bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary Software Development to Support Organizational and Business process Change: A Case Study Account
Authors: Kawalek Peter , Leonard Jenny
Published: December 2018

This paper addresses the issues of software development in situations of organizational and process change. There is wide agreement in the literature that organizations have to be increasingly flexible in order to survive in the current economic climate. They must innovate, replicate, adapt and extemporize. As they do so, the requirements they have of their software applications are likely to change. Equally, as new software solutions are provided, new opportunities for business change arise. The situation is made still more complex because even if the needs of organizations were stable, we still could not be certain of the validity of an application's functions. This is because the process of program development is inherently uncertain. From this situation arise difficult, practical challenges for those concerned with the deployment of software in organizations. Starting with a consideration of the nature of organizations themselves, this paper takes looks at these problems by moving between three related points. It looks at software development methodologies and suggests that these have in the past tended to assume that discrete IT solutions can be cast for a ‘steady state’ which the organization is attempting to achieve. From the second vantage point it looks at the role of IT staff in supporting the operational needs of the organization. The third is the nature of software systems themselves.
Measuring the Economic Value of Information Systems
Authors: Van Wegen Bert , De Hoog Robert
Published: December 2018

The determination of value of information or information systems is a basic issue for information management. In order to solve it several questions must be answered like: what is the object of valuation; how is value defined and measured; and what constitutes a coherent and usable method for valuation. In this paper an approach is outlined that combines the information commodity approach, activity-based costing, and graph modelling. The first is used to define the object of analysis (an information commodity) and the nature of value (the demand value at the marketplace). The third allows the modelling of business processes in terms of activities and cost relations between activities. The second enables the assignment of costs to activities modelled in the graph. Together they constitute a coherent and usable method for determining the value of IS. This is illustrated by means of a case study.
Reengineering Information Sharing Behaviour in Organizations
Authors: Barua Anitesh , Ravindran Suryanarayanan
Published: December 2018

Organizational restructuring focuses on making business operations more flexible and responsive to customers. This has led to team based decision authority structures and horizontal business processes. Concurrently, the management of information has been decentralized in many organizations. Horizontal processes create information interdependencies among previously independent tasks, and call for high levels of information sharing among decision units. However, the decentralization of information management raises the possibility that units controlling specific information repositories may not readily make them available in the required form to other units, leading to poor organizational payoff. Thus it is critical to create an environment which will promote effective information flows across the organization. We suggest that mechanisms involving organizational outlook, social orientation, equitable information processing capability and communication across decision units regarding information requirements can help mitigate the information sharing problem. Using stylized game-theoretic models, we show that these organizationally oriented mechanisms have a sound economic foundation. We use these results to build a managerial basis for improving information exchange.
Risk Management and Agency Theory in is Projects – an Exploratory Study
Authors: Phelps Robert
Published: December 2018

The way in which project teams respond to problems and manage risks during IT project developments is affected by the organizational context. In particular, it is affected by the implicit ‘contract’ between the team and the organization. This contract is controlled through the adherence to formal methodologies and the use of organizational control system. This paper looks at risk management from the point of view of team behaviour, focusing on behavioural response to risks in terms of effort and risk aversion. Three case studies of project team behaviour are used to illustrate the types of risk management behaviour which may arise under different contracts between project team and organization.
An Inventory of Personal Constructs for Information Systems Project Risk Researchers
Authors: Moynihan Tony
Published: December 2018

This paper explores the application of personal construct elicitation techniques to the identification of the situational factors that managers of bespoke information system development projects take into account when planning new projects for new customers. It is shown that the personal constructs elicited reflect most of the contingency variables and risk-drivers mentioned in the information systems development literature, but also include some situational characteristics not addressed in this literature. It is concluded that personal construct elicitation techniques have a valuable role to play in information systems development research.
Resolving Conflict of Interests in the Process of an Information System Implementation for Advanced Telecommunication Services
Authors: Ahn Jae-Hyeon , Skudlark Ann E.
Published: December 2018

From many empirical studies, organizational issues have been considered the most critical bottleneck for successful information system (IS) implementations. In this paper, an organizational issue of resolving conflict of interests among the stakeholders is addressed. Using the decision analytic approach, the major sources of disagreement among the stakeholders were identified, discussed and resolved. The approach was applied to a problem of implementing an information system for advanced telecommunication services. The case presented here showed how to resolve the conflicting interests proactively and demonstrated the value of the approach. The decision analytic approach presented in this paper was a viable and very useful tool in resolving the conflict of interests among the people included in the negotiation process. As a result of the successful negotiation, it was estimated to have saved $6.9 million dollars after tax for AT&T.
Organizational Impacts of Multimedia Information Systems
Authors: Dustdar Schahram , Angelides Marios C.
Published: December 2018

Multimedia information systems present a great challenge to an organization which contemplates their introduction. This paper addresses the impacts that multimedia information systems would pose to an organization. The paper investigates the organizational impacts through a proposed taxonomy of multimedia information systems.
Management and the Hybridization of Expertise: Eftpos in Retrospect
Authors: Howells John
Published: December 2018

This paper will show how the UK banks learnt the strategic value of retaining IT expertise in-house through their experience of the design of EFTPOS networks. The banks began by attempting to ‘buy-in’ IT expertise from other organizations, but they were first compelled to locate expertise in a jointly-controlled organization called EFTPOS UK, then forced to develop the new IT expertise within their existing IT departments. These manipulations of the ‘organizational location’ of expertise gave individual banks the ability to create their own technology strategies, which they promptly exploited in an attempt to gain competitive advantage. It will be argued that a greater capacity to form individual technology strategies and exploit competitive advantage will result from the active management of two other dimensions of expertise: these are termed the internal location and the individual partition of expertise. The first term refers to where in the organization technical expertise is located and the second to how technical expertise is divided between individuals. The process by which the individual partition of expertise changes is called the hybridization of expertise and it is argued that although this is to an extent ‘natural’ it may certainly be managed. The case for a more aggressive and explicit expertise strategy, including the active management of the process of hybridization, is made by reference to the nature of the network design and practices in the management of technical expertise in other industries.
Challenges during the Development of Transnational Information Systems
Authors: Cavaye Angøle L. M.
Published: December 2018

There is an increasing interest in and demand for information systems that transcend organizational and national boundaries – transnational information systems. The interorganizational and international nature of these systems introduces development difficulties. Transnational information systems are developed on an ad hoe basis; there are currently no set tools and guidelines to aid their development. This paper addresses transnational information systems development using case research to raise issues concerning the transnational information systems development process and to discuss actual development difficulties and their solutions.
Managing Client/Server Implementations: Today's Technology, Yesterday's Lessons
Authors: Subramanian Ashok , Lacity Mary C.
Published: December 2018

Client/server computing is quickly becoming the computing architecture of choice in the 1990s. However, like many advances in information technology, public sources, such as trade journals and newspapers, portray client/server as a completely new paradigm which will transform our profession. But is it? We are conducting multiple case studies on organizations that have adopted client/server technology in order to extract managerial prescriptions for best practices in evaluating, developing and implementing effective client/server systems. Thus far, we have completed three case studies. Many of the lessons we are uncovering – the need for top management support, redesigning business processes before automation, user participation, phased implementation strategies and buying-in vendor skills to transfer learning – have been identified by previous researchers in other information technology contexts. Thus, although client/server is being touted as a radical change in information technology, practitioners need not discard the lessons from the past. Although there are some unique technical skills required to deploy client/server systems effectively, confirming project management lessons from the past is consoling to practitioners and academics alike. While the context of information technology changes rapidly, the organizational, administrative and policy practices are proving robust.
An Investigation of Client/Server Application Development Methodologies
Authors: Low Graham , Looi Richard
Published: December 2018

Client/server application development is becoming increasingly popular in commercial organizations. However, previous research has found that current application development methodologies provide little or no support for client/server computing possibly due to the relative newness of the technology in commercial environments. This research is the first step in demonstrating the applicability of the client/server methodology enhancements proposed in a commercial Management Information System (MIS) environment. It examines the application of traditional development methodologies to the client/server environment, the problems associated in using these methodologies and the respondent's rating of the importance of the various client/server application development issues included in the proposed methodology.
The Indian Software Industry: Moving towards Maturity
Authors: Bhatnagar S. C. , Madon Shirin
Published: December 2018

Over the last decade, India has made a conscious effort to participate in the global software industry by providing software development services to client companies in the West. We see the Indian software industry as sustaining its competitive advantage and having reasonable growth prospects. In some ways this is a counter-point from many of the earlier predictions in the literature that suggested that the growth of the software industry in India was a temporary phenomenon which exploited an existing opportunity of shortage of software engineers in Western countries and benefited from the consequent moves towards outsourcing.
Network Evolution towards ISDN Services: A Management Perspective
Authors: Lai Vincent S. , Clark Jan Guynes
Published: December 2018

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) has been recognized by technologists as a major step in the evolution of public network architecture. However, a large percentage of network users do not recognize any bottom line improvements that can result from ISDN nor do they know how to exploit the benefits of the technology. This study evaluates and summarizes the ISDN implementation experiences of nine organizations that are currently using ISDN. Along with their experiences, the study also investigated potential problems and critical success factors associated with ISDN implementation. Understanding these critical issues provides IS management with new insight, enabling them to strategically expedite their ISDN implementation and diffusion.
The Interlevel Dynamics of Information Technology
Authors: Coghlan David
Published: December 2018

Levels of analysis are common frameworks for describing organizational dynamics, both in the general organizational and the information technology (IT)-organizational literature. Levels of analysis – individual, group, intergroup and organizational – are typically presented as constructs under which particular organizational dynamics can be grouped and analysed. Rarely is there any emphasis placed on how events on one level can affect the dynamics of other levels. This article introduces Rashford and Coghlan's framework of organizational levels which describes levels as systemically interrelated and interdependent and, through examples, argues that the IT–organizational literature needs to adopt a more dynamic construct of levels of analysis to account for how IT affects individuals, teams, interteam coordination and organizations concurrently.
Information Technology as Disciplinary Technology: Being Critical in Interpretive Research on Information Systems
Authors: Doolin Bill
Published: December 2018

This paper argues that interpretive researchers need to consciously adopt a critical and reflective stance in relation to the role that the information technologies which they describe play in maintaining social orders and power relations in organizations. The concern of the paper is to highlight potential shortcomings in the treatment of technology in interpretive research on information systems, but also to present a specific approach to studying information technology and organization which may overcome these weaknesses. By utilizing a perspective drawn from the discursive and disciplinary work of Foucault and recent work on the sociology of technology, we can complement the thick description of interpretive research with the broader sweep of critical social theory.
Towards Dissolution of the is Research Debate: From Polarization to Polarity
Authors: Fitzgerald Brian , Howcroft Debra
Published: December 2018

The debate between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ research approaches continues in the IS field, but with little prospect of resolution. The debate is typically characterized by tendentious arguments as advocates from each approach offer a somewhat one-sided condemnation of the counterpart from the inimical research tradition. This paper begins by relating two fictitious tales which serve to highlight the futility of research conducted at the extremity of each research approach. The dichotomies which characterize these rival factions are also summarized. The debate is then framed in terms of the polarization problem whereby IS researchers are divided geographically and paradigmatically into ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ camps. A variety of different strategies have been proposed for resolving the debate and these are discussed in detail. They are grouped into four categories, referred to as supremacism, isolationism, integration, and pluralism. Finally, the paper contends that the debate cannot be resolved, and offers the metaphor of magnetic polarity as a means of reflecting this. The paper concludes by arguing that it would be more appropriate to recast the debate at a macro level in order to accommodate different research agenda and recognize the strengths within each tradition.
Successful is Innovation: The Contingent Contributions of Innovation Characteristics and Implementation Process
Authors: Yetton Philip , Sharma Rajeev , Southon Gray
Published: December 2018

This paper unifies two apparently competing theories of information systems (IS) implementation by developing a model in which the contributions of innovation characteristics and implementation process theories are contingent upon the implementation context. To do this, we identify the different assumptions regarding the implementation context implicit in the two theories and, based on these differences, develop a contingent model within which to integrate the two theories. A partial test of the model within one particular context is reported using data collected from the end-users of an IS innovation introduced in a State health system in Australia. As hypothesized, we find that, within the context, characterized by high individual level impact and low group level impact, the contribution of innovation characteristics to implementation success is higher than that of implementation process.
Linking Strategic Information Systems Concepts to Practice: Systems Integration at the Portfolio Level
Authors: Hamilton Doug
Published: December 2018

Surveys during the past two decades have consistently shown that many of the most critical management concerns with information systems arise at the portfolio, rather than application, level. Architecture-driven planning with a view to the implementation of integrated information systems structures has been widely canvassed as a means of dealing with portfolio-level issues, particularly the problems of inconsistent data and uncoordinated processes which have affected many organizations in recent years. The benefits anticipated from this type of initiative have been such that many organizations have persisted with architecture-based strategies despite reports of high failure rates. This paper reports on some research into IS integration planning in the organization Telstra (formerly Telecom Australia)) during a period of 40 years. The research was conducted as an interpretive case study, with practitioners’ assessments and perspectives on IS planning being incorporated in the data analysis. The focus of the study was on four critical assumptions, which were identified during an initial review of the theoretical literature as having to hold true for an organization to expect success with this form of planning. The study revealed that none of these assumptions held reliably throughout the period studied, a point fundamental to understanding why relatively little progress was made towards published integration targets. The paper then canvasses the view that though traditionally understood as blueprints for implementation, information systems architectures could be reconceptualized as knowledge assets, with independent value as sources of core planning concepts. The conclusion drawn is that their use in this type of role could facilitate the achievement of many, if not all, of the benefits anticipated from more comprehensive approaches.
Information Systems Prototyping in Practice
Authors: Beynon-Davies Paul , Tudhope Douglas , Mackay Hugh
Published: December 2018

This paper describes a study of the use of prototyping approaches in information systems (IS) development. It reports a comprehensive literature review of prototyping from which we developed a taxonomy of prototyping practice. This analysis guided an empirical study which has collected data on IS practitioners’ formulations of the current experience of prototyping in UK IS development organizations. These formulations are compared with data collected in a number of case studies of prototyping projects.
The IPACS project: When it Hits the Fan
Authors: Iacovou Charalambos L.
Published: December 2018

This case summarizes a failed systems development project at Green Valley Hospital. The project was part of a large strategic information systems plan aiming to lower costs, improve the quality of patient care and re-engineer the hospital's operations. To implement the project, the president of the hospital selected a $5.9 million system by Ibax. The users, who felt that the selected system did not satisfy their needs, rejected it during the testing process. As a result, the project was abandoned 3 years after its initiation. This case describes the key factors and behaviours that led to the failure and invites readers to apply their project management and crisis management skills and creativity in managing the aftermath of the project's failure.
Nortel-Reinventing is
Authors: Volkoff Olga , Newson E.F. Peter
Published: December 2018

With changes in both technology and the environment, Nortel has had to evolve from a company that sells a collection of telecommunication products to a company that sells integrated packages of products which satisfy specific customer needs. In the past Information Systems (IS) was spread across the various product divisions, supporting a highly decentralized corporate structure. Now it has been charged with transforming itself to facilitate the company's need for greater integration, including a move to standardized systems. IS must redefine its role and restructure itself to fulfil its new mandate. After an extensive analysis and design exercise, the IS function has been revisualized as centring on three key processes: client management, solution delivery and business support. This represents a significant change from a traditional IS shop that focuses on building applications and infrastructure. While there is broad support for the changes in principle, actually getting the new processes fully articulated and implemented presents a significant challenge.
Internet-Enabled Distribution Strategies
Authors: Ranchhod Ashok , Gurãu Cãlin
Published: December 2018

This paper investigates the effects of the Internet on the structure of the classical marketing channels. The advantages offered by the Internet have determined many companies to adopt different models of Internet-enabled distribution strategy. The choice and the implementation of these strategies will be influenced, as in the case of any other marketing channel, by the characteristics of the company, of its clients, and of the traded products. On the basis of an empirical study of 500 Internet commercial sites, the present paper identifies the models of Internet-enabled distribution strategy implemented by the Web-active companies, and then verifies four hypotheses related to the factors that influence the choice and implementation of a particular strategy.
From Traditional EDI to Internet-Based EDI: Managerial Considerations
Authors: Threlkel Mireille S. , Kavan C. Bruce
Published: December 2018

Traditional EDI/VAN technology has been used for almost three decades and has brought its users significant advantages resulting in increased productivity and efficiency. However, implementation constraints have restricted the technology to predominantly large corporations, thus limiting EDI's reach to a broader base of small suppliers and customers. Internet-based EDI, with significantly fewer implementation constraints, can play an important role in extending EDI benefits to a wider spectrum of businesses. Recently published articles reflect a reluctance on the part of traditional EDI users to adopt this new communication modality. The reasons for this reluctance include the newness of the Internet technology, potential Internet legislation and lack of Internet standards plus the reliability and security of data transmission within the Internet environment. This paper examines these management issues and describes existing and potential solutions available to both new and traditional EDI users. Since few companies have embraced Internet-based EDI, this paper concludes with some successful Internet EDI-based cases. Along with these cases, the authors present a very broad description of the nature of the products and services currently available in the market today to support Internet-based EDI.
Loyalty of on-Line Bank Customers
Authors: Methlie Leif B. , Nysveen Herbjørn
Published: December 2018

Electronic commerce changes the relationships between sellers and buyers dramatically. The new properties of electronic markets offer customers added values. New customer value propositions have to be established in most markets and new marketing strategies must be formulated. One of the business sectors most heavily affected is banking. How can banks retain loyal customers when moving into electronic banking? Research in marketing has unveiled several determinants of customer loyalty. However, this knowledge is based on research on customers in traditional markets. In this paper we focus on customers’ loyalty in on-line banking. The findings indicate that determinants of loyalty in on-line banking environments are similar to those in the physical market-place. However, customer satisfaction is found to have the most significant impact, followed by brand reputation, while switching costs and search costs, although significant, have minor explanatory power. The implications of these findings on banks’ marketing strategies are discussed.
Is there a Place for Department Stores on the Internet? Lessons from an Abandoned Pilot
Authors: Sauer Chris , Burton Suzan
Published: December 2018

The potential of Internet retailing is widely promoted yet some retailers have been slow to embrace the technology. Department stores typically have only an information presence on the World Wide Web. This paper describes a pilot project by one of Australia's leading department stores. The case is used to describe certain lessons about Internet retailing and the use of pilot projects. Department stores’ decisions whether to adopt electronic retailing are analysed in terms of the opportunities and threats that face them and the capabilities required for success. The conclusion is reached that, as yet, there is no obvious place for established department stores on the Internet.
Tubular and mucinous breast cancer: results of a cohort of 917 patients
Authors: Roux Pauline , Knight Sophie , Cohen Monique , Classe Jean Marc , Mazouni Chafika , Chauvet Marie-Pierre , Reyal Fabien , Colombo Pierre-Emmanuel , Jouve Eva , Chopin Nicolas , Daraï Emile , Coutant Charles , Lambaudie Eric , Houvenaeghel Gilles
Published: December 2018

Objectives:

To analyze axillary lymph node involvement (ALNI) rate and survival for mucinous (MC) and tubular (TC) breast carcinomas considered being of very good prognosis and for which an axillary surgical exploration could be questioned.

Methods:

Our multicentric cohort consisted of 21,135 patients with clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer, without neoadjuvant therapy, between 1999 and 2013 in 10 French centers. ALNI rate and survival were analyzed according to patient and tumor characteristics.

Results:

Our cohort consisted of 672 TC and 245 MC. Patients were older and tumor size greater for MC and pathologic factors were more pejorative. The rate of mastectomies and adjuvant chemotherapy was higher in the MC group. Axillary lymph node status was determined by SLNB alone in 71.2% of patients. ALNI rates were 17.9% and 18% for TC and MC, respectively. ALNI rate was lesser for MC (OR 0.503, p = 0.024) and greater in case of lympho-vascular invasion (OR 5.0, p < 0.0001) and for tumors >10 mm (OR 2.17, p = 0.042). Median follow-up was 58 months. The 5- and 7-year overall survival rates were 97.1% and 95% for TC, respectively; 92.3% and 91.2% for MC ( p = 0.043); 5- and 7-year disease-free survival rates were 97.9% and 97.2% versus 95.2 and 93.6% ( p = 0.041). Lympho-vascular invasion was the only predictive factor for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.70)’ grade 2 (HR = 10) and HR-negative (HR = 4.9) were the two predictive factors for disease-free survival.

Conclusion:

This study confirms the need for an axillary exploration for these tumors even for a tumor size <10 mm and a favorable prognosis.
Is Hip Arthroscopy Effective in Patients With Combined Excessive Femoral Anteversion and Borderline Dysplasia? A Match-Controlled Study
Authors: Chaharbakhshi Edwin O. , Hartigan David E. , Perets Itay , Domb Benjamin G.
Published: December 2018

Background:

Appropriate patient selection is critical when hip arthroscopy is considered in the setting of borderline dysplasia (BD). It is presumable that excessive femoral anteversion (EFA) and BD may contraindicate arthroscopy.

Hypothesis:

Patients with combined EFA and BD (EFABD) demonstrate significantly inferior short-term outcomes after arthroscopic labral preservation and capsular closure when compared with a similar control group with normal lateral coverage and femoral anteversion.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed on patients undergoing hip arthroscopy between April 2010 and November 2014. The EFABD group’s inclusion criteria were BD (lateral center-edge angle, 18°-25°), labral tear, capsular closure, and femoral version ≥20°, as well as preoperative modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score–Sports Specific Subscale, and visual analog scale. Exclusion criteria were workers’ compensation, preoperative Tönnis grade >1, microfracture, abductor pathology, or previous ipsilateral hip surgery or conditions. Patients in the EFABD group were matched 1:2 to a similar control group with normal coverage and femoral anteversion by age at surgery ± 6 years, sex, body mass index ± 5, acetabular Outerbridge grade (0, 1 vs 2, 3, 4), and iliopsoas fractional lengthening.

Results:

Sixteen EFABD cases were eligible for inclusion, and 100% follow-up was obtained at ≥2 years postoperatively. Twelve EFABD cases were matched to 24 control cases. Mean femoral version was 22.4° in the EFABD group and 10.2° in the control group ( P = .01). Mean lateral center-edge angle was 22.1° in the EFABD group and 31.5° in the control group ( P < .0001). Acetabuloplasty was performed significantly more frequently in the control group ( P = .0006). No other significant differences were found regarding demographics, findings, procedures, or preoperative scores. At latest follow-up, the EFABD group demonstrated significantly lower mean modified Harris Hip Score (76.1 vs 85.9; P = .005), Nonarthritic Hip Score (74.8 vs 88.5; P < .0001), Hip Outcome Score–Sports Specific Subscale (58.3 vs 78.4; P = .02), and patient satisfaction (7.1 vs 8.3; P = .005). There were 4 secondary surgical procedures (33.3%) in the EFABD group and 1 (4.2%) in the control group ( P = .03). One patient in each group required arthroplasty.

Conclusion:

Patients treated with arthroscopic labral preservation and capsular closure in the setting of EFABD demonstrated significant improvements from presurgery to latest follow-up. However, their results are significantly inferior when compared with a matched-controlled group. Consideration of periacetabular osteotomy or femoral osteotomy may be warranted in the setting of EFABD to achieve optimal benefit.
New intermediations of the electoral information flows: Changes in the Digital Public Sphere in election campaigns in Spain (2008–15)
Authors: Lobera Josep , Sampedro Víctor
Published: December 2018

In this article, we analyse the evolution of electoral information flows in Spain in the digital environment. Three post-electoral surveys (2008, 2011 and 2015) among internet users ( N = 4,312) and a series of focus groups enable us to analyse the process of expansion of the Digital Public Sphere (DPS) in Spain. We show that, instead of disintermediation, new intermediations of the electoral information flows appear. The candidacies no longer monopolize the electoral communication; rather, they share spaces in the DPS with personal contacts and civic-social organizations. We observe that, for the first time, in the 2015 elections, the influence exercised by the digital media – particularly social media – exceeded the information received directly from people they know, print media and radio. However, television remained the most influential media during the elections. We note that the use of the DPS in electoral campaigns is increasingly hybrid and dialogical. We find that, in the Spanish case, these changes are linked to the emergence of the 15M movement, which encouraged the emergence of internet-based civil organizations. The traditional political players continue to occupy a very significant role as a source of electoral information, but they share space with this new type of civil organization and with the extensive network of digital contacts. Changes in the Spanish DPS between 2008 and 2015 evidence a greater diversity in information sources and more citizens play an increasingly active role in the creation, modification and dissemination of political content.
Meaning Attribution to Intimate Partner Violence by Counselors Who Support Women With Intimate Partner Violence Experiences in Greece
Authors: Argyroudi Anthi , Flora Katerina
Published: December 2018

The present study refers to the meaning attributed to intimate partner violence by counselors supporting women who have experienced abuse and seek for help. The main focus of the study is the investigation of the effect of the counselors’ work experience in changing the meaning of intimate partner violence. The research involved 10 counselors working in social services (counseling centers and shelter services), in Greece, who support women who have suffered intimate partner violence in their relationships. The research data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and their analysis followed the interpretative phenomenological method. The qualitative analysis of the interviews showed that the counselors’ work experience broadens the meaning of intimate partner violence. The broadened definition of intimate partner violence seems to affect simultaneously the counselors’ sense of (their) vulnerability to violence.
Interpersonal Trauma Exposure and Depression in Young Adults: Considering the Role of World Assumptions
Authors: Schleider Jessica L. , Woerner Jacqueline , Overstreet Cassie , Amstadter Ananda B. , Sartor Carolyn E.
Published: December 2018

The transition to young adulthood confers heightened risk for depression, and exposure to interpersonal trauma (IPT) can magnify this risk. However, not all IPT-exposed young adults develop depressive symptoms, and not all young adults with depressive symptoms report past IPT, suggesting a need to identify moderators of the IPT–depression link. This study investigated whether four different world assumptions—core beliefs about the nature of the world—moderated the association between IPT exposure and depressive symptoms in college students ( N = 1,084, M age = 19.5, 74.1% female). Participants self-reported IPT exposure, depressive symptoms, and world assumptions via an online survey. We predicted that the IPT–depressive symptom association would be weaker among young adults with more positive assumptions about the safety of the world, trustworthiness of people, predictability of people, and controllability of events, versus those with more negative world assumptions in these domains. Hierarchical regression results supported this prediction with respect to one world assumption type: more positive beliefs about the world’s safety significantly attenuated the relation between past IPT exposure and present depressive symptoms, Δ F(1, 1061) = 9.54, Δ R2 = 0.01, p = .002. The IPT–depressive symptom link was over 3 times as strong for young adults with weak “world-is-safe” assumptions, versus those with strong “world-is-safe” assumptions. No other world assumption types emerged as moderators. Lay theories of the world’s safety may represent a basic, survival-oriented belief with implications for depressive symptoms following safety threats, such as IPT. Addressing “world-is-safe” assumptions may enhance depression prevention efforts for IPT-exposed young adults.
Distribution characteristics of stress and displacement of rings of cylindrical roller bearing
Authors: Hao Xu , Gu Xinxin , Zhou Xianwen , Liao Xin , Han Qingkai
Published: December 2018

In this paper, the developed finite element model of the shaft-cylindrical roller bearing–bearing housing system is established considering the temperature effect and clearance change. The displacement, raceway stress, and bearing stiffness characteristics of the inner and outer rings of the bearing are systematically investigated. The proposed finite element model is validated through adjusting mesh size of the bearing and the comparison of the elastic deformation of the bearing with the experiment. The influence of load, clearance, and temperature expansion on the displacement distribution of the inner and outer rings of the bearing, raceway stress, and stiffness characteristics are all discussed. The obtained results indicate that an appropriate selection of thermal expansion stress can obtain desirable working ambient temperature of the bearing under different clearances, which can serve as an efficient tool in the design of bearing parameters.
Pledging to harm: A linguistic appraisal analysis of judgment comparing realized and non-realized violent fantasies
Authors: Hurt Marlon , Grant Tim
Published: December 2018

Intent is a psychological quality that threat assessors view as a required step on a threatener’s pathway to action. Recognizing the presence of intent in threatening language is therefore crucial to determining whether a threat is credible. Nevertheless, a ‘lack of empirical guidance’ (p. 326) is available concerning how violent intent is expressed linguistically. Using the subsystem of judgment in Appraisal analysis, this study compares realized with non-realized ‘pledges to harm’, revealing occasionally counterintuitive patterns of stancetaking by both author types – for example, that the non-realized texts are both prosodically more violent and more threatening, while the realized pledges are more ethically nuanced – which may begin to shed light on which attitudinal markers reliably correlate with an author’s intention to do future harm.
Productive faces of shame: An interview with Elspeth Probyn
Authors: Probyn Elspeth , Bozalek Vivienne , Shefer Tamara , Carolissen Ronelle
Published: December 2018

Shame has typically been understood as a negative emotion, a view which is prevalent in individualist, psychologising discourses about human experience. Elspeth Probyn's approach to shame departs significantly from these tropes. As interviewers, we share a common interest in feminist ethics and productive affects in teaching and scholarship. Hence, our specific interest in Probyn's Blush: Faces of Shame. Blush is an excellent example of viewing the politics of shame as a productive and relational process. Probyn proposes that shame comes about through an interest in and a connection with another. This connection can result in building care for the other and community through re-evaluations of the self. In this way, shame can be a productive force in postcoloniality, in the feminist political ethics of care and in attempts at reconciliation. This view corresponds with the focus of this Special Issue – an affirmative and relational but political view of shame. The interview provides an illuminative account of the author's thoughts behind the writing of the book Blush, historical, theoretical and personal influences which impacted on the ideas expressed in the book, and how the book relates to past and future ideas and practices.
MRI Tracking of iPS Cells-Induced Neural Stem Cells in Traumatic Brain Injury Rats
Authors: Jiang Lili , Li Ronggang , Tang Hailiang , Zhong Junjie , Sun Huaping , Tang Weijun , Wang Huijuan , Zhu Jianhong
Published: December 2018

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are promising cell source for stem cell replacement strategy applied to brain injury caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke. Neural stem cell (NSCs) derived from iPS cells could aid the reconstruction of brain tissue and the restoration of brain function. However, tracing the fate of iPS cells in the host brain is still a challenge. In our study, iPS cells were derived from skin fibroblasts using the four classic factors Oct4, Sox2, Myc, and Klf4. These iPS cells were then induced to differentiate into NSCs, which were incubated with superparamagnetic iron oxides (SPIOs) in vitro. Next, 30 TBI rat models were prepared and divided into three groups ( n = 10). One week after brain injury, group A&B rats received implantation of NSCs (labeled with SPIOs), while group C rats received implantation of non-labeled NSCs. After cell implantation, all rats underwent T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at day 1, and 1 week to 4 weeks, to track the distribution of NSCs in rats’ brains. One month after cell implantation, manganese-enhanced MRI (ME-MRI) scan was performed for all rats. In group B, diltiazem was infused during the ME-MRI scan period. We found that (1) iPS cells were successfully derived from skin fibroblasts using the four classic factors Oct4, Sox2, Myc, and Klf4, expressing typical antigens including SSEA4, Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog; (2) iPS cells were induced to differentiate into NSCs, which could express Nestin and differentiate into neural cells and glial cells; (3) NSCs were incubated with SPIOs overnight, and Prussian blue staining showed intracellular particles; (4) after cell implantation, T2*-weighted MRI scan showed these implanted NSCs could migrate to the injury area in chronological order; (5) the subsequent ME-MRI scan detected NSCs function, which could be blocked by diltiazem. In conclusion, using an in vivo MRI tracking technique to trace the fate of iPS cells-induced NSCs in host brain is feasible.
Isolation of emerging Campylobacter species in working farm dogs and their frozen home-killed raw meat diets
Authors: Bojanić Krunoslav , Midwinter Anne C. , Marshall Jonathan C. , Biggs Patrick J. , Acke Els
Published: December 2018

We applied 7 culture methods to 50 working farm dog fecal samples and 6 methods to 50 frozen home-killed raw meat diet samples to optimize recovery of a wide range of Campylobacter spp. Culture methods combined filtration, enrichment broths, and agars at 37°C and 42°C in conventional and hydrogen-enriched microaerobic atmospheres. Overall, a prevalence of 62% (31 of 50) and 6% (3 of 50) was detected in dog and meat samples, respectively, based on Campylobacter genus PCR. A total of 356 Campylobacter spp. isolates were recovered from dogs, with successful isolation by individual methods ranging from 2 to 25 dogs. The species detected most commonly were C. upsaliensis and C. jejuni, and less commonly C. coli and C. lari. Species isolated that are rarely reported from dogs included C. rectus, C. lari subsp. concheus, C. volucris, and Helicobacter winghamensis. Six isolates from dogs positive by Campylobacter genus PCR were confirmed, using 16S rRNA sequencing, as Arcobacter cryaerophilus (1) and Arcobacter butzleri (5). C. jejuni multi-locus sequence typing results revealed a diversity of sequence types in working dogs, with several uncommonly reported from other C. jejuni sources in New Zealand. Overall, 20 isolates from 3 meat samples were positive by Campylobacter genus PCR; 1 meat sample was positive for C. jejuni, 1 for C. rectus, and 1 isolate was subsequently identified as A. butzleri. The method using Campylobacter enrichment broth in a hydrogen-enriched environment on nonselective agar resulted in significantly reduced recovery of Campylobacter spp. from both sample types.
Self-organizing maps for storage and transfer of knowledge in reinforcement learning
Authors: George Karimpanal Thommen , Bouffanais Roland
Published: December 2018

The idea of reusing or transferring information from previously learned tasks (source tasks) for the learning of new tasks (target tasks) has the potential to significantly improve the sample efficiency of a reinforcement learning agent. In this work, we describe a novel approach for reusing previously acquired knowledge by using it to guide the exploration of an agent while it learns new tasks. In order to do so, we employ a variant of the growing self-organizing map algorithm, which is trained using a measure of similarity that is defined directly in the space of the vectorized representations of the value functions. In addition to enabling transfer across tasks, the resulting map is simultaneously used to enable the efficient storage of previously acquired task knowledge in an adaptive and scalable manner. We empirically validate our approach in a simulated navigation environment and also demonstrate its utility through simple experiments using a mobile micro-robotics platform. In addition, we demonstrate the scalability of this approach and analytically examine its relation to the proposed network growth mechanism. Furthermore, we briefly discuss some of the possible improvements and extensions to this approach, as well as its relevance to real-world scenarios in the context of continual learning.
Turkishness on the stage: Affective nationalism in the Eurovision Song Contest
Authors: Ural Haktan
Published: December 2018

This study examines the Eurovision stage as a cultural space that cultivated an affective-discursive terrain forging Turkish national identity. It draws upon the media texts as a heuristic to examine how an image of ‘Turkishness’ was created and negotiated. Focusing in particular on four specific cases (Semiha Yankı in 1975, Çetin Alp in 1983, Şebnem Paker in 1997 and Sertab Erener in 2003), this study suggests that the Eurovision stage was a space where ‘Turkishness’ encountered an imagined ‘Europeanness’. In these cases, affective discourses gave meanings of national allegories of ‘Turkishness’ to performing bodies on the Eurovision stage. The affective registers generated a discursive formation shaping the contours of ‘Turkishness’ in relation to Europe. Yet these discourses did not generate fixed and stable meanings. In particular, the construction of national success was negotiated and contested in terms of the appropriateness of the national embodiment.