atendimento a estes quesitos são descritos. A análise da demanda de serviços no laboratório nos últimos dez anos indicou uma tendência de crescimento, justificando a opção pela melhoria da qualidade dos serviços de calibração através da acreditação.
Avaliação do risco ambiental utilizando FMEA em um laticínio na região de Lavras – MG
Authors: Nogueira Amanda Cássia , Peres Alexandre de Paula , Carvalho Ellen Moraes
Published: April 2014

Uma metodologia que vem sendo paulatinamente empregada na avaliação do risco ambiental durante o processo produtivo é o FMEA (do inglês – Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), definida como uma ferramenta que busca em princípio, evitar ou minimizar as chances do produto ou processo falhar, aumentando assim a sua confiabilidade. Considerando que o impacto ambiental gerado por um laticínio apresenta diversos riscos em potencial, este método foi empregado na avaliação do risco ambiental durante o processamento de queijos em um laticínio da região de Lavras – MG. Um levantamento das entradas e saídas de cada operação do processo foi feito e as saídas que apresentaram risco ambiental foram analisadas utilizando-se um formulário para aplicação do método. Ações foram sugeridas de acordo com as mesmas, colaborando para a diminuição da probabilidade do risco ambiental gerado ocorrer à medida que estas ações foram sendo aplicadas, contribuindo para um processo mais sustentável e eficiente.
Avaliação longitudinal de conduta ambiental empresarial: uma proposta de método analítico quantitativo
Authors: Santos Ricardo Ribeiro , Silva Filho José Carlos Lázaro , Abreu Monica Cavalcanti Sá de
Published: April 2014

O artigo objetiva avaliar as condutas ambientais adotadas por uma empresa têxtil. A pesquisa foi elaborada a partir de um modelo teórico de estratégia ambiental, proposto por Abreu(2001, 2004) e também em trabalhos com seus colegas (ABREU et al., 2008). Com base neste modelo e na literatura sobre as pressões para uma proatividade ambiental (HUNT; AUSTER, 1990; HENRIQUES; SADORSKY, 1996, ARAGON-CORREA, 1998; BERRY; RONDINELLI,1998, BUYSSE; VERBEKE, 2003; GONZALEZ-BENITO; GONZALEZ-BENITO, 2003, 2006), propõe-se um método quantitativo baseado na mensuração das pressões percebidas e condutas adotadas pela empresa, validadas pela performance divulgada. Neste contexto, o artigo apresenta uma análise longitudinal das estratégias ambientais adotadas pela empresa têxtil no período de 1996 a 2006, através da definição de parâmetros quantitativos, motrando a evolução do seu perfil e a consistência do método, que corrobora a literatura sobre a conexão entre pressão e proatividade.