bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What comes first? Publishing business or publishing studies?
Authors: Selthofer Josipa
Published: July 2015

The aim of this paper is to analyze and compare publishing studies, their programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels and scholars involved in the teaching of publishing courses at the top universities around the world and in Croatia. Since traditional publishing business is rapidly changing, new skills and new jobs are involved in it. The main research question is: Can modern publishing studies produce a modern publisher? Or, is it the other way around? The hypothesis of the paper is that scholars involved in the teaching of publishing courses at the top universities around the world have a background in publishing business. So, can they prepare their students for the future and can their students gain competencies they need to compete in a confusing world of digital authors and electronic books? The research methods used were content analysis and comparison. Research sample included 36 university publishing programmes at the undergraduate and graduate level worldwide (24 MA, 12 BA). The research sample was limited mainly to the English-speaking countries. In most non-English-speaking countries, it was difficult to analyse the programme curriculum in the native language because the programme and course description did not exit. In the data gathering phase, a customized web application was used for content analysis. The application has three main sections: a list of websites to evaluate, a visual representation of the uploaded website and a list of characteristics grouped by categories for quantifying data. About twenty years ago, publishing was not considered a separate scientific branch in Croatia. Publishing studies are therefore a new phenomenon to both scholars and publishers in Croatia. To create a new, ideal publishing course, can we simply copy global trends or is it better to create something of our own?
Publishing studies
Authors: Noël Sophie
Published: July 2015

This paper questions the validity of the so-called “publishing studies” as an academic discipline, while trying to situate them within the field of social sciences and to contextualize their success. It argues that a more appropriate frame could be adopted to describe what people studying the transformations of book publishing do – or should do – both at a theoretical and methodological level.The paper begins by providing an overview of the scholarly and academic context in France as far as book publishing is concerned, highlighting its genesis and current development. It goes on to underline the main pitfalls that such a sub-field as publishing studies is faced with, before making suggestions as to the bases for a stimulating analysis of publishing, making a case for an interdisciplinary approach nurtured by social sciences. The paper is based on a long-term field study on independent presses in France, together with a survey of literature on the subject.
Publishing studies
Authors: Legendre Bertrand
Published: July 2015

This paper intends to reposition “publishing studies” in the long process that goes from the beginning of book history to the current research on cultural industries. It raises questions about interdisciplinarity and the possibility of considering publishing independently of other sectors of the media and cultural offerings. Publishing is now included in a large range of industries and, at the same time, analyses tend to become more and more segmented according to production sectors and scientific fields. In addition to the problems created, from the professional point of view, by this double movement, this one requires a questioning of the concept of “publishing studies”.
Publishing studies
Authors: Bläsi Christoph
Published: July 2015

In some parts of the world, Publishing Studies are a fairly well-established field of research as well as of higher education. Not least since this is not so much the case in continental Europe, the Publishing Studies community increasingly sees a more elaborated self-concept as an important prerequisite for a prosperous further development of the field in research as well as in teaching. This paper starts off by relating the question for an advanced self-concept of Publishing Studies to the question what criteria have to be fulfilled to call a field (like Publishing Studies) a scholarly discipline. As the second source for the possible formation of a more elaborate self-concept, the paper presents the first results of an ongoing empirical research project. In this projects, extensive expert interviews with representatives of UK Publishing Studies study programs and research institutions are evaluated to shed light on the core questions related to Publishing Studies as a discipline / „discipline“ in a bottom-up manner. After presenting a very clear and differentiated North American view as an additional point of reference, a contribution to the discussion on Publishing Studies is proposed.
High-Throughput of Polymer Derived Carbon Nanopillar Arrays for Enhanced Energy Storage Performance
Authors: Yu Zenan , Duong Binh , Moore Julian , Chantharasupawong Panit , Li Chao , Thomas Jayan
Published: July 2015

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was printed into a nanostructured carbon nanopillar arrays using a quick, simple, and highly efficient method called spin-on nanoprinting (SNAP). The mold used to print PAN nanostructures could easily be reproduced via printing an inverse replica of carbon nanopillar arrays. The as-printed carbon nanopillar arrays were further prepared as supercapacitor electrodes. As a result, these nanostructured carbon electrodes display an order of magnitude enhancement in specific capacitance compared to non-nanostructured carbon electrodes.
Ten-year monitoring of an ultraviolet disinfection plant for drinking water
Authors: Schmalwieser Alois W. , Cabaj Alexander , Hirschmann Georg , Sommer Regina
Published: July 2015

Information about the capability and performance of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection plants for drinking water is mainly available from lab-scale evaluations or prototype testing. Information about these during operation is rare. In this paper, controlled onsite measurements over a period of 10 years are presented. Measurements were taken in a UV disinfection plant equipped with amalgam low-pressure, high-output lamps every 2 months over the whole period. From these, information about lamp ageing, emittance in dependence on water temperature and differences of emittance within one type of lamp was gained. The decrease of emittance follows an exponential decay. After 700 h of operation, the UV emission is reduced by 10% compared to a new lamp, after 1800 h by 20% and by 30% after 3200 h. Emittance of new lamps may differ by 10%. Further, the influence of water temperature on the UV emission of the lamps was estimated as 0·5%/°C. Our results (not statistically significant) suggest that on-off switches and low water temperature may shorten the lifetime of lamps. A comparison onsite has shown that measurements of UV irradiance by all types of certified reference radiometers according to ÖNORM M5873-1 agree within ±2·0%.
Effect of hydrogen peroxide on radiofrequency-oxidation of dairy manure
Authors: Srinivasan Asha , Young Chris , Liao Ping Huang , Lo Kwang Victor
Published: July 2015

A novel technology involving a combination of radiofrequency (RF) heating and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) addition was used to treat dairy manure as a part of a manure management and resource recovery scheme; the process was to release nutrients and to disintegrate dairy manure for subsequent struvite crystallisation process and/or anaerobic digestion. The factors affecting the process, namely, H2O2 dosage, heating time and radiofrequency temperature, were studied using a surface response design methodology. The results indicated that solids disintegration efficiency in terms of soluble chemical oxidation demand concentration in the treated solution was in a range of 15–18% of total chemical oxygen demand. Very high volatile fatty acid concentrations were also produced. Orthophosphate (ortho-P) concentrations were in the range of 36–52% of total phosphorus in the treated solution. The optimal operating conditions for both solids disintegration and ortho-P release were predicted to be RF temperature of 83°C, holding time of 55–60 min and H2O2 dose of 1.7–1.8%.
Putting μ/g in a new light: plasticity in life history switch points reflects fine‐scale adaptive responses
Authors: Touchon Justin C. , McCoy Michael W. , Landberg Tobias , Vonesh James R. , Warkentin Karen M.
Published: July 2015

Life history theory predicts that organisms with complex life cycles should transition between life stages when the ratio of growth rate (g) to risk of mortality (μ) in the current stage falls below that in the subsequent stage. Empirical support for this idea has been mixed. Implicit in both theory and empirical work is that the risk of mortality in the subsequent stage is unknown. However, some embryos and larvae of both vertebrates and invertebrates assess cues of post‐transition predation risk and alter the timing of hatching or metamorphosis accordingly. Furthermore, although life history switch points of prey have traditionally been treated as discrete shifts in morphology or habitat, for many organisms they are continuous transitional periods within which the timing of specific developmental and behavioral events can be plastic. We studied red‐eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas), which detect predators of both larvae and metamorphs, to test if plastic changes during the process of metamorphosis could reconcile the mismatch between life history theory and empirical data and if plasticity in an earlier stage transition (hatching) would affect plasticity at a subsequent stage transition (metamorphosis). We reared tadpoles from hatching until metamorphosis in a full‐factorial cross of two hatching ages (early‐ vs. late‐hatched) and the presence or absence of free‐roaming predators of larvae (giant water bugs) and metamorphs (fishing spiders). Hatching age affected the times from oviposition to tail resorption and from hatching to emergence onto land, but did not alter responses to predators or developmental stage at emergence. Tadpoles did not alter their age at emergence or tail resorption in response to larval or metamorph predators, despite the fact that predators reduced tadpole density by ~30%. However, developmental stage at emergence and time needed to complete metamorphosis in the terrestrial environment were plastic and consistent with predictions of the “minimize μ/g” framework. Our results demonstrate that likely adaptive changes in life history transitions occur at previously unappreciated timescales. Consideration of plasticity in the developmental timing of ecologically important events within metamorphosis, rather than treating it as a discrete switch point, may help to reconcile inconsistencies between empirical studies of predator effects and expectations of long‐standing ecological theory.
Ecological explanations to island gigantism: dietary niche divergence, predation, and size in an endemic lizard
Authors: Runemark Anna , Sagonas Kostas , Svensson Erik I.
Published: July 2015

Although rapid evolution of body size on islands has long been known, the ecological mechanisms behind this island phenomenon remain poorly understood. Diet is an important selective pressure for morphological divergence. Here we investigate if selection for novel diets has contributed to the multiple independent cases of island gigantism in the Skyros wall lizard (Podarcis gaigeae) and if diet, predation, or both factors best explain island gigantism. We combined data on body size, shape, bite force, and realized and available diets to address this. Several lines of evidence suggest that diet has contributed to the island gigantism. The larger islet lizards have relatively wider heads and higher bite performance in relation to mainland lizards than would be expected from size differences alone. The proportions of consumed and available hard prey are higher on islets than mainland localities, and lizard body size is significantly correlated with the proportion of hard prey. Furthermore, the main axis of divergence in head shape is significantly correlated with dietary divergence. Finally, a model with only diet and one including diet and predation regime explain body size divergence equally well. Our results suggest that diet is an important ecological factor behind insular body size divergence, but could be consistent with an additional role for predation.
Ecological stoichiometry quantitatively predicts responses of tadpoles to a food quality gradient
Authors: Stephens Jeffrey .P , Berven Keith A. , Tiegs Scott D. , Raffel Thomas R.
Published: July 2015

Ecological stoichiometry (ES) uses elemental ratios and mass balance to explain organismal growth, an important parameter in ecological systems. In this study, we tested quantitative predictions of the ES “minimal model” for the growth rates of two tadpole species (wood frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus and American toads, Anaxyrus americanus), by manipulating light and the quality of a leaf litter mixture in a seminatural mesocosm experiment. We predicted that wood frogs, which consume leaf litter as a resource, would respond more strongly to leaf litter quality than toads, which forage on periphyton and algae. The ES minimal model, parameterized from literature values, provided strikingly accurate quantitative predictions of nonlinear wood frog growth patterns across gradients of leaf litter quality, both in this experiment and when applied to previously published data on wood frog growth responses to various leaf litter species. In contrast, toad growth was best explained by the biomass of periphyton, which was driven primarily by light availability and only indirectly influenced by litter‐derived soluble polyphenols. This study demonstrates the power of ES to predict organism growth rates, and highlights potential applications of this theory to predicting population‐ and community‐level responses to changing forest environments.
Freezing heat: thermally imposed constraints on the daily activity patterns of a free‐ranging grassland bird
Authors: Silva João Paulo , Catry Inês , Palmeirim Jorge M. , Moreira Francisco
Published: July 2015

Heat stress is a risk for birds exposed to high ambient temperatures, especially for those that live in open environments with limited protection from direct sun radiation. This makes them particularly vulnerable to climate warming. We studied how ambient temperature affects the daily activity of a threatened grassland bird, the little bustard Tetrax tetrax. The activity of 20 birds tracked by GPS satellite telemetry between 2009 and 2012 was monitored throughout the yearly cycle in the Iberian Peninsula. We found that temperatures over ~25°C strongly inhibited the activity of birds during the breeding and post‐breeding seasons. High temperatures were mostly frequent during mid‐day, which often forced birds to reduce activity during this period, especially during summer. We show that the expected future rise in temperatures may result in a substantial reduction in the duration of the period of the day thermally adequate for maintaining activity. With climate change inactivity levels during breeding and post‐breeding are expected to rise 37% and 59%, respectivly, compared to present standards. This may pose serious time constraints, particularly on functions like breeding and foraging, with potential consequences for individual fitness and population dynamics. Global warming may thus affect the range of birds not just through habitat change but also by limiting their activity.
Kayla’s Story Is Our Story
Authors: Strusberg Tanya
Published: July 2015

As a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, I find myself reading a lot of posts on various birth-related Facebook groups. It’s important for me to know the issues women are talking about, asking about, and concerned about. Late last year, I found myself drawn to the real-time labor of a woman in New Mexico who was desperately trying for a successful vaginal birth after cesarean. She was using the virtual Facebook group as her literal emotional support, and the reaction was unlike anything I have ever seen online before. Literally hundreds of women around the world were following her story and rallying behind her—a woman they had never met. This is Kayla’s story, and it is our story.
Pump Early, Pump Often: A Continuous Quality Improvement Project
Authors: Spatz Diane L. , Froh Elizabeth B. , Schwarz Jessica , Houng Kathy , Brewster Isabel , Myers Carey , Prince Judy , Olkkola Michelle
Published: July 2015

Research demonstrates that although many mothers initiate pumping for their critically ill children, few women are successful at maintaining milk supply throughout their infants’ entire hospital stay. At the Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit (SDU) at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, we care for mothers who have critically ill infants born with complex cardiac and congenital anomalies. Human milk is viewed as a medical intervention at our institution. Therefore, nurses on the SDU wanted to ensure best practice in terms of pumping initiation. This article describes a continuous quality improvement project that ensured mothers pumped early and often. Childbirth educators can play a key role in preparing mothers who are anticipating an infant who will require hospitalization immediately post-birth.
Shared Decision Making for Routine Infant Circumcision: A Pilot Study
Authors: Mitchell Teri M. , Beal Claudia
Published: July 2015

It is important that expectant parents receive accurate information about the benefits and risks of circumcision as well as the benefits and risks of having an intact foreskin when making a decision about routine infant circumcision (RIC). A pilot study was conducted using the shared decision making (SDM) conceptual model to guide expectant parents through a 3-phase decision-making program about RIC as part of their childbirth education class. The participants showed a high level of preparedness following each of the 3 phases. Preparedness score were highest for those who decided to keep their expected sons’ penises natural. This SDM program was an effective way of guiding expectant parents through the decision-making process for RIC.
Retained Surgical Drain After Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Eight-Year Follow-up
Authors: Gheorghiu Daniel , Cowan Chris , Teanby David
Published: July 2015

Case:

This report describes a patient in whom the intra-articular portion of a suction drain broke during total knee arthroplasty. The broken portion of the drain could not be removed, but the patient experienced no major complications over an eight-year follow-up period.

Conclusion:

The presence of a retained surgical drain needs to be carefully assessed but is not an absolute indication for removal.
Perioperative Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A Rare Cardiac Complication Following Orthopaedic Surgery
Authors: Busse Eric C. , Wiater J. Michael
Published: July 2015

Case:

We present a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy associated with cardiogenic shock following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty in an eighty-three-year-old man with no history of cardiopulmonary medical problems. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy was diagnosed with emergency cardiac catheterization and angiography. The patient was managed with supportive measures that included the placement of a ventricular assist device.

Conclusion:

The patient recovered without any permanent cardiac sequelae. We review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Removable Prosthodontic Treatment Procedures: An Overview
Authors: Hussain Khaja Amjad , Azzeghaibi Saleh Nasser , Tarakji Bassel , R. S SenthilRajan , Sirajuddin Syed , Prabhu Sandeep S
Published: July 2015

As the number of aged people in the world is growing, the need to provide patients with tooth alternate through removable partial dentures is equally growing. There are adversarial effects that should be kept in mind which might disturb the remaining teeth; specially, the abutments and the supporting tissues. These effects might spread to the muscles of mastication and also to the supporting periodontal tissues. Thus, we should plan removable partial dentures (RPDs) without mutilation to the adjacent teeth or the underlying tissues.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Exodontic Treatment Procedures: An Overview
Authors: Rajan Senthil RS , Hussain Khaja Amjad , Tarakji Bassel , Azzeghaibi Saleh Nasser , Sirajuddin Syed
Published: July 2015

Dentists encounter a wide range of hard-tissue injuries in practice. Dental extractions are one of the most common procedures in dentistry and may lead to several complications, including oral sinus complications, osteitis, infection, dysesthesia, pain, and bleeding.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Implants and Implant Treatment Procedures
Authors: Sirajuddin Syed , Kripal Krishna , MN Kumuda , Chungkham Sachidananda , Rafiuddin Syed , BM Chandrashekar
Published: July 2015

A dental implant (also known as an endosseous implant or fixture) is a surgical component that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis or to act as an orthodontic anchor.Well planned, comprehensive treatment plans lead to successful implant treatment and patient satisfaction, which are the eventual long-term objectives. Probability of implant success can be put at jeopardy by absolute and relative risk factors.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Periodontal Treatment Procedures
Authors: Latheef P , Sirajuddin Syed , Gundapaneni Veenadharini , MN Kumuda , Apine Ashwini
Published: July 2015

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease affecting the periodontium i.e. the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Periodontitis manifests as progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can cause loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. Periodontitis is initiated by microorganisms that adhere to and grow on the tooth's surfaces, besides an over -aggressive immune response against these microorganisms. The primary goal of periodontal therapy is to preserve the natural dentition by accomplishing and preserving a healthy functional periodontium. Many treatment modalities have been introduced to improve the therapeutic result of periodontal treatment which may also damage the periodontiumiatrogenically.
Iatrogenic Factors Affecting the Periodontium: An Overview
Authors: Prasad Ravi Varma , Chincholi Siddharth , V Deepika , Sirajuddin Syed , Biswas Shriparna , Prabhu Sandeep S , MP Rakesh
Published: July 2015

The principal reason of gingival inflammation is bacterial plaque, along with other predisposing factors. These predisposing factors are calculus, malocclusion, faulty restorations, complications associated with orthodontic therapy, self- inflicted injuries, use of tobacco & radiation therapy. The contributing factors to gingival inflammation & periodontal destruction are deficient dental restorations and prosthesis. Inadequate dental procedures that add to the weakening of the periodontal tissues are referred to as iatrogenic factors.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Laser: An Overview
Authors: Kripal Krishna , Sirajuddin Syed , Rafiuddin Syed , MP Rakesh , Chungkham Sachidananda
Published: July 2015

Lasers have been used in dentistry since 1994 to treat a number of dental problems. A variety of lasers are now available for use in dentistry. Once stated as an intricate technology with restricted usage in clinical dentistry, there is a growing awareness of the usefulness of lasers in the armamentarium of the modern dental practice, where they can be used as an adjunct or alternative to various long-standing approaches.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Endodontic Treatment Procedures: An Overview
Authors: Bhat Aishwarya , Sirajuddin Syed , Prabhu Sandeep S , Chungkham Sachidananda , Bilichodmath Chandrasekhar
Published: July 2015

The tooth, the pulp tissue within it and its supporting structures should be viewed as one biologic unit. The interrelationship of these structures influences each other during health, function and disease. The interrelationship between periodontal and endodontic diseases has aroused much speculation, confusion and controversy. The endodontium and periodontiumare closely related and disease or damage of one tissue may lead to the involvement of the other.
Iatrogenic Damage to Periodontium by Restorative Treatment Procedures: An Overview
Authors: Sirajuddin Syed , Narasappa Kumuda M , Gundapaneni Veenadharini , Chungkham Sachidananda , Walikar Ambica S
Published: July 2015

The regenerative capability found in most other tissues is not possessed by teeth. Hence, enamel or dentin once lost as a result of caries, trauma, wear, and restorative materials must be replaced to restore form and function. Teeth require preparation to receive restorations, and these preparations must be based on fundamental principles from which basic criteria can be developed to help predict the success of restorative treatment.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium by Chemicals and Dental Materials
Authors: Justus Biju , Sirajuddin Syed , Gundapaneni Veenadharini , Biswas Shriparna , MN Kumuda , MP Rakesh
Published: July 2015

The toxicity and tissue reactions to dental materials are receiving more attention as a wide variety of materials are used and as federal agencies demonstrate more concern in this area. A further indication of the importance of the interaction of materials and tissues is the development of recommended standard practices and tests for the biological interaction of materials.
Iatrogenic Damage to the Periodontium Caused by Orthodontic Treatment Procedures: An Overview
Authors: Rafiuddin Syed , YG Pradeep Kumar , Biswas Shriparna , Prabhu Sandeep S , BM Chandrashekar , MP Rakesh
Published: July 2015

In orthodontic treatment, teeth are moved in to new positions and relationships and the soft tissue and underlying bone are altered to accommodate changes in esthetics and function. Function is more important than esthetics. The speciality of orthodontics has in addition to its benefits, complications as well as risks associated with its procedures. However the benefits outweigh the risks & complications in most of the treatment cases. Few of the unwanted side effects associated with treatment are tooth discolorations, enamel decalcification, periodontal complications like open gingival embrasures, root resorption, allergic reactions to nickel & chromium as well as treatment failure in the form of relapse.
Firm-Specific Estimates of Differential Persistence and their Incremental Usefulness for Forecasting and Valuation
Authors: Call Andrew C. , Hewitt Max , Shevlin Terry , Yohn Teri Lombardi
Published: July 2015

Although the differential persistence of accruals and operating cash flows is a firm-specific phenomenon, research seeking to exploit the differential persistence of these earnings components typically employs cross-sectional forecasting models. We find that a model based on firm-specific estimates of the differential persistence of accruals and operating cash flows is incrementally useful for out-of-sample forecasting relative to state-of-the-art cross-sectional models. In doing so, we show that firm-specific estimates of differential persistence are particularly useful when forecasting earnings for more stable firms (e.g., more profitable, lower growth, and less levered firms). We also demonstrate that a trading strategy exploiting investors' fixation on earnings and based on firm-specific estimates of differential persistence earns statistically and economically significant excess returns that are incremental to those generated by trading strategies based on the size of accruals. These results suggest that firm-specific estimates of differential persistence are incrementally informative for forecasting and valuation.

JEL Classifications: M41.
Estimating and Reporting Structural Equation Models with Behavioral Accounting Data
Authors: Hampton Clark
Published: July 2015

Despite prior research explaining the benefits of using structural equation modeling (SEM) for analyzing accounting behavioral data, SEM remains underutilized in accounting behavioral research relative to related and reference domains such as psychology, information systems, and management. Prior research posits the frequency with which accounting behavioral data violate SEM assumptions as one probable reason for this underutilization. Accounting behavioral researchers may be unfamiliar with the techniques and approaches available to develop and estimate structural models when data violate SEM assumptions. Given this unfamiliarity, researches may opt to use less informative techniques. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance on the testing, judgment, and decision-making processes that influence SEM estimation, analysis, and reporting with accounting behavioral data. A structural model is developed, tested, and evaluated using accounting behavioral data that violate, to varying degrees, the assumptions of SEM.
Do Accounting Faculty Characteristics Impact CPA Exam Performance? An Investigation of Nearly 700,000 Examinations
Authors: Bline Dennis M. , Perreault Stephen , Zheng Xiaochuan
Published: July 2015

While many colleges and universities publicize CPA examination pass rates as evidence of having a high-quality accounting program, some have questioned whether program-specific characteristics are legitimate predictors of examination success. To examine this issue, we empirically investigate the link between accounting faculty characteristics and performance on the CPA examination. We examine the results from nearly 700,000 first-time exam sittings taken during the period 2005–2013 and find that faculty research and teaching specialization has a significant impact on CPA exam performance. That is, when a program has a relatively higher percentage of accounting faculty with expertise in a particular content area tested on the exam (e.g., auditing), graduates achieve higher scores on the related exam section (e.g., AUD). We also find that faculty research productivity and CPA certification status are positively related to candidate exam performance. We believe these results contribute to the existing literature on the determinants of CPA exam success and also provide important insights to those responsible for accounting faculty staffing and development.
Employer Perceptions of Online Accounting Degrees
Authors: Grossman Amanda M. , Johnson Leigh R.
Published: July 2015

This study expands upon the current literature regarding how potential employers perceive the value of online accounting education at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Experimental results demonstrate that employers are significantly more willing to offer employment to an entry-level job applicant whose baccalaureate degree in accounting, from an AACSB-accredited institution, was obtained in a traditional (on campus) or hybrid (blended learning) environment as opposed to an online environment. The reputation of the educational institution as suggested by publication ratings does not significantly affect willingness to hire. Further results suggest that Big 4 employers are equally willing to hire the online accounting graduate as employers from most other types of firms. In addition, employers appear to be more accepting of lower-level, as opposed to upper-level, online accounting coursework and favor applicants who complete a baccalaureate degree on campus and an M.B.A. online, or vice versa, over those who complete both degrees online. Practitioners and students should be aware that, within the aforementioned boundaries, accounting firms are becoming more willing to hire accounting graduates whose academic career includes some online content.
“You Have to Keep Moving, Be Active”: Perceptions and Experiences of Habitual Physical Activity in Older Women With Osteoporosis
Authors: Dohrn Ing-Mari , Ståhle Agneta , Roaldsen Kirsti Skavberg
Published: July 2015

Background

Physical activity (PA) is essential for older adults with osteoporosis, and health care professionals play important roles in promoting PA and encouraging patients to make healthy choices. However, many factors influence habitual PA, and there is only limited knowledge about the perceptions and experiences of PA among older women with osteoporosis.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions and experiences of PA and the factors that influence habitual PA among older adults with osteoporosis, impaired balance, and fear of falling.

Design

This was a qualitative interview study applying interpretive content analysis with an inductive approach.

Methods

Informants were a purposeful sample of 18 women, aged 66 to 86 years, with osteoporosis, impaired balance, and fear of falling. Individual, semistructured, face-to-face interviews were recorded, transcribed, condensed, and coded to find subthemes and themes.

Results

The overall theme found was “Physical activity—a tool for staying healthy with osteoporosis.” This overall theme comprised 2 main themes interpreting the challenges and possibilities of being physically active with osteoporosis. These themes were not separate but rather linked to each other like 2 sides of the same coin, with factors that could act as both barriers to and facilitators of PA. Personal preferences and osteoporosis-related concerns influenced habitual PA, and individualization was perceived as important.

Limitations

Some results may be context specific and limit the transferability to people with other cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Conclusions

The women perceived that PA was an important tool to maintain health with osteoporosis and believed that they had a responsibility to use this tool. They had adapted to disease-specific limitations and developed strategies to overcome challenges and barriers to PA. Lack of PA promotion and conflicting advice about PA from physicians created uncertainty. Encouragement and guidance from physical therapists, individually or in groups, were very important.
Relevance of Sampling Techniques in Medical Research
Authors: Sathian Brijesh , Sreedharan Jayadevan , Roy Bedanta , Banerjee Indrajit , Supram Hosuru Subramanya
Published: July 2015

It is the era of developments and technologies in Southeast Asian countries including Nepal. Medical practice is growing to its supreme level. There is several funded and clinically relevant research works from this region. But it is questionable whether the data is collected scientifically and the inferred evidence is useful to the medical sciences. Improper sampling methods will result with biased evidence, which will make the researcher misleading. This article will discuss the basic sampling techniques required for a good research.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jbs.v2i1.13031Journal of Biomedical Sciences 2015 Mar.; 2(1): 3-6
When the Native Is Also a Non-native: “Retrodicting” the Complexity of Language Teacher Cognition
Authors: Aslan Erhan
Published: July 2015

Abstract:

The impact of native (NS) and non-native speaker (NNS) identities on second or foreign language teachers’ cognition and practices in the classroom has mainly been investigated in ESL/EFL contexts. Using complexity theory as a framework, this case study attempts to fill the gap in the literature by presenting a foreign language teacher in the United States who teaches French as a NS and German as a NNS teacher, at the college level. Specifically, the study explores the interface between NS/NNS identities, teacher cognition, practice, and professional identity. The retrodictive qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations reveals that the participant teacher’s NS French and NNS German identities influenced her teacher cognition, specifically in beliefs about teaching grammar. In addition, previous language learning experiences affect current decision-making processes in teaching. In terms of teaching practice, the dual NS French and NNS German identity affects teaching practice in the formal areas of language, target culture knowledge and awareness, teaching style, and perceptions about language varieties. Professional identity is construed here as being the mediator of target second language (L2) cultures in the classroom. The implications of teacher cognition as a complex system for L2 teaching and teacher education are discussed.
Emerging Multilingual Awareness in Educational Contexts: From Theory to Practice
Authors: Jessner Ulrike , Allgäuer-Hackl Elisabeth , Hofer Barbara
Published: July 2015

The aim of this article is to stress the importance of a dynamic systems or complexity theory approach as a necessary prerequisite to understanding the development of multi-competence in multilingual learners. Selected results from a study on emergent multilingual awareness in children, carried out in South Tyrol, are outlined and discussed. The classroom activities described in the second part, which were developed mainly in an Austrian school context, focus on multilingual, i.e., metalinguistic and cross-linguistic, awareness and show that multilingual approaches to teaching and learning are linked to significant benefits at the linguistic and metalinguistic levels.
Heuristic Approach to Capacitated Traffic Assignment Problem for Large-Scale Transport Networks
Authors: Bagloee Saeed Asadi , Sarvi Majid
Published: July 2015

Although capacity constraints in traffic assignment can represent many realistic features, these constraints are largely ignored in practice because of mathematical complexities in applying the methods proposed in the literature. In this study such complexities are relaxed by the adoption of an intuitive interpretation for the Lagrange values of the capacity constraints, that is, the amount of penalty added to the travel time of the oversaturated links to discharge the excessive flow to the extent to which they become saturated. This penalty term bears some similarity to the marginal cost of the system optimal. Hence the capacitated traffic assignment problem (TAP) becomes a normal uncapacitated TAP in which the aforementioned additional penalty is updated iteratively. The proposed provision is flexible to accommodate TAP's solution algorithms such as Frank–Wolfe. The main motivation of this study is to address the needs of the industry; hence, the proposed method is coded in a leading commercial transport planning software product, and a large-scale network of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is used for numerical evaluations. Furthermore the benchmark network of Hearn is also used for comparative evaluations with respect to other methods. Results suggest that in regard to the reliability of the outcomes and computational efficacy, the proposed algorithm is as good as other methods. Unlike other methods, there is no additional parameter to be calibrated, and the convergence behavior of the algorithm is promising.
Flow-Based and Density-Based Time-Dependent Demand Estimation for Congested Urban Transportation Networks
Authors: Abdelghany Khaled , Hassan Ahmed , Alnawaiseh Ala , Hashemi Hossein
Published: July 2015

This paper compares the estimation quality of two time-dependent origin–destination demand estimation methods in congested networks. The first method uses time-dependent link flow rate observations, whereas the second uses time-dependent link density observations. The developed methods adopt a bilevel formulation framework in which the lower-level problem solves for the time-dependent link proportions by using a simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment model. The upper-level problem is in the form of a least squares error minimization program that minimizes the difference between the observations and their corresponding estimated values. The solution algorithm integrates a simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment model and a linear approximation of the least squares error formulation by using a separable programming approach. An iterative solution algorithm is developed to achieve consistency between the estimated demand and the link proportions. A set of experiments conducted with hypothetical and real-world networks examines the performance of the two methods in replicating the observed congestion pattern in these networks. Results show that the density-based demand estimation method is more suitable for demand estimation in congested networks in that the former method captures the flow breakdown and spillback phenomena associated with high congestion.
Origin-Based Algorithms for Traffic Assignment
Authors: Xie Jun , Xie Chi
Published: July 2015

This paper presents an extensive analytical and numerical investigation of a class of origin-based algorithms for the user equilibrium–based traffic assignment problem. Nine known algorithms in this class are first clustered into four algorithmic structures on the basis of their structural differences and similarities in algorithm design. A complexity analysis of these algorithmic structures is conducted by calculating the frequency of executing node and link operations; this approach provides a simple analytical way to estimate their per iteration computation costs. To deliver a comprehensive and fair comparison of their convergence performance, all nine algorithms are implemented on the same programming platform and run to solve a few representative large-scale traffic networks by sizes and congestion levels. A close look at the convergence performance statistics further justifies the consistency of the complexity analysis and numerical evaluation results of the computational efficiency of these algorithms. Discussions on the degeneration of algorithm convergence efficiency with respect to network size and congestion level provide useful insights for the potential improvement of current origin-based algorithms or the proposition of new algorithms.
Linear Dependence of User Equilibrium Routes in the Transportation Network
Authors: Du Muqing , Cheng Lin , Jiang Xiaowei , Li Zhibin
Published: July 2015

User equilibrium (UE) models are widely used in network flow assignment in transportation engineering. For a given UE solution, the link flow pattern is unique, although the flows of entire routes may have many solutions. On the basis of linear substitution relationships detected between the equilibrated travel routes, this study proposes a new, efficient approach to find a maximum set of independent UE routes, referred to as “the set of basic routes.” The basic route set is associated with a basis of the linear space of route flow solutions, which plays an important role in the sensitivity analysis of the UE models. The linear relationships are observed within a specific structure composed of a set of grouped alternative segments (GAS). Certain properties of the GAS structure are derived. A simple process for generating the basic routes is provided by using the features of the GAS. Numerical results on several networks demonstrate that using the GAS structure to find the set of independent UE routes can be efficient.
Wired for motherhood: induction of maternal care but not maternal aggression in virgin female CD1 mice
Authors: Martín-Sánchez Ana , Valera-Marín Guillermo , Hernández-Martínez Adoración , Lanuza Enrique , Martínez-García Fernando , Agustín-Pavón Carmen
Published: July 2015

Virgin adult female mice display nearly spontaneous maternal care towards foster pups after a short period of sensitization. This indicates that maternal care is triggered by sensory stimulation provided by the pups and that its onset is largely independent on the physiological events related to gestation, parturition and lactation. Conversely, the factors influencing maternal aggression are poorly understood. In this study, we sought to characterize two models of maternal sensitization in the outbred CD1 strain. To do so, a group of virgin females (godmothers) were exposed to continuous cohabitation with a lactating dam and their pups from the moment of parturition, whereas a second group (pup-sensitized females), were exposed 2 h daily to foster pups. Both groups were tested for maternal behavior on postnatal days 2–4. Godmothers expressed full maternal care from the first test. Also, they expressed higher levels of crouching than dams. Pup-sensitized females differed from dams in all measures of pup-directed behavior in the first test, and expressed full maternal care after two sessions of contact with pups. However, both protocols failed to induce maternal aggression toward a male intruder after full onset of pup-directed maternal behavior, even in the presence of pups. Our study confirms that adult female mice need a short sensitization period before the onset of maternal care. Further, it shows that pup-oriented and non-pup-oriented components of maternal behavior are under different physiological control. We conclude that the godmother model might be useful to study the physiological and neural bases of the maternal behavior repertoire.
On the Accessibility of Newton’s Method under a Hölder Condition on the First Derivative
Authors: Ezquerro José , Hernández-Verón Miguel
Published: July 2015

We see how we can improve the accessibility of Newton’s method for approximating a solution of a nonlinear equation in Banach spaces when a center Hölder condition on the first derivative is used to prove its semi-local convergence.
Pyrolysis of Municipal Green Waste: A Modelling, Simulation and Experimental Analysis
Authors: Kabir Mohammed , Chowdhury Ashfaque , Rasul Mohammad
Published: July 2015

Pyrolysis is the thermo-chemical conversion of carbonaceous feedstock in the absence of oxygen to produce bio-fuel (bio-oil, bio-char and syn-gas). Bio-fuel production from municipal green waste (MGW) through the pyrolysis process has attracted considerable attention recently in the renewable energy sector because it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to energy security. This study analyses properties of MGW feedstock available in Rockhampton city of Central Queensland, Australia, and presents an experimental investigation of producing bio-fuel from that MGW through the pyrolysis process using a short sealed rotary furnace. It was found from the experiment that about 19.97% bio-oil, 40.83% bio-char and 29.77% syn-gas can be produced from the MGW. Then, a four-stage steady state simulation model is developed for pyrolysis process performance simulation using Aspen Plus software. In the first stage, the moisture content of the MGW feed is reduced. In the second stage, the MGW is decomposed according to its elemental constituents. In the third stage, condensate material is separated and, finally, the pyrolysis reactions are modelled using the Gibbs free energy minimisation approach. The MGW’s ultimate and proximate analysis data were used in the Aspen Plus simulation as input parameters. The model is validated with experimentally measured data. A good agreement between simulation and experimental results was found. More specifically, the variation of modelling and experimental elemental compositions of the MGW was found to be 7.3% for carbon, 15.82% for hydrogen, 7.04% for nitrogen and 5.56% for sulphur. The validated model is used to optimise the biofuel production from the MGW as a function of operating variables such as temperature, moisture content, particle size and process heat air–fuel ratio. The modelling and optimisation results are presented, analysed and discussed.