bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DECISION TREE CLASSIFIERS FOR CLASSIFICATION OF BREAST CANCER
Authors: Hamsagayathri P. , Sampath P.
Published: March 2017

Objective: Breast cancer is one of the dangerous cancers among world’s women above 35 y. The breast is made up of lobules that secrete milk and thin milk ducts to carry milk from lobules to the nipple. Breast cancer mostly occurs either in lobules or in milk ducts. The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma where it starts from ducts and spreads across the lobules and surrounding tissues. Survey: According to the medical survey, each year there are about 125.0 per 100,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed and 21.5 per 100,000 women due to this disease in united states. Also, 246,660 new cases of women with cancer are estimated for the year 2016.Methods: Early diagnosis of breast cancer is a key factor for long-term survival of cancer patients. Classification is one of the vital techniques used by researchers to analyze and classify the medical data.Results: This paper analyzes the different decision tree classifier algorithms for seer breast cancer dataset using WEKA software. The performance of the classifiers are evaluated against the parameters like accuracy, Kappa statistic, Entropy, RMSE, TP Rate, FP Rate, Precision, Recall, F-Measure, ROC, Specificity, Sensitivity.Conclusion: The simulation results shows REPTree classifier classifies the data with 93.63% accuracy and minimum RMSE of 0.1628 REPTree algorithm consumes less time to build the model with 0.929 ROC and 0.959 PRC values. By comparing classification results, we confirm that a REPTree algorithm is better than other classification algorithms for SEER dataset.
NUTRACEUTICAL FORMULATIONS CONTAINING GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITIN SULPHATE IN THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS: EMPHASIS ON CLINICAL EFFICACY AND FORMULATION CHALLENGES
Authors: AGIBA AHMED M.
Published: March 2017

Osteoarthritis (OA) is essentially a debilitating disease symptomatized by a gradual loss of articular joint cartilage, causing painful impairment among the population of different ages, particularly patients over the age of 50 y. Nutraceuticals; namely glucosamine and chondroitin have been widely used in the treatment of OA. The chondroprotective properties of the aforementioned agents have been reported, allowing the repair and recovery of the articular surface in OA. The purpose of this review article is to report the current evidence for the use of glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate in the treatment of knee OA with emphasis on their indications for clinical use, effectiveness and safety. It also highlights the role of some advanced formulation technologies in optimizing the delivery of those drugs.Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Clinical use, Formulation technologies
IN SILICO MOLECULAR DOCKING OF XANTHONE DERIVATIVES AS CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 INHIBITOR AGENTS
Authors: Miladiyah Isnatin , Jumina Jumina , Haryana Sofia Mubarika , Mustofa Mustofa
Published: March 2017

Objective: To demonstrate the potential ofdifferent xanthone derivatives as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor agents and their selectivity against cycloooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2 using molecular simulation.Methods: Nine novel xanthone derivatives (compounds A-I) were employed to dock against protein COX-2 (Protein Data Bank/PDB ID: 1CX2) and COX-1 (PDB ID: 3N8Z). Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, was chosen as a control compound. The free binding energy produced by the docking was scored using Protein-Ligand Ant System (PLANTS) and the hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between ligands and enzymes were visualised using Pymol.Results: Molecular docking studies revealed that celecoxib docked to the active site of COX-2 enzyme, but not to COX-1; whereasxanthone derivatives docked to the active site of both COX-2 and COX-1. Free binding energy of xanthone derivatives ranged between-73,57 to-79,18 and between-73,06 to-79,25 against COX-2 and COX-1, respectively, and-78,13 against celecoxib. H-bonds in the molecule of xanthone derivatives and COX-2 protein were found in amino acid residues Arg120, Tyr355, Tyr385,and Ser353. There was an insignificant difference between the free binding energyof xanthone derivatives against COX-2 and against COX-1, suggesting that their inhibition was non-selective.Conclusion: In conclusion, in silico studies showed that xanthone derivatives could be effective as potential inhibitors against COX-2, although they are not selective.
ANTIFEEDANT EFFECTS OF VITEX NEGUNDO L. LEAF EXTRACTS ON THE STORED PRODUCT PEST, TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM H. (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE)
Authors: Haridasan P. , Gokuldas M. , Ajaykumar A. P.
Published: March 2017

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the nutritional and feeding deterrence indices of Tribolium castaneum adults caused by petroleum ether and methanol extracts of Vitex negundo.Methods: A modified method of flour disc bioassay was carried out to study the antifeedant activities of both the extracts on the stored product pest, T. castaneum. In this bioassay, the insects were allowed to feed on wheat flour treated with various concentrations (1.25%, 2.5% and 5%) of petroleum ether and methanol extracts of V. negundo (VPE and VME) for 24 h in ‘no choice’ chambers. The effects of different concentrations of the extracts on relative growth rate and relative consumption rate of T. castaneum and the difference between the activities of two extracts were statistically analysed and compared by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Similarly, the comparison of the activities of VPE and VME, and their dose effects on the efficiency of conversion of ingested food and feeding deterrence indices of the insects were analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: VPE and VME significantly affected growth, consumption and utilisation of food, and caused antifeedancy in T. castaneum. It was also found that both the extracts resulted in a slight reduction in growth rate of the insect, compared with that of the control. The reductions in relative growth rate (RGR) (P=0.37) and relative food consumption rate (RCR) (P<0.05) were more prominent for 2.5% and 5% of both the extracts. In nutritional studies, it was found that increase in the concentration (P<0.05) resulted in an increase in the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) significantly with both the extracts. The RGR, RCR and ECI of the insects were found to be similar with both the extracts. The extracts showed dose-dependent feeding deterrence index (FDI) for this insect (P<0.001). The activity was found to be similar with both the extracts (P=0.07).Conclusion: The present study reveals that both VPE and VME show significant antifeedancy in T. castaneum and thus they can effectively be used for the protection of grains from insects.
EFFECTS OF UNANI ANXIOLYTICS (SOMINA) ON GENERAL REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND TERATOLOGY IN RATS
Authors: Ahmed Muhammad , Azmat Aisha
Published: March 2017

Objective: Somina (herbal medicine) is used in Pakistan as Unani anxiolytics. It is composed of five medicinal plants. The current work was designed to evaluate the general reproductive and teratogenic effects of somina in two consecutive generations of rats according to the OECD guideline.Methods: Fertility study (a two-phase study) was done in Sprague-Dawley rats. 1st part: three groups’ female rats (10 rats each group) received different doses orally. First group: The control group (saline), a single oral human dose of somina (2nd group: 285 mg/kg/day) and the high dose of somina (3rd group: 1g/kg/day) during the whole period of gestation till the delivery of pups named as F1 Breed. For the second part of study ten females were selected from each F1 breed (control, somina 285 mg/kg/d, somina 1g/kg/day) and administered the same treatment from day first of mating than the entire period of gestation until F1 breed delivered pups (F2 breed). For F1 and F2 breed the fertility index and litter size were determined. Some of the female rats (F1 and F2) were anesthetized and autopsied. The blood sample was subjected to biochemical analysis and serum liver function test: bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT: SGPT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST: SGOT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured spectrophotometrically. The uterine growth index, fertility index, and litter size were also measured to evaluate the teratogenic effects of somina treated rats.Results: The data showed that any significant different (P>0.05) was not found during the maternal examination (uterine growth index, fertility index) and reproductive parameters (litter size, the quantity of fetus, aborted or absorbed fetus) in somina treated rats as compare to control rats (P>0.05). Control and treated Pups did not show any significant (P>0.05) malformation and any congenital defects. Non-significant (P>0.05) changes were observed in liver function test. It was found normal in all groups. Macroscopic autopsy examination also did not reveal any significant (P>0.05) pathological findings in the liver, kidneys, and uterus.Conclusion: The oral administration of somina during the gestational period of pregnant female rats was not teratogenic/fetotoxic. Any adverse or deleterious effects were not observed at the dose of 285 mg/kg (human dose) or 1g/kg (3times greater than the human dose) during pregnancy, and it is safe in rats.
EFFECT OF PRENATAL ADMINISTRATION OF THERAPEUTIC DOSE OF TOPIRAMATE ON PLACENTAE ALBINO RATS' FETUSES
Authors: El-din Eman Y. Salah , Omar Amel R.
Published: March 2017

Objective: Topiramate is an antiepileptic drug (AED) used for the treatment of partial seizure in adult and children epileptic patients. It passed through the placenta causing a birth defect. However, little literature focused on placental alteration due to the administration of topiramate during pregnancy. So, applying different predictive parameters; placental weight, histopathological (Haematoxylin and Eosin), histochemical (periodic acid Schiff’s) and immunohistochemistry (Caspase-3).Methods: Topiramate was orally administrated to the pregnant rats with dose 100 mg/kg rats from 5th to 19th day of gestation. The dam’s undergone hysterectomy and the placentae were weighted and stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin, periodic acid Schiff’s and Caspase-3. Results: The study indicated that there is statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in the treated placental weight (0.4717±0.03788) compared with control group (0.5208±0.02930). Also, the light microscopic examination of the placental specimens using Haematoxylin and Eosin staining revealed that an alteration in both basal and labyrinth zone. Apoptotic feature in spongiotrophoblast and trophoblasts is detected. Positive Periodic acid Schiff’s reaction for polysaccharides in the topiramate-treated group. Caspase-3 is showing apoptotic cells in the trophoblast layer.Conclusion: Long-term daily use of topiramate during pregnancy can lead to obvious pathological histotoxic effects in layers of placenta tissues which may be implicated in cognitive affection. Various effects of topiramate necessitate further investigations.
EVALUATION OF ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITIES OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA IN ANIMAL MODELS
Authors: Hendra Phebe , . Fenty , Andreani Putu Ririn , Pangestuti Bernadetha Maria Estika , Julianus Jeffry
Published: March 2017

Objective: To investigate the antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of of E. longifolia root extract in animal models.Methods: In this study, glucose-fructose enriched diet-induced hyperlipidemia, carrageenan-induced paw edema and acetic acid-induced writhing were used to evaluate the anti-hypertriglyceridemia, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, respectively. At the end of the experiment of glucose-fructose enriched diet-induced hyperlipidemia, blood samples were collected and estimation of blood lipids were carried out. Edema thickness was measured using digital caliper at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, and 360 min after carrageenan injection. The number of abdominal writhing for each mouse was observed and counted during a period of 1 h post injection of acetic acid.Results: E. longifolia root extract demonstrated a significant reduction of triglyceride levels (p<0.05) compared with the control group in glucose-fructose enrich diet in rats. In anti-inflammatory test, the extract significantly inhibited the carrageenan induced paw edema formation (p<0.05). The extract also significantly decreased the number of writhing in acetic acid-induced mice (p<0.05).Conclusion: E. longifolia root extract shown a significant anti-hypertriglyceridemia, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Further studies are needed to determine mechanisms for its acitivities of E. longifolia root extract.
ROLE OF ANTIOXIDANT AND MYELOPEROXIDASE LEVELS IN 7, 12-DIMETHYLBENZ [A] ANTHRACENE INDUCED EXPERIMENTAL RAT MODEL: EVIDENCE FOR OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN ACTIVE ULCERATIVE COLITIS.
Authors: Geetha P. , Kumar B. Lakshman , Indra U. , Sheetal B. Pavithra
Published: March 2017

Objective: Ulcerative colitis known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown etiology. We examined the antioxidant and myeloperoxidase status in a murine model of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene induced colitis to elucidate the exact mechanism behind the inflammation.Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed to ulcerative colitis using various concentration of DMBA (7,12-Dimethylbenz[A]anthracene) were periodically analysed on 4th, 8th, 12th, 24th and 32nd week from the date of induction. To determine the disease activity index changes in body weight, food consumption, the presence of gross blood in stool and consistency of feces and diarrhea were observed. Macroscopic characters were elucidated based on clinical features of the colon and rectum using scoring pattern. Tissue inflammation status was noted through myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay. The antioxidant status in tissue samples was analysed by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total reduced glutathione (GSH).Results: Gavage intubation of DMBA induced colitis showed significant changes from 4th week and severity on 32nd week. The body weight was gradually reduced. Macroscopic scoring showed severe scoring pattern the inflammation was significantly heavier by week 4; and by the end of 32 w, inflammation in rats was double that of the controls, tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity showed the steady increase of neutrophil infiltration and inflammation rate every week. A significant change was noted in tissue antioxidant status and it showed the oxidation level. Statistically, significant change was recorded from 4th week till 32nd week.Conclusion: The conventional biochemical changes in colitis induced animal model revealed the association between the oxidative stress and ulcerative colitis.
ACTION RESEARCH AS AN TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATION OF THE PHARMACIST’S PRAXIS IN PRIMARY CARE
Authors: Oliveira Grazielli C. B. De , Alves Mateus R. , De-oliveira Djenane Ramalho-
Published: March 2017

Objective: Describe and discuss the use of action research in the Pharmaceutical Assistance restructuring of primary care in the city of Lagoa Santa/MG (Brazil), for the implementation of comprehensive medication management services.Methods: An action research project, based on fortnightly thematic discussions with a group of ten pharmacists, was used as a management tool to foster the engagement and critical reflection of pharmacists involved in the construction of their clinical practice in primary care.Results: Action research encouraged pharmacists to think about their practices and to perceive the need for a clearer definition of their roles and responsibilities in primary care. The collective development allowed pharmacists to recognise their weaknesses and strengths, identifying themselves as professionals capable of assuming co-responsibility for the pharmacotherapy of the patient. The re-organization of the service was necessary to provide support for actions related to the logistic of medicines, so pharmacists could dedicate time to their clinical practice.Conclusion: Action research can be an effective instrument of reflection, motivation and empowerment for the pharmacist team to meet the challenges of the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS).
SELECTIVE MERCURIMETRIC TITRATION ASSAY OF CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION IN THE WATER OF GREEN COCONUTS USING NOVEL INDICATOR SYSTEM
Authors: Labhade Shivaji Rangnath
Published: March 2017

Objective: A selective mercurimetric titration procedure is proposed for the assay of chloride concentration in the water of green coconut using mercury(II) nitrate [(Hg(NO3)2] reagent and iron(III) nitrate [Fe(NO3)3] with synthetically prepared mercury(II) thiocyanate [Hg(SCN)2] indicator system.Methods: An indicator solution was prepared by titrating Hg(NO3)2 against potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) till a red color end point using Fe(NO3)3. Then a known amount of Hg(NO3)2 was added to indicator solution and titrated against the water of green coconut till the original red color reappeared.Results: The concentration of chloride present in the volume of coconut water utilized in between these two end points was found to be reacting in the 2:1 stoichiometric ratio with the Hg(NO3)2 taken in the second step of the titration. The statistical treatment of the experimental data obtained by using standard solutions of sodium chloride (NaCl) indicates that the procedure is precise and accurate. The phosphate, sulfate, organic compounds and inorganic minerals present in the coconut water did not interfere with the measurement of chloride by this procedure. Both the cationic mineral value (was also determined by complexometric titration) and chloride concentration in the coconut water were found to be decreased with the development of the coconuts.Conclusion: The proposed procedure of determination of chloride concentration in the water of green coconut is simple, reliable and inexpensive. This procedure is excellent for determination of chloride in the acidic solution without precise adjustment of the pH for detection of the end point. Owing to the homogenous reaction condition no titration errors those are commonly encountered by co-precipitation in the argentometric assay of chloride.
Software Engineering Approaches for Designing Knowledge based Systems: A Survey
Authors: O. Gogo Kevin
Published: March 2017

In our daily engagement with technology we interact with software in many aspects, rendering software engineering field a very robust area with a lot of dynamism. In this paper we have comprehensively surveyed on software engineering approaches for designing knowledge based systems. First we looked at knowledge based systems in detail, then at software engineering basics, and finally match the various software engineering approaches that have been used in the field of knowledge based systems in the current research and surveys. Some of the current approaches in knowledge approaches that we surveyed include: case-based approach, software reuse approach, Model driven software engineering approaches, ontology based approach, Open metadata approach, cloud based approach, agile approach, Traditional integration approach, Automatic software generation code approach, process based approach, and the Knowledge based system approach.
Performance of Various Machine Learning Classifiers on Small Datasets with Varying Dimensionalities: A Study
Authors: Sharma Sahil , Sharma Vinod
Published: March 2017

Classification is an important supervised learning technique that is used by many applications. An important factor on which the performance of a classifier depends is the size of the dataset using which the classifier is going to be trained. In this manuscript the authors analyzed five different classification techniques (namely decision trees, KNN, SVM, linear discriminant and Ensemble method) in terms of AUC and predictive accuracy when trained using small datasets with different dimensionalities. The study was done using a dataset with 24 features and 400 instances (samples). The results showed that in general ensemble method (using boosted trees) performed better than others but its performance degraded a bit with reduced dimensionality.
Clustering in MANETs with Minimum Reclustering and Communication Overhead
Authors: Yousuf Adil , Singh Jasbir
Published: March 2017

Mobile Adhoc Networks (MANETs) are deployed quickly without the pre-existing infrastructure as other networks are created with proper infrastructure. Clustering offers hierarchical organization of mobile nodes by forming disjoint groups called clusters. The problem of scalability arises with increase in both mobility and the network size and in such cases clustering comes to rescue. Thus clustering, as a typical hierarchy, solves the issue of scalability in large dynamic MANETs, however it requires extra message exchange among mobile nodes for the cluster structure maintenance. The stability of cluster is greatly affected and it leads to the ripple effect of reclustering. This approach can eliminate the frozen period requirement and minimize the process of reclustering.
Electricity generating by Microbial Fuel Cell
Authors: Mizil Shaimaa Nghamish
Published: March 2017

In this study we tried to convert the chemical energy to electrical energy by using microbial fuel cell (MFC) consist of two chambers (anode and cathode) in presence of bacteria (Escherichia coli, pseudomonas aeroginosa ) and yeast (Saccharomyces cervesia) in the anode chamber to generate electrons. The system was started with glucose concentration 5gm/l in different pH value from (5-8). From the results we get the great generation of electricity with S. cervesia at pH 5 and the maximum voltage was 833mv. In case of bacteria that used in our experiment, the suitable pH for generation the electricity was (7).
Determination of some virulence factors of Candida spp. isolated from locally produced cheese in Diyala Governorate-Iraq
Authors: Fadihl Suhail Jawdat
Published: March 2017

Locally produced cheese which called (Gibin Al arab) is one of the most common dairy products in Iraq, it has an economic importance and great social value. This research aimed to identify yeast species from locally produced cheese (Gibin Al Arab) in Diyala city which traditionally made and sold in markets of old town in Baquba, and study some of virulence factors (Esterase production, Phospholipase and Hemolytic production) of yeasts belong to genus of Candida . All cheese samples showed contamination with varying number of yeast, total 88 yeast isolates obtained from 70 cheese samples, they were Geotrichum candidum(20.5%), Rhodotorela species(19.4%), Candida parapsilosis (18%), Candida albicans (13.6%), Candida  tropicalis (10.5%), Candida krusei (8%), Saccharomyces cerevisice (3.3%) and mixed yeast (un identified) at rate of (6.7%). Species of Candida formed half of the total isolates and the most prevalent isolate of Candida spp. was Candida parapsilosis .According to the results determining of  (Esterase production, Phospholipase and Hemolytic production) as a virulence factors identifying Candida spp. these activities referred that all isolates of Candida spp. show one or more of these activities and that isolates of  medically important species Candida albicans were the most virulent isolates. this referred to the importance of take attention about consuming of such types of dairy products and need for applying more hygienic measures during handling, processing of milk and form of storage and/or selling of cheese.
Theoretical Calculations of the Seasonal and Solar Activity Variations for Ionospheric Collision Frequency and Debye Length over Baghdad City
Authors: Ni'ma Ali Hussein
Published: March 2017

In this study, two important ionospheric factors have been calculated, the collision frequency of electron and Deby length for a height range from 80 Km to a height approaching the maximum height of the F2 region of the ionosphere above the Earth's surface. Both above factors have been calculated for two different levels of solar activity and for two seasons (winter and summer). Also, six months were adopted for every level of solar activity and season. The estimation of collision frequency of electron is depends on the contribution of neutral constituents and ions. Three neutral atmospheric gases have been adopted to calculate the collision frequency, Molecular and atomic oxygen O2 and O respectively and molecular nitrogen N2, as well as the singly charged ions were taken into account in calculation.
The Scheme of 10th Order Implicit Runge-Kutta Method to Solve the First Order of Initial Value Problems
Authors: Bahri Z , Zakaria L , Syamsudhuha Syamsudhuha
Published: March 2017

Abstract—To construct a scheme of implicit Runge-Kutta methods, there are a number of coefficients that must be determined and satisfying consistency properties and Butcher’s simplifying assumptions. In this paper we provide the numerical simulation technique to obtain a scheme of 10th order Implicit Runge-Kutta (IRK10) method. For simulation process, we construct an algorithm to compute all the coefficients involved in the IRK10 scheme. The algorithm is implemented in a language programming (Turbo Pascal) to obtain all the required coefficients in the scheme. To show that our scheme works correctly, we use the scheme to solve Hénon-Heiles system.Keywords—ODEs, 10th order IRK method, numerical technique, Hénon-Heiles system
Evaluation of The Effect of Pasak Bumi (Eurycoma longifolia Jack) to Increase Androgen Levels
Authors: Pratomo Hurip
Published: March 2017

Abstract—Background:The ability of reproductive disorders in men and experimental male rat is characterized among other things by a decrease in androgen such as testosterone levels. Materials of pasak bumi root (Eurycoma longifolia Jack) increased libido behavior of experimental male rat. Libido associated with higher levels of testosterone, it is therefore necessary to evaluate the effect of pasak bumi on androgen levels such as testosterone. Methods: Male rats at 9.00 am treated controls and pasak bumi, then at 14.00 pm tempted with estrus female rats 10 minutes. Then, both control and pasak bumi blood  samples were collected from male rat heart on day 1st  and day 3rd  at 14.15 pm. Measurement of testosterone levels were calculated using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Results: An increase in serum  testosterone levels in the blood on day-3rd  administration pasak bumi boiled water 18 mg/200 g dose  significantly different than the  control within day 1st to 3rd. The average levels of testosterone administration control (boiled water of aquades) day 1st = 0.50 ng/ml, day 3rd = 2.46 ng / ml, increased markedly on pasak bumi treatment day 1st = 4.00 ng / ml and day 3 = 9.73 ng / ml, (Duncan test, α=0.05). Conclusions: Testosterone levels can be increased markedly after the consumption of the pasak bumi boiled water for 3 days.Keywords—Pasak bumi, a dose of  18 mg/200 g, testosterone.
Letter to the Editor - Who benefits from the professionalization of health promotion?
Authors: Graham J. Ross
Published: March 2017

In 2007, Health Promotion Ontario (HPO) began working to advance the “profession” of health promotion (HP) in Canada through development of national competencies for health promoters. Their work was continued by the Pan-Canadian Network for Health Promoter Competencies (“the Network”). Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Network aimed to address (1) the recommendation made by the Canadian Joint Task Group on Public Health Human Resources for function specific competencies (including “HP Specialists”); and (2) the marginalization health promoters face in practice. The current health promoter competencies were released in November 2015, following a series of literature reviews and practitioner consultations.
REVIEW: Opening shot over the parapet
Authors: Hoar Peter
Published: March 2017

Book review of: The great adventure ends: New Zealand and France on the Western Front, edited by Nathalie Phillippe, Chris Puglsey, John Crawford & Matthias Strohn, Christchurch: John Douglas Publishing, 2013. 424 pp. ISBN 9780987666581This volume is another shot in the bombardment of books about the Great War that marks the 2014 centenary of the start of the ‘war to end all wars’. This literary big push includes novels, graphic novels, histories, biographies, memoirs and diaries written for specialists and the general public. An early publication to pop over the parapet, this collection offers a diverse set of articles that highlight some not so well-known aspects of New Zealand’s involvement on the Western Front during the 1914-18 war. The varied articles in The Great Adventure Ends reflect both the book’s origins in a conference and the variety of ways in which World War I is written about.
REVIEW: Vital role of journalism underlined
Authors: Gearing Amanda
Published: March 2017

Book review of: Tragedy at Pike River Mine: How and Why 29 Men Died, by Rebecca Macfie. Wellington: AWA Press, 2013, 224pp. ISBN 9781877551901Journalist Rebecca Macfie felt the emotional shock waves of the Pike River Mine disaster in 2010. She was researching the background of the mining company for a weekly news magazine article to explain to readers how the accident that killed 29 men had happened when she was captivated by the story. Her research soon turned up information from which she ‘formed the view that the disaster was not an "accident", but rather a corporate failure of the worst order’ (p. 2). Macfie was thus galvanised into action to write a book that would make the Pike story understandable to a wide audience including the families, friends and colleagues of those who died, for New Zealanders and as an object lesson for business and government leaders.
NOTED: Why so much grimness and so little hope?
Authors: Oosterman Allison , Robie David
Published: March 2017

Book review of: The News: A User’s Manual, by Alain de Botton, London: Hamish Hamilton, 2014, 267pp., ISBN9780241146477. The News:Sociologists, ethnographers, political scientists have all focussed their critical faculties on journalism and the news, so it is not surprising, perhaps, that a philosopher might do the same. And with what relish does Alain de Botton aim his powerful intellect upon the news, freshly honed on such discrete topics as love, travel, happiness, religion, architecture and sex. In the developed world, he says, the news now occupies position of power at least equal to that formerly enjoyed by religion. However, the news does not merely report on the world, it is ‘constantly at work crafting a new planet in our minds in line with its own often highly distinctive priorities’. De Botton uses examples of headlines to illustrate the news’ focus on disaster and mayhem and asks, plaintively, why? ‘Why so much grimness and so little hope?’
Opportunities for development journalism in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Khosla Vipul , Rowlands Lyndal
Published: March 2017

The Social Journalism Awards (SJA) is a journalism exchange programme providing Papua New Guinean journalists with opportunities to report on development issues. This article draws on information collected from SJA participants, and analysis of the media content they produced, to gather insights into development journalism in Papua New Guinea. The study found that Papua New Guinean journalists are interested in reporting on development issues but they lack appropriate opportunities to do so. The main issues facing Papua New Guinean journalists include few opportunities to report on issues outside the national capital; few professional development or training opportunities; few opportunities to report on development issues, particularly those affecting the rural poor; conflicts of interest for media owners including the government and foreign corporations with mining interests; and low pay within the industry. The study showed that when given appropriate opportunities, PNG journalists can contribute to development and democracy in meaningful ways. The article concludes that it is important for media indices to go beyond procedural freedoms and to measure substantive freedoms, or opportunities, available to journalists.
Crunch-time for the University of Papua New Guinea
Authors: MacWilliam Scott
Published: March 2017

After a promising start as the place where many of the country’s future leaders were educated, the University of Papua New Guinea is now a shadow of its former self. With minimal international support and destructive government policies ranking tertiary education of little importance for development, UPNG now operates on a budget totally inadequate to run a contemporary university. The minimal coverage of UPNG’s decline in the national media is reflected in a poorly run journalism programme which has had a stop-start history. By comparison, the University of the South Pacific thrives and its management set targets to raise the proportion of people from member countries who attend tertiary education. International support, financial as well as supervisory, continues to make a major contribution to USP’s operations. During major crises in Fiji, where USP’s main campus is located, journalism students at the university have performed exemplary roles. Even the controversies which repeatedly surface about the programme indicate its continuing importance at USP.  This essay argues that only the formation of a substantial consortium, with international donors joining a PNG government committed to a dramatic reversal of policy, can rescue what began as the country’s premier tertiary institution. The demand for skilled and managerial labour in the South Pacific’s second largest country, by population, requires a revitalised UPNG which could in turn lead a major reform of tertiary education and indeed all education.
Noted: Exposing celebrity reportage
Authors: Ellmers Steve
Published: March 2017

Review of: Conflict Coverage Promotion: High Quality or High Concept? By Chris Veits. Hamburg: Anchor Academic Publishing, 2014, 95pp. ISBN 978-3-95489-200-6.Due to his background in entertainment television Chris Veits would seem uniquely qualified to conduct a semiotic analysis of the conflict coverage promotional spots on CNN International and Al Jazeera English. However, admirers of Al Jazeera English might be surprised to learn how both networks routinely employed high concept material in the segments lauding their reporting of the multinational intervention in Libya and the broader Arab Awakening. Although at times semiotic approaches can seem like the scrutiny of minutiae, the unusual choice of promotional clips provides an opportunity to demonstrate how image centric these channels’ claims about their professional integrity and morality really are.
Censorship in Australia: Intrusions into media freedom flying beneath the international free expression radar
Authors: Fernandez Joseph , Pearson Mark
Published: March 2017

Australia has ranked among the top 30 nations in recent world press freedom surveys published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Freedom House and is broadly regarded as a substantially free Western liberal democracy. This article considers how the methodologies of those organisations assess the impact upon media freedom of a range of recent decisions and actions by Australian politicians, judges and government agencies. There is considerable evidence of a shift towards official secrecy and suppression of information flow. However, according to this analysis such developments are unlikely to impact significantly on Australia’s international ranking in media freedom indices. This article uses the methodologies of RSF and Freedom House to explore whether the international free expression organisations’ criteria are justifiably weighted towards violence against journalists, their imprisonment and formal anti-press laws and might allow for a nuanced comparison of other evidence of constraints on the news media in developed democracies.
Honest Iago? A media and academic freedom case study
Authors: Craddock Patrick
Published: March 2017

This case study involves issues of academic freedom and media freedom at the regional University of the South Pacific (USP) in a dispute between the senior administration of the university and two journalism lecturers over the impact of media releases and media comments made between May and July 2014, about the military-backed government and the right to freedom of expression. In May 2014, just four months before Fiji’s post-coup general election, a student at USP, suddenly and unexpectedly, had his scholarship cancelled. As a result, USP student journalists wrote a radio news story, which was broadcast on the USP radio station Radio Pasifik. A few days later, the scholarship was reinstated. Shortly afterwards, the USP journalism lecturers issued a joint media release criticising the military government on two issues: (1) their support of torture; and (2) the refusal of accreditation for two senior Fiji journalists to attend an international conference being held in Nadi. This action brought the two lecturers into an acrimonious dialogue with the USP administration. The article reviews the media coverage and examines the issue from the perspective of the head of the journalism programme.
Zones of silence: Forensic patients, radio documentary, and a mindful approach to journalism ethics
Authors: Morton Tom , Pearson Mark
Published: March 2017

This article explains a collaborative and critically reflective journalism research project stemming from the wish of an incarcerated forensic mental health patient to be named in public communication about his case. The authors are academics and journalists who embarked upon a combination of journalism, legal processes and academic research to win the right to name Patient A in a radio documentary and in academic works—including this journal article and research blogs. As a case study, it explains the theoretical and ethical considerations informing the journalism and the academic research, drawing upon traditions of documentary production, the principle of open justice and the ethical framework of ‘mindful journalism’. It concludes by drawing lessons from the project that might inform future practitioners and researchers embarking upon works of journalism and research involving vulnerable people and a competing set of rights and public interests.
Erewhon: Filming nowhere
Authors: Simmons Laurence
Published: March 2017

Photographer Gavin Hipkins’ first feature film draws upon Samuel Butler’s anonymously published utopian satire Erewhon: Or, Over the Range (1872). It pairs a stream of evocative images with a voiceover narration from Butler’s text. In particular, it is in his exploration of Butler’s critique of the coming dominance of the machine in a post-industrial society that Hipkins’ film speaks to postcolonial New Zealand. Paradoxically, however, Hipkins employs the words of Butler’s text to free himself from the tyranny of narration and produce a film of continual interruptions, juxtapositions and breaks in perspective and mood. One moment we are asked to respond to the sublime grandeur of the New Zealand bush or mountainscape, the next to the banality of a rusted dripping pipe or a collection of car carcasses. Hipkins’ images acquire their power not because of their inherent qualities, but because they prove themselves to be transformable, that is, because they can enter into relations of composition with other images. Through its montage, Hipkins’ ‘cinema of thinking’ successfully combines the documentary nature of film—its recording—with its symbolic, evocative, ruminative capabilities, thus exemplifying Jean-Luc Godard’s dictum that all good fictions are documentaries and all good documentaries are fictions.
Review: Searching for the truth of book-length journalism
Authors: Mason Bonita
Published: March 2017

Mason, Bonita. (2015). Searching for the truth of book-length journalism. Pacific Journalism Review, 21(2): 200-203. Review of Telling True Stories: Navigating the challenges of writing narrative non-fiction, by Matthew Ricketson. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 2014. 282pp. ISBN 978-1-742379-35-7Australian journalism academic and practitioner Matthew Ricketson’s new book opens with two quotes: one from South African writer Nadine Gordimer on the enduring presence of ‘beauty’ in the quest for truth; the other from US comparative literature professor Peter Brooks on the impossibility of separating our own humanity and imaginations from what we write. Gordimer has also written elsewhere of the writer’s responsibility, as a social being, to take part in their world through their writing—to become ‘more than a writer’ (1985, p. 141). The kind of writing Ricketson seeks to define, and describes, analyses and advocates in this book (much of which is also investigative), comes closest to meeting these roles and responsibilities for the non-fiction writer.
A final word: Pasifika solutions for Pacific problems
Authors: Moala Kalafi
Published: March 2017

The issues that challenge the stewardship of Pasifika’s peoples are as complex and diverse as the Pacific itself. We have our own conceptual tools that help us understand these complex issues. Our problem has been that we have a hard time using the tools of others and we end up with somewhat distorted understanding of our own issues. No wonder we have problems sometimes in communicating our issues to the people we serve. Telling our own stories, in our own language, with our own conceptual tools, so that we can construct meaning and bring understanding is the aim of Pacific journalism.
GPS Technology and Human Psychological Research: A Methodological Proposal
Authors: Wolf Pedro S. A. , Jacobs W. Jake
Published: March 2017

Animal behaviorists have made extensive use of GPS technology since 1991. In contrast, psychological research has made little use of the technology, even though the technology is relatively inexpensive, familiar, and widespread. Hence, its potential for pure and applied psychological research remains untapped. We describe three methods psychologists could apply to individual differences research, clinical research, or spatial use research. In the context of individual differences research, GPS technology permits us to test hypotheses predicting specific relations among patterns of spatial use and individual differences variables. In a clinical context, GPS technology provides outcome measures that may relate to the outcome of interventions designed to treat psychological disorders that, for example, may leave a person homebound (e.g. Agoraphobia, PTSD, TBI). Finally, GPS technology provides natural measures of spatial use. We, for example, used GPS technology to quantify traffic flow and exhibit use at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Interested parties could easily extend this methodology some aspects of urban planning or business usage.  DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v1i1_wolf
Measuring Disease Severity in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Davis Melinda F. , Scherer Katalin H. , Miller Timothy M. , Meaney F. John
Published: March 2017

Medical investigations use a wide variety of outcome indicators that are often not comparable. It can be challenging to integrate results across multiple studies that do not share a common metric. Some conditions such as Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy have a predictable course of disease progression. Severity can be inferred from a patient's medical history. This paper describes the development of a disease severity measure using common markers of disease progression. Rasch modeling was used to estimate severity using dichotomous events that indicate disease progression. Caregivers of 34 young men with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy completed structured interviews about their care and medical history. Interview questions included surgeries (tendon release, scoliosis, tracheostomy), respiratory equipment (assisted ventilation, cough assist devices), and the use of other medical equipment (e.g., braces, walkers, wheelchairs, transfer boards, hospital beds). The resulting measure had a reliability of .83. The correlation between the severity measure and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) was .68. Preliminary results and item calibrations are provided for the severity measure that can be estimated from caregiver reports or administrative data. DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v1i1_davis
CT head findings in suspected cases of head injury
Authors: Maharjan Surendra , Chhetry Saroj , Ahmed Neyaj , Sherpa Pasang
Published: March 2017

Background: Head injury is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Fall injury is the main cause of head trauma followed by road traffic accidents (RTA) and physical assault. Every victim with altered level of consciousness must be evaluated for brain injury. Radiological evaluation has undergone dramatic changes with the advent of computed tomography (CT) as it can precisely define the nature and location of the culprit lesion(s).Aims and Objective: To identify the major CT scan findings in suspected cases of Head injury.Materials and Methods: Three hundred seventeen patients of age 4 years and above, with suspected cases of head injury attending emergency department of TUTH during a period of 3 months (28 June 2012 to 28 September 2012) were included in this study. Non-contrast CT scan of head was performed in a single slice Hitachi Spiral CT scanner and 10 mm axial slices of head without any interslice gap were obtained at 15-20 degrees to the canthomeatal line. Data analysis was performed in SPSS v.21.0 software.Results: From 317 patients studied 198(62.5%) were male and 119 (37.5%) were female. Head injury was more common in male. 80(25.23%) were below 15 years of age, 221(69.73%) were between 16 to 65 years and only 16(5.04%) were above 66 years of age. The mean age was 28.57 years. In 239(75.4%) of patients the CT scan was normal. The most common cause of head injury was fall which was found in 210(66.2%) patients followed by RTA 82(25.9%) and Physical Assault 25(7.9%). Fall as a cause of head injury was more common in children and old people, with the RTA being more common in adults and adolescents. The most common positive finding in CT was contusion which was found in 32(10.1%), 25(7.9%) had SDH, 11(3.5%) of the patients had EDH, 10(3.2%) had SAH. Headache was found to be nonspecific for predicting positive CT findings.Conclusion: CT was found highly sensitive in demonstrating fractures and was considered the modality of choice when imaging suspected cases of head injury and in emergency patients due to its accuracy, reliability, safety and wide availability.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(2) 2017 76-81
Vertigo: Scientific Way...
Authors: Neupane Yogesh
Published: March 2017

No abstract available.
Les Études Sociales
Authors: Bonenfant Jean-Charles
Published: March 2017

Reviews of French-Canadian books on theatre published in 1965.
Translations
Authors: Koustas Jane
Published: March 2017

Reviews of literary translations published in Canada in 1991.
Non- and dedocumenting citizens in Romania
Authors: Vrăbiescu Ioana
Published: March 2017

This article explores state practices in Romania that lead to the non-,
de-, and redocumenting of tens of thousands of inhabitants. Unlike state practices
of (non)recording aliens (asylum seekers, refugees, undocumented migrants),
the scale of dedocumenting native citizens in Romania exposes a deliberate and
systematic modality of governance through exclusion from state records. These
practices of citizenship dispossession lead mostly to the gender discrimination of
marginalized women and the racial exclusion of Romani ethnics. People who were
born and live on the state’s territory become de facto stateless. By scrutinizing state
regulations and institutional practices, this article unravels the logic of dedocumenting
citizens, a process that allows state actors to select those who belong to
the nation on the basis of criteria that are incompatible with basic civil and human
rights. This selective modality of recording endows state actors with crucial and
direct control over the political and economic lives of undocumented citizens.