bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Adolescent Offending
Authors: Skrzypiec Grace , Owens Laurence
Published: February 2015

The purpose of the research reported in this chapter is to provide a theoretically based model to inform educational interventions that aim to divert young people from criminal pathways. This chapter outlines the cross-disciplinary approach used to develop the Intention to Transgress (ITT) model, which draws from leading theories in the disciplines of social psychology and criminology. The framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB, Ajzen & Fishbein, 2005) was used together with the motivators of crime identified from dominant criminological theories by Agnew (1995) to determine the antecedents of adolescents' intentions to engage in offending or transgressional behaviour. The ITT model, comprising four proximal antecedents of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control, and negative affect, and two distal factors of moral norms and reputation enhancement, adds to the understanding of adolescent offending, although it remains to be empirically tested.
The Australian Curriculum
Authors: Carson Karyn , Walker Peter
Published: February 2015

A distinct synergy exists between pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and reporting. The implementation of the new Australian Curriculum F-10 (henceforth abbreviated as “Australian Curriculum”) has provided both opportunities and challenges for ensuring that the needs of diverse learners are strongly addressed within inclusive education settings. This chapter illuminates specific issues related to the comprehensive assessment of diverse learners including national inconsistencies in the provision of accommodations, the use of the general capabilities as a starting point rather than a curriculum adjustment point, and the paucity of resources and professional learning opportunities supporting inclusive assessment practices. Recommendations are provided to demonstrate how educators can achieve effective student-centred assessment practices for diverse learners using the Australian Curriculum across and within different contexts.
Exploring Three Measures of Student Wellbeing
Authors: Skrzypiec Grace , Askell-Williams Helen , Slee Phillip
Published: February 2015

There has been limited consensus on how young people's wellbeing should be measured (O'Hare & Gutierrez, 2012). One approach, suggested by Lau and Bradshaw (2010), is that people's subjective judgments capture the essence of wellbeing. Following from Lau and Bradshaw's approach, in this chapter the authors report on a study that sought young adolescents' subjective judgments using three different wellbeing instruments. A purposive sample of 1930 South Australian middle-school students aged 11-16 completed three different measures of wellbeing. Analysis of these instruments indicated that they all require some modification to make them better suited as measures of the subjective wellbeing of young people in the middle-school years. Using the three scales together, the study indicated that the majority (55%) of students were flourishing, a large proportion (39%) had moderate mental health, and a small proportion (about 6%) were languishing.
Modelling Spatial Decision Support Systems Focused on the Development of a Data Warehouse
Authors: Gascueña Concepción M. , Guadalupe Rafael
Published: February 2015

Nowadays, organizations have plenty of data stored in DB databases, which contain invaluable information. Decision Support Systems DSS provide the support needed to manage this information and planning medium and long-term “the modus operandi” of these organizations. Despite the growing importance of these systems, most proposals do not include its total development, mostly limiting itself on the development of isolated parts, which often have serious integration problems. Hence, methodologies that include models and processes that consider every factor are necessary. This paper will try to fill this void as it proposes an approach for developing spatial DSS driven by the development of their associated Data Warehouse DW, without forgetting its other components. To the end of framing the proposal different Engineering Software focus (The Software Engineering Process and Model Driven Architecture) are used, and coupling with the DB development methodology, (and both of them adapted to DW peculiarities). Finally, an example illustrates the proposal.
Issues and Strategies for Group and Negotiation Support Systems Research
Authors: Pervan Graham Peter , Arnott David
Published: February 2015

This research project was principally motivated by a concern for the direction and relevance of research in systems that support group work and negotiation. The main areas of research focus are the publication frequency and outlets for GSS and NSS research, the research strategies used in published articles, and the professional relevance of the research. The project has analysed 383 GSS articles and 82 NSS articles published in 16 major journals from 1990 to 2010. The findings indicate a significant dependence on the Journal of Group Decision and Negotiation but represent an opportunity for newer journals such as the International Journal of Decision Support Systems Technology. Other issues include a focus on experimental research and design science, weak theoretical foundations and research methodologies, and a focus on operational level problems. Of great concern is the finding that GSS and NSS research has relatively low professional and managerial relevance. Eight key strategies for dealing with these issues are recommended.
Radiation Aware Efficient Sensor Deployment and Optimal Routing in Dynamic Three-Dimensional WBAN Topology
Authors: Moungla Hassine , Touati Nora , Mehaoua Ahmed
Published: February 2015

This work further investigates paradigm of radiation awareness three-dimentionnel models for WBAN network environments. The authors incorporate the effect of dynamic topology as well as the time domain and environment aspects. Even, if the impact of radiation to human health remains largely unexplored and controversial. They ask two fundamental issues, (a) deployment and (b) information routing taking into account radiation awarness. The authors first propose a multi objectives flow model which allows describing a new optimal deployment model for WBAN sensor devices with dynamic topology and the relevant possible trade-offs between coverage, connectivity, network life time while maintaining at low levels the radiation cumulated by wireless transmissions. They propose oblivious deployment heuristics that are radiation aware. The authors then combine them with dynamic spectrum management is proposed based multi-commodity flow model which allows to prevent sensor node saturation and take best action against reliability and the path loss, by imposing an equilibrium use of sensors during the routing process in order to “spread” radiation in a spatio-temporal way. Experimental results show that the proposed models and algorithms balances the energy consumption of nodes effectively, maximize the network lifetime . It will meet the enhanced WBANs requirements, including better delivery ratio, less reliable routing overhead. Their proposed radiation aware deployment and routing heuristics succeed to keep radiation levels low.
A Testing and Certification Methodology for an Open Ambient-Assisted Living Ecosystem
Authors: Faria João Pascoal , Lima Bruno , Sousa Tiago Boldt , Martins Angelo
Published: February 2015

To cope with the needs raised by the demographic changes in our society, several Ambient-Assisted Living (AAL) technologies have emerged in recent years, but those ‘first offers' are often monolithic, incompatible and thus expensive and potentially not sustainable. The AAL4ALL project aims at improving that situation through the development of an open ecosystem of interoperable AAL components (products and services), tied together by an integration infrastructure, comprising a message-queue based service bus and gateways bridging the communication with devices. To that end, the project encompasses the specification of interfaces and requirements for interoperable components, against which candidates can be tested and certified before entering the ecosystem. This paper proposes a testing and certification methodology for such an ecosystem. Besides fulfilling specified pre-requisites, candidate components must pass unit tests that check their conformance with interface specifications and integration tests that check their semantic interoperability with other components in specified orchestration scenarios.
Spatio-Temporal Analysis for Human Action Detection and Recognition in Uncontrolled Environments
Authors: Liu Dianting , Yan Yilin , Shyu Mei-Ling , Zhao Guiru , Chen Min
Published: February 2015

Understanding semantic meaning of human actions captured in unconstrained environments has broad applications in fields ranging from patient monitoring, human-computer interaction, to surveillance systems. However, while great progresses have been achieved on automatic human action detection and recognition in videos that are captured in controlled/constrained environments, most existing approaches perform unsatisfactorily on videos with uncontrolled/unconstrained conditions (e.g., significant camera motion, background clutter, scaling, and light conditions). To address this issue, the authors propose a robust human action detection and recognition framework that works effectively on videos taken in controlled or uncontrolled environments. Specifically, the authors integrate the optical flow field and Harris3D corner detector to generate a new spatial-temporal information representation for each video sequence, from which the general Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is learned. All the mean vectors of the Gaussian components in the generated GMM model are concatenated to create the GMM supervector for video action recognition. They build a boosting classifier based on a set of sparse representation classifiers and hamming distance classifiers to improve the accuracy of action recognition. The experimental results on two broadly used public data sets, KTH and UCF YouTube Action, show that the proposed framework outperforms the other state-of-the-art approaches on both action detection and recognition.
Adaptive Teaching Learning Based Optimization Applied to Nonlinear Economic Load Dispatch Problem
Authors: Bulbul Sk Md Ali , Roy Provas Kumar
Published: February 2015

Economic load dispatch (ELD) is a process of calculating real power dispatch by satisfying a set of constraints such a way as fuel cost can be minimized. Inclusion of the effect of valve-points and prohibited operation zones (POZs) in the cost functions make ELD problem a non-linear and non-convex one. For solving ELD in power system a newly proposed evolutionary technique namely adaptive teaching learning based optimization (ATLBO) is presented in this article. TLBO mimics the influence of a teacher on students in a classroom environment by social interaction. ATLBO is an improved version of TLBO which makes TLBO faster and more robust. An adaptive dynamic parameter control mechanism is adopted by the proposed ATLBO algorithm to determine the suitable parameter settings for teaching and learning phases of TLBO algorithm. The proposed ATLBO algorithm is tested in three different cases like 10-unit, 40-unit, and 80-unit systems. A comparison of numerical results with other well established techniques reveals optimization superiority of the proposed scheme both in quality of solution and computational efficiency.
Customizing Urban Pattern through an Agent-Based Approach
Authors: Araghi Salman Khalili , Esmaeili Afshin , Hushlak Gerald , Hushlak Anna
Published: February 2015

This paper discusses the 3D space customization of design concepts within self-generated sculpture as an instigator for design of urban pattern. Appropriating from the concept of computer fuzzy logic, fuzzy design prods serve as exemplars of naturally occurring swarm behaviors. The hybridization of design through the ‘mistake' and the different material vocabularies serve as departure points for the conceptualization of image breeding in 2D and for 3D grouping within urban pattern. Additive and eroding material processes spawn rule-based agent behaviors that assist the designers/artists to conceive and to enhance appearance and place. In an iterative process, swarm entities physically augment forms in an organic manner. The designer becomes the voyeur of their own creative input as swarm behaviors influence the placement and grouping of architecture/sculpture within the urban pattern of cities. In particular, this paper focuses on the agent-based approach whereby swarm behavior classifies residential, commercial and green spaces within urbanized areas.
Multiobjective Differential Evolution Based on Fuzzy Performance Feedback
Authors: Jariyatantiwait Chatkaew , Yen Gary G.
Published: February 2015

Differential evolution is often regarded as one of the most efficient evolutionary algorithms to tackle multiobjective optimization problems. The key to success of any multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) is maintaining a delicate balance between exploration and exploitation throughout the evolution process. In this paper, the authors propose a Fuzzy-based Multiobjective Differential Evolution (FMDE) that uses performance metrics, specifically hypervolume, spacing, and maximum spread, to measure the state of the evolution process. The authors apply the fuzzy inference rules to these metrics in order to dynamically adjust the associated control parameters of a chosen mutation strategy used in this algorithm. One parameter controls the degree of greedy or exploitation, while another regulates the degree of diversity or exploration of the reproduction phase. Therefore, the authors can appropriately adjust the degree of exploration and exploitation through performance feedback. The performance of FMDE is evaluated on well-known ZDT and DTLZ test suites. The results validate that the proposed algorithm is competitive with respect to chosen state-of-the-art MOEAs.
Mini-Workshop: Mathematical Models for Cancer Cell Migration
Authors: Deutsch Andreas , Hillen Thomas , Surulescu Christina , Winkler Michael
Published: February 2015

Tumour cell invasion is an essential hallmark in the progression of malignant cancer. Thereby, cancer cells migrate through the surrounding tissue (normal cells, extracellular matrix, interstitial fluid) towards blood or lymph vessels which they penetrate and thus access the blood flow. They are carried by blood circulation to distant locations where they extravasate and develop new tumours, a phenomenon known as metastasis. The invasive spread of cancer cells is highly complex – it involves several mechanisms, like diffusion, chemotaxis and haptotaxis; these in turn are conditioned by and influence the subcellular dynamics.

Mathematical models offer a powerful tool to gain insight into the complicated biological processess connected to tumour invasion and have also stimulated advanced mathematical research. Some of the new developments in the field of biomedical oncology were inspired by such models. A significant challenge arises due to the interactions of cancer cells with a complicated and structured microenvironment of healthy tissue. Many of the models of cancer cell migration are based on partial differential equations (PDEs) including spatial heterogeneity, orientational tissue structure, tissue stiffness and deformability. Specific settings relate to reaction-diffusion equations, transport equations, continuum equations, and to their multi-scale analysis, to local and global existence and uniqueness, to pattern formation, blow-ups and invasions. A further approach involves agent-based models providing a characterisation of cell migration by way of simulating the (inter)actions of autonomous agents (individual cells, collective dynamics) and aiming for assessing their effects on the entire system.

In this meeting we covered the full spectrum between macroscopic PDE models and microscopic individual based models with the common goal of modelling cancer cell migration. Of particular interest was the derivation of macroscopic properties from microscopic details. Similar multiscale models have been used in other contexts (such as chemotaxis for example), and we gained some significant insight from the collaborations in this workshop. In this one week meeting we posted nine open ended problems (outlined below), which will form the seed for new collaborations going far beyond this workshop.
Stochastic Analysis in Finance and Insurance
Authors: Carmona René , Schweizer Martin , Touzi Nizar
Published: February 2015

This workshop brought together leading experts and a large number of younger researchers in stochastic analysis and mathematical finance from all over the world. During a highly intense week, participants exchanged many ideas during talks and discussions, and laid foundations for new collaborations and further developments in the field.
Algebraic Structures in Low-Dimensional Topology
Authors: Kauffman Louis H. , Manturov Vassily O. , Orr Kent E. , Schneiderman Robert
Published: February 2015

The workshop concentrated on important and interrelated invariants in low dimensional topology. This work involved virtual knot theory, knot theory, three and four dimensional manifolds and their properties.
Okounkov Bodies and Applications
Authors: Harada Megumi , Kaveh Kiumars , Khovanskii Askold
Published: February 2015

The theory of Newton–Okounkov bodies, also called Okounkov bodies, is a relatively new connection between algebraic geometry and convex geometry. It generalizes the well-known and extremely rich correspondence between geometry of toric varieties and combinatorics of convex integral polytopes. Following a successful MFO Mini-workshop on this topic in August 2011, the MFO Half-Workshop 1422b, “Okounkov bodies and applications”, held in May 2014, explored the development of this area in recent years, with particular attention to applications and relationships to other areas such as number theory and tropical geometry.
Direct Immunofluorescence of Renal Biopsy: Perspective of an Immunopathologist
Authors: Joshi Kusum , Sakhuja Vinay , Minz Ranjana Walker , Chhabra Seema , Khirwadkar N , Pasricha Neelam , Bhardwaj Ranjit
Published: February 2015

Aims

This study was undertaken to analyze the strength of direct immunofluorescence microscopy in the diagnoses of renal diseases vis-á-vis histopathology. An attempt was also made to present advantages and pitfalls of this age old technique.

Settings and design

A total of 250 consecutive renal biopsies received over a period of 1 year were analyzed. The histopatholgy and direct immunofluorescence slides were reported by two separate pathologists and later compared to reach a final diagnosis.

Results

Two cores examined by histopatholgy and direct immunofluorescence microscopy yielded a final diagnosis in 98% cases. In 2% of renal biopsies (4 biopsies with a ‘descriptive’ label and 1 case of amyloid like nephropathy), additional diagnostic aids like electron microscopy were required to clinch a conclusive diagnosis. No case of anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis or hereditary glomerular disease was observed over 1 year period under review.

Conclusion

Direct immunofluorescence helped to detect IgA nephropathy (5% cases), it incresed the sensitivity of detection of focal segmental glomeulosclerosis (23 more cases) and membranous glomerulopathy (2 more cases). It helped in detection as well as grading of glomerulonephritis in lupus nephritis. Crescentic glomerulonephritis could be further categorized into immune complex and pauci-immune subtypes. Immunofluorescent dye thioflavin T proved out to be a very sensitive dye for detection of amyloidosis. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis/ diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis cases were less well discriminated by direct immunofluorescence than histopathology. Two percent of renal biopsies (2 cases of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, 1 case of membranous glomerulopathy, 1 case of mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis) were false negative on direct immunofluorescence implying technical errors. Thus, correct diagnosis of glomerulonephritis requires direct immunofluorescence microscopy in parallel with light microscopic examination and also correlation with clinical features, serological as well as biochemical parameters. In less than 2% of patients, electron microscopy might be essential.

How to cite this article

Minz RW, Chhabra S, Joshi K, Khirwadkar N, Sakhuja V, Pasricha N, Bhardwaj R. Direct Immunofluorescence of Renal Biopsy: Perspective of an Immunopathologist. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(1):10-17.
Incidence of Bedsore among the admitted Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Dhillon Mandeep , Singh Amarjeet , Kaur Sukhpal , Tewari Manoj K , Sekhon Parabjyot Kaur
Published: February 2015

Background and objective

Bedsore is a disruptive and often disabling condition affecting bedridden, infirm, debilitated and malnourished patients. We looked at the incidence of bedsores among the admitted patients in a tertiary care hospital.

Materials and methods

This was an observational cohort study covering 2408 patients. The patients were followed up every alternative day from the day of admission till their discharge/ death from the hospital. Katz index of independence in activities of daily living was used to evaluate the level of functional dependence of patients. Braden scale was used to assess the risk factors for the formation of bedsores.

Results

A pooled incidence of 5.9% was estimated. The incidence of bedsore was maximum in intensive care units (9.4%), followed by orthopedic units (8%), emergency wards (7.7%) and neurosurgical units (6%). Mean age was 44.6 ± 17.56 (14-90 years). Unconscious patients, those admitted through emergency, and those who stayed longer in emergency and on IV fluids had a significantly higher chance of developing bedsores. This was also true for patients on Jejunostomy/Gastrostomy feed or total parenteral nutrition (TPN); who needed elevation of the head end of the bed; for whom assistance was required to change their position; and the patients whose position was changed less frequently (p < 0.05). The sacrum was the most common site for all the four stages of bedsores.

Conclusion

A bedsore incidence of 6% mandates an urgent need to improve the quality of patient care in various units of the hospital. Appropriate equipment, adequate manpower and administrative concern and accountability is the need of the hour.

How to cite this article

Kaur S, Singh A, Dhillon MS, Tewari MK, Sekhon PK. Incidence of Bedsore among the Admitted Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(1):26-31.
Resiliency and social support as factors promoting the process of resilience in adolescents – wards of children’s homes
Authors: Ogińska-Bulik Nina , Kobylarczyk Magdalena
Published: February 2015

Background

The aim of the study was to investigate whether in a group of adolescents – wards of children’s homes – the process of resilience occurs and to determine the role of resiliency (understood as a personality trait) and social support in this process. At least an average level of sense of quality of life was an indicator of resilience.

Participants and procedure

Results of 60 adolescents were analyzed, among them 29 boys and 31 girls, aged 11-17 years (M = 14.80, SD = 2.00). The Subjective Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, the Resiliency Assessment Scale, and the Social Support Questionnaire were used in the study.

Results

Fifty-one and sixty one-hundredths percent of participants revealed at least an average level of sense of quality of life. Higher levels of resiliency and social support were found in subjects with a higher level of sense of quality of life. Resiliency and social support were found to be predictors of sense of quality of life in the examined group of adolescents, but resiliency has greater predictive power. Among resiliency factors, optimistic attitude and energy play the essential role in predicting sense of quality of life, and among the types of social support, information support is most important.

Conclusions

The results indicate that personal resources play a more important role in occurrence of the process of resilience than social resources.
3-D visualization of ensemble weather forecasts – Part 2: Forecasting warm conveyor belt situations for aircraft-based field campaigns
Authors: Rautenhaus M. , Grams C. M. , Schäfler A. , Westermann R.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. We present the application of interactive 3-D visualization of ensemble weather predictions to forecasting warm conveyor belt situations during aircraft-based atmospheric research campaigns. Motivated by forecast requirements of the T-NAWDEX-Falcon 2012 campaign, a method to predict 3-D probabilities of the spatial occurrence of warm conveyor belts has been developed. Probabilities are derived from Lagrangian particle trajectories computed on the forecast wind fields of the ECMWF ensemble prediction system. Integration of the method into the 3-D ensemble visualization tool Met.3D, introduced in the first part of this study, facilitates interactive visualization of WCB features and derived probabilities in the context of the ECMWF ensemble forecast. We investigate the sensitivity of the method with respect to trajectory seeding and forecast wind field resolution. Furthermore, we propose a visual analysis method to quantitatively analyse the contribution of ensemble members to a probability region and, thus, to assist the forecaster in interpreting the obtained probabilities. A case study, revisiting a forecast case from T-NAWDEX-Falcon, illustrates the practical application of Met.3D and demonstrates the use of 3-D and uncertainty visualization for weather forecasting and for planning flight routes in the medium forecast range (three to seven days before take-off).
Improving the dynamics of northern vegetation in the ORCHIDEE ecosystem model
Authors: Zhu D. , Peng S. S. , Ciais P. , Viovy N. , Druel A. , Kageyama M. , Krinner G. , Peylin P. , Ottlé C. , Piao S. L. , Poulter B. , Schepaschenko D. , Shvidenko A.
Published: February 2015

Abstract. Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and does not match the progress in modeling the rest of the physical and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, ORC-VD is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid-to-high latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different datasets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded datasets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational datasets. This multi-dataset evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid-to-high latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described datasets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the return frequency of cold climate extremes causing tree mortality during the spin-up phase of the model.
Glaucoma Morphologic Damage Estimated from Functional Tests
Authors: de la Rosa Manuel Gonzalez , Gonzalez-Hernandez Marta , Alayon Silvia
Published: February 2015

Purpose

To compare direct morphologic measurements with the ones deduced from functional tests.

Methods

A total of 111 normal eyes (examined twice) and 112 consecutive eyes with suspected or confirmed glaucoma were analyzed using Spark strategy (Oculus Easyfield Perimeter) and Cirrus optical coherence tomography (OCT). The threshold values were used to deduce the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in 25 sectors. They were also used to derive a normalized value of the neuroretinal rim area, correcting the influence of the optic disc area size, and expressing the result as a percentage of their normal average relation.

Results

The correlation between the deduced and the measured RNFL thicknesses were r = 0.77 (p<0.001, standard error [SE] = 15.4 μm in normal and 15.1 μm in glaucomatous eyes) in the sector to sector comparison, and r = 0.80 (p<0.000001, SE = 10.0 μm in normal and 10.4 μm in glaucomatous eyes) for the average thickness. In normal subjects, the SE of deducing a second OCT result from the previous one was 13.2 μm in the sector by sector analysis and 4.6 μm for average thickness. The correlation between the deduced and measured rim area was r = 0.87 (p<0.000001, SE = 6.7% in normal and 15.9% in glaucomatous eyes). Receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded the following areas, sensitivities, and specificities: measured thickness: 0.89, 75.5%, 91.5%; deduced thickness: 0.91, 86.5%, 93.4%; measured rim area: 0.96, 89.2%, 95.3%; deduced rim area: 0.94, 82.9%, 96.2%. Additionally, the results in a new series of 71 normal and 68 glaucomatous eyes are verified.

Conclusions

Spark perimetry allowed deducing glaucomatous morphologic alterations with significant accuracy.
Regional Triple Helix and the Contextualization of Regional Policy
Authors: Nozawa Kazuhiro
Published: February 2015

A system of university–industry–government (UIG) collaboration in a region can take the form of a Regional Triple Helix (RTH) model. RTH can be regarded as the collective relations of universities, companies and governments. The study was conducted by postal survey, targeting the collaborative activities of companies and examining the case of three selected regions in Japan. When the Triple Helix approach is adopted at regional level, territoriality becomes a critical issue. The more companies that accumulate experience of UIG collaboration, the greater is their ability to exploit external knowledge. Consequently, the RTH structure may become increasingly vulnerable as it evolves. Even though the three regions studied displayed similar local infrastructures, their RTHs differed. To understand the features of RTH clearly, it is argued that regional conditions must be investigated in more detail and thus that RTH, as a regional policy, must be contextualized.
Beyond ‘Town and Gown’: The Role of the University in Small and Medium-Sized Cities
Authors: Lazzeroni Michela , Piccaluga Andrea
Published: February 2015

In recent years, universities have become more active in performing new activities that have been added to those regarded as ‘traditional’. This trend has led to a number of changes, among which is a transformation of the status of universities in urban and regional contexts and, in particular, an increase in their impact on the development of medium-sized university cities. From a methodological point of view the contribution of universities to urban development can be analysed from three different perspectives: knowledge and economic; relational; and cultural. Starting from these points of view, this paper analyses three cases of European medium-sized university cities (Oxford, Leuven and Pisa), in which the presence of one or more universities represents an important asset not only for the construction and evolution of knowledge spaces but also for urban development as a whole, by leaving tangible and intangible ‘traces’, reinforcing the relationship between academia and local community and contributing to the identity of knowledge cities.
Notes and Documents: Mark Twain Reports the Hornet Disaster
Authors: SCHARNHORST GARY
Published: February 2015

One of the most riveting episodes in Mark Twain biography details his role in publicizing the survival of the captain, two passengers, and twelve crewmen of the Hornet in the spring of 1866. On May 3, en route from New York to San Francisco, the famed clipper ship burned and sank in the mid-Pacific. After a voyage of forty-three days and four thousand miles, one of its three lifeboats finally touched land on June 15 at Laupahoehoe, a fishing village on the north shore of the big island of Hawaii. The first reports of survivors arrived in Honolulu, two hundred miles distant, on June 21; and Mark Twain, in the Sandwich Islands as a special correspondent of the Sacramento Daily Union, appended the news to his June 22 letter to the paper, which was subsequently printed, in the absence of a telegraph cable between the Islands and the mainland, in its July 16 issue. Twain interviewed several of the men on June 24, the day they arrived in a Honolulu hospital, and worked all that night on a dispatch about their ordeal.
Selection of a suitable model for the prediction of soil water content in north of Iran
Authors: Esmaeelnejad Leila , Ramezanpour Hassan , Seyedmohammadi Javad , Shabanpour Mahmood
Published: February 2015

Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Rosetta model were employed to develop pedotransfers functions (PTFs) for soil moisture prediction using available soil properties for northern soils of Iran. The Rosetta model is based on ANN works in a hierarchical approach to predict water retention curves. For this purpose, 240 soil samples were selected from the south of Guilan province, Gilevan region, northern Iran. The data set was divided into two subsets for calibration and testing of the models. The general performance of PTFs was evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and mean biased error between the observed and predicted values. Results showed that ANN with two hidden layers, Tan-sigmoid and linear functions for hidden and output layers respectively, performed better than the others in predicting soil moisture. In the other hand, ANN can model non-linear functions and showed to perform better than MLR. After ANN, MLR had better accuracy than Rosetta. The developed PTFs resulted in more accurate estimation at matric potentials of 100, 300, 500, 1000, 1500 kPa. Whereas, Rosetta model resulted in slightly better estimation than derived PTFs at matric potentials of 33 kPa. This research can provide the scientific basis for the study of soil hydraulic properties and be helpful for the estimation of soil water retention in other places with similar conditions, too.
Search for potential vectors of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’: population dynamics in host crops
Authors: Teresani Gabriela , Hernández Estrella , Bertolini Edson , Siverio Felipe , Marroquín Carlos , Molina Jonathan , Hermoso de Mendoza Alfonso , Cambra Mariano
Published: February 2015

‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ has recently been reported to be associated with vegetative disorders and economic losses in carrot and celery crops in Spain. The bacterium is a carrot seedborne pathogen and it is transmitted by psyllid vector species. From 2011 to 2014 seasonal and occasional surveys in carrot, celery and potato plots were performed. The sticky plant method was used to monitor the arthropods that visited the plants. The collected arthropods were classified into Aphididae and Cicadellidae, and the superfamily Psylloidea was identified to the species level. The superfamily Psylloidea represented 35.45% of the total arthropods captured on celery in Villena and 99.1% on carrot in Tenerife (Canary Islands). The maximum flight of psyllid species was in summer, both in mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, reaching a peak of 570 specimens in August in Villena and 6,063 in July in Tenerife. The main identified psyllid species were as follows: Bactericera trigonica Hodkinson, B. tremblayi Wagner and B. nigricornis Förster. B. trigonica represented more than 99% of the psyllids captured in the Canary Islands and 75% and 38% in 2011 and 2012 in Villena, respectively. In addition, Trioza urticae Linnaeus, Bactericera sp., Ctenarytaina sp., Cacopsylla sp., Trioza sp. and Psylla sp. were captured. ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ targets were detected by squash real-time PCR in 19.5% of the psyllids belonging to the different Bactericera species. This paper reports at least three new psyllid species that carry the bacterium and can be considered as potential vectors.
Bethesda System Reporting Rates for Conventional Papanicolaou Tests and Liquid-Based Cytology in a Large Chinese, College of American Pathologists–Certified Independent Medical Laboratory: Analysis of 1 394 389 Papanicolaou Test Reports
Authors: Zheng Baowen , Austin R. Marshall , Liang Xiaoman , Li Zaibo , Chen Congde , Yan Shanshan , Zhao Chengquan
Published: February 2015

Context

Reports that use the Bethesda System categories for Chinese Papanicolaou test results are rare.

Objective

To document and analyze rates reported in the Bethesda System for conventional Papanicolaou tests and liquid-based cytology between 2007 and 2012 in China's largest College of American Pathologists–accredited laboratory.

Design

Results from 1 394 389 Papanicolaou tests, rendered between 2007 and 2012 by the Guangzhou Kingmed Diagnostics Cytology Laboratory, were documented by the Bethesda System report categories and Papanicolaou test methodology, which included both conventional Papanicolaou tests and 4 different liquid-based cytology preparations.

Results

Results were documented for 326 297 conventional Papanicolaou tests and 1 068 092 liquid-based cytology specimens, which included 928 884 ThinPrep (Hologic, Bedford, Massachusetts), 63 465 SurePath (BD Diagnostics, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey), 50 422 Liqui-Prep (LGM International, Melbourne, Florida), and 25 321 Lituo liquid-cytology (Lituo Biotechnology Co, Hunan, China) specimens. Abnormality rates reported were significantly higher with liquid-based cytology than they were with conventional Papanicolaou tests in all the Bethesda System categories (P < .001). Reporting rates were within the 2006 benchmark ranges from the College of American Pathologists, except for atypical glandular cells (low) and unsatisfactory rates for conventional Papanicolaou tests (low).

Conclusion

Participation in the international College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Program provides laboratory quality standards not otherwise available in many international settings.
The Information-Seeking Habits of In-Service Educators
Authors: Shipman Todd , Bannon Susan H. , Nunes-Bufford Kimberly
Published: February 2015

Research on information literacy and educators has focused on preservice educators and learning information literacy skills. Little research exists on in-service educators and their information literacy skills. Purposes of this study were to identify information sources that in-service educators used; to determine relationships between information sources used and in-service educators’ professional position, age groups, experience, and information format preference; and to determine relationships between in-service educators’ information-seeking habits and prior library instruction. Results of this study indicated statistically significant relationships between information-seeking habits and prior library instruction. Other statistically significant in relationships were indicated between information-seeking habits and the age groups and current professional positions of sample population.
Bridges and Barriers: Factors Influencing a Culture of Assessment in Academic Libraries
Authors: Farkas Meredith Gorran , Hinchliffe Lisa Janicke , Houk Amy Harris
Published: February 2015

In an environment in which libraries need to demonstrate value, illustrating how the library contributes to student learning is critical. Gathering and analyzing data to tell the library’s story as well as identify areas for improvement require commitment, time, effort, and resources—all components of a culture of assessment. This paper presents the results of a survey designed to understand what factors facilitate the development of a culture of assessment of student learning in academic libraries and what factors may hinder it. Unlike previous research in this area, which has focused on case studies and surveys with nonrepresentative samples, the authors conducted a systematic survey of academic libraries at four-year institutions in the United States and achieved a 42 percent response rate. The results suggest certain factors are highly associated with a culture of assessment and provide guidance to administrators and front-line librarians working to build such a culture.
Evaluation and Identification of Genetic Variation Pattern in Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] Accessions Using Multivariate Analyses
Authors: Ogbuagu Ugorji Udensi  , Ndem E. Edu
Published: February 2015

Thirty accessions of cowpea from Ebonyi, Enugu and Kogi States, Nigeria were used for the study. Seeds of the accessions were randomized in a plot measuring 50x50 meters for three growing seasons. Our results on yield and yield-related traits showed that three principal components were extracted, which contributed 82.23% of the total variability. It revealed that number of seeds pod-1, 100-seed weight, pod length, days to 50% maturity, seed yield, number of leaves plant-1 contributed significantly to the total genetic variability while for proximate composition, four principal components accounted for 93.75% of the total genetic divergence. Cluster analysis revealed that accessions were grouped not necessarily based on geographical location but genetics. Selection for high yielding accessions should be done on cluster 2 as we recommend selection and hybridization of accessions from cluster 1, 2, and 3 for optimal benefit.
Are the Hot IPOs Still Relevant? Evidence from China's Growth Enterprise Market
Authors: Yang Lu , Zhang Huimin , Hamori Shigeyuki
Published: February 2015

This paper investigates whether the hot IPO effect persists post-IPO in China's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) based on the dynamic equicorrelation of trading volume and stock returns. We find that the hot IPO effect ends after two years with the imbalance between demand and supply for GEM stock relieved, which indicates that the rational learning process requires almost two years for most investors. Further, we confirm that returns and volumes are positively correlated at the 1% significance level. This result indicates that the fundamental analysis may not apply to the GEM because the information content of trading volume is capable of forecasting stock returns.
Mosaïque
Authors: Boisclair Isabelle , Dussault Frenette Catherine
Published: February 2015

La venue des femmes à l’écriture, au Québec comme ailleurs, s’est réalisée progressivement à mesure que se sont déroulées les luttes féministes dans la sphère sociale. Aussi l’étude de la relation entre féminisme et création littéraire est-elle incontournable, tant il est vrai que la mise en oeuvre de l’autorité créatrice s’avère tributaire de la conquête, par les femmes, d’une position sociale autonome. Dans leur article, les auteures proposent d’analyser les rapports qu’entretient la production littéraire des écrivaines québécoises des 30 dernières années avec le féminisme. Après un bref rappel des mouvements de l’écriture au féminin de 1960 à 1980 sont mises en relief les tendances, l’esthétique et les objectifs portés par les oeuvres métaféministes (ou post-révolution féministe). Sous la forme d’une mosaïque, davantage que d’une étude exhaustive, cet article explore les thèmes, les formes et les motifs qui marquent cette production, de façon à mettre en évidence les modalités selon lesquelles s’énonce désormais la subjectivité littéraire au féminin.
La performance comme force de combat dans le féminisme
Authors: Ausina Anne-Julie
Published: February 2015

La performance artistique a pour particularité de faire du corps un outil et un support de création. Comment les artistes féministes exploitent-elles aujourd’hui ce médium apparu au même moment que les mouvements féministes? À travers la sous-culture punk et ses héritages, la performance a su trouver une place évidente et devenir une force politique pour celles qui ne veulent plus taire leur corps et qui souhaitent ainsi construire un héritage culturel communautaire.
À l’abri des politiques de genre
Authors: Méndez Lourdes
Published: February 2015

L’auteure analyse le champ de l’art de la Communauté autonome basque de l’État espagnol à la lumière du processus de réflexivité institutionnelle. Celui-ci est traversé par des théories féministes, des mutations du féminisme, des lois pour l’égalité, des collectifs artistiques, des institutions du domaine de l’art, des plateformes politiques et des associations de femmes pour l’égalité dans l’art. Partant de l’idée que des initiatives comme l’organisation d’expositions de femmes artistes, le FEMINISTALDIA ou le festival Miradas de mujeres (Regards de femmes) ce ne sont que des adaptations pragmatiques à une conjoncture marquée par les lignes d’action des organismes pour l’égalité, l’auteure signale que celles-ci peuvent être contre-productives pour les artistes.
Evidence for suppression of immunity as a driver for genomic introgressions and host range expansion in races of Albugo candida, a generalist parasite
Authors: McMullan Mark , Gardiner Anastasia , Bailey Kate , Kemen Eric , Ward Ben J , Cevik Volkan , Robert-Seilaniantz Alexandre , Schultz-Larsen Torsten , Balmuth Alexi , Holub Eric , van Oosterhout Cock , Jones Jonathan DG
Published: February 2015

How generalist parasites with wide host ranges can evolve is a central question in parasite evolution. Albugo candida is an obligate biotrophic parasite that consists of many physiological races that each specialize on distinct Brassicaceae host species. By analyzing genome sequence assemblies of five isolates, we show they represent three races that are genetically diverged by ∼1%. Despite this divergence, their genomes are mosaic-like, with ∼25% being introgressed from other races. Sequential infection experiments show that infection by adapted races enables subsequent infection of hosts by normally non-infecting races. This facilitates introgression and the exchange of effector repertoires, and may enable the evolution of novel races that can undergo clonal population expansion on new hosts. We discuss recent studies on hybridization in other eukaryotes such as yeast, Heliconius butterflies, Darwin's finches, sunflowers and cichlid fishes, and the implications of introgression for pathogen evolution in an agro-ecological environment.
A Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease, Repurposing GLP-1s, and Wildfire Smoke—Highlights From the AAIC
Authors: Rubin Rita
Published: August 2024

This Medical News article is an interview about the latest findings presented at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.