bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disparities in Cardiovascular Research Output and Citations From 52 African Countries: A Time‐Trend, Bibliometric Analysis (1999–2008)
Authors: Bloomfield Gerald S. , Baldridge Abigail , Agarwal Anubha , Huffman Mark D. , Colantonio Lisandro D. , Bahiru Ehete , Ajay Vamadevan S. , Prabhakaran Poornima , Lewison Grant , Prabhakaran Dorairaj
Published: April 2015

Background

Cardiovascular research output and citations of publications from Africa have historically been low yet may be increasing. However, data from the continent are limited.

Methods and Results

To evaluate the cardiovascular research output and citations from 52 African countries between 1999 and 2008, we created a bibliometric filter to capture cardiovascular research articles published in the
Web of Knowledge
based on specialist journals and title words. Two coauthors with expertise in cardiovascular medicine tested and refined this filter to achieve >90% precision and recall. We matched retrieved records with their associated citation reports and calculated the running 5‐year citation count postpublication, including the year of publication. Publications from Africa were identified by author addresses. South Africa published 872 cardiovascular research papers, Egypt 393, Tunisia 264, and Nigeria 192 between 1999 and 2008. The number of publications increased over the time period for a small number of countries (range 0.1 to 4.8 more publications per year by fractional count). Most countries' citations were low (<50), but citations were greatest for South Africa (7063), Egypt (2557), Tunisia (903), and Nigeria (540). The same countries had the greatest annual increase in 5‐year citation index values: 65 (95%
CI
: 30, 99) for South Africa, 46 (34, 58) for Egypt, 22 (15, 28) for Tunisia, and 8 (2, 14) for Nigeria. The burden of cardiovascular disease had a weak and inconsistent relationship to cardiovascular publications (
r
2
=0.07,
P
=0.05). Greater gross domestic product was associated with more cardiovascular publications in 2008 (
r
2
=0.53,
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions

The increases in cardiovascular research outputs from Africa are concentrated in a few countries. The reasons for regional differences in research outputs require further investigation, particularly relative to competing disease burdens. Higher prioritization of cardiovascular research funding from African countries is warranted.
Institutional differentiation and individual freedom
Authors: Aakvaag Gunnar C
Published: April 2015

Despite being arguably the most important modern principle of social organization, institutional differentiation (ID) is to a large extent absent from the sociological debate over modern freedom, which is dominated by two other principles: the democratic rule of law and capitalist markets. In this article, I analyse the effects of ID on individual freedom. To bring ID into the debate, I describe the most important intermediary social processes that translate the effects of this macro-level property into conditions of individual freedom on the micro-level. Four main conclusions follow from my analysis: firstly, that including ID provides support to the ‘optimists’ who think freedom has been democratized in post-war western societies; secondly, that to give an account of modern freedom, we need to include a new category of social freedom provided by ID: ‘substantial’ freedom; thirdly, that social exclusion is the major threat to individual freedom in ID societies; and lastly that we need to develop a concept of ‘positive’ social freedom, in which social structure not only constrains, but also enables individual freedom.
Simple quantitation for potential serum disease biomarker peptides, primarily identified by a peptidomics approach in the serum with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
Authors: Hamamura Kensuke , Nonaka Daisuke , Ishikawa Hitoshi , Banzai Michio , Yanagida Mitsuaki , Nojima Michio , Yoshida Koyo , Lee Lyang-Ja , Tanaka Kenji , Takamori Kenji , Takeda Satoru , Araki Yoshihiko
Published: April 2015

Background

We previously reported peptide candidates of disease biomarkers for pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome using a novel peptidomic analytical method, BLOTCHIP®-MS. The aim of this study was to establish a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for quantitation of such peptides and to validate their usefulness as disease biomarkers of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome including gestational hypertension/pre-eclampsia.

Methods

We focused on three peptide fragments, kininogen-1439–456 (PDA039), kininogen-1438–456 (PDA044) and cysteinyl α2-HS-glycoprotein341–367 (PDA071). Using polyclonal antibodies specific for each peptide, suitable conditions for the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system were investigated. The quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay values were confirmed by quantitative matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight MS analyses. Using the established enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems, serum samples from gestational hypertension/pre-eclampsia patients and paired serum samples from healthy pregnant females were analysed.

Results

The optimum sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay conditions for PDA039/044 quantitation were developed. Quantitation of PDA071 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay failed, presumably due to issues with polyclonal antibody specificity for the native peptide. Bland–Altman plots showed a satisfactory correlation between the serum PDA039/044 concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and that by quantitative MS analysis. Although the PDA044 concentration showed no significant change during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension/pre-eclampsia patients, the serum PDA039 concentration was significantly increased ( P < 0.0001) in the patients.

Conclusions

The simple quantitation technology for PDA039 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was established for the first time. PDA039 confirmed its clinical utility as a disease biomarker for gestational hypertension/pre-eclampsia by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system using clinical samples. The information provided from the present study would be a new valuable addition in the field of gestational hypertension/pre-eclampsia research.
Highly sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay for the detection of Tamm–Horsfall protein in human urine
Authors: Akimoto Masaru , Hokazono Eisaku , Ota Eri , Tateishi Takiko , Kayamori Yuzo
Published: April 2015

Background

Tamm–Horsfall protein (also known as uromodulin) is the most abundant urinary protein in healthy individuals. Since initially characterized by Tamm and Horsfall, the amount of urinary excretion and structural mutations of Tamm–Horsfall protein is associated with kidney diseases. However, currently available assays for Tamm–Horsfall protein, which are mainly enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based, suffer from poor reproducibility and might give false negative results.

Methods

We developed a novel, quantitative assay for Tamm–Horsfall protein using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A precipitation pretreatment avoided urine matrix interference and excessive sample dilution. High-performance liquid chromatography optimization based on polarity allowed excellent separation of Tamm–Horsfall protein from other major urine components.

Results

Our method exhibited high precision (based on the relative standard deviations of intraday [≤2.77%] and interday [≤5.35%] repetitions). The Tamm–Horsfall protein recovery rate was 100.0–104.2%. The mean Tamm–Horsfall protein concentration in 25 healthy individuals was 31.6 ± 18.8 mg/g creatinine. There was a strong correlation between data obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ( r = 0.906), but enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay values tended to be lower than high-performance liquid chromatography values at low Tamm–Horsfall protein concentrations.

Conclusions

The high sensitivity and reproducibility of our Tamm–Horsfall protein assay will reduce the number of false negative results of the sample compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, our method is superior to other high-performance liquid chromatography methods, and a simple protocol will facilitate further research on the physiological role of Tamm–Horsfall protein.
At the leading edge – does gender still matter? A qualitative study of prevailing obstacles and successful coping strategies in academia
Authors: Fritsch Nina-Sophie
Published: April 2015

Recent developments indicate positive changes for women in academia, especially for those in higher positions. Statistics on the situation in Austria show that the proportion of female academics and of women in management positions in academia is increasing slowly but steadily. The present article examines explanations for this development and analyses female biographies in academia. The analysis is based on qualitative interviews conducted with the most successful women at Austrian universities, focusing on the obstacles these women encountered and how they managed to overcome them. The findings are arranged in two sections: (1) the results point to the existence of significant impediments to female academic careers; these include informal encounters, social networks (which are usually male-dominated) and the requirement to be both geographically mobile and to cope with family issues at the same time; (2) the analysis elaborates on various coping strategies designed to overcome these obstacles in an effort to attain leading positions.
An evaluation of the reliability of the food label literacy questionnaire in Russian
Authors: Gurevich Konstantin G , Reynolds Jesse , Bifulco Lauren , Doughty Kimberly , Njike Valentine , Katz David L
Published: April 2015

Objective:

School-based nutrition education can promote the development of skills, such as food label reading, that can contribute to making healthier food choices. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of a Russian language version of the previously validated Food Label Literacy for Applied Nutrition Knowledge (FLLANK) questionnaire and also to evaluate the impact of school-based nutrition education programmes on nutrition knowledge and food label–reading skills in Russian adolescents and young adults.

Methods:

Two nutrition education study programmes were administered to two separate groups of students – at a middle school ( n = 23) and a university ( n = 17). The study programmes consisted of a single 2-hour classroom session and emphasised basic nutrition and food components. The FLLANK questionnaire was administered to both groups of students before and after the intervention to assess change in food label–reading skills. Cronbach’s α was calculated for the post-test scores to assess the instrument’s internal consistency.

Results:

Middle school students increased their mean FLLANK scores from 54% to 95% ( p < .01). University students increased their scores from 46% to 91% ( p < .01). In the school group only, there was an interaction between time and gender, with boys improving significantly more than girls ( p < .05). The Cronbach’s α estimates were low for both groups: −.15 and .03 for school and university, respectively.

Conclusion:

Food label literacy improved among Russian adolescents and young adults after the implementation of nutrition education curricula. The translated version of the FLLANK retained its utility for capturing change in food label literacy, but performed very poorly with regard to internal consistency. Additional research with larger sample size and variance of scores to assess reliability is needed.
Nice to your heart: A pilot community-based intervention to improve heart health behaviours in urban residents
Authors: Carter Stephanie R , Walker Alia , Abdul-Latif Safiyah , Maurer Laurie , Masunungure Daniel , Tedaldi Ellen , Patterson Freda
Published: April 2015

Objective:

Efforts to improve cardiovascular health among adult African American populations, particularly through organised physical activity, have met with limited success. This study pilot-tested a novel soul line dancing and nutrition education programme ( Nice to Your Heart) that was designed and implemented as part of an academic community-based collaboration.

Design:

Eight, 2-hour sessions were delivered to 38 eligible and consenting participants. Each session included 60 minutes of soul line dancing and up to 30 minutes of nutrition education.

Methods:

The outcomes of programme attendance including days physically active and fruit and vegetable consumption in the last week, as well as blood pressure, were assessed.

Results:

In all, 58% of the sample ( N = 13) attended five or more sessions, with women and those not currently employed more likely to achieve high attendance. Improvements in days active in the last week ( t = −8.69, p < .01) and fruit consumption ( t = −0.03, p = .04) were observed.

Conclusion:

These data show that this culturally sensitive programme of soul line dancing and nutrition education was well received and had positive indications for improved cardiovascular health in a high-risk group. A fully controlled trial is warranted to determine programme effectiveness.
India 2015: Magic, Modi, and Arundhati Roy
Authors: Khair Tabish
Published: April 2015

This article looks at the debate about Dr B. R. Ambedkar and (Mahatma) M. K. Gandhi, as launched in a recent essay by Arundhati Roy, in the light of the rise of the Hindu rightist/revivalist party, BJP, under the current Indian Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi.
Do States Delegate Shameful Violence to Militias? Patterns of Sexual Violence in Recent Armed Conflicts
Authors: Cohen Dara Kay , Nordås Ragnhild
Published: April 2015

Existing research maintains that governments delegate extreme, gratuitous, or excessively brutal violence to militias. However, analyzing all militias in armed conflicts from 1989 to 2009, we find that this argument does not account for the observed patterns of sexual violence, a form of violence that should be especially likely to be delegated by governments. Instead, we find that states commit sexual violence as a complement to—rather than a substitute for—violence perpetrated by militias. Rather than the logic of delegation, we argue that two characteristics of militia groups increase the probability of perpetrating sexual violence. First, we find that militias that have recruited children are associated with higher levels of sexual violence. This lends support to a socialization hypothesis, in which sexual violence may be used as a tool for building group cohesion. Second, we find that militias that were trained by states are associated with higher levels of sexual violence, which provides evidence for sexual violence as a “practice” of armed groups. These two complementary results suggest that militia-perpetrated sexual violence follows a different logic and is neither the result of delegation nor, perhaps, indiscipline.
A “Global Interdependence” Approach to Multidimensional Sequence Analysis
Authors: Robette Nicolas , Bry Xavier , Lelièvre Éva
Published: April 2015

Although sequence analysis has now become a widespread approach in the social sciences, several strategies have been developed to handle the specific issue of multidimensional sequences. These strategies have distinct characteristics related to the way they explicitly emphasize multidimensionality, interdependence, and parsimony. In this context, the authors introduce an original approach based on structural links between the dimensions, combining optimal matching analysis, multidimensional scaling, canonical partial least squares, and clustering, an approach the authors call globally interdependent multiple sequence analysis (GIMSA). The authors then apply GIMSA to mother-daughter employment histories in France and discuss the value of this method.
Telling Global Public Health Stories
Authors: Barbour Joshua B. , Doshi Marissa J. , Hernández Leandra H.
Published: April 2015

In consultation with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Center for Global Health (CDC CGH), this study compared narrative and non-narrative message designs for global public health initiative issues management. A multiple-message experimental design prompted participants ( N = 669) to read a message about a CDC CGH initiative, and measured perceptions of agency reputation, support for a global public health mission, and intentions to share information. Narrative message design had direct effects on intentions to share the message interpersonally and through social media and indirect effects on the outcomes through perceptions of message features and mediating states (i.e., story structure, understanding, personal relevance, information overload) and transportation. The study contributes to theory and practice by confirming the mediating role of transportation, building on a message features approach to the study of narrative persuasion, and speaking to the challenges of issues management in global public health.
Magnetic interferential signal compensation in magnetic heading measurement
Authors: Gang Yin , Yingtang Zhang , Guoquan Ren , Zhining Li , Hongbo Fan
Published: April 2015

In this paper, the interference with magnetic heading estimation caused by a local near-surface magnetic anomaly is studied and an error compensation method based on discrete cosine transform (DCT) is proposed. Firstly, the magnetic gradient signals of the magnetic anomaly source are calculated from the measured vector sum of the anomalous magnetic field and the background geomagnetic field. Then the magnetic vector signals generated by the near-surface magnetic anomaly sources are calculated by the time-domain differential theorem of DCT. Finally, the background geomagnetic field vector is obtained and compensation for the magnetic heading perturbation is achieved. Numerical simulations show that the proposed method can accurately compensate for the magnetic heading perturbation caused by near-surface magnetic anomaly sources, and experimental results reveal the reliability and practicability of the proposed method.
‘People just don’t care’: practices of text messaging in the presence of others
Authors: Cahir Jayde , Lloyd Justine
Published: April 2015

The demands of flexible labour and the technologization of social networks are currently being felt in profound shifts in the ways in which we spend time with others. This article analyses the everyday communicative practices of adults living in Sydney surrounding their use of text messaging in shared social spaces. Asking the research participants when, how and why they rely on text messaging exposes increasingly routine transgressions of boundaries between different social spheres. While participants were acutely aware of largely unspoken social norms and expectations attached to mobile phone use in the presence of others, they themselves strategically used text messages to create layers of intimacy within shared social spaces. We explore the implications of this tension by highlighting how rituals of social interaction are cared about by social actors but play into a wider sense of the abandonment of care for the presence of others.
An arterio-venous bridge for gradual weaning from adult veno-arterial extracorporeal life support
Authors: Babar ZUD , Sharma AS , Ganushchak YM , Delnoij TSR , Donker DW , Maessen JG , Weerwind PW
Published: April 2015

Purpose: Weaning from extracorporeal life support (ELS) is particularly challenging when cardiac recovery is slow, largely incomplete and hard to predict. Therefore, we describe an individualized gradual weaning strategy using an arterio-venous (AV) bridge incorporated into the circuit to facilitate weaning. Methods: Thirty adult patients weaned from veno-arterial ELS using an AV bridge were retrospectively analyzed. Serial echocardiography and hemodynamic monitoring were used to assess cardiac recovery and load responsiveness. Upon early signs of myocardial recovery, an AV bridge with an Hoffman clamp was added to the circuit and weaning was initiated. Support flow was reduced stepwise by 10-15% every 2 to 8 hours while the circuit flow was maintained at 3.5-4.5 L/min. Results: The AV bridge facilitated gradual weaning in all 30 patients (median age: 66 [53-71] years; 21 males) over a median period of 25 [8-32] hours, with a median support duration of 96 [31-181] hours. During weaning, the median left ventricular ejection fraction was 25% [15-32] and the median velocity time integral of the aortic valve was 16 cm [10-23]. Through the weaning period, the mean arterial blood pressure was maintained at 70 mmHg and the activated partial thromboplastin time was 60±10 seconds without additional systemic heparinization. Neither macroscopic thrombus formation in the ELS circuit during and after weaning nor clinically relevant thromboembolism was observed. Conclusion: Incorporation of an AV bridge for weaning from veno-arterial ELS is safe and feasible to gradually wean patients with functional cardiac recovery without compromising the circuit integrity.
The challenges of introducing sustainable development in the curriculum at a UK university
Authors: Lampkin Sally R
Published: April 2015

It might seem that implementing sustainable development in the curriculum at universities is a straightforward win-win for all concerned, with access to expertise in the latest research and understanding concerning the issues and a dynamic, transient population who are open to change and embracing new ideas. Yet, this optimism can be faced with an institutional framework that is inflexible and non-compliant, almost draconian at times, to aspects that are not perceived as central to the success of research, funding and teaching. Academics, by nature, are strongly opinionated and have robust worldviews, which can be resistant to proposed changes to individual aspirations, ambitions and priorities. With this in mind, this paper presents the results of some first steps that were taken at a UK university regarding the introduction of sustainable development in the curriculum. The results, coming from various sectors across the institution, were very mixed. Some sectors, for example, were open to the introduction of a mandatory sustainability module for all students whilst others were not sure whether or not there was a place, or even a necessity, for sustainability considerations at all. The viable options for the university are discussed along with the influences and driving forces that affect such a move, including group dynamics, individual attitudes and behaviours, and resources and support – and how students can best help to nudge the process forward. This paper will be of interest to others who are implementing sustainable development in the curriculum, especially those taking the initial steps and finding more brick walls and reticence than opportunities.
Perception of blended timbres in music
Authors: Peynircioğlu Zehra F. , Brent William , Falco David E.
Published: April 2015

We examined perception of artificial timbre blending using recordings of two actual instruments. In Experiment 1, participants heard stimuli comprising different proportions of sounds from an oboe and a trumpet, constructed using both a linear and a logarithmic algorithm, and judged the degree of blending. In Experiment 2, participants chose between an oboe and a trumpet in each blend condition. In both experiments, participants were able to track the degrees of blending between the two anchor points quite accurately. In Experiment 3, participants matched test blends to two target blends in an ABX design and showed no evidence for categorical perception of oboe and trumpet timbres in their judgments. Further, participants with and without musical training showed similar patterns of responding. The findings suggest a high level of sensitivity for timbre coding in auditory perception and also have implications for timbre manipulation as a compositional device and sound morphing techniques.
Evaluation of interictal autonomic function during attack and remission periods in cluster headaches
Authors: Altiokka Ozlem , Mutluay Belgin , Koksal Ayhan , Ciftci-Kavaklioglu Beyza , Ozturk Musa , Altunkaynak Yavuz , Baybas Sevim , Soysal Aysun
Published: April 2015

Objective

To investigate which part of the autonomic system is mainly involved and assess the sensitivity of face sympathetic skin response in cluster headache.

Material and methods

The study sample consisted of 19 drug-free cluster headache patients (16 males, three females) and 19 healthy volunteers. Demographic features and pain characteristics were thoroughly identified. Dysautonomic symptoms were evaluated during attack and remission periods of cluster headache patients. Orthostatic hypotension, R-R interval variation and sympathetic skin responses obtained from the face and four extremities were evaluated and the sensitivity of face sympathetic skin responses was assessed in contrast to extremity sympathetic skin responses.

Results

All sympathetic skin responses of face and extremities could be obtained during attack and remission periods. On the symptomatic side, mean latency of face sympathetic skin responses was longer compared to the asymptomatic side and controls (p = 0.02, p = 0.004). There were no differences in latency or amplitude of extremity sympathetic skin responses between symptomatic and asymptomatic sides and controls. No significant relationship was determined between sympathetic skin responses, R-R interval variation, orthostatic hypotension and cluster headache clinical features.

Conclusion

Sympathetic hypoactivity of the face seems to predominate the pathophysiology of cluster headache. Face sympathetic skin responses might be more sensitive compared to extremity sympathetic skin response in demonstrating dysautonomic symptoms in cluster headache patients.
Enhancing buckling capacity of slender s-section steel columns around strong axis using bonded carbon fibre plates
Authors: Ritchie Allison , MacDougall Colin , Fam Amir
Published: April 2015

This paper investigates a strengthening technique of slender S-section steel columns against global buckling about their strong axes. Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer plates of various Young’s moduli, ranging from 168 to 430 GPa, were adhesively bonded to the steel flanges. The number of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer layers was varied to produce reinforcement ratios of 11–34%. The study comprised eight 2.6 m long pin-ended columns with a slenderness ratio of 83, including five strengthened with carbon fibre-reinforced polymer. The out-of-straightness imperfection of the columns ranged from length (L)/29,000 to L/1600. It was shown that the increase in strength ranged from 15% for the smallest out-of-straightness to 25% for the largest. Increasing reinforcement ratio of the 168 GPa modulus carbon fibre-reinforced polymer from 11 to 34% increased strength from 5 to 15%. Although a higher modulus carbon fibre-reinforced polymer would generally be favoured for achieving higher gains in buckling strength according to Euler’s buckling theory, this study showed that failure strain of such carbon fibre-reinforced polymer could be a critical limiting factor. It is important that global buckling, and hence the peak load, is achieved before carbon fibre-reinforced polymer crushing.
Religious Dimensions of Political Conflict and Violence
Authors: Brubaker Rogers
Published: April 2015

This paper seeks to develop a nuanced and qualified account of the distinctive ways in which religion can inform political conflict and violence. It seeks to transcend the opposition between particularizing stances, which see religiously informed political conflicts as sui generis and uniquely intractable, and generalizing stances, which assimilate religiously informed political conflicts to other forms of political conflict. The paper specifies the distinctively religious stakes of certain political conflicts, informed by distinctively religious understandings of right order, as well as the distinctiveness of religion as a rich matrix of interlocking modalities and mechanisms that—in certain contexts—can contribute to political conflict and violence even when the stakes are not distinctively religious. At the same time, the paper shows that many putatively religious conflicts are fundamentally similar to other conflicts over political power, economic resources, symbolic recognition, or cultural reproduction.
Repulsed by the “Other”
Authors: Karpiński Zbigniew , Skvoretz John
Published: April 2015

We offer an integration of theory and method in the study of intergroup social associations. Specifically, we show that models for intergroup association tables developed using generic log-linear methods for categorical data analysis embody a general theoretical point of view on the driving force behind intergroup association, namely, as the outcome of a probabilistic process of repulsion from dissimilar others. We develop this argument and illustrate it with intermarriage data. We conclude by identifying the advantages that accrue to both theory and method when the theoretical assumptions underlying the application of a generic statistical methodology are clearly understood.
Proposition d’un modèle intégrateur de la résistance aux messages anti-tabac
Authors: Mourre Marie-Laure , Gurviez Patricia
Published: April 2015

Nous proposons et testons une extension du modèle du comportement planifié pour modéliser la résistance aux messages de prévention-santé. Nos résultats portent sur une publicité anti-tabac et indiquent que la détection de l’intention persuasive, l’orientation régulatrice de promotion et le contrôle comportemental perçu augmentent la résistance à la persuasion.
Fabrication and wet spinning of a fully aromatic meta-polybenzimidazole
Authors: Hou Sicong , Wang Xuechen , Zhang Xingxiang
Published: April 2015

High reduced viscosity meta-polybenzimidazole (mPBI) as well as high-strength fibers of this polymer were fabricated via solution polycondensation and wet spinning, and the content of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) in the solvent, the reaction period and the draw ratio were altered. The results indicate that the reduced viscosity of the polymer reached a maximum of 2.75 dL g−1 with 82 wt% P2O5 in the solvent, and the reaction period was 8 h. The polymer displayed good solubility and excellent thermal stability. At a coagulation bath concentration, polymer reduced viscosity and stretch ratio of 61.5 wt%, 2.75 dL g−1 and 1.87, respectively, mPBI fibers that had relatively smooth surfaces and almost circular cross sections were formed (minimum diameter of 138 μm and maximum breaking strength of 306 MPa). In addition, the fibers exhibited good dimensional and chemical stability.
Preparation and properties of P(AN-co-AM)-g-MAPEG phase-change nanofibers
Authors: Zhang Li , Guo Jing , You Xiangkang , Liu Yuanfa , Yang Lijun , Zhang Bo , Zhang Sen , Gong Yumei
Published: April 2015

In this study, a new graft copolymer, P(AN- co-AM)- g-MAPEG, was synthesized by polyethylene glycol monoester of maleic acid (MAPEG), acrylonitrile (AN), and a third monomer acrylamide (AM) in water phase precipitation, in which random copolymer of P(AN- co-AM) was taken as skeleton and macromonomer MAPEG with phase transition as branched chain. The P(AN- co-AM)- g-MAPEG nanofibers were prepared by electrostatic spinning. The effects of pinhole diameter, spinning solution concentration, and spinning liquid solvent on the structure of nanofibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The structure, phase-change properties, and thermal stability of the grafted copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the new solid–solid phase-change material P(AN- co-AM)- g-MAPEG was successfully prepared. The nanofiber diameter increased with the increasing pinhole diameter. The obtained phase-change nanofibers exhibit good phase transition and thermal stability.
Design optimization of rotor-bearing system considering critical speed using Taguchi method
Authors: Yücel Emre , Saruhan Hamit
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study is to utilize Taguchi method, which can prove to be a handy and effective tool for determining minimum vibration response of rotor-bearing system set to avoid running at critical speed. In the study, three test cases considering different coupling type (elastic, jaw, and solid) and disc location (disc location A, B, and C) were conducted to observe behavioral changes of the shaft system considering vibration signatures. Each test case was conducted for three different shaft running speeds of 12, 18, and 24 Hz. To find the minimum peak amplitude values by experimenting different combinations of the rotor-bearing system set needs a lot of experiments for reaching solution. Moreover, the solution proves costly because of the time consumed in doing many experiments. This fact depicts the importance of an efficient optimization method to be used. Taguchi method can determine the design parameters, which have the greatest influence on the solution through a very limited number of experiments, for finding optimum set of rotor-bearing system. The method is performed using an iterative procedure to gain an optimum design.
Experimental study of the frequency-domain characteristics of ground vibrations caused by a high-speed train running on non-ballasted track
Authors: Wang Ping , Wei Kai , Wang Li , Xiao Junhua
Published: April 2015

An in-situ test to obtain vertical, transversal and longitudinal ground velocities and accelerations caused by high-speed trains was performed alongside the Chinese high-speed railway line between Beijing and Shanghai. The test results indicate that due to excellent track quaity and consolidated infrastructure, whether if the train speed is below or above the Rayleigh wave speed, the dominant frequencies of both the vertical ground velocity and acceleration are both integral multiples of the trainload frequency generated by the centre distance of two neigbouring cars. The frequency-domain distribution of the ground velocity is more sensitive to soil stiffness than is the ground acceleration; this is especially the case for the first dominant frequency. Whether the frequency amplitudes of the vertical ground vibration are higher than the horizontal vibrations depends on the soil stiffness. The greater the soil stiffness, the higher is the frequency-range of the vertical ground vibration compared with that for the horizontal vibration, and the smaller is the difference between the three-dimensional frequency-weighted ground vibration level and the vertical vibration. Thus, effects of horizontal ground vibrations cannot be ignored when the foundation soil is soft.
Value coalitions and policy change: The impact of gendered patterns of work, religion and partisanship on childcare policy across German states
Authors: Andronescu Cristina G , Carnes Matthew E
Published: April 2015

Since the 2002 Barcelona summit, Germany has been seen as a regional leader in achieving European states’ shared commitment to increase state-funded childcare. Yet Germany’s childcare success has not been homogeneous across its Länder; rather, it has shown remarkable subnational variation, with considerable differences in spending, policy design and coverage. Using panel data analysis and historical narratives, this article provides a theory for variation in provision of state-financed childcare for children under three years of age. We argue that competing visions of childcare at the subnational level – driven by the demands of differing numbers of women in the workforce and religious beliefs, and channelled by local government partisanship – have served as powerful constraints on convergence. Left partisanship and increased participation of women in the labour force are associated with higher provision of childcare for those aged under three, while larger Catholic populations are correlated with less extensive state-funded childcare.
Is ‘making work pay’ effective for the ‘unemployable’? The impact of benefit sanctions on social assistance recipients in Denmark
Authors: Diop-Christensen Anna
Published: April 2015

In spring 2006, the Danish government introduced a policy that required married long-term social assistance recipients to work 300 hours in non-subsidised employment during a 2-year period in order to remain eligible for benefits. The intention was to ‘make work pay’ for unemployed immigrant women. This study evaluates how this policy influenced their transitions to employment and other benefit schemes by applying a competing risk duration model on Danish administrative data. The results show that the new rules not only had the anticipated impact on the women concerned, but the policy also had an unforeseen effect on the work effort of social welfare workers. Many moved their clients to other benefit schemes instead of applying the sanctions. This was particularly the case for the weakest among the unemployed and in municipalities, which were headed by left-wing mayors or that received extra funds from the central government. Although the new policy did increase transitions to employment, this effect was stronger in municipalities that provided extra support.
Time and public policy. Desynchronization of lifecycle and outlines of a contemporary “biopolitics”
Authors: Pinto Albuquerque Cristina
Published: April 2015

Time is both an ambiguous concept and a pervasive fact of collective and individual existence. Theorized, regulated, lived, time can be understood under the focus of a subjective or objective lenses. Nevertheless it is possible to identify modern patterns in the use of time that helped in the construction of a tacit and objective knowledge of how to conduct life as a member of society, family, and labor communities. In this article, we intend to discuss the thesis that contemporary public policy engages a new form of Foucault’s “biopolitics” in a context of desynchronization of lifecycle and questioning of those patterns. The current state regulation, objectified in public policies in general and social policies in particular, includes characteristics of behavioral standardization, but now not under the mediation of disciplinary structures, but under the focus on the individual, of an action from himself on himself.
Focusing on deadlines: How orientation to time is a constitutive normative constraint at meetings in media organizations
Authors: Rimestad Lene
Published: April 2015

This article deals with the orientation to time and deadlines at morning meetings in news organisations. Time is a central structuring factor at the meetings, and the prevailing norm of ensuring progression and keeping the deadline of the meeting constitutes important normative constraints on the meeting. The study shows how deadlines are pursued through verbal and non-verbal interaction, and how progression is achieved in a subtle way in order to handle issues of impoliteness or “losing face”.
The gendered division of housework time: Analysis of time use by type and daily frequency of household tasks
Authors: Moreno-Colom Sara
Published: April 2015

Over the past 40 years, there has been a slow trend toward gender equality regarding time use in paid and unpaid work. However, the gendered division of housework remains. This article examines the gender segregation in domestic work in order to contrast the influence of welfare regimes and employment status on the organization of everyday life. The analysis is based on time use variables according to the type and daily frequency of household tasks. First, a descriptive cross-national study of European countries is presented to contextualise how institutional factors are involved in patterns of time use. Second, a specific case in Spain is studied to assess how employment status influences the distribution of housework. The results show that daily maintenance tasks represent a limit for the equal distribution of housework by gender. It is concluded that women's employment is a necessary but not sufficient condition for gender equality.
Internet addiction? Temporality and life online in the networked society
Authors: Johnson Nicola F. , Keane Helen
Published: April 2015

Recent literature has explored the processes of global change associated with the social relations, technologies, and economies of time, as well as the move from clock time to event time and network time. Others have focused on the ‘presence bleed’ evident in technologically-mediated work. A harried pace of life is exacerbated in what Judy Wajcman calls an ‘acceleration society'. She points to how technologies can change the nature of current practices as well as create new ones. This article critically examines discourses of ‘internet addiction’, by considering the phenomenon of internet use in the context of societal shifts in temporal relations. Drawing on a recent qualitative study of four adult heavy internet users, the analysis employs Bourdieu’s theory of practice and notions of flow to explain the understandings and performance of temporality in the lives of so-called ‘internet addicts’. The data illustrate complex multiple realities and multifaceted behaviours that comprise current social use of the internet and subsequent ‘digital pathologies’. The article argues that the individual pathology model of internet addiction is not useful given the dramatic changes in temporality produced by digital technology. It suggests that the assumptions about the correct use of time embedded in notions of addiction reproduce binary distinctions between the real and the virtual, production and consumption and work and play which no longer reflect social practice. While it is certainly the case that users can be troubled by their inability to control their online activities, these experiences need to be understood within the specific social contexts of users’ lives rather than being interpreted through a universal and medicalised model of addiction.
Why it’s time to recognise Indigenous peoples in the Constitution
Authors: Williams George
Published: April 2015

Objective:

This article provides an overview of why it is proposed that the Australian Constitution be changed to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It then establishes what changes are needed to the Constitution.

Conclusion:

The Australian Constitution fails to recognise Indigenous peoples, and still enables discrimination against them. This provides a sound case for changing the document.
Anguish, Yearning, and Identity
Authors: Fitzgerald Elizabeth Moran , Cronin Sherill Nones , Boccella Sarah Hess
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to seek a better understanding of needs and access issues among pregnant, low-income Hispanic women. Hispanic women who attended a community prenatal education program participated in follow-up focus groups to explore their experiences regarding prenatal education, pregnancy resources, access to, and satisfaction with, the care available to them. Focus groups were facilitated by a leader, bilingual in English and Spanish, with knowledge of the Hispanic culture. Sessions were audiotaped, then translated into English for transcription. Data were analyzed according to guidelines by Colaizzi and three themes emerged: pregnant Hispanic women experienced a sense of anguish ( la angustia) from questions and unknowns rampant during pregnancy, leading to a yearning ( el anhelo) to learn and understand more, but with a desire to do so without sacrificing native identity ( la identidad). Implications of these themes for improving prenatal care for this population are explored.
Characterization and modeling of the behavior of magnetorheological fluids at high shear rates in rotational systems
Authors: Güth Dirk , Maas Jürgen
Published: April 2015

The behavior of magnetorheological fluids in rotational systems for torque transmission such as brakes and clutches offering a drum-shaped shear gap design is investigated for high-speed operation up to 6000 rpm or respectively high shear rates up to 34,000 s−1. The occurrence of a Taylor vortex flow is described and experimentally proven for the operation without and with an applied magnetic field. By measurements it is shown that a mixing effect due to the vortex flow avoid a disadvantageous particle centrifugation. In further measurements a weakening of the magnetorheological effect with increasing rotational speeds is observed. Utilizing a magnetic dipole model for calculating the yield stress with a common parameterization based on measurements, a prediction of the achievable torque as a function of the rotational speed is possible. This modeling approach provides an important tool for the design process of magnetorheological-fluid-based actuators for high rotational speed application.
Understanding Bankruptcy: How Members of a Bankrupted Bank Construe Organizational Death
Authors: Gerstrøm Anna , Isabella Lynn A.
Published: April 2015

Bankruptcies are becoming more and more prevalent, partly as a consequence of business conditions created by the financial crisis characterizing the beginning of the 21st century. Nonetheless, knowledge on the phenomenon of bankruptcy from the point of view of the people who undergo it is scant. Knowledge on how members undergoing bankruptcy construe and make sense of their narrations of organizational death is important because when organizations die, members live on and in their afterlife their past forms and guides their present and future. In this inductive study, we focus on a small and local bank that went bankrupt as a consequence of the large and global crisis. Based on narrative interviews with 20 organizational members' the article offers a model that theorizes bankruptcy as a series of unfolding events that change a work world. Members narrate their immediate experience as a work world deconstruction and their subsequent response as a work world reconstruction. Inherent in every event is a loss and a transformation that members need to accept and go through in order to move forward. Members solve these challenges by comprehending the situation and justifying their response. The article matters for theorists researching the understudied but relevant issue of organizational death and practitioners struggling with the increasing but troubling problems of corporate bankruptcy. At the end of the article, avenues for further research are outlined.
Post-Capitalist Imaginaries
Authors: Kokkinidis George
Published: April 2015

This article focuses on the case of two workers’ collectives in Athens, Greece, and reflects on the transformative potential of entrepreneurial creation. I argue that these social and economic experiments are collective and essentially political. Thus, breaking from the individualism that characterizes entrepreneurial discourse, this article looks at the collective dimension of entrepreneurial activity, and by reflecting on the collective capacities and transformative potential of these social initiatives, in terms of creating shared forms of sociality and bringing forward new ways of living and collective co-existence, it points to the inherently political character of entrepreneurship.
The Pacifying Effects of Local Religious Institutions
Authors: De Juan Alexander , Pierskalla Jan H. , Vüllers Johannes
Published: April 2015

This paper tests whether local religious institutions have a dampening effect on the probability of communal violence. It argues that a dense layer of institutions strengthens horizontal and vertical contacts and networks within religious communities. Horizontal linkages help to bridge social, economic, and ethnic divisions. Vertical contacts enable religious leaders to stay informed about communal grievances among their followers and to coordinate conflict resolution attempts. In our analysis of more than 60,000 villages in Indonesia, we are able to document a statistically significant and substantively meaningful negative effect of the density of local religious institutions on the probability of mass fighting. This effect is robust to the inclusion of an exhaustive list of confounding variables and alternative measures of violence. We present additional evidence that this pacifying effect of religious institutions is weaker or absent in conflicts that evolve along explicitly religious cleavages.