bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estudio de la producción profesional en Bibliotecología en la Argentina: análisis de dominio de la revista Referencias
Authors: Liberatore Gustavo , Coringrato Marcela , Amerio Adrián
Published: October 2014

Mediante el levantamiento de las publicaciones existentes en campo de la bibliotecología y la documentación, se intenta establecer cuáles han sido las contribuciones de los distintos actores de la disciplina en la Argentina, especialmente en el área de la organización y tratamiento de la información. Utilizando como fuente de datos para el análisis la revista Referencias, editada por la Asociación de Bibliotecarios Graduados de la República Argentina, se ha efectuado un análisis de dominio mediante la aplicación de técnicas bibliométricas y el estudio del comportamiento de variables cuantificables. Se exponen en este trabajo los resultados de la primera etapa del estudio.
O desafio da inclusão digital
Authors: Freire Isa Maria
Published: October 2014

Apresenta resultados preliminares da pesquisa da autora sobre o desafio que se coloca à sociedade brasileira, com relação à disseminação e utilização das tecnologias digitais de comunicação da informação. Discute as reais possibilidades de atuação democrática através da Internet, bem como a constatação de uma `brecha digital' entre países ricos e países pobres em informação, em nível internacional, e entre grupos sociais, em nível nacional. Comenta a responsabilidade social dos profissionais da informação, qual seja, a de facilitar a comunicação do conhecimento para aqueles que dele necessitam na sociedade, contribuindo para democratizar o uso dos recursos de informação.
“Un souvenir de los paisajes submarinos”: la fotografía subacuática y los límites de la visibilidad fotográfica, 1890-1910
Authors: Martínez Alejandro
Published: October 2014

Los primeros intentos conocidos por tomar fotografías bajo la superficie del agua fueron llevados adelante poco después de la aparición del daguerrotipo en 1839. Los más antiguos registros datan de la década de 1850. Hacia fines de ese siglo y con el propósito de auxiliar a los estudios científicos de la vida marina se obtuvo lo que se consideran las primeras fotografías subacuáticas. En estos intentos se valoró la fotografía en tanto productora de evidencia al mismo tiempo que se discutían los límites y alcances de su visibilidad. Aquí compararemos algunas experiencias europeas y norteamericanas, particularmente aquellas emprendidas por los biólogos Louis Boutan y Jacob Reighard en sus estudios de la fauna marina realizados entre 1890 y 1910.
O uso do HGPE como recurso partidário em eleições proporcionais no Brasil: um instrumento de análise de conteúdo
Authors: Cervi Emerson Urizzi
Published: October 2014

Este artigo apresenta uma tipologia para análise quantitativa de conteúdo do Horário Gratuito de Propaganda Eleitoral (HGPE) de candidatos em disputas proporcionais. Poucos trabalhos abordam descritivamente o conteúdo apresentado pelos candidatos em eleições para vereador e deputado no Brasil e para a análise de conteúdo em disputas para deputado federal no Paraná, em 2006, são propostos três conjuntos de variáveis: indexadoras, elementos semânticos e simbólicos.
Reconhecimento e (qual?) deliberação
Authors: Mendonça Ricardo Fabrino
Published: October 2014

Este artigo busca delinear uma noção de deliberação compatível com a teoria do reconhecimento. Embora tenham dado origem a literaturas distintas, essas duas perspectivas teóricas ressaltam o potencial emancipatório da comunicação intersubjetiva. Para propor uma abordagem combinada, o artigo contesta quatro questionamentos que sugerem a incompatibilidade entre reconhecimento e deliberação. Sustenta-se, então, um viés deliberacionista marcado por: 1) uma concepção não altruísta de reciprocidade; 2) um foco em metaconsensos; 3) uma visão não cognitivista das formas comunicativas; 4) uma compreensão ampliada dos processos deliberativos; e 5) um entendimento sobre a importância do associativismo.
Baixo peso ao nascer em adolescentes e adultas jovens na Região Nordeste do Brasil
Authors: Almeida André Henrique do Vale de , Costa Maria Conceição Oliveira , Gama Silvana Granado Nogueira da , Amaral Magali Teresópolis Reis , Vieira Graciete Oliveira
Published: October 2014

Objetivos: avaliar a associação entre as características sociodemográficas, do pré-natal e do parto de mães adolescentes e adultas jovens com o baixo peso ao nascer, em capitais e outros municípios da Região Nordeste do Brasil, no período de 2011 e 2012. Métodos: estudo transversal, de base hospitalar e nível regional, realizado em 2011 e 2012. As informações foram obtidas por meio de entrevista com a puérpera no pós-parto imediato e coletados dados dos prontuários maternos e dos recém-nascidos. Um modelo teórico conceitual foi estabelecido com três níveis de hierarquia e a variável dependente foi o baixo peso ao nascer (BPN). Resultados: do total de 3009 puérperas entrevistadas, 9,7% apresentaram conceptos com baixo peso. As puérperas que realizaram menos que seis consultas no pré-natal apresentaram uma chance 1,7 vezes maior de ter RN com baixo peso; ser primigesta aumentou a chance da ocorrência do BPN em 1,5 vezes; assim como a prematuridade que representou o principal fator de exposição, elevando em 21 vezes a chance desse desfecho. Conclusões: o estudo demonstrou alta frequência de baixo peso ao nascer entre mães adolescentes e adultas jovens, tendo como principais fatores associados o número insuficiente de consultas pré-natal, primigestação e prematuridade.
A new species of Hypostomus Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Tocantins-Araguaia basin, Brazil
Authors: Zawadzki Cláudio Henrique , Oliveira Renildo Ribeiro de , Debona Tiago
Published: October 2014

Hypostomus delimaiis described from the rio Tocantins, Tocantins State, and from the rio Araguaia, Pará, and Tocantins States, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from all other Hypostomusspecies, except from H. carinatus, H. hoplonites, and H. watwata, by the presence of five to eight (mode seven) predorsal plates limiting posterior border of the supraoccipital bone (vs. one to three plates). It can be distinguished from H. carinatus, H. hoplonites, and H. watwata by having pale spots over darker background on body and fins (vs. dark spots over lighter background). The species was only found in the middle stretches of the rio Tocantins-Araguaia basin. The first collection of specimens assigned to the new species was done in the rio Tocantins before the construction of the Tucuruí dam. Recently additional material was collected in the rio Araguaia, in a habitat that soon will be flooded for the construction of the Santa Isabel hydroelectric power station.
Spatial, seasonal and ontogenetic changes in food resource use by a piscivore fish in two Pantanal lagoons, Brazil
Authors: Gimenes Michele de Faveri , Fugi Rosemara , Isaac Andréia , Silva Marlene Rodrigues da
Published: October 2014

We evaluated the factors that affect the food resource use by Plagioscion ternetzi using three approaches: spatial, seasonal, and ontogenetic changes. Fish were sampled between March 2000 and February 2001 and March 2003 and February 2004 in the Sinhá Mariana and Chacororé lagoons, wetlands of the Pantanal Matogrossense. Fish was the predominant food in the diet, but shrimps and insects have been also consumed. The diet of P. ternetzi was significantly different between lagoons, but no difference was detected between dry and flood periods. In Sinhá Mariana lagoon, the diet mainly consisted of Psectrogaster curviventris, in both periods. In the flood period in Chacororé lagoon, fish was the dominant food (especially Astyanax spp., Leporinus spp. and Schizodon borellii), and in dry, shrimp and Eigenmannia spp. The Spearman coefficient indicated no correlation between the abundance of caught fish species and their abundances in the diet of P. ternetzi in Sinhá Mariana lagoon, and a strong negative correlation at Chacororé lagoon, although some very consumed preys were numerically abundant in the environment. Despite the intake of insect and shrimp, P. ternetzi was piscivorous since immature stages. A correlation between each item and the size classes of P. ternetziwas tested by means of Pearson correlation that showed that the changes in the use of resources over ontogenetic development have been represented by increased intake of P. curviventris in Mariana lagoon, and S. borellii at Chacororé lagoon, accompanying the increase in the size of the predator. In this way, the results suggest that several factors can be involved in the use of food resources by P. ternezi, among them the abundance, the size and morphological characteristics of the prey.
Novel anchor-jointed precast shear wall: testing and validation
Authors: El Semelawy Mohamed , El Damatty Ashraf , Soliman Ahmed M.
Published: October 2014

Precast concrete shear walls are used to resist lateral loads in low- to medium-rise buildings. This paper introduces an innovated joining technique for these precast walls that will reduce the possibility of concrete damage and capital loss during earthquake events. The proposed technique consists of precast panels joined together and to the base using threaded steel anchor bolts, which in turn makes the construction process easier and faster. An experimental programme is conducted to validate this system and characterise its behaviour under lateral loads. Four reduced-scale wall specimens are tested under monotonic in-plane horizontal load. The lateral strength, ductility and possible modes of failure are used to evaluate the connection performance. The joined precast shear wall exhibits a high non-linear deformation without any signs of panel damage, which can be attributed to the gap opening and steel yielding at the connection plane. This indicates that the steel anchor bolts at the connection can be designed to act as structural ductile fuses.
An empirical investigation of why species–area relationships overestimate species losses
Authors: De Camargo Rafael X. , Currie David J.
Published: October 2014

It is generally assumed that, when natural habitat is converted to human‐dominated land cover, such habitat is lost to its native species. Most literature assumes that species richness should vary as a function of remaining natural area, following the well‐known species–area relationship (i.e., classic SAR). However, classic SARs have consistently overestimated species losses resulting from conversion of natural forested land cover to human‐dominated landscapes. Moreover, richness is sometimes a peaked function of remaining natural habitat. Recent studies propose modified SAR models based on species' utilization of multiple habitat types, yet none fully explain a peaked species–area relationship. Here, we evaluate the responses of total avian richness, forest bird richness, and open‐habitat bird richness to remaining natural land cover within 991 quadrats, each 100 km2, across southern Ontario, Canada. Total bird species richness peaks at roughly 50% natural land cover. Richness of forest birds varies as a classic power function of forested area. In contrast, richness of birds that prefer open habitats does not increase monotonically with either natural‐ or human‐dominated land cover. Richness of open‐habitat species can be predicted when we partition human‐dominated land cover into an “available human‐dominated” component and “lost” habitat. Distinguishing three land‐cover types (natural, available human‐dominated, and lost) can thus permit accurate predictions of species richness in landscapes with differing levels of natural habitat conversion.
Host manipulation of bumble bee queens by Sphaerularia nematodes indirectly affects foraging of non‐host workers
Authors: Kadoya Eri Z. , Ishii Hiroshi S.
Published: October 2014

Sphaerularia bombi Dufour is a major parasite of bumble bee queens that manipulates its host's behavior: parasitized queens do not breed and found nests but continue to fly into the early summer months. We examined the indirect consequences of this host manipulation on non‐host workers in central Hokkaido Island, Japan. In this area, parasitism of Bombus terrestris by S. bombi is common but does not affect every queen; therefore, as summer begins, B. terrestris queens continue to dominate some flower patches and disappear from others. At sites dominated by parasitized queens, we found that the nectar standing crop of red clover was smaller, B. terrestris workers carried out fewer legitimate visits to red clover and more nectar robberies, and the workers were smaller than at other sites. Removing queens from a site increased the nectar standing crop of red clover, the frequency of worker visits to red clover, and the size of the workers. These results suggest that host manipulation by S. bombi increased competition for flower resources among host queens and non‐host workers and altered the interaction between plants and non‐host flower visitors.
A single ectomycorrhizal fungal species can enable a Pinus invasion
Authors: Hayward Jeremy , Horton Thomas R. , Pauchard Aníbal , Nuñez Martin A.
Published: October 2014

Like all obligately ectomycorrhizal plants, pines require ectomycorrhizal fungal symbionts to complete their life cycle. Pines introduced into regions far from their native range are typically incompatible with local ectomycorrhizal fungi, and, when they invade, coinvade with fungi from their native range. While the identities and distributions of coinvasive fungal symbionts of pine invasions are poorly known, communities that have been studied are notably depauperate. However, it is not yet clear whether any number of fungal coinvaders is able to support a Pinaceae invasion, or whether very depauperate communities are unable to invade. Here, we ask whether there is evidence for a minimum species richness of fungal symbionts necessary to support a pine/ectomycorrhizal fungus coinvasion. We sampled a Pinus contorta invasion front near Coyhaique, Chile, using molecular barcoding to identify ectomycorrhizal fungi. We report that the site has a total richness of four species, and that many invasive trees appear to be supported by only a single ectomycorrhizal fungus, Suillus luteus. We conclude that a single ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus can suffice to enable a pine invasion.
Adipose Tissue, Muscle, and Function: Potential Mediators of Associations Between Body Weight and Mortality in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Murphy Rachel A. , Reinders Ilse , Garcia Melissa E. , Eiriksdottir Gudny , Launer Lenore J. , Benediktsson Rafn , Gudnason Vilmundur , Jonsson Palmi V. , Harris Tamara B.
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE

Studies in type 2 diabetes report both increased mortality for normal weight and no evidence of an obesity paradox. We aimed to examine whether adipose tissue, muscle size, and physical function, which are known to vary by weight, mediate associations between BMI and mortality.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The AGES-Reykjavik cohort comprised participants aged 66–96 years with diabetes defined by fasting glucose, medications, or self-report. BMI was determined from measured height and weight and classified as normal (18.5–24.9 kg/m2, n = 117), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2, n = 293, referent group) or obese (≥30.0 kg/m2, n = 227). Thigh muscle area and intermuscular, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissues were assessed with computed tomography. Function was assessed from gait speed and knee extensor strength. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for demographics and diabetes-related risk factors.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 6.66 years, and there were 85, 59, and 44 deaths among normal weight, overweight, and obese participants, respectively. There was no mortality risk for obese participants and an increased risk among normal weight compared with overweight participants (HR 1.72 [95% CI 1.12–2.64]). Associations remained with adjustment for adipose tissues and knee extensor strength; however, mortality risk for normal weight was attenuated following adjustment for thigh muscle (HR 1.36 [95% CI 0.87–2.11]) and gait speed (HR 1.44 [95% CI 0.91–2.27]). Linear regression confirmed with bootstrapping indicated that thigh muscle size mediated 46% of the relationship between normal weight and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Normal weight participants had elevated mortality risk compared with overweight participants. This paradoxical association was mediated in part by muscle size.
On generalized M-projectively recurrent manifolds
Authors: Chand De Uday , Pal Prajjwal
Published: October 2014

The purpose of the present paper is to study generalized M-projectively recurrent manifolds. Some geometric properties of generalized M projectively recurrent manifolds have been studied under certain curvature conditions. An application of such a manifold in the theory of relativity has also been shown. Finally, we give an example of a generalized M-projectively recurrent manifold.
Socio-Economic Status and the Structural Change of Dietary Intake in Hungary
Authors: Bakucs Zoltán , Fertő Imre , Marreiros Cristina Galamba
Published: October 2014

Typically, big changes in the economic system lead to alterations on families’ disposable income and thus on their spending for different types of products, including food. These may imply in the long run a structural modification of the population’s diet quality. After the fall of the socialist system, in the past two decades, Central and Eastern European countries, including Hungary, went through a profound and sometimes difficult transition of their political and economic systems, shifting from a centralized plan to an open-market economy, and, perhaps more importantly, the European Union integration. Economic change in lower-income and transitional economies of the world appears to coincide with increasing rapid social change. With respect to nutrition, there is evidence that these countries are changing their diets and that changes seem to happen at a faster pace than ever before (e.g. Ivanova et al., 2006). In this paper, we analyse the evolution of Hungarian dietary patterns based on socio-economic status (SES) data between 1993 and 2007. Data allows defining and profiling several clusters based on aggregated consumption data, and then inspecting the influence of SES variables using OLS and multinomial logit estimations
Methodology For The Selection Of Compensation Trade Tools In SMEs
Authors: Milichovský František , Koleňák Jiří
Published: October 2014

The main aim of this paper is to determine which factors of business tools are important in Czech companies. To find these factors, theoretical information from the area of trade tools and data from primary research (obtained via questionnaire) were used. These data are applied by a statistical evaluation of selected indicators which could help determine the significance of the indicators in the area being monitored. Activities concerning the management of company finances are also partially incorporated, as due to their close cohesion with business, they cannot be excluded from the field of turnaround management. The business tools described in the paper see excellent usage not only during times of crisis but also in periods of prosperity, when their application provides companies with unique competitive advantages as a way of increasing GDP. The results of the paper confirm the necessity for compensation tools in the business environment and provide the significance level of the compensation tools used. Accurate usage could create an advantage in a global market characterised by high competition.
The EU's Antidumping Actions Against Chinese Products
Authors: Liu Yinan
Published: October 2014

As the importance of tariffs in international trade has declined with the reduction of tariff rates under the GATT/WTO programs of multilateral trade liberalization, most governments prefer to protect domestic industries from foreign competitors through a variety of non-tariff barriers. Antidumping actions have recently become the world's biggest trade impediment due to their specific features and the antidumping activity of new users. Since China has become the major engine of world trade growth in recent years, it also has become the largest anti-dumping target in the world. However, the present world competition situation implies that world trade liberalization might arouse regional trade friction. The objective of this research is to identify whether China's WTO accession changed China's situation with regard to EU antidumping actions. The research analysis empirically proved that trade liberalization could partly affect the EU's antidumping actions against Chinese exports and the higher degree of industrial concentricity becomes a motive to increase the EU's antidumping activities against China.
Selected Success Factors of Virtual Teams: Literature Review and Suggestions for Future Research
Authors: Szewc Justyna
Published: October 2014

The aim of this paper is to extend the knowledge about virtual teams and above all to stress the differences between face-to-face and virtual teams as well as to define its chosen success factors. This paper is based on an extended literature review of virtual teams. The author describes virtual teams, reasons for their implementation and four factors that are prerequisites for team success.

The first finding is that the successful introduction of a virtual team and its management requires knowledge about the special characteristics of this team and the effective handling of challenges. Second, the literature review of virtual teams reveals a lack of research on the differences in motivation between face-to-face and virtual teams. The originality of the article is ensured by selection of the most important factors which, according to the literature review, lead to the success of virtual teams and by a description of areas that need to be explored in the future.
The Efects of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives and Price Premiums on Polish Consumers' Responses: An Experimental Study
Authors: Wójcik Piotr
Published: October 2014

This article explores whether, how and which forms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influence consumer perceptions of the value of and intention to buy responsibly manufactured yogurt, and identifies the impact of the price rise effect on consumer responses. An experimental study was conducted using scenarios with a sample of 421 university students. The results indicate that information about positive corporate behavior evokes higher perceived value and buying intention than information about negative corporate behavior; that responses differ significantly depending on whether or not the CSR initiative relates to the firm's core business; and that there is a level of consumer sensitivity to the price premium for a responsibly made yogurt. This study expands existing knowledge beyond previous areas of focus by demonstrating that a CSR initiative related to a firm's core business generates higher perceived value and buying intention than a non-related initiative, and by showing that there exists a trade-of between functional and social attributes. The findings of this study may be of interest to companies by showing the level of premium price acceptance and by demonstrating that CSR initiatives detached from basic business activity may bring negative consequences in terms of sales volume.
The Investigation into Motivations, Success Factors and Barriers Among Women Small Business Owners: An Overview of Extant Literature
Authors: Leszczyński Dariusz
Published: October 2014

Women entrepreneurship, as an object of scientific inquiries, has elicited suitable recognition among researchers during the early 1980s. However, female business owners have attracted far less attention from the academic community than their male counterparts despite their reported increasing contribution towards the economic growth of both developed and emerging nations. This article attempts to bridge this gap in knowledge by providing readers with an overview of influential international research papers that investigate some of the key issues presented in the literature about women small business management and entrepreneurship.

The studies discussed herein examine the motivation of women to establish frms; a variety of definitions of favorable performance applied in studies; the most important determinants of success in business, and the barriers encountered by businesswomen in the process of setting up as well as running their respective companies. In the final section, the author provides some future directions of research in areas touched upon in this paper that could be explored by scholars. Finally, the paper highlights key policy recommendations for decision-makers that are aimed at encouraging women to enter into entrepreneurship and fostering the growth of existing female-owned frms.
Factors of the European Economies' Vulnerability to External Shocks - An Empirical Analysis. The Example of 2008-2009 Crisis Costs
Authors: Domańska Agnieszka , Serwa Dobromił
Published: October 2014

The article analyses the factors determining the vulnerability of the European countries to external shocks taking the example of the global 2008-2009 economic slowdown (also called the subprime crisis2) and its impact on economies in Europe. The particular attention is attached to factors related to the fundamentals of the economy, i.e. the GDP growth, fiscal and monetary stability and external stability. Attempting to level of the gap existing in the Polish literature in the empirical research on that problem, the hereby article also refers to wider problems of the macroeconomic factors enhancing economies' capabilities to meet the challenges of global crises and strengthening their competitiveness afterwards. The special attention in the paper was attached to the role of financial and trade openness.

In the empirical study we have assessed the macroeconomic “outside” of the crisis in the European economies and then we have run the regression model process to estimate the factors determining the exposure to those costs in cross-country perspective. The above mentioned macroeconomic costs are the relative falls (“gaps”) in GDP, i.e. the difference between the hypothetical GDP (resulting from the average mid-term trend) in 2008-2009 and actual GDP incurred in those two “crisis years”. In the regression model (crisis costs as the explained variable) we used the chosen data and indicators denoting the potential factors of the European countries' exposure to 2007-2009 crisis shock as explanatory variables.

As the calculation results show, the variables that contributed to higher 2008-2009 crisis effects in the European countries were among others: high unemployment and high real interest rates, considerable government sector debt before the crisis, high economic development level, high share of nonperforming credit portfolio and high share of equity in the banking sector's assets (signifying a relatively poorly developed banking system), as well as good quality of law. Greater costs of the 2007-2009 crisis were (on average) incurred by countries experiencing high inflation, rapid GDP growth (as compared to the other sample countries), and considerable share of investment in GDP before crisis, and the economies which were characterized by above-average industry concentration and high development of stock exchange and bank market. The study leads to a general conclusion that in case of the European countries, the recession only highlighted and enhanced many problems and unfavorable tendencies which had existed before.
Rebalancing the Eurozone Troubled Economies
Authors: Ziółkowski Michał
Published: October 2014

The aim of the article is to assess how much rebalancing of the six eurozone troubled economies (Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus) was achieved since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007/2008, to what extent migrations were a mitigating factor on their labor markets and how much the troubled countries were assisted in their adjustment by other countries. The first part of the article shows an overall macroeconomic picture of the troubled economies' rebalancing together with a presentation of the etiology of the problem (i.e. accumulation of imbalances). The second part presents the role of migrations and the third part the role of the Eurosystem and international financial assistance in the rebalancing process. The research is based on comparing developments in selected indicators across countries. The conclusions are that the rebalancing in the troubled countries was either at most limited or actually their economies continued to fall out of balance (various indicators showing various developments make the situation ambiguous), migrations were either not much supportive for rebalancing of the troubled economies or they did not provide any dent to unemployment at all and that the troubled countries were provided with significant international assistance mainly in the form of the ECB policies causing the rise in the Target balances.
Female Employment and Parental Leave: The Case of Poland
Authors: Kubacki Konrad , Bągard Marcin
Published: October 2014

With the use of the Polish Social Security's administrative data for the period 1999-2011, nonparametric and Cox models, the author assesses the role of the means-tested child-raising allowance in shaping an effective period for parental leave and the impact of parental leave duration on the subsequent (continued) job tenure.

The results suggest low income level (an eligibility criterion for child-raising allowance) loses any significant negative effect on the intensity of returning to a job as soon as the eligibility period for the allowance expires. Long periods of parental leave increase the intensity of transition to unemployment soon after the return to the interrupted job but they have only a minor impact on the intensity of transition to other jobs. The intensity of transition from the continued job to unemployment is also related to employment in the private/public sector, unemployment history and length of service.
Prospering in Tough Economic Times Through Loyal Customers
Authors: Anderson Rolph , Swaminathan Srinivasan , Mehta Rajiv
Published: October 2014

In severe economic downturns, only a few business leaders have the courage and wisdom to invest in customer loyalty to increase profits instead of reflexively cutting costs to try to maintain falling profit margins. Moreover, the usual research and advice tends to focus on how companies can effectively and efficiently reduce costs in order to survive an economic decline. This study contributes to the literature by offering a fresh look at how best to respond in tough economic times by examining companies who have responded traditionally with cost cutting strategies versus companies who instead have invested in customer loyalty. We make the unique and contrarian argument that the latter strategy can be the superior business strategy, which underscores the originality of this investigation. Thus, the purpose of this study is to highlight why investing resources in creating and retaining loyal customers is the best strategy for companies to survive and prosper in tough economic conditions while simultaneously gaining longer-run competitive advantage. Based on quantitative and qualitative survey research methodology, the study findings identify and explain key customer loyalty measures, including: customization for customers, communication interactivity, nurturing of customers, commitment to customers, customer sharing networks, customer focused product assortments, facile exchanges, and customer engagement. Perceptive company executives will measure, benchmark, and regularly compare their performances on these key customer loyalty measures with different customer groups versus their company's past performances, managerial goals, and competitors, then make appropriate adjustments to retain their loyal customers and prosper during tough economic times.
Reconstructing Class Sport Practices in Post-Communist Poland
Authors: Lenartowicz Michał , JankowskiC Krzysztof W.
Published: October 2014

The article analyzes the changes in attitude of Poles towards sport and recreational activities as well as their participation in these disciplines between the period before system transformations and the present day. Based on examples from literature and own studies, we have observed that Poles have shown a growing interest in sport and recreational activities. Moreover, social diversity of participants in this field has been noted. Sport disciplines and diverse recreational activities perceived as "bourgeois" during the socialist period are becoming more popular among members of the middle and upper classes as potential attractive and clear markers of social status. Interest in sport, skills, knowledge, and sports equipment and outfit in such disciplines as sailing, horse riding, golf, and hunting are thus becoming distinctive social markers. These factors are adopted in the reconstruction of sports practiced by members of different social classes. The continuity of sport practice was abruptly interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War and the following half-century of socialism
The Effects of Multimedia Computer- Assisted Instruction on Learning Basic Ballet Skills with Physical Education Students
Authors: El-Moneim Doaa Abd
Published: October 2014

Computer technology has become an integral part of physical education, yet there have been few studies exploring the use of multimedia technology in the instruction of Physical Education. The purpose of this study was to investigate if multimedia technology affected the learning of basic ballet skills. A total of 32 female students, mean age 18.1 years, studying at the Faculty of Physical Education Zagazig university were divided into two groups. The experimental group comprised 16 students. Participants in this group participated in a ballet class with multimedia technology for six weeks. Group two participated in the ballet class with the traditional method as the control group. Parameters assessed height, weight, age, and academic level. All participants were free of any disorders known to affect performance, such as bone fractures, osteoporosis, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. Participants reported no use of anti-seizure drugs or alcohol. In addition, all participants were fully informed of the aims of the study, and gave their voluntary consent prior to participation. The measurement procedures were in accordance with ethical human experimentation. All statistical analyses were calculated with the SPSS statistical package. Results indicated significant differences between the two groups in learning the basic skills and levels of knowledge of ballet. Applying the proposed educational program meant using multimedia to teach basic ballet skills to second-year female students enrolled in the Faculty of Physical Education
The Relationship between Profitability, Innovation and Technology Gap: A Basic Model
Authors: Krčál Ondřej
Published: October 2014

This paper introduces a model of innovation that explains some of the stylized facts presented in recent empirical literature. In the model, firms choose R&D expenditures that maximize their expected profits under the assumption that R&D expenditures of firms might be constrained by the size of their profits. Optimal decisions of firms generate relationships between profitability and innovation of individual firms that may create the observed patterns at the industry level. In particular, the model is able to explain an inverted-U relationship between profitability and innovation in the industry together with decreasing or flat and concave relationships between profitability and the dispersion of productivity in the industry. Additionally, the paper investigates the parameter space for which the model generates the observed relationships.
The SGP – Faulty by Design or Made Faulty by Politicians? An Assessment Based on a Simulation Model
Authors: Horáková Šárka , Jahoda Robert
Published: October 2014

By joining the European Monetary Union (the “EMU”), member countries lost the ability to use monetary policy as a tool for macroeconomic regulation. The attention was then focused on regulation of fiscal policy and Stability and Growth Pact (the “SGP”) was the instrument agreed upon. The states of the EMU have agreed to meet the 3% of GDP requirement for the maximum annual public budget deficit. Based on evolution of public debt in member countries, we can say that the SGP has failed as a tool for fiscal discipline. In this paper, we answer the question of whether the failure was due to the incorrect concept of the SGP or whether the development of the debt was affected more by arbitrary disrespect of the agreed rules. The two reasons mentioned above are interdependent. To separate them, we construct a dynamic model of EU countries’ public debt. By using real data, we simulate the potential values of public debt in a situation where the SGP rules have been respected in recent years. Comparing the results for the potential debt given by simulation of the model with the current real values, we are able to quantify the impact of non-compliance for each country. The initial results indicate that there are both EU states where non-compliance led to a negligible increase in public debt - up to 7% of GDP - and other states where this factor caused the growth of public debt by more than 30% of GDP.
Surgical Treatment of A Dissecting Aneurysm of the Superior Cerebellar Artery: Case Report
Authors: Stefanescu Florin , Dima Stefanita , Petrinel Radoi Mugurel
Published: October 2014

Dissecting aneurysm located in the peripheral region of the superior cerebellar artery is very rare. There is little experience regarding their surgical or endovascular treatment. We present the case of a peripheral dissecting superior cerebellar artery aneurysm treated by surgical clipping.
Estrogen, Estrogen Receptors and Rupture of Brain Aneurysms: Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Navas-Marrugo Sandy Zuleica , Alvis-Miranda Hernando Raphael , Gutierrez-Paternina Juan Jose , Alcala-Cerra Gabriel , Moscote-Salazar Luis Rafael
Published: October 2014

Estrogen, is involved in much of the life women lives, having great importance in many functions of the female body including the definition of secondary sexual characters, but also has been linked as protective factor regard to catastrophic events such as cerebral aneurysms, probably related to estrogen deficiency and described high incidence in menopausal women. It is known the effects of estrogen on vascular physiology and pathophysiologic mechanisms with potential therapeutic implications. We present a brief review focused in the role of estrogens and the rupture of cerebral aneurysms.
Decreased varicella and increased herpes zoster incidence at a sentinel medical deputising service in a setting of increasing varicella vaccine coverage in Victoria, Australia, 1998 to 2012
Authors: Kelly H A , Grant K A , Gidding H , Carville K S
Published: October 2014

We performed an ecological study using sentinel consultation data from a medical deputising service to assess the impact of increasing coverage with childhood varicella vaccine on the incidence risk of varicella and zoster in the population served by the deputising service in Victoria, Australia from 1998 to 2012. Following a successful vaccination programme, the incidence of varicella in Australia was modelled to decrease and the incidence of zoster to increase, based on a theoretical decrease in boosting of zoster immunity following a decrease in wild varicella virus circulation due to vaccination. Incidence risks (consultation proportions for varicella and zoster) were directly age-standardised to the Melbourne population in 2000, when varicella vaccine was first available. Age-standardised varicella incidence risk peaked in 2000 and halved by 2012. Age-standardised zoster incidence risk remained constant from 1998 to 2002, but had almost doubled by 2012. The increase in zoster consultations largely reflected increases in people younger than 50 years-old. Although causality cannot be inferred from ecological studies, it is generally agreed that the decrease in varicella incidence is due to increasing varicella vaccine coverage. The possible indirect effect of the vaccine on zoster incidence is less clear and ongoing monitoring of zoster is required.
The Gerrymandering of School Attendance Zones and the Segregation of Public Schools
Authors: Richards Meredith P.
Published: October 2014

In this study, I employ geospatial techniques to assess the impact of school attendance zone “gerrymandering” on the racial/ethnic segregation of schools, using a large national sample of 15,290 attendance zones in 663 districts. I estimate the effect of gerrymandering on school diversity and school district segregation by comparing the racial/ethnic characteristics of existing attendance zones to those of counterfactual zones expected in the absence of gerrymandering. Results indicate that the gerrymandering of attendance zones generally exacerbates segregation, although it has a weaker effect on the segregation of Whites from Blacks and Hispanics. Gerrymandering is particularly segregative in districts experiencing rapid racial/ethnic change. However, gerrymandering is associated with reductions in segregation in a substantial minority of districts, notably those under desegregation orders.
Acting Training Institutions: A State of the Nation
Authors: Fallis Alex , Shaw Kathryn , Schneiderman Perry , Hennessey Todd , Weiss Kathleen
Published: October 2014

To establish some of the broader contextual concerns at issue with actor training in English speaking Canada, Alex Fallis (moderator), Kathryn Shaw, Perry Schneiderman, Todd Hennessey, and Kathleen Weiss discuss the basics of acting training, the relationships between acting training institutions and the wider theatre community, financial pressures on training institutions, and related concerns.
Postgraduate and Company-Based Training in Canada
Authors: Jain Ravi , Clarke Denise , Cherniak Leah , Stanley Sarah Garton
Published: October 2014

What is the role of the professional institution in acting training today? Ravi Jain (moderator), Denise Clark, Leah Cherniak, and Sarah Garton Stanley discuss various institutions and the roles they play with regards to training. This is a snipet of their conversation.
Perspectives of a Master Teacher: David Latham
Authors: Belshaw Diana , Latham David
Published: October 2014

After over thirty years as an artist-teacher in Canada, as well as in Australia and the UK, David Latham shares deeply held convictions about acting training with Diana Belshaw: a core commitment to “the making of meaning”; the need for specificity in approaches to acting training; the complexities of language and culture; the tension between “employability” and “vision,” “vocational training” and “artistry”; and the primacy of the development of the imagination.
Return to system within 30 days of discharge following pediatric non-shunt surgery
Authors: Sarda Samir , Bookland Markus , Chu Jason , Shoja Mohammadali M. , Miller Matthew P. , Reisner Stephen B. , Yun Philip H. , Chern Joshua J.
Published: October 2014

Object

Hospital readmission after discharge is a commonly used quality measure. In a previous study, the authors had documented the rate of readmission and reoperation after pediatric CSF shunt surgery. This study documents the rate of readmission and reoperation after pediatric neurosurgical procedures excluding those related to CSF shunts.

Methods

Between May 1, 2009, and April 30, 2013, 3098 non-shunt surgeries during 2924 index admissions were performed at a single institution. Demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics were prospectively collected in the administrative, business, and clinical databases. Clinical events within the 30 days following discharge were reviewed and analyzed. The following events of interest were analyzed for risk factor associations using multivariate logistic regression: return to the emergency department (ED), all-cause readmission, readmission to the neurosurgical service, and reoperation.

Results

The number of all-cause readmissions within 30 days of discharge was 304 (10.4%, 304/2924). Admission sources consisted of the ED (n = 173), hospital transfers (n = 47), and others (n = 84). One hundred eighty of the 304 readmissions were associated with an operation, but only 153 were performed by the neurosurgical service (reoperation rate = 5.2%). These procedures included wound revisions (n = 30) and first-time shunt insertions (n = 35). The remaining 124 readmissions were nonsurgical, and only 54 were admitted to the neurosurgical service for issues related to the index non-shunt surgery. Thus, the rate of related readmission was 7.1% ([153 + 54]/2924). A longer length of stay and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit during the index admission were associated with an increased likelihood of return to the ED and readmission. Certain procedures, such as baclofen pump insertion and intracranial pressure monitor placement, were also found to be associated with adverse clinical events in the 30-day period. Lastly, patients were more likely to a undergo reoperation if the index procedure had started after 3 p.m.

Conclusions

The all-cause readmission rate within 30 days of discharge after a pediatric neurosurgical procedure was 10.4%, and the rate of related readmission was 7.1%. Whether these readmissions are preventable and to what extent they are preventable requires further study.
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage in Gorham-Stout disease due to dura mater involvement after progression of an osteolytic lesion in the thoracic spine
Authors: Suero Molina Eric Jose , Niederstadt Thomas , Ruland Vincent , Kayser Gian , Stummer Walter , Ewelt Christian , Rössler Jochen
Published: October 2014

Patients with Gorham-Stout disease (GSD), a rare disease of poorly understood etiopathophysiology, suffer from progressive osteolysis. Destruction of bone matrix is caused by lymphatic vessels, which can lead to CSF leakage if parts of bony structures adjacent to CSF spaces are involved. So far, fewer than 200 patients have been reported in the literature; only 4 of these patients presented with CSF leakage. The authors report the case of a 30-year-old man with GSD and CSF leakage due to dura mater involvement after progression of an osteolytic lesion in the thoracic spine. Neurosurgical intervention, including dura repair, was needed. Experimental medical therapy with rapamycin was started, leading to disease control for more than 12 months. Progression of GSD can lead to destruction of the meninges, causing CSF leakage. The authors review 4 other cases reported in the literature and discuss therapeutic options.