bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobile Health and Wellness Applications
Authors: Nikou Shahrokh , Bouwman Harry
Published: October 2016

The rapid-pace development in mobile technology offers tremendous opportunities for both the public and private sector in healthcare domain. Unlike other forms of communications, e.g., the Internet, increasingly ubiquitous use of mobile technology and devices allow mobile health and wellness applications to have a greater impact on how care is delivered. Although, technology is an essential tool for healthcare provision, to fully leverage these opportunities other major issues on the emergence of more patient-centric healthcare solutions need to be addressed. A sustainable business model plays a significant role in exploration and exploitation of mobile health and wellness applications. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review based on a business model ontology, in order to lay the basis for exploitation of these applications. The review shows that the extant literature mainly focuses on the service platforms components of business models and their underlying technological challenges, and that non-technological business model components such as value proposition, organizing and revenue models have not attracted the attention that is deemed necessary for exploitation of mobile health care solutions. This paper cautions that in a highly regulated yet often monopolistic industry such as healthcare, the regulatory and the legal issues must be considered as an external business factors.
Factors Affecting Loyalty of Mobile Social Networks' Users
Authors: Hajiheydari Nastaran , Maskan Babak Hazaveh Hesar , Ashkani Mahdi
Published: October 2016

Increasing world-wide trends of using mobile social networks and the rise of competition between different social applications makes it essential for social network providers and marketers to identify the key factors leading to user loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key factors that affect the loyalty of mobile social networks users. The proposed model was tested through structural equation modeling techniques and an online survey. The sample consisted of 388 mobile social networks users in Iran. The results indicate that sociability, entertainment and fashion are primary drivers of attitude toward a mobile social network. The results also show the significant role of attitude and satisfaction on consumer loyalty. This study helps both marketers and mobile social network providers know the key drivers of customer loyalty in order to tailor their marketing efforts and communication strategies.
In Search of Indicators for Assessing Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities' Performance
Authors: Stratigea Anastasia , Leka Akrivi , Panagiotopoulou Maria
Published: October 2016

The goal of the paper is to elaborate on sustainability aspects of smart sustainable urban environments. More specifically, at a first step the paper aims at critically reviewing globally initiated state-of-the-art approaches for assessing smart cities' performance as to sustainability objectives. The scope of this effort is to identify sets of indicators used in different approaches as well as convergence/divergence among them. Secondly, an attempt to integrate different indicator sets into a more enriched and coherent indicator system is carried out which, by effectively embedding smart and sustainable city development into sustainability indicators' sets, can be used by various types of cities' examples. Finally, the rationale of the indicators' selection process is depicted, in order to support policy makers and planners' guidance towards choosing an appropriate, city-specific set of sustainability indicators for carrying out relevant assessments.
An Analysis of Web-based Document Management and Communication Tools Usage Among Project Managers
Authors: Rozman Tomislav , Stjepanovič Tanja Kocjan , Raspor Andrej
Published: October 2016

The article analyzes modern cloud document management systems and communication tools from the viewpoint of a EU project managers, who lead multidisciplinary, multilingual and international teams. It also explores the types of users who use these tools as well as the motivation factors guiding their choices. The research includes observation within the project group, interviews and semi-structured surveys among 40 EU project managers, who have managed 244 EU projects. The main finding is that a lot of project managers still don't use shared, cloud document system. The biggest obstacle to more efficient usage of existing systems is their un-friendliness, security concerns and lack of skills. Meetings are still perceived as the most efficient channel for distributing and receiving project tasks, but they are closely followed by communication software. Applying the authors' findings to the project management practice can lead to better communication and shared document storage management, which can influence overall effectiveness of project management.
Adjusting Higher Education Competences to Companies Professional Needs
Authors: Alves Joaquim , Lima Natércia , Alves Gustavo , García-Peñalvo Francisco J.
Published: October 2016

This work reports the incorporation result of a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program in the two-years master's degree in Instrumentation and Metrology Engineering (MEIM) held at the School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto (ISEP). The procedure developed to find internships in industrial companies and institutions, which have needs for engineers in the areas of instrumentation and metrology is displayed. The authors also present the information on the situation of students that, by the end of the first academic year, could get enrolled in the curricular unit Dissertation/Project/Professional Training (opting either for a professional internship in a company or by a research project conducted in ISEP laboratories). In order to understand the benefits and impact of a WIL program, from a student perspective, students were asked to answer a questionnaire. Lastly, the results achieved during the study period are presented, including the student reported outcomes (from the questionnaire), as well as the informal feedback from students and companies' supervisors. The good results achieved, regarding the development of theoretical-practical competencies as well as generic or soft skills, during the master's, were also confirmed by the fact that students are hired by the companies to continue their work after the end of professional training.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation Approaches and the Performance of Procure-to-Pay Business Processes
Authors: Kofahi Ibrahim , Alryalat Haroun
Published: October 2016

In spite of the importance of implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in any organization, there are still many fears of not getting the return on investment from implementing it. In addition, there are many ERP systems implemented in different organizations that claim they did not get enough benefit from these systems. For this reason, this paper is intended to study the impact of ERP implementation approaches (Agile, Big Bang, and Hybrid) on the performance of Procure-to-Pay business processes. This paper adapts the quantitative research approach by using the survey strategy, which is conducted by a questionnaire collected from 91 respondents working in fifteen companies that implement Oracle ERP in Jordan. The researcher uses the SPSS as an analysis technique to test all hypotheses. The findings of the study show that the two ERP Implementation approaches (Big Bang and Hybrid) have a significant impact on the performance of Procure-to-Pay business processes. On the other hand, the study shows that Agile (ERP) implementation approach has no significant impact on the performance of Procure-to-Pay business processes.
Factors Influencing the Adoption of ISO/IEC 29110 in Thai Government Projects
Authors: Siddoo Veeraporn , Wongsai Noppachai
Published: October 2016

This paper presents the views of four Thai government organizations who had been awarded ISO/IEC 29110 Basic Profile Certification. Team ideas as to the success factors and barriers involved in implementations are explored. In-depth interviews with closed- and open-ended questions were conducted. The data collected was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results show two reasons for choosing standard, first, to enhance software development process, and second, because the financial support from the SIPA. The success factors were supportive organizational policy, staff participation, availability of time and resources for the improvement of the software process, consultations with the SIPA and team commitment and recognition. The barrier factors were time constraints, lack of experience, documentation load, unsynchronized means of communication and improper project selection. The findings were based on four diverse organizations. Other countries may take into account the variations e.g. working culture or organizational structure when seeking to apply these results.
Online Variable Kernel Estimator
Authors: Lakhdar Yissam , Sbai El Hassan
Published: October 2016

In this work, the authors propose a novel method called online variable kernel estimation of the probability density function (pdf). This new online estimator combines the characteristics and properties of two estimators namely nearest neighbors estimator and the Parzen-Rosenblatt estimator. Their approach allows a compact online adaptation of the estimated probability density function from the new arrival data. The performance of the online variable kernel estimator (OVKE) depends on the choice of the bandwidth. The authors present in this article a new technique for determining the optimal smoothing parameter of OVKE based on the maximum entropy principle (MEP). The robustness and performance of the proposed approach are demonstrated by examples of online estimation of real and simulated data distributions.
Gaits Classification of Normal vs. Patients by Wireless Gait Sensor and Support Vector Machine (SVM) Classifier
Authors: Nakano Taro , Nukala B.T. , Tsay J. , Zupancic Steven , Rodriguez Amanda , Lie D.Y.C. , Lopez J. , Nguyen Tam Q.
Published: October 2016

Due to the serious concerns of fall risks for patients with balance disorders, it is desirable to be able to objectively identify these patients in real-time dynamic gait testing using inexpensive wearable sensors. In this work, the authors took a total of 49 gait tests from 7 human subjects (3 normal subjects and 4 patients), where each person performed 7 Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) tests by wearing a wireless gait sensor on the T4 thoracic vertebra. The raw gait data is wirelessly transmitted to a near-by PC for real-time gait data collection. To objectively identify the patients from the gait data, the authors used 4 different types of Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers based on the 6 features extracted from the raw gait data: Linear SVM, Quadratic SVM, Cubic SVM, and Gaussian SVM. The Linear SVM, Quadratic SVM and Cubic SVM all achieved impressive 98% classification accuracy, with 95.2% sensitivity and 100% specificity in this work. However, the Gaussian SVM classifier only achieved 87.8% accuracy, 71.7% sensitivity, and 100% specificity. The results obtained with this small number of human subjects indicates that in the near future, the authors should be able to objectively identify balance-disorder patients from normal subjects during real-time dynamic gaits testing using intelligent SVM classifiers.
VirtualCareGiver
Authors: Tokunaga Seiki , Tamamizu Kazunari , Saiki Sachio , Nakamura Masahide , Yasuda Kiyoshi
Published: October 2016

Many care robots have received a lot of attention to help elderly people, however existing care robots have difficult to adapt personalization. For instance, some programmers have to customize robot program to meet needs of individual. In this paper, the authors' goal is design and develop care robot which provides personalization for an individual elderly people with an efficient and reasonable way. Their proposed service consists of three essential components; VirtualCareGiver (VCG), VirtualCarePersonalizer (VCP) and CareTemplate. VCG is a robot agent, which provides a personalization and integration for each elderly people. The VCG is offered care tasks based on care template which VCP generates. VCP provides adaptation for individual elderly on the cloud. The authors also conduct an experimental evaluation to demonstrate the feasibility with actual 11 subjects in a day care center. As a result, both font size and voice volume are especially contributed for the subjects.
Optimized Base Station Sleeping and Renewable Energy Procurement Scheme Using PSO
Authors: Wang Qiang , Liu Hai-Lin
Published: October 2016

Energy efficiency of the wireless networks has drawn more and more attentions due to the requirement of the green communication. The base station sleeping strategy and resource allocation can effectively improve the energy efficiency for the wireless networks. Meanwhile, renewable energy is important to decrease the carbon emission. In this paper, the authors propose a joint BS sleeping strategy, resource allocation and renewable energy procurement scheme to maximize the profit of the network operators and minimize the carbon emission. Then, a joint optimization problem is formulated, which is a mixed integer programming problem. To solve it, they adopt the bi-velocity discrete particle swarm optimization (BVDPSO) algorithm to optimize the BS sleeping strategy. When the BS sleeping strategy is fixed, the authors propose an optimal algorithm based on Lagrange dual domain method to optimize the power allocation, subcarrier assignment and energy procurement. Numerical results illustrate the effectiveness of their proposed scheme and algorithm.
Descriptive Content Analysis on E-Service Research
Authors: Kim Jung-Hwan , Lennon Sharron J.
Published: October 2016

The current study systematically and thoroughly reviewed the extant literature on e-service quality research to examine 1) how e-service is defined by researchers, 2) how e-service quality is defined by researchers, 3) what e-service quality scales and dimensions have been identified, 4) what outcome variables have been assessed in the e-service quality literature, and 5) what theories have been applied in the literature. A total of 72 articles published between 2003 and 2013 were content analyzed. The selected articles focused primarily on e-service quality in the context of B2C e-retailing. The findings of the study provide valuable information to e-service researchers by identifying gaps and disparities in the e-service quality literature. This study provides several crucial suggestions and directions for future research.
Teaching and Learning Abstract Concepts by Means of Social Virtual Worlds
Authors: Griol David , Callejas Zoraida
Published: October 2016

Social Virtual Worlds are increasingly being used in education, as their flexibility can be exploited in order to create heterogeneous groups from all over the world who can collaborate synchronously in different virtual spaces. In this paper, the authors describe the potential of virtual worlds as an educative tool to teach and learn abstract concepts by means of programmable 3D objects. They describe the main experiences carried out recently in the application of these technologies in transnational educational activities that combine the Moodle learning resources and programmable 3D objects in the Second Life virtual world.
Visual Culture Versus Virtual Culture
Authors: Han Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine)
Published: October 2016

Visual culture in virtual worlds is not purely authentic or purely imaginative. When culture emerges in a visualized virtual world, where everything that can be seen is created by its users, visual culture can be diverse and complex. Users from different cultural backgrounds perceive and construct meanings that may be different from those intended by the virtual world creators and other users. The author used observation, survey, and interview as her research methodologies to analyze visual culture in a visualized virtual world where the content is created by its users.
Motion Cueing Algorithms: A Review
Authors: Casas Sergio , Olanda Ricardo , Dey Nilanjan
Published: October 2016

Robotic motion platforms are commonly used in motion-based vehicle simulation. However, the reproduction of realistic accelerations within a reduced workspace is a major challenge. Thus, high-level control strategies commonly referred to as motion cueing algorithms (MCA) are required to convert the simulated vehicle physical state into actual motion for the motion platform. This paper reviews the most important strategies for the generation of motion cues in simulators, listing the advantages and drawbacks of the different solutions. The motion cueing problem, a general scheme and the four most common approaches – classical washout, adaptive washout, optimal control and model predictive control – are presented. The existing surveys of the state-of-the-art on motion cueing are usually limited to list the MCA or to a particular vehicle application. In this work, a comprehensive vehicle-agnostic review is presented. Moreover, evaluation and tuning of MCA are also considered, classifying the different methods, and providing examples of each class.
Beyond the mask of deference: exploring the relationship between ruptures and transference in a single-case study
Authors: Locati Francesca , De Carli Pietro , Tarasconi Emanuele , Lang Margherita , Parolin Laura
Published: October 2016

The relationship between transference and therapeutic alliance has been long discussed. It is only recently, however, that empirical evidence has provided support for a tight correspondence between several transference dimensions and rupture and resolution processes. In the present single-case study, we used alliance ruptures as a key dimension to understand patientâ€™s transference dynamics. This was achieved in a particular form of patientâ€™s behavior, i.e., patientâ€™s deference and acquiescent behavior, which describes a significant submission to assertions, skills, judgments and point of views of another person. Therapeutic process was measured by means of the Rupture Resolution Rating Scale, the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme and the Defense Mechanism Rating Scales, whereas therapeutic outcome was measured by means of the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200. Results of sequential analysis yielded a significant correspondence between rupture markers, characterized by avoidance and shifting of sessionâ€™s topic, and patientâ€™s narrations. Furthermore, a systematic correspondence between alliance ruptures and patientâ€™s avoidant functioning, which emerged both in transference relationship and in the quality of the defense structure, was found. Together, these findings indicate that patientâ€™s deference inhibits the expression of relational themes, with ruptures in alliance that seem to be supported by a strong defensive structure. In particular, patientâ€™s avoidance played a double role in the treatment. On the one hand, avoidance was the main characteristic of her transference structure, based on extreme intellectualization and emotional closure. On the other hand, it contributed to create an impasse in the treatment, based on a withdrawal ruptures model and on obsessive level defences.
The effects of kaolin, bentonite and zeolite dietary supplementation on broiler chickens meat quality during storage
Authors: Safaei Mohsen , Rezaei Razieh , Boldaji Fatollah , Dastar Behrooz , Taran Mojtaba , Hassani Saeed
Published: October 2016

The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of broiler chickens dietary kaolin, bentonite and zeolite supplementations on broiler thigh meat water holding capacity (WHC), lipid oxidation (TBARS), pH, and meat color during frozen storage. A total of 448-dayold sexed broiler cockerels were randomly assigned into 28 experimental units. A cornsoybean meal basal diet with 0, 15 and 30 g/kg kaolin, bentonite and zeolite as feed additive were added to control and 6 dietary treatments. Chickens were slaughtered and the left thighs kept at −20°C and analyzed after 1 and 150 days of storage. Experimental treatments had no effect on meat WHC, pH and color. Freezing at −20°C for 150 days impaired meat quality and caused chicken rancidity; however, lipid oxidation measured by TBARS value was significantly lower in chickens received diets including 15 g/kg bentonite and kaolin comparing to control diet after 150 days of frozen storage (P<0.05). It was concluded that though adding silicate minerals did not significantly influence WHC, pH and color in experimental treatments, they had influenced lipid oxidation and decreased chicken meat rancidity during frozen storage period
Diagnosis of del(5q) MDS, 14 years after JAK-2 positive PV appearance: complete remission of both diseases with lenalidomide monotherapy
Authors: Vaccarino Antonella , Dogliotti Irene , Marletto Fabio , Demarchi Andrea , Bazzan Mario
Published: October 2016

This is the report of the clinical case of a patient who presents the association of a JAK-2 positive chronic myeloproliferative neoplasia to a subsequent 5q- myelodysplastic syndrome, developed after about 14 years from the first diagnosis. Patient’s symptoms had rapidly worsened, and she became transfusion-dependent. Therapy with low-dose Lenalidomide quickly reduced the splenomegaly, and completely brought white cells counts, haemoglobin and platelets back to normal.  After more than one year from start, blood cell count is still normal. As far as we know this is the first case of an effective treatment with Lenalidomide reported in this clinical setting.
Association of organochlorine pesticides with the mRNA expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) & cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) genes in idiopathic preterm birth
Authors: Tyagi Vipin , Mustafa M.D. , Sharma Tusha , Banerjee B.D. , Ahmed Rafat S. , Tripathi A.K. , Guleria Kiran
Published: October 2016

Background & objectives:

Preterm birth (PTB) is an important cause of prenatal death, neonatal morbidity and mortality and adult illness. Increased inflammation occurs in normal parturition, and inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress are found to be higher in PTB cases. The present study was planned to investigate the association of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with mRNA expression of inflammatory pathway genes such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in preterm delivery (PTD) cases.

Methods:

Maternal blood samples of PTD (n=30) cases and equal number of term delivery (n=30) were collected at the time of labour. Women occupationally exposed to OCPs and other high risk factors such as anaemia, hypertension, bacterial vaginosis, renal and heart disease, diabetes, etc. were excluded. The OCP levels were estimated by gas chromatography, and mRNA expressions of TNF-α and COX-2 genes were analysed using real-time PCR (qPCR).

Results:

Significantly higher levels of β-HCH (beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, 95% CI=2.08-4.633, P=0.001), p’p’-DDE (para, para-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, 95% CI=0.546-2.551, P=0.003), and o’p’-DDD (ortho, para-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane, 95% CI=0.004-0.690, P=0.047) were observed in maternal blood of PTB cases as compared to term delivery. The mRNA expressions of COX-2 and TNF-α genes were 3.13 and 2.31 folds higher in PTB cases in comparison to term delivery. Linear positive correlations were observed between period of gestation (POG) and ΔCt of COX-2 and TNF-α genes.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Environmental factors such as OCPs may be associated with inflammatory events showing gene-environment interaction in PTB cases. Evaluating the molecular control of inflammation along with gene environment interaction may be used as a model to explore the aetiology of idiopathic PTB cases and may be considered for the prognosis of adverse reproductive outcomes.
Nucleophosmin mutation analysis in acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Chopra Anita , Soni Sushant , Pati Haraprasad , Kumar Dev , Diwedi Rahul , Verma Deepak , Vishwakama Garima , Bakhshi Sameer , Kumar Suman , Gogia Ajay , Kumar Rajive
Published: October 2016

Background & objectives:

Mutation of nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene in the absence of FLT3-ITD (FMS related tyrosine kinase 3 - internal tandem duplications) mutation carries a good prognosis in cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). NPM1, a multifunctional nucleolar phosphoprotein that shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm, gets trapped in the cytoplasm when mutated. Immunohistochemical (IHC) demonstration of its aberrant cytoplasmic location (NPMc+) has been suggested as a simple substitute for the standard screening molecular method. This study was aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of IHC on formalin fixed bone marrow biopsies in comparison with the reference molecular method (allele specific oligonucleotide - polymerase chain reaction; ASO-PCR) to predict NPM1 mutation status in AML patients.

Methods:

NPM protein IHC was performed using mouse anti-NPM monoclonal antibody on 35 paraffin-embedded bone marrow biopsies of patients with primary AML of any French-American-British (FAB) subtype. Results of IHC were compared with those of ASO-PCR.

Results:

Of the 35 AML patients, 21 (60%) were positive for NPM1 exon 12 gene mutation by ASO-PCR, 19 (90.47%) of these 21 were NPMc+. Thirteen of the 35 patients were negative by both the methods. One NPMc+ patient was not detected by ASO-PCR. IHC had a sensitivity and specificity of 90 and 93 per cent, respectively, compared to the molecular screening gold standard.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Mutation of NPM1 determined by the widely available and inexpensive IHC agrees closely with results of the standard molecular methods. Thus, technically and financially not well endowed laboratories can provide the prognostically and potentially therapeutically important information on NPM1 mutation using IHC.
Cleistanthus collinus poisoning
Authors: Mohan Alladi , Naik G. Sivaram , Harikrishna J. , Kumar D. Prabath , Rao M.H. , Sarma K.V.S. , Guntupalli K.K.
Published: October 2016

Background & objectives:

Ingestion of Cleistanthus collinus causes hypokalemia and cardiac arrhythmias leading to mortality in most cases. We undertook this retrospective study to evaluate the clinical presentation and predictors of outcome in critically ill patients admitted with C. collinus poisoning.

Methods:

The case records of 56 patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India (2000-2014) with C. collinus poisoning were retrospectively analysed.

Results:

The mean age of patients was 36.7±13.3 yr; there were 30 males. Salient clinical manifestations included hypokalemia (58%), neutrophilic leucocytosis (48.2%), acute kidney injury (AKI) (42.9%), acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (AcRFMv) (32.1%), shock (21.4%); cardiac arrhythmias and neuromuscular weakness (19.6% each); 21 patients (37.5%) had adverse outcome. Longer time-lapsed from consumption to reaching emergency room [median (interquartile range)] (hours) [49 (22-97) vs. 28 (7-56), P=0.038]; higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score at presentation [14 (8.25-14.75) vs. 2 (0-6) P<0.001]; and presence of the following [odds ratio (95% confidence intervals)] at initial presentation: shock [37.40 (4.29-325.98), P=0.001]; AcRFMv [26.67 (5.86-121.39), P<0.001]; elevated alanine aminotransferase [5.71 (1.30-25.03), P=0.021]; metabolic acidosis [5.48 (1.68-17.89), P=0.005]; acute kidney injury (AKI) [5 (1.55-16.06), P=0.007]; hyponatremia [4.67 (1.25-17.44), P=0.022]; and neutrophilic leucocytosis [3.80 (1.02-14.21), P=0.047] predicted death. A significant (P<0.001) increasing trend in mortality was observed with increasing International Program on Chemical Safety Poisoning Severity Score (IPCS-CSS) grade.

Interpretation & conclusions:

C. collinus is a lethal poison associated with high mortality for which there is no specific antidote. Careful search and meticulous monitoring of the predictors of death and initiating appropriate corrective measures can be life saving.
Impact of community-based health insurance in rural India on self-medication & financial protection of the insured
Authors: Dror David M. , Chakraborty Arpita , Majumdar Atanu , Panda Pradeep , Koren Ruth
Published: October 2016

Background & objectives:

The evidence-base of the impact of community-based health insurance (CBHI) on access to healthcare and financial protection in India is weak. We investigated the impact of CBHI in rural Uttar Pradesh and Bihar States of India on insured households’ self-medication and financial position.

Methods:

Data originated from (i) household surveys, and (ii) the Management Information System of each CBHI. Study design was “staggered implementation” cluster randomized controlled trial with enrollment of one-third of the treatment group in each of the years 2011, 2012 and 2013. Around 40-50 per cent of the households that were offered to enroll joined. The benefits-packages covered outpatient care in all three locations and in-patient care in two locations. To overcome self-selection enrollment bias, we constructed comparable control and treatment groups using Kernel Propensity Score Matching (K-PSM). To quantify impact, both difference-in-difference (DiD), and conditional-DiD (combined K-PSM with DiD) were used to assess robustness of results.

Results:

Post-intervention (2013), self-medication was less practiced by insured HHs. Fewer insured households than uninsured households reported borrowing to finance care for non-hospitalization events. Being insured for two years also improved the HH's location along the income distribution, namely insured HHs were more likely to experience income quintile-upgrade in one location, and less likely to experience a quintile-downgrade in two locations.

Interpretation & conclusions:

The realized benefits of insurance included better access to healthcare, reduced financial risks and improved economic mobility, suggesting that in our context health insurance creates welfare gains. These findings have implications for theoretical, ethical, policy and practice considerations.
A Class of Preconditioned TGHSS-Based Iteration Methods for Weakly Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Zeng Min-Li , Zhang Guo-Feng
Published: October 2016

In this paper, we first construct a preconditioned two-parameter generalized Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting (PTGHSS) iteration method based on the two-parameter generalized Hermitian and skew-Hermitian splitting (TGHSS) iteration method for non-Hermitian positive definite linear systems. Then a class of PTGHSS-based iteration methods are proposed for solving weakly nonlinear systems based on separable property of the linear and nonlinear terms. The conditions for guaranteeing the local convergence are studied and the quasi-optimal iterative parameters are derived. Numerical experiments are implemented to show that the new methods are feasible and effective for large scale systems of weakly nonlinear systems.
Christendom’s Narratives and the Stained Glass Designs of Yusuf Cameron Adebayo Grillo
Authors: Graves P. Nelson
Published: October 2016

Stained glass paintings, the most distinctive accessory in the interior repertoire of Christian ecclesiastic spaces, is the subject matter of this study. This paper attempts a recast of Christendom’s narratives in the stained glass designs of Yusuf Cameron Adebayo Grillo as the distinctive overarching mechanism of the evangelisation paradigm of the post Vatican II Church. It, therefore, draws attention to the delimitation of time frames in the history of the art form. Using the Grillo genre as the cipher that under girds the new evangelisation, the study narrates a new sense of time in the story of the development and growth of stained glass in the constellation of Church art. Yusuf Grillo’s images of the post Vatican II Church, albeit Nigerian independence era, with its unique modern representation imageries is the kernel of this study. For in spite of their peculiar imageries, they recite the same Bible and Christos story that the earlier European ones served. Utilising the adage “God lies in the details”, the iconographical details in the new images crafted by Grillo are employed as a distinctive typology that defines the style of the new evangelisation. This study presents a story of the emergence of a new art form. It, however, points to a set of new imageries that reflect the place of Christ as a central magnet that holds the entire Bible and Christos story together. That story-line emphasises the liturgical transmission of a new experience of time. It is a theological history in which the past, present and future make contact in the presence of the living Christ.Key Words: ecclesiastic, evangelization, cipher; representation, iconographic, centralmagnet
Civil Society and the Dynamics of Democratisation in Nigeria (1999-2007)
Authors: Olayode Kehinde
Published: October 2016

The wave of democratisation that swept through the continent of Africa in the 1990s reintroduced the time–honoured debate of the relative significance of state and society in the process of political reforms. Democratisation builds upon the belief that civil society requires government that is committed to freedom of association, competitive elections, independent courts and media, and other civil and political rights. Therefore, a democratic state and a civil society are two sides of the same coin. While civil society organisations played active role in the pro-democracy struggles against military dictatorship, which finally climaxed with the institution of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, civil society’s active participation in democratic consolidation has been limited by some factors such as institutional weaknesses, poor funding, weak collaboration between the state and civil society, fragmentation along ethno-religious lines, among others. This paper argues that democratisation as a continuous project requires a balanced relationship between civil society and the state and the consolidation of Nigeria’s nascent democracy would require a strong civil society that is distinct, but working complementarily with the state.Key words: Civil Society, Consolidation, Democratisation, Democracy, Struggles,Nigeria
From Campuses to Communities: Community-Based Cultism and Local Responses in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria
Authors: Owonikoko Babajide Saheed , Ifukor Uche
Published: October 2016

Campus cultism which began in Nigeria in the 50s has dispersed into residential communities. This paper examined the infiltration of cultism from campuses to residential communities in the Niger Delta region (NDR) of Nigeria. It traced the origin of cultism in the NDR, investigated the diffusion of cultism to residential communities, examined community response to it and implications of community response for peace and security of the region. Using both primary and secondary sources of data collection, the paper traced campus cultism in the NDR to the establishment of universities in the region in the 70s and 80s. Cultism dispersed into residential communities through establishment of affiliate groups in communities by major cult groups and expulsion of students from campuses for belonging to cult groups during the federal government anti-cultism campaigns in 1999. Due to the criminal activities of the cult groups in the NDR and ineptitude of the police, communities have responded by creating vigilante groups but this has only promoted cycle of violence. The paper recommended that government should tackle community-based cultism and also strengthen the Nigeria Police Force to be responsive to insecurity.
Extending methane profiles from aircraft into the stratosphere for satellite total
column validation: A comparative analysis of different data sources
Authors: Verma Shreeya , Marshall Julia , Parrington Mark , Agusti-Panareda Anna , Massart Sebastien , Chipperfield Martyn P. , Wilson Christopher , Gerbig Christoph
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Airborne observations of greenhouse gases are a very useful reference for validation of satellite-based column-averaged dry air mole fraction data. However, since the aircraft data are available only up to about 9–13 km altitude, these profiles do not fully represent the depth of the atmosphere observed by satellites and therefore need to be extended synthetically into the stratosphere. In the near future, observations of CO2 and CH4 made from passenger aircraft are expected to be available through the In-Service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) project. In this study, we analyse three different data sources that are available for the stratospheric extension of aircraft profiles by comparing the error introduced by each of them into the total column and provide recommendations regarding the best approach. First, we analyse CH4 fields from two different models of atmospheric composition – the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Integrated Forecasting System for Composition (C-IFS) and the TOMCAT/SLIMCAT 3-D chemical transport model. Secondly, we consider scenarios that simulate the effect of using CH4 climatologies such as those based on balloons or satellite limb soundings. Thirdly, we assess the impact of using a-priori profiles used in the satellite retrievals for the stratospheric part of the total column. We find that the models considered in this study have a better estimation of the stratospheric CH4 as compared to the climatology-based data and the satellite a-priori profiles. Both the C-IFS and TOMCAT models have a bias of about −9 ppb at the locations where tropospheric vertical profiles will be measured by IAGOS. The C-IFS model, however, has a lower random error (6.5 ppb) than TOMCAT (12.8 ppb). These values are well within the minimum desired accuracy and precision of satellite total column XCH4 retrievals (10 ppb and 34 ppb, respectively). In comparison, the a-priori profile from the University of Leicester Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) Proxy XCH4 retrieval and climatology-based data introduce larger random errors in the total column, being limited in spatial coverage and temporal variability. Furthermore, we find that the bias in the models varies with latitude and season. Therefore, applying appropriate bias correction to the model fields before using them for profile extension is expected to further decrease the error contributed by the stratospheric part of the profile to the total column.
Substantial stores of sedimentary carbon held in mid-latitude fjords
Authors: Smeaton Craig , Austin William E. N. , Davies Althea L. , Baltzer Agnès , Abell Richard E. , Howe John A.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Quantifying marine sedimentary carbon stocks is key to improving our understanding of long-term storage of carbon in the coastal ocean and to further constraining the global carbon cycle. Here we present a methodological approach which combines seismic geophysics and geochemical measurements to quantitatively estimate the total stock of carbon held within marine sediment. Through the application of this methodology to Loch Sunart, a fjord on the west coast of Scotland, we have generated the first full sedimentary carbon inventory for a fjordic system. The sediments of Loch Sunart hold 26.9 ± 0.5 Mt of carbon split between 11.5 ± 0.2 and 15.0 ± 0.4 Mt of organic and inorganic carbon respectively. These new quantitative estimates of carbon stored in coastal sediments are significantly higher than previous estimates. Through an area-normalised comparison to adjacent Scottish peatland carbon stocks, we have determined that these mid-latitude fjords are significantly more effective as carbon stores than their terrestrial counterparts. This initial work supports the concept that fjords are important environments for the burial and long-term storage of carbon and therefore should be considered and treated as unique environments within the global carbon cycle.
Ozone air quality simulations with WRF-Chem (v3.5.1) over Europe: model evaluation and chemical mechanism comparison
Authors: Mar Kathleen A. , Ojha Narendra , Pozzer Andrea , Butler Tim M.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. We present an evaluation of the online regional model WRF-Chem over Europe with a focus on ground-level ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The model performance is evaluated for two chemical mechanisms, MOZART-4 and RADM2, for year-long simulations. Model-predicted surface meteorological variables (e.g., temperature, wind speed and direction) compared well overall with surface-based observations, consistent with other WRF studies. WRF-Chem simulations employing MOZART-4 as well as RADM2 chemistry were found to reproduce the observed spatial variability in surface ozone over Europe. However, the absolute O3 concentrations predicted by the two chemical mechanisms were found to be quite different, with MOZART-4 predicting O3 concentrations up to 20 µg m−3 greater than RADM2 in summer. Compared to observations, MOZART-4 chemistry overpredicted O3 concentrations for most of Europe in the summer and fall, with a summertime domain-wide mean bias of +10 µg m−3 against observations from the AirBase network. In contrast, RADM2 chemistry generally led to an underestimation of O3 over the European domain in all seasons. We found that the use of the MOZART-4 mechanism, evaluated here for the first time for a European domain, led to lower absolute biases than RADM2 when compared to ground-based observations. The two mechanisms show relatively similar behavior for NOx, with both MOZART-4 and RADM2 resulting in a slight underestimation of NOx compared to surface observations. Further investigation of the differences between the two mechanisms revealed that the net midday photochemical production rate of O3 in summer is higher for MOZART-4 than for RADM2 for most of the domain. The largest differences in O3 production can be seen over Germany, where net O3 production in MOZART-4 is seen to be higher than in RADM2 by 1.8 ppb h−1 (3.6 µg m−3 h−1) or more. We also show that while the two mechanisms exhibit similar NOx sensitivity, RADM2 is approximately twice as sensitive to increases in anthropogenic VOC emissions as MOZART-4. Additionally, we found that differences in reaction rate coefficients for inorganic gas-phase chemistry in MOZART-4 vs. RADM2 accounted for a difference of 8 µg m−3, or 40 % of the summertime difference in O3 predicted by the two mechanisms. Differences in deposition and photolysis schemes explained smaller differences in O3. Our results highlight the strong dependence of modeled surface O3 over Europe on the choice of gas-phase chemical mechanism, which we discuss in the context of overall uncertainties in prediction of ground-level O3 and its associated health impacts (via the health-related metrics MDA8 and SOMO35).
Metos3D: the Marine Ecosystem Toolkit for Optimization and Simulation in 3-D – Part 1: Simulation Package v0.3.2
Authors: Piwonski Jaroslaw , Slawig Thomas
Published: October 2016

Abstract. We designed and implemented a modular software framework for the offline simulation of steady cycles of 3-D marine ecosystem models based on the transport matrix approach. It is intended for parameter optimization and model assessment experiments. We defined a software interface for the coupling of a general class of water column-based biogeochemical models, with six models being part of the package. The framework offers both spin-up/fixed-point iteration and a Jacobian-free Newton method for the computation of steady states. The simulation package has been tested with all six models. The Newton method converged for four models when using standard settings, and for two more complex models after alteration of a solver parameter or the initial guess. Both methods delivered the same steady states (within a reasonable precision) on convergence for all models employed, with the Newton iteration generally operating 6 times faster. The effects on performance of both the biogeochemical and the Newton solver parameters were investigated for one model. A profiling analysis was performed for all models used in this work, demonstrating that the number of tracers had a dominant impact on overall performance. We also implemented a geometry-adapted load balancing procedure which showed close to optimal scalability up to a high number of parallel processors.
Canopy-scale biophysical controls of transpiration and evaporation in the Amazon Basin
Authors: Mallick Kaniska , Trebs Ivonne , Boegh Eva , Giustarini Laura , Schlerf Martin , Drewry Darren T. , Hoffmann Lucien , von Randow Celso , Kruijt Bart , Araùjo Alessandro , Saleska Scott , Ehleringer James R. , Domingues Tomas F. , Ometto Jean Pierre H. B. , Nobre Antonio D. , de Moraes Osvaldo Luiz Leal , Hayek Matthew , Munger J. William , Wofsy Steven C.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Canopy and aerodynamic conductances (gC and gA) are two of the key land surface biophysical variables that control the land surface response of land surface schemes in climate models. Their representation is crucial for predicting transpiration (λET) and evaporation (λEE) flux components of the terrestrial latent heat flux (λE), which has important implications for global climate change and water resource management. By physical integration of radiometric surface temperature (TR) into an integrated framework of the Penman–Monteith and Shuttleworth–Wallace models, we present a novel approach to directly quantify the canopy-scale biophysical controls on λET and λEE over multiple plant functional types (PFTs) in the Amazon Basin. Combining data from six LBA (Large-scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) eddy covariance tower sites and a TR-driven physically based modeling approach, we identified the canopy-scale feedback-response mechanism between gC, λET, and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (DA), without using any leaf-scale empirical parameterizations for the modeling. The TR-based model shows minor biophysical control on λET during the wet (rainy) seasons where λET becomes predominantly radiation driven and net radiation (RN) determines 75 to 80 % of the variances of λET. However, biophysical control on λET is dramatically increased during the dry seasons, and particularly the 2005 drought year, explaining 50 to 65 % of the variances of λET, and indicates λET to be substantially soil moisture driven during the rainfall deficit phase. Despite substantial differences in gA between forests and pastures, very similar canopy–atmosphere "coupling" was found in these two biomes due to soil moisture-induced decrease in gC in the pasture. This revealed the pragmatic aspect of the TR-driven model behavior that exhibits a high sensitivity of gC to per unit change in wetness as opposed to gA that is marginally sensitive to surface wetness variability. Our results reveal the occurrence of a significant hysteresis between λET and gC during the dry season for the pasture sites, which is attributed to relatively low soil water availability as compared to the rainforests, likely due to differences in rooting depth between the two systems. Evaporation was significantly influenced by gA for all the PFTs and across all wetness conditions. Our analytical framework logically captures the responses of gC and gA to changes in atmospheric radiation, DA, and surface radiometric temperature, and thus appears to be promising for the improvement of existing land–surface–atmosphere exchange parameterizations across a range of spatial scales.