bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Highly Challenging Balance Training in Elderly With Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Conradsson David , Löfgren Niklas , Nero Håkan , Hagströmer Maria , Ståhle Agneta , Lökk Johan , Franzén Erika
Published: January 2015

Background. Highly challenging exercises have been suggested to induce neuroplasticity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD); however, its effect on clinical outcomes remains largely unknown. Objective. To evaluate the short-term effects of the HiBalance program, a highly challenging balance-training regimen that incorporates both dual-tasking and PD-specific balance components, compared with usual care in elderly with mild to moderate PD. Methods. Participants with PD (n = 100) were randomized, either to the 10-week HiBalance program (n = 51) or to the control group (n = 49). Participants were evaluated before and after the intervention. The main outcomes were balance performance (Mini-BESTest), gait velocity (during normal and dual-task gait), and concerns about falling (Falls Efficacy Scale–International). Performance of a cognitive task while walking, physical activity level (average steps per day), and activities of daily living were secondary outcomes. Results. A total of 91 participants completed the study. After the intervention, the between group comparison showed significantly improved balance and gait performance in the training group. Moreover, although no significant between group difference was observed regarding gait performance during dual-tasking; the participants in the training group improved their performance of the cognitive task while walking, as compared with the control group. Regarding physical activity levels and activities of daily living, in comparison to the control group, favorable results were found for the training group. No group differences were found for concerns about falling. Conclusions. The HiBalance program significantly benefited balance and gait abilities when compared with usual care and showed promising transfer effects to everyday living. Long-term follow-up assessments will further explore these effects.
Statistical analysis of accelerated degradation testing for old products with initial working time
Authors: Tan Yuanyuan , Zhang Chunhua , Chen Xun , Wang Yashun
Published: January 2015

Statistical analysis of accelerated degradation testing has been of interest to researchers and developers for some time. Relevant study on accelerated degradation testing mainly assumes that samples subjected to accelerated degradation testing are new products, with samples that have not pre-degraded and possess reliability equal to 1 at the beginning of accelerated degradation testing. Old products, which have a pre-existing period of initial working time under use stress, are occasionally selected for accelerated degradation testing in practice. Old products are usually considered for economical reasons, occasionally when new products are no longer manufactured. For the purposes of this study, samples of old products have been degraded to a reliability less than 1 at the beginning of accelerated degradation testing, thus preventing the use of current accelerated degradation testing methods. Improved accurate life prediction for old products is proposed through our models of degradation path and lifetime distribution for constant stress accelerated degradation testing. Initial working time under use stress is evaluated, and actual circumstances are described. A suggested maximum likelihood estimation approach is then detailed accordingly, by combining accelerated degradation testing data and field data to obtain a more accurate estimation for model parameters. Simulation and case studies prove the proposed method’s validity, effectiveness, and ability to accurately obtain improved life prediction for old products with initial working time using accelerated degradation testing.
Engaging Employees in Interpreting Survey Results
Authors: Owen Keith , Northcutt Norvell , Dietz A. Steven
Published: January 2015

A key change agent role is to help clients understand the systems to which they belong to improve performance. A major challenge is how to facilitate this understanding. Typically, the change agent collects the data and provides an interpretation about its significance for the client organization. This approach, however, often meets with resistance. What is needed is an approach that engages the author of the data in its interpretation and this article introduces just such an approach—PathMAP®. A case study is used to introduce PathMAP® and show how it can be used to engage system agents in a rigorous process of data interpretation leading to an increased understanding of the variables that influence system dynamics and of how to engage the system in change. This article will demonstrate how PathMAP® enables change agents to get an accurate picture of the current state of an organization by identifying the key issues facing the organization and their interrelationship, and using this knowledge to create meaningful action plans that make deep and intuitive sense to organization’s members.
Broken Windows and Collective Efficacy
Authors: Abdullah Aldrin , Hedayati Marzbali Massoomeh , Bahauddin Azizi , Maghsoodi Tilaki Mohammad Javad
Published: January 2015

The broken windows thesis posits that signs of disorder increase crime and fear, both directly and indirectly. Although considerable theoretical evidence exists to support the idea that disorder is positively related to fear of crime, the empirical literature on examining the indirect effect of the individual’s perception of incivilities on fear of crime is limited, especially in developing countries. This research was conducted to assess the indirect relationship between perceived disorder and fear of crime through collective efficacy. A total of 235 households from Penang, Malaysia, participated in this study. Results reveal that high perception of disorder is negatively associated with collective efficacy. High collective efficacy is associated with low fear of crime. Moreover, a significant and indirect effect of disorder on fear of crime exists through collective efficacy. The results provide empirical support for the broken windows theory in the Malaysian context and suggest that both environmental conditions and interactions of residents play a role in the perceived fear of crime.
Transforming BASF into a Learning Organization, Linking the Present with the Future
Authors: Tiwari Ankita , Prabhu Kashmeera , Doshi Rhea
Published: January 2015

BASF is the world's leading chemical company. The case study is about making BASF (India) into a learning organization. BASF introduced a new competency and performance management framework aiming at changing not only the process but also the way employees think, feel, and act. BASF also had a structured talent development process that identified and developed high potential talent. BASF realized that it was important to challenge the assumptions held by individuals in the organization and create a more open culture. Thus BASF launched the 360 degree initiative for business and functional heads and their senior team. BASF worked on Strategy 2025 and used the bottom-up approach unlike what BASF did in the past. BASF strongly believed that one can learn a lot from others through regular interactions and common goals. BASF realized that learning is a continuous journey with its own challenges. BASF is committed to surge ahead on this path and to continuously innovate and learn in order to provide sustainable solutions and remain a market leader and most important be an admired organization.
Interprofessional Collaboration
Authors: Prentice Dawn , Engel Joyce , Taplay Karyn , Stobbe Karl
Published: January 2015

In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, we examined the experience of interprofessional collaboration from the perspective of nursing and medical students. Seventeen medical and nursing students from two different universities participated in the study. We used guiding questions in face-to-face, conversational interviews to explore students’ experience and expectations of interprofessional collaboration within learning situations. Three themes emerged from the data: the great divide, learning means content, and breaking the ice. The findings suggest that the experience of interprofessional collaboration within learning events is influenced by the natural clustering of shared interests among students. Furthermore, the carry-forward of impressions about physician–nurse relationships prior to the educational programs and during clinical placements dominate the formation of new relationships and acquisition of new knowledge about roles, which might have implications for future practice.
Low-Income Mothers’ Descriptions of Children’s Injury-Related Events
Authors: Olsen Lise L. , Bottorff Joan L. , Raina Parminder , Frankish Jim
Published: January 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine how mothers with young children who were living in low-income households used discursive strategies to explain their children’s injury and near-miss events. In-person interviews were conducted with 17 mothers and a discourse analytic approach was used to analyze the data. Mothers used a variety of discursive strategies to explain injury events including minimizing the nature of events and expressing tensions between responsibility and resistance. Mothers also described challenges related to predicting children’s behavior and dealing with competing demands. These discursive strategies reflected how societal expectations that mothers are held to in terms of keeping children safe conflicted at times with the constraints experienced by mothers living in economically challenging situations. The findings can be used to inform the design of injury prevention strategies that are sensitive to experiences of mothers of young children who are living with economic challenges.
The Long Way Toward Cooperation
Authors: Foth Thomas , Block Karen , Stamer Maren , Schmacke Norbert
Published: January 2015

To better understand why cooperation between health care professionals is still often problematic, we carried out 25 semistructured face-to-face expert interviews with physicians and nurses in different rural and urban areas in northern Germany. Using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis method to analyze the data collected, we found that doctors and nurses interpreted interprofessional conflicts differently. Nursing seems to be caught in a paradoxical situation: An increasing emphasis is placed on achieving interprofessional cooperation but the core areas of nursing practice are subject to increasing rationalization in the current climate of health care marketization. The subsequent and systematic devaluation of nursing work makes it difficult for physicians to acknowledge nurses’ expertise. We suggest that to ameliorate interprofessional cooperation, nursing must insist on its own logic of action thereby promoting its professionalization; interprofessional cooperation cannot take place until nursing work is valued by all members of the health care system.
Investigating the Determinants of Wealth Creation in Nigeria: Does Oil Revenue Allocation Really Matter?
Authors: Sagagi Murtala S.
Published: January 2015

In an emerging economy such as Nigeria, people tend to associate their economic progress and well-being to the volume of the oil revenue accrued to their regions/states. Often, non-oil sectors are not considered paramount in the development process of the country. This can hamper entrepreneurship development as opportunities are effectively choked out of consideration in any economic development formulation. The dismal performance of oil-producing economies in the face of huge rents from oil sector and the advent of the knowledge economy, which has fundamentally changed the basis of wealth creation and growth in modern societies, have rekindled interest in the importance of oil revenue to the growth and development trajectory of Nigeria. Part of this performance may be due to the absence of entrepreneurial opportunity. This essay is developed on the premise that, even though oil revenue allocation is important in maintaining internal cohesion, its relevance to generating an enduring and inclusive wealth is questionable. We compared the official social and economic statistics of oil-producing states in Nigeria that received the highest oil revenue allocation and compared them with those of the non-oil-producing states which were given less oil revenue allocations. We could not establish a clear link between oil revenue allocation and wealth creation—measured by low poverty incidence, low unemployment and high capacity to generate internal revenue and provide social services, among the two categories of states observed. It is therefore safe to conclude that other endogenous determinants of growth, rather than oil revenue, accounted for the differences in wealth creation in Nigeria. The formulation of people-oriented development strategy, at state levels, with the aim of improving local productivity and capacity to attract new investments to create or improve competitive industries is recommended, in addition to a holistic approach, to improve governance and social services.
What Determines Entrepreneurial Intention in India?
Authors: Saraf Noel
Published: January 2015

The article analyses factors influencing entrepreneurial intent and studies the relationship between an individual's preliminary entrepreneurial intention of starting a business and the factors driving the same, in India. Using a large sample of individuals, we investigate what variables are significantly correlated with the initial decision to start a business. We use a binomial logit model to test how individual characteristics, subjective perceptions, demographic and economic characteristics are correlated to the decision to start a new business. Our results suggest that part-time work experience and social network effects are the strongest in shaping entrepreneurial intentions. A striking outcome in India is seen in the case of gender, which shows no significant impact on the probability of business start-up, suggesting that both males and females are equally likely to have entrepreneurial intentions.
In vitro culture of stress erythroid progenitors identifies distinct progenitor populations and analogous human progenitors
Authors: Xiang Jie , Wu Dai-Chen , Chen Yuanting , Paulson Robert F.
Published: January 2015

Key Points

Murine stress erythroid progenitors develop through a series of progenitors that express CD34, CD133, Kit, and Sca1. Human stress erythroid progenitors can be expanded using the same culture system and are predisposed to express γ-globin.
Blood Spotlight on iAMP21 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a high-risk pediatric disease
Authors: Harrison Christine J.
Published: January 2015

Intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21) defines a distinct cytogenetic subgroup of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Breakage-fusion-bridge cycles followed by chromothripsis and other complex structural rearrangements of chromosome 21 underlie the mechanism giving rise to iAMP21. Patients with iAMP21 are older (median age 9 years), with a low white cell count. They have a high relapse rate when treated as standard risk. Recent studies have shown improved outcome on intensive therapy. Molecular targets for therapy are being sought.
Mapping interactions between complement C3 and regulators using mutations in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Schramm Elizabeth C. , Roumenina Lubka T. , Rybkine Tania , Chauvet Sophie , Vieira-Martins Paula , Hue Christophe , Maga Tara , Valoti Elisabetta , Wilson Valerie , Jokiranta Sakari , Smith Richard J. H. , Noris Marina , Goodship Tim , Atkinson John P. , Fremeaux-Bacchi Veronique
Published: January 2015

Key Points

C3 mutations in aHUS commonly result in impaired complement regulation, C3 consumption, and a poor renal outcome. C3 mutations tend to cluster at the protein surface and facilitate mapping of putative binding sites for the regulatory proteins.
“Navajo Reservation Camp Meeting a Great Success!” The Advent ofDinéPentecostalism After 1950
Authors: Marshall Kimberly Jenkins
Published: January 2015

Christianity has experienced dramatic growth among Navajos since 1950, and the exclusive practice of neo-Pentecostal Christianity can now, by some estimates, claim up to 20 percent of the Navajo population. The popularity of neo-Pentecostalism among Navajos has been attributed to cultural and economic stress put on Navajos after 1950. In this article, however, I situate the development of neo-Pentecostal faith among Navajos within the broader national movement of the Healing Revival that breathed new life into American Pentecostalism in the 1950s. I explore the two primary paths of contact between Navajos and the Healing Revival: visits to the “Miracle Revivals” of A. A. Allen in southern Arizona and attendance at charismatic healing revival meetings on the Navajo Nation. I argue that these two interrelated encounters facilitated Navajo ownership of Christianity through the encouragement of “anointed” Navajo leadership and the establishment of broad Pentecostal networks.
Mobility and Disdain: Columbus and Cannibals in the Land of Cotton
Authors: Keegan William F.
Published: January 2015

The premise of this contribution is that some of the observations regarding the indigenous peoples of the Bahama archipelago (“Lucayans”) recorded in the diario of Christopher Columbus's first voyage to America provide the opportunity to infer precontact practices. Important observations in the diario for the Bahamas are descriptions of exchanges between the Lucayans and the Spanish. These descriptions indicate that cotton, parrots, and wood javelins were considered by the Lucayans to be appropriate “gifts.” This article explores the possibility that Lucayan/Spanish exchanges refract traditional precontact exchange practices. In addition, Columbus observed wounds on the bodies of the first men he met. He interpreted these wounds as resulting from incursions by a superior civilization that sought to subjugate and enslave the “simple” and “naked” Lucayans. Throughout the diario, Columbus maintains the belief that he had reached Asia, and the land of the Grand Can (“Caniba”). These names and associated behaviors (anthropophagy) do not represent or portray the native peoples of the Caribbean Islands. In contrast, the wounds observed are interpreted as emblematic of the potential for hostilities that permeate tribal exchange relations.
“In Contempt and Oblivion”: Censuses, Ethnogeography, and Hidden Indian Histories in Eighteenth-Century Southern New England
Authors: Mancini Jason
Published: January 2015

By the end of the American Revolution, southern New England's Indian population had essentially been declared extinct through popular literature and prevailing opinion. At the same time, there were nearly 4,500 Indians documented in census records in southern New England, 50 percent of whom lived in nonreservation English towns. This article draws on ethnogeography as an analytic tool for exposing colonial epistemologies and discourse about Indian “disappearance” and elucidating hidden Indian histories in southern New England. Census records are used to illustrate major population trends as tribal land dispossession and changing notions of tribal citizenship reshaped Indian communities on and off the reservations during the colonial period. In addition to the regional population analysis, other record groups are used to detail the histories of several nonreservation Indian populations that have persisted as part of a diverse and long-established indigenous landscape.
Reality Celebrity: Branded Affect and the Emotion Economy
Authors: Grindstaff Laura , Murray Susan
Published: January 2015

More than any other form of media, reality television has reignited interest in celebrity discourse because of the genre’s incorporation of ordinary people and the conflation of ordinariness with raw, real emotion. This article argues that reality TV is part of an emerging “emotion economy” that generates unique forms of celebrity by producing and circulating heightened emotional performances as “branded affect.” A key signifier of what reality TV is and is becoming, branded affect underscores the commodification of emotion in the contemporary media landscape and the changing nature and meaning of celebrity.
Instafame: Luxury Selfies in the Attention Economy
Authors: Marwick Alice E.
Published: January 2015

The popular photo-sharing app Instagram has created a new breed of celebrities: the Instafamous. This essay examines the phenomenon—from Singaporean socialites showing off shoe collections to high school sophomores with ten thousand followers—and its relationship to celebrity and tabloid culture.
The Politics of Revolutionary Celebrity in the Contemporary Arab World
Authors: Kraidy Marwan M.
Published: January 2015

This essay grapples with Arab celebrity as an overtly political, inherently transnational phenomenon and explores how revolutionary celebrity may expand our understanding of celebrity writ large. Through the prism of a media battle between the singer Assala and the Assad regime in the Syrian uprising since March 2011, a politics of celebrity is explored that pits the body of the star against the body of the sovereign, at the nexus of revolution, transnationalism, and circulation across media.
Challenging Secular Establishment: Student Movements in Egypt and Turkey in the 1970s
Authors: Erken Ali
Published: January 2015

Student movements in the twentieth century Middle East have received less attention than many other topics in the study of the region's cultural and political history. Yet the rapidly changing demographic composition of the region since the 1960s have made young people and youth activism a significant parameter in Middle Eastern politics, highlighted by the Arab Spring that began in late 2010. Student movements in Turkey and Egypt gained momentum in the 1960, and in the 1970s Islamic discourse became increasingly popular among young activists. These youth movements operated through flexible structures, allowing them to challenge the state authority and secular statecraft. This essay explores three of the leading religious and nationalist student movements in Turkey and Egypt in the 1970s.
Subnuclear domain proteins in cancer cells support transcription factor RUNX2 functions in DNA damage response
Authors: Yang Seungchan , Quaresma Alexandre J. C. , Nickerson Jeffrey A. , Green Karin M. , Shaffer Scott A. , Imbalzano Anthony N. , Martin-Buley Lori A. , Lian Jane B. , Stein Janet L. , van Wijnen Andre J. , Stein Gary S.
Published: January 2015

Cancer cells exhibit modifications in nuclear architecture and transcriptional control. Tumor growth and metastasis are supported by RUNX-family transcriptional scaffolding proteins, which mediate assembly of nuclear matrix–associated gene regulatory hubs. We used proteomic analysis to identify RUNX2-dependent protein-protein interactions associated with the nuclear matrix in bone, breast and prostate tumor cell types and found that RUNX2 interacts with three distinct proteins that respond to DNA damage: RUVBL2, INTS3 and BAZ1B. Subnuclear foci containing these proteins change in intensity or number following UV irradiation. Furthermore, RUNX2, INTS3 and BAZ1B form UV-responsive complexes with the serine 139-phosphorylated isoform of H2AX (γH2AX). UV irradiation increases the interaction of BAZ1B with γH2AX and decreases histone H3, lysine 9 acetylation levels (H3K9-Ac), which mark accessible chromatin. RUNX2 depletion prevents the BAZ1B/γH2AX interaction and attenuates loss of H3K9 and H3K56 acetylation. Our data are consistent with a model in which RUNX2 forms functional complexes with BAZ1B, RUVBL2 and INTS3 to mount an integrated response to DNA damage. This proposed cytoprotective function for RUNX2 in cancer cells may clarify its expression in chemotherapy-resistant and/or metastatic tumors.
Unconventional molecular regulation of synaptic vesicle replenishment in cochlear inner hair cells
Authors: Vogl Christian , Cooper Benjamin H. , Neef Jakob , Wojcik Sonja M. , Reim Kerstin , Reisinger Ellen , Brose Nils , Rhee Jeong-Seop , Moser Tobias , Wichmann Carolin
Published: January 2015

Ribbon synapses of cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) employ efficient vesicle replenishment to indefatigably encode sound. In neurons, neuroendocrine and immune cells, vesicle replenishment depends on proteins of the mammalian uncoordinated 13 (Munc13) and Ca2+-dependent activator proteins for secretion (CAPS) families, which prime vesicles for exocytosis. Here, we tested whether Munc13 and CAPS proteins also regulate exocytosis in mouse IHCs by combining immunohistochemistry with auditory systems physiology and IHC patch-clamp recordings of exocytosis in mice lacking Munc13 and CAPS isoforms. Surprisingly, we did not detect Munc13 or CAPS proteins at IHC presynaptic active zones (AZs) and found normal IHC exocytosis as well as auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) in Munc13 and CAPS deletion mutants. Instead, we show that otoferlin, a C2-domain protein critical for vesicular fusion and replenishment in IHCs, clusters at the plasma membrane of the presynaptic AZ. Electron tomography of otoferlin-deficient IHC synapses revealed a reduction of short tethers holding vesicles at the AZ, which might be a structural correlate of impaired vesicle priming in otoferlin-deficient IHCs. We conclude that IHCs use an unconventional priming machinery that involves otoferlin.
The focal adhesion protein PINCH-1 associates with EPLIN at integrin adhesion sites
Authors: Karaköse Esra , Geiger Tamar , Flynn Kevin , Lorenz-Baath Katrin , Zent Roy , Mann Matthias , Fässler Reinhard
Published: January 2015

PINCH1 is a LIM-only domain protein that forms a ternary complex with integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and parvin (IPP complex) downstream of integrins. Here we demonstrate that PINCH-1 gene ablation in the epidermis of mice caused epidermal detachment from the basement membrane, epidermal hyperthickening and progressive hair loss. PINCH-1 deficient keratinocytes also displayed profound adhesion, spreading and migration defects in vitro that were, however, significantly more severe than those of ILK-deficient keratinocytes indicating that PINCH-1 also exerts functions in an ILK-independent manner. By isolating the PINCH-1 interactome, the LIM domain containing and actin-binding protein Epithelial Protein Lost in Neoplasm (EPLIN) was identified as a novel PINCH-1 associated protein. EPLIN localized in a PINCH-1-dependent manner to integrin adhesion sites of keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro and its depletion severely attenuated keratinocyte spreading and migration on collagen and fibronectin without affecting PINCH-1 levels in FAs. Since the low PINCH-1 levels in ILK-deficient keratinocytes were sufficient to recruit EPLIN to integrin adhesions, our findings suggest that PINCH-1 regulates integrin-mediated adhesion of keratinocytes through the interactions with ILK as well as EPLIN.
EPLIN is a crucial regulator for extrusion of RasV12-transformed cells
Authors: Ohoka Atsuko , Kajita Mihoko , Ikenouchi Junichi , Yako Yuta , Kitamoto Sho , Kon Shunsuke , Ikegawa Masaya , Shimada Takashi , Ishikawa Susumu , Fujita Yasuyuki
Published: January 2015

At the initial stage of carcinogenesis, a mutation occurs in a single cell within a normal epithelial layer. We have previously shown that RasV12-transformed cells are apically extruded from the epithelium when surrounded by normal cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Cav-1-containing microdomains and EPLIN are accumulated in RasV12-transformed cells that are surrounded by normal cells. We also show that knockdown of Cav-1 or EPLIN suppresses apical extrusion of RasV12-transformed cells, suggesting their positive role in the elimination of transformed cells from epithelia. EPLIN functions upstream of Cav-1 and affects its enrichment in RasV12-transformed cells that are surrounded by normal cells. Furthermore, EPLIN regulates non-cell autonomous activation of myosin-II and PKA in RasV12-transformed cells. In addition, EPLIN substantially affects accumulation of filamin A, a vital player in EDAC (Epithelial Defense Against Cancer), in the neighboring normal cells, and vice versa. These results indicate that EPLIN is a crucial regulator for the interaction between normal and transformed epithelial cells.
Electro-optical switching at 1550 nm using a two-state GeSe phase-change layer
Authors: Soref Richard , Hendrickson Joshua , Liang Haibo , Majumdar Arka , Mu Jianwei , Li Xun , Huang Wei-Ping
Published: January 2015

New designs for electro-optical free-space and waveguided 2 x 2 switches are presented and analyzed at the 1.55 μm telecoms wavelength. The proposed devices employ a ~10 nm film of GeSe that is electrically actuated to transition the layer forth-and-back from the amorphous to the crystal phase, yielding a switch with two self-sustaining states. This phase change material was selected for its very low absorption loss at the operation wavelength, along with its electro-refraction Δn ~0.6. All switches are cascadeable into N x M devices. The free-space prism-shaped structures use III-V prism material to match the GeSe crystal index. The Si/GeSe/Si “active waveguides” are quite suitable for directional-coupler switches as well as Mach-Zehnder devices—all of which have an active length 16x less than that in the free-carrier art.
Surface profiling of X-ray mirrors for shaping focused beams
Authors: Laundy David , Alianelli Lucia , Sutter John , Evans Gwyndaf , Sawhney Kawal
Published: January 2015

Grazing incidence mirrors are a standard optic for focusing X-rays. Active mirrors, whose surface profile can be finely adjusted, allow control of beam shape and size at the sample. However, progress towards their routine use for beam shaping has been hampered by the strong striations in reflected beams away from the focal plane. Re-entrant (partly concave and partly convex) surface modifications are proposed for shaping X-ray beams to a top-hat in the focal plane while reducing the striations caused by unavoidable polishing errors. A method for constructing such surfaces with continuous height and slope (but only piecewise continuous curvature) will be provided. Ray tracing and wave propagation calculations confirm its effectiveness. A mirror system is proposed allowing vertical beam sizes in the range 0.5 to 10μm. A prototype will be fabricated and is expected to have applications on many synchrotron X-ray beamlines.
Las relaciones sociales en salud mental: Estudio sobre la percepción del impacto de las relaciones sociales en la mejora de la autonomía de las personas con diversidad mental y la relación con el trabajo social
Authors: Cazorla Palomo Josep
Published: January 2015

La Salud Mental en la actualidad centra el interés en la persona, prestando la misma atención a los factores sociales, psicológicos y físicos. La visión en la que se basa ésta investigación es la descripción del papel de las redes sociales como favorecedor de la recuperación del protagonismo de las personas diagnosticadas con un trastorno mental. La perspectiva metodológica es de carácter cualitativo. Los participantes en el trabajo de campo son pacientes expertos que forman parte de la asociación EMILIA Barcelona, los profesionales colaboradores en dicha entidad y dos trabajadores sociales. Las herramientas escogidas para la recogida de datos fueron dos grupos de discusión y dos entrevistas abiertas. El análisis de los datos extraídos de la investigación permite concluir que las redes relacionales favorecen la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas usuarias de los servicios de Salud Mental, mediante la paliación de los estigmas y las desigualdades que se pueden generar en torno a un diagnóstico. También establece que la creación y/o el mantenimiento de redes sociales propician la capacidad de asumir su protagonismo social. Por otra parte, se observa que la figura del/la trabajador/a social no está suficientemente definida, por lo que es necesario en el futuro que se realice un cambio de dirección para favorecer los procesos de integración y de normalización de las personas diagnosticadas con un trastorno mental.
Emociones, identidad, turismo y vida en Huasca (México)
Authors: Fernández Poncela Anna María
Published: January 2015

El tema de este texto son las emociones y la identidad como parte del imaginario del turismo cultural, parte de las nuevas tendencias del turismo en el mundo, y de las propuestas del Programa Pueblos Mágicos en México. Es interesante conocer y contrastar lo que habitantes y turistas perciben y sienten de una localidad. Para ello se revisan testimonios de entrevistas a turistas y habitantes de Huasca, estado de Hidalgo, primer nombramiento del Programa y destino turístico enclavado en la sierra de Pachuca en el centro del país. Los resultados apuntan a emociones que van de la tranquilidad a la alegría para ambos sujetos de estudio, entre otras cosas.
Educational Expertise, Advocacy, and Media Influence
Authors: Malin Joel R. , Lubienski Christopher
Published: January 2015

The efforts of many advocacy organizations to advance their preferred policies despite conflicting evidence of the effectiveness of these policies raise questions about factors that shape successful policy promotion. While many may like to think that expertise on an issue in question is an essential prerequisite for influence in public policy discussions, there is a traditional disconnect between research evidence and policymaking in many fields, including education. Moreover, the efforts of many policy advocates suggest that they see advantages in other factors besides research expertise in advancing their interpretation of evidence for use in policymaking processes. We hypothesize that some of the most influential education-focused organizations are advancing their agendas by engaging media and drawing on individuals who possess substantial media acumen, yet may not possess traditionally defined educational expertise. Thus, we hypothesize that media impact is loosely coupled with educational expertise. In fact, in analyzing various indicators of expertise and media penetration, we find a weak relationship between expertise and media impact, but find significantly elevated media penetration for individuals working at a sub-sample of organizations promoting what we term “incentivist” education reforms, in spite of their generally lower levels of expertise. We find these organizations are particularly effective in engaging new media forms by going directly to their audience. We consider the policy implications in the concluding discussion.
Simulating Continuous Time Production Flows in Food Industry by Means of Discrete Event Simulation
Authors: Bursi Fabio , Ferrara Andrea , Grassi Andrea , Ronzoni Chiara
Published: January 2015

The paper presents a new framework for carrying out simulations of continuous-time stochastic processes by exploiting a discrete event approach. The application scope of this work mainly refers to industrial production processes executed on a continuous flow of material (e.g. food and beverage industry) as well as production processes working on discrete units but characterized by a high speed flow (e.g. automated packaging lines). The proposed model, developed adopting the Discrete EVent system Specification (DEVS) formalism, defines a single generalized base unit able to represent, by means of an event scheme generated by state changes, the base behaviors needed for the modeling of a generic manufacturing unit, that is, (i) breakdowns and repairs, (ii) speed and accumulation, and (iii) throughput time. Moreover, the possibility to keep trace of additional measures of parameters related to the process and the flowing material (i.e. temperature, concentration of pollutant, and so on) is also considered. Since these parameters can change over time in a continuous manner, a specific discretization approach has been introduced to avoid the need to integrate parameter variation functions over time.
Speciation of citric acid on anatase (TiO2)–water interface and its effect on Eu(III) sorption
Authors: Kasar Sharayu , Kumar Sumit , Raut Vaibhavi Vishwajeet , Jeyakumar Subbiah , Tomar Bhupendra Singh
Published: January 2015

Citric acid is one of the low molecular weight organic acids which are ubiquitous in nature. In this study the sorption of citric acid
at titania (anatase)/water interface was investigated using batch adsorption experiment and attenuated total reflectance – Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) over wide experimental conditions of pH, surface loading and ionic strengths. The batch
adsorption experiment showed typical anionic characteristics; higher sorption was observed at lower pH values and sorption decreases
with increasing pH. Strong dependence of sorption on ionic strength shows formation of citrate surface species in outer-sphere binding
mode. At lower pH, ATR-FTIR spectra of aqueous citrate differs from that of sorbed citrate ions indicating lowering of
pK
a values of surface sorbed citrate compared to that present in solution. Detailed analysis of FTIR spectra of
sorbed citrate in light of that of aqueous and Ca(II)/Eu(III) complexed citrate revealed formation of an inner sphere complex of
citrate on anatase surface along with the outer sphere complex. Wavenumber difference between the asymmetric and symmetric COO
–

peaks (Δυ = 159 cm
–1) implies inner-sphere complex in bidentate bridging mode. These results help in
explaining the sorption behaviour of Eu(III) on anatase in presence of citric acid.
Effects of atosiban on stress-related neuroendocrine factors
Authors: Babic S , Pokusa M , Danevova V , Ding S T , Jezova D
Published: January 2015

Atosiban, an oxytocin/vasopressin receptor antagonist, is used to decrease preterm uterine activity. The risk of preterm delivery is undoubtedly associated with stress, but potential side effects of atosiban on neuroendocrine functions and stress-related pathways are mostly unknown. These studies were designed to test the hypothesis that the chronic treatment of rats with atosiban modulates neuroendocrine functions under stress conditions. Male rats were treated (osmotic minipumps) with atosiban (600 μg/kg per day) or vehicle and were restrained for 120 min/day for 14 days. All animals were treated with a marker of cell proliferation 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine. Anxiety-like behavior was measured using an elevated plus-maze. Treatment with atosiban failed to modify plasma concentrations of the stress hormones ACTH and corticosterone, but led to a rise in circulating copeptin. Atosiban increased prolactin levels in the non-stressed group. Oxytocin receptor mRNA levels were increased in rats exposed to stress. Treatment with atosiban, in both control and stressed animals, resulted in a decrease in oxytocin receptor gene expression in the hypothalamus. No changes were observed in vasopressin receptor 1A and 1B gene expression. The decrease in hippocampal cell proliferation induced by stress exposure was not modified by atosiban treatment. This study provides the first data, to our knowledge, revealing the effect of atosiban on gene expression of oxytocin receptors in the brain. Atosiban-induced enhancement of plasma copeptin indicates an elevation in vasopressinergic tone with potential influence on water–electrolyte balance.
Effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine on insulin resistance caused by prolonged free fatty acid elevation
Authors: Pereira Sandra , Shah Anu , George Fantus I , W Joseph Jamie , Giacca Adria
Published: January 2015

Circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) are elevated in obesity and cause insulin resistance. The objective of the current study was to determine whether the antioxidantN-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) prevented hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance caused by prolonged elevation of plasma FFAs. Chronically cannulated Wistar rats received saline (SAL), Intralipid plus heparin (IH), IH plus NAC, or NAC i.v. infusion for 48 h. Insulin sensitivity was determined using the hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp with tritiated glucose tracer. IH induced hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance (P<0.05). NAC co-infusion did not prevent insulin resistance in the liver, although it was able to prevent peripheral insulin resistance. Prolonged IH infusion did not appear to induce oxidative stress in the liver because hepatic content of protein carbonyl, malondialdehyde, and reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio did not differ across treatment groups. In alignment with our insulin sensitivity results, IH augmented skeletal muscle protein carbonyl content and this was prevented by NAC co-infusion. Taken together, our results indicate that oxidative stress mediates peripheral, but not hepatic, insulin resistance resulting from prolonged plasma FFA elevation. Thus, in states of chronic plasma FFA elevation, such as obesity, antioxidants may protect against peripheral but not hepatic insulin resistance.
Regional Groundwater Flow Modeling of the Chalk Aquifer of Beauvais, Paris Basin, North of France
Authors: Adel Zghibi  , Lahcen Zouhri  , Jamila Tarhouni  , Pascale Lutz
Published: January 2015

In this paper, a regional model to assess groundwater resources of the shallow groundwater system of Beauvais in the North of France has been satisfactorily completed using geophysical surveys and numerical modeling using MODFLOW-2000. A three-dimensional flow model has been developed for this aquifer using a large amount of available geological and hydrological data. The numerical flow model was calibrated and validated with datasets during 1998â€“2010. The calibration was done both by the automated parameter PEST and by the trial and error process. The main objective is to quantify the components of the groundwater mass balance, to estimate the hydraulic conductivity distribution and to characterize the hydrologic system. Furthermore, MODFLOW model was used to estimate the recharge, discharge, base flow and water Table fluctuation. Numerical simulations indicate that the Canada lake, located in the Therain valley, acts as a most discharge area for regional groundwater flow. Groundwater inflow from the recharge from Beauvais plateau which is mainly due to precipitation supplies the aquifer with most of its water. Following the calibration process, a sensitivity analysis was carried out. The results show that the aquifer exhibits the highest sensibility to the recharge parameters changes and hydraulic conductivity. The impact of the changes for both these hydraulic parameters appears to differ from large decrease to large increase in total groundwater discharge. The delicate shifts in the groundwater systems, which cause the changes in the recharge and discharge, clearly show the need for hydrological modeling.
Changes in Chemical Composition and Olive Oil Quality of Turkish Variety 'Kilis yağlık' with Regard to Origin of Plantation
Authors: Arslan D. , Özcan M.M.
Published: January 2015

'Kilis yağlık' is the most common variety cultivated in the South-east region of Turkey and represents around 52% of the growing area. During the last few years new cultivars have been introduced in South regions being mostly the cultivar "Gemlik" without evaluating their behaviours in this environment. Unfortunately, it is now understood that this cultivar with good plantation characteristics did not adapt well to the environmental conditions of South Turkey. This has led to an increase in the need of research on traditional autochthonous cultivars. 'Kilis yağlık' although shows alternate; has a high yield of fruits. The aim of this work is was to study changes in virgin olive oil composition of 'Kilis yağlık' variety according to origin of plantation. Olives from this variety were collected in four characteristic and representative olive growing locations in South-east of Turkey. The analytical parameters studied were fatty acid composition, total phenolics, chlorophylls and carotenoids, free acidity, peroxide value, colour indexes and some individual phenolic compounds. The contents of some of the individual phenolics (tyrosol, hydroxyl tyrosol, oleuropein, 4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid, 3-4 hydroxy benzoic acid, taxifolin, verbascoside, vanillic acid, luteolin, apigenin and rutin) were determined with a qualitative and quantitative analysis performed by HPLC-DAD.
Sostenibilidad, negocios y marca
Authors: Rocchi Simona , Boada Ortíz Alejandro
Published: January 2015

Hoy día, más de 100 millones de empresas producen alrededor de seis millones de productos diferentes en el mundo entero, y quizás diez veces más en servicios cada día. Estos productos y servicios cambian de manera continua sujetos a procesos permanentes de innovación y son consumidos por sies mil millones de personas que viven en más de 200 países con bagajes culturales diferentes y en las más variadas condiciones geográficas (Schmidt-Bleek, 2000). Estos productos tarde o temprano terminarán como desechos; las materias primas y la energía invertida en su elaboración se perderá para la economía. ¿Qué hacer? Este documento tiene como objetivo presentar de manera sucinta el significado de “sostenibilidad” y cómo éste ha evolucionado a lo largo del tiempo; se hace especial énfasis en las aplicaciones en negocios y gestión de marca en los países occidentales. El documento se divide en tres partes en las cuales se exponen, de acuerdo con los principios que determinan el entorno de los negocios hoy, los conceptos de sostenibilidad, competitivi- dad y oportunidades de negocios.
Tragedia de la tragedia: la información
Authors: Higuera Rubén Darío
Published: January 2015

Frente a la crisis que se propicia por causa de una tragedia o un desastre natural, la información ha tomado posiciones dispares y se ha permitido elaborar un mensaje inteligible que falsea la noticia o, en su peor caso, desintegra la veracidad de los hechos. Se han elaborado libros, informes de prensa y columnas periodísticas que subvencionan la cantidad de información pero amenazan la calidad de la misma y frente a esto, es decir, frente a la tragedia una mayor sale a colación: los intereses del reportero o del medio y la dudosa libertad de prensa.
La información y la pequeña empresa
Authors: Castaño Ramírez Alejandro
Published: January 2015

La gestión de la información para la creación de inteligencia organizacional y de mercados hace parte de un enfoque llamado la orientación al mercado. En Colombia, las empresas parecen tener un enfoque diferente, aun cuando se ha encontrado el uso y la necesidad de información para la toma de decisiones. Los modelos de los procesos de la gestión de la información no son aplicables ni apropiados para pequeñas y microempresas, como tampoco los modelos que caracterizan a las culturas organizacionales, que están orientados hacia la formalización de la información. Aún así la necesidad está latente, lo que hace necesario promover el desa- rrollo competitivo de las micro y pequeñas empresas desde la investigación universitaria con nuevos campos de acción.
La problemática ambiental y los centros de desarrollo académico
Authors: Camacho Delgado Clemencia , Cardoso Pedro Pablo
Published: January 2015

Este artículo se presenta como una segunda parte del ya publicado en el número 10 de Poliantea “Revisión del problema ambiental y su gestión”. Aquí se hace una revisión específica de la gestión ambiental llevada a cabo por las universidades desde sus inicios en 1950, de los compromisos adquiridos y las asociaciones que se fueron consolidando a través del tiempo. El recorrido muestra concepciones y hechos de la cultura ambiental en las diferentes instituciones de educación superior, su interés en los procesos de formación en el tema y responsabilidad social como centros de generación de soluciones a los problemas de deterioro ambien- tal global. Finalmente se incluye un cuadro secuencial de las iniciativas y eventos realizados por universidades desde los años 1950. Se busca mostrar la importancia de las acciones y realizaciones de las diversas comunidades universitarias en el tema ambiental.