bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
13. Ka Aïom Ksiar – Season of Gold
Authors: Tham Soso
Published: April 2018

Soso Tham wrote Ki Sngi Barim U Hynñiew Trep for his people and this exposition has been and will always be the poet speaking, exhorting and even pleading with his people. Nowhere is this made more clear than in the closing verses. He harks back to the shared myth of inherited beginnings and legends, to the presence of hope and joy and to the two moral pillars supporting the fabric of Khasi society – Truth and Justice. His pride in his homeland never wanes but apprehension and doubt are never silenced. That which he has tried to reclaim and rebuild is still under threat: Uncertain the journey of our people, our land. However, his own belief in the homeland that has long cradled him and the messages of renewal evident in Nature reassert their force reawakening hope and optimism. He ends with a collective prayer of thanksgiving, a renewing of vows and a vision of joyous abandon before making a natural transition to the end of his own earthly journey and his arrival in the House of God where he will seek out his beloved mother – i Mei – the acknowledged heart beating at the centre of the Khasi world.
Shine on Me: Industry Coherence and Policy Support for Emerging Industries
Authors: Georgallis Panayiotis (Panikos) , Dowell Glen , Durand Rodolphe
Published: April 2018

Although the emergence of new industries is often attributed to state support, little is known about the conditions under which an emergent category of organizations comes to receive state support in the first place. We theorize how government support for a nascent industry is jointly determined by the industry’s internal features and external forces and test our arguments by analyzing feed-in tariff policies for the emergent solar photovoltaics (PV) industry in 28 European countries from 1987 to 2012. We find that feed-in tariffs—policies that incentivize renewable energy—were more likely in countries with greater numbers of solar PV producers and where the industry was more coherent, containing fewer producers coming from industries with a contrasting identity, such as fossil fuels. Further, we find that the concentration of the incumbent (rival) energy sector in a given country enhances the effect of the number of PV producers on government policy support, but only when the emerging industry has a coherent identity. Our results shed new light on the relationship between public policy and the emergence of an industry category, and they extend our understanding of how new industries can attain valuable state support while operating in seemingly hostile environments.
The Rise of Socially Responsible Investment Funds: The Paradoxical Role of the Financial Logic
Authors: Yan Shipeng , Ferraro Fabrizio , Almandoz Juan (John)
Published: April 2018

Socially responsible investing (SRI) is gaining traction in the financial sector, but it is unclear whether the dominant financial logic complements or competes with the social logic in the founding of SRI funds. Based on insights we gained from observation at an Asian SRI industry association, interviews with SRI professionals in the U.S. and Europe, and other fieldwork, we questioned explanations for SRI’s conflicted relationship with the financial logic. Our observations prompted us to build a panel database of SRI fund foundings from 1970 to 2014 in 19 countries so that we could examine how a dominant logic interacts with alternative logics to promote or stifle institutional change. We decomposed the financial logic into interdependent dimensions as the provider of means (resources, practices, and knowledge) for novel financial ventures to be founded and the enforcer of profit-maximizing ends that constrain such foundings. Our theory suggests a paradoxical role for the financial logic, which explains an intriguing empirical finding: the founding of SRI funds has a curvilinear, inverted-U-shaped relationship with the prevalence of the financial logic. We propose and find that the relationship between the dominant financial logic and the social logic of SRI shifts from complementary to competing as the financial logic becomes more prevalent in society and its profit-maximizing end becomes taken for granted. We examined how certain alternative logics—those of unions, religion, and green political parties—moderate these effects. Our results shed light on how and to what extent institutional change can occur in fields in which one institutional logic is dominant. They also reveal country-level institutional factors that drive SRI.
Experience with newer central nervous system autoantibodies
Authors: Karim AR , Jacob S
Published: April 2018

In the last decade, a large number of neuronal cell-surface antibodies have been described which are responsible for a range of neuroimmunological central nervous system disorders. Unlike the paraneoplastic antibodies which target intracellular antigens, these antibodies appear to be pathogenic and hence identification and prompt treatment can make a substantial impact on clinical outcomes of these patients. We review the common antibodies against the ionotropic glutamate receptors (NMDAR, AMPAR), metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1 and mGluR5), voltage-gated potassium channel-complex proteins (LGI1, CASPR2), and other antibodies targeted against glycine receptor, glutamic acid decarboxylase, gamma-amino butyric acid B, dopamine-2-receptor and dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6.
Biochemistry of the menopause
Authors: Honour John W
Published: April 2018

The life of a human female is characterized from teenage years by monthly menstruation which ceases (the menopause) typically between the age of 40 and 60 years. The potential for reproduction declines and ceases as the ovaries become depleted of follicles. A transition period in mid-life, for 2 to 10 years, when menstruation is less regular is called the perimenopause. The menopause is associated with a significant decline in plasma concentrations of sex hormones, an increase in the concentrations of the gonadotrophins and changes in other hormones such as the inhibins. These changes are superimposed with effects of aging, social and metabolic factors, daily activity and well-being. Although the menopause is entirely natural, in some cases ovarian failure can occur earlier than usual; this is pathological and warrants careful biochemical investigations to distinguish it from conditions causing infertility. Elderly females are affected by a range of clinical disorders including endocrine, cardiovascular, skeletal, urogenital tract and immunological systems, body mass, vasomotor tone, mood and sleep pattern. Reference intervals for many diagnostic biochemical tests for the menopause need to be used when interpreting results in clinical investigations for patient management. The standardization and harmonization of assays are being addressed. Many women now choose to develop their career before bearing children, and the health service has had to change services around this. This review does not cover screening for and tests during pregnancy. The review is timely since the population is aging and there will be more demand on healthcare services.
The awes and woes of modernity: Gozzano gazzettiere and the Great Exhibition of Turin 1911
Authors: Della Coletta Cristina
Published: April 2018

This article discusses the prose pieces that Guido Gozzano wrote about the 1911 International Exposition in Turin. Against previous interpretations, I argue that, rather than constituting either an organic and carefully designed corpus or an assemblage of discreet and extemporary articles, Gozzano’s exposition narratives were, simultaneously, calculated and inconsistent, staged and contradictory. I demonstrate that these narratives should be seen as testimonials of Gozzano’s changing positions and multiple perspectives, as he experimented with different personas and plural interpretations in a moment of both commemorative celebration (the 50th anniversary of the Unification of Italy) and rapid epistemic change in the name of modernity, technology, and progress.
Effect of Educational Interventions on Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting in a Cancer Institute in Japan: A Questionnaire Study
Authors: Tsuchiya Masami , Esashi Akihisa , Obara Taku , Inooka Kyoko , Mano Nariyasu , Takamura Chizuko
Published: April 2018

Background: Limited data regarding knowledge and factors related to understanding the adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting system of health care professionals are available in Japan. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify factors related to understanding the ADR reporting system in Miyagi Cancer Center and to find ways to increase the number and quality of ADR reports. Methods: Self-administered questionnaire surveys were administered before and after the educational meeting among health care professionals who were working in our hospital during the study period. Subanalyses restricted to nurses were also performed. Main Outcome Measure: Understanding ADR reporting system among healthcare professionals. Results: The percentage of respondents who understood the ADR reporting system in the questionnaire after the educational meeting was significantly higher than that in the questionnaire before the educational meeting. In the questionnaire after the educational meeting, multivariate logistic regression analysis found that having over 30 years of practical experience (odds ratio [OR], 3.852; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.228-12.081 for 20-29 years, 7.695; 1.650-35.881 for over 30 years), being a physician (8.071; 1.923-33.878), being a pharmacist (18.357; 3.847-87.585), and participating in the educational meeting (5.111; 1.700-15.365) were factors associated with understanding the ADR reporting system. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the questionnaire results before the educational meeting among nurses showed that working at outpatient departments (8.330; 3.008-23.069) was significantly and independently associated with understanding the ADR reporting system. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that many years of practical experience, profession (physicians, pharmacists), and educational interventions were associated with good understanding of the ADR reporting system among health care professionals.
Identity work within attempts to transform healthcare: Invisible team processes
Authors: Cain Cindy L , Frazer Monica , Kilaberia Tina R
Published: April 2018

Studies have shown that workers’ identities matter for a host of individual and organizational outcomes. However, the question of how identities work becomes more complex when considering settings where workers must negotiate multiple – and sometimes conflicting – identities. Interprofessional healthcare teams are one such setting. Within interprofessional teams, workers are expected to adopt both professional and team-based identities, sometimes leading to confusion and conflicts. Using longitudinal qualitative analyses of healthcare team members’ reflective audio diaries, we document identity work of one team as they attempted to create and adopt a new approach to care. We analyze 176 recordings over 30 weeks and find that: team members experience multiple identification targets more or less conflicting, depending on the organizational context; team members from different professional backgrounds experience identity processes differently; and conflicts with others affect how team members see themselves and one another. These findings enrich our understanding of how multiple identities are reconciled in the workplace, and illustrate hidden aspects of forming and sustaining team-based work.
Flow Measurement by Wavelet Packet Analysis of Sound Emissions
Authors: Göksu Hüseyin
Published: April 2018

Fluid, when running through pipes, makes a complex sound emission whose parameters change nonlinearly with respect to flow speed. Especially, in household pipe systems, there may be spraying effects and resonance effects which make the emission more complex. We present a novel approach for predicting flow speed based on wavelet packet analysis of sound emissions rather than traditional time and frequency domain methods. Wavelet packet analysis, by providing arbitrary time–frequency resolution, enables analyzing signals of stationary and non-stationary nature. It has better time representation than Fourier analysis and better high-frequency resolution than wavelet analysis. Wavelet packet analysis subimages are further analyzed to obtain feature vectors of norm entropy. These feature vectors are fed into a multilayer perceptron for prediction. Prediction accuracy of 98.62%, with 3.99E−04 L/s mean absolute error and its corresponding 1.85% relative error is achieved. Time sensitivity is ±0.453 s and is open to improvement by varying window width. The result indicates that the proposed method is a good candidate for flow measurement by acoustic analysis.
Flight Motion Controller Design using Genetic Algorithm for a Quadcopter
Authors: Tran Huu Khoa , Nguyen Thanh Nam
Published: April 2018

In this study, the Genetic Algorithm operability is assigned to optimize the proportional–integral–derivative controller parameters for both simulation and real-time operation of quadcopter flight motion. The optimized proportional–integral–derivative gains, using Genetic Algorithm to minimum the fitness function via the integral of time multiplied by absolute error criterion, are then integrated to control the quadcopter flight motion. In addition, the proposed controller design is successfully implemented to the experimental real-time flight motion. The performance results are proven that the highly effective stability operation and the reliable of waypoint tracking.
How do coethnic communities matter for educational attainment? A comparative analysis of the United States and Canada
Authors: Lee Rennie
Published: April 2018

The United States and Canada represent two of the largest immigrant-receiving countries. Although both countries have long histories of receiving immigrants, they are viewed differently in their abilities to integrate immigrants and their children. A popular and reoccurring narrative is Canada’s greater ability to integrate immigrants and their children compared with the United States. One possible explanation is that coethnic communities in Canada are more visible and supported by government funding than coethnic communities in the United States, which may differentially affect the outcomes of immigrants’ children in the two countries. Using nationally representative data from the Sensitive General Social Survey and Ethnic Diversity Survey, this study examines the effects of coethnic community, national origin group, and individual characteristics on educational attainment in the United States and Canada. This study utilizes differences in coethnic community and national origin group effects to understand institutional differences between the two countries. In particular, it finds that coethnic community education has a positive effect in both countries, but the effects for coethnic community income and educational selectivity differ. This study suggests that differences in coethnic community income and educational selectivity may be due to differences in immigration policy, which shape the types of settlement challenges and sources of support that immigrants and their children encounter upon arrival.
It is Tough Being a Black Woman: Intergenerational Stress and Coping
Authors: Hall J. Camille
Published: April 2018

Research on stress has shown that race, gender, and class significantly affect coping. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that examined how Black mothers and daughters ( n = 168) coped with stress. The results indicated socialization and education helped the women learn how to cope with stress. The article concludes with a discussion about the practical implications of intergenerational dialogues and future research.
Synergistic effects of environmental exposures on polymer matrix with or without metallic coating protection
Authors: Afshar Arash , Mihut Dorina , Hill Stephen , Baqersad Javad
Published: April 2018

Epoxy and vinyl ester resins are widely being used in fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites due to their superior physical and mechanical properties; however, they suffer significant degradation during prolonged environmental exposure that is affecting their extended use. The current study shows that the synergistic exposure to ultraviolet radiation, high temperature, and moisture has detrimental effects on the microstructure, strength, ductility, and toughness of both resins with more pronounced effects on the epoxy. The environmental damage in the microstructure of epoxy appeared primarily in the form of surface cavities and blisters while for the vinyl ester emerged mainly as microcracking events. Correlation between degradation of microstructure and loss in the flexural properties of epoxy and vinyl ester was also presented. Furthermore, the protective effect of copper metallic thin films on the epoxy substrate was characterized, revealing that the copper coating can be an effective barrier in preventing environmental degradation of epoxy based composites.
Personality, Well-Being, and Cognitive-Affective Styles: A Cross-Sectional Study of Adult Third Culture Kids
Authors: Abe Jo Ann A.
Published: April 2018

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and their adult counterparts (ATCKs) refer to individuals who spent part of their developmental years abroad and are an important demographic to study in this rapidly globalizing world. To date, the bulk of the research on (A)TCKs has been descriptive and little is known about their developmental trajectories in adulthood. The major objective of this study was to examine the personality traits, dimensions of well-being, and cognitive-affective styles of ATCKs across the adult life span using well-validated psychological measures. A subsidiary goal was to develop a new multidimensional international experiences scale to assess levels of multicultural engagement in ATCKs. The participants in this study ( N = 700+; age = 18-80+) were recruited from the Alumni Office of an international school in Japan. Somewhat contrary to how they are often depicted in the news media and in qualitative studies, the ATCKs showed normative changes in personality and well-being in the direction of greater maturity and adjustment during adulthood, with those reporting higher levels of multicultural engagement generally exhibiting a more resilient personality profile, higher levels of well-being, and more adaptive cognitive and affective styles.
The Perception of Family, City, and Country Values Is Often Biased
Authors: Hanel Paul H. P. , Wolfradt Uwe , Lins de Holanda Coelho Gabriel , Wolf Lukas J. , Vilar Roosevelt , Monteiro Renan Pereira , Gouveia Valdiney V. , Crompton Tom , Maio Gregory R.
Published: April 2018

People often make inferences about the values of other people in their families, cities, and countries, but there are reasons to expect systematic biases in these inferences. Across four studies ( N = 1,763), we examined people’s perceptions of the values of their families, fellow citizens of the cities in which they live, and compatriots across three nations (Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom). Our results show that people systematically misperceive comparison groups’ values. People underestimate the importance that their compatriots ascribe to more important values and overestimate the importance of less important values. This occurs in comparison with their own values, the actual values of the people living in the same city and the actual values of their compatriots. The effect sizes were medium to large. Furthermore, the results occurred independently of participants’ culture, time spent in the culture, and the underlying value model used. These results consistently show that people’s speculations about values in their community and society are biased in a self- and family favoring direction. In addition, we found that the structure of values (e.g., as proposed by Schwartz) holds for perceived family, fellow citizens of the cities in which they live, and compatriots’ values. Overall, our findings suggest that the values of other people are more selfless than is often believed.
FGF2 Enhances Odontoblast Differentiation by αSMA+ Progenitors In Vivo
Authors: Vidovic-Zdrilic I. , Vining K.H. , Vijaykumar A. , Kalajzic I. , Mooney D.J. , Mina M.
Published: April 2018

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of early and limited exposure of perivascular cells expressing α (αSMA) to fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in vivo. We performed in vivo fate mapping by inducible Cre-loxP and experimental pulp injury in molars to induce reparative dentinogenesis. Our results demonstrate that early delivery of exogenous FGF2 to exposed pulp led to proliferative expansion of αSMA-tdTomato+ cells and their accelerated differentiation into odontoblasts. In vivo lineage-tracing experiments showed that the calcified bridge/reparative dentin in FGF2-treated pulps were lined with an increased number of Dspp+ odontoblasts and devoid of BSP+ osteoblasts. The increased number of odontoblasts derived from αSMA-tdTomato+ cells and the formation of reparative dentin devoid of osteoblasts provide in vivo evidence for the stimulatory effects of FGF signaling on odontoblast differentiation from early progenitors in dental pulp.
Optimal tube length of orotracheal intubation for mice
Authors: Nosaka Nobuyuki , Crother Timothy R. , Chen Shuang , Arditi Moshe , Shimada Kenichi
Published: April 2018

Endotracheal tube (ETT) management is an essential technique in handling mice with mechanical ventilators. Malposition into bronchi causes not only lethal complications for them but also less efficient mechanical ventilation. However, in general, it is difficult to know whether the ETT is placed with appropriate depth into the trachea of mice. We measured the distance from incisors to the bifurcation of trachea of multiple mice, and created a new estimation formula to obtain the suitable ETT length for mice with a body weight range from 17 g to 25 g: length (mm) = 0.5 × bodyweight (g) + 7. However, millimeter step adjustments are impracticable. Thus, slightly shorter than 2 cm (18–20 mm) may be the universal ETT length for mice with bodyweight > 17 g. Furthermore, their foot size may be a good alternative to predict the individual optimal ETT length for mice.
Drug importation into Italy by body packing: An analysis of the UNODC Individual Drug Seizures Database
Authors: Cappelletti Simone , Iaria Alessandro , Lombardo Francesco , Vallone Giuseppe , Vitale Pasquale , Ciallella Costantino
Published: April 2018

Internal concealment and transportation of illegal substances by body packing is a major business with very high profits, attracting criminals all over the world. As body packers are rarely arrested, it is difficult to quantify their proportion in the general population and, consequently, identify the countries involved in this kind of drug traffic; as a consequence, the percentage of undetected cases is undoubtedly high. The aim of this study is to provide useful information concerning the country of origin of body packers travelling to Italy through the analysis of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Individual Drug Seizures Report database in the period 2010–2015. Results of our study highlighted a total of 85 cases, producing a total of 52.4 kg of drugs transported through body packing towards Italy. Data obtained from our analysis could represent an useful starting point to: (a) enhance police controls on people coming from targeted countries and improve collaborations between Italian Police Forces and those of other countries; (b) understand the reason why some cities/airports are so frequently used in drug trafficking through body packing and, as a consequence, enhance police controls in these places; and (c) train airport security staffs in international airports recognized as important departure points for body packers travelling to Italy.
Haunting and the knowing and showing of qualitative research
Authors: Wilson Sarah
Published: April 2018

This article focuses on the representation of qualitative sociological research to academic and non-academic audiences. It argues that a broader, ethically informed consideration of the communication of findings is required, rather than the current, audit-shaped approach, to do justice to complex (affective) data and to research participants. An important catalyst for this article is the concern that the current predominance of peer-reviewed articles may contribute, however unintentionally, to the maintenance of stigmatizing social imaginaries of groups including marginalized young people. This article draws on interdisciplinary sources to extend Avery Gordon’s work on haunting to the representation of research. It contends that research ‘outputs’ can ‘haunt’, or stay with and produce empathy in their audience, by communicating the ‘seething absences’ that trace the everyday effects of power affectively and by highlighting the ‘complex personhood’ of those affected. The possibilities of such an approach are illustrated through consideration of textual and visual representations of findings from a project that explored understandings of ‘belonging’ among young people in state care, and particularly a short film, co-produced with, and featuring, a participant. While ‘representation’ is employed here primarily in an everyday sense, this article discusses ‘non’ or ‘more than’ representational approaches, while advocating a strategic negotiation with representation in relation to social justice.
What Makes a Hero? Theorising the Social Structuring of Heroism
Authors: Frisk Kristian
Published: April 2018

The article discusses four dominant perspectives in the sociology of heroism: the study of great men; hero stories; heroic actions; and hero institutions. The discussion ties together heroism and fundamental sociological debates about the relationship between the individual and the social order; it elucidates the socio-psychological, cultural/ideational and socio-political structuring of heroism, which challenges the tendency to understand people, actions and events as naturally, or intrinsically, heroic; and it points to a theoretical trajectory within the literature, which has moved from very exclusive to more inclusive conceptualisations of a hero. After this discussion, the article examines three problematic areas in the sociology of heroism: the underlying masculine character of heroism; the presumed disappearance of the hero with modernisation; and the principal idea of heroism as a pro-social phenomenon. The article calls for a more self-conscious engagement with this legacy, which could stimulate dialogue across different areas of sociological research.
The Plague of Yellow Fever and Its Cure
Authors: Ng Edward E.
Published: April 2018

This integrative case study centers on the intersection of the continuing psychological consequences of colonialism as they apply to the dynamic between males of predominantly European descent and females of Asian descent, a fetish colloquially known as “yellow fever.” A particular focus is placed upon the work with Jane, who having been exoticized and thereby objectified, reported depression and “relationship problems.” Applied treatment methods include tenets of relational psychoanalysis, feminist therapy, and Relational–Cultural Therapy. A “cure” is found through the practice of lament, which is communal and orients one to their apprehension of a present and listening God.
An Integrative Approach to Psychotherapy: A Case Study of Ms. B
Authors: Fortson Leah S.
Published: April 2018

In the case of Ms. B, the integration of faith and psychology was a critical approach facilitating the achievement of several treatment gains. This article provides a glimpse into a therapeutic relationship that acknowledged and provided space for the faith life and experience of the client, which proved to be the gateway that led her to symptom relief. Utilizing time-limited dynamic psychotherapy, Ms. B was able to attain new knowledge and have new experiences that had implications for her perceptions of God and her perceptions of herself.
The Impact of Emotional Words on Listeners’ Emotional and Cognitive Responses in the Context of Advertisements
Authors: Lee Sungkyoung , Potter Robert F.
Published: April 2018

The study examined how individual words occurring in mediated messages affect listeners’ emotional and cognitive responses. Scripts from actual radio advertisements were altered by replacing original words with target words that varied in valence—either positive, negative, or neutral. The scripts were then reproduced by nonprofessional speakers. Real-time processing of the target words was examined through the use of psychophysiological measures of dynamic emotional and cognitive responses collected from subjects ( n = 55) and time-locked to the stimuli. Recognition memory provided a measure of encoding efficiency. As predicted, listeners had greater frown muscle responses following the onset of negatively valenced words compared with positively valenced words. Results also showed that positively valenced words elicited orienting responses in listeners but negatively valenced words did not. Recognition data show that positively valenced words were encoded better than neutrally valenced words, followed by negatively valenced words, which was consistent with the finding for the impact of emotional words on orienting responses.
Chemical modification of nitrile rubber in the latex stage by functionalizing phosphorylated cardanol prepolymer: A bio-based plasticizer and a renewable resource
Authors: Samantarai Satyajit , Nag Ahindra , Singh Nitesh , Dash Debabrata , Basak Amit , Nando Golok B , Das Narayan Ch
Published: April 2018

The present investigation deals with the functionalization of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) by chemically grafting phosphorylated cardanol prepolymer (PCP) onto its backbone chain. The grafting of PCP onto NBR was accomplished in the latex stage successfully using benzoyl peroxide as the free radical initiator. The functionalized NBR (PCP- g-NBR) is characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. PCP- g-NBR exhibited an increase in molecular weight (4.4%) with an increase in the polydispersity. The grafting parameters have been optimized using “Taguchi L9 table” and the optimum conditions were found to be “3 phr of initiator concentration, 15 phr of the PCP concentration, reaction temperature of 70°C and reaction time of 6 h.” The percentage grafting and grafting efficiency were calculated to be 7.28 and 80.37%, respectively, under optimum processing conditions. The PCP- g-NBR exhibited a reduction in Wallace plasticity number as well as the Mooney viscosity and an enhanced plasticity retention index (PRI) as compared to neat NBR. The rheological measurements exhibited a higher flow behavior index for PCP- g-NBR than the NBR itself. Differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis results exhibited a decrease in glass transition temperature on functionalization of NBR confirming enhanced plasticization. Thermogravimetric analysis results displayed an increase in thermal stability of the functionalized NBR than that of virgin NBR. The physico-mechanical properties of the PCP- g-NBR vulcanizates were at par with or even better than the neat NBR vulcanizates. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and hemolysis studies indicated NBR and PCP- g-NBR are nontoxic and biocompatible.
Copper salt–assisted polymerization of bispropargyl ether–bismaleimide blend
Authors: Dhanalakshmi J , Vijayakumar CT
Published: April 2018

Bispropargyl ether (BPE) of bisphenol-A was prepared. It was blended with 4,4’-bismaleimido diphenyl methane (BMI, 0.5:0.5 mol). The copper sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O) was blended (1% w/w) separately with pure BPE and BPE-BMI blend and the materials were thermally cured. The structural characterization of the materials was done using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer. The curing behaviour of the materials was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. The presence of copper salt in BPE shifted the curing temperature to lower temperature region. The presence of copper salt in BPE-BMI blend also decreased the curing onset temperature by approximately 15°C. The thermal property of the polymers was investigated using thermogravimetry. The incorporation of copper salt in BPE-BMI blend led to polymer with increased thermal stability.
Mexico City as an Urban Laboratory: Oscar Lewis, the “Culture of Poverty” and the Transnational History of the Slum
Authors: de Antuñano Emilio
Published: April 2018

This paper examines U.S. anthropologist Oscar Lewis’s research in Mexico City in the 1950s to reflect on how urban poverty has been construed in the United States and Latin America in the twentieth century. It asks why Lewis’s early work on rural-urban migration won him praise among scholars of Latin America while his later research on the “culture of poverty” was lambasted across the world—with particular intensity in the United States. Through a careful examination of Lewis’s ethnographic work in the Mexican “slum” of Colonia Morelos and the debates that it generated, I argue how and why Mexican slums were construed as sites of community and hope while their U.S. counterparts became associated with an irreversible “urban crisis.”
Multiple frames of reference: Why international student workers in Australia tolerate underpayment
Authors: Clibborn Stephen
Published: April 2018

This article advances research on why international students, who comprise a growing segment of the workforce in many countries, are underpaid. By revisiting Piore’s dual frames of reference theory, the article builds an important knowledge base around migrant workers’ tolerance of low pay. The research uses mixed methods incorporating a survey of 1433 international students, and interviews with 40 of them. Drawing on segmented labour market theory and examining workers’ ‘multiple frames of reference’, the article seeks to explain migrant workers’, in this case international students’, tolerance of extensive and persistent underpayment. While migrants’ reference to lower pay in their home country has long been accepted as explanation for their acceptance of low pay, it is not found to be a significant factor. The new concept of ‘peer frame of reference’ is developed to explain their tolerance of underpayment.
The mandate and work of ICRP Committee 1 on radiation effects
Authors: Rühm W. , Ban N. , Tirmarche M.
Published: April 2018

The aim of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is to protect humans against cancer and other diseases and effects associated with exposure to ionising radiation, and also to protect the environment, without unduly limiting the beneficial use of ionising radiation. As of the second half of 2017, four committees are contributing to the overall mission of ICRP, including Committee 1 (Radiation Effects). The role of Committee 1 includes consideration of the risks and mechanisms of induction of cancer and heritable disease; discussion of the risks, severity, and mechanisms of induction of tissue/organ damage and developmental defects; and review of the effects of ionising radiation on non-human biota at population level. This paper gives an overview of the recent activities of Committee 1, and discusses the focus of its active task groups.
Implementation of the integrated approach in different types of exposure scenarios
Authors: Copplestone D. , Hirth G. , Johansen M. , Lazo E. , Takala J. , Sakai K. , Yankovich T.
Published: April 2018

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recognises three types of exposure situations: planned, existing, and emergency. In all three situations, the release of radionuclides into the natural environment leads to exposures of non-human biota, as well as the potential for exposures of the public. This paper describes how the key principles of the ICRP system of radiological protection apply to non-human biota and members of the public in each of these exposure situations. Current work in this area within ICRP Task Group 105 is highlighted. For example, how simplified numeric criteria may be used in planned exposure situations that are protective of both the public and non-human biota. In emergency exposure situations, the initial response will always be focused on human protection; however, understanding the potential impacts of radionuclide releases on non-human biota will likely become important in terms of communication as governments and the public seek to understand the exposures that are occurring. For existing exposure situations, there is a need to better understand the potential impacts of radionuclides on animals and plants, especially when deciding on protective actions. Understanding the comparative impacts from radiological, non-radiological, and physical aspects is often important in managing the remediation of legacy sites. Task Group 105 is making use of case studies of how exposure situations have been managed in the past to provide additional guidance and advice for the protection of non-human biota.
Human individual radiation sensitivity and prospects for prediction
Authors: Rajaraman P. , Hauptmann M. , Bouffler S. , Wojcik A.
Published: April 2018

In the past few decades, it has become increasingly evident that sensitivity to ionising radiation is variable. This is true for tissue reactions (deterministic effects) after high doses of radiation, for stochastic effects following moderate and possibly low doses, and conceivably also for non-cancer effects such as cardiovascular disease, the causal pathway(s) of which are not yet fully understood. A high sensitivity to deterministic effects is not necessarily correlated with a high sensitivity to stochastic effects. The concept of individual sensitivity to high and low doses of radiation has long been supported by data from patients with certain rare hereditary conditions. However, these syndromes only affect a small proportion of the general population. More relevant to the majority of the population is the notion that some part of the genetic contribution defining radiation sensitivity may follow a polygenic model, which predicts elevated risk resulting from the inheritance of many low-penetrance risk-modulating alleles. Can the different forms of individual radiation sensitivities be inferred from the reaction of cells exposed ex vivo to ionising radiation? Can they be inferred from analyses of individual genotypes? This paper reviews current evidence from studies of late adverse tissue reactions after radiotherapy in potentially sensitive groups, including data from functional assays, candidate gene approaches, and genome-wide association studies. It focuses on studies published in 2013 or later because a comprehensive review of earlier studies was published previously in a report by the UK Advisory Group on Ionising Radiation.
The Leased Among Us: Precarious Work, Local Regulation, and the Taxi Industry
Authors: Esbenshade Jill , Shifrin Elizabeta
Published: April 2018

Through a case study of the taxi industry in San Diego, where 89 percent of drivers leased their vehicles as independent contractors (IC), we show how local regulation has enforced precarity. We find that the interaction of policies from various local governmental agencies has actually required lease drivers to operate as ICs and has simultaneously undermined the very control and economic independence that is fundamental to the IC designation. While the literature on precarious employment and IC misclassification tends to emphasize the role of macroeconomic structures, employer action, and federal government policy, this article highlights the role of local regulatory agencies.
The Visual and Material Dimensions of Legitimacy: Accounting and the Search for Socie-ties
Authors: Puyou François-Régis , Quattrone Paolo
Published: April 2018

The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature on legitimacy by investigating its material and visual dimensions. By drawing on studies on rhetoric as a means of composing visions of social order and on an historical analysis of accounts in three paradigmatic eras (Roman times, Renaissance and Modernity), it shows how symmetry in accounts constituted an aesthetic code which tied members of a community together in ‘socie-ties’. We investigate the rhetorical process of ratiocinatio and explore how the visual and material dimensions of accounts provided social actors with an opportunity to explore their positions and ties within a community. This process augmented social actors’ understanding of their current relations by reducing them to a series of entries in an account, thus allowing them to reflect on what it meant to be a legitimate member of a society.
There Is Nobody to Rely on: Cracks in the Intergenerational Contract Among the Elders in Arab Society in Israel
Authors: Manor Shlomit
Published: April 2018

This study aims to examine the ways that old Palestinian Arabs in Israel experience and talk about ageing. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted among 25 Arab men and women, Muslims and Christians, aged 65 to 85 years. Using the concepts of “intergenerational contract” and “gender contract,” the study reveals a new discourse reflecting a complex relationship between the elders and their families, characterized by ambivalence and internal conflict. The findings indicate that the intergenerational contract has not disappeared and that family loyalty still exists, but the cracks are gradually widening. The gender contract, which remains stable in the perception of the elders, is changing as well, while the young women are struggling to comply with their part in the contract. The elders are therefore, aware of the possibility that the intergenerational contract will not be implemented in the traditional way and that there is no one to rely on.
Does FDI Attract Immigrants? An Empirical Gravity Model Approach
Authors: Bang James T. , MacDermott Raymond
Published: April 2018

This study tests whether foreign direct investment (FDI) and migration are substitutes or complements using data on bilateral FDI flows from countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and bilateral immigration to OECD countries over the period 1996 to 2006. Our most conservative estimates, using dynamic panel methods, suggest that a $1 million increase in FDI to another OECD country increases immigration by about 60 migrants, while the same increase to non-OECD locations increases migration by about 1,000. These findings support a core-periphery model of globalization and development.
Investigating Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance using Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Sinha Neena , Sachdeva Timcy , Yadav Miklesh Prasad
Published: April 2018

The objective of present study is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance (FP) with the help of a stakeholder approach in the context of small and medium enterprises (SME) industry in Delhi NCR. A sample of 382 SMEs was analysed through a structured questionnaire having 22 statements out of which two statements were removed due to low factor loading. The goodness of fit was measured by AMOS–SEM and relationship between variables was examined by path analysis. The overall model was fit and finding indicated a weak positive relationship between CSR and FP. The results were in conformance with previous research works by Jain, Vyas and Durga (2016) and Weber (2008). It was also observed that SMEs are socially responsible towards their stakeholders, but it is more in informal nature rather than adopting it as a strategy. Further, the results revealed that CSR of SMEs is associated with religious spirit.
Assessment of clinical sepsis-associated biomarkers in a septic mouse model
Authors: Li Jin-Ling , Li Ge , Jing Xi-Zhong , Li Yun-Feng , Ye Qiu-Ying , Jia Huan-Huan , Liu Shu-Hua , Li Xue-Jiao , Li Hang , Huang Ren , Zhang Yu , Wang Hui
Published: April 2018

Objective

Clinical sepsis-associated biomarkers were utilized in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) septic mouse model to provide a reference for investigating pathophysiological mechanisms and evaluating novel therapeutic interventions for sepsis.

Methods

Sepsis in mice was induced by CLP, and clinical biomarkers were evaluated (survival rate, blood physiological and biochemical indices, cytokines, hepatorenal function parameters, and blood coagulation).

Results

The mortality rate was >70%. The body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate decreased within 48 h. Low lactic acid was found at 8 h. The CLP mice showed typical inflammatory symptoms with decreased white blood cells and procalcitonin and increased levels of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, and MIP-2. The platelet count and activated partial thromboplastin time significantly decreased, and the prothrombin time and prothrombin time–international normalized ratio markedly increased. Phenotypes of multiple organ dysfunction were found in the CLP model, including increased liver alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase; significantly reduced total protein, globulin, and serum albumin; increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine; and decreased blood glucose.

Conclusion

The clinical features of the CLP mouse model were similar to those of human patients with sepsis.
Salivary gland ultrasound is linked to the autoimmunity profile in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Nieto-González Juan Carlos , Ovalles-Bonilla Juan G. , Estrada Eduardo , Serrano-Benavente Belén , Martínez-Barrio Julia , González-Fernández Carlos M. , González-Benítez Roberto , Vergara Dangond Cristina , Monteagudo Indalecio , Collado Yurrita Luis , Naredo Esperanza , López-Longo Francisco Javier
Published: April 2018

Objective

Salivary gland ultrasound (SGU) is a reliable technique for assessing the salivary glands in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between SGU findings and autoimmunity in patients with pSS.

Methods

Patients with pSS underwent an SGU assessment. The patients were classified into three groups according to their autoimmunity profile: the complete positive group (positive rheumatoid factor, antinuclear antibodies, and anti-Ro/anti-La antibodies), the partial seropositive group (positivity of at least one autoantibody but not all), and the seronegative group.

Results

In total, 93 patients were evaluated. Eighty-six (92.5%) were female, and their median age was 49.5 years. The median disease duration was 12.3 years. Pathological SGU findings were present in 32 (34.4%) patients [25 of 36 (78.1%) in the complete positive group and 7 of 44 (21.9%) in the partial positive group]. Patients with pathological SGU findings had a shorter disease duration and slightly higher European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren’s syndrome disease activity index.

Conclusions

The autoimmunity profile and pathological SGU findings are strongly associated with each other in patients with pSS. However, the disease duration does not seem to be related to pathological SGU findings.
Striking out in a new direction? Strikes and the displacement thesis
Authors: Gall Gregor , Kirk Eleanor
Published: April 2018

Strike activity in Britain continues at its historically low ebb. The level of strikes is likely to remain low or even fall further as a result of the introduction of the Tory Trade Union Act 2016 on 1 March 2017. This raises the issue of whether other means of the expression and resolution of workplace grievances are being used instead when strike action is not or cannot be used. An examination of the available data on the frequency of these other means indicates such displacement has not occurred to any great extent, in part because we have also seen successive attempts by government to suppress the level of individual disputes over the last three to four decades.