bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Baptismal Raising of Lazarus
Authors: Lang Bernhard
Published: June 2016

Though well hidden, the theme of baptism informs the whole story of the raising of Lazarus (John 11). The note about Jesus’ sojourn at the very place where John the Baptist had previously been active (John 10:40-42) forms the introduction to the Lazarus story. Just as a musical clef dictates pitch, this passage announces the theme: baptism. Once readers are set on this track, they cannot miss the hidden point. Ritually, the person being baptised is pushed into the realm of death, so that he can emerge to a new life.
The Desirable Things of Ogoniok: The Material Face of a Soviet Illustrated Magazine from Stalin to Brezhnev
Authors: Golubev Alexey
Published: June 2016

This article examines the popular Soviet illustrated magazine Ogoniok as a site that provoked, negotiated, and exposed consumer desire in post-World War II USSR. It argues that Ogoniok was an important medium that produced and reflected cultural fantasies of material possessions in Soviet society. The article identifies and describes changes in the principles of visual representation of material objects in the magazine, and interprets them as an evidence of changes in the social form of the Soviet commodity. Finally, it analyzes the visual form of Soviet commodity and aims to understand the social relations that encapsulated Soviet commodity-value.
Pumé (Yaruro) and Chocoan
Authors: Pache Matthias
Published: June 2016

This paper illustrates and discusses recurrent sound correspondences between Pumé (also known as Yaruro) and Chocoan languages. Pumé is a language of the Apure state of Venezuela and has so far been considered an isolate. Chocoan is a small language family of western Colombia and eastern Panama. Until now, these language groups have never been considered together and compared systematically. It is argued here that the recurrent sound correspondences attested in Chocoan and Pumé basic vocabulary are difficult to explain by coincidence or language contact. It is therefore concluded that there should be enough evidence to postulate a genealogical link between both language groups.
English: The Extent of Viking Impact Remains Open
Authors: van Kemenade Ans
Published: June 2016

Emonds & Faarlund’s assessment of the language contact situation between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings is ill-informed historically. I furthermore discuss a number of instances where their analysis of Scandinavian linguistic impact on English is based on overly hasty interpretations of the literature.
The Descent of English
Authors: Font-Santiago Cristopher , Salmons Joseph
Published: June 2016

Emonds & Faarlund judge subgrouping by problematic criteria and do not actually employ their stated criteria, while those criteria in fact show English to be West Germanic.
A Central Asian Language Survey
Authors: Mennecier Philippe , Nerbonne John , Heyer Evelyne , Manni Franz
Published: June 2016

We have documented language varieties (either Turkic or Indo-European) spoken in 23 test sites by 88 informants belonging to the major ethnic groups of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan (Karakalpaks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Yaghnobis). The recorded linguistic material concerns 176 words of the extended Swadesh list and will be made publically available with the publication of this paper. Phonological diversity is measured by the Levenshtein distance and displayed as a consensus bootstrap tree and as multidimensional scaling plots. Linguistic contact is measured as the number of borrowings, from one linguistic family into the other, according to a precision/recall analysis further validated by expert judgment. Concerning Turkic languages, the results of our sample do not support Kazakh and Karakalpak as distinct languages and indicate the existence of several separate Karakalpak varieties. Kyrgyz and Uzbek, on the other hand, appear quite homogeneous. Among the Indo-Iranian languages, the distinction between Tajik and Yaghnobi varieties is very clear-cut. More generally, the degree of borrowing is higher than average where language families are in contact in one of the many sorts of situations characterizing Central Asia: frequent bilingualism, shifting political boundaries, ethnic groups living outside the “mother” country.
Victims’ Rights: A Comparative Study of the eu Directive on Victims’ Rights and Turkish Law
Authors: Küçüktaşdemir Özgür
Published: June 2016

In light of international advances in victims’ rights, their evolution and current status within national laws could be attributed to the efforts of international bodies. The latest European Union (eu) Victims’ Directive is the most detailed legislation to date. As a prospective eu Member State, Turkey should model this Directive. This comparative study identifies Turkey’s deficiencies in victims’ rights and highlights structural and cultural differences in provisions for victims’ rights within the eu Directive and Turkish law. Turkey’s ensuing adoption of Western law necessitates prerequisite awareness-raising on victims’ rights among authorities. While Turkey’s existing legal system entails effective legal remedies for ensuring victims’ rights within criminal proceedings, victim support services, additional protective measures and non-governmental organisations (ngos) remain inadequate. Thus, Turkey is more in need of a roadmap and planning than of legal regulation. In this regard, the eu Victims’ Directive can provide valuable insights.
Merchants from the Southern Netherlands (1578–1630)
Authors: Gelderblom Oscar
Published: June 2016

In 1585 the Duke of Parma conquered Antwerp, which was followed by a blockade of the river Scheldt. A large number of merchants moved to Amsterdam. Since the beginning of the twentieth century a historical debate has been going on about the economic effects of these events. The submitted data, gathered from different historical sources, aim to provide a precise answer to this question. Information from nine different sources (e.g. poortersboeken of the city of Amsterdam, two tax registers, Notarieel Archief and VOC/WIC-archives) has been combined in an attempt to reconstruct the entire merchant community of Amsterdam between 1578 and 1630. This resulted in a data collection on more than 5,000 wholesale traders. Analysis of the data shows that migration to Amsterdam started long before the siege of Antwerp because of old commercial ties between the two cities. Moreover, the role of the newcomers was of moderate importance. In 1609 the immigrants amounted to one third of Amsterdam’s merchant community. The majority of them were young men of modest means, seeking an international career in Amsterdam. Since collaboration between merchants from the north and the south dated back to the 1540s, the influx from Antwerp may be considered part of one single merchant community which developed in the Low Countries in the course of the sixteenth century.
Correspondence of Swammerdam (1664–1679)
Authors: Jorink Eric
Published: June 2016

The seventeenth-century Dutch microscopist Jan Swammerdam is famous for his microscopic observations and descriptions of insects. He developed a variety of effective microscopic techniques and made detailed drawings of his specimens. A great deal of information about his life and work is to be found in his letters, which were an important means of communication between intellectuals abroad and at home. The letters are descriptive and set out his research in detail. They have been made publicly available within the context of the Circulation of Knowledge project, in particular through the ePistolarium website, which provides ample opportunities for querying the collection of letters. Querying is based on keywords and topics. Search results are displayed in graphical format (a Google map showing the spatial coverage of the correspondence, a clickable time line with markers linked to individual letters, a diagram of the correspondent network). A word list, n-gram list and Keyword in Context Index have been added as additional search tools.
Wonen en werken in de Late IJzertijd in Spijkenisse
Authors: Verniers (depositor) Linda P. , Torremans (depositor) Rene
Published: June 2016

In July 2009, part of a stable farm from the end of the 3rd century BC at Spijkenisse was excavated. This farm was at the time situated in wet grassland with rough vegetation used as pasture. The excavated house plan consists of a living area, a hall and a stable part. After the occupation phase (around 210-200 BC) the site was used as a craft zone for beer or glue production (beginning of the 2nd century BC). In the archaeological research, attention was paid to the finding level (whether or not consecutively), the phasing in the tracks, the raw material supply and the food economy. The data concerning the pottery is entered in a Microsoft Access database. The hand-formed pottery found can be roughly dated as late Middle Iron Age and Late Iron Age. The majority of the animal component of the diet consisted of meat from domestic animals (especially beef, and also meat of sheep and/or goat). Emmer wheat and barley are the most important ingredients in the grain macro residues from the hearths. The habitation of the residential stable farm will have lasted about 10 to a maximum of 20 years. The next generation may have built a new farm in the vicinity.
In pursuit of ambidexterity: Managerial reactions to innovation–efficiency tensions
Authors: Papachroni Angeliki , Heracleous Loizos , Paroutis Sotirios
Published: June 2016

Whereas tensions arising from the pursuit of ambidexterity have been documented, how these are interpreted and managed by actors themselves remains largely unexplored. Based on in-depth case research in a large Scandinavian-based telecommunications organization pursuing ambidexterity, we identify a path-dependent process of tension interpretation and tension management at different levels of the organization. Our findings suggest that, in the context of an ambidextrous strategy, actors are actively involved in managing arising tensions based on their differing interpretations of these tensions (where ambidextrous demands are seen as complementary, conflicting or interrelated). We find that these interpretations are influenced by actors’ strategic orientation and organizational level. Our study extends understanding of the pursuit of ambidexterity in practice, offering a pluralist, path-dependent perspective of how actors perceive and deal with ambidexterity tensions.
Reputations and Signaling in Coercive Bargaining
Authors: Sechser Todd S.
Published: June 2016

When do states defend their reputations? States sometimes pay high costs to protect their reputations, but other times willingly tarnish them. What accounts for the difference? This article investigates reputation building in the context of coercive diplomacy. In coercive bargaining, giving in to a challenge can harm one’s reputation. I argue, however, that states value their reputations less—and therefore are more willing to capitulate to coercive threats—when they do not expect future challenges. Using a data set of more than 200 coercive threats, empirical tests find support for this logic. Coercers that are constrained in their ability to initiate future challenges exhibit higher rates of coercive success in the status quo. The results shed light on the causes of reputation-building behavior and add an important element to our understanding of the dynamics of coercive diplomacy.
Narrative Inquiry in Human-Centered Design
Authors: Jones Natasha N.
Published: June 2016

Human-centered design is a burgeoning field of study that has the potential to work toward actively creating more just and equitable technology design while critically interrogating the design process. To do this, human-centered design needs to consider making social justice aims a primary objective and end-goal in design. One way of integrating social justice aims into design is to employ the use of narrative inquiry. This article explores an alternative method for developing design scenarios using narrative inquiry and the feminist concepts of silence and voice as a way to promote considerations of social justice and inclusion in design. Using narrative inquiry to rethink certain aspects of the design process can help designers address issues of agency. The methodological focus of this article responds to Suchman’s call for “alternative visions” of how technology production and design can be undertaken.
Supporting Human Dignity and Human Rights
Authors: Walton Rebecca
Published: June 2016

Technical and professional communication (TPC), like human-centered design, has long been human centric. But TPC struggles with the complexities of determining which humans are at the center of our work. This article proposes that an explicit consideration of human dignity and human rights can help us to navigate these complexities by reflecting upon whether our work harmonizes with the notion that every person has intrinsic worth. To illustrate, I present findings from exploratory research with nonelite Rwandan youth in which participants conveyed the roles and effects of technology-mediated communication and information and communication technology in their lives. I assert that as TPC begins engaging more explicitly with human dignity and human rights, we should adopt a perspective inspired by human-centered design scholar Richard Buchanan: embracing human dignity and human rights as the first principle of communication and the foundational value of the TPC field.
An adult face bias in infants that is modulated by face race
Authors: Heron-Delaney Michelle , Damon Fabrice , Quinn Paul C. , Méary David , Xiao Naiqi G. , Lee Kang , Pascalis Olivier
Published: June 2016

The visual preferences of infants for adult versus infant faces were investigated. Caucasian 3.5- and 6-month-olds were presented with Caucasian adult vs. infant face pairs and Asian adult vs. infant face pairs, in both upright and inverted orientations. Both age groups showed a visual preference for upright adult over infant faces when the faces were Caucasian, but not when they were Asian. The preference is unlikely to have arisen because of low-level perceptual features because: (1) no preference was observed for the inverted stimuli, (2) no differences were observed in adult similarity ratings of the upright infant–adult face pairs from the two races, and (3) no differences between the infant and adult faces were observed across races in an image-based analysis of salience. The findings are discussed in terms of the social attributes of faces that are learned from experience and what this implies for developmental accounts of a recognition advantage for adult faces in particular and models of face processing more generally.
Herd Behaviour and Path Dependence in News Markets: Towards an Economic Theory of Scandal Formation
Authors: Wilczek Bartosz
Published: June 2016

Media phenomena coined as issue attention cycles, media hypes or scandals describe processes in which attention towards issues and news frames converges in news markets. But what drives these processes? This article explores a new theoretical framework, which draws on Economic Theory (i.e., Path Dependence Theory, Principal–Agent Theory, Herd Behaviour Theory and Behavioural Economic Theory), incorporates results from journalism and mass communication research and discusses a process in which journalists and their sources (i.e., whistleblowers, social media users and public relations experts) interact. Specifically, they engage in different types of herd behaviour related to the allocation of attention towards issues and news frames. These self-reinforcing mechanisms then lead to lock-ins—which under certain conditions can be un-locked.

JEL: D03, D21, D80, Z00
Resources versus Capabilities in Social Justice
Authors: Yılmaz Ensar
Published: June 2016

Over the last decades, economists, political theorists and philosophers have debated the question of what the proper metric of justice is. In other words, they have sought to answer the questions what should we look at, when evaluating whether one state of affairs is more or less just than another? Should we evaluate the distribution of happiness? Or wealth? Or some combination of these and other factors? The resourcist approach and the capability approach as egalitarian theories of social justice are two prominent answers to these questions. While the former approach has been developed by the studies of John Rawls and Donald Dworkin, the latter approach has been associated with the studies of Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. A fundamental debate between these approaches continues over what should be distributed. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between these approaches. By this we aim to bring their different perspectives together to reconsider the relationship between resource and the capability approach, and to open up a new insight to understand both approaches as complementary theories, rather than purely rival theories of justice.

JEL: D30, D63
Challenges raising a gifted child
Authors: Renati Roberta , Bonfiglio Natale Salvatore , Pfeiffer Steven
Published: June 2016

The research on families of the gifted is extremely limited. In the past, families of the gifted have been studied mainly for two reasons: to discover how family life creates or supports giftedness or eminence, or to understand how one gifted child affects siblings. Few studies, however, have examined the impact of gifted children on the lives of parents. Most studies highlight that many gifted have unique needs and vulnerabilities. Although there is limited empirical research on the experience of parenting a gifted child, there is clinical and anecdotal evidence that the role presents unique parenting challenges. This article presents preliminary research data on the experiences of parenting a gifted child within the family. The authors embrace a risk and resilience model, supported by clinical data obtained from families with a gifted child seen at a leading center for gifted children in Milan.
Evidence From a Large Sample on the Effects of Group Size and Decision-Making Time on Performance in a Marketing Simulation Game
Authors: Treen Emily , Atanasova Christina , Pitt Leyland , Johnson Michael
Published: June 2016

Marketing instructors using simulation games as a way of inducing some realism into a marketing course are faced with many dilemmas. Two important quandaries are the optimal size of groups and how much of the students’ time should ideally be devoted to the game. Using evidence from a very large sample of teams playing a simulation game, the study described here seeks to answer two fundamental questions: What effects on performance does group size have? And, is it possible for groups to spend too much time on decision making? The results indicate that performance increases in line with group size until teams have five members, and then tapers off. Furthermore, performance is shown to rise as time spent on decision making increases, up to a point, after which additional time spent on the game is shown to detract from performance. Implications for marketing instructors are discussed.
LCD Monitors as an Alternative for Precision Demanding Visual Psychophysical Experiments
Authors: Bognár Anna , Csibri Péter , András Csaba Márk , Sáry Gyula
Published: June 2016

Precise timing and presentation of stimuli is critical in vision research, still, the limiting factor in successful recognition is often the monitor itself that is used to present the stimuli. The most widespread method is the use of monitors controlled by personal computers. Traditionally, most experiments used cathode-ray tubes but they are more and more difficult to access, and instead, liquid–crystal displays are getting more and more popular. The two types have fundamentally different working principles and limitations in displaying the stimulus.

In our experiments, the temporal precision of the stimulus presentation was in focus. We investigated whether liquid–crystal displays, which are not considered to be fit to display fast successive stimuli, can represent an alternative choice for cathode-ray tubes. We used the double flash and the flicker illusion to compare the technical capabilities of the two monitor types. These illusions not only do require a precise timing but also a very short exposure to the stimuli. At the same time, the interstimulus interval is also of extreme importance. In addition, these illusions require peripheral stimulation of the retina, which is more sensitive to the temporal aspects of the visual stimulus. On the basis of previous studies and our own psychophysical results, we suggest that liquid–crystal displays might be a good alternative for precise, frame-to-frame stimulus presentation even if parts of the stimuli are projected on the peripheral retina.
Renal tubular function and urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and kidney injury molecule-1 levels in asthmatic children
Authors: Demir Ayşegül Doğan , Goknar Nilufer , Oktem Faruk , Özkaya Emin , Yazıcı Mebrure , Torun Emel , Vehapoğlu Aysel , Kucukkoc Mehmet
Published: June 2016

Background:

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways which results in chronic hypoxia. Chronic hypoxia and inflammation can affect renal tubular function.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate renal tubular function and early kidney injury molecules such as urinary N-acetyl-betaglucosaminidase (NAG) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) excretion in children with asthma.

Methods:

Enrolled in the study were 73 children diagnosed with asthma and 65 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects. Urine pH, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, microalbumin, creatinine, NAG, KIM-1, and serum creatinine, sodium, phosphorus were evaluated. The diagnosis of asthma and classification of mild or moderate were done according to the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines.

Results:

Serum sodium, phosphorus, creatinine, and urinary microalbumin were within normal levels in the both groups. Urinary pH, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, microalbumin, and KIM-1 excretions were similar between the control and study groups. Tubular phosphorus reabsorption was within normal limits in two groups. Urine NAG was elevated in the study group ( P = 0.001). Urinary KIM-1 and NAG levels were positively correlated (r = 0.837; P = 0.001). When children with mild and moderate asthma were compared, all of the parameters were similar ( P >0.05).

Conclusions:

This study showed that chronic asthma can lead to subtle renal impacts. We suggest that in children with asthma, urinary NAG level is a more valuable parameter to show degree of renal tubular injury than markers such as microalbumin and KIM-1. Chronic hypoxy and inflammation probably contributes to these subclinical renal effects.
A Novel ICU Hand-Over Tool: The Glass Door of the Patient Room
Authors: Wessman Brian T. , Sona Carrie , Schallom Marilyn
Published: June 2016

Background:

Poor communication among health-care providers is cited as the most common cause of sentinel events involving patients. Patient care in the critical care setting is incredibly complex. A consistent care plan is necessary between day/night shift teams and among bedside intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, consultants, and physicians. Our goal was to create a novel, easily accessible communication device to improve ICU patient care.

Methods:

This communication improvement project was done at an academic tertiary surgical/trauma/mixed 36-bed ICU with an average of 214 admissions per month. We created a glass door template embossed on the glass that included 3 columns for daily goals to be written: “day team,” “night team,” and “surgery/consultant team.” Assigned areas for tracking “lines,” “antibiotics,” “ventilator weaning,” and “Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) screening” were included. These doors are filled out/updated throughout the day by all of the ICU providers. All services can review current plans/active issues while evaluating the patient at the bedside. Patient-identifying data are not included. We retrospectively reviewed all ICU safety reported events over a 4-year period (2 years prior/2 years after glass door implementation) for specific handover communication-related errors and compared the 2 cohorts.

Results:

Information on the glass doors is entered daily on rounds by all services. Prior to implementation, 7.96% of reported errors were related to patient handover communication errors. The post glass-door era had 4.26% of reported errors related to patient handover communication errors with a relative risk reduction of 46.5%. Due to its usefulness, this method of communication was quickly adopted by the other critical care services (cardiothoracic, medical, neurology/neurosurgery, cardiology) at our institution and is now used for over 150 ICU beds.

Conclusions:

Our glass door patient handover tool is an easily adaptable intervention that has improved communication leading to an overall decrease in the number of handover communication errors.
Context-driven decisions for railway maintenance
Authors: Villarejo Roberto , Johansson Carl-Anders , Galar Diego , Sandborn Peter , Kumar Uday
Published: June 2016

Railway assets suffer wear and tear during operation. Prognostics can be used to assess the current health of a system and predict its remaining life, based on features that capture the gradual degradation of its operational capabilities. Prognostics are critical to improve safety, plan successful work, schedule maintenance, and reduce maintenance costs and down time. Prognosis is a relatively new area; however, it has become an important part of condition-based maintenance of systems.

As there are many prognostic techniques, usage must be tuned to particular applications. Broadly stated, prognostic methods are either data driven, or rule or model based. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, depending on the hierarchical level of the analysed item; consequently, they are often combined in hybrid applications. A hybrid model can combine some or all model types; thus, more-complete information can be gathered, leading to more-accurate recognition of the impending fault state. However, the amount of information collected from disparate data sources is increasing exponentially and has different natures and granularity; therefore, there is a real need for context engines to establish meaningful data links for further exploration.

This approach is especially relevant in railway systems where the maintainer and operator know some of the failure mechanisms, but the sheer complexity of the infrastructure and rolling stock precludes the development of a complete model-based approach. Hybrid models are extremely useful for accurately estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of railway systems. This paper addresses the process of data aggregation into a contextual awareness hybrid model to obtain RUL values within logical confidence intervals so that the life cycle of railway assets can be managed and optimized.
Structural static stability and dynamic chaos of active electromagnetic bearing systems: Analytical investigations and numerical simulations
Authors: Mando Alexandre Kongne , Yemélé David , Sokamte Wilfried Takam , Fomethe Anaclet
Published: June 2016

The complete nonlinear dynamics of an active magnetic bearing (AMB) with proportional and derivative controller is revisited analytically. Through the stability analysis of the second-order nonlinear differential equation governing the dynamics of the system, a state diagram is obtained in the proportional gain and precontrol current space. This diagram is fundamental and may help in making important design decisions namely in the identification of a controller for the complete range of the rotor mass, in order to ensure structural stability. In particular, we find that there exists a threshold for the proportional gain whose expression depends both on the inner radius of the bearing and on the bias current, and below which no stable dynamics of the system can occur. In the operating range, we show that the system exhibits a rich dynamics characterized by the possibility for the existence of many kinds of nonlinear localized excitations in the transient state, which may lead to an irregular or a chaotic behavior of the shaft. In this regime, the expressions of the critical running speed obtained by means of the Melnikov theory indicate its dependence on the AMB characteristic parameters.
Does the Extent of per Case Payment System Affect Hospital Efficiency?
Authors: Cavalieri Marina , Guccio Calogero , Lisi Domenico , Pignataro Giacomo
Published: June 2016

Recently increasing public pressure to contain costs in the health care sector has led many national governments to introduce some type of prospective payment system and reduce the scope of global budgeting. This study investigates the extent to which the reimbursement systems of the Italian hospital sector have an impact on hospitals’ technical efficiency. Because of high variation in the financing and provision of health care services among regions and hospitals, Italy represents an interesting case study to test these effects. A two-stage data envelopment analysis was employed, in which the efficiency scores of all Italian hospitals were first calculated and then regressed on different environmental variables to capture the role of reimbursement systems. The results found a significant impact of the use of diagnostic-related group-based prospective payment systems on hospitals’ efficiency.
Perceptions of Traditional Male Circumcision among University Male Students at a South African University
Authors: Ntozini Anathi Nomanzana , Abdullahi Ali Arazeem
Published: June 2016

In the past decade, traditional male circumcision, known as ulwaluko among the Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape Province, has become a burning issue in South Africa. The discourse has led to the emergence of two opposing camps: the supporters of ulwaluko who rely on “traditional ideology” to justify the cultural relevance of the practice, and the opposing camp who believe that ulwaluko is no longer in tandem with the reality of the twenty-first century. Amid the ongoing debate, this study investigated the perceptions of ulwaluko among South African university students at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Open-ended individual interviews were conducted among nine male students at the university. The study relied on “hegemonic masculinity” as the theoretical framework. The study revealed mixed feelings about the ulwaluko ritual among the students interviewed. In spite of the exposure to modernization and Western education, the students interviewed were still emotionally and culturally attached to ulwaluko, especially as a rite of passage. While some doubted the ability of the ritual to change “bad boys” into “good boys,” virtually all the participants believed that morbidity and mortality recorded during and after ulwaluko were not sufficient grounds to abolish it. This finding suggests ulwaluko may have, over the years, consciously or unconsciously, constructed an idealized masculine identity that is morally upright, faced with challenges to the ritual and burdened by a prescriptive set of masculine role expectations.
Mixed lubrication of soft contacts: An engineering look
Authors: Masjedi M , Khonsari MM
Published: June 2016

Mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication of materials with low elastic modulus (soft materials) is investigated. Expressions for prediction of film thickness and the asperity load ratio in soft line-contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication are presented. The traction behavior of soft contact in mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime is also studied in terms of the Stribeck curves.
Manifestos and the “two faces” of parties
Authors: Harmel Robert , Tan Alexander C , Janda Kenneth , Smith Jason Matthew
Published: June 2016

It is commonplace to see references to parties’ manifestos as their written issue “profiles,” and changes in such documents as constituting changes in the parties’ “images” or “identities,” with the latter terms often used interchangeably to capture the role of platforms. This article argues, however, that projection of a party’s “image” and its “identity” are two different functions for a manifesto, not just one, and that it is important for the building and testing of theory that this distinction be maintained. Parties are, after all, addressing two audiences simultaneously with one document, and the two dimensions provide two alternative objects of change which can be used strategically to please both audiences at once.

The article employs existing manifesto-based measures of parties’ relative issue emphases and their positions on a range of issues as indicators of image and identity, respectively, and finds that the two are indeed empirically distinct. Then, an earlier test of the electoral performance hypothesis as applied to emphasis change is replicated with data designed to capture change in issue positions. The test provides evidence for the prudence of maintaining the distinction between emphasis and position as two different dimensions of party profile change.
Are populist parties fostering women’s political representation in Poland? A comment on Kostadinova and Mikulska
Authors: Jankowski Michael , Marcinkiewicz Kamil
Published: June 2016

In a recent contribution to Party Politics, Kostadinova and Mikulska analyze women’s political representation by populist parties in Poland and Bulgaria. The presented findings for Poland suggest that the main right-wing populist party PiS (1) elected more women to parliament, (2) nominated more women to promising ballot positions, and (3) that voters of PiS were more likely to support women in the elections compared to leftists parties. We disagree with all three findings. While the first finding is due to an error in the descriptive statistics, we argue that the other two findings are the result of an inappropriate research design. We replicate the analysis based on an altered research design and show that PiS did not elect more women to parliament, did not nominate more women to promising ballot positions and that voters of PiS were not more likely to vote for female candidates.
Comparing the effectiveness of phrase-focused exercises: A partial replication of Boers, Demecheleer, Coxhead, and Webb (2014)
Authors: Boers Frank , Dang Tu Cam Thi , Strong Brian
Published: June 2016

In a recent article, Boers, Demecheleer, Coxhead, and Webb (2014) deplored the lack of effectiveness for the learning of verb–noun collocations of a number of exercise formats which they sampled from EFL textbooks and put to the test in a series of quasi-experimental trials. The authors called for further investigations into possible improvements to such exercise formats. The present article is a response to that call. It also addresses methodological issues that may have affected Boers et al.’s (2014) findings and that rendered their conclusions tentative. In the quasi-experiment reported here, EFL learners were given fill-in-the-blank exercises on verb–noun phrases in one of three formats: (1) choose the appropriate verb, (2) complete the verb by using a first-letter cue, and (3) choose the appropriate intact phrase. A delayed post-test gauged the learners’ ability to recall the meaning of the phrases as well as their verb–noun partnership. In both regards the exercise where learners worked with intact phrases generated the best results. We then evaluate the extent to which exercises for phrase learning in 10 recent EFL textbooks accord with recommendations that follow from the quasi-experimental findings.
Effect of concrete carbonation on natural frequency of reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Zhang Liye , Sun Limin
Published: June 2016

We carried out an experimental investigation to study the influence of concrete carbonation on the natural frequency of simply supported reinforced concrete beams. A total of 10 reinforced concrete test beams and 12 concrete-carbonation test specimens were subjected to different accelerated carbonation stages for 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Modal tests were performed on reinforced concrete test beams after the accelerated carbonation stages. In order to reduce the effect of other factors on the modal tests, constant temperature, relative humidity, and boundary conditions of the test beams were maintained in the experimental process. The experimental results show a trend of the natural frequencies of reinforced concrete test beams to decrease with the increase in concrete-carbonation depths. With statistical analyses of experimental data, this study established the relationship between concrete-carbonation depths and natural frequencies. Fitting lines for the drop in natural frequencies and carbonation depths are obtained for the first four modal frequencies. Based on the analysis of the physicochemical processes of concrete carbonation, the main reason behind the drop in natural frequencies is the increase in mass after concrete carbonation. The percentage composition of increase in mass after complete carbonation is obtained based on the analysis of the physicochemical process. This analysis demonstrates part of the reason for the drop in natural frequencies and proves that the experimental results are reliable and credible. This study provides further insight into the use of modal parameters to assess damage in concrete structures in structural health monitoring.
Peripheral Vascular Restenosis: A Retrospective Study on the Use of Drug-Eluting Balloons in Native Arteries, Vein Grafts and Dialysis Accesses
Authors: Björkman P. , Peltola E. , Albäck A. , Venermo M.
Published: June 2016

Background and Aims:

The objective of this study is to analyze outcomes of the first experiences with drug-eluting balloons in native arteries, vein grafts, and vascular accesses. The study is also a pilot for our future prospective, randomized, and controlled studies regarding the use of drug-eluting balloons in the treatment of the stenosis in bypass vein graft and dialysis access.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 93 consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed and in the end 81 were included in the study. Inclusion criteria included at least one previous percutaneous angioplasty to the same lesion. Patients were divided into three groups according to the anatomical site of the lesion: native lower limb artery, vein bypass graft, or vascular access. Time from the previous percutaneous angioplasty to the drug-eluting balloon was compared to the time from the drug-eluting balloon to endpoint in the same patient. Endpoints included any new revascularization of the target lesion, major amputation, or new vascular access.

Results:

The median time from the drug-eluting balloon to endpoint was significantly longer than the median time from the preceding percutaneous angioplasty to drug-eluting balloon in all three groups. This difference was clearest in native arteries and vein grafts, whereas the difference was smaller from the beginning and disappeared over time in the vascular access group. No significant differences were seen between the groups with regard to smoking, antiplatelet regime, diabetes, Rutherford classification, or sex.

Conclusion:

Although the setup of this study has several limitations, the results suggest that there could be benefit from drug-eluting balloons in peripheral lesions. Very little data have been published on the use of drug-eluting balloons in vein grafts and vascular accesses, and randomized and controlled prospective studies are needed to further investigate this field.
Existential media: Toward a theorization of digital thrownness
Authors: Lagerkvist Amanda
Published: June 2016

Our digitally enforced lifeworld is an existential and ambivalent terrain. Questions concerning digital technologies are thus questions about human existence. This theoretical essay employs key concepts from existential philosophy to envision an existential media analysis that accounts for the thrownness of digital human existence. Tracing our digital thrownness to four emergent fields of inquiry, that relate to classic themes (death, time, being there, and being-in-and-with-the-world), it encircles both mundane connectivity and the extraordinary limit-situations (online) when our human vulnerability is principally felt and our security is shaken. In place of a savvy user, this article posits the “exister” as the principal subject in media studies and inhabitant of the digital ecology—a stumbling, hurting, and relational human being, who navigates within limits and among interruptions through the torrents of our digital existence, in search for meaning and existential security.
The ‘sociological turn’ in corruption studies: Why fighting graft in the developing world is often unnecessary, and sometimes counterproductive
Authors: Uberti Luca J.
Published: June 2016

Since the mid-1990s, an ‘anticorruption consensus’ has emerged in international development policy: because corruption is taken to be invariably deleterious for investment and growth, eliminating or reducing corruption has come to be seen as a necessary precondition for development. This article takes issue with the theoretical and empirical underpinnings of this proposition. To do so, it reviews and codifies an emerging strand of literature that transcends the narrow assumptions of economic models of corruption and theorizes much more carefully the social structures within which corruption takes place. This body of research, which heralds a ‘sociological turn’ in corruption studies, provides a robust framework to account for the economic effects of corruption in specific country contexts and suggests that fighting corruption per se might not always be necessary for development; in fact, it might sometimes prove counterproductive.
Adult social work and high-risk domestic violence cases
Authors: McLaughlin Hugh , Robbins Rachel , Bellamy Claire , Banks Concetta , Thackray Debbie
Published: June 2016

This article focuses on adult social work’s response in England to high-risk domestic violence cases and the role of adult social workers in multi-agency risk and assessment conferences. The research was undertaken between 2013 and 2014 and focused on one city in England and involved the research team attending multi-agency risk and assessment conferences. Interviews with 20 adult social workers, 24 multi-agency risk and assessment conferences attendees, 14 adult service users at time T1 (including follow-up interviews after six months, T2), focus groups with independent domestic violence advocates and Women’s Aid and an interview with a Women’s Aid service user.

Findings

The findings suggest that although adult social workers accept the need to be involved in domestic violence cases they are uncertain of what their role is and are confused with the need to operate a parallel domestic violence and adult safeguarding approach, which is further, complicated by issues of mental capacity. Multi-agency risk and assessment conferences are identified as overburdened, under-represented meetings staffed by committed managers. However, they are in danger of becoming managerial processes neglecting the service users they are meant to protect.

Applications

The article argues for a re-engagement of adult social workers with domestic violence that has increasingly become over identified with child protection. It also raises the issue whether multi-agency risk and assessment conferences remain fit for purpose and whether they still represent the best possible response to multi-agency coordination and practice in domestic violence.
Redeeming the rejected: Curious George and evidence-based approaches
Authors: Smith Aaron PB
Published: June 2016

The author’s recent participation in a doctoral course on epistemology and the nature of social work knowledge produced an inner struggle regarding the validity of positivist and evidence-based approaches to social work practice and research. This article seeks to share some of this struggle as many social workers, students, and researchers have and continue to encounter debates regarding the use of evidence-based approaches in social work practice and research. The dichotomous nature these debates often take has often resulted in the exclusive embracing, defending and perpetuation of evidence-based approaches or the complete rejection and discarding of such approaches. The author suggests in this article that social workers, researchers, and academics consider an alternative approach to the debate.
The Brand’s PREACH Model: Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health
Authors: Brand Dorine J. , Alston Reginald J.
Published: June 2016

Despite many attempts to reduce health disparities, health professionals face obstacles in improving poor health outcomes within the African American (AA) community. To promote change for improved health measures, it is important to implement culturally tailored programming through a trusted institution, such as the AA church. While churches have the potential to play an important role in positively impacting health among AAs, it is unclear what attributes are necessary to predict success or failure for health promotion within these institutions. The purpose of this study was to create a model, the Brand’s PREACH ( Predicting Readiness to Engage African American Churches in Health) Model, to predict the readiness of AA churches to engage in health promotion programming. Thirty-six semistructured key informant interviews were conducted with 12 pastors, 12 health leaders, and 12 congregants to gain information on the relationship between church infrastructure (physical structure, personnel, funding, and social/cultural support), readiness, and health promotion programming. The findings revealed that church infrastructure has an association with and will predict the readiness of a church to engage in health promotion programming. The ability to identify readiness early on will be useful for developing, implementing, and evaluating faith-based interventions, in partnership with churches, which is a key factor for sustainable and effective programs.
Monitoring Indicators of Scholarly Language
Authors: Gillam Sandra Laing , Gillam Ronald B. , Fargo Jamison D. , Olszewski Abbie , Segura Hugo
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study was to assess the basic psychometric properties of a progress-monitoring tool designed to measure narrative discourse skills in school-age children with language impairments (LI). A sample of 109 children with LI between the ages of 5 years 7 months and 9 years 9 months completed the Test of Narrative Language (TNL). The stories told in response to the alien picture prompt were transcribed and scored according to the TNL manual criteria and the criteria established for scoring the progress-monitoring tool, Monitoring Indicators of Scholarly Language (MISL). The MISL total score demonstrated acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability, inter-rater reliability, and construct validity for use as a progress-monitoring tool for specific aspects of narrative proficiency. The MISL holds promise as a tool for tracking growth in narrative language proficiency that may be taught as part of an intervention program to support the Common Core Standards related to literacy.
The Jouissance of Trump
Authors: Andrejevic Mark
Published: June 2016

Donald Trump stormed onto the political scene as the realization of the obscene figure of enjoyment that Slavoj Zizek associates with the decline of “symbolic efficiency.” The symptoms of this decline include the debunking of representation associated with a fragmented and conspiracy-theory-ridden public sphere coupled with attempts to resuscitate direct access to the “real.” Reality TV is one cultural manifestation of this combination and Trump has become its political avatar. The demagoguery and resurgent forms of political violence associated with Trump’s campaign demonstrate the authoritarian tendencies of this combination.