bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preservice Education: Perspectives about Integrating Caregivers
Authors: Boyer Valerie E.
Published: December 2014

A disconnect is present between philosophical desire to actively involve caregivers in early intervention (EI) and implementation by EI providers. Preservice education may shape beliefs and build knowledge and skills supporting active participation of caregivers. Two graduate clinicians in speech-language pathology completed a practicum with a two-year-old child, Sam, and his family with half of the sessions including active participation by the caregivers. Analysis of progress notes, individual reflections, and interview transcript yielded clinicians reporting beliefs in collaboration with caregivers and building relationships with caregivers as key to involving caregivers. The clinicians demonstrated knowledge regarding intervention techniques with differences in progress notes based on the presence of the caregiver in sessions. This practicum opportunity promoted development of beliefs, knowledge, and skills about actively involving caregivers in early intervention.
Lipschitz Estimates for One-Sided Cohen’s Commutators on Weighted One-Sided Triebel-Lizorkin Spaces
Authors: Zhang Xiao Jin , Hou Xian Ming
Published: December 2014

We introduce one-sided Cohen’s commutators of singular integral operators and fractional integral operators, respectively. Using the extrapolation of one-sided weights, we establish the boundedness of these operators from weighted Lebesgue spaces to weighted one-sided Triebel-Lizorkin spaces.
Aromatic Amines Exert Contrasting Effects on the Anticoagulant Effect of Acetaldehyde upon APTT
Authors: Hall La'Teese , Murrey Sarah J. , Brecher Arthur S.
Published: December 2014

The pharmacological effects of amphetamine, procaine, procainamide, DOPA, isoproterenol, and atenolol upon activated partial thromboplastin time in the absence and presence of acetaldehyde have been investigated. In the absence of acetaldehyde, amphetamine and isoproterenol exhibit a procoagulant effect upon activated partial thromboplastin time, whereas atenolol and procaine display anticoagulant effects upon activated partial thromboplastin time. DOPA and procainamide do not alter activated partial thromboplastin time. Premixtures of procaine with acetaldehyde produce an additive anticoagulant effect on activated partial thromboplastin time, suggesting independent action of these compounds upon clotting factors. Premixtures of amphetamine with acetaldehyde, as well as atenolol with acetaldehyde, generate a detoxication of the anticoagulant effect of acetaldehyde upon activated partial thromboplastin time. A similar statistically significant decrease in activated partial thromboplastin time is seen when procainamide is premixed with acetaldehyde for 20 minutes at room temperature. Premixtures of DOPA and isoproterenol with acetaldehyde do not affect an alteration in activated partial thromboplastin time relative to acetaldehyde alone. Hence, a selective interaction of atenolol, procaine, and amphetamine with acetaldehyde to produce detoxication of the acetaldehyde is suggested, undoubtedly due to the presence of amino, hydroxyl, or amide groups in these drugs.
Multiphasic Multidetector Computed Tomography Study of a Rare Tracheal Tumor: Granular Cell Tumor
Authors: Guarnieri Tommaso , Cardinale Luciano , Macchia Gianluca , Cortese Giancarlo , Veltri Andrea
Published: December 2014

Our aim is to present the case report of a woman affected by tracheal granular cell tumor analysed by multiphasic contrast-enhanced multidetector CT. The tumor presents as polypoid lesion (diameter 13 mm), with smooth and well-defined margins, elevated contrast enhancement in arterial phase, and a modest release of contrast in venous phase. This pattern is quite different from the other tracheal tumours. We have performed a comprehensive review of literature to assess all cases of granular cell tumors of the trachea; only 40 cases are reported. Of these, no one focused on the contrast enhancement aspect, so our work is the first showing a specific pattern in multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) of the tracheal granular cell tumour and may help in differential diagnosis.
Effect of Mild and Severe Unilateral Knee Joint Pain on Gait in Elderly Females
Authors: Sugiura Hiroki , Demura Shinichi
Published: December 2014

Gait change in the elderly may be a strategy to maintain postural stability while walking. However, gait laterality is accompanied by back pain or an increased risk of a fall. This study aimed to examine group-related differences and gait laterality in elderly females with mild or severe unilateral knee pain. Seventy-five elderly females (66–87 years old) were included, which comprised the following groups: 47 with mild unilateral knee pain and 28 with severe unilateral knee pain. They completed a 12 m walk test with maximum effort. Stance time, swing time, and step length were selected as evaluation parameters. A two-way ANOVA (group×leg) was used for analysis. No significant differences were found in interaction or in either main factor of the group and leg. In conclusion, elderly females do not show group-related differences or gait laterality regardless of the degree (mild or severe) of unilateral knee pain.
Cutaneous Sinus Formation Is a Rare Complication of Thyroid Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
Authors: Akbaba Gülhan , Omar Muhyettin , Polat Murat , Özcan Önder , Bellı Ahmet Korkut , Şahan Murat , Çullu Neşat
Published: December 2014

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is essential in the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules. In this paper, we report a rare complication, cutaneous sinus formation, after diagnostic FNAB guided by palpation. Sixty-three-year-old female patient was admitted with the complaints of hoarseness and discharge from the anterior neck wall which were present for the last 6 months. The patient underwent a near total thyroidectomy 17 years ago. Recurrent nodular goiter was detected six months before and a diagnostic FNAB guided by palpation was performed. Two weeks later the patient had wound discharge and hoarseness. Physical examination of the patient revealed a sinus, which was located superior to the thyroidectomy incision. A 1 cm nodule was palpated in the left side of her neck. A cervical ultrasonography (USG) showed a 9 × 7 mm nodule in the remnant thyroid and a 9.5 × 3.5 mm fistulized fluid collection. The patient underwent sinus tract and remnant thyroid removal. This case report presents a cutaneous sinus formation deriving from the granulation tissue, probably due to the silk suture reaction in the previous surgery, by the FNAB guided by palpation procedure. We suggest USG guided FNAB to achieve more accurate and safe diagnosis in evaluating the thyroid nodules.
Fetal Myelomeningocele Closure: Technical Considerations
Authors: Heuer Gregory G. , Adzick N. Scott , Sutton Leslie N.
Published: December 2014

Myelomeningocele (MMC) is one of the most common serious congenital malformations. Typically this condition has been treated with closure of the MMC defect shortly after birth. In general, surgery for MMC aims to provide a multilayered closure to provide protection to the neural elements, prevent leakage of spinal fluid and reduce infection risks. A randomized controlled trial, the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS), has shown that closure during the fetal period can be performed relatively safely and can result in significant benefit to the child. Whereas the surgical technique of prenatal closure of an MMC defect is similar to a postnatal closure, there are some important technical differences. The goal of this paper is to describe the technique of fetal closure of MMC defects, highlight the unique steps that are needed for this surgery and delineate some potential pitfalls.
Glucocorticoids Increase Excitotoxic Injury and Inflammation in the Hippocampus of Adult Male Rats
Authors: Sorrells Shawn F. , Munhoz Carolina D. , Manley Nathan C. , Yen Sandra , Sapolsky Robert M.
Published: December 2014

Background/Aims: Stress exacerbates neuron loss in many CNS injuries via the actions of adrenal glucocorticoid (GC) hormones. For some injuries, this GC endangerment of neurons is accompanied by greater immune cell activation in the CNS, a surprising outcome given the potent immunosuppressive properties of GCs. Methods: To determine whether the effects of GCs on inflammation contribute to neuron death or result from it, we tested whether nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could protect neurons from GCs during kainic acid excitotoxicity in adrenalectomized male rats. We next measured GC effects on (1) chemokine production (CCL2 and CINC-1), (2) signals that suppress immune activation (CX3CL1, CD22, CD200, and TGF-ß), and (3) NF-κB activity. Results: Concurrent treatment with minocycline, but not indomethacin, prevented GC endangerment. GCs did not substantially affect CCL2, CINC-1, or baseline NF-κB activity, but they did suppress CX3CL1, CX3CR1, and CD22 expression in the hippocampus - factors that normally restrain inflammatory responses. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that cellular inflammation is not necessarily suppressed by GCs in the injured hippocampus; instead, GCs may worsen hippocampal neuron death, at least in part by increasing the neurotoxicity of CNS inflammation.
Predation and the Origin of Neurones
Authors: Monk Travis , Paulin Michael G.
Published: December 2014

The core design of spiking neurones is remarkably similar throughout the animal kingdom. Their basic function as fast-signalling thresholding cells might have been established very early in their evolutionary history. Identifying the selection pressures that drove animals to evolve spiking neurones could help us interpret their design and function today. We review fossil, ecological and molecular evidence to investigate when and why animals evolved spiking neurones. Fossils suggest that animals evolved nervous systems soon after the advent of animal-on-animal predation, 550 million years ago (MYa). Between 550 and 525 MYa, we see the first fossil appearances of many animal innovations, including eyes. Animal behavioural complexity increased during this period as well, as evidenced by their traces, suggesting that nervous systems were an innovation of that time. Fossils further suggest that, before 550 MYa, animals were either filter feeders or microbial mat grazers. Extant sponges and Trichoplax perform these tasks using energetically cheaper alternatives than spiking neurones. Genetic evidence testifies that nervous systems evolved before the protostome-deuterostome split. It is less clear whether nervous systems evolved before the cnidarian-bilaterian split, so cnidarians and bilaterians might have evolved their nervous systems independently. The fossil record indicates that the advent of predation could fit into the window of time between those two splits, though molecular clock studies dispute this claim. Collectively, these lines of evidence indicate that animals evolved spiking neurones soon after they started eating each other. The first sensory neurones could have been threshold detectors that spiked in response to other animals in their proximity, alerting them to perform precisely timed actions, such as striking or fleeing.
The Sources of Grotius’s De Veritate Religionis Christianae
Authors: Heering Jan Paul
Published: December 2014

Grotius’ apologetic work De veritate must be described as traditional, because the author took all his arguments from existing apologetic literature. He allowed himself some freedom to choose from the apologetic works of such disparate authors as the Protestant Philippe Duplessis-Mornay, the Roman catholic Juan Luis Vives, and the anti-trinitarian Faustus Socinus. What was remarkable in this work was the new combination of arguments. He defended a natural theology like in his early, unpublished work Meletius. This work can be viewed as a predecessor of De veritate. Grotius combined his natural theology with a factual proof of Christian religion, the model for which he found in Socinus’ work De auctoritate Sacrae Scripturae. But his really innovative contribution to apologetic literature was his reduction of the material: he refrained from discussing Christian doctrines and thereby detached apologetics from dogmatics. Thus he wished to offer a remedy for the sickness of Christianity of his days, which in his opinion was plagued by dogmatic disputes that had driven out the truth.
Waterloo
Authors: Colson Bruno
Published: December 2014

La campagne de Waterloo est sans doute la plus étudiée de toute l’histoire. Après une première période où les acteurs, Napoléon surtout, s’efforcèrent de justifier leur conduite, une approche plus scientifique des faits se développa entre 1871 et 1918, même si elle était grevée par le contexte d’un nationalisme croissant. Après une certaine interruption due aux guerres mondiales, de nouvelles études apparurent. On assista à quelques tentatives d’équilibrer les points de vue nationaux, de réévaluer les récits traditionnels et surtout à une nouvelle approche des réalités de la bataille au travers du vécu des hommes. L’histoire culturelle introduit depuis de nouveaux thèmes, alors que se manifeste aussi un désir de retourner aux sources de première main. Cela pourrait susciter une histoire intégrale de la campagne, combinant les archives de tous les camps. Car actuellement, en dépit de la pléthore de publications sur Waterloo, une telle étude n’existe pas.
Xylopia atlantica (Annonaceae), new species from the coastal forest of Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Mello-Silva Renato , Lopes Jenifer De Carvalho
Published: December 2014

Xylopia atlantica, a new and endemic species from the atlantic forest of Bahia, Brazil, is described and illustrated. It is only know from a 150 km long stretch of land from Valença to Uruçuca, in central Bahian coast. The species has leaves up to 41 cm long, bigger than those from any other Brazilian Xylopia. Xylopia atlantica shares with X. decorticans and X. ochrantha cauli and ramiflorous inflorescences. It differs from the former by the non-exfoliating bark, and from the latter by the indument of the monocarps, sparsely yellow-tomentose versus densely golden-tomentose, in X. ochrantha. Although X. atlantica has been collected since relatively long ago, flowering individuals have never been encountered.
Typification of names in Kaunia (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae, Oxylobinae)
Authors: Viera Barreto Jessica Noelia , Gisela Sancho
Published: December 2014

During the revision of Kaunia (in prep.), we detected names which required typification or whose current typification was incorrect. After the analysis of protologues and original material, we designated six lectotypes and one neotype for seven names currently assigned to Kaunia, and we superseded one lectotype. We discuss the details for each case.
Zoogeography of epigean freshwater Amphipoda (Crustacea) in Romania:
fragmented distributions and wide altitudinal variability
Authors: COPILAȘ-CIOCIANU DENIS , GRABOWSKI MICHAŁ , PÂRVULESCU LUCIAN , PETRUSEK ADAM
Published: December 2014

Inland epigean freshwater amphipods of Romania are diverse and abundant for this region has a favourable geographical position between the Balkans and the Black Sea. Excluding Ponto-Caspian species originating in brackish waters and freshwater subterranean taxa, there are 11 formally recognized epigean freshwater species recorded from this country. They belong to 3 genera, each representing a different family: Gammarus (Gammaridae, 8 species or species complexes), Niphargus (Niphargidae, 2 epigean species) and Synurella (Crangonyctidae, one species). Their large-scale distribution patterns nevertheless remain obscure due to insufficient data, consequently limiting biogeographical interpretations. We provide extensive new data with high resolution distribution maps, thus improving the knowledge of the ranges of these taxa. Gammarus species display substantial altitudinal variability and patchy, fragmented distribution patterns. They occur abundantly, particularly in springs and streams, from lowlands to sub-mountainous and mountainous regions. In the light of recent molecular research, we hypothesize that the complex geomorphological dynamics of the Carpathian region during the Late Tertiary probably contributed to their allopatric distribution pattern. Contrasting with Gammarus, the genera Niphargus and Synurella exhibit low altitudinal variability, broad ecological valences and overlapping distributions, being widespread throughout the lowlands. The current distribution of N. hrabei and N. valachicus seems to be linked to the extent of the Paratethys during the Early Pliocene or Pleistocene. We further discuss the taxonomic validity of two synonymized and one apparently undescribed taxon, and provide an updated pictorial identification key that includes all taxa and forms discussed in our study. The mosaic distribution of epigean freshwater amphipod species in Romania shows that this region is particularly suitable for phylo- and biogeographical analyses of this group.
Effect of a fever control protocol-based strategy on ventilator-associated pneumonia in severely brain-injured patients
Authors: Launey Yoann , Nesseler Nicolas , Le Cousin Audren , Feuillet Fanny , Garlantezec Ronan , Mallédant Yannick , Seguin Philippe
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Fever is associated with a poor outcome in severely brain-injured patients, and its control is one of the therapies used in this condition. But, fever suppression may promote infection, and severely brain-injured patients are frequently exposed to infectious diseases, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Therefore, we designed a study to explore the role of a fever control protocol in VAP development during neuro-intensive care.

Methods

An observational study was performed on severely brain-injured patients hospitalized in a university ICU. The primary goal was to assess whether fever control was a risk factor for VAP in a prospective cohort in which a fever control protocol was applied and in a historical control group. Moreover, the density of VAP incidence was compared between the two groups. The statistical analysis was based on a competing risk model multivariate analysis.

Results

The study included 189 brain-injured patients (intervention group, n = 98, and historical control group, n = 91). The use of a fever control protocol was an independent risk factor for VAP (hazard ratio 2.73, 95% confidence interval (1.38, 5.38; P = 0.005)). There was a significant increase in the incidence of VAP in patients treated with a fever control protocol (26.1 versus 12.5 VAP cases per 1000 days of mechanical ventilation). In cases in which a fever control protocol was applied for >3 days, we observed a higher rate of VAP in comparison with the rate among patients treated for ≤3 days.

Conclusions

Fever control in brain-injured patients was a major risk factor for VAP occurrence, particularly when applied for >3 days.
Anti-diabetic activity of different oils through their effect on arylsulfatases
Authors: Samarji Rima , Balbaa Mahmoud
Published: December 2014

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by the overproduction of the reactive oxygen species which affects the integrity of the lysosomal membrane affecting lysosomal enzymes. The effect of these species is blocked by some natural products as antioxidants. In the current study, groups of normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were treated by Nigella sativa (NS), olive and canola oils and subjected to the study of arylsulfatases as a model of lysosomal enzymes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of STZ-induced diabetes on arylsulfatases in presence and absence of NS, olive and canola oils.

Methods

Different groups of rats were induced by STZ, treated with different oils and compared to their corresponding control group. All groups were subjected for the assays of blood glucose, insulin, catalase and arylsulfatases. A comparative kinetic study of arylsulfatses was performed to detect the alteration of catalytic characterization.

Results

The results demonstrated that diabetes causes a significant elevation in the level of hepatic arylsulfatase B and a significant reduction of hepatic catalase as an antioxidant enzyme. NS and olive oils returned catalase and arylsulfatase B activities back near to normal by fixing their catalytic properties. Furthermore, the maximum velocity of arylsulfatases A and B was significantly elevated in the induced diabetes, whereas their Km values were significantly changed. The treatment of diabetic rats by NS and olive oils reduced the degree of significance.

Conclusion

Diabetes induces significant alterations of the catalytic characters of arylsulfatases and some oils decrease this alteration through an antioxidant-mediated effect.
Auras and Ice Cores
Authors: Taylor Jesse Oak
Published: December 2014

This article traces the implications of thinking about the Anthropocene from the perspective of the archives that make it visible, placing ice-core data and scientific research on historical climate alongside ideas of the archive in historiography and the humanities. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s notion of the “aura” of a work of art or cultural artifact, it offers an atmospheric conception of history attending to the ways in which humans, nonhumans, artifacts, and nature interpenetrate one another. Furthermore, it points to the ways in which the language of archives, curators, and libraries is shared between the sciences and humanities in the interests of opening new forms of interdisciplinary inquiry in the shared project of coming to terms with anthropogenic climate change and a geologic age defined by human action.
How to Write the Disaster
Authors: Schuster Joshua
Published: December 2014

This essay rereads Maurice Blanchot’s The Writing of the Disaster as a guide for the age of the Anthropocene. I consolidate a series of theses from the book that brings out the systemic ecological thought implicit in Blanchot. The essay discusses both the terms of disaster and writing as they are employed to imagine a world made by us and a world without us.
MicroRNA levels quantified in whole blood varies from PBMCs
Authors: Atarod Sadaf , Smith Hannah , Dickinson Anne , Wang Xiao-Nong
Published: December 2014

MicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate mRNA expression and play significant roles in both health and disease. Differential microRNA expression has been used to aid diagnosis and discriminate disease stages. The accuracy and reliability of microRNA expression measurement is of utmost importance. Quantification of microRNA expression in human peripheral blood is commonly detected using total RNA extracted via different methods. To date, no convincing data are available showing whether microRNA quantification results can be influenced by the use of total RNA extracted from whole blood or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This study examined miR-146a-5p and miR-155-5p expression using total RNA extracted in parallel from whole blood and PBMCs of 14 healthy volunteers. The data showed that the quantification of miRNA using total RNA extracted from whole blood varied from that of PBMCs, indicating that the miRNA expression was a result of all the different cell-types present in whole blood. Our results suggested that the source of total RNA and the statistical analyses performed are crucial considerations when designing miRNA research.
COATED TOOL CUTTING TEMPERATURE
Authors: Ryzhkin Anatoly Andreyevich , Puchkin V. N. , Moiseyev D. V. , Vistoropskaya Flora Alexandrovna
Published: December 2014

The analysis of the cutting area circuit diagram has shown that coatings on the edges of the hole and on the flank surface of the tool change the thermoelectric power measured by the dynamic thermocouple to the value of not more than 0.3-0.7%. So, only the composition and properties of the coatings will have an effect on the cutting temperature. Model theoretical temperature calculations according to the dependence proposed by the authors have shown that the temperatures are minimal when using single coatings ZrO2, TiN, AlN (for couples Т15К6 — St45), and ZrN, AlN, ZrO2, Al2O3 (for couples Т15К6 – 12H18N10Т). Experiments on turning St45 by carbide plates made of T15K6 have proved the efficiency of TiN+AlN coatings when the cutting temperature, chip shrinkage, and contact length on the front face (lc) are less than for the base alloy T15K6.
USING MULTIVARIATE COMMUNICATION APPROACH TO BUILDING THE UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Authors: Simonyan T. V. , Knyazeva Y. S.
Published: December 2014

The structure of communication and its role in the management when building the University production and business integration are studied. The organization of the educational process on the basis of the communication component and its integration into the innovative educational activities of the University are considered. The key aim of building the communications process – to develop the approach to achieve the strategic objectives of the University – is presented. It is shown that various types of communication process (personalized and non-personalized, endogenous and exogenous) are used to provide individual attention to each student, to prove that the choice of the University is optimum. It is found that the communication processes of the University are always aimed to improve the quality and competitiveness of the educational services. It is noted that the industrial management theory and the complimentary sciences have created integration tools of the communication processes and have determined the opportunities for their codifiability. Some of these tools are of the methodological nature. Others are regarded as certain patterns, effects, principles, rules, and algorithms based on these models. Using the potential of this device determines the educational services quality.
THERMOELASTODYNAMIC INSTABILITY OF CONTACT PROBLEM SOLUTION FOR COATING CONSIDERING FRICTIONAL HEAT GENERATION
Authors: Zelentsov V. B. , Mitrin B. I. , Volkov S. S. , Vasilyev A. S.
Published: December 2014

A one-dimensional thermoelastic contact problem on the vertical insertion of a rigid half-plane moving horizontally at a constant speed over the elastic coating (strip) while the bottom side of the latter rigidly resting on the non-deforming foundation is considered. On the foundation surface, the temperature is kept constant. A heat flow generated by the frictional contact is directed to the coating. The problem solution is obtained using the Laplace integral transform and is represented in the form of contour integrals. The location of the solution integrand poles is studied at various task options. Temperature, displacement, and stress distributions over the coating depth are derived in the form of the infinite series over eigenfunctions. It is shown that the thermoelastodynamic instability of the obtained solutions is present across the whole time interval and at any velocity of the half-plane sliding over the coating surface.
Younger learners can code with downloadable app
Authors: Rachel  , Bosley Mark
Published: December 2014

ScratchJr is aimed at key stage 1 pupils and under, and enables children to create animated projects linked to the curriculum and their own experiences.
Meet the ‘eggsperts’
Authors: Cosh Jackie
Published: December 2014

Chickens are a permanent feature at Maryland Primary School where they have helped children to understand about lifecycles and where eggs really come from.
Meeting the challenges of wraparound care
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: December 2014

High quality extended school services are eagerly sought by parents to fit around their working lives. But delivering the right service at the right time is not always easy.
A world of new ideas
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: December 2014

Tap into the Global Dimension website to access a wealth of resources which encourage global awareness and support subject areas across the curriculum.
Wood as Polar Size Exclusion Chromatography Media: Implications to Adhesive Performance*
Authors: Hunt Christopher , O'Dell Jane , Jakes Joseph , Grigsby Warren J. , Frihart Charles R.
Published: December 2014

Although it is well known that wood can absorb liquids, the full impact of this phenomenon on resulting adhesive cure and performance is not well understood. In a related soy adhesive study, aspects of this phenomenon were not fully anticipated and resulted in a significant impact on adhesive bond quality. In essence, the wood being bonded acted like chromatography media, filtering relatively smaller molecules from the surrounding adhesive matrix and altering the local composition of the adhesive material. Through the use of soy adhesives containing glycerin, the infiltration of glycerin analogs into wood cell walls has been determined and related with the impact on bondline and wood properties. The impacts of infiltration and chromatographic separation on the cured adhesive are also discussed.
Co je důležitější v krajině: estetika nebo biodiverzita?
Authors: Vlašín Mojmír
Published: December 2014

When considering values such as aesthetics and biodiversity we must first define the point of view from which we want to compare these phenomena. If we take the biocentric worldview (A. Schweitzer, A. Ness, J. Lovelock), then the question referred to in the title is meaningless. It is obvious that life, nature and biodiversity has an intrinsic value and aesthetics is beyond consideration. If we take the anthropocentric worldview - landscape can be seen as a living space for humans and, therefore, as (1) a source of food, (2) a source of biomass and mineral extraction, (3) a place to live, or (4) a place for recreation. It is then possible to ask the question what we expect from the landscape, and which functions should be carried out first. Once the answer is provided, then it is necessary to analyze to what degree the significance of aesthetics (beauty) and/or biodiversity (diversity of nature) has for landscape.
V Peru sa ešte nosí občianska odvaha a vzdor proti arogancii moci a kapitálu
Authors: Huba Mikuláš
Published: December 2014

In June 2014, Mikuláš Huba undertook a forthnight’s trip around Peru where he was part of a team consisting of 17 members from 9 countries. The trip was organized by the international Climate Alliance NGO as part of the project From Overconsumption to Solidarity, the purpose of which is to raise awareness among Europeans of the global consequences of the overconsumption of natural resources. Mikuláš’s experiences from the journey and Peru are presented in an interview from the point of view of the country’s natural beauty and its environmental problems.
Laudatio na Petra Pakostu k udělení Ceny Josefa Vavrouška za rok 2013
Authors: Říha Martin
Published: December 2014

Martin Říha: A speech delivered in praise of Petr Pakosta on the occasion of his receipt of the 2013 Josef Vavroušek prize by the Partnership Foundation
Sea Level Rise Maps: How Individual Differences Complicate the Cartographic Communication of an Uncertain Climate Change Hazard
Authors: Retchless David P
Published: December 2014

Interactive, online maps of sea level rise have great potential for communicating climate change, as evidenced by both their popularity and likely ability to combat discounting of climate change hazards. However, little is known about how different audiences will interpret the significant uncertainties—including those related to the amount, timing, and spatial coverage of sea level rise flooding—communicated on many of these maps. A review of the risk perception literature presents three situations where different aspects of uncertainty have been suggested to dictate (or at least strongly encourage) adaptive or mitigative action in the context of sea level rise or similarly uncertain hazards, then problematizes these accounts by showing how context and personal differences mediate (and in some cases reverse) these expected relationships. A final section offers preliminary reflections on the implications for the cartographic communication of climate change and sea level rise uncertainty.
Association of maternal whole blood fatty acid status during the prenatal period with term birth dimensions: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jia Xiaofang , Tagawa Masahiro , Yatsuya Hiroshi , Naito Hisao , Hayashi Yumi , Yetti Husna , Sasaki Seiko , Araki Atsuko , Miyashita Chihiro , Ikeno Tamiko , Kishi Reiko , Nakajima Tamie
Published: December 2014

To investigate selected fatty acid (FA) profiles in maternal whole blood during normal pregnancy and to evaluate their associations with term birth dimensions.

We characterized nine major maternal blood FAs representing four FA families during the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and explored their associations with birth weight, length, and chest or head circumferences by multivariate regression models, using data from 318 mother-newborn pairs of the Hokkaido Study.

The absolute and/or relative contents of maternal blood docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid were lowest at 35–41 gestational weeks during pregnancy, as was the essential FA status index. Different from palmitic and stearic acids, palmitoleic and oleic acid contents were higher at 35–41 gestational weeks than those at 23–31 gestational weeks. Three FA components were identified through principal component analysis, and were used in association analysis. Component 3, which was positively and significantly loaded by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), was associated with chest circumference [β=0.281, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.006, 0.556] at 35–41 gestational weeks (P=0.046). No significant associations were observed for Component 1 and 2 loaded by FAs except EPA.

Maternal blood EPA content may have an important influence on infant chest circumference.
The commandment of love in Kierkegaard and Caputo
Authors: Alfsvåg Knut
Published: December 2014

What is the relation between the gospel of unconditional grace and the commandment of unconditional love, and what are the conditions for realizing the commandment when a Christian world view can no longer be taken for granted? These questions are here explored by means of Kierkegaard’s
Adoption of Internet and Web Technology for Hotel Marketing: A Study of Hotels in Thailand
Authors: Khemthong Suree , Roberts Linda M.
Published: December 2014

This paper examines the effect of three groups of characteristics: organisational, technological, and environmental on the adoption of Internet and Web based marketing activities (IWMA) in the hotel industry by using data collected from a sample of 152 hotels in Thailand. The adoption of IWMA has been categorised into two levels: 1) non-early adopter hotels, and 2) early adopter hotels. The results indicate that Thai hotels that adopted IWMA at the early adopter stage were larger in size, and more likely to be more ready to adopt IWMA than non-early adopter hotels were. Managers of Thai hotels in the early adopter stage were more likely to perceive the benefits and recognise compatibility when adopting IWMA than were managers in the non-early adopter hotels. Customer power and level of government support were considered to be the push factors for hotels in the use of IWMA at the early adopter stage more than for non-early adopter hotels.
Job Satisfaction Affecting Cross-Cultural Adjustment in Taiwanese Expatriates
Authors: Lee Pei-Chen (Chiu-Yi/Joy)
Published: December 2014

By means of the increasing global competition and internationalization of world markets, international expatriates assignments are more and more essential to successful worldwide development for many multinational corporations. Therefore, international expatriates are imperative to the survival of globe enterprises in the twenty-first century. Expatriates can become an important human resource to international enterprises or multinational operations. Also, for the past two decades, research has examined a variety of correlates for the performance problems and dissatisfaction associated with global assignment. To facilitate business expatriates adjust to an overseas environment and work effectively, Multinational Corporations (MNCs) need to recognise the expatriates’ job satisfaction factor to affect cross-cultural adjustment. The main purpose of this study is utilising previous researcher Lee’s (2002) questionnaire to investigate the relationship between the job satisfaction and cross-cultural adjustment of Taiwanese Banks’ expatriates assigned to America, and this study employed same questionnaire to examine the relationship between the job satisfaction and cross-cultural adjustment of Taiwanese expatriates in several different industries assigned to Mainland China. Also, the empirical outcomes were compared between Taiwanese expatriates located in Mainland China and United States.In examining the significant degree of Taiwanese expatriates assigned to Mainland China, the instrument was a questionnaire survey conducted to this study. The variables of interest were measured using items Likert-type questions, and those items are divided into seven categories. Data collected from 353 participants who have experience of a posting to Mainland China for international assignments. Multiple regression and correlation were employed to analyse data.The statistical results of this study were compared Lee’s (2002) research that associated with Taiwanese banking expatriates in United States. Both studies indicated that the expatriates’ job satisfaction factor to affect cross-cultural adjustment without doubt. This thesis concludes with suggestions for both international enterprises or MNCs and individual expatriate who operate overseas journey in their normal path of business.
A Framework for Developing Effective Technology-Enabled Distance Education Programs in Management: A Study of a Video Conference-Based Program in an Indian Perspective
Authors: Mukherje Jaydeep , Mishra Mukti
Published: December 2014

A major problem in delivering quality management education to working executives in India has been the inability of the candidates to leave their job for a prolonged period of time to attend the on-campus management programs. With the proliferation of two way Video Conferencing (VC) facilities across the country, as well as the use of Internet technology, this limitations could quite effectively be overcome for both students and management educators.
An Ethical Climate is a Duty of Care
Authors: Armstrong Anona , Francis Ronald D.
Published: December 2014

The current emergence, once again, of corporate collapses due in no small way to unethical behaviour raises questions about the duties and responsibilities of boards of major organisations for building an ethical organisation. This paper argues that the legal duty of care to employees extends to creating an ethical work environment. It describes different types of ethical climates, how they are recognised and the consequences of their impact on the behaviours of their members. It illustrates this with some of the findings from our research into measuring ethics and ethical decision making. In conclusion, it identifies the key factors that boards should address to promote a desirable ethical climate.
Strategic Design Factors for an Automated Customer Interface
Authors: Bader Kristian B. , Turner Geoff
Published: December 2014

A substantial review of the extant literature, which is not included in the paper, identifies three agents that influence automation of the customer interface in insurance companies. They are (1) intensified competition mainly resulting from deregulation of general insurance markets, (2) changes in the customer base (tendency to individualisation, request for more flexible products), and (3) technological development, in particular the increasingly intensive use of information and communication technologies for business purposes. Despite these new market influences, even today many insurance companies do not consider automating their processes at the customer front end. Critical thinking and awareness of the influencing factors that surround decisions on automating service delivery processes are not on the managers’ agenda. Further, it is not especially clear what the criteria are that influence automation of the customer interface in insurance companies. With this in mind a qualitative empirical study, conducted by interviewing experts from a sample of Swiss insurance companies that was representative of the structure of competition in the Swiss insurance market, was undertaken. The relevant question asked was, "What are the critical success factors that enable the automation of the customer interface in insurance companies?”.An outcome of the study is a list of eight topics, namely (A) Market forces, (B) Strategic focus, (C) Company-customer-interaction process, (D) Suitability of products, (E) Multi-channel service delivery, (F) Customer segmentation, (G) Business case, and (H) Technological aspects, that include a total of twenty one design factors considered important when designing an automated customer interface. Discussions centred on these topics and these design factors provided answers to six key questions that facilitated the development of an appropriate managerial model. The study shows that various criteria from many topics are relevant for the design of an automated customer interface. For a company, consequently, designing an automated customer interface is a task that needs to be looked at from various functional areas and that needs interdisciplinary decision making. As such, it requires intention and promotion at a strategic level in order to give it the adequate status and resources that are necessary for a successful implementation.
20 Year Snap-Shot of the Developments in the Regulation of Small Corporations
Authors: Adams Michael
Published: December 2014

This paper explored the history of the regulation of corporate bodies through State and Commonwealth systems beginning in 1989 that resulted in the development of the legislation impacting on small proprietary company for over 20 years. The introduction of the Corporate Governance Principles for listed companies by the Australian Securities Exchange added another layer of regulation intended to promote transparency and accountability. Research into corporate governance in small companies showed that, in contrast to opinions about the US Legislation, very few Australian companies expressed negative views about corporate governance regulation. The most recent addition to corporate governance regulation has been the expectation that companies have a responsibility for corporate social responsibility. This was illustrated by the James Hardy Industries case.
Have US Legislatures Fully Considered Causal Factors in Assigning Liability for Inherent Risk Accidents?
Authors: Centner Terence J.
Published: December 2014

The public’s dissatisfaction with American tort rules has led US state legislatures to enact more than 120 statutes for assigning liability for accident losses. Many of these statutes address the liability of accidents involving inherent risks of activities where neither the activity provider nor injured participant was negligent. Due to business complaints about high insurance costs, legislatures decided that participants ought to bear the costs arising from inherent risk accidents. Yet, causal factors associated with sport activities may support an alternative liability rule to maximize social welfare. Because inherent risk statutes lead to increased activity levels, they are accompanied by increased accident costs. Factors causing incorrect liability results may be compared to offer a recommendation for a liability regime for inherent risk accidents.
Determinants of Regulatory Burdens on Non-listed Small Corporations in Australia: Perceptions of Small Corporations’ Owners/Managers
Authors: Li Yongqiang , Armstrong Anona , Clarke Andrew
Published: December 2014

Small corporations are the engine room whilst the forgotten corner of the Australian economy. Regulatory burdens are hampering the small corporations from performing to their optimal, which consequently impairs the economic growth of the nation. For policy decision makers, quantifying the regulatory compliance cost is the first priority for evidence-based de-regulatory reforms. Thus, policy options proposed are of practical imperative to future de-regulation reforms. Prior research supporting the estimation and determination of regulatory compliance cost are at a dearth. This paper fills the gap by estimating the regulatory compliance costs of small corporations using the firm level survey data. A non-parametric logit model, Generalised Ordered Logit/Partial Proportional Odds Model (gonlogit2), is developed to estimate the impacts of determinants on regulatory costs. The paper concluded with a discussion of policy implications and future research directions.
Preventing the Decline and Fall of America: Messages from the Bible
Authors: Friedman Hershey H. , Lynch James
Published: December 2014

Quite a few politicians use pseudo-biblical values to justify their political agenda. The authors feel that many of their values are indeed biblical; they represent core values of ancient empires that have disappeared. If the United States wants to continue as a superpower, it should heed the words of the Bible. This means that concern for the welfare of the stranger,  compassion for the helpless members of society, consideration for workers who have lost their homes, jobs, and savings have to be paramount. It may have taken “brimstone and fire” to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah; but America can be destroyed by greed, selfishness, inequality and injustice. Note how much damage was done to the United States and the world economy by the Great Recession of 2008.
Comparative evaluation of bone marrow cells morpho-functional activity in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the first and second generation
Authors: Zhaleyko I. O. , Bilko D. I. , Dyagil I. S. , Bilko N. M.
Published: December 2014

The efficiency of using the culture techniques of research for monitoring the patient’s response to the treatment by tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the first and second generation is shown. Thus, the functional activity of bone marrow cells in patients having the optimal treatment response to inhibitors of tyrosine kinases was significantly lower compared with patients with the acquired resistance to the drug, and patients who had CML diagnosed for first time. Furthermore, for patients with the optimal response to the nilotinib therapy, numbers of colonies in semi-solid agar in vitro was lower, than in patients with the optimal response to imatinib. When the leukaemic cell clone becomes resistant to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the prevalence of early cells of granulocyte-macrophage hematopoietic stem cells is observed in CFU culture which can be an important prognostic factor for choosing the appropriate treatment strategy.