bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magyarországi kis- és középvállalkozások életútjának modellezése
Authors: Salamonne Huszty Anna
Published: July 2016

A tanulmány egy kétéves kutatási program első szakaszának lépéseit és eredményeit mutatja be. A kutatás célja a magyarországi kis- és középvállalkozások fejlődési életciklusainak, az egyes életszakaszok sajátosságainak feltárása, valamint stratégiáiknak és a stratégiák kialakulásának vizsgálata. A program kiinduló hipotézise az, hogy a magyarországi kis- és középvállalkozások fejlődési pályája a nyugati piacgazdaságokban már alaposan feltérképezett jellegzetes mintát követi, vannak azonban olyan sajátosságai is, amelyek csak a hazai viszonyok közepette jellemzőek. A felmérés alapvető módszere a személyes mélyinterjú volt, szükség esetén többször megismételve. A mélyinterjúk alapján 300 vállalatról készült esettanulmány. Alapos szűrés után 50 vállalat esete került be a kutatási mintába. A részletesen leírt eredményekből jól látszik, a kiindulópontként használt modell igazolódott: a magyarországi vállalkozások életében valóban törvényszerű ritmusban követik egymást a jellemzőikben egymástól jól megkülönböztethető életfázisok. Ugyanakkor a nyugati modell és az elemzett hazai valóság között vannak eltérések is, amelyek – a kutatás eredményei szerint – elsősorban a vállalkozások alapításának hazai körülményeivel, a rendszerváltás és piacgazdasági fejlődés sajátosságaival magyarázhatók. A magyarországi kis- és középvállalkozások fejlődési életpályájának modellezésére ezért célszerű a nemzetközi szakirodalomból ismert modell módosítása. A javasolt növekedési modellt a tanulmány részletesen bemutatja, ismertetve az egyes életfázisok sajátos jellemzőit, egyedi vonásait.
Fejlődésértelmezések: a latin-amerikai és kelet-ázsiai fejlődés államközpontú értelmezése
Authors: Adam Zoltan
Published: July 2016

A tanulmány a huszadik század második felének latin-amerikai és kelet-ázsiai gazdaságfejlődését elemezve felhívja a figyelmet az állami szerepvállalás jelentőségére a gazdasági fejlődés előmozdításában.A fejlesztő államon alapuló kelet-ázsiai modell sikere és a latin-amerikai fejlődés kudarcai egyaránt arra utalnak, hogy a világgazdasági felzárkózás egyik legfontosabb feltétele egy megfelelő bürokratikus képességekkel és integritással rendelkező államapparátus jelenléte. Ugyanakkor a fejlesztő állam által alkalmazott intervencionista gazdaságpolitikára ma már nem csak a külső adottságok megváltozása miatt nincs mód, hanem a fejlődés sajátos dinamikája miatt sem: az egyik leglátványosabb fejlesztéspolitikai sikert elérő Dél-Koreában az önálló világpiaci szereplővé vált óriásvállalatok függetlenedési törekvései és a liberális demokrácia növekvő társadalmi támogatottsága egyaránt hozzájárultak a fejlesztő állam hagyományos intézményrendszerének lebomlásához. A gazdasági fejlődés előmozdításában azonban – különösen a technológiai fejlődés, a foglalkoztatásbővítés és az esélykiegyenlítés területén – ma is nélkülözhetetlen szerepet játszik az állami gazdaságkoordináció.JEL-kód: B14, B15, E61, F02, H11
Néhány szó a szabályrendszer által korlátozott fiskális politikáról
Authors: Vass Kitti
Published: July 2016

Magyarországon, 2005 őszén ismét – immár menetrendszerűen – a költségvetés tervezése kapcsán viták zajlottak. Az Európai Unió tagjaként ráadásul új elemmel is bővült a disputa, előtérbe került az EMU tagsághoz szükséges deficitkorlátozás problematikája, és a lehetséges csatlakozási időpontok meghatározásával kapcsolatban is jelentős véleménykülönbségek alakultak ki. Vajon más országokban is hasonlóképpen alakul a költségvetés elfogadásának eljárása? Az államháztartási többlet csupán a tankönyvekből ismert utópia? E kérdések megválaszolásához a fiskális politika, a fiskális korlátozások és azok szükségességének kérdéskörét tárgyalom a közgazdaságtan fejlődéstörténetébe helyezve, majd az Európai Monetáris Unió és a feltörekvő gazdaságok fiskális politikáját elemzem. A tanulmány befejező részében empirikus kutatásaimról adok számot, melynek kapcsán bemutatom és megvizsgálom néhány EU-tagország egymástól eltérő fiskális teljesítményét az elmúlt 15 évben. Az elemzés nyomán kapott eltérő eredmények egyik magyarázatául az szolgálhat, hogy a fenntarthatóan kiegyensúlyozott államháztartás szükségességére vonatkozóan tett közgazdasági felismerés és a szabályrendszer megléte nemelégséges a fenntarthatóan kiegyensúlyozott államháztartás biztosításához. A nevezett tényezőkön túl politikai akarat és megfelelő intézményrendszer is szükséges azok megvalósításához, miközben a gazdaságpolitikának elegendő mozgástere marad saját preferenciarendszerének megvalósítására.
Donor motivation in college sport: Does contribution level matter?
Authors: Park Chanmin , Jae Ko Yong , Kim Hee Youn , Sagas Michael , Eddosary Melfy
Published: July 2016

Collegiate sport in the United States not only provides educational opportunities to student athletes, but also offers excellent entertainment options to stakeholders of universities and their community. For the long-term sustainability of college athletic programs, financial support
from individual donors is very important. Our purpose in this study was to identify and compare motives of low- and high-contribution donors to athletic programs. A sample of college sport donors (N = 484) completed the Scale of Athletic Donor Motivation, and the data were categorized
into low- and high-contribution groups. The results of multigroup structural equation modeling indicated that tangible benefit was a salient predictor of giving intention among the low-contribution group, whereas socialization was significant for the high-contribution group. Theoretical and
practical implications are discussed.
Sexual discrimination, attitudes toward sexual health, and consciousness of biomedical ethics in Korea
Authors: Hwang Kyung-Hye , Yoo Yang-Sook , Cho Ok-Hee
Published: July 2016

With industrialization, increasing workforce participation of women, and advances in information and communications technology, South Korean society is experiencing conflict and confusion regarding sexual ethics. We investigated the relationships among sexual discrimination, attitudes
toward sexual health, and consciousness of biomedical ethics with a sample of 142 Korean adults in Seoul, South Korea. Men exhibited greater sexual discrimination than did women. Consciousness of biomedical ethics was higher in those with religious faith and married individuals, those with
a higher level of education, individuals in paid employment, and those with firmly held ethical values, than in people without these characteristics. Finally, consciousness of biomedical ethics was higher in individuals with a more positive attitude toward sexual health. On the basis of these
results, we proposed the development of a sex education program in South Korea to encourage gender-equality awareness, strengthen sound attitudes toward sexual health, and increase consciousness of biomedical ethics.
Relationship satisfaction: High need satisfaction or low need frustration?
Authors: Vanhee Gaëlle , Lemmens Gilbert M. D. , Verhofstadt Lesley L.
Published: July 2016

Despite existing theoretical and empirical grounds for a needs perspective on intimate relationship functioning, little is currently known about the role of relational need frustration, especially as compared to need satisfaction. Therefore, our aim in the present study was to investigate
the relative value of the satisfaction and frustration of an individual's relational needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in predicting relationship satisfaction. Self-report measures were completed by 372 men and women, each of whom was involved in a committed heterosexual relationship.
Results indicated that (a) need satisfaction and need frustration both contributed to relationship satisfaction, with need satisfaction being the stronger predictor of greater satisfaction, and (b) the satisfaction or frustration of the need for relatedness was the only significant predictor
of relationship satisfaction. The results for both men and women were similar. In sum, these results imply that couple interventions should focus on reinforcing relatedness satisfaction as well as on reducing relatedness frustration in both male and female partners.
Consumer Satisfaction Rating Scale: Revised for use in both psychiatric care and social services
Authors: Norlander Torsten , Ivarsson Bo , Andersson Jonny , Nordén Tommy
Published: July 2016

The Consumer Satisfaction Rating Scale (ConSat) is a self-rating instrument that was originally designed solely for use with clients receiving psychiatric care. Therefore, it was decided within the frame of the Swedish Quality Star National Psychiatric Register to develop a revised
instrument (i.e., the ConSat–R). We investigated whether or not the ConSat–R could replace the ConSat for use for provision of both psychiatric care and social services. After pilot testing and further revisions, we tested the instrument at 2 time-points, with an interval of from
1 to 3 weeks. Participants were 53 clients (26 men, 27 women) in 11 different teams in middle and southwest Sweden. Results showed a high correlation between the ConSat and the ConSat–R and high or acceptable correlations even at the level of the items. The reliability was examined with
regard to homogeneity, which showed high values for the ConSat–R. The conclusion was that the ConSat–R may be used with clients receiving both psychiatric care and social services.
Explicit self-esteem, loneliness, and pathological Internet use among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Zeng Weinan , Ye Kaiyin , Hu Ying , Ma Ze-Wei
Published: July 2016

We explored the mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between explicit self-esteem and pathological Internet use in a sample of 624 Chinese adolescents. The participants were administered a series of measures, including the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale
(Version 3), and Young Internet Addiction Test. The results suggested that greater pathological Internet use was associated with lower explicit self-esteem and greater loneliness, but loneliness was positively correlated with pathological Internet use. The mediation analysis indicated that
loneliness completely mediated the association between explicit self-esteem and pathological Internet use among adolescents, implying that lower explicit self-esteem was correlated with greater loneliness, which was then associated with greater pathological Internet use. Accordingly, enhancing
adolescents' self-esteem and decreasing their feelings of loneliness may function as a preventive measure to help teenagers relieve their levels of pathological Internet use.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Longitudinal Study in a Multiracial Cohort
Authors: Zhu Yeyi , Mendola Pauline , Albert Paul S. , Bao Wei , Hinkle Stefanie N. , Tsai Michael Y. , Zhang Cuilin
Published: July 2016

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis may be implicated in glucose homeostasis, but its longitudinal profile across gestation in relation to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is largely unknown. We prospectively investigated IGF axis biomarkers in early-to-midpregnancy in relation to subsequent GDM risk in a case-control study of 107 case subjects with GDM and 214 control subjects without GDM, with blood sample collection at gestational weeks 10–14, 15–26, 23–31, and 33–39. Conditional logistic regression was used, adjusting for major risk factors including prepregnancy BMI. Plasma IGF-I and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations and molar ratio of IGF-I to IGFBP-3 increased, whereas IGFBP-2 decreased throughout pregnancy. At gestational weeks 10–14, both IGF-I and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were positively associated with GDM risk; adjusted odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest versus lowest quartile (ORQ4-Q1) was 2.93 (95% CI 1.18, 7.30) for IGF-I and 3.31 (1.10, 9.98) for IGF-I/IGFBP-3. In contrast, higher IGFBP-2 levels were related to a substantially lower risk of GDM (ORQ4-Q1 0.04 [0.01, 0.06]). Similar results were observed at gestational weeks 15–26. In sum, the IGF axis, IGFBP-2 in particular, may be implicated in the pathogenesis of GDM, with significant associations and incremental predictive value detected as early as gestational weeks 10–14, ∼10–18 weeks earlier before GDM is typically screened for.
Identification and Toxigenicity ofAspergillusspp. from Soils Planted to Peanuts in Eastern Zambia
Authors: Njoroge S. M. C. , Kanenga K. , Siambi M. , Waliyar F. , Monyo E. S.
Published: July 2016

It is not known which aflatoxigenic species are present in Zambia. Therefore, soil samples were collected during May to June 2012, at the end of the growing season in Eastern Province, from 399 farmers' fields that had been planted to groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in Nyimba, Petauke, Mambwe, and Chipata Districts. Population densities of Aspergillus spp. were estimated by plating 10−3 soil dilutions on modified dichloran rose Bengal (MDRB) media. To test for toxigenicity, colonies were randomly selected from MDRB dilution plates, single-spored, transferred to vials with yeast extract sucrose (YES) liquid media, and grown for a week at room temperature. Agra Strip ® lateral flow cards were then used to test the filtered extracts, from the YES cultures, for total aflatoxin at 4 and 20 parts per billion (ppb). We identified Aspergillus flavus (small and large sclerotia strains), A. parasiticus, A. niger, A. nomius, A. oryzae, A. tamarii, and A. terreus. 100% of the S-strain A. flavus isolates produced aflatoxin at 4 and 20 ppb, whereas 86% and 56% of the L-strain A. flavus isolates produced aflatoxins at 4 and 20 ppb, respectively. All the A. nomius isolates produced aflatoxins at 4 and 20 ppb. 79% and 64% the A. parasiticus isolates produced aflatoxins at 4 and 20 ppb. To our knowledge, this is the first peer reviewed report from Zambia documenting the population densities of A. flavus across different agroecologies. In addition, it is also the first report on the identification of different Aspergillus spp., such as A. nomius, A. terreus, A. oryzae, and A. tamarii from Zambia. This information, taken together with cropping practices, soil characteristics, agroecological and climatic data, can form a basis for developing holistic pre-harvest aflatoxin mitigation strategies.
The clinical significance of persistent trigeminal nerve contrast enhancement in patients who undergo repeat radiosurgery
Authors: Mousavi Seyed H. , Akpinar Berkcan , Niranjan Ajay , Agarwal Vikas , Cohen Jonathan , Flickinger John C. , Kondziolka Douglas , Lunsford L. Dade
Published: July 2016

OBJECTIVE

Contrast enhancement of the retrogasserian trigeminal nerve on MRI scans frequently develops after radiosurgical ablation for the management of medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors sought to evaluate the clinical significance of this imaging finding in patients who underwent a second radiosurgical procedure for recurrent TN.

METHODS

During a 22-year period, 360 patients underwent Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) as their first surgical procedure for TN at the authors' center. The authors retrospectively analyzed the data from 59 patients (mean age 72 years, range 33–89 years) who underwent repeat SRS for recurrent pain at a median of 30 months (range 6–146 months) after the first SRS. The isocenter was 4 mm, and the median maximum doses for the first and second procedures were 80 Gy and 70 Gy, respectively. A neuroradiologist and a neurosurgeon blinded to the treated side evaluated the presence of nerve contrast enhancement on MRI series at the time of the repeat procedure. The authors correlated the presence of this imaging change with clinical outcomes. Pain outcomes and development of trigeminal sensory dysfunction were evaluated with the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) Pain Scale and BNI Numbness Scale, respectively. The mean length of follow-up after the second SRS was 58 months (95% CI 49–68 months).

RESULTS

At the time of the repeat SRS, contrast enhancement of the trigeminal nerve on MRI scans was observed in 31 patients (53%). Five years after the SRS, patients with this enhancement had lower actuarial rates of complete pain relief after the repeat SRS (27% [95% CI 7%–47%]) than patients without the enhancement (76% [95% CI 58%–94%]) (p < 0.001). At the 5-year follow-up, patients with the contrast enhancement also had a higher risk for trigeminal sensory loss after repeat SRS (75% [95% CI 59%–91%]) than patients without contrast enhancement (26% [95% CI 10%–42%]) (p = 0.001). Dysesthetic pain after repeat SRS was observed for 8 patients with and for 2 patients without contrast enhancement.

CONCLUSIONS

Trigeminal nerve contrast enhancement on MRI scans observed at the time of a repeat SRS for TN was associated with less satisfactory pain control and more frequently detected facial sensory loss. Residual contrast enhancement at the time of a repeat SRS may warrant consideration of dose reduction or further separation of the radiosurgical targets.
Neurological findings in pediatric penetrating head injury at a university teaching hospital in Durban, South Africa: a 23-year retrospective study
Authors: Muballe Kadhaya David , Hardcastle Timothy , Kiratu Erastus
Published: July 2016

OBJECTIVES

Penetrating traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can be divided into gunshot wounds or stab wounds based on the mechanisms of injury. Pediatric penetrating TBIs are of major concern as many parental and social factors may be involved in the causation. The authors describe the penetrating cranial injuries in pediatric patient subgroups at risk and presenting to the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, by assessment of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and review of the common neurological manifestations including cranial nerve abnormalities.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective chart review of children who presented with penetrating TBIs between 1985 and 2007 at a university teaching hospital. Descriptive statistical analysis with univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the variables.

RESULTS

Out of 223 children aged 16 years and younger with penetrating TBIs seen during the study period, stab wounds were causal in 127 (57%) of the patients, while gunshot injuries were causal in 96 (43%). Eighty-four percent of the patients were male. Apart from abnormal GCS scores, other neurological abnormalities were noted in 109 (48.9%) of the patients, the most common being cranial nerve deficits (22.4%) and hemiparesis. There was a strong correlation between left-sided stab wounds and development of seizures. The mean age of patients with neurological abnormalities was 11.72 years whereas that of patients with no neurological abnormalities was 8.96 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Penetrating head injuries in children are not as uncommon as previously thought. There was no correlation between the age group of the patients and the mechanism of injury, which implies that stab or gunshot injuries could occur in any of our pediatric population with the same frequency. While gunshot injuries accounted for 56% of the patient population, stab injuries still accounted for 44%.

Following penetrating head injuries, neurological abnormalities tend to occur in the older subgroup of the pediatric patients. The most common neurological abnormalities were hemiparesis followed by cranial nerve deficits. Facial nerve deficits were the most commonly seen cranial nerve abnormality. Immediate convulsions were a significant feature in patients with stab injuries to the head compared to those with gunshot injuries.
The Future of Intravesical Drug Delivery for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Douglass Laura , Schoenberg Mark
Published: July 2016

Despite being the fifth most common cancer in the United States, minimal progress has been made in the treatment of bladder cancer in over a decade. Intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has been in use for over 30 years and remains the standard treatment in cases of intermediate and high risk disease. Despite the relative success of intravesical BCG, unmet needs in the treatment of NMIBC persist. These challenges include disease recurrence and progression even with treatment with BCG, as well as issues regarding its availability and patient tolerability. The inherent properties of the bladder pose the biggest obstacle to developing effective intravesical treatments for NMIBC. Current research is now focusing on methods to improve the delivery of intravesical therapies. The objective of this review is to discuss novel intravesical drug delivery systems and how they are addressing these challenges in the treatment of NMIBC.
SEPIM: Secure and Efficient Private Image Matching
Authors: Abduljabbar Zaid , Jin Hai , Ibrahim Ayad , Hussien Zaid , Hussain Mohammed , Abbdal Salah , Zou Deqing
Published: July 2016

Matching a particular image within extensive datasets has become increasingly pressing in many practical fields. Hence, a number of matching methods have been developed when confidential images are used in image matching between a pair of security agencies, but they are limited by either search cost or search precision. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving private image matching scheme between two parties where images are confidential, namely secure and efficient private image matching (SEPIM). The descriptor set of the queried party needs to be generated and encrypted properly with the use of a secret key at the queried party side before being transferred to the other party. We present the development and validation of a secure scheme to measure the cosine similarity between two descriptor sets. To hasten the search process, we construct a tree-based index structure by utilizing the k-means clustering algorithm. The method can work without using any image encryption, sharing, and trusted third party. SEPIM is relatively efficient when set against other methods of searching images over plaintexts, and shows a higher search cost of just 14% and reduction in search precision of just 2%. We conducted several empirical analyses on real image collections to demonstrate the performance of our work.
Mutual Authentication Protocol for Role-Based Access Control Using Mobile RFID
Authors: Chen Bing-Chang , Yang Cheng-Ta , Yeh Her-Tyan , Lin Ching-Chao
Published: July 2016

The Internet has become the main transmission media in modern information systems due to the popularization of information technology and the rapid development of network technology. To use the Internet, we need complete security mechanisms which include requirements such as integrity, security and privacy to ensure the legal user can login to a remote server to get the service and resources they need. The radio frequency identification (RFID) is a very convenient technology with the property of non-contact reading. It uses the tag embedded in the object to identify the information quickly. Now, more and more devices are equipped with the RFID reader. Hence, the user can use the RFID reader embedded in the mobile device through a wireless network to read the information on the tag and then use the service which is called Mobile RFID. Compared to traditional RFID, the characteristic of mobility makes the reading more flexible. It can deal with the events in real-time and undertake the process faster and more efficiently. The major security problem of Mobile RFID is privacy, which is also a consideration when constructing a Mobile RFID Mechanism. In this paper, we propose a secure authentication mechanism which uses the authenticated delegating mechanism in Mobile RFID to enable the reader to get the specific role authority through a back-end database server. The reader has to undertake mutual authentication with the back-end database server and the tag. Then, it can protect the information and limit the access times of the reader to achieve privacy.
Effects of Mixed Phase Microphysical Process on Precipitation in a Simulated Convective Cloud
Authors: Sun Jing , Shi Zheng , Chai Jian , Xu Guirong , Niu Ben
Published: July 2016

The effects of the liquid water content (LWC) and mixing ratio of hydrometeors in the simulation of convective precipitation in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, are investigated using a three-dimensional convective rainstorm model. The microphysical processes of warm and cold clouds are considered into microphysical parameterization. The warm-cloud process is dominated by the combined effects of condensation and drop coalescence. The cold-cloud process is initiated mainly by production of graupel, and the microphysical parameterizations are used to predict the mixing ratio of cloud droplets, rain, ice crystals, snow, and graupel. The simulations results show that 80% rainfall is derived from warm cloud microphysical processes, and the rest is produced by cold cloud microphysical processes. The mixed phase microphysical process can invigorate the production of convective rainfall and enhance the liquid water content (LWC). In addition, the vertical distribution of LWC is mainly concentrated at the height isotherms of −10 to −20 °C in precipitation and the concentration area of LWC matches the distribution range of graupel particles. However, the growth of graupel particles depend on the microphysical processes of nucleation and propagation between rain and graupel particles (NUrg) and collision and coalescence between cloud droplets and graupel (CLcg), in which NUrg is a major source of graupel particles and the contribution of the process accounts for 77% of the amount of graupel particles.
Small-Scale Effect of Pine Stand Pruning on Snowpack Distribution in the Pyrenees Observed with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner
Authors: Revuelto Jesús , López-Moreno Juan-Ignacio , Azorin-Molina Cesar , Alonso-González Esteban , Sanmiguel-Vallelado Alba
Published: July 2016

Forests in snow-dominated areas have substantial effects on the snowpack and its evolution over time. Such interactions have significant consequences for the hydrological response of mountain rivers. Thus, the impact of forest management actions on the snow distribution, and hence the storage of water in the form of snow during winter and spring, is a major concern. The results of this study provide the first detailed comparison of the small-scale effect of forest characteristics on the snowpack distribution, assessed prior to and following major modification of the structure of the canopy by pruning of the lower branches of the trees to 3 m above the ground. This is a common management practice aimed at reducing the spread of forest fires. The snowpack distribution was determined using terrestrial laser scanning (LiDAR technology) at a high spatial resolution (0.25 m) over a 1000 m2 study area during 23 survey dates over three snow seasons in a small study area in the central Pyrenees. The pruning was conducted during summer following the snow season in the second year of the study (i.e., the study duration encompassed two seasons prior to canopy pruning and one following). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify recurring spatial patterns of snow distribution. The results showed that pruning reduced the average radius of the canopy of trees by 1.2 m, and increased the clearance around the trunks, as all the branches that formerly contacted the ground were removed. However, the impact on the snowpack was moderate. The PCA revealed that the spatial configuration of the snowpack did not change significantly, as the principal components included survey days from different periods of the snow season, and did not discriminate days surveyed prior to and following pruning. Nevertheless, removal of the lower branches reduced the area beneath the canopy by 36%, and led to an average increase in total snow depth of approximately 14%.
Getting Ahead of the Wildfire Problem: Quantifying and Mapping Management Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: O’Connor Christopher , Thompson Matthew , Rodríguez y Silva Francisco
Published: July 2016

Wildfire is a global phenomenon that plays a vital role in regulating and maintaining many natural and human-influenced ecosystems but that also poses considerable risks to human populations and infrastructure. Fire managers are charged with balancing the short-term protection of human assets sensitive to fire exposure against the potential long-term benefits that wildfires can provide to natural systems and wildlife populations. The compressed decision timeframes imposed on fire managers during an incident are often insufficient to fully assess a range of fire management options and their respective implications for public and fire responder safety, attainment of land and resource objectives, and future trajectories of hazard and risk. This paper reviews the role of GIS-based assessment and planning to support operational wildfire management decisions, with a focus on recent and emerging research that pre-identifies anthropogenic and biophysical landscape features that can be leveraged to increase the safety and effectiveness of wildfire management operations. We use a case study from the United States to illustrate the development and application of tools that draw from research generated by the global fire management community.
Is Upregulation of Aquaporin 4-M1 Isoform Responsible for the Loss of Typical Orthogonal Arrays of Particles in Astrocytomas?
Authors: Fallier-Becker Petra , Nieser Maike , Wenzel Ulrike , Ritz Rainer , Noell Susan
Published: July 2016

The astrocytic endfoot membranes of the healthy blood-brain barrier—contacting the capillary—are covered with a large number of the water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4). They form orthogonal arrays of particles (OAPs), which consist of AQP4 isoform M1 and M23. Under pathologic conditions, AQP4 is distributed over the whole cell and no or only small OAPs are found. From cell culture experiments, it is known that cells transfected only with AQP4-M1 do not form OAPs or only small ones. We hypothesized that in astrocytomas the situation may be comparable to the in vitro experiments expecting an upregulation of AQP4-M1. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) of different graded astrocytomas revealed an upregulation of both isoforms AQP4 M1 and M23 in all astrocytomas investigated. In freeze fracture replicas of low-grade malignancy astrocytomas, more OAPs than in high-grade malignancy astrocytomas were found. In vitro, cultured glioma cells did not express AQP4, whereas healthy astrocytes revealed a slight upregulation of both isoforms and only a few OAPs in freeze fracture analysis. Taken together, we found a correlation between the decrease of OAPs and increasing grade of malignancy of astrocytomas but this was not consistent with an upregulation of AQP4-M1 in relation to AQP4 M23.
Prenylated Chalcone 2 Acts as an Antimitotic Agent and Enhances the Chemosensitivity of Tumor Cells to Paclitaxel
Authors: Fonseca Joana , Marques Sandra , Silva Patrícia , Brandão Pedro , Cidade Honorina , Pinto Madalena , Bousbaa Hassan
Published: July 2016

We previously reported that prenylated chalcone 2 (PC2), the O-prenyl derivative (2) of 2′-hydroxy-3,4,4′,5,6′-pentamethoxychalcone (1), induced cytotoxicity of tumor cells via disruption of p53-MDM2 interaction. However, the cellular changes through which PC2 exerts its cytotoxic activity and its antitumor potential, remain to be addressed. In the present work, we aimed to (i) characterize the effect of PC2 on mitotic progression and the underlying mechanism; and to (ii) explore this information to evaluate its ability to sensitize tumor cells to paclitaxel in a combination regimen. PC2 was able to arrest breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 and non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells in mitosis. All mitosis-arrested cells showed collapsed mitotic spindles with randomly distributed chromosomes, and activated spindle assembly checkpoint. Live-cell imaging revealed that the compound induced a prolonged delay (up to 14 h) in mitosis, culminating in massive cell death by blebbing. Importantly, PC2 in combination with paclitaxel enhanced the effect on cell growth inhibition as determined by cell viability and proliferation assays. Our findings demonstrate that the cytotoxicity induced by PC2 is mediated through antimitotic activity as a result of mitotic spindle damage. The enhancement effects of PC2 on chemosensitivity of cancer cells to paclitaxel encourage further validation of the clinical potential of this combination.
Chemo-Enzymatic Synthesis of Chiral Epoxides Ethyl and Methyl (S)-3-(Oxiran-2-yl)propanoates from Renewable Levoglucosenone: An Access to Enantiopure (S)-Dairy Lactone
Authors: Peru Aurélien , Flourat Amandine , Gunawan Christian , Raverty Warwick , Jevric Martyn , Greatrex Ben , Allais Florent
Published: July 2016

Chiral epoxides—such as ethyl and methyl (S)-3-(oxiran-2-yl)propanoates ((S)-1a/1b)—are valuable precursors in many chemical syntheses. Until recently, these compounds were synthesized from glutamic acid in four steps (deamination, reduction, tosylation and epoxide formation) in low to moderate overall yield (20%–50%). Moreover, this procedure requires some harmful reagents such as sodium nitrite ((eco)toxic) and borane (carcinogen). Herein, starting from levoglucosenone (LGO), a biobased chiral compound obtained through the flash pyrolysis of acidified cellulose, we propose a safer and more sustainable chemo-enzymatic synthetic pathway involving lipase-mediated Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation, tosylation and treatment with sodium ethoxide/methoxide as key steps. This route afforded ethyl and methyl (S)-3-(oxiran-2-yl)propanoates in 57% overall yield, respectively. To demonstrate the potentiality of this new synthetic pathway from LGO, the synthesis of high value-added (S)-dairy lactone was undertaken from these epoxides and provided the target in 37% overall yield from LGO.
Selective Extraction of Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens Ait. by Mechanochemistry
Authors: Zhang Qihong , Yu Jingbo , Wang Yingyao , Su Weike
Published: July 2016

Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens were selectively extracted by mechanochemical-promoted extraction technology (MPET) after using response surface methodology to determine the optimal extraction parameters. The highest yield of 35.17 mg/g was achieved by grinding the roots with Na2CO3 (15%) at 440 rpm/min for 17.0 min and water was used as the sole solvent with a ratio of solvent to solid material of 25 mL/g. Flavonoids prepared by MPET demonstrated relatively higher antioxidant activities in subsequent DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Main constituents in the extracts, including kurarinol, kushenol I/N and kurarinone, were characterized by HPLC-MS/MS, indicating good selective extraction by MPET. Physicochemical property changes of powder during mechanochemical milling were identified by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and UV-Vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy. Compared with traditional extraction methods, MPET possesses notable advantages of higher selectivity, lower extraction temperature, shorter extraction time, and organic solvent free properties.
Trends and Predictors of Prelacteal Feeding Practices in Nigeria (2003–2013)
Authors: Agho Kingsley , Ogeleka Pascal , Ogbo Felix , Ezeh Osita , Eastwood John , Page Andrew
Published: July 2016

Prelacteal feeding practices are associated with an increased risk of diarrhoea and many early-life diseases. This paper examined trends and predictors of prelacteal feeding practices in Nigeria. A sample of 6416 infants aged 0–6 months from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data for the period (2003–2013) was used. Trends and multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to determine the predictors. The trends of prelacteal feeding rates fluctuated between 55% and 66% over the study period and were significantly lower among mothers with secondary or higher levels of education (13.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54–25.9, p-value = 0.041), delivered at the health facility (13.7%, CI: 1.39–25.9, p-value = 0.029), from more affluent households (18.7%, CI: 1.53–35.9, p-value = 0.033), and lived in urban areas (26.9%, CI: 18.3–35.5, p-value < 0.001). Multivariable analyses revealed that mothers with no schooling, younger mothers (aged 15–24 years), mothers who delivered at home, and delivered by caesarean section were more likely to introduce prelacteal feeds. Many mothers still engage in prelacteal feeding practices in Nigeria, with prelacteal feeding more prevalent in young mothers, mothers with no schooling, and mothers who delivered at home. Interventions involving community health volunteers are needed to improve feeding practices in Nigeria.
Regular-Fat Dairy and Human Health: A Synopsis of Symposia Presented in Europe and North America (2014–2015)
Authors: Astrup Arne , Rice Bradley Beth , Brenna J. , Delplanque Bernadette , Ferry Monique , Torres-Gonzalez Moises
Published: July 2016

In recent history, some dietary recommendations have treated dairy fat as an unnecessary source of calories and saturated fat in the human diet. These assumptions, however, have recently been brought into question by current research on regular fat dairy products and human health. In an effort to disseminate, explore and discuss the state of the science on the relationship between regular fat dairy products and health, symposia were programmed by dairy industry organizations in Europe and North America at The Eurofed Lipids Congress (2014) in France, The Dairy Nutrition Annual Symposium (2014) in Canada, The American Society for Nutrition Annual Meeting held in conjunction with Experimental Biology (2015) in the United States, and The Federation of European Nutrition Societies (2015) in Germany. This synopsis of these symposia describes the complexity of dairy fat and the effects regular-fat dairy foods have on human health. The emerging scientific evidence indicates that the consumption of regular fat dairy foods is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and inversely associated with weight gain and the risk of obesity. Dairy foods, including regular-fat milk, cheese and yogurt, can be important components of an overall healthy dietary pattern. Systematic examination of the effects of dietary patterns that include regular-fat milk, cheese and yogurt on human health is warranted.
Empirical Estimation of Near-Surface Air Temperature in China from MODIS LST Data by Considering Physiographic Features
Authors: Lin Xiaohui , Zhang Wen , Huang Yao , Sun Wenjuan , Han Pengfei , Yu Lingfei , Sun Feifei
Published: July 2016

Spatially and temporally resolved observations of near-surface air temperatures (Ta, 1.5–2 m above ground) are essential for understanding hydrothermal circulation at the land–atmosphere interface. However, the uneven spatial distribution of meteorological stations may not effectively capture the true nature of the overall climate pattern. Several studies have attempted to retrieve spatially continuous Ta from remotely sensed and continuously monitored Land Surface Temperature (LST). However, the topographical control of the relationship between LST and Ta in regions with complex topographies and highly variable weather station densities is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to improve the accuracy of Ta estimations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST via parameterization of the physiographic variables according to the terrain relief. The performances of both Terra and Aqua MODIS LST in estimating Ta have been explored in China. The results indicated that the best agreement was found between Terra nighttime LST (LSTmodn) and the observed Ta in China. In flat terrain areas, the LSTmodn product is significantly linearly correlated with Ta (R2 > 0.80), while, in mountainous areas, the LSTmodn-Ta relationship differed significantly from simple linear correlation. By taking the physiographic features into account, including the seasonal vegetation cover (NDVI), the altitudinal gradient (RDLS), and the ambient absolute humidity (AH), the accuracy of the estimation was substantially improved. The study results indicated that the relevant environmental factors must be considered when interpreting the spatiotemporal variation of the surface energy flux over complex topography.
Surface Water Mapping from Suomi NPP-VIIRS Imagery at 30 m Resolution via Blending with Landsat Data
Authors: Huang Chang , Chen Yun , Zhang Shiqiang , Li Linyi , Shi Kaifang , Liu Rui
Published: July 2016

Monitoring the dynamics of surface water using remotely sensed data generally requires both high spatial and high temporal resolutions. One effective and popular approach for achieving this is image fusion. This study adopts a widely accepted fusion model, the Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (ESTARFM), for blending the newly available coarse-resolution Suomi NPP-VIIRS data with Landsat data in order to derive water maps at 30 m resolution. The Pan-sharpening technique was applied to preprocessing NPP-VIIRS data to achieve a higher-resolution before blending. The modified Normalized Difference Water Index (mNDWI) was employed for mapping surface water area. Two fusion alternatives, blend-then-index (BI) or index-then-blend (IB), were comparatively analyzed against a Landsat derived water map. A case study of mapping Poyang Lake in China, where water distribution pattern is complex and the water body changes frequently and drastically, was conducted. It has been revealed that the IB method derives more accurate results with less computation time than the BI method. The BI method generally underestimates water distribution, especially when the water area expands radically. The study has demonstrated the feasibility of blending NPP-VIIRS with Landsat for achieving surface water mapping at both high spatial and high temporal resolutions. It suggests that IB is superior to BI for water mapping in terms of efficiency and accuracy. The finding of this study also has important reference values for other blending works, such as image blending for vegetation cover monitoring.
Impact of Manually Controlled Solar Shades on Indoor Visual Comfort
Authors: Yao Jian , Chow David , Chi Yu-Wei
Published: July 2016

Daylight plays a significant role in sustainable building design. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the impact of manual solar shades on indoor visual comfort. A developed stochastic model for manual solar shades was modeled in Building Controls Virtual Test Bed, which was coupled with EnergyPlus for co-simulation. Movable solar shades were compared with two unshaded windows. Results show that movable solar shades have more than half of the working hours with a comfortable illuminance level, which is about twice higher than low-e windows, with a less significant daylight illuminance fluctuation. For glare protection, movable solar shades increase comfortable visual conditions by about 20% compared to low-e windows. Moreover, the intolerable glare perception could be reduced by more than 20% for movable solar shades.
To Find Equilibrium of Food Festival Tourism: An Application of Factor Analysis and Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAAHP)
Authors: Kim Young Hoon
Published: July 2016

As one of the most flourishing interests and growth engine in tourism, food became a great resource for destination marketing. Thus, food and tourism have been studied and developed together. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) have utilized and developed their own regional resources
(i.e., food and tourism attractions). It is also recommended that regional restaurant and cuisine need to be developed together to promote special cuisines of a destination. However, it is generally acknowledged that there has been a research gap between the two aspects of supply and demand
in destination marketing and management. The objective of this study is to compare and find the equilibrated position from both sides, and possibly suggest a practical method (i.e., combining of factor analysis and analytical hierarchy process) that can also be applied in other studies. The
results point out that this new method (i.e., FaAHP) represents the first approach in finding an equilibrated point by providing efficient and effective decision making process for DMOs. In addition, this practical approach can be useful in strategic planning for the future food tourism and
festival research.
Managing Live Music Performances: A Demand and Supply Analysis
Authors: Manners Bianca , Kruger Martinette , Saayman Melville
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this study was to provide a comparison between the demand and supply aspects of live music performances in order to establish whether any differences exist between those aspects regarded as important by management and those critical success factors that visitors regard
as important in achieving a memorable visitor experience. This research employed qualitative (supply aspect) and quantitative (demand aspect) research methods. The surveys concerning the visitors (demand) were conducted at six musical events representing diverse genres: classical, R&B,
rock, blues, pop, and Afrikaans, where a total of 4,110 questionnaires were administered for all six genres. To determine the critical success factors in terms of what the visitors regarded as being important for a memorable visitor experience, a factor analysis was employed. The qualitative
research method was applied by means of interviews to obtain the relevant information from the selected participants. All the data collected in the process were transcribed into text and presented in a narrative form. Creswell's six steps for data analysis and interpretation were utilized
to analyze the data. Two themes were identified from the analysis; each of these was differentiated in terms of various categories and subcategories. The results from both the demand and the supply sides were compared with one another and significant differences were identified. The results
of this research contribute greatly to existing literature and to the music industry as a whole, as this was the first time that research has been conducted on both the demand and the supply side. Moreover, this was also the first occasion on which both a qualitative and a quantitative research
method was employed in research conducted at live music performances and where these were subsequently compared to one another.
Events Management Awards in the UK in View of First Destination Employment (FDE): A Student Perspective
Authors: Ryan W. Gerard
Published: July 2016

The ongoing expansion in university attendance in the UK has led to the development and growth of a number of vocational awards. Among these, Events Management has become one of the fastest growing sectors. In recent years, Events Management Education (EME) has come under scrutiny,
receiving a number of critical accounts that appear to be lacking any academic underpinning. Considering the scarcity of publications on the topic, this article has gathered data directly from the main source (the student) and aims to provide a foundation on which to base a more comprehensive
discussion on EME. The study provides an insightful evaluation from a student perspective providing data on the challenges, developments, and strategies universities face in providing the events industry with new recruits. Results suggest that while a great deal of student satisfaction with
EME is evident, EME awards must review the broad content approach in order to meet the sometimes unknown needs of the student and the extensive needs employer.
Total synthesis of leopolic acid A, a natural 2,3-pyrrolidinedione with antimicrobial activity
Authors: Dhavan Atul A , Kaduskar Rahul D , Musso Loana , Scaglioni Leonardo , Martino Piera Anna , Dallavalle Sabrina
Published: July 2016

The first total synthesis of leopolic acid A, a fungal metabolite with a rare 2,3-pyrrolidinedione nucleus linked to an ureido dipeptide, was designed and carried out. Crucial steps for the strategy include a Dieckmann cyclization to obtain the 2,3-pyrrolidinedione ring and a Wittig olefination to install the polymethylene chain. An oxazolidinone-containing leopolic acid A analogue was also synthesized. The antibacterial activity showed by both compounds suggests that they could be considered as promising candidates for future developments.