bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obesity and discrimination
Authors: Flint Stuart W , Snook Jeremé
Published: May 2014

A concomitant increase has been observed between the prevalence of obesity and the stigmatization and discrimination of the condition. Despite reports of such negative experiences, there appears to be little deterrence for individuals to behave in a non-discriminatory fashion towards the overweight and obese. This article focuses on an emergent academic, legal and medical debate concerning obesity and human well-being and its possible impacts in the workplace and on disability discrimination laws. The disability laws in the United Kingdom require employers and employees not to discriminate or harass their colleagues, yet the model of discrimination seen in the United Kingdom emerges from a historical basis where sex and race were accommodated by the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and the Race Relations Act (1976) respectively, and laws prohibiting disability were introduced later by the Disability Discrimination Act (1995). These laws in conjunction required UK citizens in the workplace and beyond not to subject their fellow citizens, potential workmates and current employees to less favourable treatment and to provide reasonable adjustments in the workplace where discrimination was a possible outcome of behaviours or policy arrangements.
Social dominance orientation and trust propensity in street gangs
Authors: Densley James A. , Cai Tianji , Hilal Susan
Published: May 2014

The present research demonstrates that social dominance orientation (SDO) and trust propensity provide a valuable theoretical framework and methodological toolkit with which to both assess the concept of “defiant individualism,” Sánchez-Jankowski’s trait theory of gang membership, and understand social-psychological gang processes. The research samples 95 gang members in London, UK, while looking at the effects of age, contact with the gang, and position in the gang on the presence of SDO and trust propensity. Using path analysis, the research demonstrates gang tenure and rank are strong predictors of high SDO and low trust propensity, independent of time spent in the gang, which also significantly predicts high SDO and low trust propensity. High SDO and low trust propensity in gangs are also positively correlated. Gang members, it seems, exhibit a “defiant individualist” social character and both selection and group socialization processes are accountable. Such, in turn, may help explain intergang relations.
The absence of class: Critical development, NGOs and the misuse of Gramsci’s concept of counter-hegemony
Authors: McSweeney John
Published: May 2014

This article argues that a number of concepts originally developed by Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) have been misapplied by critical development theorists in their engagement with NGOs. This applies particularly to ‘hegemony’ and ‘counter-hegemony’ because they have been detached from the ontological gravity provided by class. However, Gramsci’s terms, to be analytically comprehendible, should be defined in relation to the agency of class. Yet the treatment of class as an emancipatory agent has been neglected by development studies. This hinders a proper recognition of the real worth of Gramsci’s project of counter-hegemony, particularly in light of the crisis afflicting the present conjuncture.
Suffering in an Age of Personal Responsibility
Authors: Sered Susan
Published: May 2014

Drawing on more than five years of research with women who inhabit a circuit of suffering made up of prison, homeless shelters, drug programs and the streets, sociologist Susan Sered argues that punishment and treatment often function as two sides of the same coin: a coin that construes women’s suffering in terms of their private traumas, personal flaws, and poor choices. This ideological script functions to blame the victim, obscure the structural causes of poverty and violence, and absolves governments from public responsibilities for the well-being of citizens.
Black Brazil Never Slept
Authors: Jensen Katherine
Published: May 2014

Analyzing the media coverage of the 2013 Brazil protests, sociologist Katherine Jensen uncovers that violence against white women became the rallying cry for popular political action, while black mobilization was depoliticized as violent chaos and violence against blacks was ignored.
The Trouble With Tebowing
Authors: Yukich Grace , Stokes Kimberly , Bellows Daniela
Published: May 2014

Sociologists Grace Yukich, Kimberly Stokes, and Daniela Bellows explore cultural norms around religious displays in sports, and in public life more generally, by examining media coverage of controversial football player Tim Tebow.
The Mediated Sociologist
Authors: Sternheimer karen
Published: May 2014

Sociologist Karen Sternheimer considers the opportunities and challenges of presenting sociological concepts in the news media, particularly when our ideas are edited or interpreted by others.
Paintings, Pensions, and Pain
Authors: Draus Paul , Roddy Juliette
Published: May 2014

Sociologist Paul Draus and Economist Juliette Roddy discuss tensions in Detroit as the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy unfolds. The competing interests of art and pensions and the stamina of social contracts in times of financial insecurity are examined.
Detroit’s Wealth of Ruins
Authors: Mijs Jonathan Jan Benjamin
Published: May 2014

Sociologist Jonathan Jan Benjamin Mijs explores Detroit, the symbol of destructive global forces, and finds agency in a wealth of ruins.
Political Theater
Authors: Molnár Virág
Published: May 2014

Urban sociologist, Virág Molnár, reviews the books No Billionaire Left Behind and Thank You, Anarchy. The books examine satirical activism and Occupy Wall Street’s mix of direct democracy and anarchism as examples of unconventional political protest in the contemporary United States.
Writing the City
Authors: Hartigan John
Published: May 2014

Anthropologist John Hartigan considers the tricks and travails of writing about cities, via a review of Detroit: An American Autopsy and Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas.
Writing Outside the (Sociological) Box
Authors: Venkatesh Sudhir
Published: May 2014

Sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh discusses the nuances of non-specialist writing and offers guidance on how sociologists can reach broader audiences.
An Inductive Study of Foreign CEOs of Japanese Firms
Authors: Pandey Sheela , Rhee Shanggeun
Published: May 2014

We use multiple case study methodology to examine firm-level antecedents and consequences of foreign CEO hiring decisions in Japan. We also examine foreign CEO attributes and the strategic initiatives launched by the foreign CEOs to understand differences in consequences. Study findings suggest that foreign CEOs in Japan are not all “complete outsiders” to the organization and the nation—most Japanese firms prefer to hire a CEO with prior work experience in Japan. Overall, foreign-born CEOs are successful in Japan only if they have a vision and the executive clout to transform the organization.
Adaptive designs for identifying optimal biological dose for molecularly targeted agents
Authors: Zang Yong , Lee J Jack , Yuan Ying
Published: May 2014

Background

Traditionally, the purpose of a dose-finding design in cancer is to find the maximum tolerated dose based solely on toxicity. However, for molecularly targeted agents, little toxicity may arise within the therapeutic dose range and the dose–response curves may not be monotonic. This challenges the principle that more is better, which is widely accepted for conventional chemotherapy.

Methods

We propose three adaptive dose-finding designs for trials evaluating molecularly targeted agents, for which the dose–response curves are unimodal or plateaued. The goal of these designs is to find the optimal biological dose, which is defined as the lowest dose with the highest rate of efficacy while safe. The first proposed design is parametric and assumes a logistic dose–efficacy curve for dose finding, the second design is nonparametric and uses the isotonic regression to identify the optimal biological dose, and the third design has the spirit of a ‘semiparametric’ approach by assuming a logistic model only locally around the current dose.

Results

We conducted extensive simulation studies to investigate the operating characteristics of the proposed designs. Simulation studies show that the nonparametric and semiparametric designs have good operating characteristics for finding the optimal biological dose.

Limitations

The proposed designs assume a binary endpoint. Extension of the proposed designs to ordinal and time-to-event endpoints is worth further investigation.

Conclusion

Among the three proposed designs, the nonparametric and semiparametric designs yield consistently good operating characteristics and thus are recommended for practical use. The software to implement these two designs is available for free download at http://odin.mdacc.tmc.edu/~yyuan/ .
Music Worlds and Internal Goods: The Role of Convention
Authors: Crossley Nick , Bottero Wendy
Published: May 2014

What is the basis of the value and pleasure that participants derive from participation in music worlds? Participants often have a great passion for those worlds and for the artists, works, identities and conventions which constitute and populate them. Sociology, however, is not very good at explaining or exploring such passion and commitment. To do this in relation to music requires that we take the pleasures and satisfactions of ‘musicking’ (i.e. all activities pertaining to music) seriously. This paper calls for an interrogation of the mechanisms and dynamics of music’s intrinsic pleasures. We argue that it is necessary to explore the mechanisms involved in the intrinsic pleasures of musicking, and that to do so means analysing the ‘internal goods’ of music worlds and the role that conventions play in the production of pleasure and commitment.
Own It! Constructions of Masculinity and Heterosexuality on Reality Makeover Television
Authors: Davis Alexander K. , Rogers Laura E. , Bryson Bethany
Published: May 2014

Makeover television shows are notorious for presenting oppressive and unrealistic images of women, but a sizable portion of makeover contestants are men. What does this mean for the impact of such shows on gender culture? Using data collected from transcripts of five different programs, we find that gender, power, and heterosexuality intertwine within makeover plots in three ways. First, makeover shows link the promise of personal transformation to uncovering an accentuated femininity or masculinity lurking beneath surface-level shortcomings. Second, shows featuring male contestants make status and wealth central to their transformations. While female contestants focus on their bodies, men are offered opportunities and encouragement to engage in ‘manhood acts’ (Schrock and Schwalbe, 2009): deliberate efforts to claim membership in the privileged gender group. Third, makeovers rely upon heteronormative understandings of masculinity and femininity as opposites that attract. For men in particular, heterosexual relationships (whether real or imagined) provide the evidence within each episode that their makeovers have successfully rehabilitated their masculinity and their gender privilege. Thus the presence of men in the makeover genre reifies existing ideologies of gender inequality in which social status is a requisite component of masculinity, deference to men is a requisite component of femininity, and a male-dominated heterosexuality is a requisite component of both.
Cultural humility and working with marginalized populations in developing countries
Authors: Kools Susan , Chimwaza Angela , Macha Swebby
Published: May 2014

Population health needs in developing countries are great and countries are scaling up health professional education to meet these needs. Marginalized populations, in particular, are vulnerable to poor health and health care. This paper presents a culturally appropriate diversity training program delivered to Global Health Fellows who are educators and leaders in health professions in Malawi and Zambia. The purpose of this interprofessional education experience was to promote culturally competent and humble care for marginalized populations.
A systematic review of barriers and facilitators to participation in randomized controlled trials by Indigenous people from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States
Authors: Glover Marewa , Kira Anette , Johnston Vanessa , Walker Natalie , Thomas David , Chang Anne B. , Bullen Chris , Segan C. J. , Brown Ngiare
Published: May 2014

Issue:

Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are conducted each year but only a small proportion is specifically designed for Indigenous people. In this review we consider the challenges of participation in RCTs for Indigenous peoples from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States and the opportunities for increasing participation.

Approach:

The literature was systematically searched for published articles including information on the barriers and facilitators for Indigenous people’s participation in health-related RCTs. Articles were identified using a key word search of electronic databases (Scopus, Medline and EMBASE). To be included, papers had to include in their published work at least one aspect of their RCT that was either a barrier and/or facilitator for participation identified from, for example, design of intervention, or discussion sections of articles. Articles that were reviews, discussions, opinion pieces or rationale/methodology were excluded. Results were analysed inductively, allowing themes to emerge from the data.

Key findings:

Facilitators enabling Indigenous people’s participation in RCTs included relationship and partnership building, employing Indigenous staff, drawing on Indigenous knowledge models, targeted recruitment techniques and adapting study material. Challenges for participation included both participant-level factors (such as a distrust of research) and RCT-level factors (including inadequately addressing likely participant barriers (phone availability, travel costs), and a lack of recognition or incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems.

Implication:

The findings from our review add to the body of knowledge on elimination of health disparities, by identifying effective and practical strategies for conducting and engaging Indigenous peoples with RCTs. Future trials that seek to benefit Indigenous peoples should actively involve Indigenous research partners, and respect and draw on pertinent Indigenous knowledge and values. This review has the potential to assist in the design of such studies.
Bolus Calculators
Authors: Schmidt Signe , Nørgaard Kirsten
Published: May 2014

Matching meal insulin to carbohydrate intake, blood glucose, and activity level is recommended in type 1 diabetes management. Calculating an appropriate insulin bolus size several times per day is, however, challenging and resource demanding. Accordingly, there is a need for bolus calculators to support patients in insulin treatment decisions. Currently, bolus calculators are available integrated in insulin pumps, as stand-alone devices and in the form of software applications that can be downloaded to, for example, smartphones. Functionality and complexity of bolus calculators vary greatly, and the few handfuls of published bolus calculator studies are heterogeneous with regard to study design, intervention, duration, and outcome measures. Furthermore, many factors unrelated to the specific device affect outcomes from bolus calculator use and therefore bolus calculator study comparisons should be conducted cautiously. Despite these reservations, there seems to be increasing evidence that bolus calculators may improve glycemic control and treatment satisfaction in patients who use the devices actively and as intended.
The Role of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Patients Treated With SGLT-2 Inhibitors
Authors: Schnell Oliver , Alawi Hasan , Battelino Tadej , Ceriello Antonio , Diem Peter , Felton Anne-Marie , Harno Kari , Satman Ilhan , Vergès Bruno
Published: May 2014

The role for the novel treatment approach of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) in type 2 diabetes is increasing. Structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), based on a less intensive and a more intensive scheme, may contribute to an optimization of SGLT-2 inhibitor based treatment. The current expert recommendation suggests individualized approaches of SMBG, using simple and clinically applicable schemes. Potential benefits of SMBG in SGLT-2 inhibitor based treatment approaches are early assessment of treatment success or failure, timely modification of treatment, detection of hypoglycemic episodes, assessment of glucose excursions, and support of diabetes management and education. The length and frequency of SMBG should depend on the clinical setting and the quality of metabolic control.
EASD Diabetes Technology Meeting
Authors: Heinemann Lutz
Published: May 2014

The first diabetes technology meeting organized by the European Diabetes Association covers the range from regulatory aspects, patient safety, about registries to clinical studies. After an intensive discussion about the evidence required for registration and reimbursement on new medical devices and in vitro diagnostics it becomes clear that more and better clinical trials will be required in the future. This was also highlighted by representatives of the American Diabetes Association. The 2 associations will be active in this field of research by a joint committee. This meeting is intended not to become a large-scale meeting focused on education but to provide a platform for an open discussion of experts involved in all areas that are relevant to achieve a meaningful usage of diabetes technology.
A Heads-Up Display for Diabetic Limb Salvage Surgery
Authors: Armstrong David G. , Rankin Timothy M. , Giovinco Nicholas A. , Mills Joseph L. , Matsuoka Yoky
Published: May 2014

Although the use of augmented reality has been well described over the past several years, available devices suffer from high cost, an uncomfortable form factor, suboptimal battery life, and lack an app-based developer ecosystem. This article describes the potential use of a novel, consumer-based, wearable device to assist surgeons in real time during limb preservation surgery and clinical consultation. Using routine intraoperative, clinical, and educational case examples, we describe the use of a wearable augmented reality device (Google Glass; Google, Mountain View, CA). The device facilitated hands-free, rapid communication, documentation, and consultation. An eyeglass-mounted screen form factor has the potential to improve communication, safety, and efficiency of intraoperative and clinical care. We believe this represents a natural progression toward union of medical devices with consumer technology.
Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives on Primary Care
Authors: Gold Jessica A. , Barg Frances K. , Margo Katherine
Published: May 2014

Background and Objectives: Despite the need for more primary care physicians, the number of medical students choosing primary care careers remains lower than other specialties. While undergraduate premedical education is an essential component in the development of future physicians, little is known about undergraduate students’ perspectives on becoming primary care physicians. To better understand the early factors in career selection, we asked premed and former premed students their perceptions of primary care. Methods: Open-ended, semistructured interviews were conducted with 58 undergraduate students who represented three different groups: those who were currently premed and science majors, those who were nonscience majors and were currently premed, and those who were formerly premed. Specifically, we asked, “Why do you think there is a shortage of people who go into primary care?” Results: Undergraduates cited financial reasons, lack of “glamour,” and the career being “uninteresting.” Many believed that primary care lacked prestige, and others felt it had a negative stigma attached. Most had never even considered a career in primary care. A number of students also misunderstood what a career in primary care actually entailed. Conclusions: As early as freshman year in college, undergraduate students harbor misconceptions and negative opinions about primary care. Many of those who express interest in such a career seem to drop out of the premedical program. It is important to consider the early onset of these attitudes and a way to target this interested population when trying to address the shortage of primary care physicians.
The Learning Feature of Deep Knowledge and Its Relationship With Exercise
Authors: Lin Ming Hung , Huang Mei Hua , Hsiung Wan Chun
Published: May 2014

Nine Principles for Deep Knowledge of Habitual Domains (HDs) have been identified as an effective approach to expanding and enriching an individual’s HD, or in a broader sense, to improving learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the Principle for Deep Knowledge Survey (PDKS) and the correlations between the PDKS and other individual variables, such as gender, body mass index (BMI), and exercise routines. Seven hundred eighty-five industrial high school students completed the questionnaire. Overall, the results suggested that the psychometric properties of the PDKS were acceptable and also showed a significant relationship between gender and the Principles of Contrasting and Complementing and Cracking and Ripping. In addition, the Principles of Alternating, Changing and Transforming, and Void had a positive correlation with the variable of frequency of exercise. The results showed that exercise could be a mediator in expanding the competence of deep knowledge to improve learning.
Silenced Voices, Resuscitated Memory, and the Problematization of State Historiography in Yvonne Vera’s Novel The Stone Virgins
Authors: Nyambi Oliver
Published: May 2014

In Zimbabwe (like in most post-colonial African nations), history holds a critical place in discourses on constructions and reconstructions of national identity. The history of the Gukurahundi (the massacre of civilians in Matabeleland and Midlands regions of Zimbabwe in the early to late 1980s) continues to dominate debates on the politics of ethnic exclusion in contemporary Zimbabwe. This article explores the place of creative fiction in this political discourse. The article contends that Yvonne Vera’s novel The Stone Virgins (which is set in the Gukurahundi era) is a historically situated narrative of murder, rape, and trauma that powerfully challenges and renegotiates state power premised on hegemonic inscriptions and re-inscriptions of national history. The article focuses on the subtlety with which the psychic impact of rape and violence, especially as manifested in the suppression of the female victim’s voice and memory, can be read in turn (and paradoxically so) as the novel’s complex attempt at speaking back to the political stifling of debate about the Gukurahundi. The focus on the political significance of representations of a woman’s voice and memory in The Stone Virgins is informed by the pervasive politicization and masculinization of voice and expression in post-2000 Zimbabwean politics.
A Global Curriculum? Understanding Teaching and Learning in the United States, Taiwan, India, and Mexico
Authors: Sparapani Ervin F. , Callejo Perez David , Gould Jonathon , Hillman Susan , Clark LaCreta
Published: May 2014

While educators recognize that teaching and learning are complex activities evolving from social and cultural contexts, pressure is mounting to be internationally competitive. This research relates a global and responsive discussion of internationalization in education through comparative analyses of current educational discourse about mathematics, science, and technology in the United States, Mexico, India, and Taiwan. Interestingly, changes in education in countries around the globe seem to be leading to a global curriculum. This research examines that phenomenon in several ways. First, we examine what has been happening in the United States. Second, we examine what has been happening in one area of Mexico. Third, we examine what has been happening in India. Fourth, we examine what has been happening in Taiwan. Fifth, we discuss what we have learned relative to the possibility of a global curriculum, specifically related to mathematics, science, and technology, and sixth, we make recommendations for teacher education. In our search for a “global” curriculum, we use an ethnographic procedure referred to as “walking around” culture, which includes participant observation, personal reflection, and cultural immersion. Four of us made several visits to the three countries: India, Mexico, and Taiwan. The findings show that, even though there is no actual global curriculum, there appears to be a de facto global curriculum. Based on that, six recommendations are provided for preparing pre-service and in-service teachers.
Validating Teacher Commitment Scale Using a Malaysian Sample
Authors: Thien Lei Mee , Razak Nordin Abd , Ramayah T.
Published: May 2014

This study attempts to validate an integrative Teacher Commitment scale using rigorous scale validation procedures. An adapted questionnaire with 17 items was administered to 600 primary school teachers in Penang, Malaysia. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with SPSS 19.0 and AMOS 19.0, respectively. The results support Teacher Commitment as a multidimensional construct with its four underlying dimensions: Commitment to Student, Commitment to Teaching, Commitment to School, and Commitment to Profession. A validated Teacher Commitment scale with 13 items measured can be proposed to be used as an evaluative tool to assess the level to which teachers are committed to their students’ learning, teaching, school, and profession. The Teacher Commitment scale would also facilitate the identifications of factors that influence teachers’ quality of work life and school effectiveness. The practical implications, school cultural influence, and methodological limitations are discussed.
Contributions of Feature Binding During Encoding and Functional Connectivity of the Medial Temporal Lobe Structures to Episodic Memory Deficits Across the Prodromal and First-Episode Phases of Schizophrenia
Authors: Haut Kristen M. , van Erp Theo G. M. , Knowlton Barbara , Bearden Carrie E. , Subotnik Kenneth , Ventura Joseph , Nuechterlein Keith H. , Cannon Tyrone D.
Published: May 2014

Patients with and at risk for psychosis may have difficulty using associative strategies to facilitate episodic memory encoding and recall. In parallel studies, patients with first-episode schizophrenia ( n = 27) and high psychosis risk ( n = 28) compared with control participants ( n = 22 and n = 20, respectively) underwent functional MRI during a remember-know memory task. Psychophysiological interaction analyses, using medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures as regions of interest, were conducted to measure functional connectivity patterns supporting successful episodic memory. During encoding, patients with first-episode schizophrenia demonstrated reduced functional coupling between MTL regions and regions involved in stimulus representations, stimulus selection, and cognitive control. Relative to control participants and patients with high psychosis risk who did not convert to psychosis, patients with high psychosis risk who later converted to psychosis also demonstrated reduced connectivity between MTL regions and auditory-verbal and visual-association regions. These results suggest that episodic memory deficits in schizophrenia are related to inefficient recruitment of cortical connections involved in associative memory formation; such deficits precede the onset of psychosis among those individuals at high clinical risk.
Non-conventional Organizational Practices for Managing Youth at Work: A Case from Textile Industry in Sri Lanka
Authors: Dissanayake Kumudinei
Published: May 2014

Atypical patterns of work behaviour and changing expectations of young generations at workplace have exhibited the need of deviating from traditional practices for achieving better performance through managing youth. This study explores and unveils such practices in a Sri Lankan organization in the labour-intensive textile industry. Using the case study strategy and adopting a qualitative theory development approach, it reveals five non-conventional organizational practices: protecting and caring, exposing the reality, respecting worker values, facilitating self-organization and promoting self-development. The study proposes that these practices lead to several intrinsic outcomes for young workers while creating their sense of security, generic knowledge, individual image building, self-efficacy and enhancing employability. The study elaborates some insights and implications drawn from the changing dimensions of the youth workforce.
Management of Innovation in Small Service Companies
Authors: Aromaa Eeva , Eriksson Päivi
Published: May 2014

The objective of our study is to explore how the innovation practice of a small service company can be identified and developed from the managerial point of view. The study is based on the intensive case study strategy utilizing observational and interview data. The analysis shows how a new theoretical approach (the practice approach) and a new methodological tool (the CODE-method) can be used in the study of innovation management. The results show that the innovation practice of the case company was based on five distinctive innovation processes initiated by different actors inside and outside of the company. Utilizing the full potential of these five processes would however require solving two problems: managing and organizing all five processes more efficiently and relaxing the CEO-centricity of the innovation practice.
Ecological Selves and Organizational Leadership Values that Matter
Authors: Rogers Katrina S.
Published: May 2014

One striking feature in the sweep of history is the extent to which humans have manipulated the natural environment to serve our needs and our desires. In the early written record, there are tales of deforestation and soil erosion (Plato, 360 BCE). As early as the seventeenth century, natural historians compared the grasslands around villages to inhabited areas and speculated on the consequences of human activity on natural systems ( Goudie, 2006 , p. 3). The onset of the industrial revolution in Western Europe combined with a growing understanding and knowledge base of science has rendered a circumstance of uncontrolled manipulation of the ecosystems and ever finer ways to measure these consequences.

This article is an invitation to challenge us as scholars and practitioners to seek understanding as companies and other organizations take up their roles in a world that we are transforming irrevocably. Why does it matter, after all, that we seek to build a body of knowledge around corporate functioning? It is my intention that this article helps us ponder and reflect on that question.
Change Leadership During Hospital Mergers: A Case Study of the Formation of Alberta Health Services
Authors: Docherty Marcia A.
Published: May 2014

In the spring of 2008, the Alberta government consolidated nine health regions and three provincial programmes to become the largest health authority in Canada. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) hired to lead this new organization was terminated with less than 2 years in the position. This document review explores the political and organizational issues that resulted in the termination of the CEO and illustrates that: ( i) Physicians are able to leverage significant public support for their agendas; ( ii) Effective change management must recognize and address front-line staff; and ( iii) Research on the benefits of hospital consolidation is weak.
An Exploration of Communitas Among Road Warriors
Authors: Napier Gayla S.
Published: May 2014

Consulting services, estimated by Gartner at USD 89.6 billion in 2012, refer to the practice of helping organizations improve performance through analysis of business problems and development of solutions ( Heng, 2013 ). Core to the consulting services are road warriors—consulting professionals who spend their workweek away from home at a client site. Inherent to the distributed nature of their work, road warriors are often dependent on technology-enabled communications to connect with members of their professional community. This study explores how road warriors in a professional services firm engage with one another. The study goes beyond traditional descriptions of community to suggest that road warriors intermingle in a virtual third-place of communitas. Findings suggest how a sense of communitas provides support for road warriors as they juggle family, friends and professional duties. The study has implications for how consulting services firms foster a sense of communitas in their ranks, and how in doing so, they may increase retention of their consulting talent.
The Second Phase of the Trypillia Mega-Site Methodological Revolution: A New Research Agenda
Authors: Chapman John , Videiko Mikhail Yu , Hale Duncan , Gaydarska Bisserka , Burdo Natalia , Rassmann Knut , Mischka Carsten , Müller Johannes , Korvin-Piotrovskiy Aleksey , Kruts Volodymyr
Published: May 2014

The first phase of the Trypillia mega-sites' methodological revolution began in 1971 with aerial photography, magnetic prospection, and archaeological excavations of huge settlements of hundreds of hectares belonging to the Trypillia culture in Ukraine. Since 2009, we have created a second phase of the methodological revolution in studies of Trypillia mega-sites, which has provided more significant advances in our understanding of these large sites than any other single research development in the last three decades, thanks partly to the participation of joint Ukrainian-foreign teams. In this paper, we outline the main aspects of the second phase, using examples from the Anglo-Ukrainian project ‘Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillia mega-sites', working at Nebelivka (also spelled ‘Nebilivka’), and the Ukrainian-German project ‘Economy, demography and social space of Trypillia mega-sites', working at Taljanky (‘Talianki’), Maydanetske (‘Maydanetskoe’), and Dobrovody, as well as the smaller site at Apolianka.
Interaction of body mass index and hemoglobin concentration on blood pressure among pregnant women in Guangxi, China
Authors: Zhong Qiuan , Xu Jiangyan , Long Yingquan , Deng Yingying , Hu Jinlan , Li Xiaofei , Qiu Xiaoqiang
Published: May 2014

Background

Body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin (Hb) are positively associated with hypertensive disorders among pregnant women. The aim of this study was to estimate a potential interaction between high BMI and high Hb concentrations on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in pregnancy.

Methods

We recruited 4497 single-birth women aged 18–43 years who received routine antenatal care at three hospitals of Guigang, Guangxi, China, from December 2007 to January 2011. Of 4497 participants, 3472 women were in the first trimester, with following up, 2986 women and 2261 women were left in the second and third trimester, respectively. Clinical data were derived from medical records of each woman. We used multivariable linear regression, by trimesters of pregnancy, to evaluate the associations of high BMI and high Hb concentrations with SBP and DBP according to cross-sectional design.

Results

In multivariable analyses, BMI was positively associated with SBP throughout all trimesters, but the corresponding association for Hb concentrations only in the first trimester, whereas both BMI and Hb concentrations were positively associated with DBP in the first and third trimesters. After full adjustment for confounding, the average differences in SBP and DBP comparing women with high BMI and high Hb to those with non-high BMI and non-high Hb were 2.9 mmHg (95% CI: 0.8 to 5.0 mmHg) and 3.9 mmHg (95% CI: 1.5 to 6.3 mmHg) in the first trimester, 2.6 mmHg (95% CI: 0.4 to 4.8 mmHg) and 1.5 mmHg (95% CI: -1.3 to 4.3 mmHg) in the second trimester, and 4.8 mmHg (95% CI: 2.3 to 7.4 mmHg) and 5.7 mmHg (95% CI: 3.2 to 8.3 mmHg) in the third trimester, respectively. With respect to the interaction, significant combined effects between high BMI and high Hb were confirmed on SBP (P = 0.02) and DBP (P = 0.004) in the third trimester, and the amount of interaction on SBP and DBP were 2.0 mmHg (95% CI: 0.1 to 3.9 mmHg) and 2.3 mmHg (95% CI: 0.4 to 4.3 mmHg), respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that high BMI and high Hb concentrations may have a synergistic effect on blood pressure in late stage of pregnancy.
Photogenerated charges and surface potential variations investigated on single Si nanorods by electrostatic force microscopy combined with laser irradiation
Authors: Wu Shan , Wu Zilong , Lin Dongdong , Zhong Zhenyang , Jiang Zuimin , Yang Xinju
Published: May 2014

Photogenerated charging properties of single Si nanorods (Si NRs) are investigated by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) combined with laser irradiation. Under laser irradiation, Si NRs are positively charged. The amount of the charges trapped in single NRs as well as the contact potential difference between the tip and NRs' surface is achieved from an analytical fitting of the phase shift - voltage curve. Both of them significantly vary with the laser intensity and the NR's size and construction. The photogenerated charging and decharging rates are obtained at a timescale of seconds or slower, indicating that the Si NRs are promising candidates in photovoltaic applications.
QoS-aware routing for heterogeneous layered unicast transmissions in wireless mesh networks with cooperative network coding
Authors: Tarnoi Saran , Kumwilaisak Wuttipong , Saengudomlert Poompat , Ji Yusheng , Kuo C–C Jay
Published: May 2014

A novel quality-of-service (QoS)-aware routing scheme is proposed to support heterogeneous layered unicast transmissions and improve the wireless channel utilization through cooperative network coding (CNC) in lossy wireless mesh networks. The proposed routing scheme consists of two steps. In the first step, the scheme uses an optimization formulation to compute the optimal routes of all layered unicast flows. The constraints of this optimization problem, such as the transmission rate of each data layer and tolerable error rates in wireless transmissions, are derived for QoS guarantee. In the second step, the scheme decides whether or not CNC will be applied to different unicast flows at intermediate nodes. The decision criteria are determined by the network structure and the QoS guarantee. Specifically, if CNC at any intermediate node does not violate the QoS constraints of involved unicast flows, it will be applied. Otherwise, different unicast flows will be separately transmitted to their destinations without CNC. Numerical results with different network topologies and QoS requirements are conducted to demonstrate that the proposed QoS-aware routing scheme offers better throughput and channel utilization than separate unicast transmissions without CNC.
Effectiveness of the Dader Method for pharmaceutical care in patients with bipolar I disorder: EMDADER-TAB: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Salazar-Ospina Andrea , Amariles Pedro , Benjumea Dora M , Gutierrez Francisco , Faus Maria J , Rodriguez Luis F
Published: May 2014

Background

Bipolar I disorder (BD-I) is a chronic mental illness characterized by the presence of one or more manic episodes, or both depressive and manic episodes, usually separated by asymptomatic intervals. Pharmacists can contribute to the management of BD-I, mainly with the use of effective and safe drugs, and improve the patient’s life quality through pharmaceutical care. Some studies have shown the effect of pharmaceutical care in the achievement of therapeutic goals in different illnesses; however, to our knowledge, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials designed to assess the effect of pharmacist intervention in patients with BD. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Dader Method for pharmaceutical care in patients with BD-I.

Methods/design

Randomized, controlled, prospective, single-center clinical trial with duration of 12 months will be performed to compare the effect of Dader Method of pharmaceutical care with the usual care process of patients in a psychiatric clinic. Patients diagnosed with BD-I aged between 18 and 65 years who have been discharged or referred from outpatients service of the San Juan de Dios Clinic (Antioquia, Colombia) will be included. Patients will be randomized into the intervention group who will receive pharmaceutical care provided by pharmacists working in collaboration with psychiatrists, or into the control group who will receive usual care and verbal-written counseling regarding BD. Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after randomization. The primary outcome will be to measure the number of hospitalizations, emergency service consultations, and unscheduled outpatient visits. Effectiveness, safety, adherence, and quality of life will be assessed as secondary outcomes. Statistical analyses will be performed using two-tailed McNemar tests, Pearson chi-square tests, and Student’s t-tests; a P value <0.05 will be considered as statistically significant.

Discussion

As far as we know, this is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of the Dader Method for pharmaceutical care in patients with BD-I and it could generate valuable information and recommendations about the role of pharmacists in the improvement of therapeutic goals, solution of drug-related problems, and adherence.

Trial registration

Registration number NCT01750255 on August 6, 2012. First patient randomized on 24 November 2011.
Environmentally evaluated HPLC-ELSD method to monitor enzymatic synthesis of a non-ionic surfactant
Authors: Gaber Yasser , Åkerman Cecilia Orellana , Hatti-Kaul Rajni
Published: May 2014

Background

N-Lauroyl-N-methylglucamide is a biodegradable surfactant derived from renewable resources. In an earlier study, we presented an enzymatic solvent-free method for synthesis of this compound. In the present report, the HPLC method developed to follow the reaction between lauric acid/methyl laurate and N-methyl glucamine (MEG) and its environmental assessment are described.

Results

Use of ultraviolet (UV) absorption or refractive index (RI) detectors did not allow the detection of N-methyl glucamine (MEG). With Evaporative light scattering detector ELSD, it was possible to apply a gradient elution, and detect MEG with a limit of detection, LOD = 0.12 μg. A good separation of the peaks: MEG, lauric acid, product (amide) and by-product (amide-ester) was achieved with the gradient program with a run time of 40 min. The setting of ELSD detector was optimized using methyl laurate as the analyte. LC-MS/MS was used to confirm the amide and amide-ester peaks. We evaluated the greenness of the developed method using the freely available software HPLC-Environmental Assessment Tool (HPLC-EAT) and the method got a scoring of 73 HPLC-EAT units, implying that the analytical procedure was more environmentally benign compared to some other methods reported in literature whose HPLC-EAT values scored up to 182.

Conclusion

Use of ELSD detector allowed the detection and quantification of the substrates and the reaction products of enzymatic synthesis of the surfactant, N-lauroyl-N-methylglucamide. The developed HPLC method has acceptable environmental profile based on HPLC-EAT evaluation.
Dynamic modelling of a wind catcher/tower turret for natural ventilation
Authors: Elmualim Abbas Ali
Published: May 2014

This paper discusses experimental and theoretical investigations and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling considerations to evaluate the performance of a square section wind catcher system connected to the top of a test room for the purpose of natural ventilation. The magnitude and distribution of pressure coefficients (Cp) around a wind catcher and the air flow into the test room were analysed. The modelling results indicated that air was supplied into the test room through the wind catcher's quadrants with positive external pressure coefficients and extracted out of the test room through quadrants with negative pressure coefficients. The air flow achieved through the wind catcher depends on the speed and direction of the wind. The results obtained using the explicit and AIDA implicit calculation procedures and CFX code correlate relatively well with the experimental results at lower wind speeds and with wind incidents at an angle of 08. Variation in the Cp and air flow results were observed particularly with a wind direction of 458. The explicit and implicit calculation procedures were found to be quick and easy to use in obtaining results whereas the wind tunnel tests were more expensive in terms of effort, cost and time. CFD codes are developing rapidly and are widely available especially with the decreasing prices of computer hardware. However, results obtained using CFD codes must be considered with care, particularly in the absence of empirical data.

Practical application: There exist various modelling techniques for the investigation of the performance of natural systems such as wind catchers. These modelling techniques include simple calculation procedures, wind tunnel testing, salt bath, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and real building performance (POE studies). The calculation procedural models are simple to use, however, due to their simplicity they do not provide a full picture of the performance of the natural ventilation system and air movement inside rooms. Other models such as wind tunnels and CFD are more comprehensive but expensive and time consuming to use. Various commercial CFD models are available in the market today and not many of them are specifically designed for modelling of natural ventilation. Results obtained using CFD models should be considered with care specially in the absence of empirical data and if the results were obtained by novice users. Wind catchers are innovative techniques for the application of natural ventilation in buildings in temperate climates such as that of the UK. Their performance greatly depends on wind conditions. However, they should be designed as an integral part of the overall design of the HVAC system in a hybrid or mixed mode operation. The natural ventilation system of wind catchers should be exploited whenever possible, particularly in the hot summer months to reduce the energy and environmental cost of full operation of an air-conditioning system.