bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E‐laboratory design and implementation for enhanced science, technology and engineering education
Authors: Morton William , Uhomoibhi James
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to report on the design and implementation of an e‐laboratory for enhanced science, technology and engineering education studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper assesses a computer‐based e‐laboratory, designed for new entrants to science, technology and engineering programmes of study in further and higher education to enable them complete proper “hands‐on” (not simulation) laboratory experiments off‐campus and also in virtual learning environments accessible remotely. The development of such a laboratory was in response to the inherent inability of web‐based learning environments to duplicate, off‐campus, the laboratory facilities and availability on‐campus. The measurement of effectiveness relates to whether a laboratory task can be accurately and completely achieved. Common parameters included percentage task completion, error rate and assistance required. Operations under different conditions were studied and observations made from comparison on implementations.

Findings

E‐laboratories were found to be more student‐centred with learners taking responsibility for their own learning.. The face‐to‐face pre‐computer scenario learners had a very low completion rate, a high error rate and required constant assistance. The computer‐based scenario resulted in a high completion rate, low error rate and a significant reduction in learner supervision.

Research limitations/implications

The technical constraints imposed by present online environments, the resulting impact on specific learning styles, and possible solutions to overcome these limitations are discussed.

Practical implications

Both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews established a positive impact on student learning, thus justifying development of similar systems. More research and applications could follow as this has the potential to impact positively on development and use of e‐labs for enhanced science, technology and engineering studies in terms of costs, time and space requirements.

Originality/value

The recent interest and advances in the development of remote and virtual labs has shown that students of today, who are digital natives, especially those in the fields of science, technology and engineering, find the use of e‐laboratories very useful in enhancing their studies, encouraging them to use familiar technologies to access and do experiments either remotely or virtually online, thereby enhancing their learning. The approach adopted is unique and original, blending both virtual and hands‐on approach to experimental studies.
Five questions for addressing ethical dilemmas
Authors: Rossy Gerard L.
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to offer a framework of five questions for analyzing ethical dilemmas faced by managers and professionals. The framework's main purpose is to help individuals understand the nature of ethical issues and to avoid making ethical mistakes – decisions or actions that are unintentionally unethical that they would later regret and wish they could undo.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework developed is based on traditional ethical theories reframed into a set of simple questions that have been applied in a variety of private‐ and public‐sector organizations to help managers identify and resolve ethical dilemmas and conflicts.

Findings

The benefits of this framework are that the five questions cover the broad range of underlying factors that create ethical issues and dilemmas, are simple and easy for individuals to understand and remember and, considered together, help to identify conflicting ethical priorities.

Practical implications

Most breaches of ethics are not intentional and most individuals want to behave ethically. Their breach of ethics is often the result of making decisions without adequately thinking through the implications and possible consequences. The application of this simple framework can help individuals and organizations avoid making such ethical mistakes.

Originality/value

The framework has helped public‐ and private‐sector organizations evaluate and cope with ethical issues and value conflicts.
Long memory properties and asymmetric effects of emerging equity market
Authors: Abdul Manap Turkhan Ali , Kassim Salina H.
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the long memory property of equity returns and volatility of emerging equity market by focusing on the Malaysian equity market, namely the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE).

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts the Fractionally Integrated GARCH (FIGARCH) model and Fractionally Integrated Asymmetric Power ARCH (FIAPARCH), focusing on the Malaysian data covering the period from April 15, 2004 to April 30, 2007.

Findings

The study finds evidence of long memory property as well as asymmetric effects in the volatility of the KLSE. The traditional ARCH/GARCH is shown to be insufficient in modeling the volatility persistence. The FIAPARCH specification outperforms the FIGARCH model by capturing both asymmetry effects and long memory in the conditional variance.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study have practical implications for the investors intending to invest in the emerging markets such as Malaysia. Understanding volatility and developing the appropriate models are important since volatility can be a measure of risk which is highly relevant in forecasting the conditional volatility of returns for portfolio selection, asset pricing, and value at risk, option pricing and hedging strategies.

Originality/value

This study contributes in providing the empirical evidence on the long memory property of equity returns and volatility of an emerging equity market with reliable estimation models, which is currently lacking, particularly for emerging markets.
Human rights in health and social care
Authors: Gavrielides Theo
Published: November 2011

Purpose

It was expected that the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 would promote a human rights culture in public services and beyond. This paper seeks to focus on the Act's impact on minority, ethnic users of health and social care services.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviewed recent policy and academic papers as well as legislative and government initiatives since the Act's implementation in 2000. It also looked at user surveys and evidence submitted to Parliament and public inquiries. A critical synthesis and analysis of the data was attempted.

Findings

The paper makes the argument that the original intentions behind the HRA have not been materialised. The paper attributes this failure to issues of misunderstanding around the Act and human rights. The paper also argues that by focusing more on mainstreaming the principles underlying the Act and less on its legalistic interpretation, human rights will be seen more relevant by both users and providers of health and social care services.

Originality/value

An original analysis and interpretation of what these principles encompass is attempted whilst brief recommendations for policy and practice are posited.
Classifying international aspects of currency regimes
Authors: Willett Thomas , Chiu Eric M.P. , Dechsakulthorn Sirathorn (B.J.) , Ghosh Ramya , Kibesse Bernard , Kim Kenneth , Kim Jeff (Yongbok) , Ouyang Alice
Published: November 2011

Purpose

There has been significant interest in the classification of exchange rate regimes in order to investigate a wide range of hypotheses. Studies of the effects of exchange rate regimes on crises and other aspects of economic performance can have important implications for policy choices. The paper provides a guide to the major new large data sets that classify exchange rate regimes and to critically analyze important methodological issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The study surveys and critiques the literature and provides theoretical analysis of major issues involved in classifying exchange rate regimes.

Findings

The study finds that all of the new data sets have problems but some have more problems than others and several of them are substantial improvements on what was previously available. It is also shown that the best ways to classify depend on the issue being addressed and that for detailed studies variants of measures using the concept of exchange market pressure are the most promising. Directions for future research are also discussed.

Originality/value

The paper makes researchers aware of the new data sets that are available and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. It also presents original analysis of several of the major conceptual issues involved in classifying exchange rate regimes.
Blame and fault attributions in sexual violence: are these distinct?
Authors: Anderson Irina , Bissell Helena
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This study seeks to examine whether blame and fault assigned to victims and perpetrators in a hypothetical sexual violence case are distinct conceptually, and whether they are affected by gender of participant, perpetrator and victim.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants read an incident of either female or male rape, perpetrated by either a female or a male, and assigned attributions of blame and fault to both victims and perpetrators. Participants also completed Burt's Rape Myth Acceptance Scale.

Findings

Findings showed that none of the independent variables had any effect on victim attributions of blame and fault, only affecting blame and fault assigned to perpetrators. Perpetrators of male victim rape were assigned more blame than perpetrators of female victim rape. In terms of fault: male participants reduced the amount of fault that they attributed to female perpetrators relative to male perpetrators; and female participants increased the amount of fault that they attributed to female perpetrators relative to male perpetrators. In addition, greater endorsement of traditional sex‐role attitudes and rape myths was associated with higher rape victim blame.

Originality/value

Findings are discussed in relation to social norms, social categorisation theory and differential focus of specific rape victim vs rape victims in general.
Reflections on Vincent Ostrom, Public Administration, and Polycentricity
Authors: McGinnis Michael D. , Ostrom Elinor
Published: November 2011

Among Vincent Ostrom's many contributions to the study of public administration, policy, and political science, the concept of polycentricity remains his single most important legacy. This essay locates the origins of this concept in Ostrom's early research on resource management in the Western United States and demonstrates its continuing influence throughout The Intellectual Crisis in Public Administration, The Political Theory of a Compound Republic, and his other major publications. Although typically pigeonholed within the confines of the public choice tradition, Ostrom's body of work should be widely appreciated as an early statement of the critical importance of network forms of governance in democratic societies.
Excisional biopsy for management of lateral tongue leukoplakia
Authors: Jeong Woo‐Jin , Paik Jin Ho , Cho Sung‐Woo , Sung Myung‐Whun , Kim Kwang Hyun , Ahn Soon‐Hyun
Published: November 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 384–388

Background:  Leukoplakia of the lateral tongue is frequently associated with the risk of malignancy. Although incisional biopsy is accepted as a standard technique for evaluation, the possibility of underdiagnosis, and therefore missed diagnosis of malignancy, remains at all times. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of underdiagnosis by incisional biopsy for leukoplakia of the lateral tongue and to elucidate the underlying cause of for underdiagnosis.

Methods:  Twenty‐two patients with leukoplakia in the lateral tongue who had undergone excisional biopsy for suspicion of malignancy were included in the study. Pathology was reviewed and classified into ‘no dysplasia,’‘dysplasia,’ and ‘carcinoma’. Underdiagnosis was defined as a change of diagnosis to a graver classification following excisional biopsy. To analyze the factors contributing to underdiagnosis, incisional and excisional biopsy specimens were re‐evaluated.

Results:  Of the 22 patients with leukoplakia of the lateral tongue, 59.1% had coexistent malignancy, including nine squamous cell carcinomas and four verrucous carcinomas. Incisional biopsy resulted in underdiagnosis in 73.3% of the cases. Underdiagnosis was attributable to three common errors, which were mis‐selection of sampling site within a large area of leukoplakia, error in pathology specimen preparation owing to small specimen size, and superficial biopsy frequently associated with punch biopsy.

Conclusion:  Leukoplakia of the lateral tongue is highly coexistent with malignancy, and incisional biopsy frequently leads to underdiagnosis. Therefore, complete excision with adequate margin is warranted for leukoplakia of the lateral tongue, preferably under general anesthesia, which could be performed with minimal morbidity and function preservation.
Catalytically active filaments – pyruvate decarboxylase from Neurospora crassa. pH‐controlled oligomer structure and catalytic function
Authors: Hüttl Stefanie , Fiebig Juliane , Kutter Steffen , Hause Gerd , Lilie Hauke , Spinka Michael , König Stephan
Published: November 2011

Pyruvate decarboxylase is a key enzyme in organisms whose energy metabolism is based on alcoholic fermentation. The enzyme catalyses the nonoxidative decarboxylation of 2‐oxo acids in the presence of the cofactors thiamine diphosphate and magnesium ions. Pyruvate decarboxylase species from yeasts and plant seeds studied to date are allosterically activated by their substrate pyruvate. However, detailed kinetic studies on the enzyme from Neurospora crassa demonstrate for the first time the lack of substrate activation for a yeast pyruvate decarboxylase species. The quaternary structure of this enzyme species is also peculiar because it forms filamentous structures. The complex enzyme structure was analysed using a number of methods, including small‐angle X‐ray solution scattering, transmission electron microscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation and size‐exclusion chromatography. These measurements were complemented by detailed kinetic studies in dependence on the pH.

Structured digital abstract

 PDC and PDC bind by light scattering (View Interaction: 1, 2)

 PDC and PDC bind by cosedimentation in solution (View Interaction: 1, 2)

 PDC and PDC bind by electron microscopy (View interaction)
Genetic Markers for Rapid PCR-Based Identification of Gull, Canada Goose, Duck, and Chicken Fecal Contamination in Water
Authors: Green Hyatt C. , Dick Linda K. , Gilpin Brent , Samadpour Mansour , Field Katharine G.
Published: November 2011

Avian feces contaminate waterways but contribute fewer human pathogens than human sources. Rapid identification and quantification of avian contamination would therefore be useful to prevent overestimation of human health risk. We used subtractive hybridization of PCR-amplified gull fecal 16S RNA genes to identify avian-specific fecal rRNA gene sequences. The subtracters were rRNA genes amplified from human, dog, cat, cow, and pig feces. Recovered sequences were related to
Enterobacteriaceae
(47%),
Helicobacter
(26%),
Catellicoccus
(11%),
Fusobacterium
(11%), and
Campylobacter
(5%). Three PCR assays, designated GFB, GFC, and GFD, were based on recovered sequence fragments. Quantitative PCR assays for GFC and GFD were developed using SYBR green. GFC detected down to 0.1 mg gull feces/100 ml (corresponding to 2 gull enterococci most probable number [MPN]/100 ml). GFD detected down to 0.1 mg chicken feces/100 ml (corresponding to 13
Escherichia coli
MPN/100 ml). GFB and GFC were 97% and 94% specific to gulls, respectively. GFC cross-reacted with 35% of sheep samples but occurred at about 100,000 times lower concentrations in sheep. GFD was 100% avian specific and occurred in gulls, geese, chickens, and ducks. In the United States, Canada, and New Zealand, the three markers differed in their geographic distributions but were found across the range tested. These assays detected four important bird groups contributing to fecal contamination of waterways: gulls, geese, ducks, and chickens. Marker distributions across North America and in New Zealand suggest that they will have broad applicability in other parts of the world as well.
Efficient Biostimulation of Native and Introduced Quorum-Quenching Rhodococcus erythropolis Populations Is Revealed by a Combination of Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology, and Pyrosequencing
Authors: Cirou Amélie , Mondy Samuel , An Shu , Charrier Amélie , Sarrazin Amélie , Thoison Odile , DuBow Michael , Faure Denis
Published: November 2011

Degradation of the quorum-sensing (QS) signals known as
N
-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) by soil bacteria may be useful as a beneficial trait for protecting crops, such as potato plants, against the worldwide pathogen
Pectobacterium
. In this work, analytical chemistry and microbial and molecular approaches were combined to explore and compare biostimulation of native and introduced AHL-degrading
Rhodococcus erythropolis
populations in the rhizosphere of potato plants cultivated in farm greenhouses under hydroponic conditions. We first identified gamma-heptalactone (GHL) as a novel biostimulating agent that efficiently promotes plant root colonization by AHL-degrading
R. erythropolis
population. We also characterized an AHL-degrading biocontrol
R. erythropolis
isolate, R138, which was introduced in the potato rhizosphere. Moreover, root colonization by AHL-degrading bacteria receiving different combinations of GHL and R138 treatments was compared by using a cultivation-based approach (percentage of AHL-degrading bacteria), pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified
rrs
loci (total bacterial community), and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of the
qsdA
gene, which encodes an AHL lactonase in
R. erythropolis
. Higher densities of the AHL-degrading
R. erythropolis
population in the rhizosphere were observed when GHL treatment was associated with biocontrol strain R138. Under this condition, the introduced
R. erythropolis
population displaced the native
R. erythropolis
population. Finally, chemical analyses revealed that GHL, gamma-caprolactone (GCL), and their by-products, gamma-hydroxyheptanoic acid and gamma-hydroxycaproic acid, rapidly disappeared from the rhizosphere and did not accumulate in plant tissues. This integrative study highlights biostimulation as a potential innovative approach for improving root colonization by beneficial bacteria.
Welfare regimes, population health and health inequalities: a research synthesis
Authors: Brennenstuhl Sarah , Quesnel-Vallée Amélie , McDonough Peggy
Published: November 2011

Background

Research on the social determinants of health is increasingly using welfare regime theory. Although a key argument is that population health will be better and health inequalities lower in social democratic regimes than in others, this research has not been subjected to a systematic review. This paper identifies and assesses empirical studies that explicitly use a welfare regime typology in comparative health research.

Methods

15 electronic databases and relevant bibliographies were searched to identify empirical studies published in English-language journals from January 1970 to February 2011. Thirty-three studies appearing in 14 peer-reviewed journals between 1994 and 2011 met the inclusion criteria.

Results

Three welfare regime typologies and their variants dominated existing work, which consisted of two broad study types: One compared population health and health inequalities across welfare regimes; the other considered relationships between health and the political determinants and policies of welfare regimes. Studies were further distinguished by the presence or absence of statistical significance testing of relationships of interest. Just under one half of studies comparing outcomes by regime found at least some evidence that health inequalities were lowest or population health was the best in social democratic countries. Studies analysing the relationship between health (mortality) and the political determinants or policies of welfare states were more likely to report results consistent with welfare regime theory.

Conclusions

Health differences by regime were not always consistent with welfare regime theory. Measurement of policy instruments or outcomes of welfare regimes may be more promising for public health research than the use of typologies alone.
Punctate LC3B Expression Is a Common Feature of Solid Tumors and Associated with Proliferation, Metastasis, and Poor Outcome
Authors: Lazova Rossitza , Camp Robert L. , Klump Vincent , Siddiqui Summar F. , Amaravadi Ravi K. , Pawelek John M.
Published: November 2011

Purpose: Measurement of autophagy in cancer and correlation with histopathologic grading or clinical outcomes has been limited. Accordingly, we investigated LC3B as an autophagosome marker by analyzing nearly 1,400 tumors from 20 types of cancer, focusing on correlations with clinical outcomes in melanoma and breast cancer.

Experimental Design: Staining protocols were developed for automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) using antibodies versus LC3 isoform B (LC3B) and Ki-67. Clinically annotated breast and melanoma tissue microarrays (TMA) and a multitumor array were used. An AQUA program was developed to quantitate LC3B distribution in punctate and diffuse compartments of the cell.

Results: LC3B staining was moderate to high in the large majority of tumors. The percentage of area occupied by punctate LC3B was elevated by 3- to 5-fold at high LC3B intensities. In breast cancer and melanoma TMAs, LC3B and Ki-67 showed strong correlations (P < 0.0001), and in multitumor TMAs, mitotic figures were most often seen in tumors with the highest LC3B expression (P < 0.002). In breast cancer, LC3B expression was elevated in node-positive versus node-negative primaries and associated with increased nuclear grade and shortened survival. In a melanoma TMA with no survival data, LC3B levels were highest in nodal, visceral, and cutaneous metastases.

Conclusions: The results reveal a common expression of LC3B in malignancy and support emerging evidence that autophagy plays a significant role in cancer progression. High LC3B was associated proliferation, invasion and metastasis, high nuclear grade, and worse outcome. Thus, autophagy presents a key target of therapeutic vulnerability in solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 18(2); 370–9. ©2011 AACR.
Nanosilver effects on growth parameters in experimental aflatoxicosis in broiler chickens
Authors: Gholami-Ahangaran Majid , Zia-Jahromi Noosha
Published: November 2011

Aflatoxicosis is a cause of economic losses in broiler production. In this study, the effect of one commercial nanocompound, Nanocid (Nano Nasb Pars Co., Iran) was evaluated in reduction of aflatoxin effects on the growth and performance indices in broiler chickens suffering from experimental aflatoxicosis. For this, a total of 300 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross strain) were randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates of 15 chicks in each separated pen during the 28-day experiment. Treatment groups including group A: chickens fed basal diet, group B: chickens fed 3 ppm productive aflatoxin in basal diet, group C: chickens fed basal diet plus 2500 ppm Nanocid, and group D: chickens fed 3 ppm productive aflatoxin and 2500 ppm Nanocid, in basal diet. Data on body weight, body weight gain (BWG), feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded at weekly intervals. Also cumulative data were assessed. Results showed, although supplement of Nanocid to conventional diet had no effect on performance but addition of Nanocid to diet containing 3 ppm aflatoxin increased significantly the cumulative BWG, cumulative feed consumption and decreased FCR in the last 2 weeks of experimental period. The improvement in these performance indices by supplement of Nanocid to diet containing aflatoxin showed the ability of Nanocid to diminish the inhibitory effects of aflatoxin.
Reclaiming authentic selves: Control, resistive humour and identity work in the office
Authors: Westwood Robert , Johnston Allanah
Published: November 2011

This article analyses a study that reveals employees using humour to resist an organization’s normative control attempts via a ‘workplace justice’ program. In an interesting ‘doubling’, the program used excerpts from the television comedy The Office which were intended to provide clear examples of inappropriate workplace behaviour and foster consensual understanding. However, The Office can be read as a parody of the performativity of management, gender and political correctness, a reading that problematizes the organizational purposes and one exploited by employees to construct alternate interpretations. Analysis focuses on a number of intersecting areas centring on identity work and humour. Firstly, resistance to normative control and its presumed intrusions, with resistance manifest in the form of humour. Related to this are employee perceptions that the organization required the mere performance of ‘appropriate behaviour’ in conformance with politically correct, managerially fashionable and legalistically expedient expectations. This raises questions about performance, identity and authenticity. Secondly, identity work takes place within power, but operates through a series of plateaux: actions may act resistively in relation to a managerial/hierarchical plateau whilst at the same time acting to reproduce forms of heteronormative masculinity in a different, gender power plateau. Thirdly, the article examines the role of humour in the complexities of identity work and in relation to different frameworks of power. It further theorizes and illustrates the ambiguities of humour and its double-edged capacity to contribute to the maintenance of the status quo and the performance of power as well as its resistive and subversive potential.
Morfofisiologia do tecido intertubular e das células de Leydig de jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis) adulta
Authors: Sarti P , Paula T.A.R , Polli G.O , Deco Souza T , Araujo G.R
Published: November 2011

Estudou-se o espaço intertubular e descreveu-se seu arranjo em jaguatirica adulta (Leopardus pardalis). Para tal, colheram-se fragmentos dos testículos, de cinco jaguatiricas adultas, provenientes de cativeiro, obtidos por biópsia incisional. O compartimento intertubular correspondeu a 19,4% do parênquima, sendo 3,9% ocupado por células de Leydig. Estes se apresentaram uninucleados, com o núcleo arredondado e nucléolo único, e com grande quantidade de grânulos pigmentares no citoplasma. O compartimento intertubular apresentou padrão do tipo II, e o tecido conjuntivo foi o componente mais abundante do tecido intertubular. Observou-se pequeno percentual de células de Leydig na espécie estudada, e o número médio por grama de testículo, 33,39 x10(6), apresentou-se dentro da amplitude descrita para a maioria dos mamíferos.
Avaliação nutricional de soja integral desativada e desempenho de leitões na fase de creche
Authors: Toledo J.B , Furlan A.C , Moreira I , Piano L.M , Carvalho P.L.O , Oliveira G.C
Published: November 2011

Dois experimentos foram realizados para determinar o valor nutricional e verificar o desempenho de leitões dos 6 aos 15kg, alimentados com dietas que continham dois tipos de soja integral desativada, caracterizada pela presença (SC) ou não de casca (SS). No ensaio de digestibilidade total, foram utilizados 15 leitões machos, castrados, com média de peso inicial de 7,36±1,71kg, alojados em gaiolas de metabolismo. Exceto para energia bruta (EB), não foram observadas diferenças entre tratamentos nos coeficientes de digestibilidade da matéria seca, da proteína bruta, do extrato etéreo e da matéria orgânica, e no coeficiente de metabolização da EB entre as duas sojas avaliadas. Os teores de energia digestível e energia metabolizável na matéria natural para SC e SS foram: 3.979 e 4.300kcal/kg; 3.768 e 4.111kcal/kg, respectivamente. No experimento de desempenho, foram utilizados 56 leitões, desmamados aos 21 dias de idade, com média de peso inicial de 6,19±0,67kg. Neste experimento, os leitões receberam os dois tipos de soja integral desativada em três porcentagens de inclusão. Não foram observadas diferenças para as variáveis de desempenho com a inclusão da soja desativada às dietas. Concluiu-se que os tipos e as porcentagens de inclusão da soja podem ser utilizados na dieta de leitões.
Reproductive characteristics and the weight-length relationship in Anableps anableps (Linnaeus, 1758) (Cyprinodontiformes: Anablepidae) from the Amazon Estuary
Authors: Oliveira Valéria de Albuquerque , Fontoura Nelson Ferreira , Montag Luciano Fogaça de Assis
Published: November 2011

The present study analyzed the length-weight relationship and some aspects of the reproductive biology of Anableps anableps from the mouth of the Maracanã River, in the Brazilian state of Pará. The specimens were collected using two 30 m-long gillnets with 15 and 20 mm mesh size, as well as a 1 m-diameter hand net with a 10 mm mesh. A total of 865 specimens were collected, from which an adult sex ratio of 2.12 females per male was recorded (χ² = 13.07; p<0.05). Females presented positively allometric growth, whereas males were negatively allometric. In the additional analyses, the gonads of 371 female specimens were observed microscopically. Gonadal development was classified in three stages: immature (5.0%), maturing (12.0%), and mature (83.0%). Embryonic development was classified in five phases, according to the size of the embryo and the vitelline sac. Mean fecundity was 12 eggs/embryos per female (range: 1-37 eggs/embryos). A significant relationship was recorded between the standard length of females and ovaries weight (R² = 0.257; p < 0.001), and the number of embryos carried (R² = 0.573; p < 0.001). Mean body length of females at initial sexual maturation (L50) was estimated at 11.7 cm. The species reproduced throughout the year.
Esporte olímpico e paraolímpico: coincidências, divergências e especificidades numa perspectiva contemporânea
Authors: Marques Renato Francisco Rodrigues , Duarte Edison , Gutierrez Gustavo Luis , Almeida José Júlio Gavião de , Miranda Tatiane Jacusiel
Published: November 2011

Este texto apresenta uma análise do esporte adaptado, tendo como objeto principal os Jogos Paraolímpicos, evento realizado de forma associada com os Jogos Olímpicos. Procura apontar similaridades e diferenças entre os dois eventos, considerando-os como formas de expressão do esporte contemporâneo, destacando características como a organização, relação com o mercado de consumo e formas de divulgação. As principais diferenças descritas se referem à gênese dos dois objetos, além da maior vocação do esporte olímpico para a inserção mercadológica. Quanto às similaridades, destaca-se a presença em ambos das características do esporte moderno gerado no século XIX, além das estruturas organizacionais conceitualmente similares. Podem-se apontar ainda alguns pontos específicos do esporte adaptado, como modalidades próprias, a exemplo do "Goalball".
Investigating the Interdependence of Strain and Self-Control
Authors: Peter Tracey , LaGrange Teresa , Silverman Robert
Published: November 2011

Self-control and strain perspectives are widely viewed as independent and contrasting explanations for crime and delinquency. This paper re-evaluates the competing paradigms approach by considering the two theories as potentially complementary in explaining participation in delinquency based on Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) assumption that self-control acts as a barrier to criminal behaviour. If such a claim is valid, one would hypothesize that individuals with high self-control would be able to mediate the effects of strain and refrain from engaging in delinquent activities. In contrast, adolescents with low self-control may not be equipped with the necessary constraints to abstain from delinquency and would therefore exhibit the greatest criminal propensities. A significant interaction term would support such claims. Data from a sample of over 2,000 adolescents attending junior and senior high schools in a western Canadian city were analysed to determine the independent and contextual effects of self-control and strain on involvement in delinquent behaviour. Results suggest that both self-control and strain are important contributors to delinquency, but in an additive and not an interactive way. Such results do not seem to provide support for claims made by control theorists, who would no doubt argue that the effects of strain should be conditioned by low self-control.
Governmentality, Critical Criminology, and the Absent Norm
Authors: de Lint Willem
Published: November 2011

Since the late 1980s, emerging Canadian criminologists have turned in great numbers to Foucault for a common theoretical, not to mention substantive, base. However, this has not fared equally well on all levels of criminological engagement. Toward an analysis of the relationship between critical criminology and “governmentality,” this article proceeds with a brief examination of the constituents of disciplinary integrity. This is followed by commentary on relations of power and subordination. Drawing on Fraser's (1989) critique of Foucault, the author argues that while governmentality slices criminal justice policy and practice to expose hidden continuities and breaks, the sharpness of the cut depends upon normative assumptions that remain contradictory or ungrounded, and this stands in the way of praxis.
Current Copyright Law and Fair Use: The Council of Editors of Learned Journals, Keynote Address, MLA Convention 2000
Authors: Spoo Robert , Orlans Harold , Cornett Michael
Published: November 2011

For its keynote address at the 2000 MLA Convention, the Council of Editors of Learned Journals asked two experts in the area of publishing and copyright law to update editors and publishers about issues of copyright and fair use facing us in the digital age. Robert Spoo, a former academic journal editor and now a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law, warns that editors must be more mindful than ever, in light of new forms of digital publishing and republishing of scholarly work, to take care of their professional interests. He examines some problems we can expect to confront as the analogue world is further ‘consumed’ by the digital world. The doctrine of fair use must be intelligently applied to support scholarly interests.

Harold Orlans, a long-time observer of the publishing world as editor of The Independent Scholar and a columnist for Change, the bimonthly magazine of the American Association for Higher Education, responds to Spoo's presentation and suggests how those in the scholarly publishing field might effectively stand behind fair use by providing sound directives for both upholding fair use and reducing the growing chaos surrounding copyright permissions. Both Spoo and Orlans would like to see scholarly editors and publishers avoid timidity before the law and instead lead in the area of copyright and fair use.
Bibliographies and Notes as a Separate Online Publication: A Novel Trend in Support of Scholarly Publishing
Authors: Court John
Published: November 2011

The economics of scholarly publishing have been affected in a number of ways by the Internet as both a reference tool and a publishing medium. The low costs and convenience of online serial subscriptions, research databases and scanned full-text reproductions are of great value to scholars. Voluminous compendiums like the Dictionary of Canadian Biography are also now available electronically, notably on CD-ROM, indexed and fully searchable. On the other hand, monographs and edited volumes usually appear in their traditional print format. A novel variation, however, has emerged: online access to a book's academic apparatus, exemplified by this year's release, The University of Toronto: A History - Notes. This structural separation serves up a less costly, hence more accessible monograph, while the endnotes may be consulted gratis via the Web or shelved in hardcopy format beside the book in archives and libraries. But some have perceived a downside. The merits of this innovation were hotly debated through two New York Times articles, an anthology chapter, and the listserv of North American scholarly publishers. This article summarizes the pros and cons.
SciLab Based Remote Control of Thermo-Optical Plant
Authors: Jano Miroslav , Zakova Katarina
Published: November 2011

The paper deals with the web-based implementation of the control system of a thermo-optical plant. The control of the plant is based on the SciLab software which originally is not designed for web-based applications. The paper shows a possible way to circumvent this limitation. The ultimate goal is to enable remote controlled experiment using SciLab. The paper also describes possible tools for communication and control of the real plant and visualization of results.
Maximum speed of dewetting on a fiber
Authors: Shing Chan Tak , Gueudré Thomas , Snoeijer Jacco H.
Published: November 2011

A solid object can be coated by a nonwetting liquid since a receding contact line cannot exceed a critical speed. We theoretically investigate this forced wetting transition for axisymmetric menisci on fibers of varying radii. First, we use a matched asymptotic expansion and derive the maximum speed of dewetting. For all radii, we find the maximum speed occurs at vanishing apparent contact angle. To further investigate the transition, we numerically determine the bifurcation diagram for steady menisci. It is found that the meniscus profiles on thick fibers are smooth, even when there is a film deposited between the bath and the contact line, while profiles on thin fibers exhibit strong oscillations. We discuss how this could lead to different experimental scenarios of film deposition.
Handlers' hygiene practices in small restaurants of Vadodara
Authors: Sheth Mini , Gupta Ashima , Ambegaonkar Tejal
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the hygiene and sanitation practices of restaurant food handlers of urban Vadodara, Gujarat, India.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 55 food handlers were purposively selected, to study their personal hygiene and unit hygiene practices using semi‐structured questionnaire and observation schedules, from 40 small and medium‐sized restaurants of urban Vadodara. Microbial analysis of five samples, namely, hand rinse sample, table mop cloth, towel, knife and plate swabs was carried out to determine the total plate count and presence of Staphylococcus aureus, Coliform counts, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli 0157:H7.

Findings

Most food handlers exhibited poor personal hygiene and poor personal habits. E. coli 0157:H7 was detected in two out of three knife samples and table mop cloth samples; Salmonella was detected in one of the table mops cloths and two hand towel samples, respectively. Two of the table mop cloth samples also indicated presence of Shigella.

Research limitations/implications

The survey of food handlers implies gross violation of codex guidelines laid down for safe cooking and services practices for small and medium‐sized restaurants.

Practical implications

Consumption of foods at small and medium‐sized restaurants of urban Vadodara poses a high risk for the consumers.

Originality/value

This is an original study which should act as an eye opener for the food safety officers who need to enforce the food safety laws more stringently, so as to reduce the risk of outbreaks of food borne illnesses in the city of Vadodara.
Sustainable national income: information for attaining sustainability
Authors: Hueting Roefie
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to provide information about which conditions green supply chains have to fulfil in order to attain an environmentally sustainable situation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes a macro economic analysis in which, first, the non‐human – made physical surroundings is described as a collection of possible uses, or environmental functions, on which human life is entirely dependent. Second, the possibilities and impossibilities of evaluating environmental functions are described. Third, it is stated that competing functions are by definition economic goods. Fourth, the concepts of national income (NI) ex asymmetric entries and the environmentally sustainable national income (eSNI) are formulated. Fifth it is shown why the estimate of eSNI has to be realised with the aid of an economic model. Sixth, it is argued why there is no conflict between environmental conservation and employment. Finally, the relation of this analysis and supply chains is given.

Findings

The results of an environmentally sustainable production level (the eSNI) is given, both for The Netherlands and for the world. It is found that a series NIs ex asymmetric entries and a series of eSNIs alongside the standard NI would greatly ameliorate the information about the inevitable choices between the growth of production and safeguarding vital environmental functions for future generations.

Originality/value

Both the concepts presented and the results of the estimates are original.
Study of acrylic emulsion for ultraviolet curable pressure sensitive adhesives and its properties
Authors: Bhore Nishant , Mahanwar Prakash
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesise UV curable emulsion latex and to study characteristics and various performance properties such as tackiness, peel adhesion and cohesive strength for pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) application after UV curing.

Design/methodology/approach

The two component water‐based ultraviolet (UV) curable acrylate PSAs were synthesised by emulsion copolymerization. The synthesised emulsion samples were characterised and various performance properties such as tackiness, peel adhesion and cohesive strength for PSAs were tested after UV curing.

Findings

The thermal analysis showed the effect of methyl methacrylate (MMA) content on the glass transition temperature of emulsions, which had significant effect on tack. Effects of varying concentration of multifunctional monomer trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and UV exposure time on properties of UV curable PSA were also studied.

Research limitations/implications

The results associated with the UV curable water based PSA has certain advantages, such as low VOC and fast curing rate and with the scope for further research by using the radiations with different intensities or other radiation systems such as electron beam curing.

Practical implications

Practically the UV water based PSAs are already in industrial use for glass lamination, silicon semiconductor dicing, and in medical use for band aids and drug delivery systems and for dental applications for cavity filling.

Originality/value

The water based UV curable PSA synthesised by emulsion polymerization had very good tackiness properties with lower MMA content. It was observed that the lower the concentration of TMPTA, the better the performance properties, such as tack and peel strength. It was also observed that with increasing TMPTA concentration the cohesive strength increased.
Health data standards and adoption process
Authors: Alkraiji Abdullah , Jackson Thomas , Murray Ian
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to carry out a critical study of health data standards and adoption process with a focus on Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

Many developed nations have initiated programs to develop, promote, adopt and customise international health data standards to the local needs. The current status of, and future plans for, health data and related standards in developing countries are still questionable due to the absence of government actions, plans and related studies. However, the development of interoperable standards not only technically defines a method of interoperation between the different systems in a network but most importantly represents a proposal for the future of complex socio‐technical systems that is the shape of a national health information network and therefore a complex balance between different types of requirements including organisational, social and managerial aspects must be managed. This reaffirms the need for a more in‐depth study to evaluate the adoption of health information technology‐related standards at the decision‐making stage in developing countries. Based on diffusion of innovation theory and the theories surrounding the economics of standards, a case study method was applied in Saudi Arabia to study the adoption process of health data standards.

Findings

The preliminary analysis findings revealed that there are 18 factors influencing the decision‐making adoption process of acquiring certain standards.

Research limitations/implications

Qualitative study methods have been employed in the present study that have shed light on the many issues that need to be addressed in this field. Studies involving other countries including advanced nations should be done for which the present results have economic, social and educational implications.

Practical implications

The present study and findings should help inform policy and decision makers in developing health systems with the potential creation of information and structure that can sustain future and improved systems.

Originality/value

This paper makes a novel contribution at both academic and practical levels since both the academics and practitioners, who are devoted to the ongoing use of health data standards, still lack a significant body of evidence with regard to the factors that influence their adoption.
Constructing stress tests
Authors: Abbink John B.
Published: November 2011

Purpose

There is limited discussion in the literature of the problems associated with constructing stress tests. The Credit Crunch has revealed that attention simply to haircuts to asset values and resulting margin calls is insufficient. The purpose of this paper is to explore additional avenues for stress testing.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is largely discursive.

Findings

Stress tests must look into the debt position of the firm, as well as its position and credit exposures. Not only the volume of debt but its maturity structure, callability and the indentures attached to it are extremely important.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is geared more toward management and practitioners than to academic researchers. Implications for the analysis of corporate strategy are significant.

Social implications

Stress testing is essential to the confident continuance of firms.

Originality/value

So much of the work in this area is proprietary and so little has been published on it.