bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AIRSE
Authors: Popoveniuc Bogdan
Published: October 2018

The chapter makes a systematic review of the literature on the ethics of artificially intelligent robots (AIRSE) and proposes a classification of ethical discourses related with robots and AI in four categories: weak, moderate, strong, and ultimate. The main arguments and specific problems underlying each of these perspectives on AIRSE, as well as the resulting principles are discussed. The risks, issues, and challenges related with the possibility of technological singularity are also presented in this chapter.
The Internationalization Process of a Born Global
Authors: Moreira António Carrizo , Ramos Mariana , Ferraz Lisa Freitas , Martins Diogo
Published: October 2018

Although companies seek to export in order to meet the growing importance of international markets, vis-à-vis domestic markets, this chapter presents a case study of a company founded by two former high school teachers who started a beverage company in 2015 and quickly reached an early internationalization. The company produces alcoholic beverages and has won international awards regarding the quality of its product, which has given it an important status and opened the door to a process of rapid internationalization. This will be used to explore the theory of entrepreneurship and how two potential entrepreneurs, with employment difficulties in teaching, began with a project that gave birth to a born global firm.
Using Diffusion Model for Prediction and Optimization of Drying Process of Building Material
Authors: Bennamoun Lyes
Published: October 2018

The aim of this chapter is to confirm the possibility of using the simple diffusion model to predict the behavior of a building material during the application of drying process under variable operating conditions. This approach can be considered as a simulation of the effect of the variable climatic conditions on the building material. During this research, the thermo-physical properties of the tested material as well as the drying air are considered as variable and changing with the operating conditions. Accordingly, diffusion coefficient is determined experimentally and is considered as variable with the temperature and the humidity and represented as function of the wet bulb temperature. Two sorts of conditions are tested: constant flux and convective flux. Furthermore, two types of changes are also tested: sudden changes and progressive changes of the drying conditions. The results of the study are mainly represented by the drying curves or the drying kinetics.
The Benefits of Social Networking Sites in Building Reputation for Enterprises
Authors: Carrillo-Durán María Victoria , Tato-Jiménez Juan Luis
Published: October 2018

This chapter aims to clarify the role of social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn in building the reputation of enterprises. SNSs have a vast potential in the digital environment to build reputation and thus a long-term competitive advantage for companies. The chapter opts for a literature review with which to discuss the difficulties and possibilities companies have in building reputation through SNSs. The SNSs used in companies are marketing-centered. Engagement is promoted only with customers, and is short-term and centered on results instead of being long-term and centered on competitive advantage and promoting engagement with different stakeholders. This issue is not dependent on the size of the company. Instead, it is dependent on understanding the concept of reputation from a strategic point of view, with companies adapting their management to their own particularities and to the different possibilities offered by SNSs.
Digital Marketing Strategies Based on the E-Business Model
Authors: Saura Jose Ramon , Palos-Sanchez Pedro R. , Correia Marisol B.
Published: October 2018

One of the most significant changes in the last decade in the business environment has been caused by the development of information technologies and the internet. The internal structure and organization of companies has changed to evolve towards a digital environment influenced by internet business models and digital marketing (DM) techniques. This chapter develops a systematic literature review with the objective of identifying the key players in the business environment with respect to the new business models and digital marketing techniques applied to them, to improve the benefits they bring to the company. The results of the research identify and define the main actors of the electronic commerce (EC) ecosystem, as well as their typologies and the main techniques of DM used in this field of research. The results of the exploratory study can be used for future research in this field and to reinforce the reference bibliography in this area of research.
The FABLAB Movement
Authors: Lena-Acebo Francisco Javier , García-Ruiz María Elena
Published: October 2018

The arrival of collaborative contexts to the global economic stage is a latent reality which threatens to change the traditional production models' operation. Likewise, concepts such as Industry 3.0 or even 4.0 refer to the possibility of providing customers and users with unimaginable possibilities compared to the industrial manufacturing inherited from the past centuries. Within this environment, the fabrication laboratories (FabLabs) emerge. In this chapter, the authors approach an exploratory perspective in order to make known the FabLab movement origin and further worldwide development with the intention to highlight their characteristics and the main difficulties they face nowadays. The growing importance that the FabLabs have achieved despite their novelty justifies the precise study of their characteristics according to the importance related to the strong expansion of these laboratories in this decade and its contribution to a major revolution in the collaborative environments associated with the digital manufacturing.
Making the Most of Big Data for Financial Stability Purposes
Authors: Tissot Bruno
Published: October 2018

Big data has become a key topic in data creation, storage, retrieval, methodology, and analysis in the financial stability area. The flexibility and real-time availability of big data have opened up the possibility of extracting more timely economic signals, applying new statistical methodologies, enhancing economic forecasts and financial stability assessments, and obtaining rapid feedback on policy impacts. But, while public financial authorities appear increasingly interested in big data, their actual use has remained limited, reflecting a number of operational challenges. Moreover, using big data for policy purposes is not without risks, such as that of generating a false sense of certainty and precision. Exploring big data is thus a complex, multifaceted task, and a general and regular production of big data-based information would take time. Looking ahead, it is key to focus on concrete pilot projects and share these experiences. International cooperation would certainly add value in this endeavor.
The Big Data Research Ecosystem
Authors: Strydom Moses John , Buckley Sheryl
Published: October 2018

Big data is the emerging field where innovative technology offers new ways to extract value from an unequivocal plethora of available information. By its fundamental characteristic, the big data ecosystem is highly conjectural and is susceptible to continuous and rapid evolution in line with developments in technology and opportunities, a situation that predisposes the field to research in very brief time spans. Against this background, both academics and practitioners oddly have a limited understanding of how organizations translate potential into actual social and economic value. This chapter conducts an in-depth systematic review of existing penchants in the rapidly developing field of big data research and, thereafter, systematically reviewed these studies to identify some of their weaknesses and challenges. The authors argue that, in practice, most of big data surveys do not focus on technologies, and instead present algorithms and approaches employed to process big data.
Sustainable Rural Development
Authors: Khan Shereen Yunus
Published: October 2018

Sustainable development on social, economic, and ecological dimensions explores the approaches embracing the wellbeing for the rural communities. The chapter initiated with the description of sustainability by providing its comprehensive dimensions, proceeds to development by explaining the essential steps of development process as analysis, requirements, planning, implementation, and evaluation. After in-depth interpretation of sustainability and development, the chapter focused its discussion on sustainable rural development by emphasizing the demarcation of rural communities, their distinctive features and portrayal of needs confronted by rural communities, the core values and importance of sustainable rural development for the general awareness and setting grounds for policy makers. Rural zones are subject to socioeconomic problems. To lead human existence towards prosperity and progression depiction of UN established 17 sustainable development goals known as global goals are undertaken. Measures of sustainable rural development reviewed to recommend new strategies.
Simultaneous bilateral minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty: A comprehensive review of the literature
Authors: Malahias Michael-Alexander , Chulsomlee Kulapat , Thorey Fritz
Published: October 2018

Several studies have reported that minimally- invasive total hip arthroplasty (MISTHA) may significantly reduce postoperative pain and results in faster postoperative rehabilitation when compared with the traditional lateral or posterior approach. Regarding bilateral hip osteoarthritis, there is still no consensus whether simultaneous bilateral MIS-THA can be established as the treatment of choice. Therefore, we searched the international databases of Pubmed, Medline, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using the key words minimally invasive bilateral total hip arthroplasty. From the initial 23 articles we found five clinical studies which met our inclusion criteria. From the perspective of possible intra- and postoperative complications, one-stage bilateral MIS THA was equally safe or safer than two-stage interventions. In addition, from a clinical outcome perspective, the one-stage procedure can be considered to be preferable. Higher blood transfusion requirements, which were expected following the standard bilateral simultaneous THA, seemed to be minimized with the simultaneous bilateral MIS THA. The supine position of the patient minimized the mean operation time. Approaches using the lateral decubitus position of the patient should be avoided in simultaneous bilateral THA due to the increased operation time. There is a lack of randomized, controlled clinical trials, comparing simultaneous bilateral MIS THA with staged bilateral MIS THA. Although simultaneous bilateral MIS THA seems to be efficacious, cost-effective and safe, more clinical trials are required to establish its superiority over the sequential MIS THA.
Die wêreldkonferensie van die wêreldraad van kerke oor kerk en gemeenskap, Geneve 1966
Authors: Mans C.J.
Published: October 2018

No abstract available.
Party political chaplaincy? – Methodist ministry to political parties
Authors: Mtshiselwa Ndikho , Mthembu Simphiwe S.
Published: October 2018

The debate on church and party politics is far from being exhausted in South Africa. Although the Methodist Church of Southern Africa discourages the participation of clergy persons in political parties, it is becoming critical that the church offers a prophetic voice in the political sphere. Issues of morality and spirituality within the political parties necessitate a careful involvement of the Church in politics. This article therefore sets out to offer a theological reflection on the (possible) ministry of Methodist clergy persons to political parties in South Africa.
The ‘persona’ lives of Roman Catholic priests
Authors: Juma James O. , Du Toit Danie , Van der Merwe Karen
Published: October 2018

This study aimed to provide an in-depth description and interpretation of African Roman Catholic Church priests’ experiences integrating African and Western worldviews into their lives and works as Roman Catholic Church priests through the lens of Jungian constructs. Fifteen African priests were purposely selected and interviewed in depth. Additional sources of data were reflexive notes and observation notes. Data were subjected to various iterative cycles of analysis. Most participants (80%) indicated that, in one way or another, they were experiencing conflict in terms of the cultural values of manhood and Roman Catholic Church prescription. Findings suggest that a more concerted and serious effort should be undertaken by the Roman Catholic Church to support and guide its priests on a path of healing, which includes the priests risking cultural openness and being true to themselves and God.
Capabilities expansion for marginalised migrant youths in Johannesburg: The case of Albert Street School
Authors: Mkwananzi Wadzanai F. , Wilson-Strydom Merridy
Published: October 2018

In this article, we used the capability approach as normative grounding to analyse a particular faith-based intervention targeting ‘youth at the margins’ – in this instance, marginalised migrant youths from Zimbabwe living in Johannesburg, South Africa. We used Albert Street School (AS School), run by Johannesburg’s Central Methodist Church, as our case study to show how this faith-based organisation, through its focus on education, created not only spaces for marginalised youths to aspire towards a better life but also practical opportunities to convert their aspirations into action. Drawing on first-hand accounts of 12 Zimbabwean migrant youths who had completed schooling at AS School, as well as of representatives of both the school and the CMC, the article first sketches the Zimbabwe-South Africa migration context post 2000. A discussion then follows of AS School as a faith-based intervention which addresses the constrained capability for education amongst marginalised migrant youths.
Unravelling managerial competencies and the profitability of small technology-oriented businesses: A case of public access venues in an emerging economy
Authors: Rambe Patient
Published: October 2018

Orientation: The tweak speed of technological changes, volatility of domestic markets, shifts in consumer behaviour and homogeneity of Internet-based services are pressurising entrepreneurs operating small technology-oriented businesses such as public access venues (PAVs) (e.g. Internet cafés) to develop a compendium of managerial competencies to deal with these challenges effectively and expeditiously. Yet rigorous research on managerial competencies of Internet café business owners or managers in emerging economies such as South Africa is conspicuously missing, raising critical questions about the perceived significance of such competencies in management and entrepreneurship literature.Research purpose: This research, therefore, examined the managerial competencies discernible among PAV or Internet café owner or managers and their implications for the profitability of their businesses.Motivation for the study: To establish the managerial competencies of PAV or Internet café business owners or managers and their effect on the profitability of their businesses.Research approach/design and method: Drawing on a quantitative approach and a survey design, a structured questionnaire was administered to 152 Internet café owners or managers to establish the influence of their managerial competencies on the profitability of their businesses.Main findings: Three assortments of managerial competencies were evident among Internet café owners or managers, namely, resource management, innovation management and market management capabilities. The results of the Pearson’s correlations revealed that managerial competencies are significantly correlated to business profitability, resource management capabilities have the highest correlation with profitability (Correlation = 0.743, p = 0.000), followed by innovation management capabilities (Correlation = 0.732, p = 0.000) and lastly marketing management capabilities (Correlation = 0.695, p = 0.000).Practical/ managerial implications: Because many businesses were very small establishments, employing less than six employees and with owners or managers who had less than 6 years of experience, it would be critical to establish if the provision of management training to owners or managers from the inception of the business would increase the growth orientation of such businesses. Because resource management capabilities have the highest correlation with firm profitability, the managerial training of small business owners or managers should concentrate more on this dimension compared to other managerial capabilities to improve their competitiveness.Contribution/value-add: Strategic interventions to improve the profitability of these small technology-oriented businesses border on scrupulously addressing and aligning their resource management, innovation management and market management capabilities.
On the First Zassenhaus Conjecture and Direct Products
Authors: Bächle Andreas , Kimmerle Wolfgang , Serrano Mariano
Published: October 2018

In this paper we study the behavior of the first Zassenhaus conjecture (ZC1) under direct products, as well as the General Bovdi Problem (Gen-BP), which turns out to be a slightly weaker variant of (ZC1). Among other things, we prove that (Gen-BP) holds for Sylow tower groups, and so in particular for the class of supersolvable groups.

(ZC1) is established for a direct product of Sylow-by-abelian groups provided the normal Sylow subgroups form together a Hall subgroup. We also show (ZC1) for certain direct products with one of the factors a Frobenius group.

We extend the classical HeLP method to group rings with coefficients from any ring of algebraic integers. This is used to study (ZC1) for the direct product$G\times A$, where$A$is a finite abelian group and$G$has order at most 95. For most of these groups we show that (ZC1) is valid and for all of them that (Gen-BP) holds. Moreover, we also prove that (Gen-BP) holds for the direct product of a Frobenius group with any finite abelian group.
Ana Krajnc: Starejši se učimo: Izobraževanje starejših v teoriji in praksi Ljubljana, Univerza za tretje življenjsko obdobje, združenje za izobraževanje in družbeno vključenost, 2016
Authors: Gregorčič Marta
Published: October 2018

Le dve leti po monografiji Spoznaj sebe in druge zaslužne profesorice ljubljanske univer­ ze, andragoginje dr. Ane Krajnc smo dobili njeno novo monografijo z naslovom Starejši se učimo. Izobraževanje starejših v teoriji in praksi. Da je lahko tretje življenjsko obdobje ne le dolgo, temveč tudi bogato, plodno, intenzivno in še kako angažirano, nam avtorica ne dokazuje le s svojimi številnimi strokovnimi in znanstvenimi objavami, domačimi in mednarodnimi projekti ter predanim delom v okviru Univerze za tretje življenjsko obdo­ bje (UTŽO), ki dosega neverjetne razsežnosti (33 let delovanja, 52 organizacij UTŽO po Sloveniji, letno okrog 22.000 študentk in študentov), ampak tudi z novimi in relevantnimi premisleki učnih praks, posredovanjem in premišljanjem izkušenj aktivnega udejstvova­ nja in vodenja UTŽO ter s širokimi refleksijami družbenih, psiholoških in učnih procesov, ki prečijo sodobne družbe od prvega pa do zadnjega življenjskega obdobja.
Bogata in zgledna praksa, a žal sistemska zapostavljenost. Ob Andragoškem kolokviju in strokovnem posvetu v Ajdovščini
Authors: Jelenc Zoran
Published: October 2018

Andragoški center Slovenije (ACS) je 3. in 4. oktobra 2017 v sodelovanju z Ljudsko univerzo Ajdovščina – tokrat prvič zunaj Ljubljane – pripravil 21. andragoški kolokvij. Umestil ga je v dvodnevni posvet, ki ga je vodila mag. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, vodja promocijskega in informacijskega središča ACS. Kolokvija v ožjem smislu se je udeležilo 78 ljudi.
The river and the people. An approach to memories, craft and adult education
Authors: Lucio-Villegas Emilio
Published: October 2018

The main aim of this article is to describe an ongoing study to recover the memories of the people and the traditional crafts associated with the Guadalquivir River where it passes through a town called C., 12km from the city of S. in the south of Spain. It seems that people are losing their sense of belonging to both a symbolic and geographical territory. The process for recovering it can be considered a generator of experiences and learning. These experiences are related to identity as an element which enables people to understand how individuals establish relationships amongst themselves and with the environment. The paper describes the process of research based on interviewing people to capture their experiences. This is a work in process. The first outcomes are related to a number of descriptive categories such as: the crafts associated with the River; the use of the River to transport goods and people; the family ties associated with the crafts; the cosmopolitanism of the people and the changes ensuing from it; the role of women; and the River as a magical and mysterious place. Preliminary conclusions call on us to consider the importance of recovering traditional crafts as a source of adult education, and of maintaining a cultural identity threatened by globalisation processes.
Silenced epistemologies: the power of testimonies and critical auto/biographies for contemporary education
Authors: Gregorčič Marta
Published: October 2018

The central theme of this article is the question of whether the narrator of a witness account or a critical auto/biography can also be the (co-)author of a scientific or literary written record. Based on reflections from her own biographical research on revolutionary movements in the Global South and oppressed and silenced groups, the author has identified the characteristics of testimonies which she has positioned in relation to Santos’ Epistemologies of the South. The research is reflected through the author’s contemplation of her fieldwork over the last ten years and through examples of literary written records which have empowered social emancipation; it shows how the pedagogy of testimonies can be used innovatively in learning and research as well as how testimonies can also make a fruitful contribution to much-needed considerations on silenced epistemologies in the classroom and in society.
Salinity control on Na incorporation into calcite tests of the planktonic foraminifera Trilobatus sacculifer – evidence from culture experiments and surface sediments
Authors: Bertlich Jacqueline , Nürnberg Dirk , Hathorne Ed C. , de Nooijer Lennart J. , Mezger Eveline M. , Kienast Markus , Nordhausen Steffanie , Reichart Gert-Jan , Schönfeld Joachim , Bijma Jelle
Published: October 2018

Abstract. The quantitative reconstruction of past seawater salinity has yet to be
achieved, and the search for a direct and independent salinity proxy is
ongoing. Recent culture and field studies show a significant positive
correlation of Na∕Ca with salinity in benthic and planktonic
foraminiferal calcite. For accurate paleoceanographic reconstructions,
consistent and reliable calibrations are necessary, which are still missing.
In order to assess the reliability of foraminiferal Na∕Ca as a direct
proxy for seawater salinity, this study presents electron microprobe
Na∕Ca data measured on cultured specimens of Trilobatus sacculifer. The culture experiments were conducted over a wide salinity
range of 26 to 45, while temperature was kept constant. To further understand
potential controlling factors of Na incorporation, measurements were also
performed on foraminifera cultured at various temperatures in the range of
19.5 to 29.5 ∘C under constant salinity conditions. Foraminiferal
Na∕Ca values positively correlate with seawater salinity
(Na/CaT. sacculifer=0.97+0.115⋅salinity, R=0.97, p<0.005). Temperature, on the other hand,
exhibits no statistically significant relationship with Na∕Ca values,
indicating salinity to be one of the dominant factors controlling Na
incorporation. The culturing results are corroborated by measurements on
T. sacculifer from Caribbean and Gulf of Guinea surface sediments,
indicating no dissolution effect on Na∕Ca in foraminiferal calcite
with increasing water depth up to >4 km. In conclusion, planktonic
foraminiferal Na∕Ca can be applied as a potential proxy for
reconstructing sea surface salinities, although species-specific calibrations
might be necessary.
Assessment of paleo-ocean pH records from boron isotope ratio in the Pacific
and Atlantic ocean corals: Role of anthropogenic CO2 forcing and oceanographic factors to pH variability
Authors: Tarique Mohd , Rahaman Waliur
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Boron isotopes (δ11B) records from tropical ocean corals have been used to reconstruct paleo-pH of ocean for the past several decades to few centuries which are comparable to the resolution of instrumental records. In most of the studies, attempts have been made to decipher the role of anthropogenic CO2 forcing to recent trend of ocean acidification based on δ11B derived paleo-pH records. However, such attempts in past were often hindered by limited knowledge of oceanographic factors that contributed to past pH variability and changes. In this study, we have evaluated pH records reconstructed using δ11B records from the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans corals and investigated major forcing factors that contributed to sub annual-decadal scale pH variability and changes since the industrial era ~ 1850 AD. To the best of our knowledge, total eight δ11B records from the Pacific and two from the Atlantic Oceans are available in published literatures. The compilations of these records show large variability; range between 26.27–20.82 ‰ which corresponds to pH range 8.40–7.63 respectively. Our investigation of pH records from the Pacific ocean based on principal component analysis (PCA) reveals that atmospheric CO2 can explains maximum up to ~ 26 % of the total pH variability during 1950–2004 AD, followed by the ocean-climate oscillations (i.e. ENSO and PDO) driven oceanographic factors up to ~ 17 %. The remaining large variability (~ 57 %) could not be explained by above forcing factors and hence we invoke possible influence of metabolic processes of corals and/or changes in micro-environments within the reefs which are often neglected in interpreting paleo-pH records. Therefore, we highlight the need for detailed investigation in future studies to understand about the exact mechanism, processes/factors that controlled boron isotope fractionations in coral reef environments. Further, our investigation reveals that amplitude of the ENSO driven pH variability shows fivefold increase during 1980–2000 AD compared to the previous three decades (1950–1980 AD). This observation is consistent with the historical records of global coral bleaching events and therefore underscores role of ENSO driven environmental stress responsible for coral bleaching events. Considering model based projections of increasing frequency and amplitude of extreme ENSO events in the backdrop of recent global warming, bleaching events are likely to increase in the next decades/centuries.
Determination of Natural Frequencies and Mode Shapes of a Wind Turbine Rotor Blades using Timoshenko Beam Elements
Authors: Stanoev Evgueni , Kusuma Chandrashekhara Sudhanva
Published: October 2018

Abstract. In the simulation of a wind turbine, the lowest eigenmodes of the rotor blades are usually used to describe their elastic deformation in the frame of a multibody system. In this paper, a finite element beam model for the rotor blades based on the transfer matrix method is proposed. Both static and kinetic field matrices for the 3D Timoshenko beam element are derived by numerical integration of the differential equations of motion using RUNGE KUTTA 4th order procedure. The beam reference axis in the general case is at an arbitrary location in the cross section. The inertia term in the motion differential equation is expressed using appropriate shape functions for the Timoshenko beam. The kinetic field matrix is built by numerical integration applied on the approximated inertia term. The beam element stiffness and mass matrices are calculated by simple matrix operations from both field matrices. The system stiffness and mass matrices of the rotor blade model are assembled in the usual finite element manner in a global coordinate system with the accounting for structural twist angle and possibly pre-bending. The program developed for the above calculations and the final solution of the eigenvalue problem is accomplished using MuPAD, a symbolic math toolbox of MATLAB®. The calculated natural frequencies using generic rotor blade data are compared with the results proposed from FAST and ADAMS software.
Brexit and the moon landing from a project complexity perspective: A comparative case study
Authors: Alter Roland
Published: October 2018

With the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2016, a majority of voters decided that the country should leave the European Union, resulting in the formal start of the exiting process on March 29, 2017. During the discussions in the run up to the referendum, the complexity of the undertaking itself was rarely an issue. The subsequent statement by Brexit-Secretary of State David Davis that the complexity of the moon landing would be dwarfed by the complexity of Brexit puts the undertaking into a new perspective and is the starting point for a comparison. Based on the concept of an intrinsic case study with the focus on learning and pattern identification, the comparison is carried out by using a framework of four complexity levels: (1) objective (2) relative (3) subjective and (4) dynamic complexity. The comparison concludes that both projects are characterized by extraordinarily high objective complexity. The difference emerges with respect to the subsequent levels. NASA was aware of the deficiencies and worked systematically to close the gap through professional project management. Brexit, on the other hand, is characterized by widespread ignorance of complexity without a systematic approach to close a dynamically widening complexity gap.
Conceptualizing Development and Underdevelopment: From Classical Modernization to Contemporary Post-Development Discourse
Authors: Islam M. Saiful
Published: October 2018

Development, as an ideology and practice, has been a matter of much contestation since its inception at the enlightened period. The way development has been understood, explained and practiced has undergone various experiments and directions over the time. Yet, what development is theoretically and what it should be in practice remains as contested and vague. This article is an attempt to examine the trajectory of development from its origin in the classical modernization to the more contemporary neo-liberal and post-development discourses. It is argued that the way development has been propagated by the modernists as economic growth and positive change has been vehemently challenged by the post-modernists on the ground that development is not only hegemonic, authoritative and dependency creating mechanism that routinely fails and but also produces unintended consequences on the lives of the people. Thus, there has been a growing realization that development needs to be rethought in a way that would promote an alternative development or even an alternative to development. Such a shift in perspectives and continuing deliberations on development has given rise to the question whether development has reached an impasse which needs to be pushed forward. By reviewing the existing literature, this article aims at unfolding the dynamic trajectory of development both as theory and practice, and argues that development is and continues to be an interesting and stimulating topic in social sciences given its vibrant engagement with and implications on various stakeholders both at the global and local contexts.
Cormac McCarthy's Allegories of Fragmentation
Authors: O'Sullivan James Stephen
Published: October 2018

For Walter Benjamin, in the Origin of German Tragic Drama, the baroque tragedies of counter-reformation Germany represented a new kind of allegory: the traditional scripture-inflected tropes of catastrophe and melancholy were now used as a way of allegorizing the trauma of a country riven by religious wars and violent dynastic conflict. The use of the classical trope of the ruined church or castle, for example, finds a correlate in the pervasive feeling of uncertainty and impermanence brought about by the Thirty Years War. In this constant state of emergency, to use Benjamin's term for seemingly irremediable political crisis, a materially felt melancholy begins to permeate everything. It is this concern in Benjamin—in which allegorical tragedy, shorn of its providential dimension, encounters history—that I link with certain themes in Cormac McCarthy's novels of the Southwest, particularly, the recursive use of ruined buildings, desiccated landscapes, broken bodies, and broken minds that scar All the Pretty Horses (1992) and The Crossing (1994), the first two novels of the Border Trilogy. The primary assertion is that Benjamin's reading of the mourning drama finds a correlate in McCarthy's allegories of fragmentation.
Geography, Genre, and Gender: Billy Parham's Crossings and the Search for American Masculinity
Authors: Brummer Jamie
Published: October 2018

Cormac McCarthy's novels complicate the struggle of American men in search of themselves, seeking to shed the trappings of increasingly anachronistic masculine signifiers, reckon with the degree to which their conception of manhood has empowered and imprisoned them while often brutalizing others, and discover, perhaps, a way forward to a construction of masculinity that no longer threatens to make them men without a country. Like so many before him, Cormac McCarthy turned to the West and to the Western. This westward turn, after four novels that seemed to cement his status as a writer of the American South, represents an intentional generic shift and enables profound engagement with issues at the very center of American cultural life, particularly issues related to American manhood—many of which have gained cultural currency alongside McCarthy's writing career, which began in 1965. The revisionist, interrogative, and celebratory treatment of masculinity reaches a crescendo in The Crossing, a novel that demonstrates the surprising plasticity of a genre which McCarthy exploits to examine issues at the heart of contemporary American culture, specifically issues related to a perceived crisis (or series of crises) in American masculinity and the concomitant emergence of masculinity studies.
Comparación de inmunocromatografía de flujo lateral y pruebas convencionales para la identificación de Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Authors: Linares Nelson , Meléndez Yanira , Alas Tania
Published: October 2018

No hay resumen disponibleAlerta Año 2018, Vol. 1 No. 1: 64-66
La investigación en las ciencias de la salud.
Authors: López Alejandro
Published: October 2018

No hay resumen disponibleAlerta Año 2018, Vol. 1 No. 1: 67-68
ALERTA: una nueva página en la investigación científica de El Salvador
Authors: Editor El
Published: October 2018

Alerta Año 2018, Vol. 1 No. 1: 6-7
La misión de la universidad según la presidenta de Harvard. Breves consideraciones para Honduras
Authors: Salgado Claudio F.
Published: October 2018

Drew G. Faust, Rectora de la Universidad de Harvard desde 2007, ha pronunciado diversos discursos sobre la misión de la universidad en la sociedad. De estos, hemos sacado a luz cuatro importantes ideas: que la actividad universitaria comprende tanto el presente como el pasado y futuro; que la contemplación y la formulación de hondas preguntas son intrínsecas a la universidad; que ésta contribuye al futuro bienestar social mediante el aplicado estudio y consejo; y que la enseñanza universitaria se orienta a la formación para la vida, que no solo incluye la instrucción profesional de los alumnos. En dichos discursos, Faust también ha expresado que la universidad vive en tensión, por lo que proponemos que los administradores universitarios tienen que encontrar el justo medio de las fuerzas que tiran de ésta. Una vez expuestas dichas ideas, nos concentramos en las semejanzas de atención a las demandas sociales y en las diferencias de la formación común de pregrado, entre Faust y la legislación hondureña. Las traducciones al español son nuestras
Potencial de la investigación "en relevo" para la construccion de saberes y la producción científica
Authors: García Reynaud Javier
Published: October 2018

Con la finalidad de evaluar su potencial para la generación de aprendizaje significativo y conocimiento científico, se exploraron y describieron los resultados de la implementación piloto de una metodología de investigación alternativa denominada “en relevo”, en la cual 8 equipos de estudiantes de 8 secciones del espacio formativo “Introducción a la Educación Ambiental” participaron secuencial y transitoriamente en la recolección y análisis de datos hasta la presentación de resultados de investigación. Se evaluó la calidad de los reportes parciales generados por los equipos en un proyecto de investigación llevado a cabo desde abril de 2014 a agosto de 2015 en la temática de calidad de aguas superficiales y se analizó la prevalencia de proceso generadores de aprendizaje significativo en la participación de cada uno. Se encontró que en procedimientos tales como la selección de literatura, calibración y pilotaje de instrumentos y aplicación de normativas básicas de citación y referencias, los cuales presentaron valores de calidad inferiores al mínimo aceptable, es fundamental el adiestramiento previo y el acompañamiento por parte de la figura de coordinación. Asimismo, etapas como la construcción del sustento teórico y metodológico de la investigación piloto mostraron una prevalencia significativamente superior de procesos potenciadores de aprendizaje significativo que aquella evidenciada en etapas tales como la construcción de contexto y la recolección y análisis de información de campo.
The impact of perceived control on psychological distress and health behavior adherence in patients with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Eways Kalon R. , Bennett Kymberley K. , Harry Kadie M. , Clark Jillian M.R. , Wilson Elizabeth J.
Published: October 2018

Background: Symptoms of depression and anxiety have been shown to negatively impact physical health outcomes among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, an important step in developing interventions to reduce risk for cardiac event recurrence is to identify the emotional and cognitive predictors of psychological distress. This study examined one possible cognitive predictor: perceived control (PC). Specifically, this study tested whether symptoms of depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between PC and adherence to health behavior recommendations in patients participating in a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program.Methods: Self-report measures were administered to 146 CR patients at the beginning of CR and 12-weeks later, at the end of CR.Results: Anxiety and depressive symptoms did not mediate the relationship between PC and health behavior adherence. Rather, PC was cross-sectionally related to symptoms of psychological distress, and it predicted health behavior adherence 12-weeks later.Conclusions: Results imply that PC has long-term effects on health behavior adherence, an important outcome in CR that reduces risk for recurrence.
Identifying the Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Uncontrolled Diabetes (Type 2) in Al Buraimi Governorate, Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Al Makhmari Amal Ali Khamis , Ullah Muhammad Muqeet , Salim Al Alawi Fatma Sulieman , Al Saadi Khalifa Darwish
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND: People with poorly controlled diabetes are likely to have shortened life, diabetes related complications and also reduced quality of life. WHO-EMRO region is considered to be the highest prevalence region accounted 43 million people. Among GCC countries, Oman has reported increased number of cases in recent years.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and risk factors associated with uncontrolled diabetes (Type 2) in a diabetic setting of Al Buraimi Polyclinic, AL Buraimi Governorate, Oman.

METHODOLOGY: This Cross sectional retrospective study was conducted in diabetic clinic of Al Buraimi Polyclinic of primary health care, Al Buraimi Governorate Oman between January-April 2015. This study enrolled all diabetic patients type 2 (N=1164) who were registered during the period 2010-2014 in the polyclinic. Data was retrieved from the electronic diabetic register and patient’s electronic records in a diabetic setting at Al Buraimi Polyclinic. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the data. Differences between the groups were analyzed by using Chi-square test in SPSS 16 with p value ≤ 0.05 significance level.

RESULTS: Prevalence of Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 was found to be 623 (54%) among 1164 registered patients. 1108 (95%) were Omani nationals and 56 (5%) were non-Omani nationals with mean age 51±12 and male predominance 632 (54%) with higher significance (p-value=0.009). A significant association was found between treatment and glycemic control (p-value = 0.000) with 926 (80%) were on oral hypoglycemic agents. Moreover, HbA1c was significantly associated with total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein and Triglyceride with (p-value=0 .000). 629 (54%). Diabetic patients were having family history as a common risk factor.

CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with prevalence >50% implies an alarming challenge to health care system. An intervention should be focused on patient’s education, emphasizing on life modification strategies. Furthermore, multidisciplinary approach is needed for the effective care of diabetes in primary health care.
On the Modeling of Carbon Monoxide Flaring in Nigeria
Authors: Nwaigwe Chrysogonus C. , Ogbonna Chukwudi J. , Achem Ojochekpa
Published: October 2018

Data on pollutant emissions in Nigeria were collected across the states to detect any significant change which may cause harm to human health and the environment at large. Three theoretical distributions; Weibull, Log-normal and Gamma distributions were examined on the gas flaring (carbon monoxide) observations to determine the best distribution for the pollutant emissions. The characteristics of the pollutant emissions were obtained and the probabilities of exceeding the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) acceptable limits were estimated.
Divergent Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Response Induced by GB Virus C/ Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and Torque Teno Virus (TTV) Co-Infections in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infected Thalassemia Patients
Authors: Verghese Alice , Arora J.S , Sharma Uma , Rai Arvind , Chattopadhya Debasish
Published: October 2018

Despite common incidence of GB virus C/Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) and Torque Teno Virus (TTV) co-infections in subjects with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, pathogenic role of these co-infections in HCV infected subjects has not been clear since studies have mostly been based on liver enzyme profile yielding variable results. Pro-inflammatory cytokines that participate in host immune response against viruses are generated as a consequence of triggering of related genes by Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) that is a member of transcription family. Study of three pro-inflammatory cytokines e.g. interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) in a group of multi-transfused thalassemic subjects in relation to positivity for HCV, HGV and TTV infections showed elevated levels of these cytokines in serum as well as in supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) cultures in HCV-GBV-C/HGV co-infected subgroup compared to HCV mono-infected subgroup (p <0.05 for comparison of all three cytokines) while HCV-TTV co-infected subgroup showed lowering of these levels compared to HCV mono-infected subgroup (p <0.05 for comparison of all three cytokines). Levels of p65 component of NF-kB i.e.NF-kB p65 in nuclear extracts of lipopolysaccharide stimulated PBMCs correlated positively with the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum as well as that in supernatants of PBMC cultures in both HCV- GBV-C/HGV co-infected and HCV-TTV co-infected subgroups (p values ranging from <0.001 to 0.004). Levels of NF-kB p65 in nuclear extracts and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum as well as in supernatants of PBMC culture did not show any alteration compared to thalassemic subjects with HGV or TTV infections alone and healthy non-transfused subjects. Based on the inhibitory role of TTV on activation of NF-kB in TTV-HCV co-infected cases observed in the present study and the reported contribution of NF-kB towards development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to establishment of chronicity, it may be worth evaluating if TTV or any component of TTV can be utilized as therapeutic vaccine against development of HCC in HCV infected subjects.
Formal and Informal Communication in New Product Development Teams: The Mediation Effect of Team Trust
Authors: Polat Volkan , Lynn Gary , Akgün Ali , Emre Onur
Published: October 2018

New product development (NPD) projects are costly, and fragile against failures as compared to other structures. This study has a holistic view of team factors to examine their relationship with team communication. Communication contributes to technical and practical processes such as learning, new idea development, and creativity. Trust has become prominent by affecting outcomes and processes indirectly, and changing relationships within team. This paper attempted to offer a contribution to the technology and innovation management (TIM) literature by presenting a model for researchers and project managers to understand potential interrelationships among team level factors (team autonomy, stability, member experience, and empowerment), team trust, and team formal and informal communication in NPD teams.
Social capital dimensions, innovation, and technology in Europe: a case-studies meta-synthesis
Authors: Bonfim Leandro Rodrigo Canto , Segatto Andréa Paula , Takahashi Adriana Roseli Wünsch
Published: October 2018

This article aims to improve the understanding on how structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions of social capital influence innovation outcomes on interorganizational and intraorganizational networks. A meta-synthesis research design with eight selected qualitative case studies located in a European context were conducted. The patterns of causal relationships among the variables presented in the case studies were identified. The antecedents of social capital dimensions, the influence of the dimensions on reducing barrier or impediments for innovation and on the enhancement of enablers or facilitators of innovation outcomes, and the direct effects of social capital dimensions on innovation compose the resulting framework. Furthermore, differences between the influence of social capital dimensions on innovation and technology in interorganizational and intraorganizational setting in European companies were found. The meta-synthesis this research relies on another researcher’s insights and interpretation of data, being susceptible to their bias. Adopting qualitative case studies insights for getting to an analytical generalization reduces the deepness, richness, and contextual dependence of original authors’ findings. The findings could help organizations developing optimal conditions for the improvement of the likelihood of gathering innovation and technology and development outcomes from both interorganizational and intraorganizational networks. This article contributes for both innovation and technology development and social capital literature by proposing an integrated framework comprised of social capital antecedents and the role of social dimensions on reducing barriers or impediments, enhancing enablers or facilitators, and affecting innovation outcomes directly.