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In light of current challenges to representative democracy, research on different democratic governance modes from a citizen perspective is essential. Rather than adopting a standard model-based approach to governance modes we take a problem-based perspective with an eye on generic democratic practices (Warren 2017). In this study, we apply such a perspective to the analysis of democratic preferences to get a more accurate picture of which combinations of democratic practices citizens would support in particular contexts (König et al. 2022). Specifically, we draw on a conjoint experiment with a large-scaled sample of citizens from the United States and Germany to analyze which scenario of democratic decision-making on concrete policy measures people would prefer. This scenario design can take good account of the diverse nature of democratic governance. We focus on deliberative citizen forums, parliaments, and strong executive leaders as main institutions dealing with a specific policy to compare participatory, representative, and executive forms of democratic governance. By adding the mode of executive governance, our study significantly contributes to research on citizens’ democratic preferences often focusing on participatory vs. representative democracy. We then distinguish between different stages of the policy-making process, such as the phase of preparation of a policy, the way to come to a decision, and the final decision. The experiment combines these features with issue- and outcome-related aspects of democratic governance. Our study makes a novel contribution to research on citizens’ democratic preferences by adopting a problem-based and comparative perspective.

Supplemental Material, sj-pdf-1-jvc-10.1177_10775463211010535 for Damage accumulation comparison for various vibration test profile generation methods applied to a complex payload by Mark Warren, Keith F Joiner and Murat Tahtali in Journal of Vibration and Control

In the complete software development life cycle (SDLC), testing and maintenance stand slowest, and the reason being entire process is manual or manually maintained automation. Over time, companies have realized that it is very costly and time consuming. The biggest reason for manual maintenance of automation is its dependency on dynamic properties of the UI elements (xpath, class, ID) which directly depend on document object model (DOM). Cloud releases are very frequent, and changes in the UI properties are expected. In this paper, we are presenting a UI technology agnostic approach, which does not depend on the DOM and UI properties of the application rather behaves like a human and visually parses the screen. We use artificial intelligence to detect the UI elements, and even, just a mock-up of a screen can be parsed this way. This also enables test-driven development (TDD) of UI, among many other use cases. We used annotated UI image data for training our deep learning model, and the method has been validated with 94% accuracy on new UI elements. This approach does not require manual maintenance of the generated automates unless there is a functional change in the application. We propose UI technology agnostic, zero touch, self-healing UI automation.

As technology progresses towards blurring the lines between computers and more human aspects of life, there have been burgeoning new facets, particularly to the information technology space with Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs) being among those at the forefront. Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana have promoted their use in diverse domains such as education, business, smart home technology and many more. Many campuses of higher education institutions still utilize conventional strategies to disperse information to individuals in non-ubiquitous ways. Technology-enabled campuses, thus, must become more robust by capitalizing on cloud computing technology and appropriate asynchronous application layer network strategy to provide users with accurate and relevant information with human-like speech output, upon requisition, at any time. A modular suite of cloud-deployed voice applications with robust architecture, to provide campus related information will solve the problems encountered by individuals on campus, on a day-to-day basis.

Drawing on an ethnographic study of teamwork in critical care units (CCUs), this chapter applies Henri Lefebvre’s ([1974] 1991) theoretical insights to an analysis of clinicians’ and patients’ embodied spatial practices. Lefebvre’s triadic framework of conceived, lived, and perceived spaces draws attention to the role of bodies in the production and negotiation of power relations among nurses, physicians, and patients within the CCU. Three ethnographic vignettes—“The Fight,” “The Parade,” and “The Plan”—explore how embodied spatial practices underlie the complexities of health care delivery, making visible the hidden narratives of conformity and resistance that characterize interprofessional care hierarchies. The social orderings of bodies in space are consequential: seeing them is the first step in redressing them.

Figure S1. Proteins present in human cardiac ECM. Primary protein components of decellularized human cardiac tissue identified by mass spectrometry, showing many collagens, extracellular matrix proteins, and cytoskeleon-associated proteins etc.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with insulin resistance and deteriorated glycemic control that can be restored with insulin injections. Choice of insulin pen-injector may affect complexity, adherence, efficacy of treatment and health-related quality of life. We describe detailed patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on treatment impact and preference comparing insulin degludec (degludec) using FlexTouch® versus insulin glargine U100 (glargine U100) with SoloSTAR® pen-injector. Methods: In this randomized, multicenter (USA), open-label, crossover, treat-to-target study (NCT01570751), patients with T2D using high-dose insulin (≥81 U/day from vials) were randomized (n = 145) 1:1 to 16 weeks of degludec U200 (3 mL FlexTouch®) followed by 16 weeks of glargine U100 (3 mL SoloSTAR®) or vice versa. PRO questionnaires assessed treatment impact and patient preference of pen-injectors. Results: Significantly more patients (p < 0.01) considered FlexTouch® ‘extremely easy’ for learning (62.5 vs. 43.0%), maintaining (63.2 vs. 42.2%), and adjusting the dose (63.2 vs. 44.4%), and significantly more were ‘very or extremely confident’ using the device (60.3 vs. 36.3%) and in its accuracy (50.7 vs. 30.4%) versus SoloSTAR®. Significantly more were ‘not at all bothered’ by device discomfort (74.3 vs. 54.1%), whereas device size (83.8 vs. 80.0%) or public use (69.9 vs. 60.7%) were numerically in favor of FlexTouch®. Significantly more patients preferred degludec treatment with FlexTouch® (59 vs. 22%), preferred to continue (67 vs. 15%) and recommend (67 vs. 14%) use of FlexTouch® compared with SoloSTAR® with glargine U100. Conclusions: In this randomized, crossover trial, lower treatment impact and higher patient preference were reported for FlexTouch® versus SoloSTAR® pen-injectors.

This paper examines the complex emotional work of English language teaching in Singapore secondary schools. Findings revealed the emotional burdens, tensions, and challenges associated with the teaching of English, largely attributed to the subject's value-laden content, the stresses of grading student essays, the performance pressures of high-stakes testing, and the need for culturally responsive pedagogies. Further studies of teachers' lived experiences in relation to their disciplinary domains can offer teacher educators and policymakers insights into the ways in which curriculum and policy impact on, and are impacted by, the emotional realities of teachers' work.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are usually synthesized using a single type of metal ion, and MOFs containing mixtures of different metal ions are of great interest and represent a methodology to enhance and tune materials properties. We report the synthesis of [Ga-2(OH)(2)(L)] (H4L = biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylic acid), designated as MFM-300(Ga-2), (MFM = Manchester Framework Material replacing NOTT designation), by solvothermal reaction of Ga(NO3)(3) and H4L in a mixture of DMF, THF, and water containing HCl for 3 days. MFM-300(Ga-2) crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I4(1)22, a = b = 15.0174(7) angstrom and c = 11.9111(11) angstrom and is isostructural with the Al(III) analogue MFM-300(Al-2) with pores decorated with -OH groups bridging Ga(III) centers. The isostructural Fe-doped material [Ga1.87Fe0.13(OH)(2)(L)], MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13), can be prepared under similar conditions to MFM-300(Ga-2) via reaction of a homogeneous mixture of Fe(NO3)(3) and Ga(NO3)(3) with biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylic acid. An Fe(III)-based material [Fe3O1.5(OH)(HL)(L)(0.5)(H2O)(3.5)], MFM-310(Fe), was synthesized with Fe(NO3)(3) and the same ligand via hydrothermal methods. [MFM-310(Fe)] crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pmn2(1) with a = 10.560(4) angstrom, b = 19.451(8) angstrom, and c = 11.773(5) angstrom and incorporates mu(3)-oxo-centered trinuclear iron cluster nodes connected by ligands to give a 3D nonporous framework that has a different structure to the MFM-300 series. Thus, Fe-doping can be used to monitor the effects of the heteroatom center within a parent Ga(III) framework without the requirement of synthesizing the isostructural Fe(III) analogue [Fe-2(OH)(2)(L)], MFM-300(Fe-2), which we have thus far been unable to prepare. Fe-doping of MFM-300(Ga-2) affords positive effects on gas adsorption capacities, particularly for CO2 adsorption, whereby MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13) shows a 49% enhancement of CO2 adsorption capacity in comparison to the homometallic parent material. We thus report herein the highest CO2 uptake (2.86 mmol g(-1) at 273 K at 1 bar) for a Ga-based MOF. The single-crystal X-ray structures of MFM-300(Ga-2)-solv, MFM-300(Ga-2), MFM-300(Ga-2)center dot 2.35CO(2), MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13)-solv, MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13), and MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13)center dot 2.0CO(2) have been determined. Most notably, in situ single-crystal diffraction studies of gas-loaded materials have revealed that Fe-doping has a significant impact on the molecular details for CO2 binding in the pore, with the bridging M-OH hydroxyl groups being preferred binding sites for CO2 within these framework materials. In situ synchrotron IR spectroscopic measurements on CO2 binding with respect to the -OH groups in the pore are consistent with the above structural analyses. In addition, we found that, compared to MFM-300(Ga-2), Fe-doped MFM-300(Ga1.87Fe0.13) shows improved catalytic properties for the ring-opening reaction of styrene oxide, but similar activity for the room-temperature acetylation of benzaldehyde by methanol. The role of Fe-doping in these systems is discussed as a mechanism for enhancing porosity and the structural integrity of the parent material., We thank the Universities of Nottingham and Manchester for support. M.S. acknowledges receipt of an ERC Advanced Grant and EPSRC Programme Grant. We also thank EPSRC for funding of X-ray equipment. We acknowledge the use of instrumentation within the Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre, and thank Dr. Christopher Parmenter for assistance. We thank Conacyt, Mexico, for funding to C.P.K. We are especially grateful to Diamond Light Source for access to Beamlines Ill (EE8943), 119 (MT7548, MT8448, MT8937), and B22 (SM11279).

This paper examines the Singapore Ministry of Education's sexuality education curriculum in relation to two leading approaches to sex education, namely, abstinence-only-until-marriage education (AOUME) and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Based on competing cultural, political, and religious beliefs, the arguments between the advocates of AOUME and CSE not only echo similar debates in other countries, but also reveal the vicissitudes of Singapore's “global city” ambitions in the face of cultural and economic globalization. In conclusion, this paper suggests that the tensions between the official curriculum, the societal curriculum, and the enacted curriculum provide the grounds on which a politics of curriculum reform can be staged.

This article develops the familiar metaphor of teaching as performance towards a definition of teaching as performative act, where words and actions aim to effect cognitive, affective, and behavioral changes in learners. To what extent, however, are the consequences of pedagogical actions commensurate with their intended effects? Can a science of “effective teaching” effectively delineate, ascertain, and predict the effects of teachers’ pedagogical practices? Through the lens of speech act theory, I argue that teaching consists of pedagogical perlocutions—speech acts whose observed and unobserved effects on learners exceed authorial intention and scientific prediction. Attempts to subdue this excess of effects lend themselves to definitions of teacher effectiveness scripted by the instruments and institutions of scientifically based research. I conclude by considering the ways in which these definitions of effects and effectiveness are themselves the performative effects of performance‐based teach...

The Singapore Ministry of Education's Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS) was instituted in 2005 as a system of professional accountability to enhance the standards and stakes of teacher professionalism in schools. This essay explores how the EPMS, with its underlying paradigm of performance management, functions as a “technology of discipline” within the political economy of teacher professionalization in Singapore. The analysis centres on the discursive mechanisms of a standardized appraisal instrument known as the Work Review Form. Applying speech act theory via the insights of J.L. Austin and J. Butler, I argue that teachers' professional qualities are not only described and prescribed but also produced by the appraisal protocols of the EPMS – a process contingent on the discursive performativity of the Work Review Form. Implicated in this notion of performativity are the rhetorical manoeuvres by which teachers perform “on paper” under the pressure to perform. Such performance pressures poin...

This study explores the ways in which blogging as literacy practice can serve as an instrument of student resistance. Drawing on interviews with students and teachers, it analyzes the intentions and contentions surrounding a single blog entry authored by a 15-year-old secondary school student in which fictional strategies were artfully deployed in a covert assault on teacher authority. Adapting James C. Scott's (1990) notion of the “hidden transcript,” I explore the ways in which students’ interests and identities find subversive expression through the underlife of the “digital hidden transcript.” The discussion examines how such writing practices constitute acts of dialogic resistance that enable students to negotiate the premises and promises of teacher-student power relations.

A focal theme in global education reform movements is the critical role of teachers in schools and classrooms. In Singapore, efforts to improve the recruitment, remuneration, certification and continuing professional development of teachers have continued apace alongside a number of education reform initiatives over the last decade (Deng 2004). Underlying these systemic changes is Michael Fullan’s (2001, p.117) succinct assertion: “educational change depends on what teachers do and think – it’s as simple and as complex as that”. Yet, understanding the complex demands of teacher professionalisation entails an equally complex understanding of the demands of the profession – one that, I would argue, demands an empathic engagement with the lives of teachers. Arguably, attempts to sponsor teachers’ agentive voices in making sense of their own experiences have featured marginally in the high-stakes agendas of policymakers and state-funded researchers. At issue is the view that teachers’ “bald” testimonies and stories, so often freighted with emotion and subjective opinion, scarcely qualify as scientifically based evidence on which policy and practice can be built

A rapid procedure was developed for the purification and reconstitution into proteoliposomes of the tonoplast H⁺-translocating ATPase from the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana. It involved the fractionation of crude tonoplast membranes with the detergent Triton X-114, resolubilization of the ATPase with octyl glucoside in the presence of an optimized lipid mixture and formation of liposomes on removal of detergent by gel filtration. The enzyme could be further purified by sedimentation through glycerol gradients. It contained polypeptides of apparent molecular mass 72, 57, 48, 42, 39, 33 and 16 kDa; the smallest of these was labelled by [¹⁴C]-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. There was no evidence for the presence of any large subunits. In these proteoliposomes, ATP hydrolysis and H⁺-translocation were measured independently, by a coupled enzyme assay and by quenching of the fluorescence of a permeant weak base, respectively The kinetic properties of the reconstituted plant ATPase were studied in detail. Rate equations derived from theoretical models of the enzyme's behaviour were fitted to experimental data by weighted non-linear regression, using a computer program that calculated the kinetic parameters that accorded to the optimal fit. The dependence of the rate of H⁺- translocation on the concentration of MgATP was well fitted by the Michaelis equation, with a Kᵐ value about 30 μM. ATP could be replaced by dATP, ITP, GTP, UTP or CTP and Mg²⁺ by Mn²+ or Ca²⁺; kinetic parameters for these substrates were determined. In contrast hydrolysis of MgATP showed complex kinetics which suggested either negative cooperativity between nucleotide-binding sites, or the presence of two non-interacting catalytic sites. Both the hydrolytic and the H⁺-translocating activities of the proteoliposomes were inhibited by nitrate, though not in parallel, the latter activity being more sensitive. Both activities were inhibited in parallel by bafilomycin A₁, which did not produce complete inhibition; the bafilomycininsensitive component had complex ATPase kinetics similar to those of the uninhibited enzyme. ADP behaved as an allosteric inhibitor of the ATPase, inducing apparent cooperativity in saturation with MgATP, together with a reduction in Vᵐᵃˣ . By fitting the experimental data to the concerted allosteric model proposed by Monod et al. (1965) a theoretical model was proposed in which the complex kinetics were due to the interaction between two substrate binding sites and a single inhibitor-binding site. Antibodies raised against specific subunits of the tonoplast ATPase were shown to cross-react with V-type ATPases from different species. Immunoblotting of the plant antibodies against the V-type ATPase purified from several bovine tissues has suggested the existence of isoforms of this particular enzyme.

Most theories of democracy expect an actively engaged citizenry. We examine the extent to which deliberative forms of democracy provide uniquely valuable opportunities for preference formation and engagement relative to an elite-driven politics we see as prevalent in contemporary democratic societies. Highlighting the claimed advantages of deliberation for democratic health, we then discuss whether and under what conditions citizens are able to form political preferences of similar quality to those formed in a deliberative encounter. Focusing on the concept of framing, and leveraging the evidence for the psychological processes of “elaboration,” we argue that much of the advantages of deliberation can be achieved through citizens’ reasoning over the alternative frames and arguments provided by a competitive party system. A mass democracy centered on elite provision of information and arguments, which citizens may use for largely intrapersonal deliberation, is a viable and, perhaps, the only feasible form of democratic government.