bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the impact of cleaning treatments on polystyrene using SEM, AFM and ToF–SIMS
Authors: Fricker Anna L. , McPhail David S. , Keneghan Brenda , Pretzel Boris
Published: June 2017

Concerns about the stability of plastic artefacts are commonly expressed when discussing the conservation of modern materials. One of the factors affecting the degradation of plastics is the presence of soil, degradation products and other contaminants on the surface. Cleaning treatments for plastic artefacts may therefore increase their stability as well as improving their visual appearance. While past studies have shown that dry, aqueous and solvent cleaning can visibly damage a plastic surface, the chemical and physical changes occurring to the surface at the micro-scale have been largely unexplored. In this work time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS) has been used in conjunction with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine the effect of cleaning treatments on the surface of sheet polystyrene. Chemometric analysis of the ToF–SIMS data reveals the presence of surfactant residues and contamination from cleaning agents while physical damage in the form of scratching has been characterised using AFM and SEM. It is anticipated such work will assist in informing future conservation treatments for plastics.
Computational study for reliability improvement of a circuit board
Authors: Abali B. Emek
Published: June 2017

Background

An electronic device consists of electronic components attached on a circuit board. Reliability of such a device is limited to fatigue properties of the components as well as of the board. Printed circuit board (PCB) consists of conducting traces and vertical interconnect access (via) out of copper embedded in a composite material. Usually the composite material is fiber reinforced laminate out of glass fibers and polyimid matrix. Different reasons play a role by choosing the components of the laminate for the board, one of them is its structural strength and fatigue properties. An improvement of board’s lifetime can be proposed by using computational mechanics.

Methods

In this work we present the theory and computation of a simplified one layer circuit board conducting electrical signals along its copper via, producing heat that leads to thermal stresses.

Results

Such stresses are high enough to perform a plastic deformation. Although the plastic deformation is small, subsequent use of the electronic device causes accumulating plastic deformation, which ends the lifetime effected by a fatigue failure in the copper via.

Conclusion

Computer simulations provide a convenient method for understanding the nature of this phenomenon as well as predicting the lifetime. We present a coupled and monolithic way for solving the multiphysics problem of this electro-thermo-mechanical system, numerically, by using finite element method in space and finite difference method in time.
Identification of factors predicting scar outcome after burn injury in children: a prospective case-control study
Authors: Wallace Hilary J. , Fear Mark W. , Crowe Margaret M. , Martin Lisa J. , Wood Fiona M.
Published: June 2017

Background

There is a lack of rigorous research investigating the factors that influence scar outcome in children. Improved clinical decision-making to reduce the health burden due to post-burn scarring in children will be guided by evidence on risk factors and risk stratification. This study aimed to examine the association between selected patient, injury and clinical factors and the development of raised scar after burn injury. Novel patient factors were investigated including selected immunological co-morbidities (asthma, eczema and diabetes type 1 and type 2) and skin pigmentation (Fitzpatrick skin type).

Methods

A prospective case-control study was conducted among 186 children who sustained a burn injury in Western Australia. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between explanatory variables and a defined outcome measure: scar height measured by a modified Vancouver Scar Scale (mVSS).

Results

The overall correct prediction rate of the model was 80.6%; 80.9% for children with raised scars (>1 mm) and 80.4% for children without raised scars (≤1 mm). After adjustment for other variables, each 1% increase in % total body surface area (%TBSA) of burn increased the odds of raised scar by 15.8% (95% CI = 4.4–28.5%). Raised scar was also predicted by time to healing of longer than 14 days (OR = 11.621; 95% CI = 3.727–36.234) and multiple surgical procedures (OR = 11.521; 1.994–66.566).

Conclusions

Greater burn surface area, time to healing of longer than 14 days, and multiple operations are independently associated with raised scar in children after burn injury. Scar prevention strategies should be targeted to children with these risk factors.
Business and the Making of American Econometrics, 1910–1940
Authors: Stapleford Thomas A.
Published: June 2017

From 1910–1940, the practice of business and the practice of economics came to inform one another in novel ways, a reconfiguration that included the emergence of econometrics. The core locus for this intersection came from the rise of commercial forecasting—whether analyses of future demand, price and cost fluctuations, or financial markets—based on the analysis of statistical data. Forecasting united a suite of specific interactions with the practice of economics: business support for the construction of specific economic data (making possible new forms of econometric analysis); the creation of a new social role: the economist/business expert with advanced academic training (who engaged in both practices and used each to serve the other); and the consequent development of new knowledge (especially in demand analysis and financial economics).
The Harvard Research Center in Entrepreneurial History and the Daimonic Entrepreneur
Authors: Fredona Robert , Reinert Sophus A.
Published: June 2017

This paper sketches the intellectual history of the Research Center in Entrepreneurial History, founded at Harvard in 1948, which helped established the contours of business history as a discipline. This history was shaped by the rivalry between N. S. B. Gras, the “father of business history,” and Arthur H. Cole, which defined still extant polarities in the field of business history. It provides context for the emergence of the figure of the “entrepreneur,” conceived of as an ambiguous and potent force of creative destruction, and of entrepreneurship as business history's preeminent and vital dynamic. The paper focuses on German émigré Fritz L. Redlich, who was central to the Center's work, and whose “creative entrepreneur” was conceived in explicit relation to the daimon, the godlike, frighteningly ambiguous, and often destructive power of inspiration and creativity.
“Fraught with Controversy”: Organizing Expertise against Contingent Valuation
Authors: Maas Harro , Svorenčík Andrej
Published: June 2017

This paper examines consulting and expert work performed by (experimental) economists for the Exxon Valdez litigation case. One of the issues at stake was the use of a specific method, contingent valuation, to estimate the so-called passive use value part of the damage resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill of March 24, 1989. Our interest is less in the possibilities of using contingent valuation to estimate passive use values as such, and more in the dynamics of consulting and expert work itself, which in litigation cases mostly remains hidden behind the veil of contracts. Because Exxon went explicitly public in the Exxon Valdez case, this veil can be partially lifted. In contrast with Public Trustees, who submitted a monetary damage estimate to the Court, Exxon decided to follow a radically different strategy: it organized an all-out assault on the method by which such a monetary estimate was most likely to be produced. That strategy cut across social and epistemic commitments of different segments of the economics discipline, raising questions about the different meanings of expertise, and the role of economists in the legal, business, and public domain. This paper aims to address these questions.
The Social Trajectory of a Finance Professor and the Common Sense of Capital
Authors: Fourcade Marion , Khurana Rakesh
Published: June 2017

This paper traces the career of Michael Jensen, a Chicago finance PhD turned Harvard Business School professor to reveal the intellectual and social conditions that enabled the emergence and institutionalization of what we call the “neoliberal common sense of capital,” what others have called the “shareholder value” view of the American firm. Jensen's work was embraced by a generation of corporate raiders aggressively advancing new financial practices and discourses. His contribution, commonly understood as “agency theory,” was intertwined with the transformations in corporate management and governance of the last decades of the twentieth century—from the junk bond market in the 1980s to the exponential growth of CEO pay in the 1990s to the shareholder value management strategies of the 2000s. While debates about the spread of neoliberal ideas and governance tools have largely centered on the transformations of the state and international institutions or the role of actively organized intellectual networks, this essay emphasizes the importance of identifying specific carriers of particular transformations within the space of American “business discourse.”
“Finally, She’s Accepted Herself!”
Authors: Clare Stephanie D.
Published: June 2017

The out gay subject is the well-adjusted, neoliberal subject. This essay investigates contemporary lesbian and gay coming out narratives, tracing how the “problem” with gay and lesbian identities appears therein not as one’s gender or sexual queerness but as one’s (potential) lack of self-acceptance and self-assertion. These new coming out narratives at once both disavow and point to the continued presence of heteronormativity and queer oppression in everyday life. They also index widespread adherence not only to a neoliberal model of the self as transparent and naturally self-interested but also to the conservative concepts of adjustment and adaptation that are central both to neoliberal governance and to the psychological movement that sought to depathologize homosexuality.
Camp’s Distribution
Authors: Dango Michael
Published: June 2017

This article theorizes camp as an aesthetic category that references the divided parts of global society, or the moment of political economy called distribution. By completing Sianne Ngai’s unfinished taxonomy of aesthetic categories, I simultaneously collect a promiscuous archive of contemporary cultural materials (classics like the movies of John Waters and the early performances of Bette Midler, as well as such recent works as Zadie Smith’s novel White Teeth, the television show Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, and music videos by Fergie, Nicki Minaj, and Psy) and show how this archive provides lessons on the distribution of wealth, precarity, and belonging in our world.
Terminality
Authors: Farman Abou
Published: June 2017

This article is an attempt, through a personal encounter with terminal cancer, to elaborate some of what terminality consists in, compared with other similar concepts, such as living in prognosis, dying, or suspension. The terminal body is a body from which promise, hope, and potential have been withdrawn. Linking it in part to the secular elimination of the afterlife and the confinement of person to a finite body whose time is limited entirely to itself, such that time and body become coterminous, the author argues that terminality changes the embodiment of time in a specific way: feeling temporality as a countdown in hours, days, or months, terminality is experienced as a body ticking with the sound of its own end.
Pedagogical Assistance to Moral Improvement of the Personality
Authors: Корнилова  , Kornilova Victoria
Published: June 2017

article is devoted to a research of pedagogical assistance to moral improvement of the personality. The author describes the content of moral aspect of education of future bachelors of the communication directions of preparation at the higher school and emphasizes importance of the appeal to modern moral look of the graduate. In article forms and methods of pedagogical assistance to moral improvement of the personality in the conditions of federal higher education institution are offered. According to the researcher, the special attention is deserved by the questions connected with forming of professionally important moral values in the sphere of mass communication, which are a consequence of educational process, and creation of necessary pedagogical conditions
Does Provider Self‐Reporting of Etiquette Behaviors Improve Patient Experience? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Siddiqui Zishan , Qayyum Rehan , Bertram Amanda , Durkin Nowella , Kebede Sosena , Ponor Lucia , Oduyebo Ibironke , Allen Lisa , Brotman Daniel J.
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND

There is a glaring lack of published evidence‐based strategies to improve the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient experience scores on the physician domain. Strategies that have been used are resource intensive and difficult to sustain.

OBJECTIVE

We hypothesized that prompting providers to assess their own etiquette‐based practices every 2 weeks over the course of 1 year would improve patient experience on the physician domain.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

4 acute care hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospitalists.

INTERVENTION

Hospitalists were randomized to the study or the control arm. The study arm was prompted every 2 weeks for 12 months to report how frequently they engaged in 7 best‐practice bedside etiquette behaviors. Control arm participants received similarly worded questions on quality improvement behaviors.

MEASUREMENT

Provider experience scores were calculated from the physician HCAHPS and Press Ganey survey provider items.

RESULTS

Physicians reported high rates of etiquette‐based behavior at baseline, and this changed modestly over the study period. Self‐reported etiquette behaviors were not associated with experience scores. The difference in difference analysis of the baseline and postintervention physician experience scores between the intervention arm and the control arm was not statistically significant (P = 0.71).

CONCLUSION

In this 12‐month study, biweekly reflection and reporting of best‐practice bedside etiquette behaviors did not result in significant improvement on physician domain experience scores. It is likely that hospitalists' self‐assessment of their bedside etiquette may not reflect patient perception of these behaviors. Furthermore, hospitalists may be resistant to improvement in this area since they rate themselves highly at baseline.
Prognostic Value of Braden Activity Subscale for Mobility Status in Hospitalized Older Adults
Authors: Valiani Vincenzo , Chen Zhiguo , Lipori Gigi , Pahor Marco , Sabbá Carlo , Manini Todd M.
Published: June 2017

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the predictive value of the Activity subscale of the Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk in assessing mobility impairment and recovery among hospitalized older adults.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

UF Health Shands Hospital, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

PATIENTS

19,769 older adults (≥65 years) hospitalized between January 2009 and April 2014.

MEASUREMENTS

Incident mobility impairment and recovery were assessed with the Braden Activity subscale (BAS) score that nurses use to grade patients at every shift change (~3 times/d). Posthospital mortality rate and discharge disposition were used to assess the prognostic value of the BAS.

RESULTS

Of the 10,717 study patients observed “walking frequently” at admission, 2218 (20.7%) developed incident mobility impairment. Of the other 9052 study patients, who were impaired at admission, 4734 (52.3%) recovered to a state of walking occasionally or frequently. Older adults who developed mobility impairment during hospitalization had an odds of death higher than that of those who remained mobile (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08‐1.39). This effect predominately occurred within the first 6 follow‐up months. Older adults who recovered from mobility impairment had an odds of death lower than that of those who did not recover mobility in the hospital (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.59). This effect was slightly stronger within the first 6 months after hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' BAS assessment of mobility status during hospitalization provides substantial prognostic value in hospitalized older adults. The BAS could be an efficient and valuable source of information about mobility status for targeting posthospital care of older adults.
Association Between Opioid and Benzodiazepine Use and Clinical Deterioration in Ward Patients
Authors: Lyons Patrick G. , Snyder Ashley , Sokol Sarah , Edelson Dana P. , Mokhlesi Babak , Churpek Matthew M.
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND

Opioids and benzodiazepines are frequently used in hospitals, but little is known about outcomes among ward patients receiving these medications.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between opioid and benzodiazepine administration and clinical deterioration.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study.

SETTING

500‐bed academic urban tertiary‐care hospital.

PATIENTS

All adults hospitalized on the wards from November 2008 to January 2016 were included. Patients who were “comfort care” status, had tracheostomies, sickle‐cell disease, and patients at risk for alcohol withdrawal or seizures were excluded.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was the composite of intensive care unit transfer or ward cardiac arrest. Discrete‐time survival analysis was used to calculate the odds of this outcome during exposed time periods compared to unexposed time periods with respect to the medications of interest, with adjustment for patient demographics, comorbidities, severity of illness, and pain score.

RESULTS

In total, 120,518 admissions from 67,097 patients were included, with 67% of admissions involving opioids, and 21% involving benzodiazepines. After adjustment, each equivalent of 15 mg oral morphine was associated with a 1.9% increase in the odds of the primary outcome within 6 hours (odds ratio [OR], 1.019; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.013‐1.026; P < 0.001), and each 1 mg oral lorazepam equivalent was associated with a 29% increase in the odds of the composite outcome within 6 hours (OR, 1.29; CI, 1.16‐1.45; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Among ward patients, opioids were associated with increased risk for clinical deterioration in the 6 hours after administration. Benzodiazepines were associated with even higher risk. These results have implications for ward‐monitoring strategies.
Forgotten but Not Gone: Update on Measles Infection for Hospitalists
Authors: Kobaidze Ketino , Wallace Gregory
Published: June 2017

Measles (rubeola) continues to be endemic and epidemic in many regions of the world. Measles is primarily a disease of childhood, but it can also affect adult populations, and therefore it is important that both adult and pediatric hospitalist physicians be able to recognize it. Although the disease is rarely encountered in the United States, measles infection can spread rapidly across vulnerable populations. In addition, infected adults can develop complications that may require hospitalization for treatment. This review summarizes the typical clinical course and complications of measles infection, along with recommendations for diagnosis and management for both adult and pediatric hospitalists.
iolência contra a mulher: levantamento de casos registrados em uma Delegacia do Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil
Authors: Caetano Araújo Paula , Ísper Garbin Artênio José , Moreira Arcieri Renato , Saliba Rovida Tânia Adas , Reatto Diogo , Saliba Garbin Cléa Adas
Published: June 2017

Introdução: a violência contra mulheres é muito signi cativa, pois compreende uma problemática que não se restringe só a determinadas regiões, mas que possui alcance mundial. Este estudo transversal quantitativo teve como objetivo identi car o per l dos agressores e das vítimas e caracterizar as agressões. Materiais e metodos: realizou-se o levantamento de dados em uma Delegacia de Mulheres, Idosos e Crianças de um município do oeste do estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Para a análise descritiva foram avaliadas as variáveis: tipo de agressão, sexo da vítima, sexo do agressor, grau de parentesco, idade da vítima, idade do agressor, data da agressão, hora da agressão, motivação para a agressão, zona corporal afetada e recidiva. Analisaram-se os registros de ocorrências datadas de julho a dezembro de 2013. Resultados: observou-se a existência de 247 registros de violência contra mulheres. Na maioria, as vítimas eram mulheres jovens, entre 20-35 anos de idade (77%). O agressor, no 89,8% dos casos, era do sexo masculino, com faixa etária entre 28-45 anos (82%). As agressões ocorriam pela tarde (31%) e pela noite (30%) a forma de violência predominante foi a verbal (48,4%). O motivo que mais gerava violência era a tentativa do casal de pôr m à sua relação sentimental (35%). Ressalta-se que houve recidiva nas situações de agressão no 54,5 das ocorrências. Conclusão: são elevados os índices de violência contra mulheres neste município de Minas Gerais. Recomenda-se o desenvolvimento de estratégias mais efetivas no combate à violência contra mulheres, com prioridade à prevenção e qualidade de vida das mulheres vitimizadas.
Relação entre o apoio social e as complicações agudas da diabetes tipo 2: um estudo de corte transversal
Authors: Teherán Valderrama Aníbal Alfonso , Mejía Guatibonza María Camila , Álvarez Meza Luz Jannelle , Muñoz Ramírez Yenny José , Barrera Céspedes María Claudia , Cadavid González Vanessa
Published: June 2017

Objetivo: avaliar a relação entre apoio social e a frequência de pacientes com complicações agudas da diabetes tipo 2. Materiais e metodos. Se realizou um estudo de corte transversal em pacien- tes com Diabetes mellitus tipo 2 que ingressaram a uma clínica de III nível entre 2014 e 2015. Mediu-se a percepção de apoio social (média, IC95%) com o Questionário do Estudo de Desen- laces Médicos de Apoio Social (MOS) nos pacientes com e sem complicações agudas da diabetes; aplicou-se um modelo de regressão logística para identi car variáveis preditoras de complicações agudas. Resultados: incluíram-se 205 pacientes, idade mediana (p25-p75) 66 anos (56-76), 51,2% mulheres, 56,6% casados, 50,7% com complicações agudas, a maioria com apoio social (83,6%; IC95%, 76,1%-91,2%); a média de apoio social global em pacientes sem complicações agudas foi 78,9 (76,8-88,1), com complicações 70,8 (68,3-73,2) para uma diferença entre grupos de 8,2 (IC95%, 4,9-11,4). A falta de apoio social (β:3,581), o intervalo de concentração de glicose entre 177-309 ao ingresso (β:2,930), estar casado (β:1,845) ou em tratamento com insulina (β:1,672), foram preditores das complicações agudas da diabetes. Conclusão: os pacientes com complicações agudas apresentaram pontuações mais baixos de apoio social e a falta de apoio social se relacionou com outras variáveis sociodemográ cas/clínicas para predizer o risco de complicações agudas. Deve explorar-se ao apoio social como uma opção para melhorar as estratégias de tratamento nos pacientes diabéticos.
Risk factors Associated to Extubation Failure in Adult Patients in an Intensive Care Unit of the City of Cali
Authors: Alomía Deiby , Coral Mirdza , Ortegón Sindy , Soto Rodolfo , Muñoz Vilma
Published: June 2017

Objective: To identify risk factors associated with failed extubation in adult patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit of a level III hospital of Cali, during the period of June 2012 to June 2014. Materials and methods: Case-control study of adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation greater than 48 hours. Patients who failed extubation (cases) were compared with patients who were successfully extubated (control), age, oxygenation index PaO2/FIO2, fluid balance, hemoglobin, days of mechanical ventilation, type of weaning and mortality were analyzed. Results: The study population consisted of 130 patients, of whom 26 (20%) had failed extubation (cases). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding age, gender, diagnosis and comorbidities. Prolonged weaning was the only factor associated with failed extubation 3,17 (95% ci 1,01-9,90). No statistically significant relationship between PaO2/FIO2, Hb, fluid balance or Apache II scale and the occurrence of failed extubation were observed. Mortality was higher in the case group (23,1% vs 2,9%) with an or 10,1 (95% ci 1,9-65,8). Conclusions: Prolonged weaning was the only factor associated with extubation failure. The risk of dying from a patient with a failed extubation was 10 times the risk of a patient with a successful extubation.
Pilot Study. Changes in the Score of the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (linq) After an Educational Intervention in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease
Authors: Rosero-Carvajal Hamilton Elias , Cuero-Campaz Diego Fernando , Arias-Balanta Álvaro Javier , Wilches-Luna Esther Cecilia
Published: June 2017

Introduction: To describe the changes in the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (linq) score after an educational intervention in patients with chronic respiratory disease in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (pr) program from Cali, Colombia, between November 2011 and April 2012. Materials and methods: Quasi-experimental study. The linq questionnaire was used to assess the need for education and to design the educational component that consisted of individual and group educational sessions twice a week. At the end of the RP program, the change generated in the domains of the linq was determined. Results: Of 61 participants, 21 completed the 2 phases of the study; 51.7 % were female, mean age was 55 (sd 15), 38.1 % were single and 47.6 % were primary school. The linq score pre-rehabilitation was 9.4 (sd 3.5) and post-rehabilitation 5.8 (sd 2.5), with statistically signifIcant differences (p < 0.05) in all domains, except for medicament. Conclusion: 100 % of the patients needed some degree of educational information at the beginning of the pr. The educational program for this population resulted in improvement of the linq score at the end of the rehabilitation.
Síndrome toracoabdominal: reporte de un caso en un museo de morfología
Authors: Ayala Zapata Sebastián , Perlaza Néstor Alonso , Noguera Julio , Calle Alejandra , Saldarriaga Wilmar
Published: June 2017

Introducción: el síndrome toracoabdominal (STA) se caracteriza por la inconstante asociación entre defectos de la pared toracoabdominal y otros defectos de línea media, por lo que recientemente se ha incluido a la pentalogía de Cantrell, dentro de su espectro de presentación. Se ha postulado que su etiología corresponde a una alteración en la región Xq25-Xq26,1 con un patrón de herencia dominante ligada al cromosoma X y de penetrancia completa. Aún no se ha logrado determinar la prevalencia de este síndrome. Presentación del caso: se reporta el caso de un feto masculino perte- neciente a la colección del Museo de Morfología de la Universidad Libre (Cali-Colombia), al cual se le realizó una tomografía axial computarizada (TAC) y un proceso de inspección macroscópica por segmentos en compañía de un morfólogo y un genetista, quienes reportaron la presencia de labio  surado izquierdo y paladar hendido, sindactilia, defecto de la pared toracoabdominal con protrusión de múltiples órganos incluyendo el corazón, escoliosis severa, ausencia de esternón y pie equinovaro. Conclusiones: se reporta un feto masculino con hallazgos macroscópicos de defectos severos de línea media en cara y pared toracoabdominal, incluyendo ectopia cordis. Se hizo diagnóstico diferencial con pentalogía de Cantrell y complejo cuerpo extremidad. Con la sumatoria de los hallazgos se concluyó como diagnóstico de nitivo para este caso el STA.
The Operational Advantages of Threshold Discounting Offers
Authors: Marinesi Simone , Girotra Karan , Netessine Serguei
Published: June 2017

We study threshold discounting, or the practice of offering a discounted-price service if at least a prespecified number of customers signal interest in it, as pioneered by Groupon. We model a capacity-constrained firm, a random-sized population of strategic customers, a desirable hot period, and a less desirable slow period. Compared to a more traditional approach (slow period discounting or closure), threshold discounting has two operational advantages. First, the contingent discount temporally balances demand when the market for the service is large, and reduces supply of the service (preserving higher margins) when the market is small, allowing the firm to respond to the service’s unobserved market potential. Second, activation of the threshold discount signals the market state and the consequent service availability to strategic customers, inducing them into self-selecting the consumption period to one that improves the firm’s capacity utilization. Yet, threshold discounting can be harmful in situations with chronically low demand. In contrast with past work on strategic customers, their presence is advantageous to firms in our context. A calibrated numerical study shows that threshold discounting improves firm profits over a traditional approach by as much as 33% (7% on average).

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2740 .

This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
Information and Ambiguity: Toward a Foundation of Nonexpected Utility
Authors: Amarante Massimiliano
Published: June 2017

The concept of ambiguity designates those situations where the information available to the decision maker is insufficient to form a probabilistic view of the world. Thus, it has provided the motivation for departing from the subjective expected utility (SEU) paradigm. Yet, the formalization of the concept is missing. This is a grave omission as it leaves nonexpected utility models hanging on shaky ground. In particular, it leaves unanswered basic questions such as the following: (1) Does ambiguity exist? (2) If so, which situations should be labeled as “ambiguous”? (3) Why should one depart from SEU in the presence of ambiguity? (4) If so, what kind of behavior should emerge in the presence of ambiguity? The present paper fills these gaps. Specifically, it identifies those information structures that are incompatible with SEU theory, and shows that their mathematical properties are the formal counterpart of the intuitive idea of insufficient information. These are used to give a formal definition of ambiguity and, consequently, to distinguish between ambiguous and unambiguous situations. Finally, the paper shows that behavior not conforming to SEU theory must emerge in correspondence of insufficient information and identifies the class of non-EU models that emerge in the face of ambiguity. The paper also proposes a new comparative definition of ambiguity, and discusses its relation with some of the existing literature.
Situating self-precarisation: cultural production, subjectification
and resistance in kleines postfordistisches Drama's Kamera
Läuft!
Authors: Sarah Charalambides
Published: June 2017

In the current conditions of governance, cultural producers seem to willingly
subordinate themselves to the dispositions of power, by aligning to the
neoliberal model of labour through the adoption of entrepreneurial
self-practices. This article explores how the concept of ‘self-precarisation’ is
debated and negotiated through Kamera Läuft! (Camera
Rolling!), a video project made in 2004 by the Berlin-based group
kleines postfordistisches Drama (Small postFordist Drama). Situating the
everyday lived experiences of cultural producers in a public sphere, kleines
postfordistisches Drama problematises the possibilities for critical agency and
collective resistance under the conscious and voluntary acceptance of precarious
labour in the 21st century.
Introduction
Authors: Gerson Loyd P.
Published: June 2017

Introduction
The twofold requirements of truth and justice in the Gorgias
Authors: Renaud François
Published: June 2017

This paper examines Plato’s views about the unity of argument and drama, and asks why Plato never made his views on this unity fully explicit. Taking the Gorgias as a case study it is argued that unity rests on the conception of refutative dialectic as justice and on the principle of self-consistency of thought and desire. As compared to the treatise, the dialogue form has the advantage of being able to defend these substantive views in action and thus to demonstrate the performative contradictions in the ideas of one’s opponents.
The value of rule in Plato’s dialogues: a reply to Melissa Lane
Authors: Ebrey David
Published: June 2017

I examine Melissa Lane’s claim that antianarchia is an element of Plato’s political thought. Plato’s antianarchia, she claims, is his profound rejection of political anarchy and corresponding general commitment to the value of rulers and officeholders. I argue that while Socrates is committed to antianarchia in the Republic and other dialogues, he is not committed to it in the Socratic dialogues. Where we might expect antianarchia in those dialogues we instead find Socrates simply committed to the value of being lawful and the value of being ruled by those with knowledge. I suggest that we can think of the Socratic dialogues as having a distinctive place within the structure of Plato’s corpus without thinking that they were composed earlier in his life or that they served a specific pedagogical function. I end by suggesting that what is most interesting about Plato’s antianarchia is how he develops it in the Republic, which we miss if we are focused on Plato’s general commitments, as opposed to the views he develops in specific dialogues.
Dialectic in Plato’s late dialogues
Authors: Sayre Kenneth
Published: June 2017

Plato’s method of hypothesis is initiated in the Meno, is featured in the Phaedo and the Republic, and is further developed in the Theaetetus. His method of collection and division is mentioned in the Republic, is featured in the Phaedrus,and is elaborated with modifications in the Sophist and the Statesman. Both methods aim at definitions in terms of necessary and sufficient conditions. In the course of these developments, the former method is shown to be weak in its treatment of sufficient conditions, and the latter is shown to be comparably weak in its treatment of necessary conditions. A third method, which avoids these difficulties, is introduced in the first part of the Parmenides and is applied in connection with the eight hypotheses that follow. This application yields a demonstration of serious shortcomings both in historical Eleaticism and in the Eleatically-inspired theory of Forms in the Phaedo and the Republic, along with a demonstration of comparative strengths in historical Pythagoreanism and in the Pythagorean- inspiried theory of Forms in the Statesman and the Philebus.
Personal Learning Networks as a Support for Transitioning MSc Students
Authors: Robertson Shona
Published: June 2017

This paper reflects on the lessons learned from an attempt to evaluate an online non-assessed module which was run for the first time in 2016 as part of a larger MSc Social Work module taken by 26 final year students. It uses a Real World Research Approach to consider the lessons which can be learned from research enquiry which yields an unexpected or disappointing response. The paper discusses these lessons learned from initial results in the context of literature on Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) (sometimes referred to as personal learning environments). It uses this literature to explore the context within which students might use PLNs as they transition into becoming newly qualified social workers. It concludes by suggesting that further enquiry into the role of PLNs is required with a further study planned for the next academic year.
‘Multilingual Mindset’: A New Perspective for Student Transition in Higher Education
Authors: Kanaki Argyro
Published: June 2017

Student Transition into and out of higher education (HE) is a theme where a lot has been written, explored and analysed. The aim of this opinion piece is to suggest a new pragmatic definition of ‘transition’, based on multilingual approaches to teaching and learning. It will also demonstrate some areas of relevance for this type of theory, providing a novel perspective in monoglot cultures. After reviewing some definitions of transition suggested by existing academic literature, the paper calls for the establishment of a ‘multilingual mindset’ in the field of HE. A ‘multilingual mindset’ could inform theoretical debate on transition, addressing the existing strong trends for the encouragement of Internationalisation in higher education. It recognises those challenges with transition which stem from cultural and linguistic difference and emphasises particularly those which are invisible, or difficult to approach, in monoglot cultures. Accounts of current practice within the scope of a ‘multilingual mindset’, along with personal reflections from a Scottish University perspective, are considered. The paper is written in the hope of providing food for thought, encouraging further experimentation and, perhaps, public exploration and enhancement of this culturally important perspective: that is dealing with Student Transition in Higher Education with a ‘multilingual mindset’.
Transitions from Undergraduate to Taught Postgraduate Study: Emotion, Integration and Belonging
Authors: McPherson Charlotte , Punch Samantha , Graham Elizabeth
Published: June 2017

The notion and terminology of ‘transition(s)’ have long dominated discussions of pathways from youth to adulthood and have increasingly come to characterise the educational journeys people make, with a strong emphasis on the shift from schooling to undergraduate study. However, the transitional experiences of postgraduate students have been significantly overlooked with powerful presumptions around postgraduate students being educational ‘experts’ and ‘naturals’ obscuring the often highly challenging nature of their transitions. The lack of literature in this field is most pronounced around the taught postgraduate (PGT) population, about whom the least is known. This is due in part to ambiguousness around PGT study itself (Glazer-Raymo, 2005) which falls between the clearly-defined undergraduate and doctoral degrees, and has been declared as the “forgotten sector” (Millward, 2015) of higher education. This paper addresses this gap in understanding by synthesising the available literature on PGT transitions, and on postgraduate transitions more generally, alongside qualitative focus group data from a small-scale project with Masters students and supervisors conducted at a Scottish university. It finds that transitions to PGT education are complex, emotional and challenging for most students, and highlights some institutional practices that can isolate, confuse and hinder the progress of Masters students. Thus, the paper argues that, contrary to conventional assumptions, transitions from undergraduate to PGT education are not inevitably straightforward and can be characterised, at least initially, by anxiety, self-doubt and disorientation. Key challenges for Masters students do not necessarily relate to the higher learning materials, but the lack of clarity around what PGT level study entails and the limited opportunities for integration and sense of belonging. Greater clarity of expectations and earlier feedback, alongside peer support, can help to smooth transitions to postgraduate study. The paper also highlights the particularly difficult transitions of students unfamiliar to the university and identifies challenges specific to funded and non-funded students.
Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk: Are Career Academics Gatekeepers to Students’ Tacit Knowledge?
Authors: Murray Mike David , Tennant Stuart , Forster Alan , Craig Nigel , Copping Alex , Pilcher Nick
Published: June 2017

An opinion piece that argues for  a more balanced portfolio of academic staff within faculty, whereby pracademics are ‘pivotal’ academic staff who can ‘talk the talk and walk the walk’ with students who have industrial placement experience.
An Enhanced Route from FE to HE Graduation?
Authors: Meharg Debbie , Taylor-Smith Ella , Varey Alison , Mooney Carole , Dallas Simone
Published: June 2017

This study explores student transitions from further (FE) to higher (HE) education through the Associate Student Project (ASP) and examines the effectiveness of this enhanced transition programme for direct entry students. Universities are expected to plan transitions for young people, ensuring courses support articulation and provide seamless progression (Scottish Government, 2014). The Access in Scotland Report (Hunter Blackburn, Kadar-Satat, Riddell, & Weedon, 2016) called for further research into retention strategies for disadvantaged students and the development of appropriate support methods. Through the ASP, Edinburgh Napier University has introduced targeted learning opportunities to enhance student progression and attainment, by addressing barriers to success in the different HE environment, creating opportunities for students to develop their confidence and the academic skills which will help them to succeed at university. For some, the journey to university is seen as a ‘rite of passage’ (Giddens, 1991); others have no family history of university study and the journey from college to university is an unknown path. This research makes use of focus groups involving articulating students, both before and after transitions from college into adjacent degree courses, to examine their experience of the transition, combined with data from large scale surveys of all undergraduate students in the School of Computing and the associate students currently studying in college and, importantly, the university’s retention and attainment data.
Student-Led, Individually-Created Courses: Using Structured Reflection within Experiential Learning to Enable Widening Participation Students’ Transitions Through and Beyond Higher Education
Authors: Speirs Neil M , Riley Simon C , McCabe Gavin
Published: June 2017

The notion of students as partners in the co-creation of curricula and indeed co-evaluating or co-grading has shown positive outcomes that include increased engagement and motivation (Cook-Sather, Bovill, & Felten, 2014; Cook-Sather 2014; Cook-Sather & Motz-Storey 2016). In order for a student to be a pedagogical co-designer or indeed a change agent it is reasonable to suggest that they must already possess a substantial level of social and cultural capital (Woolcock, 2001) to enable this engagement. However, students from lower socio-economic status backgrounds are more likely to lack such capital and to not understand the “rules of the game” (Bourdieu, 1990; Bourdieu, 1984). In this situation, the value or pay-off of being involved in such co-design in terms of attribute development through a novel sense of experiential learning, may not be fully appreciated. Therefore, there are likely limits to the extent that co-creation and radical collegiality (Fielding, 1999), will lead to the democratisation of curricula and enhance students’ experiences, irrespective of social background. Despite the barriers outlined above, Student-Led, Individually-Created Courses (SLICCs) are an emerging area of practice at the University of Edinburgh through which widening participation (WP) students are successfully being engaged in the graduate attributes and employability agendas and ultimately in the pedagogical co-design of their own credit-bearing curriculum. SLICCs provide a flexible reflective-learning framework for experiential learning that enables individuals and groups of students to work across disciplinary and structural boundaries. These courses broaden the scope of what is considered to be ‘curricular’, bringing what was previously co- and extra-curricular into the credit-bearing provision. This paper will explore how WP students are engaged in the radical collegiality of SLICCs, despite the many barriers related to capital, through a rational pedagogy as outlined by Bourdieu and Passeron (1979).
The Student Journey – Student as Researcher and Postgraduate Skill Development
Authors: Scally Jennifer , Cameron Andrea Juanita
Published: June 2017

This case study provides a reflective account of the experiences of a student researcher recruited to a project exploring the career journeys of sports graduates from 2000-2015. While a final year undergraduate sport student, the lead author was employed to collect and organise the output for a funded employability transitions project. This article considers the methodology and some of the output from the project, but more specifically focuses on personal skill development and the student’s preparedness for the transition to postgraduate study. The paper provides an overview of what motivated the student to become involved in the project and her early expectations of what being a research assistant would entail. It also charts the evolution of skills across the duration of the project and how these have transferred to her current status as a postgraduate research student. The personal account is contextualised to literature regarding the requirements of postgraduate study and work regarding students as partners, with the reader invited to consider opportunities in their own institutions for this type of development activity, with the aim being to ease transition to this level of study.
Contact with Cultural Others – The Friendship Family Programme
Authors: Ecochard Sidonie , Wright Kirsteen
Published: June 2017

The Friendship Family Programme is a cultural exchange initiative piloted this year at Edinburgh Napier University. It is designed to give international students a chance to have first-hand experience of the local culture and way of life, in addition to life on campus. Students are paired with volunteer staff families, who also get the chance to better understand international transitions and learn about the students' home countries and cultures. The programme was grounded in research findings which indicate that social support and friendship with host nationals reduce the acculturative stress and ease the transition of international students. Indeed, international students do not have a full-scale support system in the United Kingdom (UK) and tend to experience loneliness and homesickness during their stay. Meanwhile, the literature also indicates the need for all university staff to understand the background of their students and to be aware of the unique challenges that confront them in the UK. Internationalisation includes mutual cultural awareness and respect. This ‘On the horizon’ piece introduces the Friendship Family Programme and the rationale behind the initiative, along with testimonials from participants.