bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus Distribution in Soils Treated with Bioenergy Co‐product Materials following Corn Growth
Authors: Pagliari Paulo H. , Strock Jeffrey S. , Johnson Jane M. F. , Waldrip Heidi M.
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

Biochar changes chemical distribution of P in soils.

Biochar changes the distribution of hydrolysable organic P in soils.

No two biochar materials are alike.

This research was conducted to investigate the impact of corn cob gasification biochar (CCGB), switchgrass pyrolysis biochar (SPB), turkey manure ash (TMA), and triple superphosphate fertilizer (TSP) on soil phosphorus (P) distribution in three agricultural soils from Minnesota, USA. Understanding how biochar can change soil P distribution is crucial to develop best management practices for recycling biochar products. Phosphorus sources were incorporated at rates of 0, 28, 56, and 84 mg P2O5 kg−1 to 1.5 kg of each soil in 2‐L pots. Corn (Zea mays L.) plants were grown (2 plants pot−1) in treated soils for 56 d after emergence. After 56 d, plants were harvested and soil samples collected for sequential P fractionation (H2O, 0.5 mol L−1 NaHCO3, 0.1 mol L−1 NaOH, and 1.0 mol L−1 HCl) and enzymatic hydrolysis. The results of the sequential fractionation showed that CCGB and SPB were as effective as TSP and TMA at increasing total P extractable in water and HCl. In contrast, the increase in NaHCO3 and NaOH extractable total P was higher with TSP and TMA than with the CCGB and SPB. In most cases, the increase in inorganic P was similar between biochar and TSP, suggesting that biochar could supply equal amounts of plant available P as commercial fertilizer. The effects of biochar on enzymatically hydrolysable P were not consistent and varied by soil. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that biochar has potential to increase the available P pools in soils similar to commercial fertilizer.
Strip Tillage Implements for Single and Twin Row Peanut
Authors: Balkcom Kipling S. , Tubbs R. Scott , Balkcom Kris B.
Published: March 2018

Core Ideas

Grower interest in conservation tillage and cover crops remains high for peanut.

Twin rows improved yields and peanut grade compared to single rows.

Peanut performance did not vary across strip tillage implements.

Twin rows with strip tillage and a cover crop is a productive option for peanut.

Soil degradation and rising production costs have prompted grower interest in conservation tillage with cover crops for peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Our objective was to evaluate single and twin row peanut production across three different strip tillage implements (KMC, Orthman, Unverferth) with and without a rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop in Headland, AL, and Tifton, GA, during 2012 to 2014. Surface residue cover following planting, plant populations, peanut yield, total sound mature kernels (TSMK), and soil penetration resistance (PR) for the cultivar Georgia 06G were compared across cover crop treatments, tillage implements, and row patterns. Surface residue exceeded 60% at both locations in the rye treatment. Plant populations were greater across the fallow treatment and the twin row pattern at both locations. Twin rows increased yield compared with single rows in Headland (360 kg ha−1) and Tifton (>1000 kg ha−1) and also improved grade (TSMK) at both locations. Strip tillage implements had no effect on peanut plant parameters. At planting, soil PR was greater with a cover crop only at Headland; whereas implements reduced soil PR in 2012 (Orthman) and 2014 (Unverferth). At harvest, soil PR differences were only observed in 2013. The KMC and Unverferth implements maintained less resistance compared with Orthman at Headland, whereas cover crop reduced PR at Tifton. Peanut performance did not differ in response to one strip tillage implement over the other; however, results show strip tillage with a cover crop and twin row management improves peanut production across the Southeast.
Air‐Filled Porosity as a Key to Reducing Dissolved Arsenic and Cadmium Concentrations in Paddy Soils
Authors: Nakamura Ken , Katou Hidetaka , Suzuki Katsuhiro , Honma Toshimitsu
Published: March 2018

Simultaneous suppression of rice (Oryza sativa L.) uptake of As and Cd is challenging because these toxic elements are immobilized under contrasting redox conditions. Given the notion that oxygen diffusion governs redox conditions in temporarily drained paddy soil, we assume that the key to simultaneous suppression of dissolved As and Cd concentrations is air‐filled porosity (AFP) of soil. The objectives of this study were to reveal relationships between AFP and dissolved As and Cd concentrations in paddy soils and to identify the optimum water management, in terms of AFP, for simultaneous reduction of As and Cd. Dissolved As and Cd concentrations were determined in soil cores collected at different depths and times during rice growing seasons. Dissolved As concentrations were appreciable (>3 µg L−1) only when AFP was below a threshold value of 0.04 to 0.10 m3 m−3, suggesting that dissolved As was rapidly immobilized once AFP exceeded the threshold value on drainage. Dissolved Cd concentrations were roughly proportional to AFP, with higher concentrations associated with lower soil pH. Although dissolved As concentrations tended to be low in soil samples with high dissolved Cd concentrations and vice versa, both concentrations were low when AFP was slightly above the threshold value for As immobilization. The results suggest that dissolved As and Cd can be simultaneously kept at low levels by appropriate water management practices that produce AFP slightly above the threshold value for As immobilization.

Core Ideas

Dissolved As and Cd in paddy soil respond to changes in air‐filled porosity (AFP).

Dissolved As was appreciable only when AFP was below a threshold value.

The increase in dissolved Cd with AFP upon drainage was a slowly continuing process.

Slightly above the threshold AFP, both dissolved As and Cd were at low levels.

AFP is easier to predict than Eh, serving as a guide to optimal water management.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Management Practices that Affect Emissions in US Rice Systems
Authors: Linquist Bruce A. , Marcos Mathias , Adviento‐Borbe M. Arlene , Anders Merle , Harrell Dustin , Linscombe Steve , Reba Michele L. , Runkle Benjamin R. K. , Tarpley Lee , Thomson Allison
Published: March 2018

Previous reviews have quantified factors affecting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) systems, but not from rice systems typical for the United States, which often vary considerably particularly in practices (i.e., water and carbon management) that affect emissions. Using meta‐analytic and regression approaches, existing data from the United States were examined to quantify GHG emissions and major practices affecting emissions. Due to different production practices, major rice production regions were defined as the mid‐South (Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri) and California, with emissions being evaluated separately. Average growing season CH4 emissions for the mid‐South and California were 194 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 129–260) and 218 kg CH4 ha−1 season−1 (95% CI = 153–284), respectively. Growing season N2O emissions were similar between regions (0.14 kg N2O ha−1 season−1). Ratoon cropping (allowing an additional harvestable crop to grow from stubble after the initial harvest), common along the Gulf Coast of the mid‐South, had average CH4 emissions of 540 kg CH4 ha−1 season−1 (95% CI = 465–614). Water and residue management practices such as alternate wetting and drying, and stand establishment method (water vs. dry seeding), and the amount of residue from the previous crop had the largest effect on growing season CH4 emissions. However, soil texture, sulfate additions, and cultivar selection also affected growing season CH4 emissions. This analysis can be used for the development of tools to estimate and mitigate GHG emissions from US rice systems and other similarly mechanized systems in temperate regions.

Core Ideas

Emissions of CH4 and N2O were quantified for US rice systems using a meta‐analysis.

Emissions were determined for both the growing and fallow seasons.

We assessed the major management practices affecting emissions.

Analysis can be used to develop a tool for quantifying emissions from rice fields.
Sclerotinia Blight Resistance in the US Peanut Mini‐Core Collection
Authors: Bennett Rebecca S. , Chamberlin Kelly D. , Damicone John P.
Published: March 2018

Germplasm collections are valuable sources of desirable traits such as disease resistance, but many accessions have yet to be characterized. Seventy‐one accessions of the US peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) mini‐core were evaluated from 2013 to 2015 for yield, seed quality characteristics, Sclerotinia blight (caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger) resistance in the field, and for a Sclerotinia resistance marker. Twenty‐one accessions with <10% and six accessions with <5% disease incidence were identified from the 2 yr most favorable for disease. Resistant accessions were more likely to have a simple sequence repeat marker for Sclerotinia blight resistance, and a negative correlation between disease incidence and the presence of the resistance marker was observed. One resistant mini‐core accession, CC650 (PI 478819), was similar to commercial cultivars in yield (3617 kg ha−1 over 3 yr). CC650 also had the highest seed grade among entries at 73%, large kernels (73 g 100 seed−1), and a large proportion of extra‐large kernels. In growth chamber inoculation tests, CC650 was similar to the resistant cultivar ‘Georgia‐03L’. These results may be useful to peanut breeders seeking additional sources of resistance to Sclerotinia minor.
Corporate governance and resource management in Nigeria: a paradigm shift
Authors: A. Oyewunmi Olabode , E. Oyewunmi Adebukola
Published: March 2018

The underlying significance of instituting measures for effective corporate governance and rewarding resource management outcomes cannot be relegated. The countries and organizations that deemphasize this practice have mortgaged their potential for long-term growth and corporate sustainability. This paper adopts a critical narrative method to deconstruct the essence of corporate governance and economic resource management ideals. The paper furthers the ongoing conversations on two interrelated business concepts, and provides an apt perspective towards unlocking the essence of corporate governance relative to the Nigeria’s corporate environment. It depicts a corporate paradigm shift that accommodates the dynamics of global best practices taking into account some peculiarities of Nigeria’s corporate climate. The paper also captures relevant theoretical dimensions and pragmatic policy propositions, especially for underperforming socio-economic contexts. In the light of the central theme, specific issues are discussed under the sub-headings of conceptual and theoretical clarifications, corporate governance and resource management in Nigeria, shifting the paradigms, conclusion and recommendations.
How employee engagement mediates the influence of individual factors toward organizational commitment
Authors: Anindita Rina , Emilia Seda Adventia
Published: March 2018

Employee engagement affects the Employer Commitment which has influence on the expression desired by someone in relation to their professional attitude, connecting the work with personal life for psychological, cognitive, emotional, and their personal feelings as a whole, so that employees engagement towards a company will drive the employees’ performance. This is proved by the previous studies, but they have not included individual factors as the force that forms employee engagement or organizational commitment, specifically because seeing how the consequences of employee engagement produced. In this study, the authors consider the influence of individual factors towards organizational commitment mediated by employee engagement, which distinguishes this study from the previous ones. The objectives of this study are: first, to discover how individual factors affect employee engagement; second, to find out how employee engagement affects Organizational Commitment of employees; Third, to discover how individual factors affect organizational commitment. This study is conducted among the respondents all of whom are employees within MICE industry in Indonesia using questionnaire. Data analysis in was performed this study using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method. The results of this study show that high individual factors will form high employee engagement, high employee engagement will form high organizational commitment, and high individual factors will form high organizational commitment. In this study, it is found that there is an influence of individual factors towards organizational commitment mediated by employee engagement.
Technical auditing of water supply systems – part 1: the complex methodology
Authors: Tuhovčák Ladislav , Kučera Tomáš , Sucháček Tomáš
Published: March 2018

To ensure the sustainability and reliability of water supply infrastructure, a basic pre-condition must be applied related to its continual renewal. For renewal planning, there are a number of methods, techniques and software tools for decision-support, but in many cases most of them focus only on water mains. However, water supply systems consist of more various parts and structures than simply water pipes. Therefore, it is not appropriate to invest in renewal planning for a single part of the water supply infrastructure only. An effective and detailed evaluation of the technical condition requires the deployment of specialists and a reliable database, as well as considerable amounts of time, instrumentation and software. Therefore, it is preferable to first perform a rapid and efficient preliminary identification of problematic areas and elements of the entire water supply system. This paper presents the methodology and Technical and Energy Audit (TEA Water), as well as an effective preliminary assessment of the technical condition of water supply systems (WSSs). The paper presents the structure of proposed technical indicators, the method of their determination and evaluation, as well as including a presentation of case studies.
Activity corrections are required for accurate anaerobic digestion modelling
Authors: Patón Mauricio , González-Cabaleiro Rebeca , Rodríguez Jorge
Published: March 2018

The impact on the prediction of key process variables in anaerobic digestion (AD) when activity corrections are neglected (e.g. when ideal solution is assumed) is evaluated in this paper. The magnitude of deviations incurred in key variables was quantified using a generalised physicochemistry modelling framework that incorporates activity corrections. Deviations incurred on the intermediate and partial alkalinity ratio (a key control variable in AD) already reach values over 20% in typical AD scenarios at low ionic strengths. Deviations of moderate importance (∼5%) in free ammonia, hydrogen sulfide inhibition, as well as in the biogas composition, were observed. Those errors become very large for components involving multiple deprotonations, such as inorganic phosphorus, and their magnitude (∼40%) would impede proper precipitation modelling. A dynamic AD case simulation involving a series of overloads showed model underpredictions of the process acidification when activity corrections are neglected. This compromises control actions based on such models. Based on these results, a systematic incorporation of activity corrections in AD models is strongly recommended. This will prevent model overfitting to observations related to inaccurate physicochemistry modelling, at a marginal computational cost. Alternatives for these implementations are also discussed.
The Impact of Post-Genomics Approaches in Neurodegenerative Demyelinating Diseases: The Case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Authors: Villar Margarita , Mateos-Hernandez Lourdes , de la Fuente Jose
Published: March 2018

Background:

Why an autoimmune disease that is the main cause of the acute neuromuscular
paralysis worldwide does not have a well-characterized cause or an effective treatment yet? The existence
of different clinical variants for the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) coupled with the fact that a
high number of pathogens can cause an infection that sometimes, but not always, precedes the development
of the syndrome, confers a high degree of uncertainty for both prognosis and treatment. In the
post-genomic era, the development of omics technologies for the high-throughput analysis of biological
molecules is allowing the characterization of biological systems in a degree of depth unimaginable before.
In this context, this work summarizes the application of post-genomics technologies to the study
of GBS.

Methods:

We performed a structured search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature
to outline the state of the art with regard the application of post-genomics technologies to the
study of GBS. The quality of retrieved papers was assessed using standard tools and thirty-four were
included in the review. To date, transcriptomics and proteomics have been the unique post-genomics
approaches applied to GBS study. Most of these studies have been performed on cerebrospinal fluid
samples and only a few studies have been conducted with other samples such as serum, Schwann cells
and human peripheral nerve.

Results and Conclusion:

In the post-genomics era, transcriptomics and proteomics have shown the
possibilities that omics technologies can offer for a better understanding of the immunological and
pathological mechanisms involved in GBS and the identification of potential biomarkers, but these results
have only shown the tip of the iceberg and there is still a long way to exploit the full potential that
post-genomics approaches could offer to the study of the GBS. The integration of different omics
datasets through a systems biology approach could allow network-based analyses to describe the complexity
and functionality of the molecular mechanisms involved in the course of disease facilitating the
discovery of novel biomarkers that could be used to improve the diagnosis, predict the disease progression,
improve our understanding of the pathology, and serve as therapeutic targets for GBS.
Effects of Molecular Hydrogen Assessed by an Animal Model and a Randomized Clinical Study on Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Nishimaki Kiyomi , Asada Takashi , Ohsawa Ikuroh , Nakajima Etsuko , Ikejima Chiaki , Yokota Takashi , Kamimura Naomi , Ohta Shigeo
Published: March 2018

Background:

Oxidative stress is one of the causative factors in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative
diseases including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. We previously reported
that molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic and preventive antioxidant.

Objective:

We assess the effects of drinking H2-water (water infused with H2) on oxidative stress model
mice and subjects with MCI.

Methods:

Transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative form of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 were
used as a dementia model. The mice with enhanced oxidative stress were allowed to drink H2-water. For
a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study, 73 subjects with MCI drank ~300 mL of
H2-water (H2-group) or placebo water (control group) per day, and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment
Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) scores were determined after 1 year.

Results:

In mice, drinking H2-water decreased oxidative stress markers and suppressed the decline of
memory impairment and neurodegeneration. Moreover, the mean lifespan in the H2-water group was
longer than that of the control group. In MCI subjects, although there was no significant difference between
the H2- and control groups in ADAS-cog score after 1 year, carriers of the apolipoprotein E4
(APOE4) genotype in the H2-group were improved significantly on total ADAS-cog score and word recall
task score (one of the sub-scores in the ADAS-cog score).

Conclusion:

H2-water may have a potential for suppressing dementia in an oxidative stress model and in
the APOE4 carriers with MCI.
The Correlations between Postmortem Brain Pathologies and Cognitive Dysfunction in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Qiu Wen-Ying , Yang Qian , Zhang Wanying , Wang Naili , Zhang Di , Huang Yue , Ma Chao
Published: March 2018

Background:

The pathological diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) updated by
the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) in 2012 has been widely adopted,
but the clinicopathological relevance remained obscure in Chinese population.

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the correlations between the antemortem clinical cognitive performances
and the postmortem neuropathological changes in the aging and AD brains collected in a human
brain bank in China.

Method:

A total of 52 human brains with antemortem cognitive status information [Everyday Cognition
(ECog)] were collected through the willed donation program by CAMS/PUMC Human Brain Bank.
Pathological changes were evaluated with the “ABC” score following the guidelines of NIA-AA. The
clinicopathological relationship was analyzed with correlation analysis and general linear multivariate
model.

Results:

The general ABC score has a significant correlation with global ECog score (r=0.37, p=0.014)
and most of ECog domains. The CERAD score of neuritic plaques (C score) has a significant correlation
with global ECog score (r=0.40, p=0.007) and the majority of ECog domains, such as memory (r=0.50,
p=0.001), language (r=0.45, p=0.002), visuospatial functions (r=0.31, p=0.040), planning (r=0.35,
p=0.021) and organization (r=0.39, p=0.010). The Braak stage of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) (B
score) has a moderate correlation with memory (r=0.32, p=0.035). The Thal phases of amyloid-β (Aβ)
deposits (A score) present no significant correlation with any of ECog domains.

Conclusion:

In this study, we verified the correlation of postmortem C and B scores, but not the A score
with cognition performance in a collection of samples from the Chinese human brain bank.
FUNGUS DIVERSITY AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION
Authors: Vitthalrao Shinde Ashok , Agrawal Sarita
Published: March 2018

The extent of Fungus diversity is reviewed, with respect to revised estimates of the numbers of plant species, and recent data on the extent of novelty in tropical forests, unexplored habitats, and numbers of orphaned, cryptic, and collected but yet undescribed species. Collections of Fungus cultures are considered to be better referred to as “genetic resource collections” rather than “culture collections” to mesh with current terminology in other groups of organisms. Finally, the special role and responsibilities of CBS, as the major centre for the conservation of Fungus genetic resources worldwide, is emphasized.
KNOWLEDGE OF FAMILY PLANNING METHODS IN DHIMAL WOMEN OF BUDDHASHANTI RURAL MUNICIPALITY
Authors: Subedi Bhakti Prasad
Published: March 2018

Knowledge of family planning method can contribute to a very important role for the reduction in fertility and unwanted pregnancies. This study aims to understand general idea about the knowledge/awareness and practice of family planning among the married women of Dhimal community of Budhashanti Rural Municipality. Among the total 207 Dhimal households, all 207 married 15-49 years women of Budhashanti Rural Municipality were purposively chosen for this study. Collected primary data were analyzed by the use of simple tables and percentages. Among all the married respondents, 47.8% women were aged 20-29 years, 64.8% were literate, 50.2% were engaged in agriculture, 17.9% engaged in business, 9.1% engaged to achieved self-employment and 22.8% respondents engaged as worker to others. Hundred percent respondents heard about any methods and had knowledge about permanent and temporary methods of family planning. Television program was the important source of family planning knowledge and education whereas GOs, NGOs and INGOs were the family planning service provider institutions. Among the total respondents, 38.6%, 45.9% and 15.9% responded permanent, temporary and natural methods of family planning respectively as their most likely family planning methods. Findings show that awareness/knowledge about family planning methods is almost universal among the respondents. But most likely and currently using family planning method was not similar.
A Decade of Veteran Voices: Examining Patient Portal Enhancements Through the Lens of User-Centered Design (Preprint)
Authors: Nazi Kim M , Turvey Carolyn L , Klein Dawn M , Hogan Timothy P
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Health care systems have entered a new era focused on patient engagement. Patient portals linked to electronic health records are recognized as a promising multifaceted tool to help achieve patient engagement goals. Achieving significant growth in adoption and use requires agile evaluation methods to complement periodic formal research efforts.

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes one of the implementation strategies that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has used to foster the adoption and sustained use of its patient portal, My HealtheVet, over the last decade: an ongoing focus on user-centered design (UCD). This strategy entails understanding the users and their tasks and goals and optimizing portal design and functionality accordingly. Using a case study approach, we present a comparison of early user demographics and preferences with more recent data and several examples to illustrate how a UCD can serve as an effective implementation strategy for a patient portal within a large integrated health care system.

METHODS

VA has employed a customer experience analytics (CXA) survey on its patient portal since 2007 to enable ongoing direct user feedback. In a continuous cycle, a random sample of site visitors is invited to participate in the Web-based survey. CXA model questions are used to track and trend satisfaction, while custom questions collect data about users’ characteristics, needs, and preferences. In this case study, we performed analyses of descriptive statistics comparing user characteristics and preferences from FY2008 (wherein “FY” means “fiscal year”) to FY2017 and user trends regarding satisfaction with and utilization of specific portal functions over the last decade, as well as qualitative content analysis of user’s open-ended survey comments.

RESULTS

User feedback has guided the development of enhancements to core components of the My HealtheVet portal including available features, content, interface design, prospective functional design, and related policies. Ten-year data regarding user characteristics and portal utilization demonstrate trends toward greater patient engagement and satisfaction. Administration of a continuous voluntary Web-based survey is an efficient and effective way to capture veterans’ voices about who they are, how they use the patient portal, needed system improvements, and desired additional services.

CONCLUSIONS

Leveraging “voice-of-the-customer” techniques as part of patient portal implementation can ensure that such systems meet users’ needs in ways that are agile and most effective. Through this strategy, VA has fostered significant adoption and use of My HealtheVet to engage patients in managing their health.
Relationships Among Tweets Related to Radiation: Visualization Using Co-Occurring Networks (Preprint)
Authors: Yagahara Ayako , Hanai Keiri , Hasegawa Shin , Ogasawara Katsuhiko
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, interest in, and fear of, radiation increased among citizens. When such accidents occur, appropriate risk communication must provided by the government. It is therefore necessary to understand the fears of citizens in the days after such accidents.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the progression of people’s concerns, specifically fear, from a study of radiation-related tweets in the days after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

METHODS

From approximately 1.5 million tweets in Japanese including any of the phrases “radiation” (放射線), “radioactivity” (放射能), and “radioactive substance” (放射性物質) sent March 11-17, 2011, we extracted tweets that expressed fear. We then performed a morphological analysis on the extracted tweets. Citizens’ fears were visualized by creating co-occurrence networks using co-occurrence degrees showing relationship strength. Moreover, we calculated the Jaccard coefficient, which is one of the co-occurrence indices for expressing the strength of the relationship between morphemes when creating networks.

RESULTS

From the visualization of the co-occurrence networks, we found high citizen interest in “nuclear power plant” on March 11 and 12, “health” on March 12 and 13, “medium” on March 13 and 14, and “economy” on March 15. On March 16 and 17, citizens’ interest changed to “lack of goods in the afflicted area.” In each co-occurrence network, trending topics, citizens’ fears, and opinions to the government were extracted.

CONCLUSIONS

This study used Twitter to understand changes in the concerns of Japanese citizens during the week after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, with a focus specifically on citizens’ fears. We found that immediately after the accident, the interest in the accident itself was high, and then interest shifted to concerns affecting life, such as health and economy, as the week progressed. Clarifying citizens’ fears and the dissemination of information through mass media and social media can add to improved risk communication in the future.
Evaluating the Usability and Usefulness of a Mobile App for Atrial Fibrillation Using Qualitative Methods: Exploratory Pilot Study (Preprint)
Authors: Hirschey Jaclyn , Bane Sunetra , Mansour Moussa , Sperber Jodi , Agboola Stephen , Kvedar Joseph , Jethwani Kamal
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia and a potent risk factor for stroke. Nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are routinely prescribed to manage AFib stroke risk; however, nonadherence to treatment is a concern. Additional tools that support self-care and medication adherence may benefit patients with AFib.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived usability and usefulness of a mobile app designed to support self-care and treatment adherence for AFib patients who are prescribed NOACs.

METHODS

A mobile app to support AFib patients was previously developed based on early stage interview and usability test data from clinicians and patients. An exploratory pilot study consisting of naturalistic app use, surveys, and semistructured interviews was then conducted to examine patients’ perceptions and everyday use of the app.

RESULTS

A total of 12 individuals with an existing diagnosis of nonvalvular AFib completed the 4-week study. The average age of participants was 59 years. All participants somewhat or strongly agreed that the app was easy to use, and 92% (11/12) reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the app. Participant feedback identified changes that may improve app usability and usefulness for patients with AFib. Areas of usability improvement were organized by three themes: app navigation, clarity of app instructions and design intent, and software bugs. Perceptions of app usefulness were grouped by three key variables: core needs of the patient segment, patient workflow while managing AFib, and the app’s ability to support the patient’s evolving needs.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that mobile tools that target self-care and treatment adherence may be helpful to AFib patients, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Additionally, participant feedback provided insight into the varied needs and health experiences of AFib patients, which may improve the design and targeting of the intervention. Pilot studies that qualitatively examine patient perceptions of usability and usefulness are a valuable and often underutilized method for assessing the real-world acceptability of an intervention. Additional research evaluating the AFib Connect mobile app over a longer period, and including a larger, more diverse sample of AFib patients, will be helpful for understanding whether the app is perceived more broadly to be useful and effective in supporting patient self-care and medication adherence.
TINJAUAN FILSAFAT KEBUDAYAAN TERHADAP UPACARA ADAT BERSIH-DESA DI DESA TAWUN, KECAMATAN KASREMAN, KABUPATEN NGAWI, JAWA TIMUR
Authors: Cathrin Shely
Published: March 2018

Bersih-Desa in Tawun village is an individual expression and collective interaction of the society which have the quality of traditional agrarian, therefore the presence of this ceremony cannot be separated from the socio-cultural’s parts and activities of the society. There are some valuable reasons behind this question why this ceremony still exists until this present day, the main reason is because the ceremony has some elements and cultural factors and also some virtuous values which then give such a good live guide to their generation. The method of this research is ‘hermeneutics philosophical’. This research is done by combining the library research which is reinforced with the direct observation. The results of this research is the existence of a cultural philosophy concept of the ritual ceremony ‘Bersih-Desa’ in Tawun village including its elements and determinant factors that caused in the presence of the ceremony until this present-day and also there are society understanding toward this ceremony. This ritual ceremony implements some values and virtuous attitudes which then it can be done by the society because it gives some positive impacts for their development. The society is highly expected for not only able to understand the values which are consisted in its ceremony, but they have also able to use it in their daily life.
KONSEP ILMU PENGETAHUAN SYED HUSSEIN NASHR: SUATU TELAAH RELASI SAINS DAN AGAMA
Authors: Hidayatullah Syarif
Published: March 2018

Syed Hussein Nashr is one of the leading scholars in the field of science and religion relations,  especially in Islamic  world. A study on Nashr’s thought in this field is an important and necessary effort to understand one of the aspects that contribute particualrly to the development of sciences in the Islamic world, and in the Western world generally. The article aims to understand (1) Syed Hussein Nashr’s concept on science? And (2) the relevance of Nashr’s concept on science to the development of discourses in science and religion? This study focuses on Nashr’sconcept on science and its relevance to the development of the science and religion discourse. This study deploys a framework of philosophy of science, while applying descriptive and analitycal methodological approach. This study finds that: first, Nashr’s concept on science bases it self on the principle of unity, that is a concept of one-ness and inter-relationship of all beings, which allows integration of knowledge and action of human being into harmony. Nashr offers idea of sacred knowledge (scientia sacra) to allow the sacred values embeded in Islamic teaching to spiritualize modern sciences which are developed in the Western world. Secondly, Nashr was the first Muslim scholar who wrote a comprehensive work about history of science in Islam. His influence is attributed to his contribution to the dicsussion of science and to a grand narrative, namely, Islamization of knowledge or Islamic science, that had become a major scholarly debate among Muslim scholars.
PEMIKIRAN POSTMODERNISME DAN PANDANGANNYA TERHADAP ILMU PENGETAHUAN
Authors: Setiawan Johan , Sudrajat Ajat
Published: March 2018

The birth of postmodernism can not be separated from the notion of modernism. The view of modernism assumes that the truth of science is absolute and objective, meaning that there is no human value. Here is the birth of a new idea of postmodernism which is one of figures are Jean Francouis Lyotard, postmodernism is a continuation and correction of modernism to provide a new thought and solution in his view of science. For postmodernism, science is not objective but subjective and the interpretation of man himself, so the truth is relative. Postmodernism can not be separated by its weakness and whether it is relevant to today’s life, so postmodernism adds to the acquisition of knowledge which can be accepted by its existence.
Organic Food Business in India: A Survey of Companies
Authors: Mukherjee Arpita , Kapoor Avantika , Dutta Souvik
Published: March 2018

In recent years, the Government of India has come up with policy initiatives to promote organic food for domestic market and exports. Such measures are expected to increase investment in organic food manufacturing and retailing, and create employment. Indian entrepreneurs have responded positively to these initiatives and a number of start-ups have come up in this sector. Many conventional food manufacturers, retailers, and exporters have diversified their businesses to include organic food products. India’s trade in organic food products has also increased.

This paper, based on a primary survey of companies engaged in organic food business in India, analyses their reasons for entering the organic business, their business models and sourcing process, how they work with organic farmers, what opportunities and risks they perceive, and what they want from the Indian government in terms of policies and incentives. It also examines the companies’ perception about the growth of this sector, and makes policy recommendations on how organic food can attract investment across the food supply chain and continue on a high growth trajectory.
ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS FOR TOURISM DEMAND FUNCTION IN EGYPT A DYNAMIC PANEL DATA APPROACH
Authors: Faragalla Waleed Said Soliman
Published: March 2018

In this paper, the author investigates the tourism demand function using the dynamic panel data approach in the case of Egypt. The panel data set covers the time period between 1995 and 2014. The individuals are 49 countries as origin countries for tourists, representing 92% of the total tourist arrivals to Egypt. Explanatory variables which affect the tourism demand function were taken into account: lag of dependent variable that leads to dynamic panel data approach, using DIFF-GMM estimator proposed by Arellano and Bond (1991); also, many other explanatory variables like GDP per capita, relative price index, distance, and dummy variable which represent the political situation. One of the important and significant conclusions of the paper is the significant effect of the lagged dependent variable (0.493), which may be explained as “Word of Mouth” to tourists’ decision when choosing the destination.
RELEVANCE THE REGULATION OF INNOVATION WITH THE CHALLENGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPETITION
Authors: Radenković Jocić Dragana
Published: March 2018

Intellectual property is directly connected with competition law. On the other side, it should be noted that innovation as a part of intellectual property rights make significant element of companies’ activities if they want to be competitive at the market. This is the reason why it is possible to say that competition law belongs to rules of economic relationships. Law is important for companies in sense to promote economic efficiency. The competitiveness is the ability of a region to export more in value added terms than it im­ports. That definition is very important for companies and for investors at the same time. Due to that, governments have to pay attention on all possible so-called discounts, includ­ing an artificially low currency, suppressed wages in export sectors, artificially low taxes on traded sector firms and direct subsidies to exports. Governments, but the legislators also should control barriers and obstacles, in order to improve measurements to eliminate them. It could be very important sign for investor. Finally, intellectual property rights will show their significance through the companies’ competition policy. The whole Europe develops research and development area, focusing on major competitors. Due to that task participants are interested especially in the share of private investment in a field of research.
Riesgo de pie diabético y déficit de autocuidados en pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2
Authors: Couselo Fernández I. , Rumbo-Prieto J.M.
Published: March 2018

Objetivo: Conocer los factores de riesgo de pie diabético y el nivel de conocimientos sobre autocuidados en una muestra de pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2), de un centro de salud urbano.

Método: Estudio observacional descriptivo en Atención Primaria. Intervención de enfermería relacionada con pie diabético en una muestra de usuarios diagnosticados de DM2. Recogida de datos de historia clínica, valoración clínica y aplicación de un cuestionario ad hoc sobre factores de riesgo y conocimiento de autocuidados. Análisis estadístico descriptivo e inferencial.

Resultados: 42 hombres y 31 mujeres. Media de edad de 69.1 años. El 65.8% fueron diagnosticados de DM2 hace más de 10 años. El valor medio de la HbA1c fue de 6.9%, el cual fue más elevado en los hombres (p=0.02). También, se observó mayor riesgo de complicaciones vasculares y neuropáticas en los hombres (p=0.04); y una mayor presencia de deformidades (helomas y hallux valgus) en las mujeres (p<0.01). Déficit de conocimientos en más de la mitad de los pacientes, relacionado con la hidratación diaria de los pies (p<0.01) y el uso de calzado adecuado (p<0.01).

Conclusiones: El control de los factores de riesgo de pie diabético debe ser mejorado por parte de los pacientes de nuestro estudio. El déficit de conocimientos se relacionó con un bajo nivel informativo y con la aplicación inadecuada de las recomendaciones. Se hace necesario formar a los pacientes en estos aspectos y realizar una valoración clínica, según la práctica basada en la evidencia, lo que posiblemente influya en un mejor control del riesgo de pie diabético.
Automanejo en diabetes mellitus tipo 2 desde un enfoque de género: revisión integrativa
Authors: Mendoza-Catalán G. , Chaparro-Díaz L. , Gallegos-Cabriales E. , Carreno-Moreno S.
Published: March 2018

Objetivo: identificar las diferencias en el automanejo de la DMT2 bajo un enfoque de género. Metodología: Se realizó una Revisión Integrativa en diferentes bases de datos de las cuales 24 artículos cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión para esta investigación, 13 artículos cuantitativos y 11 cualitativos, la mayoría de los estudios fueron realizados en Estados Unidos y Canadá. Resultados: De acuerdo a los hallazgos, las mujeres cumplen mejor con la alimentación y la toma de medicamentos, presentan menor apoyo social, mayores problemas psicológicos, y la religión, oración, la fe y la espiritualidad son un mecanismo positivo para el manejo de su enfermedad. Mientras que los hombres, cumplen mejor con la actividad física, presentan menor conocimiento, mayor consumo de alcohol y tabaco, y reciben mayor apoyo social. Sin embargo, el trabajo y la ausencia de síntomas graves son una barrera para el automanejo. Conclusiones: Existen diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en relación al automanejo, mismas que permiten al personal de enfermería orientar intervenciones bajo un enfoque de género, basado en las necesidades particulares que presentan los hombres y mujeres. Por una parte, las mujeres requieren mejorar el ejercicio y mayor apoyo social, psicológico y espiritual. Los hombres muestran dificultades para cumplir con la alimentación y la toma de medicamentos. 
LEGITIMACY OF PROGENIES USING SSR MARKERS AS CONTROLLING SYSTEM AND EARLIER SELECTION IN THE OIL PALM NURSERY (Elaeis guineensis JACQ.)
Authors: Faizah Rokhana , Wening Sri , Purba Abdul Razak
Published: March 2018

Information of legitimacy of oil palm progenies is important to guaranty the quality and to control commercial seeds procedures. A true and legitimate cross will produce progeny which has a combination of their parent's allele. The information could be obtained early in the nursery stage through DNA fingerprinting analysis. Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) is one of DNA markers used for DNA fingerprinting, since the marker system has advantages to acquire information of allele per individual in population and efficiency diverse allele of progeny and their parents. The aim of the research is to obtain legitimacy of 12 progenies analyzing in the oil palm nursery stage. Thirteen SSR markers were used to analyze 12 crossings number of oil palm. The genotypes data by alleles of SSR inferred and quantified using Gene Marker® Software version 2.4.0 Soft Genetics® LLC and analyzed based on Mendel's Law of Segregation. The result showed based on heredity pattern of progeny and their parent's allele that progenies H were indicated genetically derived from their known parents while progenies from A and G indicated as illegitimate crossing. Probability value for legitimacy of progenies of 9 other crosses has 0.031 and 0.5. Legitimacy analysis of progeny using SSR markers could be used to control the quality of crossing material and earlier selection in the oil palm nursery.
The Impact of Policy Uncertainty on Macro-Economy of Developed and Developing Countries
Authors: Nyawo Seabelo T. , Van Wyk Roscoe Bertrum
Published: March 2018

This paper investigates the effects of a US economic policy uncertainty shock on Indian macroeconomic variables with a number of Structural VARs. This study models the economic policy uncertainty index as constructed by Baker et al. (2013). The study also uses a set of macroeconomic variables for India such as inflation, industrial production and nominal interest rate. The objective of the study is to identify the potential impacts of economic policy uncertainty shocks from the US economy to the Indian economy. According to the SVARs, a one standard deviation shock to the US economic policy uncertainty leads to a statistically significant decline in the Indian industrial production of -0.294% and in the Indian inflation of -0.032%. India shows to be resistant to US policy uncertainty. Furthermore, the study finds that the contribution of the US economic policy uncertainty on the Indian macroeconomic variables is shown to be significantly larger than the one exerted by the Indian uncertainty shock.
Does Psychological Ownership of Knowledge Matter? Servant Leadership and Knowledge Hiding in Organizations: AProposed Framework
Authors: OGUNLELA Gabriel Oyebanjo
Published: March 2018

Knowledge hiding can have many adverse effects on organizational development, and it is consequently important to look at its various causes, and also the impact such activities haveon targets, perpetrators, and organizations as a whole. Various studies investigate the effects of knowledge hiding on organizations, and the employees surveyed in these studies have identified some of the possible drivers of knowledge hiding to be: a lack of employee trust; poor employee incentives; employee retaliation; employee insecurity; the intentional withholding of knowledge; the workplace environment; a craving for competitive advantage over fellow staff members; and also, feelings of psychological ownership. This paper investigates the influence of servant leadership on knowledge hiding, and proposes a mediating variable: that of the influence of psychological ownership of knowledge on the relationship between servant leadership and knowledge hiding attitudes in staff within organizations. A model is therefore proposed to achieve this, since it could be argued that increased servant leadership, through the psychological ownership of knowledge, can have a positive effect on staff attitudes towards knowledge hiding, and can also be used to encourage them to share knowledge to improve their overall performances, and the competitive advantages of organizations. The proposed model can also be used to assist managers in developing strategies for motivating staff to become more committed to the visions of organizations, in order to improve the performances of both themselves and their organizations overall.