bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Economic Effects of Adopting a Right-to-Work Law
Authors: Bruno Robert , Zullo Roland , Manzo Frank , Dickson Alison
Published: December 2015

While considerable efforts have been made by legislators, business associations, and political organizations to pass right-to-work (RTW) laws in states across the country, the empirical evidence on the effect of adopting an RTW law on labor market outcomes and state budgets is both varied and mixed. This article provides a forecast on the effect of RTW laws on important labor market outcomes—including earnings, employment, unionization, and inequality. It also investigates RTW’s impacts on two particularly affected industries (manufacturing and construction) and three demographic groups (African-American, Latino/a, and female workers). The findings are subsequently applied to the state of Illinois to project the potential law’s impact on Illinois workers and on the state’s tax revenues. By and large, as a policy prescription, RTW would generate harmful effects to Illinois’ economy, lower its capacity to provide essential public services and degrade the quality and condition of the state’s labor force.
Right-to-Work Laws, the Southernization of U.S. Labor Relations and the U.S. Trade Union Movement’s Decline
Authors: Devinatz Victor G.
Published: December 2015

This article provides a framework for explaining why the right-to-work (RTW) movement is thriving in the twenty-first century’s second decade while outlining how RTW has negatively impacted the U.S. trade union movement. I argue that the recent growth of the RTW movement is due to the Southernization of U.S. labor relations that has led to not only an assault on private sector unionism but on public employee unionism as well. After presenting recent developments concerning RTW legislation, the roots of the Southernization of U.S. labor relations are discussed followed by sections outlining the historical development of the Southernization of both the U.S. working class and U.S. politics before presenting the effects of the Southernization of U.S. labor relations. The article’s penultimate section reports on the major economic effects of RTW legislation, primarily through outlining three RTW hypotheses and the associated empirical evidence. The final section proposes a methodology for potentially dealing with the RTW movement given the Southernization of U.S. labor relations.
Ethics Expertise and Public Credibility
Authors: Nukaga Yoshio
Published: December 2015

In recent years, scholars in science and technology studies (STS) have examined the advice that experts make for the governance of biomedicine. This STS scholarship, however, has not yet explained how the credibility of ethics expertise in public bioethics is produced from particular conditions and extended to different settings. This article describes how a bioethics commission created the ethical principle of justice and examines how the ethics expertise established public credibility on the justice principle. The findings suggest that the principle of justice was first explored as the diverse concepts of “equality” with reference to the review of fetal research, redefined as “fairness” or “desert” from theoretical viewpoints, and then circulated as a standard framework in local settings. The credibility of ethics expertise, based on the coproduction of material and moral orders, was made possible by reaching common ground among different data, principles, and background theories.
Muslim neighbors or an Islamic threat? A constructionist framing analysis of newspaper coverage of mosque controversies
Authors: Bowe Brian J , Makki Taj W
Published: December 2015

In recent years, growing communities of Muslim-Americans have faced tension in a series of debates over the construction of Islamic prayer spaces in American cities. Islamic community members have found themselves fighting for representation within the political process and for their philosophical right to exist within American society. This study presents a framing analysis of the debate in five US newspapers between 2010 and 2013 as a way of examining the position of Muslims within contemporary American society. The study examines five frames: Local Regulation, Legal Authority, Political Debate, Muslim Neighbors, and Islamic Threat. The first three were episodic frames, while the other two were thematic. Some of the discourse showed evidence of Islamophobia, or indiscriminate negative attitudes or emotions directed at Islam or Muslims. Other stories showed evidence of Islamophilia, which is the stereotypical presentation of ‘good Muslims’ who are model citizens in contrast to the ‘bad Muslims’ who serve as rhetorical enemies.
A trace-based approach to design for manufacturing of composite laminates
Authors: Tsai Stephen W , Arteiro Albertino , Melo Jose DD
Published: December 2015

A novel invariant-based approach to describe stiffness and strength of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic composites has been recently proposed in the literature. In this work, a direct sizing method based on trace of the plane stress stiffness matrix and unit circle failure criterion is proposed. Strength-based profile of a panel is first determined for a baseline material based on the upper-bound value of the calculated failure index k-field from a boundary-value problem. The structural component can then be scaled linearly to meet the stiffness requirements that include deformation, deflection, natural frequency, and buckling. Material selection by scaling is the last step in this sizing method. The proposed approach is conceptually simple to implement, not material specific, and immediately applicable for automated tape laying. Although this is a 2D formulation of an orthotropic homogenized laminate, the 3D stiffness can be separated into two uncoupled in- and out-of-plane submatrices. Thus, the in-plane results of this method are independent of the out-of-plane behavior.
Age-Associated Alcohol and Driver Risk Differences in Older Adult DUI Offenders
Authors: Malek-Ahmadi Michael
Published: December 2015

Purpose: The aim of the study was to characterize age-group differences on the Driver Risk Inventory–II (DRI-II) in a group of driving under the influence (DUI) offenders. Method: Data from 11,066 DUI cases from the state of Nebraska were used. The sample was grouped by age (18-20, 21-39, 40-59, and 60-84) and compared on the subscales of the DRI-II. Results: Older adult DUI finders accounted for 2.90% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.60, 3.23]) of all DUI cases. Older adult DUI offenders not only demonstrated significantly greater Alcohol Risk scores than younger age groups but also had significantly lower Driver Risk scores than younger age groups. Implications: The results of this study demonstrate age-related differences in alcohol and driving risk among DUI offenders. This study provides a starting point from which investigators and clinicians can further address the issue of alcohol use and driving in older adults.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Authors: Vásquez Elizabeth , Botoseneanu Anda , Bennett Joan M. , Shaw Benjamin A.
Published: December 2015

Objective: The objective of this study is to (a) examine racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of cognitive function and (b) evaluate the role of education and health behaviors (physical activity [PA] and smoking) as mediators of racial/ethnic differences in the rate of decline in cognitive function in older adults. Method: Data for this study came from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 3,424). Hierarchical linear models were used to define the trajectory of cognitive function between 2002 and 2008. Participants were classified based on PA as non–vigorously active, intermittent vigorously active, and consistently vigorously active. Results: After adding education, the Hispanic’s and Black’s disparities in cognitive performance were slightly attenuated (Hispanics, β = −1.049, p < .001; Blacks, β = −3.397, p < .001) but were still different from Whites. Smoking was not associated with the cognition intercept or rate of decline. Discussion: We found education had a partial mediating effect on racial differences in levels of cognition but not on the rate of change over time.
Effect of friction and clearance on kinematics and contact mechanics of dual mobility hip implant
Authors: Gao Yongchang , Chai Wei , Wang Ling , Wang Manyi , Jin Zhongmin
Published: December 2015

The dual mobility hip implant has been introduced recently and increasingly used in total hip replacement to maintain the stability and reduce the risk of post-surgery dislocation. However, the kinematics and contact mechanisms of dual mobility hip implants have not been investigated in detail in the literature. Therefore, finite element method was adopted in this study to investigate dynamics and contact mechanics of a typical metal-on-polymer dual mobility hip implant under different friction coefficient ratios between the inner and the outer articulations and clearances/interferences between the ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene liner and the metal back shell. A critical ratio of friction coefficients between the two pairs of contact interfaces was found to mainly determine the rotating surfaces. Furthermore, an initial clearance between the liner and the back shell facilitated the rotation of the liner while an initial interference prevented such a motion at the outer articulating interface. In addition, the contact area and the sliding distance at the outer articulating surface were markedly greater than those at the inner cup–head interface, potentially leading to extensive wear at the outer surface of the liner.
Experimental study on the stability of an impedance-type force-feedback architecture based on an augmented-state observer for a haptic system under time delay using a LMI approach
Authors: Dang Quoc Viet , Vermeiren Laurent , Dequidt Antoine , Dambrine Michel
Published: December 2015

One of the most important performance measures of a haptic interface may be characterized by its behaviour in the implementation of a virtual wall in terms of the biggest value of the virtual stiffness that still leaves the device stable. This value depends on many factors including time delays and the virtual world implementation. In this paper we propose a new architecture for this latter factor based on the use of an augmented-state observer which contributes to improving, without additional costs, the performance of a haptic device with respect to the standard implementation based on the use of the backward finite-difference method. In order to compute the stability boundaries of the device in terms of virtual wall parameters, some conditions expressed in terms of LMI (linear matrix inequality) for the stability of discrete-time haptic systems under constant or variable time delay are given. An implementation of a force-feedback haptic test bench is presented. The obtained experimental results confirm the efficiency of the proposed force-feedback architecture with respect to the traditional backward finite-difference method in enlarging the choice for the parameters of the virtual environment for which the haptic system is stable.
Swiss multinational companies and their European Works Councils: European voluntarism meets Swiss voluntarism
Authors: Ziltener Patrick , Gabathuler Heinz
Published: December 2015

This article analyses how multinational companies based in Switzerland deal with the European Works Council directive. As a consequence of voluntaristic regulations, at both European and Swiss levels, the quality of the practices of information and consultation varies highly, largely depending on company-specific constellations. Our case studies show that Swiss employees play significant roles in European Works Councils, but few benefit clearly and directly from this new institution. Only in rare cases where both managers and key employee representatives have developed a sense of ownership has a truly transnational social dialogue at company level led to tangible results.
Analyzing the relationship between organizational culture and knowledge management dimensions in higher education libraries
Authors: Chidambaranathan Kumaresan , Swarooprani BS
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between knowledge management dimensions and organizational culture types in higher education libraries in Qatar using the competing values framework. A descriptive, quantitative research design was employed to determine the correlation between the variables. Two research instruments are used in this study: (1) Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument and (2) Knowledge Management Assessment Instrument. The results of the study revealed that, while the culture types clan and market predicted the knowledge management dimensions of creation, capture, organization, storage and application, the culture types adhocracy and hierarchy predicted the knowledge management dimensions of storage and dissemination.
Proactive Communication of CSR in India
Authors: Ghosh Sumona
Published: December 2015

While much has been written about the communication of corporate social responsibility (CSR), relatively less is known about the pattern of communication of CSR information. Motivated by this gap in the literature, we investigate the pattern of communication of CSR information among the private sector companies in India, as reflected in the corporate websites taking absolute profit as the parameter and show that the corporate sector in India is yet to fully recognize the value of open communication about CSR practices to meet the needs of an increasingly transparent marketplace and to help build corporate reputation.
Antecedents to Academic Performance of College Students
Authors: Duggal Minakshi , Mehta Pooja
Published: December 2015

Academic performance of students is affected by a number of factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the antecedents to the academic performance of college students. The data analysis was done with SPSS factor analysis and chi-square test of Independence.

The study reveals that there are a number of factors that influence the academic performance of students and contributes towards the same in different ways. Educational institutions can use the results for policy formulation, parents can use them as a guide for their children and students can come across some factors about which they themselves are not be aware of (hidden factors). Investigations have been carried out on the influence of factors such as gender or parent’s education. Beside these, there are also some additional factors that affect the students, but little effort has been made till date. This gap in research has motivated the need to conduct the present study.
Boko Haram and Turmoil in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Khan Aslam , Hamidu Ishaku
Published: December 2015

Nigeria, especially the northern region, seems to be threatened by multifarious internal and possibly external forces. The levels and dimensions of insecurity range from ethno-religious crisis to abduction of persons, clashes between herdsmen and farmers, electoral violence, and the most conspicuous one, the Boko Haram activities. The latter has caused serious socioeconomic and political turmoil in the region, in the nation, and in the neighboring states at large. Cross-border terrorism is also a serious factor of destabilization as after every attack, insurgents succeed to take shelter in the neighboring countries. The other financial and logistic support by the neighboring countries with the help of external powers seems to be a planned design of instability. The capture of many parts by the Boko Haram in Yobe and Borno is the pointer to the fact that Nigeria’s north is passing through a danger of falling into the hands of the dreaded Boko Haram. Establishing control over the oil and natural resources of Lake Chad Basin constituted the crux of the problem. The economic turmoil due to insurgency is also a major factor of violence and the turbulent situation. There is a need of economic overhaul by promoting the traditional sources of economy, such as, development of agriculture products and checkmating of the activities of aliens along the border region. The article will discuss the said discourse critically and suggest the measures to overcome these challenges.
The Diplomatic Dimensions of the Syrian Conflict
Authors: Olanrewaju Faith , Joshua Segun
Published: December 2015

The domino effect of the Arab Spring in Syria which began as a reaction against the regime of Basher Assad over the years has deteriorated into a civil war. The paper investigates the diplomatic dimensions of the Syrian conflict and pays attention to the conflict of interests amongst the major powers most especially the United States and Russia. It contends that the competitive display of power by the United States and Russia rekindled memories of the Cold War and seriously limited the possibilities of effective intervention in the Syrian war by the international community. Furthermore, the paper also seeks to explore the diverse implications of the Syrian war for international and regional politics which included the possibility of a “multipolarization” of the world as against a unipolar world dominated by the United States, alarming proliferation of arms and the threat of terrorism, gross infringement of human rights and the failure of diplomacy in the presence of cross-cutting domestic and foreign interests of the powers involved.
The business of cricket and the shifting significance of accounting
Authors: Siddiqui Javed , Humphrey Christopher
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the significance in cricket of the function of ‘keeping score’ and the way in which accounting mechanisms have developed to facilitate and accommodate substantive changes in the game’s format and business commitments. Analysis presented in this paper demonstrates that the growing commercialization of cricket has seen scoring functions shift from an emphasis on factual recording to results determination. Subsequently, there has been increasing focus on the role of broader corporate governance mechanisms, as questions over the financing of the game have served to threaten its ethical standing and longer-term sustainability.
Guardians of the Cyber Galaxy
Authors: Reyns Bradford W. , Henson Billy , Fisher Bonnie S.
Published: December 2015

The present study examines the guardianship concept from routine activity theory with respect to its utility in reducing the risk for cyberstalking victimization. Offline guardianship is examined as a possible protective factor against online victimization, along with individuals’ online routine activities. Data were collected from a large sample of students from an urban university in the Midwest through a self-report web-based victimization survey. Results suggest that offline guardianship does not protect individuals from cyberstalking victimization and that online target hardening may yield greater prevention benefits. Study findings are discussed in light of the current state of the body of online routine activity research, particularly regarding how to define and operationalize guardians and guardianship against online victimization.
Platinum and Gold Mining in South Africa
Authors: Cairncross Eugene , Kisting Sophia
Published: December 2015

Mining is a source of extraordinary wealth, but its benefits often do not accrue to the workers and communities most involved. This paper presents two case studies of mining in South Africa to reflect on the history and legacy of mining both through observation and through the voices of affected communities. Interviews and observations on field visits to the platinum and gold mining areas of South Africa in the immediate aftermath of the Marikana massacre highlight this legacy—including vast quantities of tailings dumps and waste rock, lakes of polluted water and a devastated physical and social environment, high unemployment, high rates of occupational injury and disease including silicosis with co-morbidities, absent social security, and disrupted rural and agricultural communities. Exploitative conditions of work and the externalization of the health and environmental costs of mining will require international solidarity, robust independent trade unions, and a commitment to human rights.
Use of Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents (ESA) in Patients With End-Stage Renal Failure Decided to Forego Dialysis: Palliative Perspective
Authors: Cheng Hon Wai Benjamin , Chan Kwok Ying , Lau Hoi To , Man Ching Wah , Cheng Suk Ching , Lam Carman
Published: December 2015

Normochromic normocytic anemia is a common complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with many adverse clinical consequences. Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) act to replace endogenous erythropoietin for patients with end-stage renal disease having anemia. Today, ESAs remain the main tool for treating anemia associated with CKD. In current practice, the use of ESA is not limited to the patients on renal replacement therapy but has extended to nondialysis patients under palliative care (PC). Current evidence on ESA usage in patients with CKD decided to forego dialysis often have to take reference from studies conducted in other groups of patients with CKD, including pre-dialysis patients and those on renal replacement therapy. There is paucity of studies targeting use of ESAs in renal PC patients. Small-scale retrospective study in renal PC patients had suggested clinical advantage of ESAs in terms of hemoglobin improvement, reduction in fatigue, and hospitalization rate. With the expected growth in elderly patients with CKD decided to forego dialysis and manage conservatively, there remains an urgent need to call for large-scale prospective trial in exploring efficacy of ESAs in this population, targeting on quality of life and symptoms improvement outcome. This article also reviews the mechanism of action, pharmacology, adverse effects, and clinical trial evidence for ESA in patients with CKD under renal PC.
The Clinical Implication of Blood Product Transfusion on Morbidity and Mortality of Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Kordzadeh Ali , Askari Alan , Parsa Ali D. , Browne Tom , Panayiotopoulos Yiannis P.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Transfusion of blood products occurs frequently in ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery (rAAA). The aim of this study is to establish the impact of packed red blood cell (PRBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP), and platelet (PLT) transfusion on the 30-day mortality and morbidity (thrombotic versus non thrombotic complications) of rAAAs.

Methods:

A retrospective study of 90 consecutive rAAAs from November 2007 to June 2015 was conducted. Multivariable regression models were produced to determine blood products associated with 30-day morbidity and mortality post-rAAA.

Results:

The overall mortality was 14.6%. At multivariable analyses, transfusion with FFP (>3 units) was independently associated with an increased risk of mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 11.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-96.72, P = .027). The overall morbidity was 26.8%, and subgroup analysis (thrombotic vs nonthrombotic complications) demonstrated transfusion of PLTs (>1 pool) to be independently associated with thrombotic events (OR: 4.3, 95% CI: 1.37-13.6, P = .012). Thrombotic events were responsible for 50% (n = 11 of 22) of all morbidities and mortalities (n = 6 of 12).

Conclusion:

Transfusion of FFP and PLTs may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality. The use of these blood components should be considered in the context of the patient’s clinical and laboratory data as opposed to a fixed ratio to PRBCs. This may result in the reduction in thrombotic complications emerging in rAAA cohort.
Social Media Use in Journalism Education
Authors: Kothari Ammina , Hickerson Andrea
Published: December 2015

Social media use has become essential for journalists. Although previous research has explored how journalists use social media, less is known about how journalism and mass communication programs incorporate social media in their coursework. Based on our survey of 323 students and 125 faculty in American universities, this study offers a comparative analysis of social media use among journalism faculty and students, both personally and in coursework. Faculty and students in our sample report using Facebook more frequently for personal reasons, whereas Twitter is the main platform required by faculty members for class assignments. We also found that students’ majors and faculty’s experience in the industry influenced not only how they evaluated the utility of social media in coursework but also how they utilized various platforms in classes.
Legal versus non-legal approaches to forensic science evidence
Authors: Edmond Gary
Published: December 2015

In their attempts to determine the admissibility and probative value of forensic science and medicine evidence, common law courts have tended to focus on considerations such as: the formal qualifications and training of the analyst, the analyst’s experience doing the same or similar things, the existence of a field, whether the evidence might assist the jury, apparent partisanship and plausibility, the overall strength of the case and even the perceived need to accommodate technological innovation. This article reviews conventional English approaches to the admission and evaluation of expert evidence. It aims to contrast legal approaches to forensic science evidence with the kinds of criteria being promoted by a range of peak scientific organisations. This comparative exercise suggests that admissibility jurisprudence and legal practice might be misguided, particularly in their attempts to regulate the comparison or pattern matching disciplines. The article will suggest that courts have privileged the wrong kinds of heuristics in their attempts to engage with scientific and technical forms of knowledge. More disturbingly, it questions whether conventional admissibility standards, even in conjunction with trial safeguards, provide jurors and judges with the kinds of information required to rationally assess much of the incriminating expert opinion evidence routinely presented in criminal proceedings.
The expert witness’s duty of impartiality in Canada
Authors: Hunt Chris D. L. , Neudorf Lorne
Published: December 2015

In this case note, the authors review a recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in which the Court tightened the admissibility requirements of expert witnesses. The Supreme Court confirmed that expert witnesses owe a special duty of impartiality at common law to provide ‘fair, objective and non-partisan assistance’ to the trier of fact. On the question of admissibility, the Supreme Court adopted an approach broadly consistent with England by imposing a threshold eligibility requirement for the admission of expert evidence. An expert will be qualified to testify only if he or she is aware of and willing to carry out their duty of impartiality to the court. In addition, the trier of fact continues to act as a gatekeeper by assessing the probative value of the proposed expert's evidence and weighing it against the potential for prejudice. Only where the probative value exceeds the potential for prejudice will it be admitted. If the evidence of an expert witness is admitted, less serious concerns about the impartiality of the expert witness can inform the weight accorded to the evidence. The authors conclude that the Supreme Court's decision is a welcome development in Canadian law as it establishes a clear test designed to better safeguard the integrity of the trial process.
Laboratory study of PCB transport from primary sources to building materials
Authors: Liu Xiaoyu , Guo Zhishi , Krebs Kenneth A. , Greenwell Dale J. , Roache Nancy F. , Stinson Rayford A. , Nardin Joshua A. , Pope Robert H.
Published: December 2015

The sorption of airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by 20 building materials and their re-emission (desorption) from concrete were investigated using two 0.053 m3 environmental chambers connected in series with a field-collected caulk in the source chamber serving as a stable source of PCBs and building materials in the test chamber. During the tests, the PCB concentrations in the outlet air of the test chamber were monitored and the building materials were removed from the test chamber at different times to determine their PCB content. Among the materials tested, a petroleum-based paint, a latex paint, and a certain type of carpet were among the strongest sinks. Solvent-free epoxy coating, certain types of flooring materials, and brick were among the weakest sinks. For a given sink material, PCB congeners with lower vapour pressures were sorbed in larger quantities. Rough estimates of the partition and diffusion coefficients were obtained by applying a sink model to the data acquired from the chamber studies. A desorption test with the concrete panels showed that re-emission is a slow process, suggesting that PCB sinks, e.g. concrete, can release PCBs into the air for a prolonged period of time (years or decades). This study could fill some of the data gaps associated with the characterization of PCB sinks in contaminated buildings.
Intimacies of Rock
Authors: Young Bryanne
Published: December 2015

This essay engages feminist science studies and theories of performativity to inject with dynamism familiar figurations of static being. Through the modalities of ethnographic writing, memory, and embodied experience, I enact a lively engagement with Canada’s Rocky Mountains. By shifting the way we understand this unique, constitutive feature of the Canadian West, I suggest an approach to ethics that expands categories of agency, disaggregating it from realms of human exceptionalism. Through the analytic of performativity, I attend to the dynamic and agentive capacity/ies of glacial bodies, mountains, and lichen—nonhuman bodies considered passive and inert by prevailing epistemologies—to make/materialize meaning. I animate the argument that what we call nature is not a passive, immutable surface on which culture is inscribed, but rather is the production of active, agential practices, each containing divergent wills to power immanent with the capacity to make cuts of their own. The aim of this writing is to think through how mountains, and other such complex living systems, might pose a necessary series of questions to prevailing epistemologies and systems of epistemological capture.
Perceptions and Receptivity of Nonspousal Family Support: A Mixed Methods Study of Psychological Distress Among Older, Church-Going African American Men
Authors: Watkins Daphne C. , Wharton Tracy , Mitchell Jamie A. , Matusko Niki , Kales Helen C.
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of nonspousal family support on mental health among older, church-going African American men. The mixed methods objective was to employ a design that used existing qualitative and quantitative data to explore the interpretive context within which social and cultural experiences occur. Qualitative data ( n = 21) were used to build a conceptual model that was tested using quantitative data ( n = 401). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an inverse association between nonspousal family support and distress. The comparative fit index, Tucker–Lewis fit index, and root mean square error of approximation indicated good model fit. This study offers unique methodological approaches to using existing, complementary data sources to understand the health of African American men.
Weight and Gender in Service Jobs
Authors: Smith Nicholas A. , Martinez Larry R. , Sabat Isaac E.
Published: December 2015

The average weight of employees in the United States workforce is increasing. Importantly, relatively heavier employees are often subject to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination based solely on their weight. These biases may be further influenced by factors such as employee gender and the specific nature of the job. Thus, we employ the stereotype content model (SCM) to examine the multiplicative effects of weight and gender and argue that perceptions of employee warmth are more salient than perceptions of employee competence in customer service contexts. In support of our hypotheses, we found that weight and gender interacted to influence warmth, such that heavy women were perceived to be higher in warmth relative to less heavy women (with no effect for men). Furthermore, perceptions of warmth predicted service satisfaction, whereas perceptions of competence did not. Finally, perceptions of warmth (but not competence) explained the relations between weight and gender and service satisfaction for female (but not male) customer service agents. We end with a discussion of the theoretical implications related to the SCM along with practical implications for service industry organizations and employees.
Facilitating Administrators’ Instructional Leadership Through the Use of a Technology Integration Discussion Protocol
Authors: McLeod Scott
Published: December 2015

Digital learning tools are increasingly prevalent in classrooms, yet too often technology integration efforts by educators replicate rather than transform traditional instructional practices. Opportunities to take advantage of the new affordances that technologies bring to the learning environment thus become forfeit. Administrators’ use of a targeted discussion protocol can be helpful for facilitating analysis and revision of educators’ technology-infused lessons and units. This article describes how administrators in schools and preservice preparation programs can utilize such a protocol to enhance their instructional leadership and foster the success of their schools’ technology integration and implementation efforts.
Social Media, Delinguistification and Colonization of Lifeworld
Authors: Heyman Rob , Pierson Jo
Published: December 2015

The article critically investigates, from an interdisciplinary perspective, how the current evolution of social media—like social network sites—interferes with the balance between private, commercial, and public space. We build on the concepts of lifeworld and systems, developed in Habermas’ theory of communicative action. The discussion is supported and enriched by the work of Feenberg and van Dijck, integrating insights from Science and Technology Studies and media studies. Technology philosopher and critical Science and Technology Studies scholar Feenberg introduces technology as a steering “medium” that delinguistifies and possibly colonizes the lifeworld by reinterpreting media sociological perspectives of Habermas, Marcuse, Latour, and Callon. In a similar way, media scholar van Dijck analyses the transition from human connectedness to automated connectivity in the context of social media. We then illustrate the delinguistification and the colonization of lifeworld with a systematic analysis of the contingent evolution of Facebook as one particular case in social media. We focus on three specific artifacts in Facebook, framed as obligatory passage points: EdgeRank, Sponsored Stories, and Gatekeeper. Each of them gives an idea how the private space is subsumed under the commercial space and how the colonization reconfigures the public space in social media like Facebook. In this sense, we complement the political economy analysis of prosumer commodity with the action-theoretical autonomist approach of immaterial labor, highlighting new potential threats of the current social media development.
The Effects of Internet-Delivered Mindfulness Training on Stress, Coping, and Mindfulness in University Students
Authors: Messer David , Horan John J. , Turner Wesley , Weber Wanda
Published: December 2015

Internet-delivered mindfulness and relaxation training were compared with each other and a no-treatment control on stress, coping, and mindfulness measures. Participants ( n = 114) were assessed before and after treatment, and their compliance with the intervention they received was tracked. The treatments were received at a time, place, and computer of the participants’ choosing with the proviso that three exercises be completed during each of three successive weeks. Both mindfulness and relaxation reduced stress, but only mindfulness training increased mindfulness and reduced emotion-focused coping.
Electric fields are novel determinants of human macrophage functions
Authors: Hoare Joseph I , Rajnicek Ann M , McCaig Colin D , Barker Robert N , Wilson Heather M
Published: December 2015

Macrophages are key cells in inflammation and repair, and their activity requires close regulation. The characterization of cues coordinating macrophage function has focused on biologic and soluble mediators, with little known about their responses to physical stimuli, such as the electrical fields that are generated naturally in injured tissue and which accelerate wound healing. To address this gap in understanding, we tested how properties of human monocyte-derived macrophages are regulated by applied electrical fields, similar in strengths to those established naturally. With the use of live-cell video microscopy, we show that macrophage migration is directed anodally by electrical fields as low as 5 mV/mm and is electrical field strength dependent, with effects peaking ∼300 mV/mm. Monocytes, as macrophage precursors, migrate in the opposite, cathodal direction. Strikingly, we show for the first time that electrical fields significantly enhance macrophage phagocytic uptake of a variety of targets, including carboxylate beads, apoptotic neutrophils, and the nominal opportunist pathogen Candida albicans, which engage different classes of surface receptors. These electrical field-induced functional changes are accompanied by clustering of phagocytic receptors, enhanced PI3K and ERK activation, mobilization of intracellular calcium, and actin polarization. Electrical fields also modulate cytokine production selectively and can augment some effects of conventional polarizing stimuli on cytokine secretion. Taken together, electrical signals have been identified as major contributors to the coordination and regulation of important human macrophage functions, including those essential for microbial clearance and healing. Our results open up a new area of research into effects of naturally occurring and clinically applied electrical fields in conditions where macrophage activity is critical.
A comparison of diffraction imaging to incoherence and curvature
Authors: Tyiasning Stephanie , Merzlikin Dmitrii , Cooke Dennis , Fomel Sergey
Published: December 2015

Detecting small subsurface features such as faults, fracture swarms, steep reef edges, and channel edges is a routine task in seismic interpretation. Common seismic attributes used for this task, such as curvature and incoherence, are derived from conventional images containing both reflections and diffractions. An emerging alternative approach is to interpret these edge features using the diffraction-imaging technique, which images diffracted energy separately. A diffraction-imaging volume is generated by separating specular reflections from diffractions in an unmigrated volume followed by migration of those diffractions. Different methods can be used to separate diffractions from reflections on unmigrated data. In a case history, they are separated with a plane-wave destruction (PWD) filter. An evaluation of diffraction-imaging performance is applied to a 3D seismic data set from the Cooper Basin of Australia. Diffraction-imaging horizon maps are compared with corresponding maps made from incoherence and curvature volumes. The resolution and the ability to detect faults, fractures, and channel-edge features are compared. The results show that diffraction imaging provides superior vertical and spatial resolution over conventional incoherence and curvature attributes for mapping faults and stratigraphy.
A new dawn for Australian ocean-bottom seismography
Authors: Goncharov Alexey , Cooper Ashby , Chia Peter , O'Neil Paul
Published: December 2015

The Australian government recently acquired 20 state-of-the-art broadband ocean-bottom seismograph (OBS) units. These instruments were designed and built by Güralp Systems Ltd. (U. K.) with the ability to withstand extreme ocean depths to 6000 m and to remotely record data for as long as 12 months. The Australian national OBS fleet is part of AuScope's Australian Geophysical Observing System (AGOS) — an initiative of the Australian government funded through the Education Investment Fund (EIF). These instruments will contribute greatly to understanding of the crust beneath oceanic basins surrounding Australia. In 2014–2015, the Australian national OBS fleet was used by the petroleum industry on several seismic surveys. High-quality data were recorded at all OBS deployment sites, often to offsets sufficiently large enough to detect possible Pn phases — refractions from the upper mantle. Such information means that crustal thickness as well as the seismic-velocity distribution to the Moho can be determined. As a result, these data can provide important constraint for subsidence and hydrocarbon-maturation modeling. Analysis of earthquake data recorded during marine seismic surveys is ongoing and should provide new information on the interaction between anthropogenic signals (air-gun sources, vessel noise) and the natural environment. Recording earthquake and air-gun signals at fixed locations opens a completely new possibility for calibration and comparison of those signal strengths and spectral compositions. Access to the OBS fleet is open to industry, academia, and government organizations. Application to use Australia's OBS fleet is via a simple process through ANSIR ( www.ansir.org.au ).
The Use of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials to Determine the Relationship Between Intraoperative Arterial Blood Pressure and Intraoperative Upper Extremity Position–Related Neurapraxia in the Prone Surrender Position During Spine Surgery: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Kamel Ihab , Zhao Huaqing , Koch Stephen A. , Brister Neil , Barnette Rodger E.
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND:

Peripheral nerve injury is a significant perioperative problem. Intraoperative position-related neurapraxia may indicate impending peripheral nerve injury and can be detected by changes in somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). The purpose of this retrospective analysis of spine surgeries performed under general anesthesia with SSEP monitoring was to determine the relationship between intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and intraoperative upper extremity position–related neurapraxia in the prone surrender (superman) position.

METHODS:

We reviewed a computerized database of spine surgeries performed on adult patients in the prone surrender position. The authors reviewed intraoperative SSEP monitoring reports to identify the patients who developed intraoperative upper extremity position–related neurapraxia (case group) and patients who did not (control group). Propensity matching was performed to derive 2 demographically matched groups. Preoperative and intraoperative variables were included in the univariate Cox regression analysis of risk factors associated with neurapraxia. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify the independent risk factors.

RESULTS:

One hundred fifty-two patients were included in the analysis. The case group included 32 patients, whereas the control group included 120 matched patients. Intraoperative MAP <55 mm Hg for a total duration of ≥5 minutes was an independent risk factor associated with a greater incidence of upper extremity position–related neurapraxia compared with a duration of <5 minutes with MAP <55 mm Hg (hazard ratio, 3.43; confidence interval, 1.445–8.148; P = 0.0052). Intraoperative MAP >80 mm Hg for a total duration of >55 minutes was an independent predictor associated with a lower incidence of neurapraxia compared with a total duration ≤55 minutes (hazard ratio, 0.341; confidence interval, 0.163–0.717; P = 0.0045).

CONCLUSIONS:

In this study, we identified the changes in intraoperative MAP as independent predictors associated with upper extremity position–related neurapraxia in the prone surrender position under general anesthesia.
Differences in infectivity between endosymbiotic Chlorella variabilis cultivated outside host Paramecium bursaria for 50 years and those immediately isolated from host cells after one year of reendosymbiosis
Authors: Kodama Y. , Fujishima M.
Published: December 2015

Chlorella variabilis strain NC64A is an intracellular photobiont of the ciliate Paramecium bursaria. NC64A was isolated from P. bursaria nearly 50 years ago and was thereafter cultivated outside the host. This study was undertaken to detect changes in its infectivity to P. bursaria and its auxotrophy for growth outside the host induced during long-term cultivation. NC64A can grow in Modified Bold's Basal Medium but not in C medium, whereas another symbiotic Chlorella variabilis strain, 1N, that was recently isolated from the host grew in C medium but not in Modified Bold's Basal Medium. With regards infectivity, NC64A in the logarithmic phase of growth showed low infectivity to alga-removed P. bursaria cells, whereas those in the early stationary phase showed high infectivity of about 30%. Those in the decay phase of growth showed no infectivity. Results show that NC64A has infectivity, but the infection rate depends on their culture age in the growth curve. Furthermore, NC64A that had been re-infected to P. bursaria for more than one year and isolated from the host showed a nearly 100% infection rate, which indicates that NC64A can recover its infectivity by re-infection to P. bursaria.
Unique geometry of sister kinetochores in human oocytes during meiosis I may explain maternal age-associated increases in chromosomal abnormalities
Authors: Patel Jessica , Tan Seang Lin , Hartshorne Geraldine M. , McAinsh Andrew D.
Published: December 2015

The first meiotic division in human oocytes is highly error-prone and contributes to the uniquely high incidence of aneuploidy observed in human pregnancies. A successful meiosis I (MI) division entails separation of homologous chromosome pairs and co-segregation of sister chromatids. For this to happen, sister kinetochores must form attachments to spindle kinetochore-fibres emanating from the same pole. In mouse and budding yeast, sister kinetochores remain closely associated with each other during MI, enabling them to act as a single unified structure. However, whether this arrangement also applies in human meiosis I oocytes was unclear. In this study, we perform high-resolution imaging of over 1900 kinetochores in human oocytes, to examine the geometry and architecture of the human meiotic kinetochore. We reveal that sister kinetochores in MI are not physically fused, and instead individual kinetochores within a pair are capable of forming independent attachments to spindle k-fibres. Notably, with increasing female age, the separation between kinetochores increases, suggesting a degradation of centromeric cohesion and/or changes in kinetochore architecture. Our data suggest that the differential arrangement of sister kinetochores and dual k-fibre attachments may explain the high proportion of unstable attachments that form in MI and thus indicate why human oocytes are prone to aneuploidy, particularly with increasing maternal age.