Paradoxes of Sexuality,Gay Identity,and the Closet

In this project, I illustrate how eight premises of sexuality, gay identity, and the closet contribute to the existence of paradox, an interactional situation constituted by contradiction. I first outline the following premises: gay identity is (1) inextricably tied to the metaphor of the closet; coming out is necessary when gay identity (2) is invisible; the closet draws meaning (3) only in relation to heteronormative contexts; gay identity, as a (4) stigmatized identity, makes coming out a (5) potentially dangerous act; coming out is conceived of as a (6) necessary and important, (7) discrete and linear, (8) inescapable and ever‐present process. I then use autoethnography to describe and analyze the lived experience of paradox in terms of these premises. I conclude by formulating ways a gay person can negotiate paradox in, and by way of, interaction.     

COMPETITION AND COLLABORATION IN ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

For-profit firms use the internet to offer classes, courses and degree programmes in direct competition with nonprofit and government-supported colleges and universities. At the same time, many firms seek to partner with academic institutions in offering online instruction or distance learning.This paper outlines and discusses alternative models of academic/for-profit collaboration that are being developed in the USA. Collaboration requires the partners to define responsibilities for technology, administrative services, content development, promotion and student selection, instruction, awarding of credits and overall quality control. Firms may want to 'unbundle' the traditional faculty role of both course designer and teacher,and use different professionals for the two functions. Although most collaborations today involve non-degree programmes, many schools of business are working with for-profit firms to offer MBA degrees online. The diversity of higher education in the USA means that many different models will be tried. Collaborations will expand the markets for online distance learning, but a number of difficult issues remain to be resolved.     

Welfarism and information invariance

This paper examines the consequences of imposing general information-invariance conditions in the context of welfarist social-welfare functionals. Dual relationships between invariance axioms for social-welfare functionals and the corresponding properties of the associated social-welfare orderings are established. Unlike most of the literature on information assumptions in social-choice theory, the paper does not restrict attention to invariance conditions that can be defined in terms of admissible utility transformations and, instead, employs a more general approach. Received: 6 October 1997/Accepted: 17 March 1999     

Real Estate Taxation and Commercial Mortgage Underwriting

Recent disclosures about problem commercial real estate loans have exposed the underwriting process to intense scrutiny. This study focuses on mortgage loan underwriters of life insurance companies. After a review of the tax changes that affected commercial real estate from 1969 through 1988, the study tests how loan underwriters reacted to changes in tax benefits. To overcome the interdependent effects of interest rates and capitalization rates, a variation of the Black-Scholes pricing model is used to test the impact of changes in tax benefits. The results indicate that the underwriters do not fully incorporate the value of tax benefits in the underwriting decision. During the period of the largest tax benefits, 1982 to 1986, underwriters became more conservative and increased their equity requirements.     

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME AS VERNACULAR RESOURCE

First coined in 1973 to describe a pathological response on the part of individuals involved in kidnapping or hostage‐taking situations, the label “Stockholm syndrome” has since been used in a much broader range of contexts including reference to wife battering and human trafficking, and in debates about gender and race politics as well as international relations. Tracing the domain expansion of Stockholm syndrome since the 1970s, we examine how the label offers claims‐makers a device for neutralizing the arguments of those with opposing points of view, and, in so doing, reinforces collective narratives and “formula stories” of victimization.     

Exergames: the role of ergonomics and design in helping to control childhood obesity through physical and functional exercise program

In the area of the design and physiotherapy, the using of virtual technologies for immersion of users are spreading. And this affirmation extends to several areas of knowledge. In games, the quote is, resources are being used to work cognitive skills, attention, memory, among other factors beside the children. Currently, at the expense of usability, low cost, virtual technologies of perception and interaction, as Nintendo Wii, X-Box 360, among others, arises therefore a new class of games called Exergames, which is the union of physical activity the game. This fact gives users the development of sensory and motor skills through virtual reality mechanisms suitable for certain needs. This literature review aimed to provide an overview of the current context of Exergames, especially in use for controlling childhood obesity, which is growing alarmingly, with some features, applications and possibilities for use at the design and other areas such as physiotherapy.     

希腊文明的文字之源——从闪米特文字到古希腊字母

古希腊从东方输入了许多"产品",其中包括对希腊文明产生重大影响的腓尼基文字,毋庸置疑,这些腓尼基文字具有闪米特的起源.古老的象形文字经由改造,制成可以表达抽象思维的字母.通过这些字母的排列组合,古希腊人通过误读而构建出西方文明史上最古老的文字--希腊文.由24个拼音字母组成的语句具有多种多样的表达方式,既能展现诗性思维,又能构建哲学理念.从这层意义上说,古希腊文明的形成、戏剧的繁荣以及哲学的产生,都离不开从东方借鉴的外来文字.文化传播给西方文明起源带来了重要契机.     

Clustering in dividends: Do managers rely on cognitive reference points?

Prior studies (see e.g. [Rosch, E. (1975). Cognitive reference points. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 532–547]) indicate that multiples of ten serve as cognitive reference points with a view to perceiving and evaluating numbers. In order to explore whether managers set dividends per share (henceforth DPS) at or just above a cognitive reference point, we perform a digital analysis on US firms’ DPS for the period 1995–2004. That is, based on the theory of cognitive reference points, DPS of $2.00 will be viewed as being abnormally larger than DPS of $1.99, whereas the actual difference only amounts to a marginal $0.01. Results presented in this paper indicate that managers fall back on cognitive reference points when they set DPS, which shows in significantly more (fewer) zeroes (large digits) in the second-from-the-left position of DPS than would normally be expected. Overall, results presented in this paper tally with prior findings on odd-ending prices and price clustering documented in related disciplines.     

A new role for imaging in the diagnosis of physical elder abuse: results of a qualitative study with radiologists and frontline providers

Pediatric radiologists play a key role in the detection of child abuse through the identification of characteristic injury patterns. Emergency radiologists have the potential to play an equally important role in the detection of elder physical abuse; however, they currently play little to no part in this effort. We examine the reasons behind this limited role, and potential strategies to expand it, by interviewing attending faculty from Emergency Radiology, Geriatrics, Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Radiology, and Pediatrics. Our interviews revealed that radiologists’ contribution to elder abuse detection is currently limited by gaps in training, gaps in knowledge about imaging correlates, and gaps in inter-team clinical communication. Specifically, radiographic interpretation of elder trauma is severely restricted by lack of communication between frontline providers and radiologists about patients’ injury mechanism and functional status. Improving this communication and re-conceptualizing ED workflow is critical to expanding and optimizing radiologists’ role in elder abuse detection.