bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design, Network Analysis and In Silico Modeling of Biologically Significant 4-(substituted benzyl)-2-Amino-6-HydroxyPyrimidine-5-Carboxamide Nanoparticles
Authors: Panneerselvam Theivendren , Sivakumar Vellaichamy , Arumugam Subramanian , Selvaraj Kunjiappan , Indhumathy Murugan
Published: March 2017

The synthesized 4-(4-hydroxy benzyl)-2-amino-6-hydroxy pyrimidine-5-carboxamide was chosen to perform in silico modeling with identified drug target AGT, TNF, F2 and BCL2L1. The identified human proteins are vital in the pain management and also an important target for the study of wound healing activity.

The enzymes were identified by using BioGRID, string database and network analysis through Cytoscape software. The wound healing activity was evaluated by excision wound model.

The observed results revealed that, the pyrimidine nanoparticles showed significant wound healing activity compared to standard and synthesized compound. The detailed synthesis of nanoparticles formulation spectral analysis and pharmacological screening data’s were reported.

The revealed reports of synthesized analogues and formulated nanoparticles will generate a very good impact to the chemists and research scholars for further investigations in wound healing and pain management.
Langzeitpflegepräferenzen der Älteren in Deutschland – Ergebnisse einer bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Umfrage
Authors: Hajek André , Lehnert Thomas , Wegener Annemarie , Riedel-Heller Steffi , König Hans-Helmut
Published: March 2017

Im Zuge der demografischen Entwicklung ist davon auszugehen, dass der Bedarf an Langzeitpflege in den nächsten Jahrzehnten deutlich ansteigen wird. Demzufolge ist das Wissen um die Langzeitpflegepräferenzen von großer Relevanz. Diese Arbeit zielt darauf ab, die Langzeitpflegepräferenzen der älteren Menschen in Deutschland darzustellen.

Auf Basis eines Literaturreviews und von Experteninterviews wurde ein Fragebogen zur Messung von Langzeitpflegepräferenzen entwickelt. Im Jahr 2015 wurde eine bevölkerungsrepräsentative Telefonbefragung von Personen im Alter ≥65 Jahre in Deutschland (n=1 006) durchgeführt.

Das Durchschnittsalter der Stichprobe betrug 75,2 Jahre (±6,6 Jahre; Spannweite 65–96 Jahre). Knapp 90% der Senioren präferieren die Pflege in den eigenen 4 Wänden. Andere Pflegesettings erhalten deutlich weniger Zustimmung. Dies gilt vor allem für Pflege im Ausland. Während in einer häuslichen Pflege sowohl eine Betreuung durch Personen aus dem Umfeld als auch eine Betreuung durch einen professionellen Pflegedienst recht hohe Zustimmungswerte aufweisen, weist eine ganztägige Betreuung (z. B. durch privat bezahlte Pflegekräfte) geringe Zustimmungswerte auf. Hinsichtlich zusätzlicher Dienste im Falle einer häuslichen Pflege ist vor allem eine hauswirtschaftliche Hilfe, die Nutzung eines Fahrdienstes sowie ein Notrufsystem/Hausnotruf wichtig. Dagegen wird eine Alltagsbegleitung für weniger wichtig gehalten. Im Falle einer stationären Pflege ist es über 90% der Befragten wichtig, in einem eigenen Zimmer zu wohnen, am liebsten in der Nähe des jetzigen Wohnortes bzw. in der Nähe des Wohnortes der nächsten Angehörigen. Zudem werden im Falle einer stationären Pflege vielfältige Angebote für wichtig gehalten.

Die geäußerten Präferenzen lassen vermuten, dass eine Lücke zwischen Erwartungen an die Pflege und der Pflegerealität klafft. Dieser Lücke sollte durch geeignete Maßnahmen begegnet werden, z. B. durch eine Sensibilisierung der Bevölkerung zur Notwendigkeit einer privaten Vorsorge.
More than just Noise? Examining the Information Content of Stock Microblogs on Financial Markets
Authors: Li Ting , van Dalen Jan , van Rees Pieter Jan
Published: March 2017

Scholars and practitioners alike increasingly recognize the importance of stock microblogs as they capture the market discussion and have predictive value for financial markets. This paper examines the extent to which stock microblog messages are related to financial market indicators and the mechanism leading to efficient aggregation of information. In particular, this paper investigates the information content of stock microblogs with respect to individual stocks and explores the effects of social influences on an interday and intraday basis. We collected more than 1.2 million stock-related messages (i.e., tweets) related to S&P 100 companies over a period of 7 months. Using methods from computational linguistics, we went through an elaborate process of message feature reduction, spam detection, language detection, and slang removal, which has led to an increase in classification accuracy for sentiment analysis. We analyzed the data on both a daily and a 15-min basis and found that the sentiment of messages is positively affected with contemporaneous daily abnormal stock returns and that message volume predicts 15-min follow-up returns, trading volume, and volatility. Disagreement in microblog messages positively influences stock features, both in interday and intraday analysis. Notably, if we give a greater share of voice to microblog messages depending on the social influence of microbloggers, this amplifies the relationship between bullishness and abnormal returns, market volume, and volatility. Following knowledgeable investors advice results in more power in explaining changes in market features. This offers an explanation for the efficient aggregation of information on microblogging platforms. Furthermore, we simulated a set of trading strategies using microblog features and the results suggest that it is possible to exploit market inefficiencies even when transaction costs are included. To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively examine the association between the information content of stock microblogs and intraday stock market features. The insights from the study permit scholars and professionals to reliably identify stock microblog features, which may serve as valuable proxies for market sentiment and permit individual investors to make better investment decisions.
Fabrication of thin diamond membranes by using hot implantation and ion-cut methods
Authors: Suk Jaekwon , Kim Hyeongkwon , Lim Weon Cheol , Yune Jiwon , Moon Sung , Eliades John A. , Kim Joonkon , Lee Jaeyong , Song Jonghan
Published: March 2017

A thin (2 μm) and relatively large area (3 × 3 mm2) diamond membrane was fabricated by cleaving a surface from a single crystal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond wafer (3 × 3 mm2× 300 μm) using a hot implantation and ion-cut method. First, while maintaining the CVD diamond at 400 °C, a damage zone was created at a depth of 2.3 μm underneath the surface by implanting 4 MeV carbon ions into the diamond in order to promote membrane cleavage (hot implantation). According to TEM data, hot implantation reduces the thickness of the implantation damage zone by about a factor of 10 when compared to implanting carbon ions with the CVD diamond at room temperature (RT). In order to recover crystallinity, the implanted sample was then annealed at 850 °C. Next, 380 keV hydrogen ions were implanted into the sample to a depth of 2.3 μm below the surface with the CVD diamond at RT. After annealing at 850 °C, the CVD diamond surface layer was cleaved at the damage-zone due to internal pressure from H2 gas arising from the implanted hydrogen (ion-cut). A thin layer of graphite (∼300 nm) on the cleavage surface, arising from the implanted carbon, was removed by O2 annealing. This technique can potentially be used to produce much larger area membranes of variable thickness.
Large electronic sputtering yield of nanodimensional Au thin films: Dominant role of thermal conductivity and electron phonon coupling factor
Authors: Singh Udai B. , Pannu Compesh , Agarwal Dinesh C. , Ojha Sunil , Khan Saif A. , Ghosh Santanu , Avasthi Devesh K.
Published: March 2017

Detailed experiments and theoretical calculations on electronic sputtering of Au thin films (5-200 nm) on a quartz substrate are performed, revealing unusually large electronic sputtering, dependent on the thickness of the films. The dependence of electronic thermal conductivity (κe), electron-phonon coupling factor (g), and lattice thermal conductivity (κa) on the effective electron mean free path is taken into account in the thermal spike calculation for nanodimensional systems to elucidate the combined effect of the thickness and grain size on the electronic sputtering yield. The thermal spike simulation with refined parameters for nanodimensional systems gives a better explanation of the electronic sputtering process with a very good correlation between the experimental and theoretical yields than that of the thermal spike model with bulk parameters.
Laser-induced anisotropic wettability on azopolymeric micro-structures
Authors: Pirani Federica , Angelini Angelo , Ricciardi Serena , Frascella Francesca , Descrovi Emiliano
Published: March 2017

The light-induced deformation of a micro-textured photo-sensitive polymeric material is exploited for modifying the surface hydrophobicity along deterministic directions. Arrays of azopolymeric micro-pillars are fabricated over large area and irradiated with a green laser. Upon laser irradiation, the micro-pillars deform reversibly along a direction parallel to the laser polarization, resulting in elongated shapes with controllable eccentricity. Such a locally anisotropic topography induces a directional yet reversible change of hydrophobicity, as measured by contact angles varying within a range of 30°.
Can island specialists succeed as urban pioneers? Pied imperial-pigeons provide a case study
Authors: Hazel Julia , Venables Brian L.
Published: March 2017

Context Long-term viability of wildlife populations may be influenced by the adaptive or maladaptive nature of behavioural shifts. Yet, in the short term, implications of novel behaviour are often uncertain, as they were for a newly formed urban nesting colony of pied imperial-pigeons (PIPs) on the mainland coast of north-eastern Australia. It represented unprecedented behaviour, as most of PIPs, also known as Torresian imperial-pigeons, Ducula bicolor/spilorrhoa, breed colonially on remote small islands. Aims The present study would (1) determine whether aggregated mainland nesting continued, (2) evaluate reproductive success, (3) evaluate spatial distribution of nests and (4) explore possible association of reproductive success with predator presence and broad indicators of food availability. Methods With assistance from volunteers, we found mainland PIP nests and revisited them intermittently to monitor progress. We calculated quantitative estimates of nest survival by the Mayfield method and evaluated reproductive output in relation to environmental data from independent sources. Key results During the 2012, 2013 and 2014 breeding seasons, we recorded 436, 387 and 417 PIP nest events at the new mainland colony. Daily nest-survival rates declined progressively and estimated fledgling output decreased over successive seasons from 0.66 to 0.44 per nest event. The highest mainland output was below that estimated for an island PIP colony (0.78) on the basis of sparse prior data. Across potential foraging grounds, there was no negative change in land use and no widespread adverse weather to account for diminishing success. We identified important causes of nest failure among mainland nesting PIPs to be predation, predominantly by birds, and anthropogenic hazards, including tree pruning and collisions with vehicles and windows of buildings. Conclusions With ongoing exposure to these hazards, mainland nesting PIPs cannot be expected to increase productivity; hence, the new colony may be a short-term phenomenon. We infer that the historic success of PIP populations in Queensland stems from their selection of breeding sites on remote islands that are largely free of relevant predators and anthropogenic activity. Implications Future conservation of extant PIP abundance will depend crucially on protection of island breeding sites, because multiple hazards of mainland nesting make it an unfavourable alternative strategy.
BET N-terminal bromodomain inhibition selectively blocks Th17 cell differentiation and ameliorates colitis in mice
Authors: Cheung Kalung , Lu Geming , Sharma Rajal , Vincek Adam , Zhang Ruihua , Plotnikov Alexander N. , Zhang Fan , Zhang Qiang , Ju Ying , Hu Yuan , Zhao Li , Han Xinye , Meslamani Jamel , Xu Feihong , Jaganathan Anbalagan , Shen Tong , Zhu Hongfa , Rusinova Elena , Zeng Lei , Zhou Jiachi , Yang Jianjun , Peng Liang , Ohlmeyer Michael , Walsh Martin J. , Zhang David Y. , Xiong Huabao , Zhou Ming-Ming
Published: March 2017

Significance

The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins regulate transcription of subset-specifying genes during lineage-specific T-helper-cell differentiation in adaptor immunity and are also implicated in inflammatory disorders. The available pan-BET bromodomain inhibitors such as JQ1 indiscriminately block the tandem bromodomains (BD1 and BD2) of the BET proteins, broadly render differentiation of different Th subsets, and have limited therapeutic potential. Here we report a small molecule, MS402, that can selectively inhibit BD1 over BD2 of the BET proteins and block Th17 maturation from mouse naive CD4
+
T cells, with limited or no effects on Th1, Th2, or Treg cells. MS402 effectively prevents and ameliorates T-cell transfer-induced colitis in mice by disrupting Th17 cell development, thus representing a therapeutic approach for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Common coding variant in
SERPINA1
increases the risk for large artery stroke
Authors: Malik Rainer , Dau Therese , Gonik Maria , Sivakumar Anirudh , Deredge Daniel J. , Edeleva Evgeniia V. , Götzfried Jessica , van der Laan Sander W. , Pasterkamp Gerard , Beaufort Nathalie , Seixas Susana , Bevan Steve , Lincz Lisa F. , Holliday Elizabeth G. , Burgess Annette I. , Rannikmäe Kristiina , Minnerup Jens , Kriebel Jennifer , Waldenberger Melanie , Müller-Nurasyid Martina , Lichtner Peter , Saleheen Danish ,   International Stroke Genetics Consortium, Rothwell Peter M. , Levi Christopher , Attia John , Sudlow Cathie L. M. , Braun Dieter , Markus Hugh S. , Wintrode Patrick L. , Berger Klaus , Jenne Dieter E. , Dichgans Martin , Woo Daniel , Debette Stephanie , Maguire Jane , Cole John W. , Majersik Jennifer , Bevan Steve , Jimenez-Conde Jordi , Lee Jin-Moo , Rost Natalia , Pare Guillaume , Jern Christina , Lindgren Arne G , Cardenas Israel Fernandez
Published: March 2017

Significance

Common single-amino acid variations of proteins are traditionally regarded as functionally neutral polymorphisms because these substitutions are mostly located outside functionally relevant surfaces. In this study, we present an example of a functionally relevant coding sequence variation, which, as we show here, confers risk for large artery atherosclerotic stroke. The single-residue variation M1(A213V) in serpin family A member 1 (
SERPINA1
) [encoding alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT)] is situated outside the protease-reactive inhibitory loop and is found in a β-turn on the protein surface. We show that the Ala-to-Val exchange in the gate region of AAT alters its functional dynamics toward neutrophil elastase in the presence of complex lipid-containing plasma and also affects the overall structural flexibility of the protein.
Deactivation kinetics of acid-sensing ion channel 1a are strongly pH-sensitive
Authors: MacLean David M. , Jayaraman Vasanthi
Published: March 2017

Significance

The response from every type of neurotransmitter-gated ion channel (NGIC) decays within a proscribed time when its agonist is removed. NGICs that decay faster are more involved in higher frequency signals, whereas slower channels promote cell excitability and plasticity. Here, we find that certain acid-sensing ion channels have the flexibility to convey either very rapid or quite slow signals, depending on the ambient pH over a very narrow range. This ability may allow these receptors to aid in synaptic plasticity, and hence learning and memory.
Understanding band gaps of solids in generalized Kohn–Sham theory
Authors: Perdew John P. , Yang Weitao , Burke Kieron , Yang Zenghui , Gross Eberhard K. U. , Scheffler Matthias , Scuseria Gustavo E. , Henderson Thomas M. , Zhang Igor Ying , Ruzsinszky Adrienn , Peng Haowei , Sun Jianwei , Trushin Egor , Görling Andreas
Published: March 2017

Significance

Semiconductors and insulators have a fundamental energy gap and absorb light at a continuum of photon energies above this gap. They also have a band structure of one-electron energies, and a band gap separating unoccupied from occupied one-electron states. When should these gaps be equal? It is known that they are not equal in the exact Kohn–Sham density-functional theory but are equal in commonly used density-functional approximations, such as the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). We show here that they are also equal (and improved) in higher level approximations, such as the meta-GGA or the hybrid of GGA with exact exchange, when the effective one-electron potential is not constrained to be a multiplication operator.
Trends in Hospitalization for Hypertensive Emergency, and Relationship of End-Organ Damage With In-Hospital Mortality
Authors: Shah Mahek , Patil Shantanu , Patel Brijesh , Arora Shilpkumar , Patel Nilay , Garg Lohit , Agrawal Sahil , Jacobs Larry , Steigerwalt Susan P. , Martinez Matthew W.
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

There are no comprehensive guidelines on management of hypertensive emergency (HTNE) and complications. Despite advances in antihypertensive medications HTNE is accompanied with significant morbidity and mortality.

METHODS

We queried the 2002–2012 nationwide inpatient sample database to identify patients with HTNE. Trends in incidence of HTNE and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between end-organ complications and in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

Between 2002 and 2012, 129,914 admissions were included. Six hundred and thirty (0.48%) patients died during their hospital stay. There was an increase in the number of HTNE admissions (9,511–15,479; Ptrend < 0.001) with concurrent reduction of in-hospital mortality (0.8–0.3%; Ptrend < 0.001) by the year 2012 compared to 2002. Patients who died during hospitalization were older, had longer length of stay, higher cost of stay, more comorbidities, and higher risk scores. Presence of acute cardiorespiratory failure [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 15.8; 95% confidence interval (CI), 13.2–18.9], stroke or transient ischemia attack (TIA) (adjusted OR, 7.9; 95% CI, 6.3–9.9), chest pain (adjusted OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 4.4–7.7), stroke/TIA (adjusted OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 4.5–7.7), and aortic dissection (adjusted OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 2.8–12.4) were most predictive of higher in-hospital mortality in addition to factors such as age, aortic dissection, acute myocardial infarction, acute renal failure, and presence of neurological symptoms.

CONCLUSION

A rising trend in hospitalization for HTNE, with an overall decrease in in-hospital mortality was observed from 2002 to 2012, possibly related to changes in coding practices and improved management. Presence of acute cardiorespiratory failure, stroke/TIA, chest pain, and aortic dissection were most predictive of higher hospital mortality.
Microfabrication of a gadolinium-derived solid-state sensor for thermal neutrons
Authors: Pfeifer Kent B. , Achyuthan Komandoor E. , Allen Matthew , Denton Michele L. B. , Siegal Michael P. , Manginell Ronald P.
Published: March 2017

Neutron sensing is critical in civilian and military applications. Conventional neutron sensors are limited by size, weight, cost, portability and helium supply. Here the microfabrication of gadolinium (Gd) conversion material–based heterojunction diodes for detecting thermal neutrons using electrical signals produced by internal conversion electrons (ICEs) is described. Films with negligible stress were produced at the tensile-compressive crossover point, enabling Gd coatings of any desired thickness by controlling the radiofrequency sputtering power and using the zero-point near p(Ar) of 50 mTorr at 100 W. Post-deposition Gd oxidation–induced spallation was eliminated by growing a residual stress-free 50 nm neodymium-doped aluminum cap layer atop Gd. The resultant coatings were stable for at least 6 years, demonstrating excellent stability and product shelf-life. Depositing Gd directly on the diode surface eliminated the air gap, leading to a 200-fold increase in electron capture efficiency and facilitating monolithic microfabrication. The conversion electron spectrum was dominated by ICEs with energies of 72, 132 and 174 keV. Results are reported for neutron reflection and moderation by polyethylene for enhanced sensitivity, and γ- and X-ray elimination for improved specificity. The optimal Gd thickness was 10.4 μm for a 300 μm-thick partially depleted diode of 300 mm2 active surface area. Fast detection (within 10 min) at a neutron source-to-diode distance of 11.7 cm was achieved with this configuration. All ICE energies along with γ-ray and Kα,β X-rays were modeled to emphasize correlations between experiment and theory. Semi-conductor thermal neutron detectors offer advantages for field-sensing of radioactive neutron sources.
Pharmacotherapy for Eating Disorders
Authors: McElroy Susan , Guerdjikova Anna I. , Mori Nicole , Keck Paul E.
Published: March 2017

This chapter addresses the pharmacotherapy of the eating disorders (EDs). Many persons with EDs receive pharmacotherapy, but pharmacotherapy research for EDs has lagged behind that for other major mental disorders. This chapter first provides a brief rationale for using medications in the treatment of EDs. It then reviews the data supporting the effectiveness of specific medications or medication classes in treating patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and other potentially important EDs, such as night eating syndrome (NES). It concludes by summarizing these data and suggesting future areas for research in the pharmacotherapy of EDs.
Digital Humanities
Authors: Davidson Cathy N. , Savonick Danica
Published: March 2017

This chapter traces the emergence of an interdisciplinary field, the digital humanities, in response to a complex set of recent personal, ethical, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, and political concerns, many generated by technology, that require the insights of humanistic inquiry. Drawing from examples of digital humanities praxis including FemTechNet, HASTAC, and the Futures Initiative, this chapter focuses on the pedagogical implications of the digital humanities as an interdisciplinary field. A specific case study, “Mapping the Futures of Higher Education,” is used to explore some of the implications of interdisciplinary, networked pedagogy. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the administrative collaborations and conditions necessary to facilitate this interdisciplinary work.
An Ethics of Interdisciplinary Research
Authors: Balsamo Anne
Published: March 2017

This essay considers the process of collaboration in the creation of new technologies, to identify commitments that serve as the foundation for successful collaborations across disciplines. These commitments are ethical in nature; they define a code of conduct for working in partnership with people who come from different disciplines, domains, cultural backgrounds, or worldviews. The ability to collaborate across differences is fundamental to successful interdisciplinary research and design, and is the basis for successful participation in cross-disciplinary teams. All interdisciplinary collaborations require the respectful recognition of different modes and rituals of knowledge production, and a willingness to engage and negotiate boundaries that are often fluid and indistinct.
Innovation, Interdisciplinarity, and Creative Destruction
Authors: Pacheco Roberto C. S. , Manhães Mauricio , Maldonado Mauricio Uriona
Published: March 2017

Innovation and interdisciplinarity have interesting commonalities. Innovation is a “creative destruction” phenomenon that can only be described through multi-, inter-, and transdisciplinary perspectives. In this light, we build on the work of classical scholars such as Schumpeter, Foucault, and Habermas, and the evolutionary theory of economic change, to argue about the ever-larger need to solve complex business problems—to innovate—through interdisciplinary teams and technologies. In doing so, the chapter argues interdisciplinarity itself can be understood as an innovation, since it disrupted the disciplinary paradigm on complex problem solving. As synthesis, stemming from a cognitive interest perspective, we propose an interdisciplinary conceptual framework on innovation to overview the main components (what), mechanisms (how), stakeholders (who), goals (why), and locus (where) in which innovation takes place. The chapter ends by concluding that pendularly movements between disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge creation can be understood as innovation phenomena cycles.
Understanding Cross-Disciplinary Team-Based Research
Authors: Hall Kara , Stipelman Brooke A. , Vogel Amanda L. , Stokols Daniel
Published: March 2017

Cross-disciplinary team-based research is conducted by collaborators from more than one area of expertise. The quality of the scholarship they produce can be influenced strongly by the quality of their collaborative interactions. A new field of study has emerged, called the science of team science (SciTS), that aims to develop an evidence base for the multilevel factors that hinder or facilitate effective research collaboration, such as team characteristics and processes and institutional, funding, and other conditions. This chapter begins with an overview of team science, including a discussion of the major dimensions and processes that shape science teams and unique considerations for cross-disciplinary teams. The chapter then introduces key concepts and milestones in the SciTS field, and reviews conceptual models that explicate the processes and contextual factors that influence research collaboration. The chapter concludes with a discussion of future directions, including additional evidence needed to promote effective cross-disciplinary teamwork.
Peer Review, Interdisciplinarity, and Serendipity
Authors: Holbrook J. Britt
Published: March 2017

Peer review remains the tool of choice for research evaluation. But can peer review judge interdisciplinary research and societal, as well as scholarly, impact? Or should metrics for scholarly impact and altmetrics for societal impact replace peer review? “Peer Review, Interdisciplinarity and Serendipity” argues that peer review should be redesigned to maximize serendipity, conceived as ‘sagacity regarding opportunity’. Rather than using peer review to promote the pursuit of academic knowledge for its own sake (and then scrambling to adapt it to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary demands), this alternative suggests using peer review for communication among academics (from whatever discipline) and between academics and other members of society.
Interdisciplinary Cases and Disciplinary Knowledge
Authors: Krohn Wolfgang
Published: March 2017

“Interdisciplinary Cases and Disciplinary Knowledge: Epistemic Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research” provides a conceptual framework of interdisciplinarity in the context of contemporary philosophy of science and social epistemology. It describes a widespread tension between the interdisciplinary commitment to complex real-world problems and the disciplinary strategies to build simplified models. While real-world problems call for highly specific and context-sensitive solutions, disciplinary problems serve as exemplars of more a general type. The epistemological challenge of interdisciplinarity is to relate knowledge about complex and singular cases with knowledge about generalized concepts and causalities. This relationship calls for a combination between the “humanistic” ideal of understanding the individual case, and the “scientific” search for common features of different cases. In practice interdisciplinary projects find ways to bridge causal explanation and the concern for the case. An epistemological attempt is made to conceptually integrate the search for universally applicable knowledge and idiographic richness.
Physical Sciences
Authors: Crease Robert P.
Published: March 2017

The physical sciences present excellent case studies of interdisciplinarity, its problems, and its prospects. The physical sciences present clear examples of the inheriting, adapting, and transforming of disciplines in ways that can transform our understanding not only of science but also of all research. Issues raised include the history of interdisciplinarity in the natural sciences and the reasons for its recent upsurge, as well as issues such as communication, expertise, trust, problems raised by the different culture of disciplines, practical issues, quality assessment, trading zones, and the nature of disciplines.
Monitoring the Progressive Realization of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation
Authors: Meier Benjamin Mason , Cronk Ryan , Luh Jeanne , Bartram Jamie , de Albuquerque Catarina
Published: March 2017

The human rights to water and sanitation have developed dramatically under international human rights law over the past forty years, with international political declarations leading to specific state obligations. Yet despite this evolution of human rights under international law, there are few mechanisms to monitor the progressive realization of those rights in national practice. The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Performance Index employs frontier analysis to monitor human rights to water and sanitation, across countries and over time. Tracking rates of change in water and sanitation coverage, the WaSH Performance Index allows for measurements of the progressive realization of human rights, publishing quantitative indicators reflective of the human rights to water and sanitation. Such external monitoring of outcome measures, correlating national implementation efforts with water and sanitation coverage data, provides a basis for future research and advocacy to facilitate rights-based accountability for water and sanitation policy.
Thucydides’ Historical Method
Authors: Forsdyke Sara
Published: March 2017

This chapter shows how Thucydides’ rigorous critical method and literary artistry combine to produce an intellectually penetrating and emotionally gripping account of the past. For Thucydides, the key to accuracy is his interpretation of the facts. But he also wanted his readers to experience events as he perceived them and thereby also experience the validity of his interpretations. In addition to analyzing Thucydides’ goals, the essay also discusses Thucydides’ approach to chronology, the types of evidence and modes of reasoning that he uses, his understanding of human nature, his distinction between true and alleged causes, and his use of literary techniques such as vivid detail, dialogue, and the rhetorical figure of hyperbole.
Thucydides and Crowds
Authors: Zumbrunnen John
Published: March 2017

This essay considers Thucydides’ treatments of the crowd or mob in the context of his analysis of democratic politics in ancient Athens. Scholars have often located in Thucydides a critique of the crowd familiar from ancient philosophical accounts of democracy and a corresponding call for leadership that amounts to crowd control. Close attention to Thucydides’ portrayal of Athenian democratic politics complicates matters. While he indeed worries about the tendency of collective emotion to overwhelm reason, Thucydides also credits the crowd with an ability to quiet itself in a manner that makes deliberation possible. This ability does not amount to full-fledged agreement with recent claims about the “wisdom of crowds,” but it does suggest that for Thucydides, democracy requires not crowd control but the painstaking building and nurturing of an always-fragile relationship between leaders and demos.
Thucydides, International Law, and International Anarchy
Authors: Eckstein Arthur
Published: March 2017

Ancient Greek city-states existed in a world that was essentially bereft of international law. This lack of international law had profound effects on international relations. The anarchic environment encouraged the development of heavily militarized and diplomatically aggressive societies. The prevalence of such societies, combined with the absence of any overarching authority over them, made wars between polities common. Faced with a conflict of interest with another polity, every government independently decided what constituted justice for itself, and—in the absence of international law--all governments had to be ready to use violence or the threat of violence to enforce that view of justice. Hellenic intellectuals—most famously Thucydides, but including Aristotle and Demosthenes--reacted to the anarchy by hypothesizing that interstate relations were determined above all by relations of power. Thucydides expressed this view of power-politics in international life most clearly in what is called the Melian Dialogue (Thuc. 5.84-116). This essay also emphasizes Thucydides’ analysis of the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War (1.23), and underlines the nature of what he considered “the truest cause” (1.23.6) of that devastating conflict, demonstrating that the shift in the balance of power (ibid.) expressed itself in the specific “quarrels and disputes” of 1.23.5, so that there is no contradiction between the two Thucydidean explanations.
Thucydides’ Predecessors and Contemporaries in Historical Poetry and Prose
Authors: Porciani Leone
Published: March 2017

The aim of this chapter is to discover, and to adopt, the perspective through which Thucydides himself observed the landscape of historical memory in the fifth century bce. In the complex topography that comes into sight, different forms of oral memory alternate with early attempts to apply writing to the description of the past. Every element of the fifth-century memory landscape (Herodotus, oral history, local historians, historical poetry, epitaphios logos) plays a precise role in forging Thucydides’ view and practice of history, and forces him to find his place and take a stand against other genres. This chapter argues that the genre of the Athenian epitaphios logos was crucial to the formation of Thucydides’ historical writing, since it first developed key practices such as a focus on the present, temporal articulation, and responsible subjectivity.
Introduction
Authors: Forsdyke Sara , Foster Edith , Balot Ryan
Published: March 2017

This introduction, co-authored by the three editors, provides an overview of the entire Handbook, concentrating on the salient points of each chapter and on the interconnections among chapters. The introduction explains Thucydides’ continuing significance for political life, as well as for historical method and the historical understanding of ancient Greece. In addition, it introduces Thucydides as a literary author, and sets Thucydides’ historiographical achievement in its ancient context. Finally, the introduction provides a scholarly context within which to locate this collection of essays in relation to other recent collections that examine the diverse dimensions of the History, including its understudied Nachleben.
Thucydides on the Sicilian Expedition
Authors: Greenwood Emily
Published: March 2017

This chapter analyzes Thucydides’ account of the Athenian invasion in Sicily in Books 6 and 7 of his History, focusing on the interpretative consequences of Thucydides’ Athenian focalization and the fact that the success of his account has obscured alternative perspectives on this invasion. Particular attention is paid to the narrative patterning of the Sicilian invasion as a “double war” that runs parallel to the main, overarching war between the Athenians and the Peloponnesians. This “double war” structure, in which the war ends disastrously for the aggressors, only for them to keep on fighting the other war with renewed vigor, allows Thucydides to illustrate the open-ended unpredictability of war in real time and the constant revision of expectations on the part of those involved.
Thucydides and Myth
Authors: Munson Rosaria
Published: March 2017

This essay shows how in Thucydides, and especially in the Archaeology, the mythological periods of Greek history become the subject of argumentation, rather than narrative exposition. It also points out the absence of references to myth and mythological figures from the speeches of the History. By contrast, Thucydides recorded the past and present formation of myths—for instance, the myth of the tyrant slayers Harmodius and Aristogiton—and the social and political effect of such myths. References to mythological figures were therefore restricted to the narrator, who may recall them at moments when he seems to empathize with the sufferings of the war, such when he tells the story of Theseus’ founding of the city of Athens during his account of the Athenian evacuation of Attica in 431 bce.
Collaboration and Meaning Making in the Women’s Choral Rehearsal
Authors: Wolfe-Hill Nana
Published: March 2017

This chapter gives examples of collaborative choral methods that impact female singers positively and holistically as individuals and musicians. A brief overview of the inception and facets of feminist pedagogy reveal its potential influence on singers and lays the groundwork for a qualitative research study of a collegiate women’s choir led by a conductor who has adopted the values of feminist pedagogy. The case study illustrates ways in which feminist pedagogy can be implemented in the choral rehearsal through collaborative methods that give singers the opportunity to make their own decisions within the music-making process. Through these collaborative learning techniques, singers experience an increase in mental engagement, confidence in their abilities, ownership in the music-making process, and improved musicianship. The exploration of multiple meanings and meaning-making via collaborative methods is a catalyst for self-expression, improved performance experiences, and a greater capacity within choral pedagogy to understand and relate with others.
Choral Pedagogy and the Construction of Meaning
Authors: Abrahams Frank , Abrahams Daniel
Published: March 2017

In this chapter, the authors focus on pedagogies, such as the theories of Lev Vygotsky and the active learning concepts of John Dewey, that contribute to the making of meaning, and the acquisition of meaningfulness by proposing a sociotransformative approach to choral pedagogy in the teaching of the expert chorister. Based on constructivist learning theories, and applying reciprocal teaching, this perspective centers on the conductor’s influence as they design opportunities for dialogic conversation, authentic activity, metacognition, and reflexivity. When skillfully integrated into the fabric of the choral rehearsal/performance continuum, the pedagogy brokers singers into a community of practice. The rehearsal scaffolds and schema foster competency, personal and musical agency, identity, and critical consciousness among the singers. This ensures that the performance is more than the singing of pitches with accurate rhythms, dynamics, and intonation, and embodies both cognitive and affective responses to the music and the music making.
Investigating Choral Pedagogies
Authors: Ramroth Martin
Published: March 2017

While Western Europe heralds a celebrated tradition of classical choral music, conductors and choral pedagogues from other continents are often astounded to learn of the disparities among choral music education programs throughout the region. This chapter sets out to contextualize the role of music education in the curricula of the typical public or private school, and how private enterprise has evolved to provide music opportunities for those pursuing musical artistry and classical training. Does choral art thrive in a more diverse cultural landscape and a less regulated environment? How does the organizational context of school choir, church choir, community choir, choir club, or private initiative, predispose and shape the choral experience and the success of its endeavors? Is there a European methodology to teach choral music? Finally, how are artistic concepts such as the quest for a “German” choral music passed on?
The Inclusion Conundrum and Community Children’s Choirs in Canada
Authors: Bradley Deborah
Published: March 2017

Canada has established an international identity as a racially and culturally diverse society that prides itself on inclusion. Since the nation’s first policy of official multiculturalism was enacted in 1971, eventually culminating in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act in 1988, educational organizations, including many of Canada’s community children’s choirs, have sought to promote cultural diversity. Early attempts focused primarily on repertoire, and from today’s cultural understanding seem not only naive but trivializing, and from certain perspectives, colonizing. These initial attempts, congruent with the original goals for Canadian multiculturalism, which focused primarily on diversity of language, customs, and religion, have proven ineffective, however, in helping choirs attract diverse memberships. This chapter explores some of the reasons why the type of multiculturalism practiced in Canadian children’s community choirs has not led to the diversity of membership that many organizations desire.
Introduction
Authors: Abrahams Frank , Head Paul D.
Published: March 2017

As editors and contributing authors, we found one of the largest challenges of this project to be the very definition of the project itself. What is Choral Pedagogy? Should this volume focus on research? Conducting theory? A cappella singing? The mentors and trail-blazers in the profession? In fact, we believe that the strength of this project is the effort to acknowledge that a study of choral pedagogy requires a comprehensive approach that embraces the immediate relevance between research, theory, and practice. This chapter speaks to the philosophical stance of the editors, the identity of the book, and how we arrived at a sense of cohesion. At the same time, the editors draw attention to the dynamic nature of the choral endeavor, in this age of global interaction and unprecedented technical advancement in the digital age.
Going Green
Authors: Abrahams Frank , Rafaniello Anthony , Vodicka Jason , Westawski David , Wilson John
Published: March 2017

This chapter describes a collaborative project that studied the applications of Lucy Green’s informal music learning curriculum within the context of high school choral ensembles. For a 12-week period, the conductors of four high school choirs charged students in small groups to copy a Christmas carol of their choice from a recording or to create a new arrangement inspired by the recording without intervention from their conductor. They would perform those carols at a public concert during the December holiday season. The overarching research question addressed the efficacy of informal learning as choral pedagogy to nurture the students’ musicianship in choir. Data consisted of interviews, video recordings, and reflective journals. Results showed a positive impact on group cooperation, peer-directed learning, choral rehearsal strategy, leadership, and personal musical identity. It also served as a catalyst to change perceptions of students and teachers relative to musical skill and ability.
United and Uniting Churches
Authors: Haire James
Published: March 2017

United and uniting churches have made a very significant contribution to the ecumenical movement. In seeking to assess that contribution, the chapter first defines what these churches are, considers the different types of union that have been created, examines the characteristics of these churches, and looks at the theological rationale for them. It goes on to trace the history of their formation from the beginning of the nineteenth century, and particularly during the years leading up to and following the Third Assembly of the World Council of Churches at New Delhi in 1961, under the influence of Lesslie Newbigin. Giving a theological assessment, it emphasizes that the existence of these churches, despite difficulties, provides places where the final unity of Christ’s one body is most clearly foreshadowed. They will always present proleptic visions of that goal.
Skill Under-utilization
Authors: Livingston D. W.
Published: March 2017

This chapter first addresses the challenge of defining dimensions of ‘skill’, especially given contending standpoints. A general overview of the current state of knowledge about the extent of skill under-utilization in advanced capitalist economies is offered, including general theoretical approaches, conceptual dimensions, measurement issues and recent empirical findings. Research on antecedents and effects of under-utilisation is also briefly summarized. The basic conclusion is that under-utilisation (also known as: under-employment, over-education, over-qualification or the education-jobs gap) has become a chronic problem in the labour forces of advanced capitalist economies. Future prospects for research on skill under-utilisation are suggested.
Business Strategies and Skills
Authors: Ashton David , Lloyd Caroline , Warhurst Chris
Published: March 2017

This chapter examines the link between business strategies and skill in the context of the the latter being regarded as key to economic growth and competitive advantage. A high-skilled workforce is viewed both as a driver of this approach and one of its outcomes. A number of countries have attempted to create more high-skilled jobs through raising the qualification levels of their workforces. The idea behind this supply-side intervention is that a high-skilled workforce will attract businesses that wish to or already do compete on quality and/or innovation or will encourage existing organisations to make better use of these skills and improve organisational performance. The problem is increasing evidence of growing levels of over-qualification amongst these workforces as too few high skilled jobs are created. Moreover many firms have remained successful operating with low skilled jobs competing on cost. Drawing on existing research, this chapter explores these developments and issues. It starts by making an important contextual distinction between skill levels and skill use, how they feature in firm business strategies, and their relevance to governments, employers and employees. It then presents the two key theories of skill and business strategies: the HRM Approach and the Institutional/Comparative Approaches. Questioning the determinism of these approaches, the chapter then seeks to move debate beyond assumptions of direct relationships between strategy and skill. The conclusion presents an alternative approach to developing the relationship between business strategies and skill that incorporates managerial agency.
The Economic and Social Benefits of Skills
Authors: Grugulis Irena , Holmes Craig , Mayhew Ken
Published: March 2017

This chapter discusses the returns to employers and to society at large. It argues that, in certain circumstances, the private returns to individuals will be greater than the economic returns to society. This is because individuals may simply be buying credentials which advantage them in a labour market characterized by positional competition, without necessarily been more productively employed than they would have been had they not received the training in question. The chapter goes on to argue that the extant literature on returns to employers is indecisive and, linked to this, that official rationales for government training subsidies to employers are often confused. Finally it considers the non-economic returns to training.