bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticitrullinated Protein Antibodies and Radiological Progression in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: LIPIŃSKA JOANNA , BRÓZIK HENRYKA , STAŃCZYK JERZY , SMOLEWSKA ELZBIETA
Published: March 2012

Objective.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether determination of anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) provides predictive information on severity of disease course and joint destruction in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods.

Sera from 74 children with JIA were examined for ACPA using the ELISA test. To assess joint destruction, plain radiographs of both hands were scored twice according to the Steinbrocker scale: at the beginning of observation and after 8.9 to 15.2 months (median 11.5 months) of the followup. Correlations between ACPA serum levels and the disease characteristics (type of JIA onset, disease activity, disease duration, radiological status) were investigated.

Results.

Twenty-six out of 74 examined children with JIA (35.0%) were ACPA-positive [> 5 relative units (RU)/ml]. ACPA were present in all types of JIA onset, including 36.6% of children with early stage JIA (disease duration < 6 months). All of the IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive children with polyarticular type of JIA onset were simultaneously positive for ACPA. ACPA levels correlated positively with disease activity at the beginning of the study (rho = 0.7196; p < 0.0001) and after followup (rho = 0.2485; p = 0.0486). Disease duration did not significantly affect ACPA serum levels. ACPA levels correlated positively with radiological joint destruction in children with JIA, both at the beginning of the study (rho = 0.4599; p = 0.0004) and after the followup period (rho = 0.5523; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion.

ACPA were superior to IgM-RF in diagnosing JIA and provided predictive information on severity of disease course and radiological outcome.
Home Parenteral Nutrition in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: A Retrospective Review of 12 Cases
Authors: JAWA HANI , FERNANDES GAIL , SAQUI OLIVIA , ALLARD JOHANNE P.
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To evaluate the effect of home total parenteral nutrition (HTPN) on the nutritional and functional status of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods.

Retrospective review of SSc patients from the HTPN database at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, from 1998 to 2010.

Results:

In total 12 subjects (9 females, 3 males) with SSc were identified. At initiation of HTPN, the age was 48.75 ± 3.94 years and the median body mass index was 16.8 kg/m2 (range 12.3–21.3). This significantly increased to 18.3 kg/m2 (17.0–21.7) at 6 months and to 19.7 kg/m2 (17.0–24.6) at 12 months. The mean Karnofsky score at baseline was 58.00 ± 3.27, and the score at 12 months of 39.00 ± 13.29 did not change significantly.

Conclusion.

HTPN improved the nutritional status of these patients with SSc but it did not improve their functional status.
Progression of Esophageal Dysmotility in Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: VISCHIO JOHN , SAEED FAHD , KARIMEDDINI MOZAFAREDDIN , MUBASHIR ASIA , FEINN RICHARD , CALDITO GLORIA , STRIEGEL KIM , ROTHFIELD NAOMI
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To longitudinally evaluate esophageal dysmotility (ED) in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) and diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc).

Methods.

We performed a retrospective review of all adult patients with SSc seen between 1995 and 2008. Patients were included if they had undergone 2 or more esophageal transit scintigraphy (ETS) studies at least 1 year apart. Data from 382 ETS studies of 102 patients with SSc were analyzed. Eighty patients had lcSSc and 22 patients had dcSSc. A grading system was used to quantify the degree of esophageal dysfunction, ranging from grade 0 (normal) to grade 3 (severe hypomotility). Change in esophageal motility over time was evaluated and compared between the limited and diffuse subtypes.

Results.

Sixty-eight patients (66.7%) had an abnormal ETS study at any time. Of patients with dcSSc, 95.4% had an abnormal ETS study, compared to 58.5% of patients with lcSSc. dcSSc and regurgitation were independent risk factors for ED. There was no association between the presence of anticentromere antibodies or antitopoisomerase (anti-Scl-70) antibodies and an abnormal ETS study. Esophageal motility in patients with dcSSc worsened in 96% of cases compared with only 58.8% in those with lcSSc.

Conclusion.

ED is more frequent in patients with dcSSc than in those with lcSSc, and is more likely to deteriorate over time. Given the potential associated risks of erosive esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal cancer in patients with SSc, routine screening and monitoring for ED is advised.
Short-term Risk of Total Malignancy and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers with Certolizumab and Golimumab in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Metaanalysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: LE BLAY PIERRE , MOUTERDE GAEL , BARNETCHE THOMAS , MOREL JACQUES , COMBE BERNARD
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To assess the risk of total malignancy and nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving certolizumab and golimumab through a metaanalysis of data from randomized control trials (RCT).

Methods.

We systematically reviewed the literature up to May 2011 in Medline databases, as well as abstracts from the 2009 and 2010 annual meetings of the European League Against Rheumatism and the American College of Rheumatology. Mantel-Haenszel method was used to determine a common odds ratio (OR). Statistical heterogeneity was assessed by chi-square Q test. We selected only RCT including more than 30 RA subjects randomly assigned to an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or a nonbiological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) control group.

Results.

The literature search identified 793 articles; 6 (2 with certolizumab and 4 with golimumab) were selected for metaanalysis. A total of 2710 patients received at least 1 dose of certolizumab or golimumab. For anti-TNF-treated patients, 18 cancers (excluding NMSC) and 9 NMSC were observed versus 4 cases of total malignancy and 3 NMSC in control groups. Metaanalysis revealed a pooled OR of 1.06 (95% CI 0.39–2.85) for risk of total malignancy and 0.69 (95% CI 0.23–2.11) for risk of NMSC with certolizumab and golimumab versus DMARD. Heterogeneity was not significant.

Conclusion.

Metaanalysis of RCT of golimumab and certolizumab did not find an increased risk of total malignancy and NMSC. These results must be confirmed with longterm extension studies and registry studies, and careful monitoring remains mandatory.
Differences between Male and Female Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Multiethnic Population
Authors: TAN TZE CHIN , FANG HONG , MAGDER LAURENCE S. , PETRI MICHELLE A.
Published: March 2012

Objective.

Male patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are thought to be similar to female patients with SLE, but key clinical characteristics may differ. Comparisons were made between male and female patients with SLE in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort.

Methods.

A total of 1979 patients in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort were included in the analysis.

Results.

The cohort consisted of 157 men (66.2% white, 33.8% African American) and 1822 women (59.8% white, 40.2% African American). The mean followup was 6.02 years (range 0–23.73). Men were more likely than women to have disability, hypertension, thrombosis, and renal, hematological, and serological manifestations. Men were more likely to be diagnosed at an older age and to have a lower education level. Women were more likely to have malar rash, photosensitivity, oral ulcers, alopecia, Raynaud’s phenomenon, or arthralgia. Men were more likely than women to have experienced end organ damage including neuropsychiatric, renal, cardiovascular, peripheral vascular disease, and myocardial infarction, and to have died. In general, differences between males and females were more numerous and striking in whites, especially with respect to lupus nephritis, abnormal serologies, and thrombosis.

Conclusion.

Our study suggests that there are major clinical differences between male and female patients with SLE. Differences between male and female patients also depend on ethnicity. Future SLE studies will need to consider both ethnicity and gender to understand these differences.
Epidemiology of Systemic Sclerosis in a Large US Managed Care Population
Authors: FURST DANIEL E. , FERNANDES ANCILLA W. , IORGA ŞERBAN R. , GRETH WARREN , BANCROFT TIM
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To estimate the incidence and prevalence of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a large US managed care organization (MCO) database.

Methods.

Subjects with claims-based evidence of SSc (ICD-9-CM code 710.1x) were identified from a health plan database. Incidence and prevalence for the period 2003–2008 were calculated.

Results.

The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate (2003–2008) for SSc was 5.6 cases per 100,000 person-years. The annual prevalence of SSc ranged from 13.5 in 2003 to 18.4 (per 100,000) in 2008.

Conclusion.

This analysis suggests a higher incidence and lower prevalence of SSc in this MCO than those previously reported for the United States.
Anticitrullinated Protein Antibody, But Not Its Titer, Is a Predictor of Radiographic Progression and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: SHIOZAWA KAZUKO , KAWASAKI YOSHIKO , YAMANE TAKASHI , YOSHIHARA RYOSUKE , TANAKA YASUSHI , UTO KENICHI , SHIOZAWA SHUNICHI
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To study the contribution of anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA), and especially of its titer, to radiographic progression and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods.

Patients with RA (n = 396) who attended a Japanese clinic within 2 years after disease onset were divided into the following groups according to second-generation (ACPA-2) ACPA titer on their first visit: negative (0–4.4 U/ml; n = 115), low-positive (4.5–121 U/ml; n = 141), and high-positive (> 121 U/ml; n = 140). The ACPA-2-positive groups were further subdivided into lowest (4.5–32 U/ml), low (33–121 U/ml), high (122–277 U/ml), and highest (> 278 U/ml) quartiles. All patients were treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) including methotrexate, but not biologics. Subsequent radiographic progression and disease activity for 2 years were prospectively evaluated using the van der Heijde-modified Sharp score (SHS) and 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28).

Results.

After treatment with DMARD, the disease activity (including number of swollen joints, number of tender joints, duration of morning stiffness, DAS28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and DAS28-C-reactive protein) was significantly decreased in all patient groups. Disease activity and radiographic progression as revealed by the change in SHS remained relatively higher in the ACPA-2 low- and high-positive groups as compared with the ACPA-2-negative group. The relationship between the titer of ACPA-2 at baseline and subsequent radiographic progression was not exactly linear, and the extent of disease activity or radiographic progression was similar between ACPA-2 low- and high-positive groups and also between ACPA-2 lowest- and highest-positive quartile groups. The results were demonstrable in cumulative SHS probability plots, and also repeatable in seronegative patients, which indicated that the titer of ACPA-2 is not a predictor of disease activity or radiographic progression in RA, and ACPA-2-negative patients, especially those with < 3 U/ml, showed minimal radiographic progression.

Conclusion.

Presence of ACPA-2, but not its titer, at baseline is a predictor of radiographic progression or disease activity, where radiographic progression is minimal in ACPA-2-negative patients.
Challenges in Evaluating an Arthritis Self-management Program for People with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis in Real-world Clinical Settings
Authors: ACKERMAN ILANA N. , BUCHBINDER RACHELLE , OSBORNE RICHARD H.
Published: March 2012

Objective.

To evaluate the influence of a 6-week Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and self-management skills in clinical settings.

Methods.

Individuals with hip or knee osteoarthritis referred to orthopedic surgeons or rheumatologists at 6 hospitals in Victoria, Australia, were recruited. In a randomized controlled trial, participants received the Stanford ASMP and self-help book (intervention) or book only (control). Assessments included the Assessment of Quality of Life instrument (AQoL; range −0.04 to 1.00) and Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ; range 1–6) at baseline and up to 12 months. The primary outcome was HRQOL at 12 months (assessed using the AQoL).

Results.

Recruitment was concluded early due to persistent challenges including infrequent referrals and patient inability or disinterest in participating. Of 1125 individuals screened, only 120 were randomized (control, n = 62; intervention, n = 58). Seven ASMP were conducted while 18 scheduled ASMP were cancelled. Forty-four of 58 intervention group participants received the intervention as allocated (76%); all control group participants were sent the book (100%). Ninety-four participants (78%) completed 12-month assessments (control, 90%; intervention, 66%). There was no difference in HRQOL at 12 months (adjusted mean difference −0.02, 95% CI −0.09 to 0.05). At 6 weeks, the intervention group reported higher heiQ skill and technique acquisition scores (adjusted mean difference 0.29, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.55); however, this dissipated by 3 months.

Conclusion.

Significant challenges hampered this evaluation of the ASMP. The observed lack of enthusiasm from potential referrers and patients raises doubts about the practicality of this intervention in real-world settings. (ANZCTR Clinical Trials Registry no. ACTRN12606000174583)
Que transmettent les cigognes ?
Authors: Weil Éva
Published: March 2012

Cet article traite de la réactivation des théories sexuelles infantiles dans le vécu de la stérilité et de l’intervention médicale lors des PMA. La clinique du don d’ovocytes et du don d’embryons souligne la transmission de ces théories chez les parents potentiels et/ou futurs
Au cœur de la relation entre mère et fille : quelle transmission pour la haine
Authors: Dupuis-Gauthier Catherine
Published: March 2012

La clinique psychanalytique confronte régulièrement à la haine comme composante fondamentale du lien mère-fille. Cet article traite de sa transmission et de ses conséquences psychiques, à partir de la littérature et du travail psychothérapeutique auprès de jeunes patientes, réputées difficiles. Structurellement différente de la notion d’ambivalence, largement étudiée par Freud, la haine de la mère est envisagée dans ses liens avec l’infertilité –à laquelle conduisent inévitablement les ravages du temps - et l’envie qu’elle génère envers la fille - devenue adolescente - comme future mère potentielle.
Suspicion de malformation et échographie fœtale : quand l'image sidère et bouleverse les représentations maternelles
Authors: Viaux-Savelon Sylvie
Published: March 2012

L’auteur présente l’expérience clinique de son travail dans un hôpital et analyse, dans une vignette, la relation d’une jeune mère et de son nourrisson né avec un cancer. Par ce cas, les croisements entre études génétiques visant la possibilité d’une transmissibilité de la maladie et leurs résultantes sur la transmission psychique sont discutés. L’accent est mis sur les effets négatifs de certaines recherches génétiques, capables d’ébranler toute une histoire familiale « encryptée ». La question de la figurabilité des éléments (certes transmis de manière encryptée) est discutée à travers l’analyse des possibilités d’organisation du récit familial. Un mouvement de distance et de refus vis-à-vis du discours médical semble nécessaire à cette organisation, et l’importance de ce processus, dans un cadre défini, est discutée. L’auteur souligne à ce propos les difficultés du travail dans le domaine du somatique et l’importance d’une place pour le déploiement de la dimension subjective à l’intérieur de l’hôpital. Cette condition est nécessaire dans l’appropriation de la maladie.
La généalogie du cancer. De la transmission biologique à la transmission psychique
Authors: Humphreys Derek
Published: March 2012

L’auteur présente l’expérience clinique de son travail dans un hôpital et analyse, dans une vignette, la relation d’une jeune mère et de son nourrisson né avec un cancer. Par ce cas, les croisements entre études génétiques visant la possibilité d’une transmissibilité de la maladie et leurs résultantes sur la transmission psychique sont discutés. L’accent est mis sur les effets négatifs de certaines recherches génétiques, capables d’ébranler toute une histoire familiale « encryptée ». La question de la figurabilité des éléments (certes transmis de manière encryptée) est discutée à travers l’analyse des possibilités d’organisation du récit familial. un mouvement de distance et de refus vis-à-vis du discours médical semble nécessaire à cette organisation, et l’importance de ce processus, dans un cadre défini, est discutée. L’auteur souligne à ce propos les difficultés du travail dans le domaine du somatique et l’importance d’une place pour le déploiement de la dimension subjective à l’intérieur de l’hôpital. Cette condition est nécessaire dans l’appropriation de la maladie.
Les cérémonies religieuses face à la météorologie
Authors: Hiram Élise
Published: March 2012

Cette étude se concentre sur les rogativas espagnoles à travers l’exemple de la ville de Salamanque au XVII e siècle. Ces cérémonies religieuses, en plein essor aux XVI e et XVII e siècles, consistent à demander l’intercession divine pour prévenir ou remédier à une calamité publique. Ce travail vise à démontrer l’intérêt de la source des célébrations dites « por los buenos temporales » , à travers lesquelles on demande une accalmie des aléas météorologiques. Outre l’opportunité d’étudier les fluctuations climatiques du Petit Âge glaciaire ibérique, elles autorisent une approche très fine des enjeux que ces pratiques religieuses suscitent au sein de la ville de Salamanque, confrontée à l’adversité atmosphérique. En effet, elles offrent au chercheur en climatologie historique un tableau des anomalies du temps qu’il fit. Mais une telle cérémonie, au-delà de sa signification religieuse, révèle en outre les enjeux politiques, sociaux et économiques soulevés par l’irruption d’une météorologie défavorable dans une société urbaine.
La charité Sainte-Marguerite et le secours des pauvres à Paris
Authors: Thillay Alain
Published: March 2012

En partant d’un exemple, celui du secours des pauvres veuves du faubourg Saint-Antoine par la charité de la paroisse Sainte-Marguerite dans la première moitié du XVIII e siècle, cet article essaie à la fois de décrire l’organisation, les acteurs et les secours grâce à l’exploitation d’un registre tenu entre 1719 et 1740, mais aussi de le mettre en perspective avec les travaux sur les charités paroissiales, les hôpitaux, les veuves, les orphelins, les apprentissages à Paris sous l’Ancien Régime. Il s’appuie sur la révision désormais largement partagée du schéma du grand renfermement des pauvres et d’une « laïcisation » des secours avant la Révolution française. Il s’inscrit dans l’analyse des pratiques de terrain pour interroger de nouveau les structures plus larges et ouvrir des perspectives articulées à l’économie morale.
Online Decision-Making in Receiving Spam Emails Among College Students
Authors: Yan Zheng , Gozu Hamide Y.
Published: March 2012

Decision-making in the real world has been extensively studied, whereas decision-making in the cyber world is relatively unknown. The present study investigated how email users made their decisions to read or delete spam emails, unsolicited junk emails sent indiscriminately, when they received various kinds of emails in the everyday life. An experimental survey was designed to manipulate two variables, decision-making strategy (intuitive or rational decision) and information availability (limited or detailed information), and administrated via a professional survey website PsycData to 171 college students. It was found that (a) rational decision strategy outperformed intuitive decision strategy, (b) better decision was made with detailed information than with limited information, (c) the effect size of information availability was approximately ten times as large as that of decision-making strategy, and (d) no interaction effects was present between decision-making strategy and information availability. Practical implications are discussed.
Reforming Medical Curriculum in India in Recent Years
Authors: Sood Rita , Ananthakrishnan N.
Published: March 2012

India has the largest medical education system in the world with 335 medical schools producing about 40,000 medical graduates every year. Most medical schools follow the traditional discipline based medical curricula with division of course into pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical phases spread over four and a half years followed by one year of internship. The relevance of training to the societal needs has often been questioned. Attempts have been made repeatedly at reforming the undergraduate curricula and, less frequently, the post graduate medical curricula. Though curricular innovations have been initiated and institutionalized in few medical schools in India over the past two decades, repeated attempts to bring about change at a national level have not met with success. In this paper, the authors share the various conflicts that were often observed during such curriculum reform initiatives and strategies to resolve these conflicts.
The Process of Medical Curriculum Development in Malaysia
Authors: Lim V. K. E.
Published: March 2012

The first medical school established in Malaysia was the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya in 1963 (Danaraj, 1988). Today, there are 33 medical schools, both public and private. All medical schools require accreditation by the National Accreditation Board and the Malaysian Medical Council. These two regulatory bodies set the minimum standards for accreditation and they include standards that pertain to curricular issues. Apart from adhering to major broad principles, medical schools generally are given a free hand in designing and developing their own curricula. The faculty members of the school determine the nature of the curriculum with the dean playing a vital role in moderating competing demands from the various academic departments. The influence of the Medical Education Department or Unit varies. The Ministry of Health, as the predominant employer of doctors, gives regular feedback to the deans on the performance of their graduates. There has not been any major initiative to involve other important stakeholders, including the public, in the design and development of medical curricula in the country.
Adolescent Medicine Curriculum at Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
Authors: Malik Alam Sher , Malik Rukhsana Hussain
Published: March 2012

This article, using the example of the development of an Adolescent Medicine curriculum, highlights the challenges that academicians face and the roles that stakeholders play in the development of medical curricula. To develop the curriculum, apart from using a number of resources, the authors conducted a symposium that was attended by some of the stakeholders. Learning outcomes were identified and the criteria for selection of the content of the curriculum were developed. The teaching/learning methods were recognised and the assessment strategies were formulated. The students felt that this course helped them in: (a) communicating with adolescents, (b) performing examination of adolescent patients, and (c) understanding adolescents’ views on different psychosocial issues. In this paper, the authors summarise the reasons that convinced the faculty to include Adolescent Medicine in its undergraduate teaching programme. The authors also describe the role that different stakeholders played and what further can be achieved by their involvement in such exercises.
Creating a User-Driven Student Perspective in a Nepalese Medical School
Authors: Shankar P. Ravi
Published: March 2012

Medical students and the number of medical schools are increasing in Nepal and South Asia. The student perspective does not receive sufficient attention in most schools. In this paper, the author shares initiatives in creating a user-driven student perspective in a private medical school in Lalitpur, Nepal. Communication was a key component and the author used the internet extensively to communicate with students in addition to printed written materials.
Creating Awareness for Using a Wiki to Promote Collaborative Health Professional Education
Authors: Heilman James
Published: March 2012

This publication on the use of a wiki in Bangladesh offers a glimmer of hope that the times are changing with respect to medical publication. People learning how to operate in the wiki environment are giving them a voice on the world stage and medical practitioners and educators cannot afford to ignore these developments. The question that remains to be answered, is how do advocates of open source knowledge get busy colleagues and students to donate their time? A number of possibilities are currently being examined by Wikipedia including: co-publication of high quality work both on Wikipedia and within a peer-reviewed, PubMed-indexed journal and scholarship awards to students who make significant contributions to these sources.
Factors Affecting the E-Commerce Adoption by Small Hotels
Authors: Acilar Ali , Karamasa Çaglar
Published: March 2012

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are spreading rapidly and affecting almost all aspects of daily life, including businesses. The tourism and hospitality industry have been largely affected by advancements in ICTs. ICTs offer both opportunities and challenges for SMEs in the tourism and hospitality industry. Although large companies have been quick to adopt ICTs with rich resources, SMEs have been slow to adopt these technologies in general for various reasons, especially in developing countries. In this article, the authors explore the factors affecting the adoption of e-commerce by small hotels. To attain this purpose, a comparative case study was conducted in two small hotels, and their use of the Internet and the Web was explored. Conclusions derived from this study provide a meaningful contribution to the understanding of e-commerce adoption in small businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Determinants of Adopting Intelligent Broadband Services in Residential Community
Authors: Ko Hsien-Tang , Lu Hsi-peng
Published: March 2012

Through theoretical and empirical analysis, this study shows that the integration of the TAM model with media influence, government influence, perceived benefits, and personal innovativeness is applicable for explaining the adoption of intelligent broadband services in residential community. The authors also compare the difference between the determinants among three user groups according to diffusion stages in the innovation diffusion theory. Based on a survey of 1,120 participants, strong support was found for the model. Results indicate that personal innovativeness is the most important factor affecting the behavioral intention to adopt intelligent broadband services in residential community among all three groups. Results of this study provide a valuable reference for broadband service providers in residential community to approach different user groups with differentiated marketing strategies.
Teachers’ Perceptions of the Interactive Boards for Teaching and Learning
Authors: Alfahel Essa , Daher Wajeeh , Abu-Hussain Jamal
Published: March 2012

The interactive board is an integral part of the modern classrooms and a tool that teachers utilize for its didactic and pedagogic potentialities. The main goal of this research was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the educational aspects (pedagogic, didactic, technical-pedagogic and technical-didactic) of the interactive board for teaching and learning in the Arab sector in Israel, where interactive boards have been introduced into the classrooms for almost two years. Three hundred ninety five teachers from three school types (primary, middle and secondary) from different districts participated in the research. A questionnaire was built to examine teachers’ perceptions in the four educational aspects. The research findings show that teachers from the three school types had positive perceptions of the interactive boards for teaching and learning. Further, significant differences were found in teachers’ perceptions of the interactive boards that could be attributed to school’s type and experience of teachers in using the interactive board in the classroom. Moreover, no significant differences were found in teachers’ perceptions that could be attributed to participating in a preparatory workshop or to gender.
A Household Internet Adoption Model Based on Integration of Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Uses and Gratifications Theory
Authors: Mohebbi Shima , Khatibi Vahid , Keramati Abbas
Published: March 2012

Existing theories in the technology acceptance and Internet adoption fields have examined the adoption among users, which can be classified into two categories: technological and behavioral perspectives. In this paper, the authors propose an integrated household Internet adoption model combining both perspectives to provide a holistic view on the subject. For this purpose, the three primal models of technology acceptance and usage behavior, the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and uses and gratifications theory (U&G), are selected to construct the integrated model. In this way, based on the dimensions of the studied theories, specific constructs are defined to integrate these dimensions according to their similarities and appropriateness. The relationship between the proposed model’s constructs are then hypothesized based on the literature findings, and examined in a case study of household Internet adoption among Iranian households. Also, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to illustrate the relationships’ coefficients between proposed model constructs, and derived implications for the Internet adoption among Iranian households are discussed based on the research findings.
Stochastic Programming on Optimal Drug Administration for Two Stage Cancer Treatment Problems
Authors: Rao P. Tirupathi , Evangil D. Flora , Madhavi K.
Published: March 2012

Either Continuous drug administration or continuous drug vacation for long spells of cancer chemotherapy is not suggestible. Similarly the quantum of administered drug dose either above the required level or below the wanted level is also not advised. Effective drug administration has to consider the optimal threshold limits on the drug administration/drug vacation times; upper and lower limits of drug quantity; along with the suitable number of drug administration/drug vacation cycles; and the number of spells within the cycle of drug usage/stoppage. This paper develops an optimization programming problem for designing drug administration strategies for a cancer patient under chemotherapy. This study will help in exploring the decision parameters at the targeted objectives. Optimal decisions on drug dosage level, drug administration period, drug vacation period, number of drug administration cycles; number of drugs applied within a cycle, etc., can be obtained with the model. Sensitivity analysis is carried out for understanding the model behavior. This work has a scope for developing health care Decision Support Systems.
Police Personality
Authors: Bano Bushara , Talib Parvaiz
Published: March 2012

Police personnel are often termed as authoritarian, cynical, psychopathological, rude and submissive. On the other hand, they are said to be responsible, determined and dedicated. People have conflicting stereotypes for personality traits of police. The paper analyses the concept of police personality. The paper investigates on the basis of qualitative research whether personality of police is same as other non-police persons or they possess different personality profiles. The paper also critically analyses the contribution of predispositional and socialization factors in the development of working personality within police population. The findings reveal that the phenomenon is not well investigated by the existing studies. The paper suggests the researchers to investigate the concept of police personality more extensively as the available data is ambiguous in nature.
Artificial Intelligence Based Green Technology Retrofit for Misfire Detection in Old Engines
Authors: Devasenapati S. Babu , Ramachandran K. I.
Published: March 2012

The core theme of the paper is misfire detection using random forest algorithm and decision tree based machine learning models for emission minimization in gasoline passenger vehicles. The engine block vibration signals are used for misfire detection. The signal is a combination of all vibration emissions of various engine components and also contains the vibration signature due to misfire. The quantum of information available at a given instant is enormous and hence suitable techniques are adopted to reduce the computational load due to redundant information. The random forest algorithm based model and the decision tree model are found to have a consistent high classification accuracy of around 89.7% and 89.3% respectively. From the results obtained the authors conclude that the combination of statistical features and random forest algorithm is suitable for detection of misfire in spark ignition engines and hence contributing to emission minimization in vehicles.
A Framework for Conceptualizing the Current Role and Future Trends of Information Systems in Medical Training
Authors: Lui Tsz-Wai , Goel Lakshmi
Published: March 2012

Despite the growing investment in information systems for training in healthcare establishments (HCEs), there is a lack of holistic understanding of the role of information systems in different aspects of medical training. In this paper, the authors attempt to arrive at a framework that summarizes different kinds of training required in HCEs and the role of information systems in each of these areas. The authors contribute to research by systematically summarizing the current role of information systems in medical training and discussing future trends. The authors contribute to practice by providing a technique to assess and plan training activities in HCEs.
The effects of adding epinephrine or xylazine to lidocaine solution for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in fat-tailed sheep
Authors: Rostami Maryam , Vesal Nasser
Published: March 2012

This blinded, randomised experimental study was designed to compare the analgesic effects of lumbosacral epidural administration of lidocaine-epinephrine or lidocaine-xylazine combinations in fat-tailed sheep. Nine healthy fat-tailed male lambs (mean ± s.d. age, 4.6 ± 0.4 months; weight, 24.6 kg ± 2.5 kg) were randomly allocated into four groups of six sheep: lidocaine 2% (LID), lidocaine-epinephrine 5 µg/mL (LIDEP), lidocaine-xylazine 0.05 mg/kg (LIDXY) or bupivacaine 0.5% (BUP). The onset and duration of flank, perineum and hindlimb anaesthesia and the onset and duration of hindlimb paralysis were recorded. Epidural administration of LID, LIDEP, LIDXY or BUP produced anaesthesia within 6.6 min, 7.6 min, 3.4 min and 8.4 min, respectively. The mean onset of anaesthesia in the LIDXY group was significantly shorter compared with the BUP group (p = 0.02). The mean duration of anaesthesia was 107.9 min, 190.4 min, 147.6 min and 169.7 min for LID, LIDEP, LIDXY and BUP, respectively. The onset of hindlimb paralysis was faster in the LIDXY group than in the BUP group; however, the duration of hindlimb paralysis was shorter in LIDXY compared with LIDEP. Epidural administration of LIDEP or LIDXY provides a comparable duration of local anaesthesia without any adverse effects in fat-tailed sheep. Epidural LIDXY did not appear to be advantageous over epidural LIDEP.
Atmospheric Cluster Dynamics Code: a flexible method for solution of the birth-death equations
Authors: McGrath M. J. , Olenius T. , Ortega I. K. , Loukonen V. , Paasonen P. , Kurtén T. , Kulmala M. , Vehkamäki H.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The Atmospheric Cluster Dynamics Code (ACDC) is presented and explored. This program was created to study the first steps of atmospheric new particle formation by examining the formation of molecular clusters from atmospherically relevant molecules. The program models the cluster kinetics by explicit solution of the birth–death equations, using an efficient computer script for their generation and the MATLAB ode15s routine for their solution. Through the use of evaporation rate coefficients derived from formation free energies calculated by quantum chemical methods for clusters containing dimethylamine or ammonia and sulphuric acid, we have explored the effect of changing various parameters at atmospherically relevant monomer concentrations. We have included in our model clusters with 0–4 base molecules and 0–4 sulfuric acid molecules for which we have commensurable quantum chemical data. The tests demonstrate that large effects can be seen for even small changes in different parameters, due to the non-linearity of the system. In particular, changing the temperature had a significant impact on the steady-state concentrations of all clusters, while the boundary effects (allowing clusters to grow to sizes beyond the largest cluster that the code keeps track of, or forbidding such processes), coagulation sink terms, non-monomer collisions, sticking probabilities and monomer concentrations did not show as large effects under the conditions studied. Removal of coagulation sink terms prevented the system from reaching the steady state when all the initial cluster concentrations were set to the default value of 1 m−3, which is probably an effect caused by studying only relatively small cluster sizes.
A new method to determine the mixing state of light absorbing carbonaceous using the measured aerosol optical properties and number size distributions
Authors: Ma N. , Zhao C. S. , Müller T. , Cheng Y. F. , Liu P. F. , Deng Z. Z. , Xu W. Y. , Ran L. , Nekat B. , van Pinxteren D. , Gnauk T. , Müller K. , Herrmann H. , Yan P. , Zhou X. J. , Wiedensohler A.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. In this paper, the mixing state of light absorbing carbonaceous (LAC) was investigated with a two-parameter aerosol optical model and in situ aerosol measurements at a regional site in the North China Plain (NCP). A closure study between the hemispheric backscattering fraction (HBF) measured by an integrating nephelometer and that calculated with a modified Mie model was conducted. A new method was proposed to retrieve the ratio of the externally mixed LAC mass to the total mass of LAC (rext-LAC) based on the assumption that the ambient aerosol particles were externally mixed and consisted of a pure LAC material and a core-shell morphology in which the core is LAC and the shell is a less absorbing material. A Monte Carlo simulation was applied to estimate the overall influences of input parameters of the algorithm to the retrieved rext-LAC. The diurnal variation of rext-LAC was analyzed and the PartMC-MOSAIC model was used to simulate the variation of the aerosol mixing state. Results show that, for internally mixed particles, the assumption of core-shell mixture is more appropriate than that of homogenous mixture which has been widely used in aerosol optical calculations. A significant diurnal pattern of the retrieved rext-LAC was found, with high values during the daytime and low values at night. The consistency between the retrieved rext-LAC and the model results indicates that the diurnal variation of LAC mixing state is mainly caused by the diurnal evolution of the mixing layer.
Variability of levels and composition of PM10 and PM2.5 in the Barcelona metro system
Authors: Querol X. , Moreno T. , Karanasiou A. , Reche C. , Alastuey A. , Viana M. , Font O. , Gil J. , de Miguel E. , Capdevila M.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. From an environmental perspective, the underground metro system is one of the cleanest forms of public transportation in urban agglomerations. Current studies report contradicting results regarding air quality in the metro systems: whereas some reveal poor air quality, others report PM levels which are lower or of the same order of magnitude than those measured in traffic sites above ground level. The present work assesses summer indoor air quality and passenger exposure in the Barcelona metro, focusing on PM levels and their metal contents. In addition, the impact on indoor air quality of platform screen door systems (automated systems consisting of closed rail track and platforms) is evaluated, to determine whether these systems reduce passenger exposure to PM when compared with conventional systems (open tracks and platforms). In the Barcelona metro, PM levels inside the trains in summer are amongst the lowest reported for worldwide metro systems (11–32 μPM2.5 m−3). This is most probably due to the air conditioning system working in all carriages of the Barcelona metro during the whole year. On the platforms, levels were considerably higher, reaching mean levels of 59 and 88 μgPM2.5 m−3 in the new (L9) and old (L3) lines, respectively. PM10 data are also reported in the present study, but comparison with other metro systems is more difficult due to the scarcity of data compared with PM2.5. Results showed clear PM daily cycles, with a drastic increase from 06:00 to 07:00 a.m., a diurnal maximum from 07:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and marked decreases between 10:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m. The elements with the highest enrichment are those associated with wheel or brake abrasion products (Ba, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Sb, As, Mo, Co, Sr, among others). Laminar hematite (Fe2O3) was the dominant particle type, being mainly originated by mechanical abrasion of the rail track and wheels. Regarding passenger exposure to PM inside the metro system, the contribution of commuting by metro was estimated to account for around 10% of the daily exposure. Finally, we conclude that the implementation of platform screen door systems results in reductions of both PM levels and metal concentrations, but in addition an advanced optimized ventilation system gave even a much higher efficiency in reducing PM exposure to metro commuters. Combining these two features PM exposure levels in the platforms may be reduced down by a factor of 7 with respect the old subway lines in Barcelona.
The AACES field experiments: SMOS calibration and validation across the Murrumbidgee River catchment
Authors: Peischl S. , Walker J. P. , Rüdiger C. , Ye N. , Kerr Y. H. , Kim E. , Bandara R. , Allahmoradi M.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. Following the launch of the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission on 2 November 2009, SMOS products need to be rigorously validated at the satellite's approximately 45 km scale, and disaggregation techniques for maps with finer resolutions tested. The Australian Airborne Cal/val Experiments for SMOS (AACES) provide the basis for one of the most comprehensive assessments of SMOS data world-wide by covering a range of topographic, climatic and land surface variability within an approximately 500 × 100 km2 study area, located in South-East Australia. The AACES calibration and validation activities consisted of two extensive field experiments which were undertaken across the Murrumbidgee River catchment during the Australian summer and winter season of 2010, respectively. The data sets include airborne L-band brightness temperature, thermal infrared and multi-spectral observations at 1 km resolution, as well as extensive ground measurements of near-surface soil moisture and ancillary data, such as soil temperature, soil texture, surface roughness, vegetation water content, dew amount, leaf area index and spectral characteristics of the vegetation. This paper explains the design and data collection strategy of the airborne and ground component of the two AACES campaigns and presents a preliminary analysis of the field measurements including the application and performance of the SMOS core retrieval model on the diverse land surface conditions captured by the experiments. The data described in this paper are publicly available from the website: http://www.moisturemap.monash.edu.au/aaces.
How to deal properly with a natural catastrophe database – analysis of flood losses
Authors: Kron W. , Steuer M. , Löw P. , Wirtz A.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. Global reinsurer Munich Re has been collecting data on losses from natural disasters for almost four decades. Together with EM-Dat and sigma, Munich Re's NatCatSERVICE database is currently one of three global databases of its kind, with its more than 30 000 datasets. Although the database was originally designed for reinsurance business purposes, it contains a host of additional information on catastrophic events. Data collection poses difficulties such as not knowing the exact extent of human and material losses, biased reporting by interest groups, including governments, changes over time due to new findings, etc. Loss quantities are often not separable into different causes, e.g., windstorm and flood losses during a hurricane, or windstorm, hail and flooding during a severe storm event. These difficulties should be kept in mind when database figures are analysed statistically, and the results have to be treated with due regard for the characteristics of the underlying data. Comparing events at different locations and on different dates can only be done using normalised data. For most analyses, and in particular trend analyses, socio-economic changes such as inflation or growth in population and values must be considered. Problems encountered when analysing trends are discussed using the example of floods and flood losses.