bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes-based education and deep learning in first year social work in South Africa: Two case examples
Authors: Collins Kathleen Jane
Published: January 2014

South African social work education changed from norm-based to outcomes-based education soon after the first democratic government came into power in 1994 and a new Bachelor of Social Work has been in existence since 2007. The article argues in support of deep learning principles and presents narrative constructions from two differently advantaged departments of social work, illustrating how lecturers and students there have adapted to outcomes-based education. Conclusions indicate that statutory requirements and institutional pressures militate against the development of deep learning. The urgency to incorporate transformative learning in meeting professional standards is placed in the international context.
Emotion Recognition in Improvised Music
Authors: Bodner Ehud
Published: January 2014

The current study explored whether people of different cultures within the same country differ in emotion recognition, when recognizing emotions in improvisations played on different instruments. Participants ( n = 202) from several cultures in Israel (i.e., Israeli-born Jews [IBJs], Israeli-Russian immigrants, and Israeli-Arabs and Druze) listened to 40 pieces conveying five emotions (anger, fear, sadness, happiness, and serenity) and decoded their emotional content. The improvisations were performed by four IBJ musicians on four instruments (piano, darbuka, voice, and kazoo). No differences were found between the groups regarding four of the emotions and three of the instruments. However, IBJs were more accurate in identifying fear and emotions conveyed by kazoo. These findings demonstrate that people from different cultures within the same country have a similar ability to recognize emotions expressed through different musical instruments, with the exception of specific emotions and mediums. The results of this study also emphasize the potential of communication of emotions through musical intercultural encounters. Nevertheless, since the study was not based on a balanced factorial design, its findings should be interpreted with caution. Future studies that are based on an orthogonal study design need to examine the replicability of its findings.
Education
Authors: Ahlberg Jaime , Brighouse Harry
Published: January 2014

This paper identifies four criteria, all of which an ideal real utopian proposal would meet. We argue for a moderate skepticism that it is possible to give a real utopian proposal to guide the design of education for a society that meets these criteria; both for the practical reason that what happens in schools depends on the background environment within which they operate, and for the principled reason that when educating children we should attend to their individual future well-being in ways that militate against taking the risk that we are preparing them for an environment that they will not, in fact, inhabit. In place of a real utopian proposal, then, we embark on the easier task of defending a moderate set of feasible reforms that, implemented in the context of an unreformed US economy, would make the school system realize, somewhat better than it does, the principles that should guide the design of school systems in ideal and nonideal contexts. These include reducing the size of schools, lengthening the amount of time that children spend in school, and constructing cross-school standards that can guide professional development of teachers.
Home Court Advantage
Authors: Post Alison E.
Published: January 2014

A large body of scholarship in political economy suggests economic growth, and foreign direct investment in regulated industries in particular, is more likely to occur when formal institutions allow states to provide credible commitments regarding the security of property rights. In contrast, this article argues that we must instead examine differences in firm organizational structure and embeddedness to explain variation in the resilience of privatization contracts in weak institutional environments. Domestic investors—or, if contracts are granted at the subnational level, domestic investors with diverse local holdings—work most effectively in the developing world. Domestic investors are better able to negotiate mutually beneficial adaptations to their formal contracts with host governments because they can draw on informal contractual supports that derive from cross-sector diversification and embeddedness in the market. This article finds strong support for this argument through an analysis of fourteen water privatization contracts in Argentina.
Video Games Do Affect Social Outcomes
Authors: Greitemeyer Tobias , Mügge Dirk O.
Published: January 2014

Whether video game play affects social behavior is a topic of debate. Many argue that aggression and helping are affected by video game play, whereas this stance is disputed by others. The present research provides a meta-analytical test of the idea that depending on their content, video games do affect social outcomes. Data from 98 independent studies with 36,965 participants revealed that for both violent video games and prosocial video games, there was a significant association with social outcomes. Whereas violent video games increase aggression and aggression-related variables and decrease prosocial outcomes, prosocial video games have the opposite effects. These effects were reliable across experimental, correlational, and longitudinal studies, indicating that video game exposure causally affects social outcomes and that there are both short- and long-term effects.
Partnerships With Providers
Authors: Ayala Judith , Howe Carol , Dumser Susan , Buzby Marianne , Murphy Kathryn
Published: January 2014

Sixty-three parents with a child or an adolescent with type 1 diabetes participated in this study that focused on what helped them “live well with diabetes.” Beyond medical expertise, parents described a partnering relationship with their provider as one of the factors that supported their efforts to live well with diabetes. Parents reported that a partnership was enhanced when the provider had the ability to understand the dynamic nature of the journey in living with diabetes, connect with their family and set the tone by inviting them to openly communicate about all aspects of family life impacting diabetes care, recognize when and how the provider may have to assume the role of Captain of the Ship in times of need, and empathize and respond therapeutically to intense emotions inherent in managing diabetes over time.
‘Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt’: Solidarity between generations in the Irish crisis
Authors: Carney Gemma M. , Scharf Thomas , Timonen Virpi , Conlon Catherine
Published: January 2014

Ireland has gained a reputation for peaceable acceptance of austerity following a European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout in 2010. While proponents of austerity praise Ireland’s stoicism, critics of global capitalism argue that individuals and families are paying for mistakes made by elites. However, little is known about the strategies people adopt to cope with cutbacks to welfare entitlements. Drawing on a study of solidarity between generations living in Ireland in 2011–12, this article explores the lived experience of economic crisis and austerity. One hundred interviews with people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds are analysed using constructivist grounded theory. Data show how austerity impacts differentially according to socio-economic status. While solidarity between generations leads to re-distribution of resources within families, providing some security for people with access to family resources, it reinforces inequality at societal level. We conclude that reliance on family promotes ‘coping’ rather than ‘protesting’ responses to austerity.
The business of Service Science
Authors: de Grandbois Yvonne
Published: January 2014

Service Science has slowly been coming into focus in the last few years as a multidisciplinary approach to more effective management in the service industry. It is a new and highly relevant branch of knowledge for information professionals. This article explains what it is, how it has arisen and how important it could be for information service management, development and innovation. Service Science already features in the curricula of business schools and merits introduction into Library and Information Science courses and the practice of service provision.
IT project prioritization
Authors: Rivinus Chris
Published: January 2014

Tullow Oil, a London-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company, regularly wins awards for its innovative approach to problem solving. Its business culture is based on investing in the best people and then trusting them to work together to keep Tullow on the leading edge of the industry. Tullow’s CIO recently challenged his team to develop an approach to devolve control of IT project prioritization to non-IT leaders within the company. This article explains the approach developed and how it is working to keep the business’s IT strategy aligned with Tullow’s entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to collaborative decision making.
Prehabilitation program for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients: a pilot randomized controlled study
Authors: Sawatzky Jo-Ann V , Kehler D Scott , Ready A Elizabeth , Lerner Neal , Boreskie Sue , Lamont Darlene , Luchik Dean , Arora Rakesh C , Duhamel Todd A
Published: January 2014

Objective:

To determine the feasibility of a cardiac prehabilitation (Prehab) program for patients waiting for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

Design:

A two-group parallel randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Medical fitness facility.

Subjects:

Seventeen preoperative elective CABG surgery patients were randomized to standard care ( n = 9) or Prehab ( n = 8).

Intervention:

Standard care: three-hour preassessment appointment. Prehab: exercise and education classes for 60 minutes/day, twice weekly for at least four weeks.

Main measures:

Data were collected at baseline, one week preoperatively, and three months postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was walking distance using a 6-minute walk test. Secondary outcome variables included 5-meter gait speed, and cardiac rehabilitation attendance three months postoperatively.

Results:

Fifteen patients (standard care, n = 7; Prehab, n = 8) completed the study. No Prehab patients developed cardiac symptoms during study participation. Walking distance remained unchanged in the standard care group; whereas, the Prehab group increased their walking distance to mean ± SD 474 ±101 and 487 ±106 m at the preoperative and three month postoperative assessments ( p < 0.05). Gait speed was unchanged in the standard care group, but improved in the Prehab group by 27% and 33% preoperatively and three months postoperatively, respectively ( p < 0.05). Enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation three months postoperatively was higher for Prehab participants (100%) than standard care participants (43%; p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

These data provide evidence for the feasibility of a Prehab intervention to improve the health status of patients waiting for elective CABG surgery. A larger trial of 92 patients will be utilized to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of Prehab.
Inconsistent classification of pusher behaviour in stroke patients: a direct comparison of the Scale for Contraversive Pushing and the Burke Lateropulsion Scale
Authors: Bergmann Jeannine , Krewer Carmen , Rieß Katrin , Müller Friedemann , Koenig Eberhard , Jahn Klaus
Published: January 2014

Objective:

To compare the classification of two clinical scales for assessing pusher behaviour in a cohort of stroke patients.

Design:

Observational case-control study.

Setting:

Inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.

Subjects:

A sample of 23 patients with hemiparesis due to a unilateral stroke (1.6 ± 0.7 months post stroke).

Methods:

Immediately before and after three different interventions, the Scale for Contraversive Pushing and the Burke Lateropulsion Scale were applied in a standardized procedure.

Results:

The diagnosis of pusher behaviour on the basis of the Scale for Contraversive Pushing and the Burke Lateropulsion Scale differed significantly ( χ2 = 54.260, p < 0.001) resulting in inconsistent classifications in 31 of 138 cases. Changes immediately after the interventions were more often detected by the Burke Lateropulsion Scales than by the Scale for Contraversive Pushing ( χ2 = 19.148, p < 0.001). All cases with inconsistent classifications showed no pusher behaviour on the Scale for Contraversive Pushing, but pusher behaviour on the Burke Lateropulsion Scale. 64.5% (20 of 31) of them scored on the Burke Lateropulsion Scale on the standing and walking items only.

Conclusions:

The Burke Lateropulsion Scale is an appropriate alternative to the widely used Scale for Contraversive Pushing to follow-up patients with pusher behaviour (PB); it might be more sensitive to detect mild pusher behaviour in standing and walking.
Effects of Self-Esteem and Narcissism on Bullying and Victimization During Early Adolescence
Authors: Fanti Kostas A. , Henrich Christopher C.
Published: January 2014

The current study investigates the longitudinal association, across a 1-year period, between self-esteem and narcissism with bullying and peer victimization. The sample consisted of 1,416 (50.1% girls) Greek Cypriot early adolescents ( M age = 12.89) who completed a battery of self-report measures. The small correlation found between self-esteem and narcissism suggests that the two constructs are distinct from one another. Results from the Hierarchical Linear Regression analyses suggested that the combination of low self-esteem (i.e., fragile self-concept) with high narcissism (i.e., grandiose self-view) may contribute to the continuation of both bullying and victimization. Person-centered analyses clarified narcissism predicted membership into “bully” and “bully-victim” groups, although “bullies” were distinguished by low self-esteem when compared with uninvolved children. Current findings can help provide an explanation of the inconsistency reported in the literature in terms of the association between self-esteem and bullying behavior, in that low self-esteem is more strongly associated with bullying for narcissistic youth.
Music and the closet: The roles music plays for gay men in the “coming out” process
Authors: Aronoff Uri , Gilboa Avi
Published: January 2014

Previous studies that examined the roles music plays in homosexual life focused on how it was used after “coming out.” In the present study, we qualitatively examined whether music played special roles before and during the “coming out” process. Seven gay men of varying ages and cultural backgrounds were interviewed and asked to describe their “coming out” process and to specify whether music was somehow involved in the process. An analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed three main roles: music as a companion (music offered the support that a friend might have provided); music as a means for concealing and exposing (music helped to regulate the extent of exposing homosexuality); and music as means of making change (music served as a catalyst for “coming out”). The results are discussed in light of Cass’s (1979) model of homosexual identity formation and suggestions for further studies are provided.
Disciplining ethnicity: Social sorting intersects with political demography in Israel’s pre-state period
Authors: Leibler Anat
Published: January 2014

This article presents an analysis of the professional and political activities of the demographer Roberto Bachi prior to Israel’s establishment as a state in 1948. The article describes his involvement in two interconnected major areas: first, his advocacy of pro-natal policies, connected to a nation-building strategy by the Jewish population to achieve numerical dominance over Arab Palestinians in areas to be incorporated in the Jewish state, and second, the development of Jewish ethnic distinctions, particularly the ‘Mizrahi type’, to track differences in birthrates and changing cultural features within the Jewish population. The article also revises the historical record by showing the importance of this ethnic classification in the years prior to the large waves of Jewish immigration from Arab countries. Without the reworking of the popular category ‘Mizrahi’ into a scientifically systematized category by a demographer who would become the head of the state’s Central Bureau of Statistics upon its founding in 1948, this binary social epistemology could not be as strong and legitimate as it actually was. Two factors account for Bachi’s success. First was his ability to provide a new way of understanding the present in terms of the future. His numerical predictions on the Jewish and Arab demographic development made statistics and demography an indispensable technology for public policy and social planning. Second was his role as a boundary actor – a unique mediating position between political and scientific spheres. The Israeli case study exemplifies similar dynamics found in other countries during periods of structuring the modern state, namely, processes in which experts of infrastructural knowledge such as statistics and demography saw themselves as responsible for the national progress and its social modernity.
Specific Risk Factors of Arsonists in a Forensic Psychiatric Hospital
Authors: Hagenauw Loes A. , Karsten Julie , Akkerman-Bouwsema Gerjonne J. , de Jager Bert E. , Lancel Marike
Published: January 2014

Arsonists are often treated in forensic settings. However, high recidivism rates indicate that treatment is not yet optimal for these offenders. The aim of this case series study is to identify arsonist specific dynamic risk factors that can be targeted during treatment. For this study, we used patient files of and interviews with all patients that were currently housed at a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands (14 arsonists, 59 non-arsonists). To delineate differences in risk factors between arsonists and non-arsonists, scores on the risk assessment instrument the Historical Clinical Future–30 (HKT-30; completed for 11 arsonists and 35 non-arsonists), an instrument similar to the Historical Clinical Risk Management–20 (HCR-20), were compared. The groups did not differ on demographic factors and psychopathology. Concerning dynamic risk factors, arsonists had significantly poorer social and relational skills and were more hostile. Although this study needs replication, these findings suggest that the treatment of people involved in firesetting should particularly target these risk factors.
Opportunity, Choice, and Burglary Victimization in Taiwan
Authors: Kuo Shih-Ya
Published: January 2014

This study examined burglary victimization in Taiwan with an application of the structure-choice model that included four theoretical dimensions: proximity to crime, exposure to crime, target attractiveness, and guardianship. Drawing on the 2000 Taiwan Areas Criminal Victimization Survey, the results of the current study showed a moderate effect of the opportunity model on Taiwan’s burglary victimization. Also, this study found both consistent and conflicting findings in the current data. The null effect of motorcycles (including scooters) that represented the concept of target attractiveness in relation to burglary risk reflected a difference in population density and transportation needs between Taiwan and the West. Clearly, the role of social context needs to be understood when studies apply a Western model to a non-Western context.
Rural geography II
Authors: McDonagh John
Published: January 2014

A dominant discourse in contemporary rural debate relates to food. Deliberated in multiple and complex ways, the conversation vacillates between issues of food sustainability, security, type and provenance, to those of food scarcity, access and safety. Further compounding this complexity, food is equally central to discourses of energy, climate change, biofuels, production patterns, land use and a ‘21st-century land rush’. The use and management of rural resources consequently finds itself near the top of current political, social, economic and environmental agendas. However, while there have been limited contributions by rural geographers on food-related issues, there is no doubting that the oft-declared challenge of providing safe and secure food supplies, and feeding a growing world population, has witnessed increased vigour of engagement. This report explores this engagement, deliberating on the promotion of a ‘new productivism’, the endorsement of the role of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in securing food supplies, the escalation of global land grabs, and the subsequent impacts on sustainable rural futures.
Theorizing state-environment relationships
Authors: Ioris Antonio A. R.
Published: January 2014

Scholarly work in geography has often fallen short of establishing the politicized connections between socio-ecological pressures, spatial dynamics and the changing patterns of the state apparatus. It is still necessary to better examine the failures of the responses to ecological problems in relation to the underlying politico-ideological factors that constrain state interventions. Environmental governance has been particularly influenced by Hegelian political theories about flexibility and legitimacy. The persistence of problems largely derives from the idealism of the Hegelian constitutional plan, which has facilitated the advance of capitalism over the more-than-human spheres of socionature mediated and promoted by the contemporary state.
Matching Articular Surfaces of Selected Donor and Recipient Sites for Cylindrical Osteochondral Grafts of the Femur
Authors: Nishizawa Yuichiro , Matsumoto Tomoyuki , Araki Daisuke , Nagamune Kouki , Matsushita Takehiko , Kurosaka Masahiro , Kuroda Ryosuke
Published: January 2014

Background:

Autogenous osteochondral grafting has been widely performed as a treatment for focal osteochondral defects. In this procedure, it is important to match the shape of the articular surface between the donor site and recipient site to reproduce the original articular surface of the femur.

Purpose:

To investigate the ideal matching patterns of articular surface profiles of donor and recipient sites for autogenous osteochondral grafting of the femur using a 3-dimensional laser scanning method.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

The donor and recipient sites in 11 cadaveric knees were examined, and each of the sites was divided into 12 areas. In the donor sites, the contours of the articular surface of the medial and lateral femoral trochleae were determined. In the recipient sites, the contours of the articular surface of the medial and lateral femoral condyles were assessed. Vertical intervals (VIs) were then calculated as the parameter for the height of the articular surface. The VI was the height difference from the highest and lowest points in the contours of the articular surface within the area of the donor and recipient sites. Finally, assessments were made on whether the articular surface of the donor and recipient sites matched properly for cylindrical osteochondral grafts with diameters of 6, 8, and 10 mm.

Results:

For the donor site, the VIs of the middle area of the femoral trochlea were significantly smaller than those of the peripheral area. For the recipient site, the VIs of the anterior area of the femoral condyle were significantly smaller than those of the posterior area.

Conclusion:

These results indicated in aging specimens that the articular surface profile of the middle area of the donor site matched that of the anterior area of the recipient site. On the other hand, the shape of the articular surface of the peripheral area of the donor site was congruent with that of the posterior area of the recipient site.

Clinical Relevance:

This study will be useful for improving donor site selection during preoperative planning. The authors recommend selection of the middle area of the femoral trochlea for cartilage defects in the anterior area of the femoral condyle and of the peripheral area of the femoral trochlea for cartilage defects in the posterior area of the femoral condyle.
Some health effects of aircraft noise with special reference to shift work
Authors: Rizk Sanaa A M , Sharaf Nevin E , Mahdy-Abdallah Heba , ElGelil Khalid S Abd
Published: January 2014

Background:

Aircraft noise is an environmental stressor. A positive relationship exists between noise and high blood pressure. Shift work is an additional hazardous working condition with negative effect on the behavior attitude of workers.

Objective:

This study aimed at investigating some health hazards for shift work on workers at Cairo International Airport (CIA), Egypt, as a strategic work place, with more than one stressor.

Subjects and Methods:

Assessment of noise effects were carried out in four working sites at the airport besides control sites. The average noise level in the exposure sites was 106.5 dB compared with 54 dB at the control sites. The study comprised a group of 200 male workers exposed to aircraft noise and 110 male workers not exposed to noise as control group. All workers had full general medical examination after filling specially formulated questionnaire. Hearing impairment, raised blood pressure, headaches, disturbed sleep, and symptoms of anxiety were more prominent among the exposed workers than the control. Symptoms of upper respiratory tract were reported among night shifters of both groups with high tendency for smoking. Thus, night-shift workers at CIA work under more than one stressor. Hypertension and smoking might act as intermediate factors on the causal pathway of complaints, making aircraft noise and night shift acting as two synergistic stressors. Airport workers are in need for aggressive hearing conservation programs. Organization of the working hours schedule is mandatory to avoid excessive noise exposure.
Navigating the Domestic Violence Protection Law by Vietnamese Immigrant Wives in Taiwan
Authors: Tang Anna Wen-hui , Wang Hong-zen
Published: January 2014

This article explores the structural factors that hinder Vietnamese immigrant wives from escaping domestic violence by applying an institutional ethnography perspective. Taiwan’s Domestic Violence Prevention Law requires the government to assign professionals to help abused victims, but the law in action shows that abused Vietnamese wives must go through multiple institutions, which put different structural constraints on them, to reach the goal of escaping domestic violence. Following the structural intersectionality approach, we contend that gender, nationalism, and class structural factors intersectionally impose constraints on immigrant women seeking help from the state.
The Impact of Sexual Abuse Committed by a Child on Mental Health in Adulthood
Authors: Allen Brian , Tellez Alexandra , Wevodau Amy , Woods Carol L. , Percosky Amy
Published: January 2014

Numerous research studies document the negative mental health outcomes associated with the experience of childhood sexual abuse. In addition, factors such as one’s relationship with the perpetrator and the severity of the abuse predict the likelihood of future mental health problems. Less attention, however, has focused on the age of the perpetrator, and recent years have seen an increased interest in children who display sexual behavior problems. College students completed measures of mental health functioning and retrospective reports of maltreatment histories. Participants were categorized as abused by an adult ( n = 48), teenager ( n = 39), or another child ( n = 37), and non-abused ( n = 219). Victims of abuse, regardless of perpetrator age, displayed higher levels of mental health problems than non-abused participants. There were no differences between the abused groups on any of the mental health outcomes; however, individuals who were abused by other children were less likely to label their experiences as abuse.
Relationship Violence, Fear, and Exposure to Youth Violence Among Adolescents in New York City
Authors: DuPont-Reyes Melissa J. , Fry Deborah , Rickert Vaughn I. , Bell David L. , Palmetto Niki , Davidson Leslie L.
Published: January 2014

Previous research has shown that there is an overlap between experiences of youth violence and adolescent relationship violence. Yet, little research exists which investigates the sex differences in the associations between specific types of youth violence and relationship violence while controlling for potential confounders. This study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring the associations between experiences of youth violence and receiving and delivering relationship violence in an urban adolescent sample. From 2006 to 2007, 1,454 adolescents aged 13 to 21 years in New York City completed an anonymous survey that included the validated Conflict in Adolescent Relationships Inventory that estimates experiences of relationship violence in the previous year as well as the prevalence of various exposures to youth violence. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed the overlap between experiencing other types of youth violence and delivering and receiving physical relationship violence and sexual coercion. Compared with youth in nonviolent relationships, we found a significant association between delivering and receiving relationship physical violence and sexual coercion with participating in a fight, missing school due to fear, being threatened/injured with a weapon, gang membership, and carrying a weapon among both males and females. We also identified the sex differences between these specific associations of youth and relationship violence. Service providers working with adolescents experiencing relationship violence should be aware that they face a higher concurrent risk of experiencing or participating in other forms of youth violence. Likewise, providers working in the area of youth violence intervention and prevention should consider the possibility of concurrent relationship violence. Based on these findings, further research should explore whether interventions targeting relationship violence can also impact participation in youth violence and vice versa.
Compliance With Institutional Antimicrobial Dosing Guidelines in Patients Receiving Continuous Venovenous Hemodialysis
Authors: Fedorenko Marianna , Lam Simon W. , Harinstein Lisa M. , Neuner Elizabeth A. , Demirjian Sevag , Bauer Seth R.
Published: January 2014

Objective:

Describe the rate of compliance with institutional antimicrobial dosing guidelines in patients on concomitant continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD).

Methods:

This single-center retrospective chart review evaluated adult patients receiving concomitant intravenous antimicrobials and CVVHD for at least 24 hours over a 2-month period.

Results:

A total of 42 patients, 76 antimicrobial courses, and 208 study days (24 hours of concomitant therapy) were evaluated. Overall, antimicrobials were dosed according to the institutional guidelines on 162 (78%) of 208 study days. All nonconcordant doses were below recommendations. The recommended dose was never received prior to antibiotic or CVVHD discontinuation in 22% of the cases. In cases where antimicrobials were initiated when the patient was already on CVVHD, 74% of the initial doses met guideline criteria. Pharmacist recommendation was associated with increased dosing compliance (94% vs 73% of study days, P = .001). During transition from CVVHD to intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), only 62% of antimicrobial doses were decreased by the first IHD day.

Conclusions:

Antimicrobial dosing in patients on CVVHD was below institutional guideline recommendations in many cases. Pharmacist recommendation was associated with compliance. Centers should evaluate their own compliance rate with institutional guideline recommendations for CVVHD and implement initiatives to improve dosing practices.
Synthesis and characterization of para- and meta-polybenzimidazoles for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Authors: Malinowski Marek , Iwan Agnieszka , Paściak Grzegorz , Parafiniuk Kacper , Gorecki Lech
Published: January 2014

In this article, two polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) were synthesized by the polycondensation reaction of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine with terephthalic acid ( p-PBI) or isophthalic acid ( m-PBI) for application in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Two kinds of purification (P1, P2) were applied to clean the polymers. The chemical structure of PBI polymers was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Polymers after P1 can be soluble and cast into film only from hot sulfuric acid solution (H2SO4), whereas both polymers after P2 were soluble in dimethylacetamide solution. Polymer films cast from H2SO4 were investigated using FTIR. The thermal stabilities of PBIs and PBI films were studied using the thermogravimetric analysis and the first derivative of the TG method. The temperature of 5% weight loss ( T5%) for both PBIs ranges from 136 to 312°C under nitrogen atmosphere, depending on the dicarboxylic acid used and the kind of purification. The PBI films exhibited T5% at 55°C because of the protonation of nitrogen atom in PBI by hydrogen atom of hydroxyl group in H2SO4. Electrical behavior of the two polymers was tested using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for gold (Au)/PBI/Au architecture. For both measured polymers, Nyquist plots are presented with fittings based on circuit models.
Thermal stability and combustion behavior of flame-retardant polypropylene with thermoplastic polyurethane-microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate
Authors: Chen Man , Xu Yang , Chen Xiaolang , Ma Yonghong , He Weidi , Yu Jie , Zhang Zhibin
Published: January 2014

In this article, thermoplastic polyurethane-microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (MTAPP) is prepared and well characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). MTAPP and APP are added onto polypropylene (PP) as a novel intumescent flame-retardant system to improve the flame retardancy of PP. The flammability, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of the flame-retardant PP composites are investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 vertical burning test, cone calorimeter test (CCT), TGA, and mechanical properties tests. The results show that MTAPP exhibits better flame retardancy and thermal stability than that of the APP in the flame-retardant PP composites. The LOI value of the PP/MTAPP composite at the same loading level is higher than that of PP/APP composite. The dripping of MTAPP system disappears compared with APP system from UL-94 test. The results of the CCT also indicate that MTAPP is an effective flame retardant in PP. The improvement may be attributed to the better charring capacity of MTAPP from TGA. Additionally, the mechanical properties of MTAPP are better than those of APP in PP.
Preparation of polyphenylsulfone containing imidazole group for gas separation membrane material
Authors: Yu Yunwu , Liu Baijun , Wang Yan , Liu Siyuan , Li Xiaobai , Liu Zhuang , Jiang Zhenhua
Published: January 2014

In this work, a series of polyphenylsulfones containing imidazole group in the polymer chain (imPPSU) was successfully synthesized. The permeability of gases carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and helium through a series of imPPSUs was determined at 25°C and an upstream pressure of 1 atm. The effects of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic groups on permeability coefficient and selectivity for the gas pairs CO2/O2, CO2/N2, and O2/N2 were discussed. The polymers containing imidazole group exhibited high permeability and surprisingly higher selectivity considering the interaction between CO2 and imidazole group. Imidazole groups were introduced into polymers by a simple synthetic scheme. In addition, we investigated the effect on the content of the imidazole group on the permeability of CO2.
A memetic algorithm approach for batch-model assembly line balancing problem of sub-block in shipbuilding
Authors: Qu Shipeng , Jiang Zuhua
Published: January 2014

Although assembly line balancing problem has been an attractive field of research in many industries over the past decades, few researches focused on the problems in shipbuilding. In this contribution, we deal with a more realistic assembly line for sub-block in shipbuilding, through which lots of small different products were produced. Thus, the problem becomes more complex, which can be regarded as a variant of the classical assembly line balancing problem, batch-model assembly line balancing problem with space and sequence constraints. Our goal is to find the optimal division of the total assignment into different production batches based on the balance of the station workloads and higher efficiencies of the workers and equipments. We solve the said problem with a memetic algorithm, which is illustrated in detail. The validity of the proposed algorithms is tested using the real data of the sub-block assembly in shipbuilding, and the experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms highly the existing standard genetic algorithm in terms of ability to find the optimal solutions.
Diamond-coated tube drawing die optimization using finite element model simulation and response surface methodology
Authors: Zichao Lin , Bin Shen , Fanghong Sun , Zhiming Zhang , Songshou Guo
Published: January 2014

Diamond-coated drawing dies are considered as the next generation of drawing dies for their unique characteristics, such as high hardness, wear resistance, low friction and thermal conductivity in the cold drawing process. In order to utilize the superior characteristics of diamond coatings toward improving the drawing performance, modified typed drawing die is developed to minimize the diameter shrinkage. Finite element model simulation is used to simulate the low carbon steel tube sinking drawing process, using a two-dimensional axi-symmetric elastic–plastic element model. The parameters of tube drawing die, such as the main reduction zone α1, the semi-angle of the secondary reduction zone α2 and the length of the secondary reduction zone L, are considered. Based on the simulation results, the cause of diameter shrinkage is studied. The influence of parameters of tube drawing dies on the diameter shrinkage is investigated using the response surface methodology. The gained equation reveals that L is the most significant parameter.
Multi-agent-based scheduling methods for hybrid cellular production lines in semiconductor industry
Authors: Kim Jungyun , Chung Seong Youb , Yoon Hyun Joong
Published: January 2014

This article addresses scheduling problems for the hybrid cellular production lines in the semiconductor industry, in which the hybrid cellular production line is defined as the production system composed of both single-functional and multi-functional cellular layouts. Detailed system configuration and material flow of a hybrid cellular production line are presented, and then, the scheduling problems in the hybrid cellular production line are separated into an inter-cell scheduling problem and intra-cell scheduling problems. A multi-agent-based scheduling method is proposed for the inter-cell scheduling problem, and a real-time heuristic scheduling method is proposed for the intra-cell scheduling problem. In the simulation experiments, various scenarios have been compared under the proposed inter-cell and intra-cell scheduling methods with the hybrid cellular production line composed of six cells.
Research on the elastic cushion conditions in multi-point thermoforming for polymer sheet
Authors: Cao Junhui , Fu Wenzhi , Li Mingzhe , Peng Heli
Published: January 2014

Multi-point thermoforming is a new flexible technique for manufacturing three-dimensional polymer sheet parts. The fixed die utilized in conventional thermoforming process is replaced by a multi-point die, which can be reconfigured rapidly and nearly cost-free. In the present study, the effects of the elastic conditions on the surface quality and shape accuracy of the formed workpiece have been investigated through experiments and numerical simulations. The results show that an elastic cushion with proper thickness and hardness can significantly improve the surface quality of the workpiece. It has also been found that the application of lubrication can improve the shape accuracy of the formed workpiece.
Treatment of Naviculo–First Cuneiform Coalition of the Foot
Authors: Byun Seong-Eun , Lee Ho Seong , Ahn Ji-Yong , Seo Dong-Kyo , Seo Jeong Ho
Published: January 2014

Background:

Naviculo–first cuneiform coalition is a rare form of tarsal coalition with few reports. We therefore have analyzed its clinical features and the results of treatment.

Methods:

We analyzed 36 feet in 28 patients diagnosed with naviculo–first cuneiform coalition from January 2003 to December 2010. The 28 patients were 10 males and 18 females, with 18 right and 18 left feet, including 8 patients with bilateral coalition. The location and morphological pattern of naviculo–first cuneiform coalition were analyzed radiologically. Symptomatic patients initially received conservative management for 6 months. Six feet of 5 patients were treated operatively, 3 feet by curettage and 3 by fusion.

Results:

Eighteen feet had symptoms, while 18 feet without symptoms were diagnosed incidentally. Mean patient age at diagnosis was 34.6 years (range, 10-68 years). The mean age at diagnosis of symptomatic patients was 29.6 years (range, 10-50 years). Coalitions were located mainly in the medioplantar area. There was no bony coalition. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging showed a cystic pattern in 7 patients, an irregular pattern in 4, a combined pattern in 5, and a spur-forming pattern in 1. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society scores at the last follow-up in patients treated conservatively and operatively were 95.3 (range, 87-100) and 83.5 (range, 70-95), respectively. Among the 5 operated patients, 3 patients (60%) complained of pain, including 2 who received curettage and 1 who developed a nonunion after attempted fusion.

Conclusion:

Conservative treatment should be considered over surgery in treating naviculo–first cuneiform coalition.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, comparative case series.
Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Gemignani Marco , Brinkmann Svend , Benozzo Angelo , Cisneros Puebla César A.
Published: January 2014

In this article, we position the special issue and explore some of the common interests and voices that tend to be shared among the field of qualitative psychology and the authors and assays that appear in the following pages. In doing this, we draw the contours of qualitative psychology that, in our view, is characterized mainly by the appreciation of complexity of knowledge, by the strong belief in the relational and collaborative view of the process of creating knowledge and acting on it, and finally by the effort to promote social justice through the findings of the research.
Memory, Remembering, and Oblivion in Active Narrative Interviewing
Authors: Gemignani Marco
Published: January 2014

Research interviewing is not just a practice of exchanging data through communication and collection. Rather, the qualitative interview is an active process in which participants and researchers take part in a situated co-construction of meanings and memories. In this article, I argue for viewing memories and the acts of storing, accessing, and telling the past as relational processes in which the researcher’s position shifts from collector to co-constructor. Moving away from seeing participants as “informational commodities” and data as merchandise, I problematize the assumption that participants’ memories may simply be accessed through narratives, which serve as sources of “data.” I suggest that a possible way to gain a complex view on memory and remembering is by focusing on both the told and the untold, the remembered and the forgotten. From this epistemological viewpoint, a narrative focus on the untold and forgotten contributes to the constructive potential of the inquiry process.
“I Didn’t Know I Was Isolated Until I Wasn’t Isolated Any More”
Authors: Lavie-Ajayi Maya
Published: January 2014

This article explore the use of groups as one way of conducting political research within psychology, and challenging the overindividualistic approach of most psychological studies and theories. Calling on her own research studies, the author explores the possibilities presented by groups to create social spaces, in which meaning and narratives are co-constructed in dynamic negotiation. Working with groups in a participatory and democratic process can create rich, deep, and varied knowledge that highlights the wider context of individual experiences. To achieve this aim, personal and group reflexivity must be a part of the research process. In so doing, groups can offer ways to disrupt the dichotomy and change the power relationship between researcher and participant, as groups offer a different composition of research relations, not limited to just two hierarchal positions. The interactions between participants can create a collective mosaic: a fusion of points of view, experiences, and understandings.
Creative (Critical) Discourse Analysis of Tiziano Ferro and Ricky Martin “Coming Out”
Authors: Rivera Santana Carlos , Vélez Agosto Nicole M. , Benozzo Angelo , Colón De la Rosa Samuel
Published: January 2014

In this article, we explore and problematize the coming out discourses of Ricky Martin and Tiziano Ferro’s through a creative (critical) discourse analysis. We first contextualize the historicity of Ricky Martin and Tiziano Ferro’s artistic careers and argue that their coming out process is a privileged laboratory to understand the ways strategies and tactics of discourses are deployed. Second, through a Critical Discourse Analysis and collaborative writing inquiry approach, we present a creative fictional dialogue to showcase our analysis. This can be called creative (critical) discourse analysis. Third, we further reflect and theorize about these coming out discourses using Queer Theory, Governability, and the concept of Glory and the Media as privileged spaces for power. This will lead us to question the centered subject or a solid identity, the manifestations of coming out discourses, and the role of Glory and the Media in the socialization process.
Organizing sovereign power: police and the performance of bare bodies
Authors: Jagannathan Srinath , Rai Rajnish K
Published: January 2014

Drawing from Agamben’s theorization of sovereign power and bare lives, we engage with the narratives of three sets of murders in the state of Gujarat. These murders in Gujarat followed a pattern—the victims were almost always Muslims and were labeled as terrorists who had come to assassinate important politicians in the state, and the police claimed that these terrorists were killed in cross-fire. We analyse the empirical material pertaining to these murders to understand the organizational and political processes that were mobilized to legitimize them. We also focus on possibilities of resistance and subversion on account of the contradictions that emerge in the mobilization of these organizational and political processes, and thereby hope to make a call for organizing social relations around anchors other than sovereignty.