bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Serotonin and Social Norms
Authors: Bilderbeck Amy C. , Brown Gordon D. A. , Read Judi , Woolrich Mark , Cowen Phillip J. , Behrens Tim E. J. , Rogers Robert D.
Published: May 2014

How do people sustain resources for the benefit of individuals and communities and avoid the tragedy of the commons, in which shared resources become exhausted? In the present study, we examined the role of serotonin activity and social norms in the management of depletable resources. Healthy adults, alongside social partners, completed a multiplayer resource-dilemma game in which they repeatedly harvested from a partially replenishable monetary resource. Dietary tryptophan depletion, leading to reduced serotonin activity, was associated with aggressive harvesting strategies and disrupted use of the social norms given by distributions of other players’ harvests. Tryptophan-depleted participants more frequently exhausted the resource completely and also accumulated fewer rewards than participants who were not tryptophan depleted. Our findings show that rank-based social comparisons are crucial to the management of depletable resources, and that serotonin mediates responses to social norms.
Brief Periods of Auditory Perceptual Training Can Determine the Sensory Targets of Speech Motor Learning
Authors: Lametti Daniel R. , Krol Sonia A. , Shiller Douglas M. , Ostry David J.
Published: May 2014

The perception of speech is notably malleable in adults, yet alterations in perception seem to have little impact on speech production. However, we hypothesized that speech perceptual training might immediately influence speech motor learning. To test this, we paired a speech perceptual-training task with a speech motor-learning task. Subjects performed a series of perceptual tests designed to measure and then manipulate the perceptual distinction between the words head and had. Subjects then produced head with the sound of the vowel altered in real time so that they heard themselves through headphones producing a word that sounded more like had. In support of our hypothesis, the amount of motor learning in response to the voice alterations depended on the perceptual boundary acquired through perceptual training. The studies show that plasticity in adults’ speech perception can have immediate consequences for speech production in the context of speech learning.
Forgiving You Is Hard, but Forgetting Seems Easy
Authors: Noreen Saima , Bierman Raynette N. , MacLeod Malcolm D.
Published: May 2014

Forgiveness is considered to play a key role in the maintenance of social relationships, the avoidance of unnecessary conflict, and the ability to move forward with one’s life. But why is it that some people find it easier to forgive and forget than others? In the current study, we explored the supposed relationship between forgiveness and forgetting. In an initial session, 30 participants imagined that they were the victim in a series of hypothetical incidents and indicated whether or not they would forgive the transgressor. Following a standard think/no-think procedure, in which participants were trained to think or not to think about some of these incidents, more forgetting was observed for incidents that had been forgiven following no-think instructions compared with either think or baseline instructions. In contrast, no such forgetting effects emerged for incidents that had not previously been forgiven. These findings have implications for goal-directed forgetting and the relationship between forgiveness and memory.
Purpose in Life as a Predictor of Mortality Across Adulthood
Authors: Hill Patrick L. , Turiano Nicholas A.
Published: May 2014

Having a purpose in life has been cited consistently as an indicator of healthy aging for several reasons, including its potential for reducing mortality risk. In the current study, we sought to extend previous findings by examining whether purpose in life promotes longevity across the adult years, using data from the longitudinal Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) sample. Proportional-hazards models demonstrated that purposeful individuals lived longer than their counterparts did during the 14 years after the baseline assessment, even when controlling for other markers of psychological and affective well-being. Moreover, these longevity benefits did not appear to be conditional on the participants’ age, how long they lived during the follow-up period, or whether they had retired from the workforce. In other words, having a purpose in life appears to widely buffer against mortality risk across the adult years.
Pre-Crastination
Authors: Rosenbaum David A. , Gong Lanyun , Potts Cory Adam
Published: May 2014

In this article, we describe a phenomenon we discovered while conducting experiments on walking and reaching. We asked university students to pick up either of two buckets, one to the left of an alley and one to the right, and to carry the selected bucket to the alley’s end. In most trials, one of the buckets was closer to the end point. We emphasized choosing the easier task, expecting participants to prefer the bucket that would be carried a shorter distance. Contrary to our expectation, participants chose the bucket that was closer to the start position, carrying it farther than the other bucket. On the basis of results from nine experiments and participants’ reports, we concluded that this seemingly irrational choice reflected a tendency to pre-crastinate, a term we introduce to refer to the hastening of subgoal completion, even at the expense of extra physical effort. Other tasks also reveal this preference, which we ascribe to the desire to reduce working memory loads.
Entering Adulthood in a Recession Tempers Later Narcissism
Authors: Bianchi Emily C.
Published: May 2014

Despite widespread interest in narcissism, relatively little is known about the conditions that encourage or dampen it. Drawing on research showing that macroenvironmental conditions in emerging adulthood can leave a lasting imprint on attitudes and behaviors, I argue that people who enter adulthood during recessions are less likely to be narcissistic later in life than those who come of age in more prosperous times. Using large samples of American adults, Studies 1 and 2 showed that people who entered adulthood during worse economic times endorsed fewer narcissistic items as older adults. Study 3 extended these findings to a behavioral manifestation of narcissism: the relative pay of CEOs. CEOs who came of age in worse economic times paid themselves less relative to other top executives in their firms. These findings suggest that macroenvironmental experiences at a critical life stage can have lasting implications for how unique, special, and deserving people believe themselves to be.
Output feedback image-based visual servoing control of an underactuated unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Jabbari Asl Hamed , Oriolo Giuseppe , Bolandi Hossein
Published: May 2014

In this article, image-based visual servoing control of an underactuated unmanned aerial vehicle is considered for the three-dimensional translational motion. Taking into account the low quality of accelerometers’ data, the main objective of this article is to only use information of rate gyroscopes and a camera, as the sensor suite, in order to design an image-based visual servoing controller. Kinematics and dynamics of the unmanned aerial vehicle are expressed in terms of visual information, which make it possible to design dynamic image-based visual servoing controllers without using linear velocity information obtained from accelerometers. Image features are selected through perspective image moments of a flat target plane in which no geometric information is required, and therefore, the approach can be applied in unknown environments. Two output feedback controllers that deal with uncertainties in dynamics of the system related to the motion of the target and also unknown depth information of the image are proposed using a linear observer. Stability analysis guarantees that the errors of the system remain uniformly ultimately bounded during a tracking mission and converge to 0 when the target is stationary. Simulation results are presented to validate the designed controllers.
Informed consent and nurses’ roles
Authors: Susilo Astrid P , Dalen Jan van , Chenault Michelene N , Scherpbier Albert
Published: May 2014

Background:

In Southeast Asia, the process of obtaining informed consent is influenced by both culture and policy at the hospital and national level. Both physicians and nurses play vital roles in this process, but physicians influence the roles of nurses.

Objectives:

Since the physicians and nurses often have different perspectives, it is important to investigate their views about the informed consent process and nurses’ roles therein and whether there is a difference between ideal and experienced practice (reality), and whether this differs across hospitals.

Methods:

A questionnaire was developed and a survey was conducted among physicians and nurses. Using exploratory factor analysis a three factor structure was determined: ‘nurses’ roles’, ‘barriers in informed consent’, and ‘adequacy of information’. Non-parametric tests were applied to compare nurses and physicians, and hospital setting.

Participants and research context:

Responses were obtained from 129 physicians and 616 nurses from two Indonesian hospitals. Those hospitals differ in ownership, location, and size.

Ethical consideration:

The study was reviewed by the hospital ethical committee. Participation was voluntary and confidentiality was ensured by keeping the responses anonymous.

Findings:

Physicians and nurses differ significantly on all three factors. The scores reflecting disparity between ideal and reality regarding nurses’ roles varied across professions, while barriers in informed consent differed between hospitals.

Discussion:

The differences between ideal and reality indicated that improvement in the informed consent process and nurses’ roles therein is called for. Varying views between physicians and nurses on nurses’ roles may hinder collaboration. The differences between hospital settings showed interventions may have to be customized for different settings.

Conclusion:

Views on nurses’ roles vary across professions. Views on barriers in informed consent vary across hospitals. Therefore interprofessional education is needed to promote interprofessional collaboration and intervention to improve informed consent practice should be tailored to the hospital context.
Contracting out publicly funded vocational education: A transaction cost critique
Authors: Toner Phillip
Published: May 2014

Contracting out publicly funded vocational education and training (VET) in Australia to private providers has been accompanied by persistent concern at decline in the quality of training. Using transaction cost economics, this outcome is ascribed to the characteristics of publicly funded VET as a commodity and the conditions under which it is privately produced and consumed. The article concludes that, in general, publicly funded VET does not meet the minimum conditions for efficient contracting out. The economic and social consequences of inadequate quality VET provision are potentially severe.
The Protective Effects of Adolescent Motherhood in South Central Appalachia
Authors: Dalton Elizabeth D.
Published: May 2014

This study qualitatively explored the meaning of teenage motherhood to young Appalachian mothers. Fourteen in-depth interviews at the homes of mothers between the ages of 18 and 22 from the South Central Appalachian region were conducted. Findings indicate that teenage motherhood is symbolically reproduced by filling a void and providing escape from the drug culture. Analysis of these findings indicates that the meaning of motherhood is characterized by salvation. This salvation is shaped by the emotional chasm that motherhood fills, as well as the protective barrier it provides between the mother and the surrounding drug culture. Implications of these findings might include a need to examine the protective effects of motherhood from negative sociocultural forces among other subcultures. Also, the pervasive drug culture that surrounds young people in Appalachia should be taken into consideration when shaping policy and interventions for teenage pregnancy prevention.
The Use of Social Media in Teaching Race
Authors: Nakagawa Kathy , Arzubiaga Angela E.
Published: May 2014

This article explores ways in which race pedagogy interrogates social media as a significant influence on racism and source for race understandings. Social media serves as a context in which to learn about, challenge, and address issues of race. We discuss how social media may be used to promote racial literacy and question and resist racism, using a YouTube post example, comment stream, and video responses. Our focus includes a discussion of intersectionality and highlights ways in which resisting racism may still involve sexism or other oppression.
Learning to Teach About Race
Authors: Gnanadass Edith
Published: May 2014

This article examines the intellectual and experiential journey of a South Asian American (SAA) feminist who teaches about race and anti-racist praxis in the United States. It starts with her struggles trying to teach about race through the lens of White privilege and ends by sharing her current teaching practices which foreground the concept of race as a learned identity. Her pedagogy, informed by Black feminist and postcolonial theory/Subaltern Studies and her research on the racialized experience of SAAs in the United States, challenges dominant notions of race in three ways, namely: (a) race is not a tangible, objective phenomenon, but rather a learned social construct open to varying attributions and interpretations; (b) the SAA racial identity disrupts the Black–White binary by adding a third racial category; and (c) religion may be treated as an attribute of race. Some of her strategies to complicate and disrupt the narrow and binary ways of thinking about race in the classroom are to (a) develop a common language of race; (b) include diverse voices and experiences beyond the binary conception of race; (c) decenter White, Western perspectives; and (d) rethink systems of domination beyond White privilege.
Competitive Versus Non-Competitive Goals in Group Decision-Making
Authors: Löfstrand Pär , Zakrisson Ingrid
Published: May 2014

This study presents results from a group decision task in which groups were assigned either a competitive or a non-competitive goal. A total of 20 groups were tasked with putting together a relay team either with the goal to maximize the chance to win or with the goal to maximize the sense of community. Interaction process analysis revealed that there were more positive reactions in groups with the non-competitive goal. Analysis of the content of the conversations showed all groups to go beyond information given about the target persons. Attributes associated with the stereotype dimensions of competence and warmth were used to characterize the persons who were to be included or excluded on the relay teams. Groups with a competitive goal applied both positive and negative attributes, whereas groups with a non-competitive goal applied only positive attributes. The results suggest that stereotypes are applied to legitimize decisions about inclusion and exclusion.
Task Uncertainty and Mission Command in a Naval Context
Authors: Krabberød Tommy
Published: May 2014

Mission command is a leadership philosophy that was designed to ensure that military organizations could operate effectively in uncertain situations. It has become the exemplar of military leadership. This study explores whether an increase in task uncertainty is positively related to appreciation of mission command by crew members of Norwegian state-of-the-art, Nansen-class frigates ( N = 174). The result of a simultaneous multiple regression indicates that there is a relationship, but in the opposite direction of what was hypothesized. The greater the task uncertainty, the more the behavior of the preferred leader deviated from mission command. The most important predictor was perceived lack of information, and the more the respondents felt that they lacked information when carrying out their tasks, the more their description of preferred leader behavior deviated from mission command.
Team Leadership in a High-Risk Organization
Authors: Heldal Frode , Antonsen Stian
Published: May 2014

Some small groups perform their tasks in high-risk settings, where team leadership is crucial for the ability to deal with danger. However, we still know little about how the high-risk context may affect this ability. In this article, we draw on a single-case study to investigate team leadership in a high-risk organization. Present theories depict a rather static view on team context, which we argue do not comply with the complexity and dynamic environment of a high-risk organization. We show that in such an environment contextual factors can be of great importance to the internal dynamics of small groups at a different level and matter than previously thought. We argue that effective team leadership hinges upon how team leaders interpret and make sense of contextual factors. We believe that viewing team leadership in this light will contribute to a new understanding of the small group in relation to its surroundings.
The Effectiveness of Healthy Start Home Visit Program
Authors: Leung Cynthia , Tsang Sandra , Heung Kitty
Published: May 2014

Purpose:

The study reported the effectiveness of a home visit program for disadvantaged Chinese parents with preschool children, using cluster randomized controlled trial design.

Method:

Participants included 191 parents and their children from 24 preschools, with 84 dyads (12 preschools) in the intervention group and 107 dyads (12 preschools) in the control group. Outcome measures included parent report and direct assessment of children.

Results:

Linear mixed-method regression results indicated significant increase in child preschool concepts, decrease in parent-reported parenting stress and child behavior problems, and improvement in parent-reported social support, self-efficacy, child oral health practices, and healthy feeding practices. The parent assistants delivering the home visit programs reported decrease in child behavior problems and parenting stress, and increase in self-efficacy and social support from pretraining to posttraining and completion of home visits.

Discussion:

The results provided encouraging evidence that the home visit program was effective with Chinese families.
Educational and Skills-Based Interventions to Prevent Relationship Violence in Young People
Authors: Fellmeth Gracia , Heffernan Catherine , Nurse Joanna , Habibula Shakiba , Sethi Dinesh
Published: May 2014

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of educational and skills-based interventions to prevent relationship and dating violence in adolescents and young adults. Methods: We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and other databases for randomized, cluster-randomized, and quasi-randomized studies of interventions to prevent relationship or dating violence. We conducted meta-analyses for episodes of relationship violence, behaviors, and attitudes. Results: We included 38 studies (15,903 participants) in this review, of which we included 33 studies in the meta-analyses. The risk ratio for episodes of relationship violence was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.53, 1.13]). The standardized mean difference (SMD) for attitudes toward relationship violence was 0.06 (95% CI: [−0.01, 0.15]). The SMD for behavior related to relationship violence was −0.07 (95% CI: [−0.31, 0.16]). Subgroup analyses showed no statistically significant differences by setting or type of participants. Conclusions: We found no evidence of effectiveness of interventions on episodes violence, attitudes or behaviors.
Evaluation of A Novel Information-Sharing Instrument for Home-Based Palliative Care
Authors: Tanabe Kouichi , Sawada Koichiro , Shimada Masanari , Kadoya Shinichi , Endo Naoki , Ishiguro Kaname , Takashima Rumi , Amemiya Yoko , Fujikawa Yasunaga , Ikezaki Tomoaki , Takeuchi Miyako , Kitazawa Hidenori , Iida Hiroyuki , Koseki Shiro , Morita Tatsuya , Sasaki Koji , Kashii Tatsuhiko , Murakami Nozomu
Published: May 2014

Aim:

To examine the feasibility and usefulness of a novel region-based pathway: the Regional Referral Clinical Pathway for Home-Based Palliative Care.

Method:

This was a feasibility study to evaluate the frequency of variances and the perceived usefulness of pathway using in-depth interviews. All patients with cancer referred to the palliative care team between 2011 and 2013 and received home care services were enrolled.

Result:

A total of 44 patients were analyzed, and pathway was completed in all the patients. The target outcome was achieved in 61.4% while some variances occurred in 54.5%. Nine categories were identified as the usefulness of the pathway, such as reviewing and sharing information and promoting communication, education, motivation, and relationships.

Conclusion:

This novel pathway is feasible and seems to be useful.
Discovering the Business Studio
Authors: Barry Daved , Meisiek Stefan
Published: May 2014

Over the past decade, numerous business schools have begun experimenting with studio-based inquiry, often drawing inspiration from professional studios used within art and design schools and from business and governmental studios used for problem-solving and innovation. Business school studios vary considerably in form, ranging from temporary “pop up” studios to dedicated facilities with full-time staff, with the primary purpose of educating managers in craft, art, and design-based approaches to business problems. The jury on the studio phenomenon is out—can they deliver on their educational promise? To address this question, we pull together 25 years of studio experimentation in multiple settings, visits, and observations of studios around the world and interviews with studio makers from various disciplines. We consider the question of “what is a business studio?” in some detail, conjecture about the value that studios might have for management education, provide examples of four different business studio orientations and how these might translate into practice, and highlight what we believe to be some essentials when starting and running a business studio.
RE-AIM Checklist for Integrating and Sustaining Tier 2 Social-Behavioral Interventions
Authors: Cheney Douglas A. , Yong Minglee
Published: May 2014

Even though evidence-based Tier 2 programs are now more commonly available, integrating and sustaining these interventions in schools remain challenging. RE-AIM, which stands for Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance, is a public health framework used to maximize the effectiveness of health promotion programs in real-world contexts. The authors describe a Tier 2–specific RE-AIM checklist with criteria related to each RE-AIM dimension. These criteria aim to help school personnel evaluate, select, and adapt social-behavioral interventions to fit into their multitiered systems of support for social-behavioral intervention.
Oseltamivir Dosing in Critically Ill Patients With Severe Influenza
Authors: Flannery Alexander H. , Thompson Bastin Melissa L.
Published: May 2014

Objective: To evaluate the literature for published reports regarding the efficacy of standard versus higher dosing of oseltamivir in critically ill patients with severe influenza. Data Sources: An English-language literature search was conducted using MEDLINE (1966-February 2014) using the terms oseltamivir and influenza limited to humans and adults older than 19 years. Additional articles were identified through a manual search of the references obtained from the MEDLINE search. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Articles were manually screened for inclusion related to pharmacokinetic or clinical studies comparing varying doses of oseltamivir, particularly in the critically ill patient population. Studies investigating the pharmacokinetics of oseltamivir in continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were also included. Data Synthesis: During the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization suggested 150 mg twice daily as a consideration in critically ill patients with severe influenza. The basis for the recommendation can be traced back to animal studies investigating the H5N1 virus. Three different studies in humans investigating higher doses in severe influenza have found no differences in clinical outcomes between standard and higher dosing. Pharmacokinetic studies suggest adequate absorption in critically ill patients. Although no dosage adjustment appears to be needed for ECMO patients, reduction may berequired for CRRT.. Conclusions:. Although additional data are needed for a definitive conclusion, the small body of literature available in humans does not support routine use of high-dose oseltamivir in critically ill patients.
The Influence of Social Protests on Issue Salience among Latinos
Authors: Carey Tony E. , Branton Regina P. , Martinez-Ebers Valerie
Published: May 2014

Much of the protest literature has examined the policy consequences of social protests. Few studies focus on the effect of social protests on public opinion. We examine the impact of the 2006 immigration protests on the saliency of immigration among Latinos. The 2006 Latino National Survey was in the field before and after the protests began, creating a natural experiment. Using these data, we discover protests increased Latinos’ perception of undocumented immigration as the most important problem facing Latinos. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the effect of protest was not uniform across the population but rather contingent on individuals’ characteristics.
Rectal Site and Suboptimal Nodal Yield Predict Systemic Recurrence in Resected Colorectal Carcinoma
Authors: Hayes Brian D. , O’Riordan James M. , Stuart Charlotte , Muldoon Cian
Published: May 2014

We assessed the contribution of histopathological features to systemic recurrence (SR) in patients with colorectal cancer, using a case-control design: 71 cases and 184 controls were included, with a mean time until SR of 1.4 ± 0.1 years and a mean follow-up of controls of 1.6 ± 0.06 years. Cases had significantly greater odds of rectal site (odds ratio [OR] = 1.82), stage ≥pT3 (OR = 2.11), suboptimal (<12) lymph node yield (OR = 4.6), stage ≥pN1 (OR = 2.46), KRAS mutation (OR = 2.76), and extramural venous invasion (OR = 1.97). By multiple regression analysis, rectal site, stage ≥pT3, suboptimal lymph node yield, and lymph node positivity independently predicted SR. Rectal cancers were more likely to have a suboptimal node yield than nonrectal cancers (relative risk = 1.6) among the entire cohort. We conclude that rectal cancers have greater risk of SR than colon cancers. A lower yield of lymph nodes in rectal cancer specimens may contribute to this.
Relationship Between Hematologic Indices and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events Risk Score in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Acet Halit , Ertaş Faruk , Akıl Mehmet Ata , Özyurtlu Ferhat , Polat Nihat , Bilik Mehmet Zihni , Aydın Mesut , Oylumlu Mustafa , Yüksel Murat , Yıldız Abdulkadir , Kaya Hasan , Akyüz Abdurrahman , Özbek Mehmet
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hematologic indices and the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A total of 800 patients who consecutively and retrospectively presented with STEMI within 12 hours of symptom onset. After accounting for exclusion criteria, a total of 379 patients remained in the study. We enrolled 379 patients with STEMI (mean age 61.7 ± 13.6 years; men 73%). Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), and monocyte count were associated with increased worse GRACE risk score ( P = .008, P = .012, P = .005, P = .022, respectively). In multivariate linear regression analysis, NLR, PLR, RDW, and monocyte count were found to be independent predictors of GRACE risk score. We demonstrate for the first time that PLR, RDW, and monocyte were associated with the GRACE score in patients with STEMI.
Intergroup Anxiety
Authors: Stephan Walter G.
Published: May 2014

This article reviews studies of intergroup anxiety and places them in the context of a theoretical model that specifies categories of antecedents and consequences of intergroup anxiety. It is proposed that intergroup anxiety is comprised of three interrelated components: an affective component, a cognitive component, and a physiological component. The potential causes of intergroup anxiety include personality traits (e.g., social dominance orientation, attributional complexity), attitudes and related cognitions (e.g., negative expectations, stereotypes), personal experience (e.g., negative contact), and situational factors (e.g., the presence of linguistic barriers, structured vs. unstructured interactions). The potential consequences include attitudes and other cognitions (e.g., stereotypes, negative expectations), affect (e.g., fear, anger), and behavior (e.g., avoidance, negative behaviors). Theory and research on the reduction of intergroup anxiety (e.g., intergroup contact, direct or indirect cross-group friendships) are also presented. The discussion explores the implications of these studies for theory, research, and practice.
Coaching unemployed managers and professionals through the trauma of unemployment: Derailed or undaunted?
Authors: Gray David E , Gabriel Yiannis , Goregaokar Harshita
Published: May 2014

The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has increased unemployment among managers, particularly older managers, a group under-researched empirically. This longitudinal study assesses the efficacy of executive coaching for a group of unemployed professionals who participated in an intensive coaching programme aimed at reintegrating them into the economy. Results suggest that the majority were positive about coaching, a process that helped them to reflect on and learn from their new circumstances. Findings also contradict other studies, indicating cautious, cool and even hostile responses to coaching. The study highlights the mental fragility of previously successful, now unemployed managers. From a policy perspective, interventions should start earlier (before employees leave an organisation) and finish later. From a social science perspective, executive coaching represents a modest but sometimes effective initiative to help unemployed professionals to re-write their life stories to make sense of their experiences.
Doing well by doing good? Normative tensions underlying Twitter’s corporate social responsibility ethos
Authors: Busch Thorsten , Shepherd Tamara
Published: May 2014

This article examines the rhetoric of Twitter.com in order to gain insight into the company’s normative self-understanding, or ethos. From a business ethics perspective, we analyze Twitter’s ethos in relation to debates around democratic communication and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Partly thanks to its CSR strategy, Twitter has acquired the critical mass of users necessary to successfully establish a robust and financially viable social network. Despite its success, however, we argue that Twitter does not sufficiently address three ethical implications of its strategy: (1) from an ethical perspective, Twitter mainly seems to employ an ‘instrumental CSR’ ethos that fails to properly recognize the moral rights, responsibilities, and strategic challenges of corporate actors with regard to their stakeholders; (2) this issue becomes all the more pressing because online social networks to a certain extent have taken on the role of quasi-governmental bodies today, regulating what their users can and cannot do, thus raising questions of accountability and legitimacy; and (3) in Twitter’s case, this leads to normative tension between the site's rhetoric, which is centered around civic motives, and the way its Terms of Service and licensing policies seem to favor its commercial stakeholders over its noncommercial ones.
Environmental sustainability in hospitals – a systematic review and research agenda
Authors: McGain Forbes , Naylor Chris
Published: May 2014

Objectives

Hospitals are significant contributors to natural resource depletion and environmental change. Our objective was to establish the extent to which hospital environmental sustainability has been studied and the key issues that emerge for policy, practice and research.

Methods

The PubMed, Engineering Village, Cochrane and King's Fund databases were searched for articles relating to hospital environmental sustainability published in English between 1 January 1990 and 1 October 2013. Further studies were found by review of reference lists. One hundred ninety-three relevant articles were found and 76 were selected for inclusion in the review.

Results

Common research themes were identified: hospital design, direct energy consumption, water, procurement, waste, travel and psychology and behaviour. Some countries (particularly the United Kingdom) have begun to invest systematically in understanding the environmental effects of hospitals. We found large variability in the extent of the evidence base according to topic. Research regarding the architectural fabric of hospital buildings is at a relatively mature stage. Similarly, there is a developed research base regarding devices and technologies used within hospitals to reduce the environmental effects of direct hospital energy and water use. Less is known about the clinical, psychological and social factors that influence how health care professionals use resources, travel to/from hospital, and interact with the buildings and technologies available. A significant part of the environmental footprint of hospitals relates to clinical practice, e.g. decisions regarding the use of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Medical ‘cradle to grave’ life cycle assessment studies have been published to understand the full financial and environmental costs of hospital activities. The effects of preventive or demand management measures which avoid unnecessary hospital procedures are likely to be much greater than incremental changes to how hospital procedures are performed.

Conclusions

There remain significant gaps in the evidence base on hospital sustainability. Assessments of environmental impacts and natural resource use are beginning to be produced, both at the level of individual hospitals and at the health system level. These are an important start, but in many areas do not yet provide sufficiently detailed information to guide decision-making. There are many areas where the interests of patients and the environment coincide, but others where tensions exist. Rising resource costs and climate change mitigation measures are likely to create an increasing stimulus for research on hospital sustainability. Such research will benefit from inter-disciplinary coordination across research funders and countries.
Quantitative mixing measurements and stochastic variability of a vaporizing gasoline direct-injection spray
Authors: Blessinger Matthew , Manin Julien , Skeen Scott A , Meijer Maarten , Parrish Scott , Pickett Lyle M
Published: May 2014

Spark-ignition direct-injection engines operating in a stratified, lean-burn regime offer improved engine efficiency; however, seemingly random fluctuations in stratified combustion that result in partial-burn or misfire prevent widespread implementation. Eliminating these poor combustion events requires detailed understanding of engine flow, fuel delivery, and ignition, but knowing the dominant cause is difficult because they occur simultaneously in an engine. This study investigated the variability in fuel–air mixture linked to fuel injection hardware in a near-quiescent pressure vessel at high-temperature conditions representative of late, stratified-charge injection. An eight-hole spark-ignition direct-injection spray was interrogated using high-speed schlieren and Mie-scatter imaging from multiple, simultaneous views to acquire the vapor and liquid envelopes of the spray. The mixture fraction of vaporized sections of the spray was then quantified at a plane between plumes using Rayleigh scattering. Probability contours of the line-of-sight vapor envelope showed little variability between injections, whereas probability contours derived from planar, quantitative mixing measurements exhibit greater amounts of variability for lean-combustion-limit charge. The mixture field between plumes was characterized by multi-hole and end-of-injection dynamics that attract the plumes to each other and toward the injection axis, resulting in a liquid-fuel-droplet-dense merged central jet in the planar measurements. Supplemental long-working distance microscopy imaging showed the existence of fuel droplets far downstream in the region of the planar laser measurements.
Non-representational marketing theory
Authors: Hill Tim , Canniford Robin , Mol Joeri
Published: May 2014

The purpose of this article is to evaluate and advance tools that marketing and consumer researchers have recently gathered from assemblage and actor–network theories. By distinguishing between two different styles of applying these theories we explain that a ‘representational’, interventionist and problem-solving mode has come to dominate existing uses of assemblage and actor-network theories in our field. We explain that current applications can be supplemented by a non-representational mode of theorising that draws on work pioneered by Nigel Thrift. Specifically, we explain that non-representational marketing theory can expand our ontological sensitivities through improved attention to the minutiae and hitherto unrepresented constituents of life. Towards this end, we offer methodological suggestions to extend attention to flows of everyday marketplace activity, precognitive forms of networked agency, as well as affect and atmosphere in consumption spaces.
In situ characterization technique to increase robustness of imaging approaches in structural health monitoring using guided waves
Authors: Ostiguy Pierre-Claude , Le Duff Alain , Quaegebeur Nicolas , Brault Louis-Philippe , Masson Patrice
Published: May 2014

The performance of guided wave imaging strategies used in Structural Health Monitoring relies on the accurate knowledge of mechanical properties for proper damage detection and localization. In order to increase the performance and robustness of such algorithms, it is desirable to implement autonomous approaches that can characterize the mechanical properties of the structure whatsoever the environmental and operational conditions. This article presents an innovative in situ and integrated characterization procedure based on guided waves that evaluates the thermo-mechanical properties of a structure when subjected to thermal variations prior to imaging using the same set of piezoceramic transducers used for imaging. These properties are then exploited in the damage imaging using a correlation-based algorithm (Excitelet) combined with the optimal baseline subtraction. The characterization strategy uses a genetic algorithm to identify the optimal set of mechanical properties leading to the best correlation between an analytical formulation of dispersed guided waves propagation and experimental measurements. The strategy is assessed experimentally on an aluminum plate with three sparse bonded piezoceramic transducers used for both characterization and imaging at various temperatures, representative of operational conditions of an aircraft. An artificial damage is subsequently introduced in the plate, and the effect of the accuracy of the mechanical properties estimation on imaging is assessed through the detection capability, positioning, accuracy, and correlation amplitude. The approach is then compared to three imaging methods, namely, baseline-free imaging, imaging without considering thermo-mechanical effects, and imaging using stretching methods traditionally used to compensate for temperature effects.
Robust dimensionality reduction and damage detection approaches in structural health monitoring
Authors: Khoa Nguyen LD , Zhang Bang , Wang Yang , Chen Fang , Mustapha Samir
Published: May 2014

Structural health monitoring has been increasingly used due to the advances in sensing technology and data analysis, facilitating the shift from time-based to condition-based maintenance. This work is part of the efforts which have applied structural health monitoring to the Sydney Harbour Bridge – one of Australia’s iconic structures. It combines dimensionality reduction and pattern recognition techniques to accurately and efficiently distinguish faulty components from well-functioning ones. Specifically, random projection is used for dimensionality reduction on the vibration feature data. Then, healthy and damaged patterns of bridge components are learned in the lower dimensional projected space using supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods, namely, support vector machine and one-class support vector machine. The experimental results using data from a laboratory-based building structure and the Sydney Harbour Bridge showed high feasibility of applying machine learning techniques to dimensionality reduction and damage detection in structural health monitoring. Random projection combined with support vector machine significantly reduces the computational time while maintaining the detection accuracy. The proposed method also outperformed popular dimensionality reduction techniques. The computational time of the method using random projection can be more than 200 times faster than that without using dimensionality reduction while still achieving similar detection accuracy.
Exploring the Use of Categories in the Assessment of Airline Pilots’ Performance as a Potential Source of Examiners’ Disagreement
Authors: Weber David E. , Mavin Timothy J. , Roth Wolff-Michael , Henriqson Eder , Dekker Sidney W. A.
Published: May 2014

It is a current trend in aviation to use categories of technical (e.g., knowledge) and nontechnical skills (e.g., situation awareness) to assess airline pilots’ performance. Several studies have revealed large disagreement between assessors when airline professionals use these categories to assess the performance of their peers. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether the categories themselves are at the source of disagreement. We explore the reasoning of flight examiners who assess an engine fire scenario in pairs. The results provide insight into the overlap of topics that constitute certain categories. Implications are drawn in regards to the use of assessment categories and their influence on pilot performance assessment.
Hygrothermal modelling of flooding events within historic buildings
Authors: Huijbregts Zara , van Schijndel Jos WM , Schellen Henk L , Blades Nigel
Published: May 2014

Flooding events pose a high risk to valuable monumental buildings and their interiors. Due to higher river discharges and sea level rise, flooding events may occur more often in future. Hygrothermal building simulation models can be applied to investigate the impact of a flooding event on the environmental conditions inside a building. The objective of this study is to develop such a model that is able to evaluate the best fitting drying regime for historic buildings. A model is created based on on-site measurements of the indoor climate conditions in one building that had to cope with flooding in the recent past. The result of this study is a hygrothermal building simulation model that can predict the indoor climate conditions inside a room as a result of a flooding event. Different climate control systems can be integrated in this model to evaluate the most suitable drying regime to minimise the risk to the building, its interior and its collection. Furthermore, damage functions can be applied to analyse the risk to the collection caused by the flooding event.
Impact of care pathway-based approach on outcomes in a specialist intellectual disability inpatient unit
Authors: Devapriam John , Alexander Regi , Gumber Rohit , Pither Judith , Gangadharan Satheesh
Published: May 2014

Specialist intellectual disability inpatient units have come under increased scrutiny, leading to questions about the quality of service provision in this sector. A care pathway-based approach was implemented in such a unit and its impact on outcome variables was measured. The care pathway-based approach resulted in the turnover of more patients, increased capacity for admissions to the unit, reduced lengths of stay in hospital, timely assessments and treatments, which resulted in better outcomes in patients. Care pathway-based approach to service provision provides not only better outcomes in patients but also a reliable way of ensuring true multi-agency working and accountability. If used widely, it can reduce the variability in the quality of current service provision.
Challenging humanitarian communication: An empirical exploration of Kony 2012
Authors: von Engelhardt Johannes , Jansz Jeroen
Published: May 2014

In March 2012, American NGO Invisible Children released an online video about the crimes committed by Ugandan war lord Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army. Rapidly shared through social network sites, Kony 2012 soon earned the title of fastest spreading online video ever produced. At the same time, the video and its makers also came under massive criticism from bloggers, journalists, academics, and the general public. This study offers an exploration of the phenomenon Kony 2012 from an audience perspective. Theoretically building on the literature on mediated distant suffering and empirically based on an online survey, we explore how the video was successful in exerting moral pressure on a critical online audience of ‘Ironic Spectators’. In particular, we investigate to what extent different forms of being critical towards the video and its makers have mitigated a sense of personal moral responsibility to act towards the distant suffering other.
Exploration of pharmacological interventions to prevent isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in experimental models
Authors: Garg Monika , Khanna Deepa
Published: May 2014

High incidences of myocardial infarction associated with high morbidity and mortality, are a major concern and economic burden on industrialized nations. Persistent β-adrenergic receptor stimulation with isoproterenol leads to the development of oxidative stress, myocardial inflammation, thrombosis, platelet aggregation and calcium overload, which ultimately cause myocardial infarction. Therapeutic agents that are presently employed for the prevention and management of myocardial infarction are beta-blockers, antithrombotics, thrombolytics, statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and nitrovasodilators. In spite of effective available interventions, the mortality rate of myocardial infarction is progressively increasing. Thus, there has been a regular need to develop effective therapies for the prevention and management of this insidious disease. In this review, the authors give an overview of the consequences of isoproterenol in the pathogenesis of cardiac disorders and various therapeutic possibilities to prevent these disorders.