bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Legal Protection for Fundamental Rights and Freedoms: European Lessons for Australia?
Authors: Jones Timothy H
Published: January 2019

The adequacy of the legal protection given to fundamental rights and freedoms is a topic of concern in both Australia and Britain, two jurisdictions which share a common legal heritage. Both have witnessed extensive debates in recent times about the desirability or otherwise of a Bill of Rights designed to protect human rights.
Constitutional Brokerage in Australia: Constitutions and the Doctrines of Parliamentary Supremacy and the Rule of Law
Authors: Kinley David
Published: January 2019

Constitutional commentators have long been troubled by the question as to whether the notion of the rule of law operates, on the one hand, as a conduit for the expression of the supreme legislative authority of Parliament, or, on the other (at least to some degree) independently of, and thereby potentially in conflict with, parliamentary supremacy. As an alternative to both of these suggestions it might be held that according to the circumstances, the notion of the rule of law is capable of portraying both of these characteristics. Curiously, relatively little has been written on this specific issue in relation to Australia. The attention directed towards the vexed questions of the nature and extent of the federal division of powers in Australia (admittedly, themselves issues not unrelated to the present concern) has marginalised interest in the nature of legislative authority in Australia. “The one legal doctrine”, it has been recently proclaimed, “that Australian and other Commonwealth lawyers are never taught to question (or perhaps are taught never to question) is A V Dicey's theory of parliamentary omnipotence”.
Cross-dialectal Awareness and Use of the Bath-Trap Distinction in Singapore: Investigating the Effects of Overseas Travel and Media Consumption
Authors: Starr Rebecca Lurie
Published: January 2019

Lay observers and linguists have claimed that ongoing phonological and lexical changes in Singapore English may be attributed to increased exposure to American English via media consumption (Poedjosoedarmo 2000; Deterding 2007; Leow 2011). Little is known, however, regarding Singaporeans’ explicit knowledge of the dialect features of other regions, and how this knowledge is shaped by social and parasocial contact. The present study investigates a well-known difference among regional English dialects: the realization of vowels in the bath and trap lexical sets. 1167 Singaporeans are surveyed regarding their own pronunciation of bath and trap words, as well as their perceptions of how these words are pronounced in California and London. While Singaporeans are found to generally retain a conservative bath-trap distinction, media consumption and travel experience, as well as gender and education level, have significant impacts on reported use. Explicit knowledge of the US bath-trap merger is found to be poor relative to the high US media consumption rate, illustrating the limits of media as a source of sociolinguistic knowledge. Contrasting sharply with the rise of postvocalic rhoticity, reluctance to adopt the bath-trap merger is argued to stem from both functional and ideological factors; conservatism in this feature complicates proposals of a wholesale Americanization of Singapore English.
Making Organizations More Inclusive: The Work of Belonging
Authors: Bryer Alice
Published: January 2019

As corporate discourses of ‘openness’ and ‘inclusion’ become increasingly ubiquitous, an important task for organization studies today is identifying how actors might make their organizations more inclusive. The paper aims to understand why and how practices that often embody the exclusionary aspects of organizations could develop to foster a sense of belonging. Studying alternative organizations, such as cooperatives and social movements, where the members may often be more willing and able to develop such practices, could offer lessons about the possibilities and pitfalls of organizational belonging and inclusion more generally. The paper focuses on discussions of financial targets and budgets, practices that confront the members with tensions between their social aims and the need to survive in a competitive market, and that may enact capacities to work through these and other related difficulties. A case of a Spanish cooperative, analysed using a Latourian anthropological approach, demonstrates two main contributions. First, it builds positively on critical assessments of the pitfalls of corporate constructions of belonging, which seek employee commitment despite persistently exclusionary practices. The case demonstrates how the practical work of belonging can enable organizations to become more inclusive and ‘liveable’. Second, it shows that organizational practices are neither inherently exclusionary, nor intrinsically inclusive. Their role depends on the context and specific socially orientated abilities among the members, which can develop through their interactions with budgets.
Identifying precontact ceramic resource areas in the boreal forest of northern Manitoba, Canada
Authors: Fowler Kent D , Shabaga Brandi , Brownlee Kevin , Fayek Mostafa
Published: January 2019

The objective of this study is to better understand how people gained resources to make Middle and Late Woodland pottery from Sipiwesk Lake in northcentral Manitoba. To meet this objective, we conducted petrographic analyses of sediments from Sipiwesk Lake, archaeological sherds from sites around the lake, material from outwashes, fired experimental tiles, and sherds from archaeological sites across the boreal forest ecozone and the prairie ecozone in the south-central and south-western regions of the province. Specimens from each sample were examined using optical petrography, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Nine distinct fabrics (fired pastes) were identified by correlating the results of these analytical techniques. Each fabric can be considered a “paste recipe” that has local, regional, or pan-regional distributions. Local and regional distribution patterns redefine what “local” production means for mobile hunter-gather communities when the distances people travel for regular and routine seasonal activities are considered. This new model challenges exchange as an explanation for the spatial distribution of pottery. Expanding the range of exploitable distance thresholds for resource acquisition is alone enough to explain why the same pottery compositions would be found over vast areas incorporating one or more river systems. We further suggest that pan-regional recipes resulted from similar practices that served to add, remove, and/or alter the properties of nonplastics in clays. Such practices could potentially frustrate pottery provenience analysis, and we urge further research on the production of experimental pastes and the application of geochemical analyses to precontact Manitoba pottery.
Pakistan’s Forgotten Founders: A Case Study Of Sikander Hyat-Khan
Authors: Sheehan Jeanne M.
Published: January 2019

Many nations have a short list of celebrated founders, while the contributions of many others are lost in history. An intriguing example of this narrowcasting of founders is Pakistan, where the dominant tendency has been to attribute the nation’s founding to just one man, the Quaid-i-Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The legacy of Jinnah, however, should not overshadow the contributions of his contemporaries, particularly those on the losing side of key debates or contested issues at the time. Applying lessons from research on lost founders of the USA to the case of Pakistan, this article reconceptualises what it means to be a founder. It considers why some people make the list and others do not, and then presents a case study underscoring why the words and example of one of Pakistan’s forgotten founders, Sikander Hyat-Khan, should be remembered today.
Rural Unemployment in Gujarat and West Bengal
Authors: Dutta Subrata
Published: January 2019

Based on NSSO data sets, this study covers the period from 1993 to 2010 and focuses on a comparison of rural unemployment in Gujarat and West Bengal, chosen because of their contrasting characteristics. In the past few decades, Gujarat has emphasised growth through modern industrial production, while under a different ideological regime, West Bengal aimed to achieve agricultural growth, land reform and more egalitarian patterns of agricultural incomes. Recent evidence suggests that meanwhile Gujarat’s agriculture has registered high growth in output during 2000–08, while West Bengal has failed to kick off industrialisation, despite making some pressing efforts. The article clearly identifies the limited scope for agriculture to provide full employment for all young rural people in India. However, given the important role of the agricultural sector in safeguarding national food security, it becomes obvious that apart from careful attention to agricultural developments, sustainable alternatives to traditional agricultural employment need to be activated. The concluding section therefore considers various policy options for tackling the risks of rural unemployment and underemployment in India.
A controlled study analyzing the temporal activity patterns of individuals with stroke compared to healthy adults
Authors: Yavuz Tatlı İbrahim , Semin Akel Burcu
Published: January 2019

Introduction

The understanding of the temporal pattern of individuals can add a wider perspective to interventions. Therefore, the present study is aimed toward analysis of the temporal activity pattern of individuals with stroke compared to healthy adults.

Method

This study is a prospective, case–control, analytic research study. The study sample comprised 50 individuals with stroke and 50 individuals without disease, for 80% power with a 5% type 1 error. The Modified Occupational Questionnaire was administered to assess the temporal activity pattern. Individuals identified the activities performed at each hour of the day and data was analyzed.

Results

The temporal activity pattern of individuals with stroke differed from healthy controls; education and play activities were not part of stroke participants’ daily routines. Also, participation in work, leisure and social participation activities was significantly different for people with stroke compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.01 ). The study group assigned very low values to the activities; the value perceived by individuals differed significantly between groups ( p < 0.01 ).

Conclusion

Clinicians are in a position to enable individuals’ time use and help to engage them in meaningful activity. Individuals with stroke may benefit from a program focusing on the temporal aspect of activities.
Anaesthetic Machine and Breathing System Contamination and the Efficiacy of Bacterial/Viral Filters
Authors: Hogarth I.
Published: January 2019

Contamination of the anaesthetic machine and breathing system by the environment and by patient exposure has been shown to occur. Outside the intensive care setting, however, it is difficult to demonstrate that the anaesthetic machine and breathing system are a vector for patient cross-infection. Bacterial and viral filters for use within the breathing system have been shown to be very effective for filtration, yet their use has not been demonstrated to be of benefit in the prevention of cross-infection between patients. Several instances of patient morbidity are a direct consequence of filter use. The use of bacterial/viral filters may represent another step towards defensive medical practice.
Revision of the Anaesthetic Aspects of an Infection Control Policy following Reporting of Hepatitis C Nosocomial Infection
Authors: Knoblanche G. K.
Published: January 2019

Following the report by the N.S.W. Health Department of five cases of nosocomial hepatitis C infection allegedly caused by contaminated circuitry, a revision of the existing infection control policy was undertaken. Review of the existing policies of other organizations and the published scientific data in this area was the basis of the revision. The final policy as it pertains to anaesthesia requires universal precautions, disposal or decontamination and high level disinfection of instruments and apparatus that come into contact with patients or blood or body substances and protection of the breathing circuit by a filter with disposal or high-level disinfection of all parts of the circuit not so protected for every patient.
An Intersection Database Facilitates Access to Complex Signalized Intersections for Pedestrians with Vision Disabilities
Authors: Guth David A. , Barlow Janet M. , Ponchillia Paul E. , Rodegerdts Lee A. , Kim Dae Shik , Lee Kevin H.
Published: January 2019

A growing number of intersections and crosswalks pose barriers to pedestrians with vision disabilities. This project investigated the effects of providing verbal descriptions of intersections and crosswalks on the performance of street-crossing subtasks by individuals who are totally blind. The authors designed an intersection database containing information relevant to crossing subtasks such as finding and aligning with the crosswalk, deciding when to cross, remaining in the crosswalk, and recognizing the end of a crossing. The authors conducted an experiment with 22 blind adults at two intersections in Portland, Oregon. The intersections included crosswalks that varied widely in geometric and operational characteristics, including the presence or absence of accessibility features. In the no database condition, participants used their typical street-crossing procedures. In the database condition, participants additionally listened to database-generated descriptions of the intersections and crosswalks before crossing. The database descriptions had significant positive effects on some subtasks (primarily “crossing” subtasks such as deciding when to cross) and not others (primarily “wayfinding” subtasks such as remaining in the crosswalk). Participants’ reports of the usefulness of specific features of the database were supported by the empirical findings. Implications of the findings for database development, transportation engineers, blind pedestrians, and orientation and mobility specialists are discussed.
Integrated Safety and Operational Analysis of the Access Design of Managed Toll Lanes
Authors: Saad Moatz , Abdel-Aty Mohamed , Lee Jaeyoung , Wang Ling
Published: January 2019

Managed lanes (MLs) have been implemented as a vital strategy for traffic management and traffic safety improvement. The majority of previous studies involving MLs have adopted a limited scope of examining the effect of MLs segments as a whole, without considering the safety and operational effects of the design of access to the MLs. In the study, several scenarios were tested using microscopic traffic simulation to determine the optimal access design while taking into consideration accessibility levels and weaving lengths. The studied accessibility levels varied from one to three along the studied network. Both safety (i.e., speed standard deviation, time-to-collision, and conflict rate) and operation (i.e., level of service, average speed, average delay) performance measures were included in the analysis. Tobit models were developed for investigating the factors that affect the safety measures. ANOVA and LOS calculations were used to evaluate traffic operation. The results of the safety and operational analysis suggested that one accessibility level is the optimal option in the nine-mile network. A weaving length between 1,000 feet and 1,400 feet per lane change was suggested based on the safety analysis. In addition, from the operation perspective, a weaving length between 1,000 feet and 2,000 feet per lane change was recommended. The results also showed that off-peak periods had better safety and operational performance (e.g., lower conflict rate, less delay) than peak periods. This study has major implications for improving MLs by recommending the optimal accessibility level and weaving length near access zones.
Atypical Clinical Presentations of Pediatric Acute Immune-Mediated Polyneuropathy
Authors: Yosha-Orpaz Naama , Aharoni Sharon , Rabie Malcolm , Nevo Yoram
Published: January 2019

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in children. During the acute phase, the disorder can be life-threatening by involving the respiratory muscles and the autonomic nervous system. Nevertheless, the prognosis is good, and most children achieve full recovery. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical and electrophysiologic findings in children with Guillain-Barré syndrome referred to a tertiary center in Israel. A retrospective database review from 2009 to 2015 identified 39 children. Data on clinical presentation, respiratory complications, and long-term neurologic outcomes were collected. Atypical clinical findings at admission included asymmetric weakness in 23%, nonascending weakness in 30%, and normal deep tendon reflexes in 28%. Eight children were later diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). Electrophysiologic findings, available in 12 patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, revealed acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) in 4 (33.5%), AIDP with secondary axonal changes in 3 (25%), and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) subtype in 4 (33.5%); 8% had no abnormal findings. On follow-up, 71% of the children with Guillain-Barré syndrome fully recovered compared to 14% of the children with CIDP. Corresponding rates of neurologic sequelae were 29% and 86%. Clinicians should be alert to the atypical presenting symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome, which occur in a significant proportion of children.
Prevalence and Predictors of Violence Against Women in Pakistan
Authors: LaBore Kathryn , Ahmed Tooba , Rizwan-ur-Rashid  , Ahmed Rashid
Published: January 2019

Violence against Pakistani women occurs at an alarming prevalence that reflects a significant risk to the health of women and families. Understanding violence against women in Pakistan comes with methodological and cultural complexities. Many of the studies examining prevalence and predictors of violence against women tend to utilize convenience samples contributing to the possibility of an inflated prevalence. Due to the patriarchal family structure and cultural context, domestic violence is normalized resulting in extremely low reporting rates. The present study utilizes a sample of ever-married Pakistani women collected across five provinces to shed light on the prevalence and predictors of women that experience domestic violence (emotional or physical abuse). Data were obtained from the 2012-2013 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey including a large sample of Pakistani women from five provinces (Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Gilgit Baltistan). Binary Linear regressions were conducted to examine how intrinsic variables (age, education, region, urban/rural, type of marital relationship, and wealth) predicted experiencing emotional or physical abuse from one’s husband within the past year. Approximately, 20% of women endorsed experiencing physical violence and 28% endorsed experiencing emotional violence. Results found that educational level, wealth, and type of marital relationship were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing some form of physical or emotional violence. Implications from this study support policy interventions aimed at education within the family, linking women with resources, and continued investment in the education of young women. Interventions would be best targeted in low wealth regions with a special emphasis on rural areas.
Polarization and the Politics of Education: What Moves Partisan Opinion?
Authors: Houston David M.
Published: January 2019

This study explores the conditions under which polarization and depolarization occur with respect to public opinion on education issues. I analyze experimental and nonexperimental survey data to gauge the effects of informational and experiential stimuli on education policy preferences. I focus on heterogeneous effects by political party identification that result in increased or decreased polarization. I find evidence that the provision of education spending data has depolarizing consequences, but the effects of ideologically moderate policy endorsements vary by issue and year. I also find tentative evidence in favor of a link between having children in the household and reduced polarization.
Can performing happy childhood be an occupational skill required of students?
Authors: Lanas Maija
Published: January 2019

School takes part in producing childhood through its requirements for students. Becoming a student takes place in the intersections of various power-related discourses. This article explores how the idea of a proper student becomes discursively produced. It is based on how one Finnish girl’s perception of herself as a proper student changed as her life circumstances changed. The article concludes by suggesting that a significant occupational skill for a student may be the skill of performing happy childhood.
A Tight Spot: How Personality Moderates the Impact of Social Norms on Sojourner Adaptation
Authors: Geeraert Nicolas , Li Ren , Ward Colleen , Gelfand Michele , Demes Kali A.
Published: January 2019

How do you navigate the norms of your new culture when living abroad? Taking an interactionist perspective, we examined how contextual factors and personality traits jointly affect sojourners’ adaptation to the host-country culture. We hypothesized that tightness (strong, rigidly imposed norms) of the host culture would be associated with lower levels of adaptation and that tightness of the home culture would be associated with higher levels of adaptation. Further, we proposed that the impact of tightness should be dependent on personality traits associated with navigating social norms (agreeableness, conscientiousness, and honesty-humility). We analyzed longitudinal data from intercultural exchange students ( N = 889) traveling from and to 23 different countries. Multilevel modeling showed that sojourners living in a tighter culture had poorer adaptation than those in a looser culture. In contrast, sojourners originating from a tighter culture showed better adaptation. The negative effect of cultural tightness was moderated by agreeableness and honesty-humility but not conscientiousness.
Tension coordination control of double-rope winding hoisting system using hybrid learning control scheme
Authors: Chen Xiao , Zhu Zhencai , Shen Gang , Li Wei
Published: January 2019

Tension difference between ropes due to asynchronous hoisting, guide rail tilt, and friction jam restricts the application of double-rope winding hoisting systems that have high-security requirement. In this article, a hybrid adaptive iterative learning control scheme is presented for a double-rope winding hoisting system driven by permanent magnet synchronous motor systems. First, based on the discrete model of the wire rope, the mathematical model of the system is established. Subsequently, in order to reduce the tension difference of the wire ropes under impact, a hybrid control scheme based on iterative learning control and radial basis function neural network is proposed to improve the performance of the controller. A radial basis function neural network–based adaptive law is developed to compensate the uncertainties of the movable headgear sheave subsystem, and radial basis function neural network–based switching gains are applied to improve the disturbance compensation speed of the iterative learning controller. Stability of the overall closed-loop system under proposed controller is proved. Finally, the experimental results show that the proposed controller is effective and has better performance than traditional controllers.
A novel confidence interval for a single proportion in the presence of clustered binary outcome data
Authors: Short Meghan I , Cabral Howard J , Weinberg Janice M , LaValley Michael P , Massaro Joseph M
Published: January 2019

Estimating the precision of a single proportion via a 100(1−α)% confidence interval in the presence of clustered data is an important statistical problem. It is necessary to account for possible over-dispersion, for instance, in animal-based teratology studies with within-litter correlation, epidemiological studies that involve clustered sampling, and clinical trial designs with multiple measurements per subject. Several asymptotic confidence interval methods have been developed, which have been found to have inadequate coverage of the true proportion for small-to-moderate sample sizes. In addition, many of the best-performing of these intervals have not been directly compared with regard to the operational characteristics of coverage probability and empirical length. This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to calculate coverage probabilities and empirical lengths of five existing confidence intervals for clustered data across various true correlations, true probabilities of interest, and sample sizes. In addition, we introduce a new score-based confidence interval method, which we find to have better coverage than existing intervals for small sample sizes under a wide range of scenarios.
More accurate cancer-related excess mortality through correcting background mortality for extra variables
Authors: Touraine C , Grafféo N , Giorgi R ,   and the CENSUR working survival group
Published: January 2019

Relative survival methods used to estimate the excess mortality of cancer patients rely on the background (or expected) mortality derived from general population life tables. These methods are based on splitting the observed mortality into the excess mortality and the background mortality. By assuming a regression model for the excess mortality, usually a Cox-type model, one may investigate the effects of certain covariates on the excess mortality. Some covariates are cancer-specific whereas others are variables that may influence the background mortality as well. The latter should be taken into account in the background mortality to avoid biases in estimating their effects on the excess mortality. Unfortunately, the available life table might not include such variables and, consequently, might provide inaccurate values of the background mortality. We propose a model that uses multiplicative parameters to correct potentially inaccurate background mortality. The model can be seen as an extension of the frequently used Estève model because we assume a Cox-type model for the excess mortality with a piecewise constant baseline function and introduce additional parameters that multiply the background mortality. The original and the extended model are compared, first in a simulation study, then in an application to colon cancer registry data.
Intravesical Administration of Xenogeneic Porcine Urothelial Cells Attenuates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cystitis in Mice
Authors: Huang Chi-Ping , Chen Chi-Cheng , Tsai Yi-Tung , Wu Chun-Chie , Shyr Chih-Rong
Published: January 2019

The urothelium of the bladder, renal pelvis, ureter and urethra is maintained through the regulated proliferation and differentiation of urothelial stem and progenitor cells. These cells provide a rich source of a novel urothelial cell therapy approach that could be used to protect, regenerate, repair and restore a damaged urothelium. Urothelial injury caused by physical, chemical and microbial stress is the pathological basis of cystitis (bladder inflammation). The loss of urothelial integrity triggers a series of inflammatory events, resulting in pain and hematuria such as hemorrhage cystitis and interstitial cystitis. Here we investigate a novel cell therapy strategy to treat cystitis by protecting the urothelium from detrimental stresses through intravesically instilling porcine urothelial cells (PUCs) into the bladder. Using a chemical-induced urothelial injury mouse model of cyclophosphamide (CPP)-induced hemorrhagic cystitis, we determined how the intravesical instillation of PUCs could protect the urothelium from toxic attack from CPP metabolites. We show that intravesical PUC instillation protected the bladder from toxic chemical attack in mice receiving CPP with reduced inflammation and edema. Compared with the vehicle control mice, the proliferative response to chemical injury and apoptotic cells within the bladder tissues were reduced by intravesical PUC treatment. Furthermore, the urothelium integrity was maintained in the intravesical PUC-treated group. After xenogeneic PUCs were introduced and adhered to the mouse urothelium, immunological rejection responses were observed with increased neutrophil infiltration in the lamina propria and higher immune-related gene expression. Our findings provide an innovative and promising intravesical PUC cell therapy for cystitis with urothelial injury by protecting the urothelium from noxious agents.
Eccentric loading of a 25-m long composite column subjected to a combination of axial compression and transverse gravity loading using a horizontal test method
Authors: Gaarder RH , Smith J , Welgaard Øyvind , Brovold Ivar , Duus André
Published: January 2019

This article presents a feasibility study where fibre-reinforced structural elements are assembled into long slender columns using adhesive bonding. The columns are intended to be part of an externally guyed high-voltage transmission tower where they are subjected to a combination of compressive and transverse loads. The article has shown that 25-m long poles can be made with small tolerances in both angularity and concentricity. Previous published scientific work on buckling of composite columns was applied to predict the behaviour of the pole as it was being loaded in compression to 1200 kN or within 5% of its critical load in a bespoke horizontal test jig. The confidence in the material, the structural elements, the analysis method and the quality of the test equipment has shown that there is a potential in further optimization of the structure that will ultimately be a part of a high-voltage composite tower.
Robert Furchgott (1916-2009): A scientist with a mission
Authors: Rubin Ronald P.
Published: January 2019

Robert Furchgott was first noted for research on drug–receptor theory, autonomic neuroeffector mechanisms, and vascular pharmacology/physiology. His studies on drug–receptor interactions provided important knowledge about the properties of drug receptors long before methodologies were developed to study them directly. However, Furchgott achieved an enduring legacy for recognizing the importance of endothelial cells for the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. On the basis of his own experiments and those of others, he proposed that acetylcholine interacted with muscarinic receptors at the surface of endothelial cells to release a substance called endothelium relaxing factor. Endothelium relaxing factor was later identified as nitric oxide, a colorless, odorless gas. Furchgott’s discovery of an entirely new mechanism by which blood vessels dilate revolutionized studies on the physiology of the vascular system. His work also suggested new treatments for hypertension and heart disease, and was a key factor in the development of the anti-impotence drug sildenafil. In 1998, Robert Furchgott shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ferid Murad and Louis Ignarro.
Understanding Central Asia’s Security and Economic Interests
Authors: Joshi Nirmala , Kumari Kamala
Published: January 2019

Central Asia has always been at the centre of global power play, due to its geographic location in the centre of Eurasia and its abundant natural resources that have attracted world attention. It has, however, been caught in the vortex of international politics. An interplay of globalisation, technology and geopolitics is evident in the evolving Eurasian politics. Connectivity projects, rail, road and energy pipelines are criss-crossing the region. Its geographical proximity to Afghanistan—part of its geopolitical space—impinges on its efforts to build peace and stability. Regional cooperation is gradually taking shape in Central Asia and holds the promise of their status as independent entities.

As Afghanistan is crucial for them, as well as for the world at large, understanding the security and economic issues of Central Asia becomes important. This article apart from highlighting the security and economic interests would also delineate the challenges accompanying these issues keeping the potential perspective in mind.
Plunging Into a Dark Sea of Emotions: Professionals’ Emotional Experiences Addressing Child Abuse in Interviews With Children
Authors: Albaek Ane Ugland , Binder Per-Einar , Milde Anne Marita
Published: January 2019

Comprehending professionals’ emotional challenges when addressing child abuse can help to improve identification, protection, and care for exposed children. This study presents an interpretive description analysis of qualitative interviews with ten child protective services workers and nine child mental health services psychologists in Norway. The participants described intense negative reactions due to addressing child abuse during assessments and investigations. We identified five main themes: (a) facing children’s suffering caused by adults, (b) feeling mean, (c) doubting one’s ability and skills, (d) feeling that one is betraying children, and (e) being obstructed by heavy workload and dysfunctional structure. To improve professionals’ capacity to help exposed children, it is necessary to change the organizational structure and culture. In addition, professionals would benefit from systematic training in handling complexity and in efficient emotion regulation. Finally, we strongly suggest that institutions responsible for investigating child abuse facilitate and prioritize deliberate practice for their staff.
Compassion Satisfaction Among Camp Counselors: A Pilot Study
Authors: Stanfield M. Hunter , Baptist Joyce
Published: January 2019

Background: The intense nature of the camp experience and the unique role of camp counselors can be a rewarding experience for camp counselors and campers alike. However, to experience compassion satisfaction necessitates evaluation of a number of factors that may enhance or decrease compassion satisfaction. Purpose: To better understand the camp counselor experience of compassion satisfaction, this study examined the factors of self-compassion, self-care activities, stress, values progress, values obstruction, and burnout on compassion satisfaction. Methodology/Approach: Data from 27 female camp counselors ( Mage = 20.33 years, 92.59% White/Caucasian, 85.18% undergraduate students) were collected 4 times over a 10-week period. A series of Bayesian linear regressions was conducted to examine the effect of these variables on compassion satisfaction. Findings/Conclusions: Compassion satisfaction was best explained by a combination of burnout ( M = −0.67, 95% credible interval [CRI] = –[0.88, −0.48]), self-care activities ( M = 0.38, 95% CRI = [0.10, 0.65]), and stress ( M = 0.14, 95% CRI = [0.01, 0.26]). Implications: Factors such as burnout, self-care activities, and stress contribute both negatively and positively on camp counselor compassion satisfaction. Suggestions for how to address each are addressed in addition to the importance of training interventions to enhance camp counselor compassion satisfaction.
Nurturing School Culture and Raising Academic Achievement through Dialogue: A Case Study in Middle School Reform
Authors: L'Esperance Mark , Strahan David , Farrington Vernon
Published: January 2019

The school and everybody in it is like one big bowl of J ell-0; if you touch it, the whole thing jiggles.
Leadership and Inclusion: Reculturing for Reform
Authors: Doyle Lynn H.
Published: January 2019

It [inclusion] probably has some merit to it. If I were a parent, I certainly would be an advocate for it. On the other hand, as a regular ed teacher, I wouldn't get too excited about it&. For the most part, I have not been a strong advocate for inclusion&. I've seen some cross-categorical, self-contained models that work well, and some resource models that work well; I just haven't seen that many inclusion models that were successful.

—public school principal
Courage, Passion, and Vision: Leading Systemic School Improvement
Authors: Duffy Francis M.
Published: January 2019

There is nothing more difficult, more perilous, or more uncertain of success, than to take the lead in introducing a new order of things.

—Machiavelli
Positioning as Regional Hub of Higher Education: Changing Governance and Regulatory Reforms in Singapore and Malaysia
Authors: Mok Ka Ho
Published: January 2019

With strong intention to enhance the global competitiveness of their university systems, the Singapore and Malaysia governments have made attempts to develop their societies into regional hubs of education. Specifically, they have invited foreign universities to set up their campuses to offer academic programs or to establish private institutions creating more opportunities of higher learning. In the last decade, reforms have been introduced to the higher education sectors in Singapore and Malaysia, particularly when corporatization and incorporation strategies are adopted to transform national (public) universities. This article discusses, first, what major strategies the governments of Singapore and Malaysia adopted to reform their university governance and, second, how their aspiration to become a regional hub of education is realized.
Exporting Hong Kong's Higher Education in Asian Markets: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
Authors: Cheung Alan Chi Keung , Yuen Timothy Wai Wa , Yuen Celeste Yuet Mui
Published: January 2019

With the rapid growth and expansion of the Asian economies in recent years, there has been a continued rise of students in Asia who are studying outside their home countries. This study attempts to highlight the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Hong Kong's higher education in relation to its potential of being a regional education hub in Asia. The article concludes by examining the implications for the Hong Kong government and the higher education sector in their seeking to capture these increasingly growing Asian markets.
Perspectives on Addressing the Literacy Needs of Low-Functioning Individuals with Autism
Authors: Morse Timothy E.
Published: January 2019

Autism is a spectrum disorder characterized, in part, by core social communication skill deficits. Consequently, educators seek to develop interventions that address these and closely related skills, such as literacy. Accordingly, this article focuses on basic issues that pertain to designing and implementing appropriate educational programs that address the literacy needs of one segment of the autism spectrum: individuals with the disorder who have been characterized as being low functioning. Issues include the following: appropriate definitions of literacy for this population, historical approaches to this population's literacy instruction, opportunities for literacy skill development within an instructional program based on recommended evidence-based practices, and ongoing impediments to appropriate literacy instruction and practical solutions.
Student Injuries and Negligence: Lessons from the International Scene with Implications for Singapore's Educators
Authors: Teh Kim
Published: January 2019

Many jurisdictions are showing a trend of school-related negligence cases being taken to court. This article explores the legal principles applied by the courts in England, Australia, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand to ensure the safety of students in schools. As we look at the developments in these countries, we can see student injury issues that appear all too familiar in Singapore. How other jurisdictions are handling these episodes may provide useful pointers for Singapore's school administrators. The article concludes with the first reported case in Singapore of an allegation of negligence by a school resulting in personal injury, and it offers some helpful hints for averting legal risks.
Education for All and National Legislation
Authors: Singh Kishore
Published: January 2019

Right to education, which is an integral part of UNESCO's constitutional mission of ensuring “full and equal opportunities for education for all,” is at the core of the Education for All process. While reforming education polices as part of this process, many countries have modernized and developed national legislation, often with technical assistance provided by UNESCO. As a strategic objective of Education for All, doing so strengthens foundations of the right to education in national legal systems. It brings to light the fundamental principle of the equality of educational opportunities, enshrined in UNESCO's Convention Against Discrimination in Education, a key pillar of Education for All.
Teachers Tattling on Teachers: Policy Attitude and Tenure's Influence on Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior
Authors: Richardson Brian , Wheeless Lawrence R.
Published: January 2019

Teachers’ cheating on high-stakes standardized tests is a serious problem for public schools. This study examined the influence of school tenure and policy attitudes about standardized testing on teachers’ decisions to report a peer for violating testing protocol. In sum, 330 Texas school teachers responded to a survey that included a scenario depicting a teacher violating standardized testing protocol. Analysis of variance revealed that teachers with negative and moderate attitudes about standardized testing were less likely to report their peers than were those with positive attitudes about standardized testing. Implications of these findings include the important role that attitudes play in one's decision to report a peer for violating policy. The article concludes with limitations—which include the nonuse of random sampling and the reliance on a vignette rather than an actual situation—as well as directions for future research.
The Weaknesses and Shortcomings of the Junior High School in Israel: Some Insights into Grade Configurations of Educational Systems
Authors: Oplatka Izhar , Tubin Dorit
Published: January 2019

The current study aimed to explore the weaknesses of the junior high school system in Israel, a country whose first junior high schools (Grades 7–9) were established in the early 1970s and whose educational system differs from the systems of Europe and North America in terms of structure, ideology, and control. Based on semistructured interviews with role incumbents in the junior high school system, the study found major difficulties in areas such as student behavior, student achievements, personal attention, interschool transition, resources, clear policy, and so forth. Implications for the planning of grade configurations worldwide are suggested.
The Promises and Challenges of Implementing Humanistic Pedagogy in the Curriculum of Hong Kong Kindergartens
Authors: Lau Grace
Published: January 2019

This article reports on two case studies of teachers’ managing the challenges associated with gaining acceptance for child-centeredness curriculum practices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. These teachers intended to respond to the newly published Guide to the Preprimary Curriculum (Education and Manpower Branch, 2006) by adopting a more humanistic pedagogical approach in their teaching and learning practices. The research revealed a gap between what the teachers expected as promises associated with the teaching practices and the actual challenges they faced while implementing the humanistic curriculum. Implications of these findings, both the challenges and the promises, are discussed to provide references for practitioners in the field, namely by explaining what worked for the teachers and what did not when readjusting their ideal school-based curriculums. The reactions of the practitioners to educational reform in England and Sweden are discussed as cross-reference to the findings of the research.
In Patience and Hope: A 20-Year Narrative Study of a Family, School, and Community Partnership
Authors: Higgins Ann , Deegan James G.
Published: January 2019

This case study describes a 20-year journey of educational transformation from 1985 to 2005 in a bellwether, or highly developed, instance of one school, family, and community partnership—the Kileely Community Project— situated in a large social housing project in Limerick City in the Midwestern region of the Republic of Ireland. The study is a narrative account of how a declining elementary school struggled against the odds to become a vibrant community learning center. Guided by a mix of feminist emancipatory research and socioecological and social capital theories, the study yielded findings on the hidden potential of patience combined with hope as a catalyst for changing the ways that learners learn and teachers teach, for building commitment to sustainable learning, for working for change in community teams through collective intelligence, for building a capacity for change and risk, and for fostering trust and respect in relationships. Implications are discussed for the development, growth, and sustainability of family, school, and community partnerships.
Implementing Active Learning Reform in the Maldives: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Di Biase Rhonda
Published: January 2019

Many countries are adopting child-centered active learning reforms as they strive to improve the quality of primary education. Consistent challenges can be found in the implementation of similar, global reforms. These issues are discussed here within the following framework: the cultural appropriateness of such reforms; the extent to which active learning is understood and implemented; the inconsistencies between active learning and test-driven assessment; the training and preparation of teachers for the changing pedagogy; and the availability and use of learning resources that support active learning. This article examines these challenges and potential solutions in the Maldivian context.
A Triumphant Global Crusade of Contemporary Era: The Impact of the English Language on Education
Authors: Sinagatullin Ilghiz M.
Published: January 2019

Contemporary humankind is witnessing the spread and impact of the English language on the global educational space. Such an influx is occurring irrespective of people's objective or subjective will. English has become a vital means for accessing and acquiring information and knowledge about the world. It promotes the reformation of language policies in a considerable number of non-English-speaking countries, and it facilitates the international exchange of students, teachers, and faculty. The current epoch is prompting us to take a cross-cultural look at the phenomenon of the English language and how it elicits the reorganizations of educational matters on both sides of the Gulf Stream. It is exactly what I seek to examine and analyze in this study.
Comprehensive Special Education Programming for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States
Authors: Morse Timothy E.
Published: January 2019

As the identification of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to increase unabated, there exists a need to provide school personnel with information they can use for the purpose of designing and implementing appropriate comprehensive programs for these students. Accordingly, this article identifies and discusses comprehensive special education programming issues that school personnel in the United States must address on behalf of students with ASD—namely, student identification and program planning procedures as put forth in federal legislation and titled the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004, teacher training, core elements of effective school programs for students with ASD, and the evidence-based practice movement. That public schools in the United States allow universal access to its children, the country's comprehensive service delivery approach is worthy of consideration by others throughout the world who have a stake in developing school-based services for students with ASD.