Epistemic community formation: a bibliometric study of recurring authors in medical journals

Scientometrics - Using a selection of general science journals, general medical journals and specialized medical journals, this paper analyses four indicators of epistemic community formation:...     

Methodological Challenges in Union Commitment Studies.

Methodological problems in studies of union commitment were identified and illustrated with data from 4,641 members and 479 stewards in 297 local teachers' unions. Using a 20-item union commitment scale, results confirmed the existence of 3 substantive factors and 1 method factor at the individual level of analysis: loyalty to the union, responsibility to the union, willingness to work for the union, and a factor of negatively worded items. Tests of measurement invariance showed that the scale captured commitment for rank-and-file members but not for union stewards. The authors also found partial measurement invariance between long-time and newer members and full measurement invariance between men and women. Finally, the authors found that violation of the statistical assumption of independence reduced model fit when individual commitment scores were analyzed without attention to the hierarchical nature of the data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sustaining Rural Landscapes: the role of integrated tourism

The aim of a European Union-funded research project entitled 'Supporting and Promoting Integrated Tourism in Europe's Lagging Rural Regions' (SPRITE) is to analyse and develop the potential for better-integrated tourism in the rural landscapes of Europe. Integrated tourism can be defined as that which is explicitly linked to the localities in which it takes place and, in practical terms, has clear connections with local resources, activities, products, production and service industries, and a participatory local community. Enhancing the sustainable economic potential of rural landscapes requires partnerships among rural people and the sustainable yet productive use of rural resources. A 'culture economy' approach to integrated tourism is proposed, which emphasizes the importance of local identity, the strategic commodification of resources and of place, and the importance of extra-local forces in enabling local activities. It is suggested that this approach may represent a shift beyond more traditional approaches to rural development.     

The construction of self in social medias,such as Facebook

Social medias have changed and challenge the way we interact with each other. Social medias, such as Facebook, open up new possibilities for presentation of self and of managing the self you present to others. Is this process different for those that have grown up with social medias (The Net Generation) [Tapscott (Growing up digital: the rise of the net generation. Mcgraw-Hill, NY, 1998)] from how an older group of social media users would do it? What is their primary use of Facebook and how does this differ between generations? Such questions are discussed through engaging a group of Facebook users, with clear ideas of why and how they use Facebook, in joint reflections. The participants represent two generations of internet users; Those who was introduced to internet and social medias, such as Facebook, as adults (i.e. 40 years and older) and those who have grown up with the technology (i.e. under 25 years old, also called “The Net Generation”). The discussion indicate that there are differences in how these two groups relate to social medias, such as Facebook and for what they use Facebook. Further research is necessary to pursue those differences.     

Analyzing the relationship between car generation and severity of motor-vehicle crashes in Denmark

While the number of fatalities on Danish roads has decreased in the last 40 years, research has not investigated the contribution of legislation changes, enforcement measures, technological enhancements, infrastructural improvements and human factors to this reduction. In the context of a Danish car market with remarkably high registration tax that causes potential buyers to hold longer onto old cars, the relationship between technological enhancements of vehicles and severity of crashes requires particular attention.     

Value creation for tenants in environmentally certified buildings

Previous research suggests that environmental certification (EC) affects rental rates in non-residential buildings, but there is still little understanding of how tenants differentiate such buildings from those without EC. This paper examines whether and how tenants perceive value creation in EC premises in Sweden. The findings (based on 29 questionnaire responses and 14 interviews with tenants in EC buildings) inform landlords and tenants on the development of EC strategies for improved organizational outcomes. EC creates value for tenants principally as support for their environmental management and reporting (e.g., low energy demand). EC is important for tenants internally, raising employee environmental awareness and improving employee attraction and retention. Tenants are generally positive about employee morale, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and rental costs. However, it is not clear if such perceptions are dependent on features of modern premises in general, such as new fixtures, fittings and furnishings, and space-efficiency or from some EC-related feature. Tenants do not identify health or productivity increase in their EC premises. Findings suggest that the research focus should be shifted from investigating health and productivity increases through IEQ improvement to understanding the motivational improvement through value alignment with employees through EC.     

Protective Strategies and Emotions Invested in Early Modern Danish Christening Garments

Abstract

In 2006–2007, Den Gamle By, National Open Air Museum of Urban History and Culture in Denmark staged a large exhibition of christening garments dating from the eighteenth century until the present. It was called “Christian Clothing and Baptismal Robes over 300 years.” More than 100 objects were exhibited. Garments for babies remind us of the vulnerability of the newborn and in this way they are emotional objects for us today and probably also in the past. Elements of vulnerability are especially obvious for modern viewers when the garments originate from earlier periods with much higher infant mortality rates than today. Parents in earlier centuries used various strategies to protect their small pagans from exposure to evil before baptism. In this way emotions were invested in the garments, but it is a challenge to access and analyze these emotions because the garments themselves do not constitute a language in the same way as written texts. The article will deal with three different material elements which might be considered protective strategies for babies. The first and longest part of the article presents the color red as a means of protection. The next section considers the use of metal as protection against evil and coins as vehicles of good fortune. The third and shortest section discusses the reuse of ritual garments in new ceremonial contexts. When their provenance is known, it is striking that several baptismal garments represent a reuse of garments from weddings or other rites de passage, as termed by Arnold van Gennep.     

Urea hydrolysis and precipitation dynamics in a urine-collecting system

Blockages caused by inorganic precipitates are a major problem of urine-collecting systems. The trigger of precipitation is the hydrolysis of urea by bacterial urease. While the maximum amount of precipitates, i.e. the precipitation potential, can be estimated with equilibrium calculations, little is known about the dynamics of ureolysis and precipitation. To gain insight in these processes, we performed batch experiments with precipitated solids and stored urine from a urine-collecting system and later simulated the results with a computer model. We found that urease-active bacteria mainly grow in the pipes and are flushed into the collection tank. Both, bacteria and free urease, hydrolyse urea. Only few days are necessary for complete urea depletion in the collection tank. Two experiments with precipitated solids from the pipes showed that precipitation sets in soon after ureolysis has started. At the end of the experiments, 11% and 24% of urea was hydrolysed while the mass concentration of newly formed precipitates already corresponded to 87% and 97% of the precipitation potential, respectively. We could simulate ureolysis and precipitation with a computer model based on the surface dislocation approach. The simulations showed that struvite and octacalcium phosphate (OCP) are the precipitating minerals. While struvite precipitates already at low supersaturation, OCP precipitation starts not until a high level of supersaturation is reached. Since measurements and computer simulations show that hydroxyapatite (HAP) is the final calcium phosphate mineral in urine solutions, OCP is only a precursor phase which slowly transforms into HAP.     

Environmental rating methods: selecting indoor environmental quality (IEQ) aspects and indicators

It is often unclear whether environmental rating methods for buildings assess the most significant environmental aspects or if other considerations lie behind the choice of assessment aspects in specific methods. In the development of a comprehensive Swedish environmental rating method for buildings, a number of approaches for selecting environmental aspects in a method were tested. These include basing the selection on the severity and extent of problems, on official objectives, on mandatory rules, and on current practice. Once aspects, or rather building-related health problems, are selected, possible indicators for monitoring these problems can be tested with regard to theoretical and practical criteria in order to understand better the strengths and limitations of different indicators. The analyses in the paper are limited to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and thus cover extensive reviews of current IEQ methods, Swedish objectives, and legislation as well as the severity and extent of IEQ problems. The results show that depending on the chosen approach, different numbers of aspects turn out to be significant. The approaches for prioritizing aspects suggested here can be used, preferably in combination. An aspect can be seen as motivated for inclusion in a method if many of the approaches suggest its significance.

Il est souvent difficile de savoir si les méthodes de classement de l'environnement utilisées dans le bâtiment évaluent les aspects environnementaux les plus significatifs ou si d'autres considérations restent derrière le choix des aspects d'évaluation dans des méthodes spécifiques. Dans le cadre de l'élaboration d'une méthode complète de classement de l'environnement en Suède appliquée aux bâtiments, on a testé un certain nombre d'approches pour sélectionner les aspects environnementaux dans une méthode. Cela implique de baser la sélection sur la gravité et l'étendue des problèmes, sur des objectifs officiels, sur des règles obligatoires et sur la pratique actuelle. Après avoir sélectionné les aspects ou plutôt les problèmes de santé liés aux bâtiments, on peut tester des indicateurs possibles pour surveiller ces problèmes par rapport à des critères théoriques et pratiques afin de mieux comprendre la force et les limitations des différents indicateurs. Les analyses exposées dans cet article sont limitées à la qualité de l'environnement intérieur (IEQ) et couvrent donc des revues complètes des méthodes IEQ actuelles, les objectifs de la Suède, la législation ainsi que la gravité et l'étendue des problèmes d'IEQ. Les résultats montrent qu'en fonction de l'approche choisie, un certain nombre d'aspects différents apparaissent comme significatifs. Les méthodes concernant les aspects de fixation des priorités suggérées ici peuvent être utilisées, de préférence en combinaison. Un aspect peut être considéré comme motivé pour inclusion dans une méthode si de nombreuses approches suggèrent sa signification.

Mots cle´s: evaluation des bâtiments, caractéristique des bâtiments, evaluation de l'environnement, indicateurs environnementaux, performances environnementales, classement de l'environnement, santé, qualité de l'environnement intérieur, bruit