bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Social Construction of a Secure, Anonymous Electronic Payment System: Frame Alignment and Mobilization around Ecash
Authors: Phillips David J.
Published: December 2018

This paper examines public discourse in order to illuminate the processes by which issues of anonymity, surveillance, security, and privacy are integrated into public understandings of, and interactions with, consumer payment systems. Using theories of the social construction of technology, and Gamson's model of issue construction, it analyses the issue package deployed by the developer of the Ecash electronic payment system. An issue package is a set of framing devices which focus and constrain discussion of a particular issue. The paper then analyses three different discursive sites (print media, US Congressional deliberation, and an electronic mailing list) to gauge the success of that package, according to its presence and its resonance within each site. Using theories of frame alignment and social mobilization, the package is identified as a globalizing framing strategy. Its failure is explained by the difficulties a frame of such structure will have in meshing with the discursive practice of each site, in resonating with cultural themes of each site, and in provoking social action.
An Empirical Study of the use of EDI in Supermarket Chains using a New Conceptual Framework
Authors: Fearon Colm , Philip George
Published: December 2018

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is now widely established as an interorganizational system in almost all large and medium size industrial, service and retail sectors and the purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of six supermarket chains concerning the use of this technology. Whilst the advantages of conducting electronic transactions are generally recognized, consensus on methodologies for quantifying the benefit success associated with interorganizational systems still remain elusive. It is argued that a comparison of pre-implementation expected benefits with post-implementation realized benefits can offer a reliable way of assessing the benefit success from EDI and other information systems. In this approach, the benefit success is expressed as a function of three benefit states namely, efficiency, neutrality and deficiency depending on whether the gap between realized and expected benefits is positive, neutral or negative respectively. In order to identify the benefit state of each participating organization, initially a series of semistructured interviews was conducted with senior managers followed by the administration of a self assessment rating instrument in the form of a questionnaire. This paper will discuss the findings along with the testing of a new conceptual framework for examining the relationship between benefit success, implementation approach and implementation success.
Challenging the Hierarchical Perspective on Information Systems: Implications from External Information Analysis
Authors: Finnegan Pat , Murphy Ciaran , O'Riordan John
Published: December 2018

The strategic choices of organizations have traditionally been influenced by their environmental interactions. Consequently, the field of information systems has become increasingly concerned with providing managers with external information. However, such systems are largely based on research that was conducted prior to the important organizational and environmental changes of the late 1980s and 1990s. Much of this research focuses on hierarchical differentiation when providing information (especially external information) to managers. This paper presents the findings of a study that investigated the sourcing, dissemination and use of external information in organizations. The results show that managerial demand for such information is unrelated to managerial level, but is influenced by functional affiliation. The study also contradicts many of the previously held beliefs about managerial preferences for information channels and media. These findings have important implications for the field of information systems, especially personnel involved in systems design.
Designing Information Technology Architectures: A Cost-Oriented Methodology
Authors: Francalanci Chiara , Piuri Vincenzo
Published: December 2018

This paper proposes a design methodology of information technology architectures tying organizational requirements to technical choices and costs. The primary goal is to provide a structured support for the selection of the minimum-cost architecture satisfying given organizational requirements. Previous empirical studies have attempted absolute cost comparisons of different architectural solutions, primarily relying on the expertise of practitioners and a priori beliefs, but have rarely taken into account the impact of organizational requirements on costs. Requirements are modelled as information processes, composed of tasks exchanging information and characterized by varying levels of computational complexity. Different architectural distributions of presentation, computation and data management applications are compared. The cost implications of organizational requirements for processing intensity, communication intensity and networking are analysed. The results show a relationship between structural features of information processes and architectural costs and indicate how architectural design should be based on organizational as well as technology considerations.
Understanding Participation in Entrepreneurial Organizations: Some Hermeneutic Readings
Authors: Whitley Edgar A.
Published: December 2018

This paper explores the use of participative methods in an entrepreneurial organization. It does this through a series of hermeneutic readings of the situation, which develop an increasingly satisfactory understanding of the complexities of the development process. The paper begins by describing the case study site and the market that it operates within before considering the role of corporate culture on entrepreneurial firms of this kind. The first reading of the situation, using participative methods and the sociology of translation, is then presented and a critique of the limitations of this reading is presented. A second reading, drawing on Heidegger's ideas as applied to the notion of entrepreneurship, is then presented. This second reading proves to be far more satisfactory and the paper ends with a summary and reflections on the process of making a series of readings of the development process at the case study site.
Using the Risk-Remedy Method to Evaluate Outsourcing Tenders
Authors: Lewis Edward
Published: December 2018

The risk-remedy method is beginning to replace cost-benefit or weighted scoring methods in the evaluation of information technology outsourcing tenders by the Australian Public Service. This paper describes the use of the method. It also describes some of the lessons that have been learnt from the use of the method in six tender evaluations: use the correct requirements, use requirements correctly, consider the cost of bidding, consider the cost of delay, check the bids carefully and use a design rather than a selection approach.
Xcert Software, Inc.
Authors: Siau Keng
Published: December 2018

Xcert's business is in developing Internet and Intranet security enhancement technology. Xcert was founded in April 1996 by Andrew Csinger and Pat Richard and was headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Xcert's solution to Internet security was a public key infrastructure (PKI). PKI is a system of digital certificates, certificate authorities (CAs) and other registration authorities that verify and authenticate the validity of each party involved in an Internet transaction. Xcert's PKI technology allows organizations of any size to issue digital certificates to their members. These organizations become their own CA and are empowered to issue digital certificates to their individual client base. This case study is about a start-up company that is in transition from a dream stage to a reality stage. One of the issues that surfaces in the case study is intraindustry competition. Despite being an early entrant into the Internet security business, Xcert faced brutal competition from companies such as Entrust, Nortel, VeriSign and Netscape. The problems facing the company include (1) finances, (2) future direction and leadership, (3) structure, experience and size and (4) marketing. This is a very rich case study with a number of interrelated issues. The case serves two teaching aims. Firstly, this case allows students to confront and discuss real-life issues facing a start-up information technology (IT) company. The students analysing the case are asked to provide alternatives and solutions to the problems by putting themselves in the positions of the founders of the company. Students should come to understand the difficulty in managing a start-up company and the various trade-offs the management needs to make. Secondly, the case study introduces various Internet security concepts to students.
Adopting SAP at Siemens Power Corporation
Authors: Hirt Sabine Gabriele , Swanson E. Burton
Published: December 2018

This case describes how Siemens Power Corporation, a Richland, Washington, USA-based manufacturer of nuclear fuel assemblies, came to adopt and implement SAP's R/3 application suite, the world's leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) package. The case introduces the reader to the type of decision making related to an ERP adoption and implementation and provides some interesting examples of factors which may influence actual decisions and outcomes. Among other things, the case touches on the following issues: the relationship between restructuring (re-engineering) and software adoption and implementation, the choice of package software, the pros and cons of alternative implementation approaches (‘big bang’ versus ‘phased'), the selection of hardware and the value of consultants.

By January 1999 Siemens Power Corporation's (SPC's) restructuring project was more than 2 years under way. To SPC's top management's great relief, the company had made major progress ever since SPC's German parent Siemens AG hired a consulting team to help SPC get back on its path towards profitability. In particular, the largest and riskiest of its individual restructuring subprojects – SPC's SAP R/3 implementation – seemed on the way to becoming a success.
AKT2 maintains brain endothelial claudin-5 expression and selective activation of IR/AKT2/FOXO1-signaling reverses barrier dysfunction
Authors: Beard Richard S , Hoettels Brian A , Meegan Jamie E , Wertz Travis S , Cha Byeong J , Yang Xiaoyuan , Oxford Julia T , Wu Mack H , Yuan Sarah Y
Published: December 2018

Inflammation-induced blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction and microvascular leakage are associated with a host of neurological disorders. The tight junction protein claudin-5 (CLDN5) is a crucial protein necessary for BBB integrity and maintenance. CLDN5 is negatively regulated by the transcriptional repressor FOXO1, whose activity increases during impaired insulin/AKT signaling. Owing to an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms that regulate CLDN5 expression in BBB maintenance and dysfunction, therapeutic interventions remain underdeveloped. Here, we show a novel isoform-specific function for AKT2 in maintenance of BBB integrity. We identified that AKT2 during homeostasis specifically regulates CLDN5-dependent barrier integrity in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) and that intervention with a selective insulin-receptor (IR) agonist, demethylasterriquinone B1 (DMAQ-B1), rescued IL-1β-induced AKT2 inactivation, FOXO1 nuclear accumulation, and loss of CLDN5-dependent barrier integrity. Moreover, DMAQ-B1 attenuated preclinical CLDN5-dependent BBB dysfunction in mice subjected to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Taken together, the data suggest a regulatory role for IR/AKT2/FOXO1-signaling in CLDN5 expression and BBB integrity during neuroinflammation.
Hydrogeomorphic processes affecting dryland gully erosion: Implications for modelling
Authors: Sidle Roy C. , Jarihani Ben , Kaka SanLinn Ismail , Koci Jack , Al-Shaibani Abdulaziz
Published: December 2018

Gullies contribute high sediment loads to receiving waters and significantly degrade landscapes. In drylands, low annual rainfall and resultant poor ground cover, coupled with high-intensity storms and dispersive soils, predispose these landscapes to gully erosion. Land management, such as grazing, exacerbates gully-forming processes by degrading ground cover and compacting soils, thereby increasing and concentrating overland flow. Current surface erosion models do not adequately represent sediment export from gullied terrain due to lack of distributed data and complex hydrogeomorphic processes, such as overland flow concentration, waterfall erosion, soil pipe collapse, and mass wasting. Here, we outline the strengths and weaknesses of past modelling approaches in erodible terrain and focus on how gully erosion processes can be better simulated at appropriate scales using newly available remote-sensing techniques and databases, coupled with improved understanding of relevant hydrogeomorphic processes. We also discuss and present examples of challenges related to assessing land management practices in drylands that affect gully erosion.
On the genealogy of group analysis: Our version of the Greek context
Authors: Mylona Dominique , Lamnidis Nikos , Moraitou Sophia-Maria
Published: December 2018

This article aims at pinpointing some aspects of group analysis, especially in relationship to psychoanalysis, as they have emerged and developed in the context of Greek group-analytic (and psychoanalytic) institutions. Group analysis in our country has been trapped and rigidified either as a ‘therapeutic-community-oriented’, anti-psychoanalytic polemic or as a ‘psychoanalytically-informed-group-work’ project, applied in institutional settings and attributing secondary importance to group matrix. This situation has been amplified by the prevailing psychoanalytic institutions’ tendency (in opposition to Freud’s legacy) to minimize the social origins of the unconscious processes.

In our current Greek context, the Institute of Group Analysis ‘S.H. Foulkes’, has as its core aim a healing return to the original, integrative Foulkesian vision: A search for integration of contemporary psychoanalytic developments and the legacy of group analysis.
Caught Between Volunteerism and Professionalism: Support by Nonprofit Leaders for the Donative Labor Hypothesis
Authors: Kim Mirae , Charbonneau Étienne
Published: December 2018

The rise of professionalism within the nonprofit sector has transformed the sector’s reliance on well-meaning volunteers to paid professionals. While the professionalization of the nonprofit workforce is likely to continue, nonprofits are increasingly challenged for their inability to pay competitive wages. Our study argues that a social expectation for nonprofit employees to forgo some of their wages influences the donative labor narrative, which in turn impacts low nonprofit wages. We present data from an online survey experiment of executive directors at 467 nonprofits, along with their organizations’ Form 990 filings, to contrast socially biased attitudes and genuine views toward the donative labor hypothesis. The findings illustrate that the donative labor narrative should be understood as a result of social expectations for sacrifice of nonprofit employees, rather than a simple outcome of supply and demand in the labor market. We discuss the need to reframe the widespread donative labor narrative.
Preparation and characterization of conductive poly-dl-lactic-acid/tetra-aniline conduit for peripheral nerve regeneration
Authors: Guo Xing-Lei , Xu Hai-Xing , He Qun-Di , Yu Yun-Xuan , Ming Xiao-Fei , Zheng Fu-Rong , Wang Xiao-Bin , Huang Zhi-Jun , Zhao Meng , Xu Pei-Hu
Published: December 2018

Defected peripheral nerve regeneration is still a challenge in clinical treatment. Conductive polymers show great potential in nerve tissue engineering because of their electrical property based on bioelectricity in vivo. In this study, conductive composite nerve conduit was synthesized with tetra-aniline and poly-dl-lactic acid. Their properties and the differentiation of rat pheochromocytoma 12 (PC12) cells in vitro stimulated with 200 mV for 1 h were investigated. Different amounts of tetra-aniline (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) were used to synthesize the conduits with different conductivities (0, 0.00625, 0.01, and 0.025 s/m, respectively), tensile strengths (2.45, 3.40, 4.45, and 5.50 MPa, respectively), and contact angles (80°, 78.5°, 62.5°, and 61.5°, respectively). The percentage of neurite-bearing cells and the median neurite length increased with an obvious raise of the content of tetra-aniline. In addition, the conduit with subcutaneous implantable experiments in vivo showed less inflammatory response. These promising results illustrated that this poly-dl-lactic acid/tetra-aniline conductive composite conduit had potential for nerve tissue engineering.
Blood Thiamine Level and Cognitive Function in Older Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Pourhassan Maryam , Angersbach Bjoern , Lueg Gero , Klimek Christiane Nicola , Wirth Rainer
Published: December 2018

Aim:

We sought to identify any association between whole blood thiamine level and functional status in older hospitalized patients.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed the results of routine measurements of whole blood thiamine levels of 233 older patients who were consecutively hospitalized to a geriatric acute care ward. Nutritional status, depression, and the participants’ cognitive impairment were evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form, Depression in Old Age Scale, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. Activities of daily living were determined using Barthel Index (BI) on admission and at the time of discharge. Diagnoses of dementia and delirium were derived from the patients’ medical records.

Results:

Of 233 participants (mean age 82.1 [7.1]), 47.0% and 39.0% were at risk of malnutrition and malnourished, respectively. There was no thiamine deficiency (<20 ng/mL) in total population. Nearly all patients (95%) were screened with impaired cognitive function, in which 36% and 9% had the diagnosis of dementia and delirium, respectively. Patients with dementia ( P = .040) and delirium ( P = .002) demonstrated lower mean thiamine blood levels compared to patients without. Mean blood vitamin B1 was higher in patients with functional recovery (change in BI ≥5 points during hospitalization; P = .018). In a binary logistic regression analysis, blood vitamin B1, weight loss, and female gender were the major independent risk factors for delirium but not for dementia.

Conclusion:

Despite the absence of thiamine deficiency, whole blood thiamine was lower in patients with dementia and delirium compared to those without. Higher thiamine levels were significantly associated with functional recovery during hospitalization.
Community-based planning, collective action and the challenges of confronting urban poverty in Southeast Asia
Authors: Beard Victoria A
Published: December 2018

This paper examines the capacity of community-based planning to address two aspects of urban poverty in Southeast Asia: first, the local, material manifestations of household poverty, including inadequate housing and lack of access to infrastructure and services; and second, the structures and forces that create and sustain poverty, including the state’s land management systems and the actions of powerful political and economic elites. Building on literature about collective action and social movements, the article presents case studies of informal settlements in Chiang Mai, Thailand; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Each case study considers the organizational setting, the nature of the community’s housing and built environment, and community-level collective action. The article finds that, under optimal conditions, communities use collective action to address their material poverty, but not the broader social, political and economic forces that create and sustain poverty.
‘Alternative facts are not facts’: Gaffe-announcements, the Trump administration and the media
Authors: McVittie Chris , McKinlay Andy
Published: December 2018

Gaffes are actions or events that are treated as problematic in subsequent news coverage through the production of what we term here ‘gaffe-announcements’. In an analysis of news media interviews conducted with members of the Trump administration during its first 100 days, we examine how interviewees respond to interviewer gaffe-announcements. Interviewees are seen to challenge the making of an announcement, to attempt to rework the ontological status of infelicitous talk, or to introduce the views of others who view the prior talk as felicitous. These responses lead in subsequent turns to reformulation of the gaffe-announcement, rejection of the response, or the views introduced being treated as irrelevant. These forms of response allow interviewees to avoid accepting that gaffes have occurred and allow the interviews to continue in line with normative expectations but discussion continues on matters that are treated as negative and detrimental to the interests of the administration.
Implementation of direct power control based on stator flux estimation using low-pass filter estimator for doubly fed induction generator–wind energy conversion system
Authors: Kadri Ameni , Marzougui Hajer , Bacha Faouzi
Published: December 2018

This article deals with the direct power control strategy applied for a grid-connected variable speed wind turbine based on doubly fed induction generator. The proposed method is based on a stator flux estimation algorithm which allows to control the rotor-side converter of the doubly fed induction generator. Several methods of stator flux estimation are based on the integration of the stator back electromotive force signal. However, in practice, the pure integration can cause various problems due to noises, stator resistance uncertainty, unknown initial conditions and measurement errors. Several algorithms, reported in the literature and used to estimate machine stator fluxes, are reviewed and compared. Particular attention is drawn to the low-pass filter–based algorithms that show good performances. In this article, the novelty of the proposed approach is the development of the direct power control–based stator flux estimation method with a low-pass filter. Theoretical analysis and implementation procedures of the proposed method are developed in detail. Simulation results of a variable speed wind turbine based on doubly fed induction generator are performed in MATLAB/Simulink software in order to evaluate the dynamic performances of the proposed control method under wind speed variations. The adopted control strategy is implemented using dSPACE 1104 board and tested for a wind turbine emulator. Experimental results show the effectiveness and the originality of the proposed control strategy.
Dynamic surface method–based adaptive backstepping control for the permanent magnet synchronous motor on parameter identification
Authors: Wang Xuejian , Chen Yong , Lu Youliang , Li Xu , He Wen
Published: December 2018

Aiming at the problem of rotor inertia uncertainty and load torque disturbance of the permanent magnet synchronous motor control system, this article proposes an adaptive backstepping speed control strategy for the permanent magnet synchronous motor based on parameter identification. First, an online identification method of rotor inertia based on disturbance observer is designed. Furthermore, to solve the problem of the external load torque disturbance, combined with the identified rotor inertia, the load torque adaptive law and backstepping control law are designed according to Lyapunov’s stability theorem, in which the derivation of the virtual control law is calculated by dynamic surface control. Finally, simulation and experiment on MATLAB and dSPACE platform are accomplished to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
What makes workers happy: Empowerment, unions or both?
Authors: van der Meer Peter H
Published: December 2018

Does the negative effect of union membership on job satisfaction, as shown in Anglophone countries, also hold for Continental Western Europe? Given the differences in industrial relations, I hypothesize that the effect will be different. I also test hypotheses about the effect of empowerment on job satisfaction, which might explain the negative union effect, and broaden the analysis to include pay satisfaction. Analyses of European Social Survey data show that the negative union effect does not exist for Continental Western Europe and that this can be explained by empowerment of employees.
Persistence Decisions: It’s Not Just About the Money
Authors: Ma Dalong , Mattingly E. Shaunn , Kushev Trayan N. , Ahuja Manju K. , Manikas Andrew S.
Published: December 2018

Drawing on threshold theory, we examine the effects of attributes of alternative opportunities on persistence decisions of family business entrepreneurs. The results of our conjoint experiment show that: (a) family business entrepreneurs are generally more persistent than other entrepreneurs and (b) family business entrepreneurs focus more on non-financial benefits than other entrepreneurs. Our study contributes to persistence literature within the family business context and provides a good basis for how family business literature can benefit from multi-level theoretical and empirical modelling.
Bidirectional actuation of buckled bistable beam using twisted string actuator
Authors: Addo-Akoto Reynolds , Han Jae-Hung
Published: December 2018

A new actuation mechanism using the twisted string concept to trigger the snap-through of a bistable buckled beam to produce an effective on/off bistable actuator is proposed. The twisted string concept combined with a pin utilizes actuation moment to actuate a bistable beam. The required actuation loads are analytically formulated using the Euler–Bernoulli beam model and solved with the proposed solution algorithm. The actuation mechanism is fabricated to meet the 24.3 N mm actuation requirements. A prototype of the actuator was built, and its performance was evaluated. In a unidirectional actuation, an actuator response time of 104 ms was achieved. The overall response time of the actuator is affected by the length of the string. The twisted string mechanism was also placed in an antagonistic configuration to enable bidirectional actuation. The shape of the input voltage signal also affected the bidirectional performance of the actuator. The actuator produced an actuation bandwidth of 2 and 5 Hz with sine and square input voltages, respectively, while generating 10 mm output displacement.
Understanding Decision-Making and Decision Difficulty in Women With an Unintended Pregnancy in the Netherlands
Authors: Brauer Marieke , van Ditzhuijzen Jenneke , Boeije Hennie , van Nijnatten Carolus
Published: December 2018

Previous research indicates that a considerable number of women with an unintended pregnancy experience difficulty deciding about continuing or terminating the pregnancy. We examined the decision-making processes of women who experienced high decision difficulty and women who experienced little decision difficulty, to gain insight in the factors that contribute to experienced decision difficulty. Sixty-nine women who had an abortion, and 40 women who had decided to continue their unintended pregnancy, participated in qualitative interviews. We found that women’s decision processes varied on 11 relevant criteria. The decision-making processes of women who experienced little decision difficulty differed from that of women who experienced high decision difficulty, but the decision-making processes of women who carried their pregnancy to term and the high decision difficulty abortion group were strikingly similar. Implications of our findings for future research and for professional care for women who are in need of support during decision-making are discussed.
Evaluation of Treatment-Dose Enoxaparin in Acutely Ill Morbidly Obese Patients at an Academic Medical Center: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Curry Marjorie A. , LaFollette Jennifer A. , Alexander Brianna R. , Evans Kristina S. , Tran Richard H. , Kempton Christine L.
Published: December 2018

Background: Enoxaparin dosing recommendations for morbidly obese patients are lacking. Retrospective and observational studies reported goal anti-Xa levels with a median dose of 0.8 mg/kg using total body weight. Further studies are needed to determine if a more conservative dosing strategy is warranted. Objective: To determine if reduced dose enoxaparin was more effective than standard dose at achieving goal anti-Xa levels in morbidly obese patients. Methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted in patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2. Patients were randomized to standard (1 mg/kg) or reduced dose (0.8 mg/kg) enoxaparin every 12 hours. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with an initial anti-Xa at goal (0.5-1.1 IU/mL). Results: A total of 62 patients were enrolled and randomized to 1 mg/kg (n = 32) or 0.8 mg/kg (n = 30), and 54 patients completed the study. The study did not meet accrual for 80% power. Goal anti-Xa levels were achieved in a similar proportion for the reduced-dose (n = 25/28) and standard dose arms (n = 20/26; 89.3% vs 76.9%; P = 0.29). Overall, 9 patients required dose adjustments, of which 6 were in the 1-mg/kg arm, and all were above goal. No documented bleeding or thrombotic events were reported. Conclusions and Relevance: This was the first randomized, controlled trial of enoxaparin dosing in patients with a BMI ≥40 kg/m2. Overall, 89% of patients had a goal anti-Xa when initiated on 0.8 mg/kg. Based on the results, reduced dose enoxaparin may be a reasonable dosing strategy in morbidly obese patients.
Technology Name and Celebrity Endorsement Effects of Autonomous Vehicle Promotional Messages: Mechanisms and Moderators
Authors: Myrick Jessica Gall , Ahern Lee , Shao Ruosi , Conlin Jeff
Published: December 2018

Autonomous vehicles represent an emerging technology with the potential to radically transform everyday life. Yet there is little understanding of how promotional tactics—easy-to-grasp technology labels or pairing the technology with well-known celebrities—influence public perceptions of risk, benefits, and intentions. Therefore, we experimentally tested ( N = 721) the effects of technology name and celebrity presence on emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to promotional messages. Moreover, we examined how individual differences and attention to news about autonomous vehicles can moderate responses. Results of this exploratory study revealed the importance of affective and cognitive mediators and audience-related moderators in shaping responses.
Feline head trauma: a CT analysis of skull fractures and their management in 75 cats
Authors: Knight Rebekah , Meeson Richard L
Published: December 2018

Objectives

The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate the configurations and management of feline skull fractures and concurrent injuries following head trauma.

Methods

Medical records and CT images were reviewed for cats with skull fractures confirmed by CT that were managed conservatively or with surgery. Details of signalment, presentation, skull fracture configuration, management, re-examination, and complications or mortality were recorded and analysed.

Results

Seventy-five cats (53 males, 22 females) with a mean age of 4.8 ± 3 years met the inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine percent of cats had fractures in multiple bones of the skull, with the mandible, upper jaw (maxilla, incisive and nasal bones) and craniofacial regions most commonly affected. Temporomandibular joint injury occurred in 56% of cats. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the most common cause of skull fractures, occurring in 89% of cats, and caused fractures of multiple regions of the skull. RTAs were also associated with high levels of concurrent injuries, particularly ophthalmic, neurological and thoracic injuries. A more limited distribution of injuries was seen in non-RTA cats. Equal numbers of cats were managed conservatively or surgically (47%). Mortality rate was 8% and complications were reported in 22% of cats. Increasing age at presentation and presence of internal upper jaw fractures were risk factors for development of complications. No risk factors were identified for mortality.

Conclusions and relevance

RTAs were the most common cause of feline skull fractures and resulted in fractures in multiple regions of the skull and concurrent injuries occurred frequently. Problems with dental occlusion were uncommon post-treatment. An increased risk of implant loosening and malocclusion was seen with palatine and pterygoid bone fractures and hard palate injuries. This study provides useful additional information regarding feline skull fractures, concurrent injuries and management techniques following head trauma.
Loss factor measurement and indications for nonlinearities in sound insulation
Authors: Bietz Heinrich , Stange-Kölling Sylvia , Schmelzer Martin , Wittstock Volker
Published: December 2018

The loss factor is often determined in building acoustics by measuring the structure-borne reverberation time. To do this, elements under test are excited either by a hammer or by a shaker. In several experiments with sand-lime brick walls, measured loss factors turned out to be significantly larger when hammer excitation was used instead of shaker excitation. A thorough investigation of this effect was then performed using hammer blows of different strengths and a 250-kg shaker. This way, forces are in the same order of magnitude for both excitations. Measurement results lead to the conclusion that large forces may create a nonlinear structural response. The nonlinearity is observed for a sand-lime brick wall without plastering but not for a lightweight composite wall and also not for a monolithic concrete wall. The assumption of nonlinear behaviour is furthermore supported by an additional investigation where alarm pistol shots were used to excite a sand-lime brick wall with very large airborne sound pressure levels. The airborne sound insulation of the wall turned out to be nonlinear, that is, it increased with increasing sending room levels.
Efficiency evaluation of hotel operations in Mainland China based on the superefficiency SBM model
Authors: Deng Zutao , Gao Yan , Liang Bin , Morrison Alastair M
Published: December 2018

This research evaluated the efficiency of hotels in 31 provinces and 4 regions (Eastern, Western, Central, and Northeastern China) using the superefficiency slacks-based measure model. The reasons for operational inefficiency were assessed from two perspectives: input redundancy and output shortfalls. Most hotels were found to have operational inefficiencies, and there is a significant scope for future improvement. The relative efficiency of hotel operations by the four regions was as follows: Eastern China > Central China > Western China > Northeastern China. The efficiency of hotels demonstrated differing coefficients of variation. The most significant coefficient of variation was for Western China, and the smallest was for Northeastern China. The primary cause of inefficiencies was in input redundancies, especially the high degree of input redundancy in number of hotels, employees, and rooms. Also, to some degree, differences exist among the four regions in operational inefficiencies.
Couples living with type 1 diabetes: An integrative review of the impacts on health and wellbeing
Authors: Messina Rossella , Due-Christensen Mette , Keller-Senn Anita , Polek Elzbieta , Fantini Maria Pia , Sturt Jackie
Published: December 2018

Impacts of type 1 diabetes and relationship factors on health and wellbeing of both persons with diabetes and partners (T1D partners) have not been investigated. Integrative review methods evaluated the evidence. From 323 titles, we included 24 studies involving 16,083 persons with diabetes and 1020 T1D partners. Studies were quantitative ( n = 13), qualitative ( n = 9) and mixed methods ( n = 2). Maintaining resilient, good quality, intimate relationships optimises physical and psychological outcomes for persons with diabetes. Partners experience disturbed sleep and while general psychological health is maintained, distress surrounding hypoglycaemia is overwhelming for over a third of partners. Nurturing quality relationships could reap significant health benefits.
The Missing Producer: Rethinking indie cultural production in terms of entrepreneurship, relational labour, and sustainability
Authors: Whitson Jennifer R , Simon Bart , Parker Felan
Published: December 2018

This article draws on over 60 interviews and 120 surveys with indie game developers to illustrate relational labour and entrepreneurship practices in cultural industries and their relationship to ‘good work’. We first outline the changing organization of games work, the shift towards so-called indie production, and the associated rejection of creatively constrained, hierarchically managed production models. In the move towards small-scale games making, indies jettisoned producers because producers represented industry modes of work, values and creative constraints. But indies are now struggling to manage production processes without producers. We use developer narratives to highlight how this ‘missing producer’ work is redistributed in the form of cultural entrepreneurship, cultural intermediation and relational labour. This relational labour simultaneously supports and undermines sustainable production practices, as developers take on impossible workloads associated with networking and connecting with others. We next illustrate how the inherent valorization of growth and expansion in cultural entrepreneurship discourses may force developers to mimic industry practices and organization in order to find funding, but these practices inherently conflict with their desire to focus on making games as small, sustainable and creatively autonomous teams. Ultimately, we want to demonstrate how interviews and time spent with indie developers help us account for otherwise invisible and ambiguous cultural labour practices and discourses, thus allowing us to make sense of the larger context of cultural production and its possible futures.
An upbringing with substance-abusing parents: Experiences of parentification and dysfunctional communication
Authors: Tedgård Eva , Råstam Maria , Wirtberg Ingegerd
Published: December 2018

Aim:

To increase understanding of the consequences of growing up with substance-abusing parents, including how this can influence the experience of becoming a parent.

Methods:

In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 parents who had participated in an Infant and Toddler Psychiatry Unit intervention programme and who had experienced substance-abusing parents in their family of origin. Directed qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results:

Analysis of the interview material revealed both a high incidence of parentification and a conspiracy of silence concerning the substance abuse that helped generate symptoms of cognitive dissonance in the children. As parents they experience a high degree of inadequacy, incompetence and stress.

Conclusion:

A majority of the children who had grown up with substance-abusing parents responded by taking a parenting role for themselves, their siblings and their parents. These children, often well-behaved and seemingly competent, need to be identified and offered support as they risk developing significant psychological and emotional difficulties that can extend into adulthood. They form an extra sensitive group who may need special support up to and including the time when they become parents themselves. This finding underlines the importance of further research on parenting among those who have grown up with abusive parents.
The utility of topic modelling for discourse studies: A critical evaluation
Authors: Brookes Gavin , McEnery Tony
Published: December 2018

This article explores and critically evaluates the potential contribution to discourse studies of topic modelling, a group of machine learning methods which have been used with the aim of automatically discovering thematic information in large collections of texts. We critically evaluate the utility of the thematic grouping of texts into ‘topics’ emerging from a large collection of online patient comments about the National Health Service (NHS) in England. We take two approaches to this, one inspired by methods adopted in existing topic modelling research and the other using more established methods of discourse analysis. In the study, we compare the insights produced by each approach and consider the extent to which the automatically generated topics might be of use to discourse analysts attempting to organise and study sizeable datasets. We found that the topic modelling approach was able to group texts into ‘topics’ that were truly thematically coherent with a mixed degree of success, while the more traditional approach to discourse analysis consistently provided a more nuanced perspective on the data which was ultimately closer to the ‘reality’ of the texts it contains. This study thus highlights issues concerning the use of topic modelling and offers recommendations and caveats to researchers employing such approaches to studying discourse in the future.
Elevated circulating effector memory T cells but similar levels of regulatory T cells in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Rattik Sara , Engelbertsen Daniel , Wigren Maria , Ljungcrantz Irena , Östling Gerd , Persson Margaretha , Nordin Fredrikson Gunilla , Bengtsson Eva , Nilsson Jan , Björkbacka Harry
Published: December 2018

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism through which diabetes contributes to cardiovascular disease development remains incompletely understood. In this study, we compared the association of circulating regulatory T cells, naïve T cells, effector memory T cells or central memory T cells with cardiovascular disease in patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Percentage of circulating T cell subsets was analysed by flow cytometry in type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects with and without prevalent cardiovascular disease as well as in non-diabetic subjects with and without prevalent cardiovascular disease from the Malmö SUMMIT cohort. Subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus had elevated percentages of effector memory T cells (CD4+CD45RO+CD62L–; 21.8% ± 11.2% vs 17.0% ± 9.2% in non-type 2 diabetes mellitus, p < 0.01) and central memory T cells (CD4+CD45RO+CD62L+; 38.0% ± 10.7% vs 36.0% ± 9.5% in non-type 2 diabetes mellitus, p < 0.01). In contrast, the frequency of naïve T cells was reduced (CD4+CD45RO–CD62L+, 35.0% ± 16.5% vs 42.9% ± 14.4% in non-type 2 diabetes mellitus, p < 0.001). The proportion of effector memory T cells was increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects with cardiovascular disease as compared to those without (26.4% ± 11.5% vs 18.4% ± 10.2%, p < 0.05), while no difference in regulatory T cells was observed between these two patient groups. This study identifies effector memory T cells as a potential cellular biomarker for cardiovascular disease among subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, suggesting a state of exacerbated immune activation in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with cardiovascular disease.
The Scott County School Board: A Case in Group Dysfunction
Authors: Heisler William J. , Hanlin Lesa L.
Published: December 2018

Over the past few years, the Scott County School Board has experienced a number of interpersonal and procedural issues during the conduct of its business. In addition to incivility of communication, the board has experienced conflict, challenges to its leadership, and questionable actions on the part of the board chairperson. This case raises a number of questions: What are the problems facing this school board and what can be done to improve its performance? What policies does a school board need and how should they be stated? How should perceived policy violations be handled? How much authority and discretion should a board chairperson have? This case can be useful in graduate courses to generate discussion of proper school board operations and ethical behavior in educational leadership and administration.
Incorporating Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Worldviews Through Innovative Text Analysis: An Evaluation of Indigenous Public Health Curricula
Authors: Lee Vanessa , Coombe Leanne , Mahoney Ray , Allen Craig , Robinson Priscilla
Published: December 2018

In Australia, graduates of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs are expected to achieve a set of core competencies, designed to ensure they will be culturally safe practitioners when working with Indigenous communities. This study reviewed a sample of MPH programs to determine the level of integration that has been achieved since these core competencies were developed. In this article, we will focus on the innovative data analysis process used for the reviews. The reviews were undertaken by a national network of leading academics in Indigenous public health, including those from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds. As each review team consisted of different members from the network, there was a need to ensure consistency in the data analysis process across all the reviews. The researchers chose to use the Leximancer V4 qualitative software data analysis tool to enhance the validity of the study outcomes. One of the limitations found using this approach was that the Indigenous voice was underrepresented in the output from the software tool; hence, a manual thematic analysis was subsequently applied to the discussion threads, to identify themes within the findings. By combining the conceptual and thematic analysis, the research team was able to bridge the gap created by the weaknesses of the two data analysis methods and incorporate both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous worldviews to the interpretation of the findings, while maintaining consistency throughout the review process.
Expression of HIF-1α in keloids and its correlation with inflammatory responses and apoptosis
Authors: Wu Xiaolong
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in keloids and its correlation with inflammatory responses and apoptosis. The keloid specimens resected in our hospital from November 2015 to February 2017 were selected as the pathological group, and the normal skin tissues from our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The expression of HIF-1α, inflammatory response cytokines, and apoptotic molecules in the tissues of two groups were detected. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of HIF-1α in the keloids in the pathological group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the pathological group was significantly higher than those in the control group. The mRNA expression of Bax in the pathological group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The mRNA expression of Bcl-2, livin, and hPEBP4 in the pathological group was significantly lower than that in the control group. Pearson test showed that there was a positive correlation between the mRNA expression of HIF-1α and inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α. There were also a positive correlation between the mRNA expression of HIF-1α and Bax and a negative correlation between the mRNA expression of HIF-1α and Bcl-2, livin, and hPEBP4. In conclusion, HIF-1α was highly expressed in keloids and closely related to inflammatory response cytokines and apoptosis molecules. Increased expression of HIF-1α in keloids may be an important factor in inflammatory responses and increased apoptosis in skin tissues.