bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
My Scientific Journey: From an Agrarian Start to an Academic Setting
Authors: Bahr Janice M.
Published: February 2017

This article is a combination of an autobiography and a review of outstanding research done by over 70 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scientists along with excellent collaborators during my over-40-year career as a professor of reproductive physiology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. I have also shared thoughts on mentoring, how research has changed over the years, and the future of reproductive physiology. I provide the reader with a snapshot of the challenges faced by a woman eager to obtain a PhD under the guidance of renowned professors in the early 1970s and to be hired as the first woman, and the only permanent female faculty member, for more than 20 years on a faculty of 40 men. As a comparative reproductive physiologist, I describe the various animal models used because they were the best models to answer specific questions in reproduction. Also, my graduate students and postdoctoral fellows were given the freedom to identify their research topics, articulate hypotheses to be tested, and select appropriate animal models. This approach caused students to take ownership of their research, resulting in the development of independent and creative scientists and over 170 publications, excluding chapters in top-tier journals. Finally, I am so grateful for a truly rich life mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who have become my lifelong friends.
A Case of Advanced Gastric Cancer with Para-Aortic Lymph Node Metastasis Treated with Preoperative FOLFOX Chemotherapy Followed by Radical Subtotal Gastrectomy and D2 Lymph Node Dissection
Authors: Suh Byoung Jo
Published: February 2017

We report the case of a 73-year-old female who was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was used to diagnose Borrmann type 3 advanced gastric cancer located at the gastric antrum. A biopsy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-CT (FDG-PET-CT) scans demonstrated multiple lymph node metastases, including the para-aortic lymph nodes. Systemic chemotherapy with 5-fluoruracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin, and leucovorin (FOLFOX) was initiated. An abdominopelvic CT scan taken after 4 cycles of chemotherapy showed improvement in the ulceroinfiltrative gastric lesion and marked regression of several enlarged lymph nodes. Consequently, we performed a subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. The postoperative histopathological report was early gastric carcinoma with no lymph node metastasis in the 48 resected lymph nodes. Another 4 cycles of FOLFOX chemotherapy were performed after surgery. A FDG-PET-CT scan taken 12 months postoperatively showed no definite evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis, and the previously noted retroperitoneal lymph nodes had disappeared. A FDG-PET-CT taken 16 months postoperatively showed multiple lymph node metastases, including the left supraclavicular lymph node. Despite 8 cycles of secondary chemotherapy with 5-FU, irinotecan, and leucovorin (FOLFIRI) and radiotherapy, the patient died 38 months after the operation.
Major Bleeding Complications and Persistence With Oral Anticoagulation in Non‐Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: Contemporary Findings in Real‐Life Danish Patients
Authors: Lamberts Morten , Staerk Laila , Olesen Jonas Bjerring , Fosbøl Emil Loldrup , Hansen Morten Lock , Harboe Louise , Lefevre Cinira , Evans David , Gislason Gunnar Hilmar
Published: February 2017

Background

The nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants have recently become available as an alternative to warfarin as stroke prophylaxis in atrial fibrillation, but data on real‐life patient experience, including bleeding risk, are lacking. Our objective was to compare major bleeding events and nonpersistence between the nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant apixaban and other nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (dabigatran and rivaroxaban) and warfarin in a contemporary, nation‐wide cohort of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Methods and Results

Of 54 321 patients (median age, 73 years; 56% male; mean
CHA
2
DS
2
‐
VAS
c score, 2.9), 7963, 6715, 15 413, and 24 230 patients initiated apixaban, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, and warfarin, respectively. Apixaban and rivaroxaban initiators were older, less often male, with higher
HAS
‐
BLED
and
CHA
2
DS
2
‐
VAS
c scores compared with dabigatran and warfarin initiators. A total of 2418 patients (4.5%) experienced a major bleeding event over all available follow‐up. In this period, rivaroxaban (hazard ratio [
HR
] [95% CI], 1.49 [1.27–1.77]), dabigatran (
HR
, 1.17 [1.00–1.38]), and warfarin (
HR
, 1.23 [1.05–1.43]) users were significantly more likely to bleed than apixaban users. Findings were similar when restricted to the first 30 days after
OAC
initiation. Risk of nonpersistence was higher for dabigatran (
HR
, 1.45 [1.33–1.59]) and warfarin initiators (
HR
, 1.22 [1.12–1.33]), but not for rivaroxaban initiators (
HR
, 1.07 [0.96–1.20]) compared with apixaban initiators.

Conclusions

In a real‐world cohort of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, apixaban had a lower adjusted major bleeding risk compared with rivaroxaban, dabigatran, and warfarin. Apixaban had a lower risk of nonpersistence compared with dabigatran and warfarin and similar risk compared with rivaroxaban.
Association of Morning Hypertension Subtype With Vascular Target Organ Damage and Central Hemodynamics
Authors: Oh Jaewon , Lee Chan Joo , Kim In‐Cheol , Lee Sang‐Hak , Kang Seok‐Min , Choi Donghoon , Park Sungha , Kario Kazuomi
Published: February 2017

Background

A recent study reported that morning hypertension is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients. However, it is unclear whether morning hypertension associated with sustained nocturnal hypertension and that associated with morning blood pressure (BP) surge differ in terms of their effects on cardiovascular target organ damage and clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to determine the association of morning hypertension with/without nocturnal hypertension with vascular target organ damage and central hemodynamics in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease.

Methods and Results

Ambulatory BP monitoring was performed and central
BP
was measured in 1070 consecutive patients with high cardiovascular risk. We grouped morning hypertension into the following 3 subtypes: (I) morning normotension; (
II
) morning hypertension without nocturnal hypertension; and (
III
) morning hypertension with nocturnal hypertension. Morning hypertension was noted in 469 (43.8%) patients and morning hypertension with nocturnal hypertension was noted in 374 (34.9%) patients. The central systolic/diastolic
BP
and carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity were significantly higher in the subtype
III
group than in the subtype I and
II
groups (all
P
<0.001). Subtype
III
(versus subtype I) was an independent predictor of central hypertension and high‐risk arterial stiffness (
P
<0.001 and
P
=0.018, respectively) but not vascular damage in a fully adjusted model (model Y).

Conclusions

Morning hypertension, especially that associated with nocturnal hypertension, is related to high central
BP
and increased arterial stiffness. Further studies on whether morning hypertension with or without nocturnal hypertension is related to clinical outcomes should be performed.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
02003781.
Generations Apart
Authors: Kebede Kassahun
Published: February 2017

This study of Ethiopian immigrants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area suggests that the continued involvement of immigrants with their place of origin is significantly shaped by pre-immigration and migration experiences. From my historically informed ethnographic work as well as the analysis of my informants’ pre-migration class and political backgrounds and the reasons why they left Ethiopia since the 1960s, three generations emerge: the Royalists, the Revolutionaries, and the DVs (Diversity Visa immigrants). In this article I explore the multiple and often contradictory narratives and discourses that characterize these generations. I also explore the ways in which the heterogeneity between the generations is manifested in their way of experiencing the United States, in their relationship with the homeland, and in the inter-generational interactions that bind them to one another. I use this case study to argue that attending to pre-migration intra- as well as inter-generational differences in immigrants’ experiences and views of their home and receiving countries will yield a fuller and more accurate picture of transnational migration.
Theatre and Photography as New Contentious Repertoires of Congolese Women in the Diaspora
Authors: Godin Marie
Published: February 2017

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and in particular the eastern part of the country, is characterized by a protracted conflict situation and is home to some of the world’s most horrific documented cases of sexual violence against women. For many years now Congolese women in the diaspora have been engaged in initiatives to raise awareness of the sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) of Congolese women back home, addressing the root causes of the conflict and promoting specific peace and conflict resolutions. This article examines ways of protesting using art as a political tool in addressing SGBV in the DRC. In doing so, it highlights two politico-artistic projects by Congolese women activists living in Belgium: Hearth of a mother, a theatre piece and Stand up my mother, a photographic exhibition. This article aims to analyse these particular projects in terms of Tilly’s ‘repertoires of contention’ (2006) as used by activists of the Congolese diaspora in order to make their voices heard.
African Power
Authors: Gemmeke Amber
Published: February 2017

This paper explores how West African migrants’ movements impacts their religious imagery and that of those they encounter in the diaspora. It specifically addresses how, through the circulation of objects, rituals, and themselves, West Africans and Black Dutchmen of Surinamese descent link, in a Dutch urban setting, spiritual empowering and protection to the African soil. West African ‘mediums’ offer services such as divination and amulet making since about twenty years in the Netherlands. Dutch-Surinamese clients form a large part of their clientele, soliciting a connection to African, ancestral spiritual power, a power which West African mediums enforce through the use of herbs imported from West Africa and by rituals, such as animal sacrifices and libations, arranged for in West Africa. This paper explores how West Africans and Dutchmen of Surinamese descent, through a remarkable mix of repertoires alluding to notions of Africa, Sufi Islam, Winti, and Western divination, creatively reinvent a shared understanding of ‘African power’.
A Discussion on the Concept of “Sacred Narrative”
Authors: Chen Lianshan
Published: February 2017

Sacred narratives are one of the foundations upon which human societies depend for their existence, since in all societies those narratives help establish the legitimacy of the social order and values. While Western societies have opted to regard tales of the supernatural as their main form of sacred narrative, ancient Chinese societies chose, instead, to regard ancient history as theirs. Even though the narrative contents of myths and ancient history differ, they fulfill the same social function and both are believed to represent “facts” from immemorial antiquity. Therefore, the author uses the concept of the sacred narrative to embrace both myths and ancient history, transcending differences in content between mythological and historical narratives and setting forth an argument based on their common social function. This not only allows mythology studies to be in keeping with historical reality but also contributes to an accurate understanding of the narrative foundations of different social and cultural systems.
An Exploration of the Queen Mother of the West from the Perspective of Comparative Mythology
Authors: Su Yongqian
Published: February 2017

Constant interactions among cultures make it possible to conduct cross-cultural studies on the myth of the Queen Mother of the West 西王母. Since the original manuscript of theClassic of Mountains and Seas[Shanhaijing山海經] served as the expository writing of the now lostMap of Mountains and Seas[Shanhaitu山海圖], there is reason to believe that it contains information on early depictions of the goddess. By revealing the symbolism at work in those descriptions and by consulting a wide range of ethnographic data, it becomes possible to reconstruct her primeval form. The Queen Mother of the West, once regarded as the Chinese version of the prehistoric Great Mother, was seen as the goddess embodying both death and regeneration. However, after the rise of the patriarchal system, the original Queen Mother of the West slowly fell into obscurity and was ultimately relegated to the subordinate status of a spouse for the Jade Emperor [yuhuang玉皇].
Two Modes of Goddess Depictions in Early Medieval Chinese Literature
Authors: Zhang Zhenjun
Published: February 2017

Early medieval Chinese literature depicts two modes of goddesses, derived from the two masterpieces attributed to Song Yu, “Rhapsody on the Goddess” and “Rhapsody on Gaotang.” Since Cao Zhi’s “Rhapsody on the Goddess” overshadowed other works among rhapsodies and poems, it appeared as if the influence of “Rhapsody on Gaotang” had stopped. This study reveals the two lineages of goddess depictions in medieval Chinese literature, showing that the “Goddess of Love” has never disappeared.
Asarum rosei (Aristolochiaceae), a new species from the Blue Ridge Escarpment of North Carolina, USA
Authors: SINN BRANDON T.
Published: February 2017

Hundreds of years of botanical exploration in heavily populated and highly accessible eastern North America have not exhausted taxonomic prospects in the region. Here, I describe a new species of Asarum (Aristolochiaceae), Asarum rosei B.T.Sinn, from North Carolina, USA. This species is characterized and contrasted with species in Asarum subgenus Heterotropa section Hexastylis, and a revised artificial taxonomic key to the similar species in the section is provided.
First record for the flora of Italy and lectotypification of the name Linum elegans (Linaceae)
Authors: WAGENSOMMER ROBERT P. , BARTOLUCCI FABRIZIO , FIORENTINO MICHELE , LICHT WOLFGANG , PECCENINI SIMONETTA , PERRINO ENRICO V. , VENANZONI ROBERTO
Published: February 2017

Linum elegans has been detected in calcareous rocky garrigues on the Gargano promontory (Apulia, SE-Italy), representing the first record for the Italian flora and the first one outside the Balkan Peninsula. The geographical disjunction may provide evidence for past amphi-Adriatic/amphi-Ionic terrestrial connections. The population found was ascribed to L. campanulatum in the past. As a consequence, a comparison between these two species is undertaken. Furthermore, the name L. elegans is here lectotypified on a specimen preserved at G, and the IUCN assessment of the species in Italy is briefly discussed.
A new genus and species of freshwater Hadziidae, Fluviadulzura spinicauda gen. nov., sp. nov. from rivers in Victoria, Australia (Amphipoda)
Authors: MYERS ALAN A. , LOWRY JAMES K. , BILLINGHAM ZAC
Published: February 2017

A new species of fresh-water amphipod, Fluviadulzura spinicauda gen. nov. sp. nov. is described from rivers in Victoria, Australia. The taxon is fully described and figured.
Out of the South? The first Afrotropical record of Prochyliza Walker (Diptera: Piophilidae), with description of a new species
Authors: MARTÍN-VEGA DANIEL , EBEJER MARTIN J. , WHITMORE DANIEL
Published: February 2017

The genus Prochyliza Walker is recorded for the first time from the Afrotropical Region. A new species, Prochyliza ignifera sp. nov., is described from the Indian Ocean islands of Aldabra and La Réunion. The status of this species as possibly the most primitive in the genus Prochyliza is hypothesised and discussed, raising some questions about the taxonomy and the zoogeographical origin of the group. The holotype of Piophila viridicollis Macquart from La Réunion was studied and it is instated as a subjective junior synonym of Piophila casei (Linnaeus), syn. nov.
Taxonomic review of the genus Leucopholis Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Leucopholini) in the Philippines
Authors: CALCETAS ORLANDO A. , ADORADA JESSAMYN R.
Published: February 2017

The genus Leucopholis Dejean, 1833 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Leucopholini) is reviewed for the species from the Philippines. Five species of Leucopholis occur in the Philippines, including one new species. Keys to the genera of Leucopholini and to the species of Leucopholis in the Philippines are provided.
The genus Microptila Ris (Trichoptera, Hydroptilidae) in Japan
Authors: ITO TOMIKO
Published: February 2017

The taxonomy of the genus Microptila Ris in Japan is revised. Microptila orienthula Kjærandsen and Ito, 2009, the only East Palearctic species in the genus, is redescribed with new records and two new species, M. genka sp. nov. and M. nakama sp. nov., are described for adults from Ryukyu Islands, far southern Japan, in the Oriental region.
Assessing the Efficiency Justifications for the NCAA Player Compensation Restrictions
Authors: Santesteban Cristian J. , Leffler Keith B.
Published: February 2017

College football and basketball generate huge broadcast and attendance revenues. The NCAA, however, limits the compensation to athletes in these sports to cover, at most, the cost of attending college, which is well below the financial contribution to the schools of the top level college athletes. These compensation restrictions have recently come under attack in the courts in the O’Bannon and Jenkins cases, among others, as being anticompetitive. The NCAA has argued that its restrictions have procompetitive justifications. In this paper we set out first to evaluate the purported justification for the NCAA’s pay restrictions related to amateurism. We argue that the evidence from a number of Olympic and other now professional sports reveals little relationship between amateurism and demand. Rather than amateurism, we propose that the defining and distinguishing characteristic of college sports is the linkage to the universities. That athletes are also students is integral to the demand for college sports rather than whether these students get paid. We next examine the competitive balance justifications for restraints on payments to athletes. We summarize evidence that the current restrictions do not contribute to making college sports more competitively balanced. Nonetheless, we argue against going too far and lifting all restrictions on athlete compensation due to the inefficiency arising from “positional” competition, sometimes known as an “arms race.” We suggest instead that colleges and universities follow the models set up by professional sports for dealing with excessive spending, and that such models can reduce the anticompetitive effects from the NCAA’s salary restrictions. Such compensation schemes can take the form of player unions bargaining for payroll caps, tiered salary caps, and team revenue sharing.
Novel Applications of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Authors: Bauer Amy J. Ray , Buckley Steven G.
Published: February 2017

The goal of this review article is to provide a description of recent and novel laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) applications and developments, especially those discussed during the NASLIBS Conference, held during SciX in Providence, RI, in September 2015. This topic was selected in view of the numerous recent overall review papers that have successfully given a broad view of the current understanding of laser-material interactions and plasma development and have also discussed the wide landscape of analytical applications of LIBS. This paper is divided into sections that focus on a few of the many applications under development in the LIBS community. We provide a summary of updates to calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS) and associated developments using plasma characteristics to improve quantification in LIBS output, both in a dedicated section and as applications are discussed. We have also described the most recent publications studying the sources, generation, and use of molecular features in LIBS, including those naturally present in the spectra of organic materials, and those induced with the addition of salts to enable the measurement of halogens, not typically present in LIBS signals. In terms of development of applications of LIBS, we focused on the use of LIBS for indirect measurements such as pH and degree of humification in soil and heating value in coal. We also reviewed the extant literature on LIBS analysis of agricultural materials, coal, minerals, and metals. Finally, we discuss the nascent developments of spatially heterodyne spectroscopy, a method that seeks to circumnavigate a serious drawback of most spectrometers – very small optical throughput – through the use of interferometers.
When Boundaries Around the “Secret” are Tested: A School Community Response to the Policing of Undocumented Immigrants
Authors: Crawford Emily R.
Published: February 2017

This case study focuses on a 2008 incident where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vans appeared near a K-5 elementary school. It was the first time school personnel experienced the impact of federal immigration agents policing illegality in their school community, and the event set off a chain of decision-making choices as to how personnel would respond. This article specifically explores how educators’ roles within a school shaped their access to information and subsequent sensemaking about ICE, asking two questions: (a) How does one’s position within a school shape a person’s sensemaking if a situation necessitates in-the-moment policy making? and (b) How might prior knowledge and professional position affect the information one accesses, shares, and uses in the policy-making process? Evidence comes from interviews with 14 personnel who reflected on the event, and shows that Aurora staff quickly established a policy and protocol within a few days to keep the school environment a safe space. The findings demonstrate that the school principal was a key “sensemaker” for other personnel. Ultimately, the school created its first school policy and protocol to ensure the school was a safe space for undocumented students, fusing a familiar school policy with new policy.
Active Community-Based Case Finding for Tuberculosis With Limited Resources
Authors: Karki Bindu , Kittel Guenter , Bolokon Ignatius , Duke Trevor
Published: February 2017

Papua New Guinea is one of the 14 highest-burden countries for tuberculosis (TB) infection, but few community-based studies exist. We evaluated a low-cost method of active community case finding in Kabwum and Wasu in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Over 3 months we visited 26 villages and screened adults and children for symptoms and signs of TB. Sputum samples were examined using smear microscopy. A total of 1700 people had chronic symptoms, of which 267 were suspicious for TB on further examination. Sputum from 230 symptomatic adults yielded 97 samples that were positive for acid-fast bacilli. In addition, 15 cases of extrapulmonary TB in adults and 17 cases of TB in children were identified. One hundred and thirty people were identified with active TB disease among the source population of approximately 17 000, giving an estimated prevalence of 765 per 100 000. One hundred and six (82%) cases were not previously diagnosed. The cost per case identified was US$146. It is feasible to conduct active community-based case finding and treatment initiation for TB with limited resources and in remote areas, and in Papua New Guinea the yield was high. Active case finding and follow-up of treatment in villages is needed to address the hidden burden of TB in Papua New Guinea and other high-burden Asia Pacific countries.
Veto-Proof Majorities, Legislative Procedures, and Presidential Decisions, 1981–2008
Authors: Fowler Linda L. , Marshall Bryan W.
Published: February 2017

Super-majorities have occurred frequently in Congress but have escaped scholarly attention. This paper employs new measures of positive agenda control and a unique data set of 3,407 nontrivial bills from 1981 to 2008 to answer two questions: how did legislative leaders construct veto-proof coalitions, and what did presidents do with them? Legislative leaders, we argue, deployed procedures to expand and sustain veto-proof coalitions, despite increasing polarization. The resulting history, which signaled members’ commitment to a bill, provided information to the president that reduced uncertainty about possibilities for interbranch bargaining and the likely success of a veto. We find that positive agenda control increased the probability of vote tallies of two-thirds or more, especially after the 1994 election. In addition, we demonstrate that presidents concentrated veto activity on bills with outcomes of less than two-thirds, rejected some veto-proof bills for reputational gains, and deployed signing statements strategically. The analysis suggests that congressional leaders paradoxically gained capacity for nurturing large, bipartisan alliances as the institution became more polarized. Moreover, it demonstrates that strategic activity by legislative leaders is critical to explaining variation in presidential options for veto bargaining and signing statements.
Writing Through Partnership
Authors: Bauer Eurydice Bouchereau , Presiado Vivian , Colomer Soria
Published: February 2017

A critical function of schooling is to provide young writers with opportunities to explore real-life, out-of-school experiences through writing. However, literacy instruction in U.S. schools primarily (and sometimes almost exclusively) focuses on the tested skills, with little recognition of children’s diverse backgrounds and experiences. The predominance of English-only instruction further limits the potential for many children who speak languages other than English at home to develop a sense of agency that is fundamental to academic development. Although bilingual and bidialectal children bring rich linguistic and cultural repertoires that could serve as resources for the development of school-based reading and writing, curriculum is seldom structured to take advantage of these resources. This study reports on two minoritized kindergarten students in a dual language (DL) classroom. The study documents how the teacher’s use of “buddy pairs” created a classroom environment where students could take risks and participate in translanguaging. Results show that both emergent bilingual students benefited from a classroom environment in which their home language was valued and translanguaging was encouraged.
Development of a Functional Observational Battery in the Minipig for Regulatory Neurotoxicity Assessments
Authors: Zhong Miao , Shoemake Catherine , Fuller Amber , White David , Hanks Chris , Brocksmith Derek , Liu Jason , Gad Shayne , Bouchard Guy , Stricker-Krongrad Alain
Published: February 2017

A functional observational battery (FOB) is recommended as the first-tier neurotoxicity screening in the preclinical safety pharmacology testing guidelines. Minipigs have increasingly been used in regulatory toxicology studies; however, no current FOB protocol is available for neurotoxicity testing in these species. Hence, a minipig FOB instrument was developed. A complete crossover study with Sinclair minipigs was performed to evaluate physiologic, neurologic, and behavioral effects of amphetamine, ketamine, and diazepam. The treated minipigs were first observed in their home cage, were video-recorded for 10 minutes in an open field, and then went through a complete neurologic examination. Both ketamine and diazepam were shown to reduce the freezing and behavior shifts of treated minipigs, while increasing their exploratory behaviors. Both drugs also caused muscular and gait impairment. The effects of ketamine and diazepam were consistent with their roles as central nervous system (CNS) suppressants. Unique effects were also observed with ketamine and diazepam treatments, which may reflect their unique mechanisms of action. Consistent with its role as a CNS stimulant, amphetamine caused the treated minipigs to be hyperactive and to display increased freezing and behavior shifts and reduced exploring activities. These effects of amphetamine were opposite to those observed with ketamine and diazepam. Amphetamine also increased locomotion in the treated minipigs. The present effects of amphetamine, ketamine, and diazepam are in agreement with observations by others. In conclusion, the minipig is a suitable species for FOB evaluation of pharmaceuticals in preclinical safety pharmacology testing.
Unraveling the Customer Education Paradox
Authors: Bell Simon J. , Auh Seigyoung , Eisingerich Andreas B.
Published: February 2017

Customer education or the extent to which firms are seen as providing customers with the skills and abilities to utilize critical information is often considered a valuable augmentation to a firm’s service offerings. Yet, many firms are hesitant to invest in customer education efforts for fear that it will equip customers with the skills to shop around and possibly switch providers. The purpose of this research is to understand the circumstances under which customer education ties customers more closely to a firm or encourages customers to leave. Specifically, our studies show that an understanding of this paradox of customer education lies in the specificity of customer expertise that is built as a result of customer education initiatives. The results demonstrate that educating customers for firm-specific expertise leads to increased loyalty, while building market-related expertise may decrease customer loyalty. A critical practical implication of our findings therefore is the need for managers to understand the varying effects of enhancing customers’ firm-specific versus market-related expertise and to consider customer education initiatives proactively.
Comparative Evaluation of Pain, Stress, Neuropeptide Y, ACTH, and Cortisol Levels Between a Conventional Postoperative Care Protocol and a Fast-Track Recovery Program in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Kapritsou Maria , Papathanassoglou Elizabeth D. , Bozas Evangelos , Korkolis Dimitrios P. , Konstantinou Evangelos A. , Kaklamanos Ioannis , Giannakopoulou Margarita
Published: February 2017

Background:

Fast-track (FT) postoperative protocol in oncological patients after major abdominal surgery reduces complications and length of postoperative stay compared to the conventional (CON) protocol. However, stress and pain responses have not been compared between the two protocols.

Objectives:

To compare stress, pain, and related neuropeptidic responses (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], cortisol, and neuropeptide Y [NPY]) between FT and CON protocols.

Method:

A clinical trial with repeated measurements was conducted (May 2012 to May 2014) with a sample of 63 hepatectomized or pancreatectomized patients randomized into two groups: FT ( n = 29) or CON ( n = 34). Demographic and clinical data were collected, and pain (Visual Analog Scale [VAS] and Behavioral Pain Scale [BPS]) and stress responses (3 self-report questions) assessed. NPY, ACTH, and cortisol plasma levels were measured at T1 = day of admission, T2 = day of surgery, and T3 = prior to discharge.

Results:

ACTHT1 and ACTHT2 levels were positively correlated with self-reported stress levels (ρ = .43 and ρ = .45, respectively, p < .05) in the FT group. NPY levels in the FT group were higher than those in the CON group at all time points ( p ≤ .004); this difference remained significant after adjusting for T1 levels through analysis of covariance for age, gender, and body mass index ( F = .003, F = .149, F = .015, respectively, p > .05).

Conclusions:

Neuropeptidic levels were higher in the FT group. Future research should evaluate this association further, as these biomarkers might serve as objective indicators of postoperative pain and stress.
Closing Remarks: Moana Education: Disciplinary Practice VS. form of Social Activity
Authors: Māhina Hūfanga ‘Okusitino
Published: February 2017

In the Moana generally, and in Tonga specifically, it is thought that, in a circular style, people walk forward into the past, and walk backward into the future, both in the present, where the seemingly fixed past and elusively yet-to-take-place future, are constantly mediated in the conflicting, ever-changing present. Thus, the Tongan conception of time and space is underlined by a sense of realism, aestheticism and classicism.
Literary Translation and its Limitations in the Wider Spectrum of Cross Cultural Communication
Authors: Dutta Hemanga
Published: February 2017

This paper aims at exploring the issue of whether it is possible to treat translation simply as a strategy in which semantic equivalence between the source language and the target language is established, especially in the context of literary translation which involves socio cultural communication, understanding of register, role relations and attitudinal aspects of language. To what extent a translator can contribute in bridging the gap caused by culture and geography is a question of great concern, as all literary texts are deeply couched in the socially determined and historically grown matrix of a particular culture, which proves to be a major impediment in translation. For example, a culturally specific term in source language may not have the corresponding word in the target language and some words have great suggestiveness in certain contexts whereas some images hardly have equivalents in other languages. To authenticate this point, a few examples of Assamese proverbs and idioms are considered that are very much grounded in the Assamese cultural fabric. In addition to these proverbs, the lexical items used in Assamese traditional folk songs are considered, which can pose difficulties for literary translators.
Tālanga: Theorizing a Tongan Mode of Interpretation
Authors: Vaka'uta Nāsili
Published: February 2017

This article explores an alter-native (that is, to use native insights to alter existing knowledge and modes, and to alter native insights if they tend to serve the interests of colonizers/outsiders rather than the colonized/locals) way of reading the Bible based on the Tongan notion of tālanga, and from the perspective of a Tongan tu'a (commoner). The intention is to contribute in a small way to the ongoing attempt by indigenous scholars to promote a shift from the restrictive tendency of Western scholarship into a more open mode; from one that is dictated by disciplinary questions to another that is shaped by practical questions; from approaches that serve academia to ones that serve the community in which real people live. The term tālanga is herein defined as a way of being and a way of speaking, and thus theorized as a way of reading. Its key elements serve as analytical lenses for a mode of interpretation that aims to be critical and liberating at once.
‘O Se Toe Fafagu Mo Lau Gagana Sāmoa
Authors: Fouvaa Papaliitele Moeimanono , Hunkin Galumalemana Alfred , Amituanai-Toloa Meaola , Fairbairn-Dunlop Tagaloatele Peggy , Leota Salā Faasaulala Tagoilelagi , Kesi Faatamalii , Tapusoa Ene , Fa'Ai'Uaso Pati , Isara Sa'Ulalotoa Tavita , Faalogo Tapeni , Tiai Oliva , Mafaufau Tainafi , Wilson Salainaoloa , Rimoni Valerie , Refiti Lealiifano Albert , Natanielu Sonny , Talia Faasolo , Tuagalu I'U , Faiva Paula , Mcfall-Mccaffery Judy Taligalu
Published: February 2017

The decline of the Samoan language spoken by Samoan people in New Zealand is ringing alarm bells for the Samoan community. It is a serious issue and a challenge facing the Samoan people. A study conducted in South Auckland in 2002 entitled “Languages of Manukau” has concluded that Pasifika languages in New Zealand, including the Samoan language, are declining (Bell, Starks, & Taumoefolau, 2002). Further decline from 48% to 44%, particularly in the case of New Zealand-born Samoans who can speak Samoan, was registered in the 2006 Census (Collins, 2008). The objective of this paper is to examine practices and strategies collected from various narratives and comments the Samoan Talanoa Group brought to the discussion table. These stories reflect the situation and some of the causes of language loss, and may lead to effective strategies to minimize and address the issue facing the Samoan people. These practices may become leading paradigms that will empower and reinforce the maintenance of the Samoan language in New Zealand.
Epistemological Pluralism
Authors: Andreotti Vanessa , Ahenakew Cash , Cooper Garrick
Published: February 2017

This paper offers a brief analysis of aspects related to the significance and the complexities of introducing “different” epistemologies in higher education teaching and learning. We start by introducing the metaphors of abyssal thinking, epistemic blindness and ecologies of knowledge in the work of Boaventura de Souza Santos. In the second part of the paper we use Santos’ metaphors to engage with the tensions of translating aboriginal epistemologies into non-aboriginal languages, categories and technologies. In the third part, we offer a situated illustration of an attempt to introduce epistemological pluralism in addressing central concepts in teaching in higher education. In our conclusion we emphasize that political, ontological and metaphysical questions need to be considered very carefully in the process of introducing different epistemologies into higher education.
Contrast in the Politics of Recognition and Indigenous People's Rights
Authors: Debelo Asebe Regassa
Published: February 2017

The persistent claims of indigenous peoples across the world for recognition of their distinctive culture, ownership of land and empowerment of their traditional political institutions have been brought into international forums since the 1970s. Despite the fact that the movement brought different levels of “recognition” of indigenous peoples as distinct groups with varying degrees of entitlements, there are contrasting paradigms. The rhetoric politics of recognition under the tenets of democracy and protection of human rights on the one hand, and the increasing trend in ideologies of developmentalism that increased the scale of “development” projects on traditional lands of indigenous peoples on the other, are the major contradictory trends. While the former puts nation states and international institutions under incompatible policy options, the latter makes indigenous peoples prey to “neo-development” approaches. This paper assesses background contexts of some indigenous peoples’ claims for resource rights and the challenges they face in achieving recognition, by addressing competing perspectives on the ideologies of developmentalism and international human rights as related to indigenous peoples.
Factors Influencing Access to Urban General Practices and Primary Health Care by Aboriginal Australians—A Qualitative Study
Authors: Lau Phyllis , Pyett Priscilla , Burchill Marlene , Furler John , Tynan Michael , Kelaher Margaret , Liaw Siaw-Teng
Published: February 2017

This paper aims to explore the barriers and facilitators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with chronic disease to access urban, mainstream general practice and primary health care. Six focus groups and five interviews were conducted with 40 participants that included Aboriginal people with diabetes, health service providers and policy makers. Using diabetes as the exemplar, participants were asked to relate their own experiences of diabetes management. Data was thematically analysed. Two overarching themes and seven other factors were identified as influencing Aboriginal people's access to health services. Cultural competence can be achieved within a health service when all nine factors are addressed in the context of the local community. Closing the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians requires a particular sensitivity and understanding of the facilitators and barriers for urban Aboriginal people accessing mainstream health services.
Huron Socialism
Authors: Gagnon Jean-Paul
Published: February 2017

This article conducts a simple comparative analysis between Marxist theory and what is known in the extant literature about Huron government and governance at the village level. This is done to try to understand whether the Huron, prior to European contact, had a form of socialism. A spatial scale taken from Marxist theory (zero is no common ownership of the means of production and one hundred is total ownership) is a heuristic device used to categorize the Huron literature. This study may be important as it could explain a new form of non-normative and pre-colonial political organization. The findings of this study indicate that the Huron Nation had a distinct type of indigenous socialism. However, further investigation into the complex nature of this political structure is needed: so too is an opposite investigation (to the one used herein) into the Huron literature using an inductive method.
Global Declaration and Village Discourses
Authors: Meo-Sewabu Litea , Walsh-Tapiata Wheturangi
Published: February 2017

Years of colonization, modernization and neo-colonial influences have had a significant impact on the development of social policies and in turn a considerable impact on the cultural wellbeing of indigenous peoples throughout Oceania. As indigenous peoples we need to be looking “within” for solutions which enhance wellbeing whilst protecting the cultural heritage of our people. This paper considers the discourse on the preservation of cultural heritage by exploring some international declarations and how they relate to regional, national and grassroots issues in Fiji and the lessons learnt from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Transforming Literacy Research for the Indigenous San of Botswana: Adopting appropriate research methods
Authors: Ketsitlile Lone Elizabeth , Bulawa Philip , Kgathi Onalenna Tiny
Published: February 2017

This paper seeks to advance reasons why appropriate research methods are important in conducting literacy research among the San peoples of Botswana, Southern Africa's first indigenous peoples. According to the Literacy Research Association, literacy research is “dedicated to promoting research that enriches the knowledge, understanding, and development of lifespan literacies in a multicultural and multilingual world.” In addition, the research should be “rigorous, methodologically diverse, and socially responsible” (Literacy Research Association, n.d.). The researchers developed an argument for the inclusion of the Southern African Philosophy of Botho (known as Ubuntu in South Africa) as a theoretical framework in San research. According to Chilisa and Preece (2005), Ubuntu/Botho preaches respect for human life, mutual help, generosity, cooperation, respect for elders and social harmony. In addition, Botho can be employed with other frameworks such as Social Construction of Knowledge and Afrocentricity. Currently, the San peoples feel that they do not have a say in their children's education and policies that affect their day-to-day lives. The adoption of relevant and appropriate research methodologies in the San people's research will result in San empowerment not only in literacy development, but in all spheres of life. An important recommendation of this study is that San peoples should be gatekeepers not only in their communities, but also in academia.
Songlines and Touchstones: A study of perinatal health and culture in Greenland
Authors: Montgomery-Andersen Ruth , Borup Ina K.
Published: February 2017

This paper aims to focus on how family and community in Greenland perceive support-giving during the perinatal period. It explores Greenlanders use of storytelling as a health-promoting tool in the perinatal period. It is research set in Greenland, but analysed in a larger context. Using an ethnographic approach to subject matter, the paper is based on a series of qualitative interviews and focus groups conducted between 2003 and 2011 with mothers and fathers. Ethnographic content analysis, interviews and dialogues with Culture Bearers were used to analyse and set the stories into a cultural perspective. The child was described as the centre of the family and the family as the bedrock of life. The mothers, fathers and Culture Bearers presented three main concepts in their stories: 1) my family … a safe harbour, 2) the child as the centre of the family, and 3) the equal sharing of burden and joy.
The Preservation of Canadian Indigenous Language and Culture through Educational Technology
Authors: Kitchenham Andrew
Published: February 2017

This study was a preliminary investigation into the preservation of Indigenous language and culture through educational technology. Using the research methods of an online questionnaire, on-site visits, semi-structured interviews and reflective journals, I examined current methods adopted by Aboriginal Language and Culture (ALC) teachers in British Columbia. This article provides the summary of the online questionnaire. The results indicate that teachers are using a mix of outdated non-technological second-language methods such as flashcards and worksheets with more-recent methods such as Elders and experiential learning. The results also indicate that there is a mismatch between what teachers report as the methods they use and the effectiveness of those methods. The teachers are using technological tools such as interactive whiteboards, digital video cameras and the Internet, but they do not appear to be accessing online resources that are either targeted for Indigenous language use or could be easily adapted for language preservation. The extant literature on Indigenous learning styles and on the use of technology in Indigenous language and culture classrooms supports my findings.
How do Light-Skinned Aboriginal Australians Experience Racism?: Implications for social work
Authors: Bennett Bindi
Published: February 2017

There has been little discussion in Australia about the different experiences of racism directed towards light-skinned Aboriginal people. Research on racism in Australia has tended to incorporate all Aboriginal people and has not examined in detail the experiences of lighter-skinned Aboriginal people. This paper is based on research that was undertaken as part of a study on light-skinned Aboriginal people with little or no community or kinship ties and how they formulated their cultural identity. The author uses the concept of lateral violence to show how many light-skinned Aboriginal people experience racism both from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. This paper highlights the extensive social and psychological consequences of racism and lateral violence and discusses what this means for social work practice in Australia.