bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of and willingness to recommend kinesiotape for upper limb overuse injuries: A comparison of therapists', GPs' and surgeons' perspectives
Authors: Taylor Raewyn L , Brown Ted , O'Brien Lisa 
Published: May 2015

Background/Aims: Upper limb overuse injuries, such as tennis elbow, may be challenging in terms of both diagnosis and management, and there is no consensus on a gold standard intervention. Despite limited evidence in the literature to support the efficacy of kinesiotaping, this new treatment modality has gained popularity among athletes and the general public and is commonly used to treat these conditions. Clinicians are therefore relying on lower levels of evidence and/or expert opinion when deciding whether to use this treatment and it is likely that there are varying perspectives on its potential clinical benefits. The purpose of this study was to compare the opinions of hand therapists, general practitioners (GPs) and hand surgeons on the use of kinesiotape for upper limb overuse injuries. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-report survey to gather data from respondents (n=157). Survey questions aimed to identify practice patterns and gain an understanding of clinicians' reasons for either recommending or not recommending this modality. Results: Hand therapists rated their understanding of the use of kinesiotape (Mean±SD = 6.51±1.89) significantly higher than levels reported by GPs (Mean±SD = 3.04± 2.50) and surgeons (Mean±SD = 4.16± 2.52). Hand therapists reported a moderate level of success with the use of kinesiotape (Mean±SD = 6.30±1.59), which was significantly higher than that reported by surgeons (Mean±SD = 4.84±1.21); however, there was no notable difference between hand therapists and GPs (Mean±SD = 5.27± 2.10). Of the three groups, GPs were most likely (69.5%) to indicate that they would not use or recommend kinesiotape, compared with 31% of hand therapists and 38.7% of hand surgeons. Conclusions: Hand therapists are more likely to rate kinesiotaping as successful and recommend its clinical use, indicating that they place greater emphasis on their own clinical experience than research evidence. It is inferred that GPs and surgeons have a higher level of scepticism for interventions without supporting evidence, such as kinesiotaping. More evidence from randomised controlled trials is required to inform practitioners on the potential benefits of this intervention.
Research roundup: May 2015
Authors: Greener Mark 
Published: May 2015

In brief ▪ Calcium channel blockers may reduce the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease ▪ Heavy drinking more than doubles the risk of major bleeds among people taking warfarin; the risk seems to be up to six-fold higher in people who express certain genes ▪ Several drugs may undermine sexual activity in people with cardiovascular disease; this nurse-led study found that loop diuretics undermine sexual activity, a new finding ▪ Paracetamol is ineffective for low-back pain and provides ‘minimal’ benefit for osteoarthritis ▪ Poor adherence to acne treatments might be more common than previously reported; nurses should consider poor adherence as a possible cause of treatment failure
Inverse determination of thermal conductivity in lumber based on genetic algorithms
Authors: Zhao Jingyao , Fu Zongying , Jia Xiaoran , Cai Yingchun 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
A 3D numerical solution of the heat conduction equation is proposed based on the finite volume method to describe the heating of wood, where the thermal conductivity (ThC) is variable, and the convective heat transfer coefficient is constant. ThC parameters were found through an optimization process based on genetic algorithms. The objective function between measured and simulated curves is determined, and parameters with greatest correspondence between measured and estimated values were obtained. As a result, a new equation for ThC is proposed, which depends on moisture and temperature. The proposed coefficient is validated by experiments, and a good agreement was found between experimental heating curves and those obtained by simulation by means of the new heat conduction equation.
Among ‘Bananas’ and ‘Backyards’: A Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Risk and Scientific Literacy on the Attitude towards a Waste Co-incinerator in Italy
Authors: Tipaldo Giuseppe 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
This paper, based on a social impact research and the possible NIMBY-effect of the Turin, Italy, co-incinerator, deals with risk perception, scientific literacy and their influence on the attitude towards high-tech and controversial industrial plants. The paper argues that plant and infrastructure settlements having a substantial ecological impact represent a highly sophisticated and diverse social phenomenon in which risk plays an important but not unique role. Taking into account some important concomitant variables (such as trust, mass media use, political culture in decision-making processes), it is first of all shown that risk is not a mono-dimensional concept, as assumed by the psychometric tradition, and that two dimensions of the concept are to be found. The collective dimension has a positive monotonic association with a critical attitude towards the co-incinerator, whereas the individual dimension has an unexpectedly negative correlation, which will be explained in further detail. It also demonstrates that scientific literacy has no statistical significance for attitude in our model, confirming the well-known limits of the so called ‘knowledge deficit’ model.
Protected Areas and Overuse in the Context of Socio-Natural Changes: An Interdisciplinary French Case Study
Authors: Claeys Cécilia , Barthelemy Carole , Tatoni Thierry , Bonhomme Patrick 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
This article provides an interdisciplinary analysis of the notion of overuse in natural areas. Based on the case of the French Calanques massif (located along the Mediterranean coast between Marseilles and Cassis), sociology and biology combine their analyses to examine the social processes behind the increasingly widespread use of natural areas and the ecological consequences thereof. The data are comprised of interdisciplinary research based on eighty semi-structured interviews conducted on-site and 330 telephone survey questionnaires. We critically analyse of the notion of overuse and underscore the socio-economic, cultural and ideological weight it carries in the context of socio-natural change; this calls into question the relevance of the ancient nature/culture dichotomy. Drawing on theoretical tools from environmental sociology, this article also provides some perspectives for natural area managers.
Gender and Migration-Driven Changes in Rural Eastern Romania. Migrants’ Perspectives
Authors: Vlase Ionela 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
The article addresses the largely debated linkages between gender and migration, on the one hand, and the impact of migration on migrants’ society of origin, on the other hand. Based on multi-sited research conducted in a village from Eastern Romania and in Rome (the main destination of the population studied), this paper highlights gender differences in the participation to migration process and in the contribution of migrants to the socio-economic development of their society. Using a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with migrants and participant observations, the research reveals different meanings that migrants (women and men) invest in their actions (i.e. transfers of ideas, money or durable goods and set-up of small local businesses). This study contributes to the understanding of the gendered contribution of migrants to the economic and socio-cultural transformations of their society of origin.
‘I am not Spending on my Appearance’! Examining Self-Evaluated Low-Level Consumers of Clothing and Beauty Care in Finland, 1999–2009
Authors: Sarpila Outi 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to analyse consumers whose identity is not based on appearance-related consumption, but who want distance themselves from consumers willing to spend on physical appearance. The article examines importance of gender, age and place of residence in explaining self-evaluated low-level consumption of beauty care and clothing, and how the proportions of these consumers have changed between socio-demographic groups. The data consists of three cross-sectional consumption and lifestyle surveys collected in 1999 (N = 2 417), 2004 (N = 3 574) and 2009 (N = 1 202). The results suggest that a significant part of Finnish consumers do not consider beauty care or clothing consumption to be a part of their identity. The results indicate some temporal changes in Finnish consumers’ beauty care consumption evaluations. It seems that gender differences have been relatively stable, whereas disparities between consumers of different ages as well as urban and rural consumers have diminished.
Efficiency and Social Impact of Public Policies and Third Sector Practices in Bulgaria
Authors: Zaimova Darina , Genchev Evgeni , Momchilov Hristo 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
The consequent enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007 gave the new-member-states an access to programs and financial sources with significant capacity and impact. The present paper aims to analyze the influence of the social policy framework over the public service delivery in Bulgaria. The first part of the paper is devoted to the general categorization of social services’ suppliers and the already established mechanism of their functioning. In the second part the focus on the conceptual framework introduces the main dimensions of the policy, institutional regulations and operational programs. The third part provides empirical results from the efficiency analysis of the social programs implementation and discussion on their impact.
Geopolitics of the Dakar Rally: International Impediments Threatening Cultural, Religious, and Ecological Harmony among Motorcyclists
Authors: Romanienko Lisiunia A. 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
The contemporary popularity of motorcycling has resulted in a booming manufacturing industry as well as the emergence of a unique culture revolving around very specific forms of material cultural capital. Industry research focusing exclusively on the economic impact of motorcycling gravely underestimates the social and cultural consequences that have been brought about as a result of these ecological alternatives in personal mobility. As routine riding in overcrowded urban environments becomes more and more problematic, motorcyclists find themselves yearning for the self-exile available through the wide open spaces of desert environs in order to optimize the emancipatory potential of this sensual technological Bohemian experience on two wheels. To that end, off road motorcyclists have organized rallies such as the Dakar in unique geological environments to provide riders the technology-driven mystical catharsis they are seeking. Using evidence gathered from ethnographic fieldwork, film portrayals, and contemporary public policies; the paper demonstrates that the widespread popularity of off-road motorcycling and related intercultural harmony represents a significant threat to the routinization of conflict driving the hegemonic world order.
Cosmopolitanism Sits in Places: Consumption and Cosmopolitics in Latin America
Authors: Thompson David 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Abstract.
Renewed interest in cosmopolitanism has spread across the humanities and social sciences in recent decades. However, this growth has also carried many of the values underpinning cosmopolitanism as a Kantian ideal, including a denigration of consumption and material relations in favour of a putatively social core. In this article, however, I argue that cosmopolitanism is lived through the relations and politics of materiality and consumerism. Through an investigation of ethnographies of urban poverty in Latin America, cosmopolitanism emerges as a diverse, locally instantiated ideology and identity which diverges from many of the debates circulating in sites of academia. With an emphasis on marginalised communities, I reconsider cosmopolitanism as a series of material identities and relationships that develop within the context of economic and social inequality in both local and global scales.
The Impact of Pictures on Best-Worst Scaling in Web Surveys
Authors: Bărbulescu Marinică , Cernat Alexandru 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
Motivation and burden are two of the most important aspects that influence response rates and dropouts in online surveys. As a result, we focus our analyses on how pictures and Best Worst Scaling (BWS), two solutions for each problem, interact in the Web medium. We use an experimental design that compares a BWS with pictures, the experimental group, and BWS without pictures, the control group. Results show that pictures influence measurement of BWS in six out of 16 items. We also observe that Couper's (2001) conclusion that concordant text and images have an accentuation effect while a discordant relationship between the two has an interference impact is partly true in our data. Eight out of the 16 items are at least partially influenced by the concordant/discordant variable while four fully respect this model. We conclude by discussing the impact of our findings and its limitations.
Lifestyle Migration to Bocas del Toro, Panama: Exploring Migration Strategies and Introducing Local Implications of the Search for Paradise
Authors: Spalding Ana K. 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
Lifestyle migration, the flow of relatively affluent people from developed to developing countries, is characterized by the search for ‘lifestyle’ destinations with warm climates, reduced costs of living, and perceived higher quality of life. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are three current major lifestyle migration destinations in Latin America. In this article I explore the emergence of this relatively new phenomenon in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Northwestern Panama by discussing the contradiction between lifestyle migrants’ idealized perception of place and local realities. I also introduce the implications of these contradicting versions of reality, and how they play out at the local level. Results show that, in general, foreign residents are attracted to Bocas del Toro as a physical manifestation of globally produced images and perceptions of tropical island living. However, an in-depth exploration reveals contradictions between expectations and reality. I suggest that foreigners exhibit a set of attitudes and behaviors towards their new home that are defined by a shared cultural and economic background that, on the ground, contribute to the creation of emerging markets, land conflicts, and changes in environmental practices. The ensuing narrative is contingent upon tensions between and within social, political, and ecological variables at the global and local levels.
The Spread of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes and Related Health Risks Along the French Riviera: An Analysis of Reactions and Concerns Amongst the Local Population
Authors: Claeys Cécilia , Mieulet Elise 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
Since the early 2000s, the accidental introduction of the tiger mosquito has exposed Europe to new diseases previously observed in Southern countries, leading to the onset of new nuisances and health risks. In France, the area first affected was the French Riviera. Based on the results of a qualitative and quantitative survey, this article analyses the reactions and concerns amongst the local population regarding the spread of Asian tiger mosquitoes and the related health risks. While residents are well aware of the mosquitoes’ presence and perceive a related increase in nuisances at different levels, they tend to play down the related health risks, notably due to the high degree of trust placed in the French healthcare system. It is the wealthiest inhabitants that are most affected by the problem, which primarily affects villa districts. Finally, cultural resistance has hindered the success of awareness-raising campaigns due to the stigma associated with mosquitoes.
A Network Analysis of the Romanian Higher Education Graduates’ Intra-generational Mobility
Authors: Lungu Eliza-Olivia , Zamfir Ana Maria , Mocanu Cristina 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
We explore the early career mobility of the Romanian higher education graduates using the network analysis approach. The nodes are represented by occupations (3 digits groups according to ISCO 88), while the links represent movements of individuals from one job to another. A job change is defined as an experience of inter-organisational mobility. The network is constructed as a weighted and directed one with self-loops. Considering that the occupations are related to each other via transferable skills, we visualize paths of mobility and calculate network indicators in order to understand models of connectivity between occupations. Exploiting a dataset on working histories of higher education graduates from Romania during their early career, we provide a novel evidence on the fact that individuals move according to certain career pathways and that the entrance occupation influence their subsequent career.
The Use of Network Metrics in Building Intelligence Early Warning Systems. The Structural Conduciveness Index
Authors: Posastiuc Cristina 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Specific collective behavior forms (for example, mass protests) emerge only if certain conditions are met simultaneously: good structural conduciveness of the group, a pre-existing structural strain, a formed generalized belief, the appearance of precipitating factors, a grass-roots or top-down mobilization for the action and the already-formed perception that the social control instruments are no longer in the authorities’ hands. Mass protests seem to follow this ‘perfect-storm’ recipe, from Tunis’ violent protests that kick-started the ‘Arab Spring’ to the late 2011 riots in London. This paper presents and discusses how structural conduciveness could be measured using network metrics such as k-cores, clustering, cliqueness, reciprocity, cohesion, homophily, structural holes, triad closure.
An overview of Software Applications for Social Network Analysis
Authors: Apostolato Ioana-Alexandra 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
There is a great variety of software tools that has been developed within the last 20 years, as to facilitate and support the qualitative and quantitative analysis of social networks. This paper gives a brief overview of some of the most popular software packages for social network analysis: Pajek, UCINET 6, NetDraw, Gephi, E-Net, KeyPlayer 1, StOCNET and Automap. Pajek has efficient algorithms for the analysis of large networks, while UCINET 6 includes multiple analytical tools highly efficient for exploring and measuring social network structures. NetDraw, nested in UCINET 6, and Gephi allow network visualization. E-Net and KeyPlayer 1 satisfy rather specific and well-oriented purposes: ego-network analysis and network key-player operations (node removal or utilization). StOCNET provides a platform for statistical methods focusing on probabilistic models, while Automap is a text mining tool for analyzing text relational data.
Innovation Policy as a New Development Driver of the Regions in Slovakia: Does Activity of Regional Self-government Matter?
Authors: Klimovský Daniel , Lacková Zuzana , Černáková Veronika , Maliková Zuzana , Šoltés Tomáš , Želinský Tomáš 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Fundamental changes that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe (including Slovakia) in recent two decades have caused that regional policy as well as regional development has become one of the hottest national policy issues. If one connects this issue with the existence of regional disparities, there is no surprise that also the EU considers this topic an extra important one. Various scholars point out that innovation policy is the right path how to achieve sustainable regional development and how to improve competitiveness of less developed regions. This article is aimed particularly at the innovation policies of the Slovak self-government regions and their outcomes.
A Decision-making Model for Public Management. The Existence of a Policy Framework for Performance in Romania
Authors: Răuță Emanuel 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
This article aims to assess the public management reform in Romania against a set of management measures that set a framework for performance in public administration. The article is looking at the bulk of reforms that were implemented in the last years and analyses the progress based against a theoretical framework made of four key elements: strategic planning – managerial planning – public policy analysis – transparency and quality of services. In its theoretical section, the article reviews the literature on performance management by highlighting its main characteristic. The case study reviews the state of affairs in Romanian public management reform, aiming to offer the reader a picture of the reform process. It tries to test the hypothesis that, for the reform process to be successful, the Governments will have to adopt a full decision-making framework of strategic planning, managerial planning, transparency and quality, based on a very clear roles and responsibilities of the key actors in the process and considering the experience and administrative background of the Romanian public administration which is a legalistic administrative tradition. A conclusion is that a performance framework is not yet functional in Romania, due to the resistance of public administration to adopt key elements of the performance reform process, to the fact that the reforms so far were only partially implemented, and in correlation with a normative and legalistic administration with limited openness for adoption of new public management elements.
The Economic Efficiency of the Romanian Higher Education at the End of the 1960s. A Demographical Perspective
Authors: Doboș Corina 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
With the development of demography and population studies in the second half of the 1960s in Romania, a special attention was given to the economic efficiency of the Romanian education system, as education was considered ‘the main factor of economic growth’. Several demographic and economic studies reveal a special concern for the developmental effectiveness of the higher education system. This article examines several key concepts (such as ‘intellectual capital’ as opposed to ‘physical capital’, or ‘education stocks’), used by Romanian demographers for the evaluation of the economic efficiency of the Romanian higher education system at the end of the 1960s.
Before Massification: Access to University Education in Ukraine in 1950s-1980s
Authors: Kurbatov Sergiy 
Published: May 2015

Abstract:
My paper sets to analyze the Soviet policy on access to higher education during the last four decades of existence of the USSR, with a particular focus on the Ukrainian case. It includes the analysis of discourses on planned economy and central regulations regarding access to universities, and a discussion on official and unofficial benefits (Russian original ‘blat’) during the admission process. The findings led to the conclusion that the number of students, which increased four point four times between 1950 and 1990, was less significant per 100,000 people; thus, generally speaking, access to university education continued to be rather restrictive in social terms. This was one of the main causes of the slow development of Soviet Ukraine in scientific and technological areas.