bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Evaluation of (+)-Usnic Acid–induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats by Sequential Cross-omics Analysis
Authors: Yokouchi Y. , Imaoka M. , Niino N. , Kiyosawa N. , Kai K.
Published: May 2017

Two-week administration of (+)-usnic acid (UA) induces mitochondrial swelling of cardiomyocytes, and toxicogenomic analysis of the heart revealed upregulation of oxidative stress, amino acid limitation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress–related genes in rats. To analyze the pathogenesis, UA was orally administrated to rats for 1, 4, 7, and 14 days, and sequential histopathological, genomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed on the heart, liver, and plasma. As a result, mitochondrial swelling of cardiomyocytes was observed on day 15 preceded by genomic upregulation on days 5 and 8. Of the focused gene groups, amino acid limitation–related genes represented by Mthfd2 showed numerically higher values or upregulation from day 5, which was sustained through the experimental period. On the contrary, oxidative stress–related genes were upregulated temporally on day 5. In metabolomic analysis, amino acids such as taurocholate and their metabolites fluctuated in concert with the upregulation of amino acid limitation–related genes in the heart, liver, and plasma. Moreover, accumulations of bile acids were manifested in all the tested tissues, while no histopathological change was seen in the liver. Increased bile acids might have an indirect effect on the myocardium; however, more detailed analysis is required. In conclusion, amino acid limitation was suggested as the pivotal toxic trigger of UA-induced cardiotoxicity.
Enduring or Stubbornness? What It Takes to Be a “Runner” With Physical Limitations
Authors: Walton-Fisette Jennifer Lynn
Published: May 2017

A plethora of literary and scholarly books and articles have been written on endurance sports such as long distance running and cycling and successful athletes within these endurance sports such as Paula Radcliffe, Haile Gebrselassie, and Jan Ullrich. Although these athletes certainly deserved the recognition they received, there is limited information on how every day individuals who attempt to engage in endurance sport who never achieve such stardom are observed, portrayed, or even recognized within the running community or with their own embodied identity. In this autoethnography, I explore the notion of what it means to be an endurance runner, particularly from the perspective of a person who was once able to run long distances, but currently “endures” what it takes to put one foot in front of the other with chronic physical limitations. I utilize Foucault’s panopticon to frame this autoethnography as I navigate running experiences in my neighborhood, and the surveillance of others, in my struggle with my changing embodied identity. I argue that it is time to give voice to the individuals who are physically limited and potentially silenced or hidden, especially those who formerly were fully functional and able-bodied athletes and had to transition to a different form of sport or activity due to their chronic physical limitations.
Middle school band students’ self-determination to practice
Authors: Schatt Matthew D.
Published: May 2017

The purposes of this study were to examine factors that motivate middle school band students to practice their instrument and to validate a researcher-modified survey instrument for use with middle school music students, using self-determination theory as a theoretical lens. Fifth (10–11 years old, n = 444) and eighth grade (13–14 years old, n = 352) band students from the state of Ohio, United States’ public school districts completed a researcher-modified questionnaire that was used to collect data to determine (a) students’ levels of self-determination for practicing their instrument, (b) the relationship between students’ self-determination for practicing their instrument and the number of years they have played their instrument, (c) the relationship between students’ self-determination for practicing their instrument and the amount of time they reported practicing their instrument per week, and (d) the effect of grade level, gender, instrument choice, and private lesson study on the students’ self-determination for practicing their instrument. Positive significant relationships ( p < .05) were found between middle school band student participants’ motivation to practice and (a) their years of experience playing their instrument, and (b) the amount of time spent practicing. Significant differences were also found for the variables (a) grade level for six of the seven self-determination subscales, (b) gender for two intrinsic and one extrinsic motivation subscales, (c) instrument for one intrinsic, two extrinsic, and the amotivation subscales, and (d) private lesson study for one intrinsic motivation and the amotivation subscales.
The relationship between music performance anxiety, subjective performance quality and post-event rumination among music students
Authors: Nielsen Carole , Studer Regina K. , Hildebrandt Horst , Nater Urs M. , Wild Pascal , Danuser Brigitta , Gomez Patrick
Published: May 2017

According to cognitive models, the negative perception of one’s performance and the post-event rumination (PER) occurring after stressful social events maintain social anxiety. These aspects have hardly been studied in music performance anxiety (MPA), a specific form of social anxiety. The first aim of this study was to analyze the development of negative and positive PER over two days following a soloist concert, depending on the usual MPA level. The second aim was to investigate if subjective performance quality serves as mediator between MPA and PER. Negative and positive PER were assessed 10 minutes, one day and two days after a concert in 72 music students with different levels of usual MPA. Subjective performance quality was measured 10 minutes after the study concert. An increasing usual MPA level was associated with more negative and less positive PER. Both decreased over time. Negative PER decreased less rapidly in high-anxious than in low-anxious musicians and positive PER decreased more rapidly in low-anxious than in high-anxious musicians. Subjective performance quality mediated the relationship between MPA and PER. These findings extend previous knowledge in social anxiety to the field of MPA and have implications for interventions aiming at reducing MPA.
The State of Opioid Agonist Therapy in Canada 20 Years after Federal Oversight
Authors: Eibl Joseph K. , Morin Kristen , Leinonen Esa , Marsh David C.
Published: May 2017

Opioid agonist therapy was introduced in Canada in 1959 with the use of methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence. The regulation of methadone was the responsibility of Health Canada until 1995, when oversight was transferred to the provincial health systems. During the more than 20 years since the federal health authority transferred oversight of methadone to the provincial level, methadone programming has evolved differently in every province. The landscape of opioid dependence treatment is varied across the country, with generally increasing treatment capacity in all provinces and dramatic increases in some. Each province has an independent methadone program with differing policies, contingency management strategies, laboratory monitoring policies, and delivery methods. Treatment options have increased, with buprenorphine- and heroin-assisted treatment becoming available to limited degrees. Despite this, access remains a challenge in many parts of the country (particularly rural and remote areas) because the demand for treatment has increased even more rapidly than the capacity. Although treatment access remains a priority in many jurisdictions, there is also a need to attend to treatment quality as treatment access expands, including integration with addiction counselling, primary care, and mental health care. As well, coordinated monitoring and reporting of treatment need, quality, and delivery are required; implementing a national policy to promote planning would have tremendous value.
Slope stability and bearing capacity of landfills and simple on-site test methods
Authors: Yamawaki Atsushi , Doi Yoichi , Omine Kiyoshi
Published: May 2017

This study discusses strength characteristics (slope stability, bearing capacity, etc.) of waste landfills through on-site tests that were carried out at 29 locations in 19 sites in Japan and three other countries, and proposes simple methods to test and assess the mechanical strength of landfills on site. Also, the possibility of using a landfill site was investigated by a full-scale eccentric loading test. As a result of this, landfills containing more than about 10 cm long plastics or other fibrous materials were found to be resilient and hard to yield. An on-site full scale test proved that no differential settlement occurs. The repose angle test proposed as a simple on-site test method has been confirmed to be a good indicator for slope stability assessment. The repose angle test suggested that landfills which have high, near-saturation water content have considerably poorer slope stability. The results of our repose angle test and the impact acceleration test were related to the internal friction angle and the cohesion, respectively. In addition to this, it was found that the air pore volume ratio measured by an on-site air pore volume ratio test is likely to be related to various strength parameters.
Children, Extracurricular Activities, and Digital Media: The Process of Displacement and School Performance
Authors: Mourgela Vasiliki , Pacurar Ecaterina
Published: May 2017

This work, situated in the Greek sociocultural context, attempts to analyze the time spent by primary school students on digital and traditional extracurricular activities and the impact of these activities on the educational outcome. The first objective was to determine, by means of a quantitative survey, if the children as “digital natives” replace traditional entertainment activities with new digital technologies or if, on the contrary, they supplement them with the novel forms of entertainment. A second objective was to examine the impact of the frequency of extracurricular activities with and without screens on the school performance. Our final objective was to explore the existence of distinct user profiles based on the extracurricular activities with and without screens and to identify the relationship between different types of extracurricular activities.
Oral Feeding Difficulties in Children With Short Bowel Syndrome: A Narrative Review
Authors: Hopkins Judy , Cermak Sharon A. , Merritt Russell J.
Published: May 2017

Children with short bowel syndrome (SBS) with associated intestinal failure may be unable to absorb sufficient nutrients to sustain life. Improvements in the medical management of SBS, including use of parenteral nutrition, has significantly increased life expectancy. Independence from parenteral nutrition further improves quality of life. However, children living with SBS often develop oral aversions and feeding difficulties. There is limited research and information on which to base interventions that will preserve and develop oral motor and feeding skills. The aims of this article are to explore what is known about children with SBS who exhibit oral aversion/feeding difficulties and to suggest research for possible future interventions that could help these children overcome oral aversion, eat orally, and increase participation and satisfaction in mealtimes. This review explores the complexity of feeding children with SBS. Three underlying themes emerged: physical, developmental, and social aspects of eating and mealtimes. Interdisciplinary teams are needed to effectively address these complex oral feeding problems. Accurate identification the underlying issues will allow healthcare providers to develop interventions to improve feeding outcomes for children with SBS. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of interventions that address each of the underlying issues.
Protein Carbonyl, But Not Malondialdehyde, Is Associated With ICU Mortality in Patients With Septic Shock
Authors: Costa Nara Aline , Gut Ana Lucia , Azevedo Paula Schmidt , Fernandes Ana Angelica Henrique , Polegato Bertha Furlan , Cunha Natália Baraldi , Bachiega Tatiana Fernanda , Lourenço Maria Angélica Martins , Júnior Edson Luiz Favero , Zornoff Leonardo Antonio Mamede , de Paiva Sergio Alberto Rupp , Minicucci Marcos Ferreira
Published: May 2017

Background:

The objective of our study was to evaluate the association of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl concentration with intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in patients with septic shock.

Methods:

We prospectively evaluated 175 patients aged over 18 years with septic shock upon ICU admission. However, 16 patients were excluded. Thus, 159 patients were enrolled in the study. In addition, we evaluated 16 control patients. At the time of the patients’ enrollment, demographic information was recorded. Blood samples were taken within the first 24 hours of the patient’s admission to determine serum MDA and protein carbonyl concentrations.

Results:

The mean age was 67.3 ± 15.9 years, 44% were males, and the ICU mortality rate was 67.9%. Median MDA concentration was 1.53 (0.83-2.22) µmol/L, and median protein carbonyl concentration was 24.0 (12.7-32.8) nmol/mL. Patients who died during ICU stay had higher protein carbonyl concentration. However, there was no difference in MDA levels between these patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that higher levels of protein carbonyl were associated with ICU mortality (area under the curve: 0.955; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.918-0.992; P < .001) at the cutoff of >22.83 nmol/mL (sensibility: 80.4% and specificity: 98.1%). In the logistic regression models, protein carbonyl concentrations (odds ratio [OR]: 1.424; 95% CI: 1.268-1.600; P < .001), but not MDA concentrations (OR: 1.087; 95% CI: 0.805-1.467; P = .59), were associated with ICU mortality when adjusted for age, gender, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score; and when adjusted by APACHE II score, lactate, and urea; protein carbonyl concentrations (OR: 1.394; 95% CI: 1.242-1.564; P < .001); and MDA (OR: 1.054; 95% CI: 0.776-1.432; P = .73).

Conclusion:

In conclusion, protein carbonyl, but not MDA, concentration is associated with ICU mortality in patients with septic shock.
“Keeping It Real”: The Relational Effects of Trauma Among African American Women and Their Substance Abuse Treatment Counselors
Authors: Blakey Joan M. , Grocher Kimberly B.
Published: May 2017

African American women experience disproportionately high rates of trauma. Interpersonal forms of trauma often make it much more difficult for trauma survivors to initiate and maintain positive, healthy relationships with others. This study examined the kinds of relationships women with extensive histories of trauma and substance had with their substance abuse treatment counselors and the characteristics that they believe contributed to connected and disconnected client–counselor relationships. Using the case study method, 26 in-depth interviews were conducted with African American women. Data analysis revealed three primary kinds of relationships women had with their substance abuse treatment counselors: reparative, damaging, and transactional. Eighteen (69%) of the 26 women had reparative relationships with their counselors. Reparative relationships had two primary characteristics: empowering and mattering. Two (8%) of the 26 women had damaging relationships with their substance abuse treatment counselors. Damaging relationships had two primary characteristics: unimportant and untrustworthy. Six of the women (23%) had transactional relationships with their substance abuse treatment counselors. Transactional relationships were task-focused and superficial. Healing from interpersonal experiences of trauma is possible only within the context of trusting relationships. Substance abuse treatment counselors have an opportunity to help African American women with histories of trauma heal and recover. Creating positive, therapeutic relationships between clients and professionals is essential.
Preparation and properties of phthalonitrile resins promoted by melamine
Authors: Zhao Erjin , Hu Jianghuai , Wang Jianbo , Shi Meng , Wang Zhiping , Zeng Ke , Yang Gang
Published: May 2017

Melamine, which has a unique structure and is known as an important raw material, was first employed as a curing agent to promote the curing reaction of phthalonitrile monomer 1,3-bis(3,4-dicyanophenoxy)benzene. Rheometric measurements and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the blends exhibited wide processing windows (∼80°C). The thermal properties of the final cured polymers were monitored by thermogravimetric analysis, and the results revealed that the polymers had outstanding thermal stabilities. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the glass transition temperature of the final cured polymers exceeded 480°C.
Decreasing infinite-mode vibrations in single-link flexible manipulators by a continuous function
Authors: Chen Bin , Huang Jie
Published: May 2017

Unwanted vibrations caused by the commanded motions degrade positioning accuracy and safety in flexible link manipulators. There are an infinite number of vibration modes in a single-link flexible manipulator. The contribution of the first mode is fundamental, but the high modes might also have some impacts on the overall system dynamics. A continuous function is designed to control the vibrations of the total modes by smoothing the driving commands. Comparison between the new continuous function and input shaper, which is a series of impulses, is also explored and evaluated. Numerous simulations and experiments for a wide range of working conditions and modeling errors are performed to validate the effectiveness of the new continuous function.
Must disasters be rapidly occurring? The case for an expanded temporal typology of disasters
Authors: Hsu Eric L
Published: May 2017

Within the field of disasters research, there is a tendency to define disasters as rapidly occurring events. Some accounts argue for maintaining such a temporal definition of disasters because it is intended to prevent disasters from being theorized in an overly broad fashion. In this article, I critically appraise such a way of conceptualizing disasters. While there is merit in imposing limits on the meaning of disasters, I find that there are ways of theorizing disasters as involving a protracted component that do not completely threaten the wholesale integrity of the concept. This involves developing a theoretical account of disasters, which encapsulates—but also differentiates between—social disruptions that are temporally focused and those that are temporally diffuse or recurrent. Adopting this typology of disasters is fruitful because it opens up fresh lines of inquiry to be undertaken. It positions largely unexplored phenomena within the purview of disasters research and it pushes the study of certain phenomena, such as climate change and heat waves, more into the field’s mainstream. Slow-moving and chronic social breakdowns are particularly important to theorize as disasters since they may be more impactful than disasters that are rapidly onset. It is precisely because they are less visible—in that they are normalized as everyday problems—that slow moving and recurrent disasters have the potential to cause greater damage to environments and human life.
Prediction accuracy for the cure probabilities in mixture cure models
Authors: Jiang Wenyu , Sun Haoyu , Peng Yingwei
Published: May 2017

Prediction accuracy of a cure model when it is used to predict the cure probability of a patient is an important but not well-addressed issue in survival analysis. We propose a method to assess the prediction accuracy of a mixture cure model in predicting cure probability based on inverse probability of censoring weights to incorporate the censoring and latent cure status in the data. The inverse probability of censoring weight-adjusted estimator is shown to be consistent for the true expected prediction error for cure probability. A simulation study shows that the estimator performs well with finite samples when subjects with censored survival times greater than the largest uncensored time are identified as cured, an approach that is often used in mixture cure model literature to increase model identifiability. The simulation study also investigates the performance of the estimator with different thresholds to identify cured subjects and the estimator based on observed (training) data only. The method is applied to bone barrow transplant data for leukemia patients for assessing prediction accuracy for the cure probabilities.
Emotional Labor Within Teams: Outcomes of Individual and Peer Emotional Labor on Perceived Team Support, Extra-Role Behaviors, and Turnover Intentions
Authors: Becker William J. , Cropanzano Russell , Van Wagoner Phoenix , Keplinger Ksenia
Published: May 2017

We investigated the relationship of emotional labor to perceived team support, extra-role behaviors, and turnover intentions. Our primary research question involved whether the relationships of individual deep acting with perceived team support and extra-role behaviors were conditional on the level of peer deep acting in the team. The possibilities were explored in two field studies. Study 1 sampled 195 students in 47 project teams multiple times over the course of a semester. Study 2 surveyed 202 nurses and their supervisors within 35 teams in a hospital. The multilevel results of both studies showed that the relationships between individual deep acting and outcome variables were dependent upon the level of peer deep acting in the team. As expected, individual and peer surface acting had only direct relationships with the same outcomes. These findings provided general support for our model and suggested that team-level effects are an important theoretical and practical consideration for understanding emotional labor within teams and organizations.
Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia With Lung Nodules Secondary to Pulmonary Manifestation of Crohn Disease
Authors: Zaman Taufiq , Watson Joseph , Zaman Mohammad
Published: May 2017

Crohn disease is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal manifestations in patients. Pulmonary involvement of Crohn disease is one manifestation. There have been case reports which have shown Crohn disease and lung nodules which were noted to be histopathological as cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP). In our case, a 22-year-old woman with Crohn disease was seen with complaints of chest pain and cough. Computed tomographic scan of chest showed multiple bilateral lung nodules, for which biopsy was done, which showed COP. The case study is followed by a deeper discussion of COP and the extraintestinal manifestation seen in inflammatory bowel disease.
Assessment of Hypogonadism in Men With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al Hayek Ayman Abdullah , Robert Asirvatham Alwin , Alshammari Ghazi , Hakami Husain , Al Dawish Mohamed Abdulaziz
Published: May 2017

Background/objectives:

A high incidence of hypogonadism in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been globally reported. This study aimed to determining the frequency of hypogonadism and related risk factors among men with T2D in a single-site hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Design and methods:

A cross-sectional study was performed on 157 men with T2D (between 30 and 70 years of age). Using a prestructured questionnaire, the demographic features of these patients were gathered and their medical records were referred to gather information regarding the duration of the diabetes, smoking habits, and the presence of retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. Besides these, the biochemical parameters, total testosterone (TT), free testosterone, sex hormone–binding globulin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, serum lipids, and glycosylated hemoglobin were also recorded. All the patients submitted the fully completed Androgen Deficiency in Aging Male (ADAM) questionnaire. The combination of symptoms (positive ADAM score) plus a TT level ⩽8 nmol/L constituted the condition of hypogonadism.

Results:

The total frequency of hypogonadism was 22.9% (36/157). Of the 157 total patients, 123 (78.3%) were shown to be ADAM positive, and of these, 90 (73.2%) exhibited decreased libido, 116 (94.3%) had weak erections, and 99 (80.5%) reported more than 3 symptoms of ADAM. Of these hypogonadic patients, 22.2% (n = 8) revealed primary hypogonadism, whereas 77.8% (n = 28) showed secondary hypogonadism. From the univariate analysis conducted, significant relationship was observed between treatment type, body mass index (BMI), and hypogonadism. The regression analysis showed BMI acting an independent risk factor of hypogonadism.

Conclusions:

Saudi men with T2D revealed a high incidence of hypogonadism. Body mass index was identified as an independent risk factor for hypogonadism.
An exploratory study of the experience of fibromyalgia diagnosis in South Africa
Authors: Cooper Silvie , Gilbert Leah
Published: May 2017

Within the conceptual framework of ‘medically-ill-defined’ conditions, this article focuses on the experiences of ‘diagnosis’ through a narrative analysis of fibromyalgia (a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder) in South Africa. In-depth interviews were used to collect narratives from 15 participants. The findings show how the contested and confusing experience of fibromyalgia diagnosis can be understood, by viewing the interactions that patients have with their practitioners, families, peers and colleagues. The currency of fibromyalgia as a diagnosis and the inequalities present in the South African health care system characterise the experiences of symptom recognition, diagnosis and treatment. The analysis reveals how those living with fibromyalgia search for diagnosis, and struggle to maintain legitimacy for their experience in the complex constellation of porous symptoms that appear infrequently. The findings of this study confirm the existing evidence that shows fibromyalgia to be a challenging illness experience, which is attributed to the lack of clarity and legitimacy, and high contestation that surrounds the condition. Additionally, this study presents the ways that limited access to diagnosis and treatment for fibromyalgia in the South African context shapes this specific illness experience, and the value of using narrative approaches to gain insight into how people live with hidden and poorly understood conditions in this environment.
Indexing ‘entrustment’: An analysis of the Japanese formulaic construction [N da yo N]
Authors: Kaneyasu Michiko , Iwasaki Shoichi
Published: May 2017

Japanese conversations are known to contain a large amount of unexpressed information. When a speaker speaks with elliptical information, he or she assumes that the addressee will understand what is not overtly expressed based on the knowledge that is supposed to be shared textually, personally or culturally. The addressee, on the other hand, must determine what is not being expressed overtly using such shared knowledge. At the heart of this kind of communication is the existence of trust assumed among the interlocutors. Using the term ‘entrustment’, we will examine how one particular Japanese formulaic construction, [ Noun (da) yo Noun], ‘It’s Noun, you know, Noun’, indexes mutual trust to manage conversational interaction. We will argue that this meta-pragmatic awareness needs to be recognized beyond surface interactional patterns identified in conversation.
Transnational journalism networks as drivers of Europeanisation
Authors: Heft Annett , Alfter Brigitte , Pfetsch Barbara
Published: May 2017

This article analyses characteristics that qualify the transnational networks of journalists emerging across European borders and the potential impact of this type of collaboration on the Europeanisation of coverage by national mass media. We argue that the potential impact on the degree to which coverage is Europeanised is contingent on the characteristics of the networks, namely, a network’s degree of organisation and control and the degree of collaboration among journalists within the network. We develop a theoretical model that outlines these criteria and their potential effects. Our expectations are explored in three case studies of journalistic collaboration across European borders and their resulting media output.
Dwelling in the tourist landscape: Embodiment and everyday life among the craft-artists of Bornholm
Authors: Prince Solène
Published: May 2017

Non-representational theories have gained popularity in the last decades, encouraging social scientists to study the production of everyday life. Inspired by Ingold’s dwelling perspective, I present my qualitative research on the arts and craft community on Bornholm, Denmark, by exploring some of the bodily movements and mundane practices that shape a taskscape into a tourist landscape. This analysis defines the material and corporeal relations of Bornholm’s craft-artists with their island’s tourist season and aims to contribute to the application of non-representational landscape theory in tourism scholarship. The everyday practices and embodied movements of these craft-artists fashion the emergence of a realm of dwelling, rather than an exotic site. The tourist landscape is the product of the skills and techniques these craft-artists have developed over time to work with their different materials, and of the creative spaces which they have built to pursue their art. The materials, techniques, and creative spaces used by these craft-artists mediate their interactions with tourists, but also, these encounters mediate the craft-artists’ interactions with their materials, techniques, and spaces. I ultimately argue that the taskscape, as a realm of mundane embodied practices, cannot be detached from the landscape the tourists encounter. I propose scholars can use the dwelling perspective in their analysis of tourism to embed local people in their cultural landscape.
Should the public pay for higher education? Equality, liberty, and educational debt
Authors: Martin Christopher
Published: May 2017

As governments shift costs from the public to students, a higher education has become synonymous with educational debt. Liberal egalitarians have justified educational debt on the grounds that it facilitates socioeconomic equality. On this view, the public should only fund access for those students who are so poorly off that educational debt would be too risky. In this article, I offer a ‘fair play’ analysis of higher education funding in order to show that socioeconomic equality is a necessary, but insufficient, criterion for assessing the fair contribution of public funding to higher education. In particular, I argue that higher education is instrumental to the free pursuit of a good life. I then argue that educational debt is unjust when it constrains borrower’s freedom to pursue a good life relative to those who do not have to borrow. In such cases, public funding should cover the attendance of students who would otherwise have no choice but to borrow in order to access a higher education.
Black Bloggers and Their Varied Publics: The Everyday Politics of Black Discourse Online
Authors: Steele Catherine Knight
Published: May 2017

This article analyzes African American–oriented blogs for their potential to foster varying kinds of alternate publics while engaging in discourse that is outside what is commonly considered political communication. Bloggers and their communities use satellite and enclave spaces to explore black representation in art and media, black feminism, and class consciousness. I use critical technocultural discourse analysis to explore the affordances and constraints of blogs in creating alternate publics for African Americans online. Capitalizing on African American oral culture, black bloggers can use spaces technically accessible to the masses, yet keep discourse hidden, intentionally opting out of engagement with the dominant group. Expanding sites of inquiry and bringing a historical understanding of offline patterns of communication allow for more rich, useful, and culturally responsible research into the online communication African Americans and other marginalized communities.
The Radioprotective Effect of Resveratrol Against Genotoxicity Induced by γ-Irradiation in Mice Blood Lymphocytes
Authors: Koohian Farideh , Shanei Ahmad , Shahbazi-Gahrouei Daryoush , Hejazi Seyed Hossein , Moradi Mohammad-Taghi
Published: May 2017

In this study, we evaluated whether the protective potential of resveratrol (RSV; 3,5,4′-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) against γ-radiation caused damages in peripheral blood lymphocyte of mice. Resveratrol as a polyphenolic compound scavenges free radicals. Various doses of RSV were administered intraperitoneally 2 hours to adult male mice before a single dose of whole-body γ-irradiation (2 Gy). To assess the protective ability of RSV, the alkaline comet assay in blood lymphocyte of mice was performed and the total comet score was evaluated. The results of the alkaline comet assay showed that RSV significantly inhibited radiation-induced DNA damage. We observed that RSV protects blood lymphocyte against radiation-induced damage in mice.
Brain hypoxia mapping in acute stroke: Back-to-back T2′ MR versus 18F-fluoromisonidazole PET in rodents
Authors: Jensen-Kondering Ulf , Manavaki Roido , Ejaz Sohail , Sawiak Stephen J , Carpenter T Adrian , Fryer Tim D , Aigbirhio Franklin I , Williamson David J , Baron Jean-Claude
Published: May 2017

Background

Mapping the hypoxic brain in acute ischemic stroke has considerable potential for both diagnosis and treatment monitoring. PET using 18F-fluoro-misonidazole (FMISO) is the reference method; however, it lacks clinical accessibility and involves radiation exposure. MR-based T2′ mapping may identify tissue hypoxia and holds clinical potential. However, its validation against FMISO imaging is lacking. Here we implemented back-to-back FMISO-PET and T2′ MR in rodents subjected to acute middle cerebral artery occlusion. For direct clinical relevance, regions of interest delineating reduced T2′ signal areas were manually drawn.

Methods

Wistar rats were subjected to filament middle cerebral artery occlusion, immediately followed by intravenous FMISO injection. Multi-echo T2 and T2* sequences were acquired twice during FMISO brain uptake, interleaved with diffusion-weighted imaging. Perfusion-weighted MR was also acquired whenever feasible. Immediately following MR, PET data reflecting the history of FMISO brain uptake during MR acquisition were acquired. T2′ maps were generated voxel-wise from T2 and T2*. Two raters independently drew T2′ lesion regions of interest. FMISO uptake and perfusion data were obtained within T2′ consensus regions of interest, and their overlap with the automatically generated FMISO lesion and apparent diffusion coefficient lesion regions of interest was computed.

Results

As predicted, consensus T2′ lesion regions of interest exhibited high FMISO uptake as well as substantial overlap with the FMISO lesion and significant hypoperfusion, but only small overlap with the apparent diffusion coefficient lesion. Overlap of the T2′ lesion regions of interest between the two raters was ∼50%.

Conclusions

This study provides formal validation of T2′ to map non-core hypoxic tissue in acute stroke. T2′ lesion delineation reproducibility was suboptimal, reflecting unclear lesion borders.
‘Boots on the Ground?’: How international news channels incorporate user-generated content into their YouTube presence
Authors: al Nashmi Eisa , North Michael , Bloom Terry , Cleary Johanna
Published: May 2017

Through a content analysis of 571 videos posted on the self-generated YouTube channels of five international news channels, this study examines whether user-generated content is a significant part of today’s international journalism. The study includes international news channels Al Jazeera English, France 24 English, Russia Today, CNN International, and Al Arabiya. Exploring the implications for gatekeeping theory, the study looked at how these international news channels incorporate user-generated content in their daily news coverage. Results show that the international news channels are generally not using user-generated content—both work produced by citizen journalists and various measures of ‘interactivity’—to its full potential and that user-generated content is not disruptive to the conventional application of gatekeeping theory.
Courting the community: Organizational flexibility and community courts
Authors: Zozula Christine
Published: May 2017

This article examines how a community court in the United States framed its mission to a diverse population of stakeholders. Drawing from 11 months of ethnographic data, I show how community courts’ embrace of both punitive and therapeutic goals help the courts appeal to a variety of audiences. I argue that by adopting a flexible mission which allows for both punishment and treatment, community courts are better able to create and maintain organizational legitimacy. This article not only adds to the literature on the flexibility of punishment logics, but it also brings a new focus by considering the organizational utility of mutable penal goals.
Trans-border televisual musicscape: Regionalizing reality TV I am a Singer in China and Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Carlos K.F.
Published: May 2017

This article focuses on the regionalization of reality TV I am a Singer from China to Hong Kong. It explores the features of a successful flow of a reality singing contest with the concepts of mediascape, televisuality and cultural memory of pop music. The three research questions: what format structures of televisuality are being integrated in I am a Singer; how locals in China and Hong Kong interpret and appropriate I am a Singer to their experience of cultural identities and how trans-border televisual musicscape facilitates regionalization of television programme, are answered by textual analysis and in-depth interviews with 12 informants from China and Hong Kong. It is found that the focal programme is implemented with excessive performative style that holds audience’s attention, authentic music performance that resonates with post-1980s identity in China and Hong Kong, and dramatic reality contest that links to nationalism and Hong Kong people’s victimized identity. Identity politics is consumed by audience in China and Hong Kong as the dramatized excitement of the focal programme, which nurtures a group of loyal audience across China and Hong Kong.
Microfinance in Empowering Tribal Women
Authors: Tripathy S. N.
Published: May 2017

Women constitute nearly half of the aggregate population in India; but bulks of them are not empowered to participate in socio-cultural, economic and political life. Most of the women are unskilled and, as such, economically and socially dependent on men which rigorously restrict their prospect for socio-economic empowerment. The assumption is that investments of microfinance in microenterprises, small business, transmitted through women self-help groups, surges women’s access to productive occupation and income, enable women to make a greater contribution to household income and thereby improve well-being for women. Based on field studies conducted in the most backward tribal-dominated villages of KBK districts of Odisha and supplemented by secondary sources of data, this study seeks to investigate the impact of microfinance as a strategy in alleviating poverty and empowering tribal women.
Mentoring Female Global Managers: A Social Comparison Perspective
Authors: Harvey Michael , Moeller Miriam , McPhail Ruth
Published: May 2017

The global business environment is new, complex and not well understood by many of the managers having to “learn by doing.” This “on-the-run” learning experience is particularly difficult for female global managers in the South Asian region who may not have the input or support of others as to how to prepare for relocating overseas. The lack of assistance is further exacerbated by the growing importance of large emerging markets. Given limited history with these key emerging markets, some means of accelerating learning and transferring knowledge to the next generation of (global) managers is a necessity. This article examines one means of addressing the need to learn from others more experienced in global business through mentoring. Social comparison theory is used as the theoretical lens by which to examine the mentoring process for global female managers, a type of managerial talent particularly void of organizational structural support. A means for developing a mentoring programme for global female managers is also developed.
Are the Current Little League Pitching Guidelines Adequate? A Single-Season Prospective MRI Study
Authors: Pytiak Andrew V. , Stearns Phillip , Bastrom Tracey P. , Dwek Jerry , Kruk Peter , Roocroft Joanna H. , Pennock Andrew T.
Published: May 2017

Background:

Little League throwing guidelines have recently been implemented in an attempt to lessen the growing number of elbow injuries occurring in youth baseball players.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to examine pre- and postseason changes seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in youth baseball players’ elbows in an attempt to identify risk factors for pain and MRI abnormalities, with a particular focus on the current Little League guidelines. We hypothesized that MRI abnormalities would be common in pitchers with high pitch counts and poor guideline compliance.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A prospective study of Little League players aged 10 to 13 years was performed. Players were recruited prior to the start of the season and underwent bilateral elbow MRI as well as a physical examination and completed a questionnaire addressing their playing history and arm pain. At the end of the season, a repeat MRI and physical examination were performed. MRIs were read by blinded radiologists. During the season, player statistics including innings played, pitch counts, and guideline compliance were recorded. Physical examination findings and player statistics were compared between subjects with and without MRI changes utilizing chi-square and analysis of variance techniques.

Results:

Twenty-six players were enrolled. Despite 100% compliance with pitching guidelines, 12 players (48%) had abnormal MRI findings, and 28% experienced pain during the season. There was a significant difference in distal humeral physeal width measured pre- to postseason (1.54 vs 2.31 mm, P < .001). There was a significant loss of shoulder internal rotation during the season, averaging 11°. While pitch counts, player position, and throwing curveballs/sliders were not significantly associated with changes seen on MRI, year-round play was associated with abnormalities ( P < .05). Much lower compliance (<50%) was observed with nonenforced guidelines, including avoidance of single-sport specialization, year-round play, and throwing curveballs/sliders.

Conclusion:

Arm pain and MRI abnormalities of the medial elbow are common in Little League baseball players who comply with the Little League throwing guidelines, especially those playing year-round.
The Simple Truth: Ambiguity Works. Discursive Strategies by Swedish Public Authorities During the 2008 Financial Crisis
Authors: Johansson Catrin , Nord Lars
Published: May 2017

The global financial crisis that broke out in 2008 affected a large number of governmental, public, and private organizations. This article explores communication of public authorities in Sweden during the crisis, and highlights their discursive strategies between 2008 and 2010, analyzing press releases. As an analytical point of departure, complexity theory is combined with theory on strategic ambiguity in order to analyze which communication strategies were employed by the authorities. Results show that the public authorities embraced complexity and ambiguity differently in their communication, and consequences of their different approaches are discussed. The study also confirms that the different roles of significant actors during a crisis influence the selection of possible message strategies.
The ICAP Active Learning Framework Predicts the Learning Gains Observed in Intensely Active Classroom Experiences
Authors: Wiggins Benjamin L. , Eddy Sarah L. , Grunspan Daniel Z. , Crowe Alison J.
Published: May 2017

STEM classrooms (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in postsecondary education are rapidly improved by the proper use of active learning techniques. These techniques occupy a descriptive spectrum that transcends passive teaching toward active, constructive, and, finally, interactive methods. While aspects of this framework have been examined, no large-scale or actual classroom-based data exist to inform postsecondary education STEM instructors about possible learning gains. We describe the results of a quasi-experimental study to test the apex of the ICAP framework (interactive, constructive, active, and passive) in this ecological classroom environment. Students in interactive classrooms demonstrate significantly improved learning outcomes relative to students in constructive classrooms. This improvement in learning is relatively subtle; similar experimental designs without repeated measures would be unlikely to have the power to observe this significance. We discuss the importance of seemingly small learning gains that might propagate throughout a course or departmental curriculum, as well as improvements with the necessity for faculty to develop and implement similar activities.
Incentivizing Around the Globe: Educating for the Challenge of Developing Culturally Considerate Work Motivation Strategies
Authors: Mills Maura J.
Published: May 2017

Work motivation has long been considered a driving force behind optimal employee management. However, as the workscape continues its path toward increased globalization, today’s managers must consider cultural influences on employee motivation to implement the most appropriate human capital management strategies within any given context. The classroom exercise described herein challenges students to do just that. This exercise allows students to consider how employees’ culture may interact with their motivations in specific job-relevant contexts, challenging them to develop a culturally considerate motivation plan to drive their employees toward an organizationally desired outcome. As such, the exercise is appropriate for a variety of courses (e.g., Human Resource Management, Work Motivation, Organizational Behavior) at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and options are presented at each stage of the exercise that may be in/excluded at the discretion of the instructor depending on course level and focus.
A new telluride topology: the crystal structure of honeaite Au3TlTe2
Authors: Welch Mark D. , Still J. W. , Rice C. M. , Stanley C. J.
Published: May 2017

The crystal structure of the first thallium-bearing gold telluride, honeaite Au3TlTe2, is reported and its topological novelty discussed. Honeaite is orthorhombic, space group Pbcm and unit-cell parameters a = 8.9671(4), b = 8.8758(4), c= 7.8419(5) Å, V = 624.14(6) Å3 (Z = 4). Its structure has been refined to R1 = 0.033, wR2 = 0.053, Goof = 1.087. The structure is based upon a corrugated double-sheet comprising two sub-sheets, each composed of six-memberedrings of corner-linked TeAu3 pyramids in which the Te lone pair is stereoactive. Rows of thallium atoms lie in the grooves between sheets and provide the only inter-sheet connectivity via Tl-Au bonds. There is extensive Au-Au bonding linking the two sub-sheets of the double-sheet.The structure is distinct from those of the 1:2 (Au,Ag)-tellurides: calaverite AuTe2, sylvanite AuAgTe4 and krennerite Au3AgTe8, which are based upon sheet structures with no connecting inter-sheet atoms. It also differs fundamentally from the structuresof synthetic phases Ag3TlTe2 and Ag18Tl4Te11, both of which have an analogous stoichiometry. In contrast to the pyramidal TeAu3 group of honeaite and krennerite, Ag does not form the corresponding TeAg3 group in itstellurides.