Balance Demands Research Articles

Association between alcohol consumption, marijuana use and road traffic injuries among commercial motorcycle riders: A population-based, case-control study in Dares Salaam, Tanzania

BackgroundAlcohol consumption and psychoactive drug use are well-recognised risk factors for road traffic injuries (RTIs). Both types of use may impair and affect drivers' performance. Yet, there is limited literature on their contribution to RTIs among commercial motorcycle riders, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. This study aimed to determine the association between alcohol consumption, marijuana use and RTIs among commercial motorcycle riders in the city of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. MethodsWe conducted a case-control study between July 2018 and March 2019. Cases (n = 164) were commercial motorcycle riders who had sustained an RTIs and attended at a hospital. Controls (n = 400) were commercial motorcycle riders who had not experienced an RTIs that led to hospital attendance during the past six months. Alcohol consumption was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification (AUDIT) score, which classified participants as a non-drinker, normal drinker(1–7 scores) and risky drinker (scores ≥ 8). Marijuana use was assessed through self-reported use in the past year. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) using logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic, driver-, and work-related factors. ResultsRisky drinking was associated with close to six times the odds of RTIs compared to non-drinkers (OR = 5.98, 95% CI: 3.25 – 11.0). The association remained significant even after adjusting for sociodemographic, driving and work-related factors (OR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.01 – 5.76). The crude odds ratios of RTIs were significantly higher among users of marijuana than non-users (OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.38 – 3.95). However, the association did not remain statistically significant after adjusting for confounders (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.49–2.48). ConclusionOur findings confirm increased odds of RTIs among commercial motorcycle riders with risky drinking behaviour even after taking sociodemographic, driving and work-related factors into account. Unlike alcohol consumption the relationship between marijuana use and RTIs among commercial motorcycle riders was unclear. Since motorcycle riders are more susceptible to the effect of alcohol due to higher demands of balance and coordination and because commercial motorcyclist riders, in particular, they spend a considerable amount of time on the road, our results underscore the importance of addressing hazardous alcohol consumption and marijuana use in future prevention strategies to enhance road safety.

Representing Human Water Management in a Land Surface Model Using a Supply/Demand Approach

AbstractThe impact of human water management on river discharge is increasingly viewed as a missing process in Earth system modeling. Models which have attempted to include it are generally at coarse resolution and uncoupled to the atmosphere. We propose to describe human water management at high spatial resolution using ORganizing Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic EcosystEms concept of hydrological‐transfer‐units in the routing parametrization. Irrigated areas are linked to river abstraction points using a minimization process. The directed graphs of river flows and adduction network for irrigation is transposed to propagate water demands upstream. Reservoirs and dams are placed along the graph to balance supply and demands in the four chosen water value classes. Dam regulation is assumed to maximize demand satisfaction and dampen floods while respecting the properties of the infrastructure. The developed human water management module is applied to the Yellow River where irrigation and dam regulation are known to have a strong impact. Results show that the impact of human water management is strongly heterogeneous over space. It propagates along the river channels and can be mitigated by the confluence of tributaries. Moreover, the human impact has a strong seasonality due to time varying irrigation demands and the response of dam regulation. A number of uncertainties still remain and affect the simulated river discharge. Nevertheless, the representation of human water management improves the model's behavior in terms of magnitude and intra‐annual variations of river discharge, and offers the opportunity to implement anthropogenic processes in the water cycle of Earth System Models.

Effect of Osteoarthritis on Prefrontal Cortical Activation Patterns During Downward Reaching in Older Women

Downward reaching may lead to falls in older adults, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, particularly in older women with osteoarthritis. Given the importance of attentional resources when maintaining balance in balance-demanding conditions, functional near-infrared spectroscopy may provide a lens to the attentional resource allocation needed to maintain balance while reaching down to the ground with or without full contact with the floor. We examined the changes in the executive control of downward reaching movements in older women with osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that prefrontal cortical activation would be higher in older women with osteoarthritis, compared to age-matched controls, particularly as the balance demands increased. Older women with osteoarthritis (n=7, mean±SD age: 66±3 years) and age-matched controls (n=10, mean±SD age: 67±6 years) were recruited from the local community. The effect of the base of support and target position (toe or maximal forward distance along ground) on attentional resources in older women with osteoarthritis were evaluated using the average oxygenated hemoglobin levels as a measure of prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation. Significant base of support by cohort and target by cohort interactions were observed on average PFC activation levels (P<0.005). As expected, PFC activation levels increased as the contact with the floor decreased and as the target distance increased, but older women with osteoarthritis were unable to increase their PFC activation levels as much as age-matched controls. In conclusion, these data suggest that older women with osteoarthritis may not be adequately modulating attentional resources to meet high-balance demanding tasks.

The Pediatric Neurology 2020 Research Workforce Survey: Optimism in a Time of Challenge

BackgroundThe past decades have seen a transformational shift in the understanding and treatment for neurological diseases affecting infants and children. These advances have been driven in part by the pediatric neurology physician-scientist workforce and its efforts. However, pediatric neurology research faces substantial challenges from internal and external forces including work-life balance demands, COVID-19 pandemic effects, and research funding. Understanding the impact of these challenges on the perceptions, planning, and careers of pediatric neurology physician-scientists is needed to guide the research mission. MethodsOur objective was to survey the research challenges, goals, and priorities of pediatric neurologists. In 2020 we conducted a cross-sectional, 28-question survey emailed to 1,775 members of the Child Neurology Society. ResultsOne hundred fifty-one individuals responded to the survey. Most respondents were grant investigators (52%) and conducted clinical research (69%). Research areas included epilepsy (23%), neurodevelopmental and autism (16%), neurocritical care and stroke (11%), neurogenetics and neurometabolics (9%), neonatal neurology (8%), and others. The most common funding source was the National Institutes of Health (37%). Shared major research concerns were funding, utilization of remote technology, overcoming disparities, natural history and multicenter studies, global neurology, and diversification of the research portfolio. Commitment to continuing and increasing research efforts was evident. ConclusionsOur survey demonstrates obstacles for physician-scientist researchers in pediatric neurology, but it also shows optimism about continued opportunity. Creative approaches to address challenges will benefit the research mission, maximize the current and future pool of researchers, and help improve the lives of children with neurological disorders.

Hospital bed height influences biomechanics during bed egress: A comparative controlled study of patients with Parkinson disease

Although a significant proportion of patient falls occur during egress from the hospital bed, the biomechanical adaptations during egress from different bed heights are still largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of hospital bed height on natural transition during egress in patients with Parkinson disease (PD). Twelve patients with PD and fourteen healthy elderly adults (HEA) were recruited and the natural transition during egress from three different bed heights (low, medium and high) were recorded for each participant using a motion capture system and force plates. The bed egress time, joint kinematics, ground reaction force and center of mass (CoM) were compared using a two-factor repeated ANOVA to determine the effects of three bed heights and two groups. The results showed that patients with PD had a significantly increased bed egress time, decreased peak of pelvis anterior tilt, hip flexion, and anteroposterior distance between pelvis center and CoM compared to HEA. Additionally, both PD and HEA groups increased the peak of trunk, hip and knee flexions to generate forward CoM momentum and joint torque to rise from a low bed height. These findings indicated that patients with PD invoked a more conservative movement pattern than HEA during egress to improve postural stability. The low bed height increased demands of balance and postural control during egress which exacerbates the risk of falls for patients with PD.

Complexity of postural sway affects affordance perception of reachability in virtual reality.

Visual perception of whether an object is within reach while standing in different postures was investigated. Participants viewed a three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) environment with a stimulus object (red ball) placed at different egocentric distances. Participants reported whether the object was reachable while in a standard pose as well as in two separate active balance poses (yoga tree pose and toe-to-heel pose). Feedback on accuracy was not provided, and participants were not allowed to attempt to reach. Response time, affordance judgements (reachable and not reachable), and head movements were recorded on each trial. Consistent with recent research on perception of reaching ability, the perceived boundary occurred at approximately 120% of arm length, indicating overestimation of perceived reaching ability. Response times increased with distance, and were shortest for the most difficult pose-the yoga tree pose. Head movement amplitude increased with increases in balance demands. Unexpectedly, the coefficient of variation was comparable in the two active balance poses, and was more extreme in the standard control pose for the shortest and longest distances. More complex descriptors of postural sway (i.e., effort-to-compress) were predictive of perception while in the tree pose and the toe-to-heel pose, as compared with control stance. This demonstrates that standard measures of central tendency are not sufficient for describing multiscale interactions of postural dynamics in functional tasks.

A canon of one's own: A comparative analysis of cultural production in gastronomy and the visual arts

This paper examines the processes used by cultural producers to create products that are at once inserted into existing canons yet distinctive from conventional patterns of creation. We identify three mechanisms – juxtaposition, transformation, and self-insertion – that explain how creators balance demands of conformity and originality into their work, ultimately leading to the formation of a personal canon. Empirically, our study draws on a comparative historical analysis of the trajectories of two producers that have become epitomes of innovation in their fields: Ferran Adrià in gastronomy and Takashi Murakami in visual arts. The paper includes a discussion of the implications of our findings to studies on innovation and cultural production.

Examination Of Two Different Balance Tests In Active-duty Firefighters

Approximately 20% of firefighter (FF) injuries are the result of falls, jumps, slips, or trips and poor balance may be a common mechanism. Research has suggested that the Lower Quarter Y Balance Test (LQ-YBT) may be predictive of lower extremity injury, but the LQ-YBT may also be influenced by BMI and movement efficiency. Recently, a Functional Balance Test (FBT) was introduced to better reflect job-specific balance demands in FFs. However, the relationship between the LQ-YBT and FBT as well as with measures of fitness in FFs remains unclear. PURPOSE: To identify the relationship between LQ-YBT and FBT performance as well as measures of fitness in active-duty FFs. METHODS: 16 (14 male, 2 female) active-duty FFs (35.3 ± 8.0 yrs, 179.1 ± 6.2 cm, 91.1 ± 16.9 kg) volunteered for the study. BMI and percent body fat via skinfolds (%Fat) were determined and each participant performed a FusioneticsTM Movement Efficiency Screen (MES), LQ-YBT, FBT, counter movement jump (CMJ), and a maximal treadmill test (VO2MAX). A composite score (LQ-YBTcomp) was formed by averaging the reach distances (normalized to leg length) in each direction across both limbs. The FBT required participants to walk on a wooden beam (2.5 m x 0.09 m x 0.05 m) by walking forward to the center, turning 180°, and walking backwards to the end of the beam before stepping off and repeating the same pattern to the starting point. FBT performance was represented by the total completion time (FBTTIME) and total count for stepping off the beam (FBTERROR). Bivariate Pearson correlations determined the relationship between LQ-YBTCOMP, FBT, and FBTERROR and all physical fitness factors. An alpha of 0.05 determined statistical significance. RESULTS: Significant correlations were identified between LQ-YBTcomp (97.0 ± 5.9%) and %FAT (r = -0.586, P = 0.017), BMI (r = -0.695, P = 0.003), and VO2MAX (r = 0.594, P = 0.015). FBTTIME (15.5 ± 5.2 sec) and FBTERROR (1.7 ± 1.1) were not related to any fitness measures or LQ-YBTcomp. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of relationship between LQ-YBT and FBT may suggest that the tests reflect different aspects of balance. Further, the FBT was not related to any other measure whereas the LQ-YBT was related to measures of fitness (i.e., %Fat, BMI, VO2MAX). Thus, the FBT may have greater generalizability in evaluating balance performance in active-duty FFs.

Health-care Workforce Training to Effectively Support Family Caregivers of Seniors in Care.

IntroductionFamily caregivers (FCGs) play an integral, yet often invisible, role in the Canadian health-care system. As the population ages, their presence will become even more essential as they help balance demands on the system and enable community-dwelling seniors to remain so for as long as possible. To preserve their own well-being and capacity to provide ongoing care, FCGs require support to the meet the challenges of their daily caregiving responsibilities. Supporting FCGs results in better care provision to community-dwelling seniors receiving health-care services, as well as enhancing the quality of life for FCGs. Although FCGs rely upon health-care professionals (HCPs) to provide them with support and services, there is a paucity of research pertaining to the type of health workforce training (HWFT) that HCPs should receive to address FCG needs. Programs that train HCPs to engage with, empower, and support FCGs are required.ObjectiveTo describe and discuss key findings of a caregiver symposium focused on determining components of HWFT that might better enable HCPs to support FCGs.MethodsA one-day symposium was held on February 22, 2018 in Edmonton, Alberta, to gather the perspectives of FCGs, HCPs, and stakeholders. Attendees participated in a series of working groups to discuss barriers, facilitators, and recommendations related to HWFT. Proceedings and working group discussions were transcribed, and a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes.ResultsParticipants identified the following topic areas as being essential to training HCPs in the provision of support for FCGs: understanding the FCG role, communicating with FCGs, partnering with FCGs, fostering FCG resilience, navigating healthcare systems and accessing resources, and enhancing the culture and context of care.ConclusionsFCGs require more support than is currently being provided by HCPs. Training programs need to specifically address topics identified by participants. These findings will be used to develop HWFT for HCPs.

The Re-Enchantment of Wilderness and Urban Aesthetics

According to the essence of industrial civilization, wilderness is bound to disenchantment. However, in the ecological civilization era, based on the demands of ecological balance, we must reserve a certain degree of wilderness in urban environment. Therefore, we need to bring back enchantment to aesthetic appreciation of wilderness. On the surface, the re-enchantment of wilderness seems to be a regression of agricultural civilization; however, in fact, it is a transcendental development of agricultural civilization. In recent years, there have been some deviations in the application of “garden urbanism” and “landscape urbanism” have existed in contemporary Chinese urban landscaping. To some extent, the recovery of wilderness is a major mission in Chinese urban construction.

EEG activity during balance platform test in humans

In order to analyze different human brain states related to perception and maintaining of body posture, we implemented an experiment with a balance platform. It is known the cerebral cortex regulates subcortical postural centers to maintain upright balance and posture and balance demands. However, the cortical mechanisms that support standing balance remain elusive. In this work, we present an EEG-based analysis during execution of balance responses with distinct postural demands. The results suggest the existence of common features in the EEG structure associated with distinct activity during balance maintaining. This may give new directions for future research in the field of brain activity, and for the development of brain-computer interfaces.

Do Balance Demands Induce Shifts in Visual Proprioception in Crawling Infants?

The onset of hands-and-knees crawling during the latter half of the first year of life heralds pervasive changes in a range of psychological functions. Chief among these changes is a clear shift in visual proprioception, evident in the way infants use patterns of optic flow in the peripheral field of view to regulate their postural sway. This shift is thought to result from consistent exposure in the newly crawling infant to different patterns of optic flow in the central field of view and the periphery and the need to concurrently process information about self-movement, particularly postural sway, and the environmental layout during crawling. Researchers have hypothesized that the demands on the infant’s visual system to concurrently process information about self-movement and the environment press the infant to differentiate and functionalize peripheral optic flow for the control of balance during locomotion so that the central field of view is freed to engage in steering and monitoring the surface and potentially other tasks. In the current experiment, we tested whether belly crawling, a mode of locomotion that places negligible demands on the control of balance, leads to the same changes in the functional utilization of peripheral optic flow for the control of postural sway as hands-and-knees crawling. We hypothesized that hands-and-knees crawlers (n = 15) would show significantly higher postural responsiveness to movements of the side walls and ceiling of a moving room than same-aged pre-crawlers (n = 19) and belly crawlers (n = 15) with an equivalent amount of crawling experience. Planned comparisons confirmed the hypothesis. Visual-postural coupling in the hands-and-knees crawlers was significantly higher than in the belly crawlers and pre-crawlers. These findings suggest that the balance demands associated with hands-and-knees crawling may be an important contributor to the changes in visual proprioception that have been demonstrated in several experiments to follow hands-and-knees crawling experience. However, we also consider that belly crawling may have less potent effects on visual proprioception because it is an effortful and attention-demanding mode of locomotion, thus leaving less attentional capacity available to notice changing relations between the self and the environment.

The Effects of Cognitive Load and Postural Demand on Static Balance

A growing body of research indicates that measures of static balance (e.g., postural sway) are influenced under cognitive demands. Similar measures are also impacted under different balance demands (e.g., stable vs unstable stances). However, to date, there is little known about how the difficulty of postural demands impact the relationship between balance and cognition. PURPOSE: Within the same individuals, we parametrically compared balance demands and cognitive demands on static balance ability using state-of-the-art inertial sensors. METHODS: 34 healthy young adults completed tasks of static balance with and without a cognitive demand (CD). Six wireless inertial sensors (APDM Opals) were attached to the wrists, feet, chest and lower back. The static balance task involved the participants standing for 30 seconds on a firm surface with their eyes closed in three different postural demand (PD) positions: feet apart (Low PD), feet together (Moderate PD), and feet in tandem (High PD). After completing these tasks alone (Low CD), participants were asked to complete these tasks while doing serial seven subtractions from a randomly presented three-digit number (High CD). RESULTS: We conducted repeated measures ANOVAs with Cognitive Demand (High vs Low) and Postural Demand (High vs. Moderate vs. Low) on measures of Path Length and Jerk. For Path Length, there was a main effect of CD [F(1,32)=13.19, p<.001, High=32.39, Low=18.42] and a main effect of PD [F(2,64)=99.69, p<.001, High=62.32, Moderate=8.19, Low=5.71]; however, there was no interaction between these factors. Path Length was longer under High CD relative to Low CD, and for Tandem PD relative to Likewise, for Jerk, there was a main effect of CD [F(1,32)=4.28, p<.05, High=22.92, Low=17.36] and a main effect of PD [F(2,64)=28.65, p<.001, High=37.08, Moderate=14.07, Low=9.27], but there was no interaction between these factors. CONCLUSION: Using two precise measurements of static balance, we observed that performance was impacted by separate cognitive and postural demands. Since these factors did not interact, our results suggest that adding a cognitive task to a balance assessment may have an impact independent of the balance demands.

Balance Training in Virtual Reality Promotes Performance Improvement but Not Transfer to Postural Control in People with Chronic Stroke.

Objective: In people with chronic stroke, we investigated the transfer of gains obtained after balance training with virtual reality (VR) to an untrained task with similar balance demands. Materials and Methods: This study included 29 people with chronic stroke randomized into two groups: experimental (EG, n = 16) and control (CG, n = 13). The EG performed three sessions of balance training with VR using a platform-based videogame (Nintendo Wii Fit system™) for 1 week. The CG received no intervention. Transfer was evaluated through balance tests on the force platform Balance Master™, performed before and after the intervention period, for both groups. Results: The analysis of variance for repeated measures for game performance in the EG showed statistically significant improvement in scores in all five games after training (AT). In contrast, similar analysis for balance tests for the EG and CG showed no significant differences in performance index scores derived from the Balance Master tests after the intervention period for both groups. Conclusion: People with chronic stroke showed performance improvement AT with VR, but there was no transfer of the gains obtained to an untrained task with similar balance demands.

Role Demands and Work Life Balance among Women Lecturers in Sri Lankan State Universities

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between role demands of work, family and work life balance. Also, this study tried to explore the factors that influence the supportive work life balance of the women academic staff in university. In quantitative phase of the study, a questionnaire survey was used to gather data from 265 women lecturers in state universities of Sri Lanka. Twenty in -depth interviews were conducted with women lecturers in same universities as gathering qualitative data. Finding of structural equation modeling indeed indicate that the significant negative relationship between role demands and work life balance, it fills a gap in the literature by validating the associations between role demands and work life balance dimensions. The qualitative data were analyzed via thematic exploratory analysis, which suggest that supportive factors for work life balance, such as workplace flexibility, avoiding role interference, correct prioritization, good working environment and personal factors against the role demands, that will be useful to Sri Lankan women in the academic profession to avoid their imbalance of work and family life and it also sends an important message to individuals to encourage work and family satisfaction

Flexibility in joint coordination remains unaffected by force and balance demands in young and old adults during simple sit-to-stand tasks

PurposeWe examined the possibility that old adults use flexibility in joint coordination as a compensatory mechanism for the age-related decline in muscle strength when performing the sit-to-stand (STS) task repeatedly under high force and balance demands.MethodYoung (n = 14, 22.4 ± 2.1) and old (n = 12, 70 ± 3.2) healthy adults performed repeated STSs under high and low force and balance demands. The balance demand was manipulated by reducing the base of support and the force demand by increasing body weight with a weight vest. Uncontrolled manifold analysis was used to quantify age differences in motor flexibility.ResultsWhile there were age-typical differences in kinematic STS strategies, flexibility in joint coordination was independent of age and task difficulty during repeated STSs.DiscussionThat simple manipulations of force and balance demands did not affect flexibility in joint coordination in old and young adults suggests that motor flexibility acts as a compensatory mechanism only at the limits of available muscle strength and balance abilities during STS movements. Intervention studies should identify how changes in specific neuromuscular functions affect flexibility in joint coordination during activities of daily living such as STS.

The limits of transformation in South Africa’s constitutional democracy

In the South African public vernacular ‘transformation’ has become a key notion, but its meaning is, to put it mildly, unclear. Bringing clarity of meaning to, or removing the confusion caused by widespread opportunistic misuse of the term is not attempted here, but the limits of its employment, especially in law, are explored. First the constitutional foundations of transformation are sketched and its ideological, intellectual and legal notions identified. A review of the surfacing in legislation and jurisprudence of the concept over the past two decades is presented. Finally, by means of a conclusion, the limits of transformation are considered from a legal point of view. While it is clear that the theme of ‘transformation’ has penetrated South African law, the article suggests that lawyers interested in maintaining the constitutional demands of reasonable balance should seriously contemplate the limitations that the law imposes on this pliable, and ideologically compromised notion. A review of legislation reveals a disconcerting picture of indeterminacy brought about by the systematic, but mostly unannounced, translation of ideological goals into legislation. The judicial use of the concept, sometimes in its intellectualised form, sometimes in disguised or openly dogmatic fashion, has not contributed much to remove the uncertainty, because clear and objective reference to its full constitutional meaning is largely absent. It is found that the ideological rendering of ‘transformation’ is not consistent with the Constitution, but, if given a meaning in tune with the Constitution, the pursuit of ‘transformation’ must be understood to be a legitimate governmental purpose compliant with the rule of law. ‘Transformation’, appropriately construed, should not be problematic, but the indeterminate manner in which it is being utilised, especially in law, in a manner contaminated by ideology not supported by the Constitution, tends to neutralise the rule of law.

Are You A Terrorist? Comparing Security Screening for Iraqi Asylum Seekers in the United States and Sweden

AbstractHow can countries balance demands for national security while remaining committed to humanitarian protection? In 2016, the United States and European Union agreed to resettle significant numbers of refugees. Some politicians, including President Trump, argued that refugees are a security threat, even though there are few refugees connected to terrorism. This article investigates how the United States and Sweden screened for terrorism with Iraqi asylum seekers from 2003‐2013, in order to discover how states balance protection and security. This study finds significant policy convergence in three areas (security checks and databases, interagency cooperation, and safety valve programmes), but retains different definitions of terrorism. Policy convergence was driven by international law, UNHCR guidance notes, and international conferences. The study concludes by discussing the policy implications for “extreme vetting” and the use of future safety valve programmes. Policy Implications From 2003‐2013, both the US and Sweden added new security checks, databases, and interagency cooperation. One lesson is that in response to perceived security threats, states often add new layers of bureaucracy and technologies, resulting in slower, more burdensome processes. To overcome these barriers, both the US and Sweden created safety value immigration programmes to relieve the pressure from overwhelming demand from Iraqi asylum‐seekers. Policymakers should consider the strategic use of safety valve programmes to speed up processing, allocate additional resources, and provide temporary protection without revising the wider immigration systems.

Negotiating the Balance between Speed and Credibility in Deploying Twitter as Journalistic Tool at the Daily Nation Newspaper in Kenya

ABSTRACTTechnology has significantly altered the practice of journalism at a number of levels, including broadening news sourcing and creating parallel markets of information for journalists, away from their traditional channels of content distribution. Equally, the buffer between professional journalists and their audiences has blurred. Contemporary journalists embrace new routines by deploying new technologies in their practice, and the multifarious responses by their media houses to these changes are emerging globally. This paper focuses on the deployment of Twitter by Kenyan journalists at the Daily Nation in their everyday practices of sourcing, production and dissemination of news. Data is obtained through semi-structured interviews with reporters attached to the news desk, and examined through the diffusion of innovations framework. The study found that by adopting Twitter in their daily routines— and because of the fast-paced nature of micro-blogging—the journalists have increased the speed of sharing news in order to stay relevant on the news market. The research also presents an overview of how the journalists negotiate the professional demands of clarity, balance and truth while at the same time embracing the immediacy and spontaneity of Twitter. The study recommends a need for mainstream media in Kenya to expand its news agenda by developing innovative ways of establishing the credibility of emerging news sources on Twitter.

Inherent stress correlations in a quiescent two-dimensional liquid: Static analysis including finite-size effects.

After constructing a formalism to analyze spatial stress correlations in two-dimensional equilibrated liquids, we show that the sole conjunction of mechanical balance and material isotropy demands all anisotropic components of the inherent state (IS) stress autocorrelation matrix to decay at long range as 1/r^{2} in the large system size limit. Furthermore, analyzing numerical simulation data for an equilibrated supercooled liquid, we bring evidence that, in finite-sized periodic systems, the autocorrelations of pressure and shear stresses present uniform backgrounds of amplitudes proportional to the inverse cell area. These backgrounds bring relevant contributions to macroscopic IS stress fluctuations, with the consequence that the latter scale as inverse area, yet in an anomalous way, inconsistent with viewing an IS as equivalent, in the thermodynamic limit, to an ensemble of independent finite-sized subsystems. In that sense, ISs are not spatially ergodic.