bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Big city blues
Authors: Hogan Trevor , Potter Julian
Published: April 2014

The advent of the ‘mega’ or world city seems inseparable from the ambivalent and transient experience of modernity – the ideals of liberty, individuality, property, accelerating progress, and, for many, the realities of immobility, anonymity, poverty, and arresting regression. When more than half of the global population pursues an existence within an urban frame, the densities and boundaries of urban spaces swell to fantastical proportions. With the vast increase in size, so the experiences and expectations of the city become more pronounced and profound. This introduction to this special issue of Thesis Eleven, ‘Big City Blues’, discusses the themes and stories of the articles below, which present different aspects of life in the metropolis. The over-stimulation of the desensitized urbanite, the wandering flâneur who fortifies him/her self against fragmenting pressures, the explosion of everyday peace into riots, the battles for political and social recognition of identity and property rights, and the financial meltdown of an entire municipal institution, are just some of the things that take place in the modern city, and are explored here.
Waste management in the Irkutsk Region, Siberia, Russia: Environmental assessment of current practice focusing on landfilling
Authors: Starostina Vlada , Damgaard Anders , Rechberger Helmut , Christensen Thomas H
Published: April 2014

The municipal waste management system of the region of Irkutsk is described and a life cycle assessment (LCA) performed to assess the environmental performance of the system. Annually about 500 000 tons of waste are managed. The waste originates from three sources: household waste (27%), commercial waste (23%) and office & institutional waste (44%). Other waste of unknown composition constitutes 6%. Only 3% of the waste is recycled; 97% of the municipal waste is disposed of at the old Alexandrovsky landfill. The environmental impact from the current system is dominated by the landfill, which has no gas or leachate collection system. The global warming contribution is due to the emission of methane of the order of 420 000 tons CO2-equivalents per year. Collection and transport of the waste are insignificant compared with impacts from the landfill. As the old landfill runs out of capacity in a few years, the LCA modelling showed that introduction of a new and modern landfill with gas and leachate collection could improve the performance of the waste management system significantly. Collection of landfill gas and utilization for 30 years for electricity production (gas turbine) would reduce the global warming completely and result in a net saving of 100 000 CO2-equivalents per year due to storage of biogenic carbon in the landfill beyond 100 years. Considering other first-order degradation rates for the landfilled organic matter did not overtly affect the results, while assumptions about the top cover oxidation of methane significantly affected the results. This shows the importance of controlling the gas escape from the landfill.
Environmental and economic analysis of end of life management options for an HDPE product using a life cycle thinking approach
Authors: Simões Carla L , Pinto Lígia M Costa , Bernardo CA
Published: April 2014

Manufacturers have been increasingly considering the implication of materials used in commercial products and the management of such products at the end of their useful lives (as waste or as post-consumer secondary materials). The present work describes the application of the life cycle thinking approach to a plastic product, specifically an anti-glare lamellae (used for road safety applications) made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE). This study shows that optimal environmental and economic outcomes associated with this product can be realized by recovering the material at the end of its useful life (end of life, EoL) and by using the recycled HDPE as a raw material in the production of new similar products. The study confirmed the applicability of the life cycle thinking approach by industry in sustainable products development, supporting the development of robust environmental and economic guidelines.
The Meaning of Respect in Romantic Relationships Among Low-Income African American Adolescents
Authors: Gowen L. Kris , Catania Joseph A. , Dolcini M. Margaret , Harper Gary W.
Published: April 2014

Although interpersonal respect is considered an important quality in successful romantic relationships, limited attention has been paid to this concept. We examined the meaning of respect in romantic relationships as conceptualized by low-income, sexually active, heterosexually identified, African American adolescents aged 15 to 17 ( N = 50). Qualitative analysis revealed meanings of respect within the romantic dyad that could be divided into three broad themes: (a) performance of pro-social behaviors within the dyad, (b) inhibition of antisocial behaviors (e.g., violence), and (c) showing respect in the community, either through avoidance of situations that might embarrass one’s romantic partner or performance of pro-social acts in public contexts (e.g., with friends or family). Gender, social class, and cultural differences in displays of respect and their interpersonal functions are discussed. A conceptual model is proposed both to understand the potential role that respect plays in adolescents’ lives and relationships and as a guide for future study.
New Immigrant Destinations in Small-Town America
Authors: Michaels Erin
Published: April 2014

Research on new immigrant incorporation and schooling inequalities has almost entirely neglected the experiences of schooling for children of immigrants in new destinations. Additionally, while the ethnographic literature on children of immigrants focuses on high school students, recent studies show that patterns of minority achievement deficit become set in significant ways by middle school. Using participant observation, this study investigates the experiences of immigrant and second-generation Mexican American youth in a small-town Pacific Northwest junior high school in order to understand their low academic achievement when compared with the U.S.-born Anglo youth at the school. Building on the segmented assimilation model and stratification literature on minority youth in school, this study finds that the school community marginalizes Mexican American students. This study highlights how marginalization in school for Mexican American youth is not limited to the urban high school setting, and that school factors across different contexts persist in creating academic disadvantage for Mexican American youth and especially for boys.
Citizenship Denied: The Racialization of Muslim American Men and Women post-9/11
Authors: Selod Saher
Published: April 2014

The racialization of Muslim Americans is examined in this article. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 48 Muslim Americans reveal they experience more intense forms of questioning and contestation about their status as an American once they are identified as a Muslim. Because Islam has become synonymous with terrorism, patriarchy, misogyny, and anti-American sentiments, when participants were identified as Muslims they were treated as if they were a threat to American cultural values and national security. Their racialization occurred when they experienced de-Americanization, having privileges associated with citizenship such as being viewed as a valued member of society denied to them. This article highlights the importance of gender in the process of racialization. It also demonstrates the need for race scholarship to move beyond a black and white paradigm in order to include the racialized experiences of second and third generations of newer immigrants living in the USA.
Self-Transcendence and Medication Adherence in Older Adults With Hypertension
Authors: Thomas Nezbile F. , Dunn Karen S.
Published: April 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between self-transcendence and medication adherence among older adults prescribed antihypertensive medication. Design: Descriptive, correlational research design. Method: Forty-six older adults who were prescribed antihypertensive medications from an independent living facility participated in this study. Participants were given a survey that included a demographic questionnaire, the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, and Reed’s Self-Transcendence Scale. Findings: No significant relationship was found between medication adherence and self-transcendence ( r = −.20, p = .18). Ninety percent of the participants however, admitted to cutting back or stopping their medication without notifying their providers. Conclusion: Continued investigation is needed to identify reasons why older adults fail to adhere to taking prescribed hypertension medications in order to improve health outcomes in this population.
Young people’s employment: Protection or participation?
Authors: Gasson N Ruth , Calder James E , Diorio Joseph A , Smith Anne B , Stigter Julie R
Published: April 2014

Childhood is socially constructed, and constructions influence perceptions of appropriate work for young people. This article investigates New Zealand parents’ perspectives on young people’s involvement in paid work. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, and the International Labour Organisation C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973, intended to protect young people, embody constructions of them as vulnerable. We argue that policymakers should consider how these constructions are reflected in legislation and international treaties and take account of research addressing the likely consequences of minimum working age legislation when they decide whether to ratify the Minimum Age Convention, 1973.
‘Mum cleaned it and I just played with it’: Children’s perceptions of their roles and responsibilities in the care of family pets
Authors: Muldoon Janine C , Williams Joanne M , Lawrence Alistair
Published: April 2014

Understanding how best to nurture children’s respect for, and care of, other living beings is a concern within education and animal welfare science. Relationships with individual animals are often seen as a ‘bridge’ to caring about the broader environment (of people, animals and ecosystems). However, little is known about children’s actual care of the animals they know best. Focus groups explored 7- to 13-year-olds’ caring activities and sense of responsibility to care for family pets, with findings highlighting the strong influence of parental roles and restrictions, the significance of play as a form of care and reluctance to take responsibility.
Child protection, adolescence and paediatric HIV health-care practices: The enforcement of the passage from adolescence to adulthood
Authors: Boulton Richard
Published: April 2014

This article presents a discussion about the clinical referral of a paediatric HIV patient to outside child protection services as an attempt to make her adhere to antiretroviral medicine. It draws on the difficult case of Andrea, observed at a paediatric HIV clinic. I argue that child protection enforces the line between adolescence and adulthood by intervening into patient lives under the rationale that child patients are vulnerable and not capable of making informed life choices. Child protection contradicts clinical policies that attempt to make patients responsible adults before leaving the paediatric ward by alienating adolescents towards services.
Research on a probabilistic assessment method based on defective casing safety evaluation criteria in thermal recovery wells
Authors: Zhu XH , Sun RQ , Tong H
Published: April 2014

Due to the fact that the complexity of loads and uncertainties of random variables affect the reliability of defective casings, with consideration to the disadvantages of the deterministic approach, in this paper a probabilistic assessment method is employed based on previously established safety evaluation criteria for casings with corrosion defects in thermal recovery wells. In addition, Monte Carlo simulation is proposed to analyze the casing reliability under different remaining strengths. Sensitivity analysis is then performed to rank the influence of various variables for casing failure, and finally the influence law of the main parameters on the maximum Von Mises stress of defective casing is summarized.
Reliability-based design optimization of electromagnetic shielding structure using neural networks and real-coded genetic algorithm
Authors: Gargama Heeralal , Chaturvedi Sanjay K , Thakur Awalendra K
Published: April 2014

The conventional approaches for electromagnetic shielding structures’ design, lack the incorporation of uncertainty in the design variables/parameters. In this paper, a reliability-based design optimization approach for designing electromagnetic shielding structure is proposed. The uncertainties/variability in the design variables/parameters are dealt with using the probabilistic sufficiency factor, which is a factor of safety relative to a target probability of failure. Estimation of probabilistic sufficiency factor requires performance function evaluation at every design point, which is extremely computationally intensive. The computational burden is reduced greatly by evaluating design responses only at the selected design points from the whole design space and employing artificial neural networks to approximate probabilistic sufficiency factor as a function of design variables. Subsequently, the trained artificial neural networks are used for the probabilistic sufficiency factor evaluation in the reliability-based design optimization, where optimization part is processed with the real-coded genetic algorithm. The proposed reliability-based design optimization approach is applied to design a three-layered shielding structure for a shielding effectiveness requirement of ∼40 dB, used in many industrial/commercial applications, and for ∼80 dB used in the military applications.
Material tailoring in functionally graded rods under torsion
Authors: Liaghat F , Hematiyan MR , Khosravifard A
Published: April 2014

Material tailoring in functionally graded isotropic hollow rods of arbitrary cross section under torsion is studied. The purposes of material tailoring pursued in this paper are divided into two categories. In the first category, we find the variation of the volume fractions of constituents of a functionally graded member under torsion to obtain an appropriate distribution of shear stress over the cross section. In the second category, the torsional rigidity of a rod with a pre-defined mass is maximized by appropriate determination of the variation of constituents of the functionally graded material. Hollow rods are studied in this paper since they have higher torsional rigidity compared to solid members with the same mass. Meshless numerical methods are used for torsional analysis of the cross sections. Moreover, numerical optimization methods are used for material tailoring of the rods. Several examples with different cross sections are presented to investigate the usefulness of the proposed technique on achieving the mentioned purposes.
A novel approach for stochastic finite element model updating and parameter estimation
Authors: Ma Tianzheng , Zhang Yimin , Huang Xianzhen
Published: April 2014

The traditional deterministic finite element updating only deals with a single specified structure. However, it is conceivable that uncertainties such as the geometric tolerances and physical properties of the material, will lead to the variability of the structural behaviors for a panel of nominally identical structures. In this case, we have to resort to the stochastic finite element updating approach to handle the problem. Based on the stochastic perturbation method, a new framework of stochastic finite element updating using data from modal test is proposed in this paper. The efficiency of updating is improved through dividing the updating procedure into two independent parts: the deterministic part updating and the stochastic part updating. The Bayesian statistical method is employed to improve the estimation accuracy of stochastic part updating. Two numerical examples are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method.
An energy-saving hydraulic servo system with safety consideration for pipe fatigue tests
Authors: Xu Bing , Cheng Min , Yang Huayong , Zhang Junhui
Published: April 2014

This article proposes an energy-saving hydraulic servo control system to output axial tension forces under cyclical disturbances in pipe fatigue tests. A hydraulic accumulator and a single-chamber control method were utilized to recover the energy generated by the external disturbance. For the increased potential hazard of pipe fracture in the proposed system, a parameter selection method was discussed, which also considered desired force control accuracy and low energy consumption. A proportional–integral–derivative controller with a model-based feedforward compensator was designed to achieve good force control performance. The mathematical and simulation models of the proposed system were established, and the simulation results indicated that the proposed system could achieve the desired force control accuracy. The energy consumption of the proposed system could be reduced by 71.0% in contrast to that of the traditional system in a case study. Also, the simulation results indicated that the control performance was robust to uncertainties of the disturbance noises, the effective bulk modulus, the internal leakage coefficient of the cylinder and the adiabatic gas rate.
The Social Brain
Authors: Dunbar R. I. M.
Published: April 2014

The social-brain hypothesis refers to a quantitative relationship between social-group size and neocortex volume in monkeys and apes. This relationship predicts a group size of approximately 150 for humans, which turns out to be the typical size of both social communities in small-scale societies and personal social networks in the modern world. This constraint on the size of social groups is partly cognitive and partly temporal. It gives rise to a layered structure in primate and human social groups that, in humans, reflects both emotional closeness in relationships and the frequency of contact. These findings have potentially important implications for the way in which human organizations are structured.
Sources of Ostracism
Authors: Zadro Lisa , Gonsalkorale Karen
Published: April 2014

Until recently, researchers in the field of ostracism (i.e., the act of being excluded and ignored) have focused on investigating this phenomenon from the perspective of targets (i.e., the ostracized person). Although this has yielded important discoveries about the consequences of being ostracized, very little is known about the nature and consequences of being a source of ostracism (i.e., the ostracizer). This article reviews the current ostracism research pertaining to sources and outlines the immediate consequences of ostracizing. Also explored are the key challenges that researchers must overcome to ensure that ostracism is investigated from the perspective of both targets and sources.
The Co-Evolution of Concepts and Motivation
Authors: Delton Andrew W. , Sell Aaron
Published: April 2014

Does the human mind contain evolved concepts? Many psychologists have doubted this or have investigated only a narrow set of concepts (e.g., object, number, cause). Does the human mind contain evolved motivational systems? Many more assent to this claim, holding that there are evolved motivational systems for, among other tasks, social affiliation, aggressive competition, and avoiding predation. An emerging research program, however, reveals that these are not separate questions. Any evolved motivational system needs a wealth of conceptual structures that tether the motivations to real-world entities. For instance, what use is a fear of predators without knowing what predators are and how to respond to them effectively? As we illustrate with case studies of cooperation and conflict, there is no motivation without representation: To generate adaptive behavior, motivational systems must be interwoven with the concepts required to support them and cannot be understood without explicit reference to those concepts.
Why Is Infant Language Learning Facilitated by Parental Responsiveness?
Authors: Tamis-LeMonda Catherine S. , Kuchirko Yana , Song Lulu
Published: April 2014

Parents’ responsiveness to infants’ exploratory and communicative behaviors predicts infant word learning during early periods of language development. We examine the processes that might explain why this association exists. We suggest that responsiveness supports infants’ growing pragmatic understanding that language is a tool that enables intentions to be socially shared. Additionally, several features of responsiveness—namely, its temporal contiguity, contingency, and multimodal and didactic content—facilitate infants’ mapping of words to their referents and, in turn, growth in vocabulary. We close by examining the generalizability of these processes to infants from diverse cultural communities.
Why Is Avoidance Motivation Problematic, and What Can Be Done About It?
Authors: Roskes Marieke , Elliot Andrew J. , De Dreu Carsten K. W.
Published: April 2014

Avoidance motivation has been associated with a wide range of negative psychological consequences, such as performance decrements, resource depletion, and reduced well-being, particularly in the long run. Here, we discuss the processes underlying these negative consequences. We put forward a research agenda, suggesting how knowledge of these processes can be translated into strategies that reduce the negative consequences of avoidance motivation. We propose and review initial support for three such strategies: (a) removing stressors, (b) providing structure and focus, and (c) creating opportunities to replenish and reinvigorate.
Statistical Analyses of Single-Case Designs
Authors: Shadish William R.
Published: April 2014

Single-case-design researchers rarely used statistics in the past, but that is changing. In this article, I review the rapidly developing state of statistical analyses for single-case designs, including effect sizes, multilevel models, and Bayesian analyses. No analysis meets all the desiderata for an optimal single-case-design analysis, but this may be remedied in the near future. Single-case-design researchers will have incentives to use these analyses as they become more user-friendly and beneficial.
African Students in India: Why is their Interest Declining?
Authors: Lavakare P.J. , Powar K.B.
Published: April 2014

Higher Education Systems throughout the world are in the process of internationalisation, with institutions wanting to attract increasing number of international students to their campuses. Unfortunately, in India, in spite of our traditional ties with African nations, the African student population coming to India is declining. India needs to be concerned about this development. The article analyses the possible reasons for this decline and recommends measures for attracting more African students to India through greater cooperation between African and Indian Governments and Universities. The India–Africa Forum of the Government of India has to include higher education as a major sector for cooperation in the future.
Internal and External Political Dynamics Influencing Lesotho’s Foreign Policy
Authors: Mahlakeng M.K. , Solomon Hussein
Published: April 2014

Due to the globalised nature of the world, the political foreign policies of landlocked states (LLS) have been affected, resulting in landlocked countries lagging behind their maritime neighbours in the overall development. Within the notion of landlocked states, it is important to note that there is a difference between states surrounded by the territory of only one other state, which can be defined as ‘enclaves’, and those that have several other states to engage with. The problems of enclaves are more delicate and serious than those of non-enclave LLS. Their mere economic existence, leading to political existence, may depend heavily upon the benevolence of their encircling neighbours.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave landlocked, independent parliamentary constitutional monarchy, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. The tiny landlocked country, covering 30,355 square kilometres, has been subject to both internal and external political issues. Lesotho has had numerous forms of government, coups and internal political factions, which have hindered political development and stability. Detrimental to its economy, sovereignty and political power was the 1998 South African - Southern African Development Community (SADC) military intervention. The article explores these issues.
Macroeconomic Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Transformation in Nigeria, 1981–2010: An Empirical Evidence
Authors: Yohanna Panshak
Published: April 2014

Foreign direct investment is identified as a major catalyst of economic growth and transformation in developing economies of the world including Nigeria given the investment–savings gap. Over the years, Nigeria has witnessed sustained increase in foreign direct investment in the economy. It is however worrisome that it has not been able to transform the economy to any significant level. Consistent efforts have been made by successive governments in Nigeria that focus on policies that would attract foreign direct investment into the economy but the impact has been dismal. Consequently, the country is still characterised by a high level of unemployment, unstable prices, low per capita income, exchange rate volatility, external imbalances and prevalence of a poverty situation. This article aims at determining the macroeconomic determinants of foreign direct investment and its impact on economic transformation in Nigeria. Secondary data for the period 1981–2011 was used for the investigation. Time series estimates are obtained using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) methodology which includes: stationary and co-integration tests. It was discovered that market size (GDP), human capital (HCAP), infrastructural development (INFRADEV), inflation (CPI) and index of energy consumption (IEC) are positively related to foreign direct investment in Nigeria. Unstable exchange rates (NEXR), interest rate (INT), under developed financial sector (BSTCR) and low per capita incomes have had negative impact on Foreign Direct Investment in the economy. The research recommends increase in energy consumption through regular supply of electricity, increase in GDP, development of human capital and a critical infrastructure to create a competitive and conducive business environment as well as reduction of exchange rate instability, interest rate distortions and development of the financial sector for a meaningful transformation of the Nigerian economy.
Terrorism in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Missing Data
Authors: Lutz Brenda J. , Lutz James M.
Published: April 2014

Although the situation is improving, terrorist incidents in sub-Saharan Africa appear to have been underreported in the media and under recorded in the existing database. This situation results in part from the fact that media coverage of events in other parts of the world has been greater. Media outlets in Africa are fewer and less well-funded. It also has been dangerous to cover groups involved in terrorism. Some data is unreported because conventional definitions of terrorism exclude activities sponsored or tolerated by governments that should be included for the region (and other regions of the world as well). Terrorism has been less frequent because dissidents in the region can still rely on ‘ coups d’etat’, insurgencies and guerrilla activity to achieve political power; thus, they do not have to rely on terrorism as a primary technique.
West Africa’s Terrorist Challenge and the Dynamics of Regional Response
Authors: Maiangwa Benjamin
Published: April 2014

West Africa’s trajectory to democratisation and sustained socio-economic development has, since the end of the Cold War, been hamstrung by various forms of violence ranging from bloody civil wars, sectarian conflicts, coup d’états and secessionist insurgency. While some of these conflicts have to an extent been managed through the various interventions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the region is still stifled by emerging security threats, especially as new waves of terrorism threaten the legitimacy and territorial integrity of some member states, with more obvious and painful evidence in Nigeria and Mali. Against this background, this article will explore the terrorist challenges in Nigeria and Mali in order to establish an identifiable trend and their regional linkages with other Al-Qaeda elements in the Sahel and the Maghreb. The article assesses the capacity of a regional response and argues for more security cooperation among West African governments through the coordination of ECOWAS and the long-term support of the African Union and the international community.
Book Review: Lata Leenco, Peacekeeping as State Building: Current Challenges for the Horn of Africa
Authors: Prasad Tribhuwan
Published: April 2014

Lata Leenco, Peacekeeping as State Building: Current Challenges for the Horn of Africa, The Red Sea Press, Ewing Township, USA, 2012, $20, pp. 160, ISBN 978-1569023532.
Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease Among Asian Indians Living in Australia
Authors: Fernandez Ritin , Rolley John X. , Rajaratnam Rohan , Sundar Subbaram. , Patel Navin C , Davidson Patricia M.
Published: April 2014

The aim of this study was to assess the coronary heart disease risk factors in the Asian Indian community living in a large city in Australia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Australia India Friendship Fair in 2010. All people of Asian Indian descent who attended the Fair and visited the health promotion stall were eligible to participate in the study if they self-identified as of Asian Indian origin, were aged between 18 and 80 years, and were able to speak English. Blood pressure, blood glucose, waist circumference, height, and weight were measured by a health professional. Smoking, cholesterol levels, and physical activity status were obtained through self-reports. Data were analyzed for 169 participants. More than a third of the participants under the age of 65 years had high blood pressure. Prevalence of diabetes (16%) and obesity (61%) was significantly higher compared with the national average. Ten women identified themselves as smokers. Physical activity patterns were similar to that of the wider Australian population. The study has provided a platform for raising awareness among nurses and promoting advocacy on the cardiovascular risk among Asian Indians. Strategies involving Asian Indian nurses and other Asian Indian health professionals as well as support from the private and public sectors can assist in the reduction of the coronary heart disease risk factors among this extremely susceptible population.
Use of the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) to Predict Iranian Women’s Intention for Vaginal Delivery
Authors: Hajian Sepideh , Shariati Mohammad , Mirzaii Najmabadi Khadijeh , Yunesian Masoud , Ajami Mohammad Ismail
Published: April 2014

Purpose: To explicate whether knowledge, perception of health threat, efficacy, and personal beliefs act as predictors for women’s intention to have a normal vaginal birth. Design: The study uses a mixed approach. Simultaneously, 290 pregnant women who visited prenatal clinics completed the study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire based on Witte’s extended parallel process model and four focus groups, respectively. Results: Women perceived lower risk but higher levels of efficacy. Perceived self-efficacy, severity, and response efficacy were identified as significant predictors of intention to experience vaginal birth. Participants’ insufficient knowledge and misconceptions about birth methods were dominant. Two major themes were identified and divided into negative and positive beliefs about vaginal birth. Discussion: The extended parallel process model provides a useful framework to assess women’s intention to have a vaginal birth, especially when it is combined with a qualitative approach. Within Iranian women, self-confident mothers are more likely to intend to deliver vaginally. Implication for Further Practice: Prenatal care provides an opportunity for nurses and midwives to explore mothers’ beliefs and intended childbirth method prior to offering medical intervention.
Cross-Cultural Differences and Sexual Risk Behavior of Emerging Adults
Authors: Thomas Tami L. , Yarandi Hossein N. , Dalmida Safiya George , Frados Andrew , Klienert Kathleen
Published: April 2014

Purpose: The authors examined population-specific risk factors that increase emerging adults’ risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including the human papillomavirus (HPV). Design and Method: A cross-sectional sample of 335 diverse, emerging adults ages 18 to 24 years was recruited from a health center at a large university in the Southeastern United States. The mean age was 20.6 ± 1.9 years, majority were females (74.0%), and 61.0% were Hispanic. Results: Findings revealed inconsistent condom use, reasons for not using condoms, and a need for more culturally specific intervention strategies. Discussion and Conclusions: Healthcare providers should identify culturally specific reasons for inconsistent condom use, examine cultural and geographic differences in sexual risk behaviors among groups and communities, and modify communication, educational programs, and interventions accordingly. Implications for Practice: By adopting a multicultural approach to the control of STIs, nurses can address specific cultural attitudes and behaviors that may influence exposure to STIs, including HPV.
Exploring the Quality of Systematic Reviews on Pharmacist Interventions in Patients With Diabetes
Authors: Aguiar Patricia Melo , Brito Giselle de Carvalho , Correr Cassyano Januario , Lyra Júnior Divaldo P. , Storpirtis Silvia
Published: April 2014

Objective: To assess the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies on pharmacist interventions in patients with diabetes. Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Scopus, and LILACS databases for systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies published from January 1990 to June 2013. The standardized search strategy included the use of MeSH terms or text words related to pharmacist interventions, diabetes, and systematic reviews. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The overview included systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish that evaluated the effect of pharmacist intervention on outcomes for diabetic patients. Two independent authors performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment with a consensus process to address disagreements. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklists were used to assess reporting characteristics and methodological quality, respectively. Data Synthesis: The literature search yielded 101 records of potential interest, of which 7 satisfied the inclusion criteria. The total average (SD) for PRISMA and AMSTAR scores were 17.4 (5.6) out of 27 and 6.9 (2.0) out of 11, respectively. The most frequent problems included nonregistration of study protocol, absence of a list of excluded studies, and unclear acknowledgment of conflicts of interests. Conclusion: The reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies were suboptimal, with some areas needing further improvement. It is necessary to ensure better transparency and reproducibility in the literature of clinical pharmacy services for diabetic patients.
Nonlinear aeroelastic characterization of wind turbine blades
Authors: Bichiou Y , Abdelkefi A , Hajj MR
Published: April 2014

A nonlinear aeroelastic characterization of wind turbine blades is performed. A two-dimensional aerodynamic model based on the quasi-steady approximation is coupled with a plunging and pitching blade section. The governing nondimensional equations are derived. The normal form of the Hopf bifurcation is derived and used to characterize the behavior of the system. Using linear analysis, it is demonstrated that, as the blade radius and/or operating rotational speed are increased, wind turbine blades become more susceptible to flutter at freestream velocities that are close to the cut-out speed. The nonlinear analysis, based on the normal form of the Hopf bifurcation, shows that, depending on the nonlinear structural parameters and initial conditions, subcritical instability may take place which means that high limit-cycle oscillation amplitudes may take place at freestream velocities that are lower than the linear flutter speed.
Lagochilascariasis in cats (Felis catus domesticus) in southern Brazil
Authors: Fehlberg Marta F , da Silva Diego S , Langone Patrícia Q , da Silva Maria AMP , Pesenti Tatiana C , Mascarenhas Carolina S , Gomes Sâmara N , Gallina T , Mendes Mariana de M , de Macedo Márcia RP , Bernardon Fabiana F , Berne Maria EA , Müller Gertrud
Published: April 2014

Lagochilascariasis, a parasitic disease little known in Brazil, is caused by an ascarid nematode that has a peculiar life cycle, with a predilection site for the cervical region in the final hosts: humans, cats and dogs. We aimed to record the occurrence of Lagochilascaris minor in domestic cats from rural areas in the Municipality of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, with reports of clinical signs and the treatment applied.
Bicultural bilinguals
Authors: Grosjean François
Published: April 2014

Although the terms “bicultural” and “bilingual” are often seen together in the same text, there is very little work that attempts to encompass them into one reality, bicultural bilinguals. This paper takes up a number of themes that pertain to bicultural bilinguals, most notably how they are described in the literature, how they become both bilingual and bicultural, and how their languages and cultures wax and wane over time. Other aspects discussed are their linguistic and cultural behaviour as bicultural bilinguals, how they identify themselves both linguistically and culturally, as well as their personality as bicultural bilinguals. An effort is made whenever possible to bridge the gap between the two components that make up bicultural bilinguals – the linguistic and the cultural – and to show how the questions that interest linguists when studying bilinguals can be taken up and adapted by researchers examining cultural issues, and vice versa.
Using electronic health record systems to optimize admission decisions: The Creatinine case study
Authors: Ben-Assuli Ofir , Shabtai Itamar , Leshno Moshe
Published: April 2014

Many medical organizations have implemented electronic health record (EHR) and health information exchange (HIE) networks to improve medical decision-making. This study evaluated the contribution of EHR and HIE networks to physicians by investigating whether health information technology can lead to more efficient admission decisions by reducing redundant admissions in the stressful environment of emergency. Log-files were retrieved from an integrative and interoperable EHR that serves seven main Israeli hospitals. The analysis was restricted to a group of patients seen in the emergency departments who were administered a Creatinine test. The assessment of the contribution of EHR to admission decisions used various statistical analyses and track log-file analysis. We showed that using the EHR contributes to more efficient admission decisions and reduces the number of avoidable admissions. In particular, there was a reduction in readmissions when patient history was viewed. Using EHR can help respond to the international problem of avoidable hospital readmissions.
Migrating concepts: Immigrant integration and the regulation of religious dress in France and Canada
Authors: Lépinard Eléonore
Published: April 2014

Religion in general, and Islam in particular, has become one of the main focal points of policy-making and constitutional politics in many Western liberal states. This article proposes to examine the legal and political dynamics behind new regulations targeting individual religious practices of Muslims. Although one could presuppose that church–state relations or the understanding of secularism is the main factor accounting for either accommodation or prohibition of Muslim religious practices, I make the case that the policy frame used to conceptualize the integration of immigrants in each national context is a more significant influence on how a liberal state approaches the legal regulation of individual practices such as veiling. However, this influence must be assessed carefully since it may have different effects on the different institutional actors in charge of regulating religion, such as the Courts and the legislature. To assess these hypotheses I compare two countries, France and Canada, which are solid examples of two contrasting national policy frames for the integration of immigrants.
An emerging eco-habitus: The reconfiguration of high cultural capital practices among ethical consumers
Authors: Carfagna Lindsey B , Dubois Emilie A , Fitzmaurice Connor , Ouimette Monique Y , Schor Juliet B , Willis Margaret , Laidley Thomas
Published: April 2014

Bourdieu’s concept of habitus describes a set of tastes and dispositions operating according to a class homology – for example, a working-class preference for utility, or a bourgeois orientation toward luxury. In the United States, Holt found that high cultural capital consumers were characterized by their cosmopolitanism, idealism, connoisseurship, and affinity for the exotic and authentic. In this article, we use Holt’s analysis as a comparative case, finding an altered high cultural capital habitus incorporating environmental awareness and sustainability principles, in a configuration that has been called ethical or “conscious consumption.” Using both quantitative survey data of self-described conscious consumers as well as four qualitative case studies, we argue that ethical consumers are overwhelmingly high cultural capital consumers, and that high cultural capital consumption strategies have shifted since Holt’s study in the mid-1990s. We show that on a number of dimensions – cosmopolitanism, idealism, and relation to manual labor – a new high cultural capital consumer repertoire privileges the local, material, and manual, while maintaining a strategy of distinction. While the critical literature on conscious consumers has suggested that such practices reflect neo-liberal tendencies that individualize environmental responsibility, our findings suggest that such practices are hardly individual. Rather, they are collective strategies of consumption – what we have termed an emerging high cultural capital “eco-habitus.”
Teaching style and attitudes towards Facebook as an educational tool
Authors: Prescott Julie
Published: April 2014

There is a distinct lack of research that has considered university staff use of and attitudes towards Facebook. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of how teaching staff at one UK university use Facebook, and their attitudes towards Facebook and online professionalism, in terms of the student–staff relationship. An online survey was developed that included the Principles of Adult Learning Scale to explore whether attitudes towards the use of Facebook as an academic tool differed between teaching staff with a teacher-centred style and teaching staff with a learning-centred style. This article offers insight into teaching staff attitudes towards the use of Facebook in an educational context. The results shed light on whether or not teaching style is related to attitudes towards use. Differences in attitude were found which indicate those with a teacher-centred style do not view online and offline identities blurring as much.
A focus on students’ use of Twitter – their interactions with each other, content and interface
Authors: Prestridge Sarah
Published: April 2014

In their advertising campaigns, universities depict students using computers, laptops, mobile phones, iPads and tablets as learning devices. Regardless of the marketing used, there is value in enlisting the advantages of any medium that can aid deep thinking and increase student engagement. This study offers new knowledge about conceptualising Twitter as a knowledge construction tool leveraged through mobile devices. A qualitative approach was conducted to investigate the learning outcomes of students’ use of Twitter when it was implemented as a learning device. The use of Twitter was investigated to provide insight into the ways students and instructors interacted in this environment, how the content was made active and how the functionality of the tool and its conceptualisation impedes and/or supports the learning process. The results indicate that student-initiated interaction supported by instructor use of participatory pedagogies enables substantive dialogue through Twitter and that paraphrasing was the most common way students made learning active.
COMMUNI-CARE: Assessment tool for reactions and behaviours of patients with dementia in a multisensory stimulation environment
Authors: Lopez José Javier Blanco , Bolívar Juan Carlos Cejudo , Perez Manuel Sánchez
Published: April 2014

Background

The ‘Snoezelen’ is an approach based on stimulation and sensory stimulation proposals, giving priority to the notion of caretaking. The aim of this paper is to present the creation and validation of the COMMUNI-CARE scale. This is a new tool that allows for an evaluation of the psycho-emotional well-being that the patient with dementia shows in a ‘Snoezelen’ multisensory stimulation environment.

Methods

In total 429 evaluations in 143 multisensory stimulation interventions were made using the COMMUNI-CARE scale, in 16 patients between 53 and 85 years of age, diagnosed with moderate to severe dementia. The goal was to evaluate the psycho-emotional well-being the patients present.

Results

The tool’s internal consistency showed a Crombach alpha of 0.90. The concurrent validity between the COMMUNI-CARE scale and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) was of r = −0.961. The Kappa index used to determine the reliability between evaluators was of K = 0.87.

Conclusions

The COMMUNI-CARE scale fulfills the basic principles of classic psychometrics of construct, and criterion validity and reliability. It does so while showing a clear idea, through its five subscales (anxiety, communication, pleasure, adaptation to the surroundings and affection), of the degree of well-being that the patient with dementia shows during such interventions. This scale embodies, through psychometrics, a very subjective human experience with a tool unavailable to date.