bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons Learned About Serious Game Design and Development
Authors: Strzalkowski Tomek , Symborski Carl
Published: October 2016

The development of a serious game combines the skills of numerous disciplines, from subject matter experts on the topic being taught; to story developers, game designers, and software developers; to instructional designers, educational assessment scientists, and others. This section provides commentary on the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity’s unique game development program, Sirius, where multiple games with the same training goal were independently developed and tested by different teams. We compare the experience of two of these teams not only in game design but also in how skills of various disciplines were woven together to produce and validate their games. Lessons learned are reviewed to provide guidelines and takeaway points to assist game development practitioners in their future efforts to create effective serious games.
Radial Plate Fixation: A Novel Technique for Distal Radius Fractures
Authors: Hoffmann Jeffrey D. , Stewart Jeremy , Kusnezov Nicholas , Dunn John , Pirela-Cruz Miguel
Published: October 2016

Background: Distal radius fractures represent a common fracture pattern frequently treated with volar locked plating for fixation. However, other methods may provide equivalent outcomes and minimize risks associated with the volar approach and hardware placement. One such method is the radial plate. Methods: After confirmation of institutional board review, we retrospectively reviewed data from 7 patients with our primary functional outcomes measured by Mayo wrist and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) scores. The most recent radiographic and motion parameters were recorded. Results: Mean age at time of injury was 49 years (range, 19-68 years) with clinical follow-up of 81.6 months (range, 43.5-95.5 months). Five patients had good to excellent outcomes with a mean QuickDASH score of 0.92 for those patients. The mean QuickDASH score for all patients was 18.5. Mean radial height, inclination, and volar tilt were within 5% of the contralateral side. Standard deviation values for radiographic measures and clinical range of motion indicate significant variability in our data set. Conclusions: Although the results are mixed, our small cohort indicates radial plate fixation could provide a viable alternative to volar plate fixation of distal radius fractures. Further prospective investigation is warranted to better describe long-term outcomes using this technique.
Identity constructions and transition to adulthood for young people with mild intellectual disabilities
Authors: Midjo Turid , Aune Karin Ellingsen
Published: October 2016

This article explores the self-constructions of young adults with mild intellectual disabilities in talk about their everyday living and how parents and professionals construct young adults with disabilities in talk about their involvement in transition processes. The analysis is related to an interpretive tradition and conducted based on individual interviews with four young adults with mild intellectual disability, five parents of young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and five professionals in the adult service system. The findings show that the young adults define themselves as actors in their own lives, while the parents recognize young adults with mild intellectual disabilities as both actors with resources and actors in need of assistance. Professionals in the adult service system, however, appear to rely on an identity perspective that might hamper young adults’ agency positioning and opportunities to define themselves and influence their future lives.
The use of dynamic external fixation in the treatment of dorsal fracture subluxations and pilon fractures of finger proximal interphalangeal joints
Authors: Abou Elatta M. M. , Assal F. , Basheer H. M. , El Morshidy A. F. , Elglaind S. M. , Abdalla M. A.
Published: October 2016

The aim of this study was to review the outcome of the treatment of finger proximal interphalangeal joint dorsal fracture subluxations and pilon fractures with a modified external fixator. We treated 36 patients (36 fingers). We assessed the ranges of motion and patient satisfaction. At final follow-up, 23 patients had no pain; 11 had pain in the cold; and two also had mild pain. None had moderate or severe pain. The mean range of proximal interphalangeal joint motion was 86° (60°–100°). The mean total active range of finger motion was 244° (range 200°–265°). This system is simple, cheap and relatively easily applied. It gives stable fixation that allows early mobilization.

Level of evidence: IV
Oncology emergencies
Authors: Aftab Rabia
Published: October 2016

Dealing with a medical emergency in an environment with limited life-saving resources is a frightening situation. Oncology emergencies can be especially challenging and life-threatening. Although these rarely present in primary care, they require specific urgent treatment, and therefore their recognition is important. This article intends to give an insight into diagnosis and management of oncology emergencies in a primary care setting.
The GRIM Test
Authors: Brown Nicholas J. L. , Heathers James A. J.
Published: October 2016

We present a simple mathematical technique that we call granularity-related inconsistency of means (GRIM) for verifying the summary statistics of research reports in psychology. This technique evaluates whether the reported means of integer data such as Likert-type scales are consistent with the given sample size and number of items. We tested this technique with a sample of 260 recent empirical articles in leading journals. Of the articles that we could test with the GRIM technique ( N = 71), around half ( N = 36) appeared to contain at least one inconsistent mean, and more than 20% ( N = 16) contained multiple such inconsistencies. We requested the data sets corresponding to 21 of these articles, receiving positive responses in 9 cases. We confirmed the presence of at least one reporting error in all cases, with three articles requiring extensive corrections. The implications for the reliability and replicability of empirical psychology are discussed.
The Racial Invariance Thesis and Neighborhood Crime
Authors: Hernandez Alma A. , Vélez María B. , Lyons Christopher J.
Published: October 2016

Social scientists have long known that crime is higher in minority versus White neighborhoods. Predominant accounts of this pattern invoke a racial invariance thesis, which posits that (1) accounting for inequalities in structural disadvantages substantially diminishes ethno-racial gaps in neighborhood crime and (2) key predictors operate uniformly across neighborhoods of different ethno-racial types. Unfortunately, little work examines the second assertion of racial invariance, leaving conclusions about the thesis tentative. We address this omission with unique data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study that includes information on neighborhood levels of property and violent crime for majority White, Black, Latino, minority, and integrated neighborhoods nested within a representative sample of 87 large cities. Findings show notable similarity in the influence of key predictors of both violent and property crime across the five ethno-racial neighborhoods. When differences are detected, they are due generally to magnitude and not direction. On the whole our work provides healthy support for a perspective that traces ethno-racial disparity in crime across neighborhoods to the structural underpinnings of urban inequality.
An Occult Malignancy Behind a Demyelinating Disease
Authors: Lo Presti Saberio , Kanagarajah Prashanth , Pirela Daniela , Morlote Diana , Cusnir Mike
Published: October 2016

We report a case of a 38-year-old man presenting with bilateral lower extremity weakness and paresthesias that progressed during a 4-month period to severe polyneuropathy forcing the patient to be bed bound. Throughout his multiple hospitalizations, he was treated erroneously for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, without significant improvement in his symptoms. In addition, he developed hepatosplenomegaly (organomegaly); endocrinopathies such as diabetes mellitus, central hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism; monoclonal spike evidenced in the serum electrophoresis; and hyperpigmentation of skin, altogether consistent with POEMS syndrome. During his last hospitalization he developed excruciating pain on his left hip, and imaging revealed the presence of a 9 × 6 cm osteolytic mass with sclerotic rim in the left acetabulum. Biopsy of the mass confirmed an isolated IgG lambda plasmacytoma. The patient received radiation to his left acetabular lesion followed by left hip replacement. Subsequently, the patient underwent autologous bone marrow transplant. Eighteen months after his initial presentation, he had satisfactory clinical response and is functional without significant limitations. POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to an underlying plasma cell disorder, which can oftentimes be overlooked and misdiagnosed. The median age of presentation is 51 years, and only 31% of the cases occur in fairly young patients under the age of 45 as evidenced in this case. As clinicians, we should be aware of the constellation of features associated with POEMS syndrome and be able to recognize them promptly.
Discursive Entwinement: How White Transracially Adoptive Parents Navigate Race
Authors: Goar Carla , Davis Jenny L. , Manago Bianca
Published: October 2016

Through 47 interviews with 56 White parents who attend culture camps, the authors analyze race discourse and practices in transracially adoptive families. The authors document parents’ use of two discursive frames, colorblindness and race consciousness, and find that small subsamples of parents use either race consciousness or colorblindness exclusively, while the majority (66 percent) entwine the two discursive frames together. Because the sample is drawn from culture camps, which emphasize race and ethnicity, this sample begins with some degree of racial attunement. As such, the continued presence of colorblindness among the sample indicates the deep rootedness of White hegemonic logic. However, the emergence of race consciousness indicates the potential for White transracially adoptive families to engage race critically. Moreover, the analyses draw a clear line between how parents articulate racial understandings in their interviews and the ways parents report talking about race and racism with their children. These findings are directly relevant to ongoing debates about the ethics of transracial adoption and racial identity development among transracial adoptees. More generally, these findings speak to the ways Whites’ racial understandings are constrained, but not determined, by a history and biography of privilege.
DR3 signaling modulates the function of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and the severity of acute graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Nishikii Hidekazu , Kim Byung-Su , Yokoyama Yasuhisa , Chen Yan , Baker Jeanette , Pierini Antonio , Alvarez Maite , Mavers Melissa , Maas-Bauer Kristina , Pan Yuqiong , Chiba Shigeru , Negrin Robert S.
Published: October 2016

Key Points

After DR3 activation, CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells showed a distinct immune phenotype and function in acute GVHD. Prophylactic treatment with agonistic DR3 antibody to recipient mice abrogated the lethal acute GVHD in a time-dependent manner.
News from Around the World: The Newspapers of Buenos Aires in the Age of the Submarine Cable, 1866–1900
Authors: Caimari Lila
Published: October 2016

This essay examines newspapers in late nineteenth-century Buenos Aires in order to analyze the effects of the submarine telegraph cable. After a brief description of the cable's installation, I analyze how international news was circulated, focusing particularly on the role of Havas, the first European press agency to provide such news to South America. The analysis focuses on two dimensions of the submarine cable's effect: changes in the spatial breadth of news coverage, and the acceleration of news circulation. In critical dialogue with the scholarly literature on this topic, the essay argues that the incorporation of the press into the submarine cable network was part of a long process that introduced extremely fragmented representations of the world and placed new reading demands on South American news consumers.
High-resolution myocardial T
1 mapping using single-shot inversion recovery fast low-angle shot MRI with radial undersampling and iterative reconstruction
Authors: Wang Xiaoqing , Joseph Arun A , Kalentev Oleksandr , Merboldt Klaus-Dietmar , Voit Dirk , Roeloffs Volkert B , van Zalk Maaike , Frahm Jens
Published: October 2016

Objective:

To develop a novel method for rapid myocardial T  1 mapping at high spatial resolution.

Methods:

The proposed strategy represents a single-shot inversion recovery experiment triggered to early diastole during a brief breath-hold. The measurement combines an adiabatic inversion pulse with a real-time readout by highly undersampled radial FLASH, iterative image reconstruction and T  1 fitting with automatic deletion of systolic frames. The method was implemented on a 3-T MRI system using a graphics processing unit-equipped bypass computer for online application. Validations employed a T  1 reference phantom including analyses at simulated heart rates from 40 to 100 beats per minute. In vivo applications involved myocardial T  1 mapping in short-axis views of healthy young volunteers.

Results:

At 1-mm in-plane resolution and 6-mm section thickness, the inversion recovery measurement could be shortened to 3 s without compromising T  1 quantitation. Phantom studies demonstrated T  1 accuracy and high precision for values ranging from 300 to 1500 ms and up to a heart rate of 100 beats per minute. Similar results were obtained in vivo yielding septal T  1 values of 1246 ± 24 ms (base), 1256 ± 33 ms (mid-ventricular) and 1288 ± 30 ms (apex), respectively (mean ± standard deviation, n = 6).

Conclusion:

Diastolic myocardial T  1 mapping with use of single-shot inversion recovery FLASH offers high spatial resolution, T  1 accuracy and precision, and practical robustness and speed.

Advances in knowledge:

The proposed method will be beneficial for clinical applications relying on native and post-contrast T  1 quantitation.
Noninvasive Test Scheduling in Live Electricity Markets at Transpower New Zealand
Authors: Batstone Steve , Pritchard Geoff , Zakeri Golbon
Published: October 2016

In 2013, Transpower New Zealand commissioned a new high-voltage, direct current link to transfer electrical power between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. This was a substantial and prolonged undertaking, requiring approximately 400 in-situ capability tests. Transpower elected to perform these tests “live,” without suspending the normal operation of the wholesale electricity market. Instead, Transpower’s trading team attempted to create suitable flow conditions for each test by entering into innovative financial derivative contracts with power generation firms. We created a stochastic dynamic programming model to handle the contingent scheduling of the tests; its most important random variable was the state of water storage available to hydropower plants.
Defining the fracture population in a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Handoll H. H. G. , Brealey S. D. , Jefferson L. , Keding A. , Brooksbank A. J. , Johnstone A. J. , Candal-Couto J. J. , Rangan A.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Accurate characterisation of fractures is essential in fracture management trials. However, this is often hampered by poor inter-observer agreement. This article describes the practicalities of defining the fracture population, based on the Neer classification, within a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial in which surgical treatment was compared with non-surgical treatment in adults with displaced fractures of the proximal humerus involving the surgical neck.

Methods

The trial manual illustrated the Neer classification of proximal humeral fractures. However, in addition to surgical neck displacement, surgeons assessing patient eligibility reported on whether either or both of the tuberosities were involved. Anonymised electronic versions of baseline radiographs were sought for all 250 trial participants. A protocol, data collection tool and training presentation were developed and tested in a pilot study. These were then used in a formal assessment and classification of the trial fractures by two independent senior orthopaedic shoulder trauma surgeons.

Results

Two or more baseline radiographic views were obtained for each participant. The independent raters confirmed that all fractures would have been considered for surgery in contemporaneous practice. A full description of the fracture population based on the Neer classification was obtained. The agreement between the categorisation at baseline (tuberosity involvement) and Neer classification as assessed by the two raters was only fair (kappa 0.29). However, this disparity did not appear to affect trial findings, specifically in terms of influencing the effect of treatment on the primary outcome of the trial.

Conclusions

A key reporting requirement, namely the description of the fracture population, was achieved within the context of a pragmatic multicentre randomised clinical trial. This article provides important guidance for researchers designing similar trials on fracture management. Cite this article: H. H. G. Handoll, S. D. Brealey, L. Jefferson, A. Keding, A. J. Brooksbank, A. J. Johnstone, J. J. Candal-Couto, A. Rangan. Defining the fracture population in a pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial: PROFHER and the Neer classification of proximal humeral fractures.Bone Joint Res 2016;5:481–489. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.510.BJR-2016-0132.R1.
Financiamento do Estudo Geral: da gratuitidade ao pagamento obrigatório de propinas. Algumas reflexões
Authors: Veloso Maria Teresa Nobre
Published: October 2016

Durante a Idade Média, o Estudo Geral debateu-se com um dilema: oferecer um ensino gratuito ou exigira os seus alunos o respectivo pagamento pelo acesso aos conhecimentos. Na realidade, a solução era bastante complicada e, por isso, não isenta de tensões e conflitos que, na maior parte das vezes, evoluíam para a violência não só verbal.
Este debate teve a sua origem no confronto entre duas concepções antagónicas de ensino, a saber: uma, proveniente do mundo clerical e feudal; outra de origem urbana e burguesa. Na primeira, os estudantes buscam essencialmente uma "carreira" eclesiástica; na segunda procuram um cargo público de preferência bem remunerado. A primeira tinha a sua base legal mais recente no Decreto do papa Alexandre III no Concílio de Latrão de 1179 que impusera a gratuitidade; a segunda inspirava-se nos estatutos das corporações dos mesteres urbanos - universitates - de onde o Estudo Geral retirava, não só o nome (universidade), mas também a organização estatutária.
O polémico debate entre ensino gratuito e ensino pago ganha dimensão expressiva quando duas concepções económicas entram em confronto no Ocidente medieval: por um lado, a nobreza fundiária, em acentuado declínio, protagonista de uma economia de desperdício e esbanjamento; por outro, uma burguesia urbana, em ascensão, activa, determinada, poderosa e defensora acérrima de uma economia de investimento.
É analisando, em síntese, este debate apaixonado que procuraremos entender como ocorrem as mudanças ideológicas entre Ciência (considerada como um tesouro que se deve guardar e esconder) e Conhecimento no qual se deve investir, fazer frutificar e pôr, mediante remuneração, ao serviço de todos.
As casas e tendas ao redor da capela da Vera Cruz: Uma oportunidade perdida?
Authors: Marques Maria Alegria Fernandes
Published: October 2016

A publicação de um pequeno conjunto de documentos, das primeiras décadas do séc. XV, nascidos de uma contenda acerca da construção de casas, tendas e cabanas em redor de uma capela de construção recente, em terras do mosteiro de Lorvão, serve para o esclarecimento da questão, bem como para algumas reflexões acerca do regime senhorial e do seu entendimento anquilosado pelas instituições a que era próprio.
O Cantar de Mio Cid. Evocação histórica no 8° centenário da sua redacção
Authors: Veloso Maria Teresa Nobre
Published: October 2016

Em Maio de 2007 assinalou-se o 8.° centenário da redacção (ou cópia) do Poema de Mio Cid. O protagonista deste Cantar é Rodrigo Dias. A extraordinária perícia militar do herói valeu-lhe os maiores êxitos, facto que lhe mereceu o título de Campeador. Esta invencibilidade tomou-se lendária numa Hispânia agitada pela guerra permanente da Reconquista. A fama de Rodrigo Dias expande-se para além do reino de Castela, de onde era originário, e divulga-se também no território que actualmente é Portugal. O presente artigo explica, por um lado, os motivos que levam o poeta do Cantar a referir a região de Coimbra e as suas autoridades políticas, por outro, a razão pela qual as Crónicas do século XV e XVI provenientes de instituições religiosas desta cidade citam e louvam o Campeador.
Aspectos da presença eclesiástica em Terras de Seia na Idade Média. (Inquirições Gerais de 1258)
Authors: Campos Maria Amélia Álvaro de
Published: October 2016

Neste estudo faz-se uma caracterização genérica da implantação eclesiástica na Terra de Seia à época da realização das Inquirições Gerais de 1258. Com base na análise da informação contida no registo destes inquéritos e recorrendo, sempre que possível, ao conteúdo de outras fontes medievais, individualizamos as instituições eclesiásticas presentes neste espaço, quantificamos, caracterizamos e cartografamos a sua propriedade, dando a conhecer, para alguns casos, a origem e evolução dessa implantação.
A Sé de Coimbra e o mosteiro de Santa Cruz da mesma cidade surgem, nesta documentação, como os principais proprietários do solo e detentores da jurisdição eclesiástica nesta espacialidade, merecendo-nos, por esse motivo, uma atenção especial. Por outro lado, destacamos propriedades adscritas a outras congregações monásticas - S. João de Tarouca, S. Jorge de Coimbra, Santa Maria de Maceira Dão e S. Pedro de Folques - e às Ordens militares do Templo, Avis e Hospital.
Neste contexto, apresentamos ainda a instituição e evolução histórica do couto de São Romão que realçamos pelo carácter paradigmático que assume enquanto unidade de jurisdição eclesiástica.
Por fim, da informação relativa às paróquias locais, expomos o estudo da sua propriedade fundiária e a identificação dos seus oragos e padroados.
Manuscritos Iluminados Quinhentistas da Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra
Authors: Gomes Saul António
Published: October 2016

Neste estudo, o autor procede à descrição de vários manuscritos quinhentistas iluminados, portugueses e espanhóis, existentes nos acervos da Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra, identificando as suas tradições gráficas e ornamentais, ao mesmo tempo em que procura, com intuitos didácticos destinados especialmente a um público universitário discente, valorizar o seu significado patrimonial histórico e cultural.
As freguesias da Galiza de finais do séc. XV a meados do XIX
Authors: Saavedra Pegerto
Published: October 2016

A única rede administrativa que cobria e articulava todo o território da Galiza era a constituída pelas paróquias. De origem medieval, o seu número mudou pouco desde fins do séc. XV a meados do séc. XIX, apesar do espectacular aumento da população. Os direitos de padroado, muitas vezes em mãos da nobreza, dificultavam a reordenação do mapa das freguesias. Porém, ainda que formalmente a estrutura paroquial se tenha modificado pouco, a função da paróquia enquanto marco vital, religioso, de sociabilidade e inclusivamente de identidade, não cessou de reforçar-se, como decorre do facto de que, em finais do Antigo Regime, as averiguações demográficas y fiscais realizadas pelo poder político continuem a tomar como âmbito territorial as freguesias, umas 3800 em meados do século XVIII, quando o número de comunidades ou aldeias ascendia a 30.000. A situação é bastante parecida à do território português situado entre Douro e Minho.
O Mar e a Independência Nacional - relendo Jaime Cortesão
Authors: Santos João Marinho dos
Published: October 2016

O autor, essencialmente, discorda da interpretação de Jaime Cortesão, por haver empolado o peso do comércio à distância, ainda que com base na agricultura, a ponto de o converter no "género da vida nacional" e em factor determinante da Expansão Ultramarina Portuguesa. Com base em fontes históricas que não foram compulsadas, aparentemente, por Cortesão, pensa que é mais correcta uma interpretação que Gaspar Barreiros, sobrinho de João de Barros, resumiu na afirmação de que "o comércio e a guerra nos descobriram o que sabemos do mundo". Ora, estes dois géneros de vida, além de outros, já tinham forte expressão na conjuntura histórica em que emergiu a Expansão Portuguesa.
O Livro Preto da Sé de Coimbra. Estudo do Cartulário
Authors: Morujão Maria do Rosário Barbosa
Published: October 2016

Este artigo tem como objecto o Livro Preto, o conhecido cartulário da Sé de Coimbra elaborado no século XII, a mando do bispo D. Miguel Salomão (1162-1176), que é analisado do ponto de vista codicológico e quanto à estruturação do manuscrito, aos copistas que lhe deram forma, e à fidelidade das transcrições que inclui, permitindo assim perceber melhor as razões por que foi executado e de que modo se trabalhava no scriptorium undecentista daquela catedral.
Três Ensaios de História Monástica Medieval Portuguesa
Authors: Gomes Saul António
Published: October 2016

Neste estudo, o autor procede à análise e discussão de alguns temas relevantes da história monástica medieval portuguesa, nomeadamente, (a) a estrutura e a organização das Ordens Religiosas instaladas no território a partir da avaliação da sua produção documental; (b) a orgânica e vivência dos cónegos regrantes de Santo Agostinho no País ao tempo de Santo António de Lisboa (1190-1231), concluindo (c) por uma digressão em tomo da problemática dos livros e das leituras no quotidiano de algumas dessas comunidades conventuais.
Os Pais da Pátria Liberal
Authors: Catroga Fernando
Published: October 2016

Perante as revoluções liberais europeias e americanas dos séculos XVIII e inícios de Oitocentos, temos por certo que será mais operativo caracterizá-las como sendo filhas de movimentos de inspiração patriótica, do que, como anacronicamente não raro acontece, do nacionalismo. Entre os indícios que podem corroborar esta perspectiva, encontram-se as designações a que os seus protagonistas recorreram, já que toda a linguagem transporta consigo visões do mundo e não é politicamente neutra. E impressiona, desde logo, a sobrevivência das referências a figuras e a fontes da Grécia e sobretudo de Roma. Ora, reduzir a sua utilidade à retórica será não perceber que elas, miscigenadas não só com as suas actualizações modernas europeias, mas também nacionais, ajudavam a repensar os elos que deviam existir entre a ética e a política, bem como a definir qual o caminho histórico a seguir, mormente quando, como foi o caso exemplar da Revolução Liberal de 1820, as invocações arquetípicas estavam sobredeterminadas pela urgência de se refundar a pátria decaída. Daí, a relevância que conferimos à análise do modo concreto como funcionou, dentro desta estratégia, a voga de se atribuir aos artífices da queda do absolutismo os antigos cognomes de "Pais da Pátria", em ordem a que igualmente se possa perceber como é que a herança do Olimpo cívico do classicismo foi recebendo a crescente companhia dos eleitos para o Eliseu nacional em construção.
Trends of fire deaths and effects of fire safety measures in Taiwan during 1971-2015
Authors: Liao Yen-Hsiung
Published: October 2016

Purpose: Although fire causes 2 % of deaths of the global accidents in Taiwan, injury or death caused by fire is frequent and largely preventable.Approach: Using the Health and Vital Statistics, Fire Losses and Casualties Table, Abridged Life Tables, and Services for Fire Fighting by official publications during 1971-2015, we approached the trends of population, ages, gender, and social costs associated with fatal fire and evaluated the effects of fire safety measures.Results: The higher mortality rate of fire death was in the elders. Fire death rates were 1.92 folds higher risk in males than in females (p < 0.05). The potential years of life lost (PYLL) implied the most efficient evaluation for the fire safety measures. Fire mortality and casualty could be prevented by fire prevention, fire rescue and emergency medical measures effectively. The most significant effect of fire safety measures was evasion training that adopted the indicator of mortality per 102 burned houses (MBH).Conclusions: Therefore, fire prevention efforts should concentrate on males, and elders. The decreasing of fire numbers should be developed and encouraged.
Fostering EFL learners´ literacies through local inquiry in a multimodal experience
Authors: Rincon July , Clavijo-Olarte Amparo
Published: October 2016

Addressing students’ social reality through the exploration of community inquiries in the English language class can create learning environments for developing students´ language and literacies. This paper addresses the question in what ways community inquiries create opportunities for students to explore social and cultural issues in their neighborhoods using multimodality. It discusses the role community inquiries play in the development of literacy practices of a group of 10th graders in their EFL class. This descriptive qualitative project carried out at a public institution in the south of Bogotá, Colombia involved 40 participants. The goal of the institutional project is to transform the way students relate to the community in order to create local knowledge. Data was collected through videotape recordings of students´ presentations, teacher´s journal, students´ interactions in Facebook and students´ blogs in a 2-year period. The findings reveal that teachers and students enacted a critical pedagogy through an inquiry curriculum that explored community issues and allowed participants to become inquirers of their own realities. Students´ language learning was evident in multimodal texts in English in their blogs, in the use of EFL in their oral presentations and in their comments in response to peers in Facebook and their blogs.
“I’m Missing Something”: (Non) Nativeness in Prospective Teachers as Spanish and English Speakers
Authors: Viafara John Jairo
Published: October 2016

AbstractRooted in the need to confront the pervasive and harmful effect of the myth of the native speaker and affiliated language ideologies, this article shares the findings of a research study conducted in two public Colombian universities. The study examined participants’ self-perceived (non) nativeness as speakers of Spanish and English. Using surveys and interviews within a mixed-method approach, the study found that participants perceived themselves as over-empowered in their being native Spanish speakers. Conversely, as speakers of English, most prospective teachers feared the disadvantages of not achieving native-like abilities, but they were confident in their university programs and their previous experience as English learners to achieve their language learning education goals.
DIVERSIDAD DE BRIÓFITOS EN LOS MONTES DE MARÍA, COLOSÓ (SUCRE, COLOMBIA)
Authors: García Martínez Stevens , Basilio Banqueth Hermes De Jesús , Herazo Vitola Fran Yair , Mercado Gómez Jorge David , Morales Puentes María Eugenia
Published: October 2016

Se determinaron la diversidad (alfa y beta) y la distribución en los sustratos de los briófitos reófilos en tres quebradas (localidades de Salto del Sereno, Pajarito y Paraíso) ubicadas en los Montes de María (Sucre-Colombia). Se realizaron dos transectos de 50 × 2 m en cada sitio de muestreo en época de lluvia. La clase Bryopsida presentó 22 especies y la Hepaticopsida nueve. Las familias de musgos con mayor número de especies fueron Bryaceae (3 especies), Neckeraceae (2), Pottiaceae (2) y en hepáticas Lejeuneaceae (6), y los géneros más ricos fueron Fissidens (5 especies), Fabronia (2), Lejeunea (3) y Mastigolejeunea (2). El tipo de sustrato con mayor incidencia de briófitos fue el epilítico (29 especies), seguido de epifito-cortícola (16) y terrestre (13). Las 31 especies aquí registradas son nuevos registros para el departamento, 24 para la región Caribe y una (Hyophiladelphus agrarius) para Colombia.
Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy Mapping of Porous Coatings Obtained on Titanium by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation in a Solution Containing Concentrated Phosphoric Acid with Copper Nitrate
Authors: Rokosz K. , Hryniewicz T. , Dudek Ł. , Schütz A. , Heeg J. , Wienecke M.
Published: October 2016

The SEM and EDS study results of coatings obtained on titanium by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation (PEO) in the electrolytes containing of 600 g copper nitrate in 1 liter of concentrated phosphoric acid at 450 V for 1 and 3 minutes, are presented. The obtained coatings are porous and consist mainly of phosphorus within titanium and copper. It was found that the time of PEO oxidation has impact on the chemical composition of the coatings. The longer time of PEO treatment, the higher amount of copper inside coating. The PEO oxidation of titanium for 1 minute has resulted in the creation of coating, on which 3 phases where found, which contained up to 13.4 wt% (9 at%) of copper inside the phosphate structure. In case of 1 minute PEO treatment of titanium, the 2 phases were found, which contained up to 13 wt% (8 at%) of copper inside the phosphate structure. The copper-to-phosphorus ratios after 1 minute processing belong to the range from 0.28 by wt% (0.14 by at%) to 0.47 by wt% (0.23 by at%), while after 3 minutes the same ratios belong to the range from 0.27 by wt% (0.13 by at%) to 0.35 by wt% (0.17 by at%). In summary, it should be stated that the higher amounts of phosphorus and copper were recorded on titanium after PEO oxidation for 3 minutes than these after 1 minute.
The Determinants of Morphology and Properties of the Nanohydroxyapatite Coating Deposited on the Ti13Zr13Nb Alloy by Electrophoretic Technique
Authors: Bartmański M. , Berk A. , Wójcik A.
Published: October 2016

The titanium and its alloys belong at present to the most preferred and commonly applied biomaterials for load-bearing implants. The surfaces of biomaterials are subjected to modification, including the hydroxyapatite coatings deposited in order to ensure corrosion resistance and better joining between an implant and a bone through the possibility of ingrowth bone into the coating. In this paper, the morphology and properties of the nanohydroxyapatite coating deposited on the Ti13Zr13Nb flat surfaces using electrophoretic method are presented. Electrophoretic deposition at two different current values and two electrolytes (first – ethanol with nanoHAp, second – methanol with nanoHAp) was applied. The scanning electron microscopy examinations and wettability angle measurements showed an increase in the coating thickness, the surface coverage and decrease in biocompatibility with increasing voltage. The surface condition and biocompatibility of coatings were better when using methanol/nanoHAp solution as compared to the ethanol/nanoHAp one.
Loads Acting on the Mine Conveyance Attachments and Tail Ropes during the Emergency Braking in the Event of an Overtravel
Authors: Wolny Stanisław
Published: October 2016

It has now become the common practice among the design engineers that in dimensioning of structural components of conveyances, particularly the load bearing elements, they mostly use methods that do not enable the predictions of their service life, instead they rely on determining the safety factor related to the static loads exclusively.

In order to solve the problem, i.e. to derive and verify the key relationships needed to determine the fatigue endurance of structural elements of conveyances expressed in the function of time and taking into account the type of hoisting gear, it is required that the values of all loads acting upon the conveyance should be determined, including those experienced under the emergency conditions, for instance during the braking phase in the event of overtravel.

This study relies on the results of dynamic analysis of a hoisting installation during the braking phase when the conveyance approaches the topmost or lowermost levels.

For the assumed model of the system, the equations of motion are derived for the hoisting and tail rope elements and for the elastic strings. The section of the hoisting rope between the full conveyance approaching the top station and the Keope pulley is substituted by a spring with the constant elasticity coefficient, equal to that of the rope section at the instant the conveyance begins the underwind travel.

Recalling the solution to the wave equation, analytical formulas are provided expressing the displacements of any cross-profiles of hoisting and tail ropes, including the conveyance attachments and tail ropes, in the function of braking forces applied to conveyances in the overtravel path and operational parameters of the hoisting gear. Besides, approximate formulas are provided yielding:

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loading of the hoisting rope segment between the conveyance braking in the headgear tower and the Keope pulley

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deceleration of the conveyance during the braking phase.

The results will be utilised to derive the function governing the conveyance load variations during the emergency braking, depending on the parameters of the hoisting installations and the braking systems. These relationships are required for adequate design of the frictional contact between the ropes and the pulley and will become the basic criteria for dimensioning and design of load-bearing components of conveyances in the context of improving their reliability and safety features.
Comparison of Conventional Sprocket Drum and Sprocket Drum with Modified Design
Authors: Sobota Piotr
Published: October 2016

Seats in conventional sprocket drums are symmetrical. Due to the set general direction of sprocket drum revolutions resulting from the direction of rock transport, the wear of the seat bottoms and teeth flanks may be reduced by introducing the asymmetry of the profile of the sprocket drum seats. The proposed modification of sprocket drum seats’ profile consists of inclining the seat bottom towards the expected direction of the basic drum revolutions.

The work compares the loads on the seats and teeth of a conventional drum with its profile conforming to the standard to a modified drum with an asymmetric profile of seats. For the general direction of sprocket drum revolutions, the maximum values of all forces are higher for a standard drum than for a modified drum. The profile asymmetry substantially shortens the friction path of the horizontal link front torus on the seat bottom and relative total friction work on the seat bottom and lessens the occurrence probability of the slide of the horizontal link rear torus on the tooth flank. The modification of the profile causes also the asymmetric wear of link joints. The total relative friction work is considerably reduced in the front joint as compared to a conventional drum, and the total relative friction work in the rear joint is increasing at the same time.
The Use of the Visualisation of Multidimensional Data Using PCA to Evaluate Possibilities of the Division of Coal Samples Space Due to their Suitability for Fluidised Gasification
Authors: Jamróz Dariusz , Niedoba Tomasz , Surowiak Agnieszka , Tumidajski Tadeusz
Published: October 2016

Methods serving to visualise multidimensional data through the transformation of multidimensional space into two-dimensional space, enable to present the multidimensional data on the computer screen. Thanks to this, qualitative analysis of this data can be performed in the most natural way for humans, through the sense of sight. An example of such a method of multidimensional data visualisation is PCA (principal component analysis) method. This method was used in this work to present and analyse a set of seven-dimensional data (selected seven properties) describing coal samples obtained from Janina and Wieczorek coal mines. Coal from these mines was previously subjected to separation by means of a laboratory ring jig, consisting of ten rings. With 5 layers of both types of coal (with 2 rings each) were obtained in this way. It was decided to check if the method of multidimensional data visualisation enables to divide the space of such divided samples into areas with different suitability for the fluidised gasification process. To that end, the card of technological suitability of coal was used (Sobolewski et al., 2012; 2013), in which key, relevant and additional parameters, having effect on the gasification process, were described. As a result of analyses, it was stated that effective determination of coal samples suitability for the on-surface gasification process in a fluidised reactor is possible. The PCA method enables the visualisation of the optimal subspace containing the set requirements concerning the properties of coals intended for this process.
Mining Hazards Analysis with Simultaneous Mining Copper Ores and Salt Deposits in LGOM (Legnica-Głogów Copper Belt) Mines with Regard to Dynamic Influences
Authors: Kłeczek Zdzisław , Niedojadło Zygmunt , Popiołek Edward , Skobliński Wojciech , Sopata Paweł , Stoch Tomasz , Wójcik Artur , Zeljaś Dagmara
Published: October 2016

In the case of locating two bedded deposits of different mineral resources in a small vertical distance, additional or increased mining hazards can occur (deformations of the rock mass, crumps and mining shocks, hazards to the land surface). This paper has thoroughly examined the impact of exploitation of the lower-located deposit of copper ore on the higher-located deposit of salt as well as the reverse situation as regards the dynamic phenomena, being the greatest lithospheric hazard in LGOM. At the same time theoretical models of processes were applied, verified by previous observations in situ in mines of Legnica-Głogów Copper Belt.
Structurally Altered Hard Coal in the Areas of Tectonic Disturbances – An Initial Attempt at Classification
Authors: Godyń Katarzyna
Published: October 2016

As regards the exploitation of hard coal seams, the near-fault zones and faults themselves are considered to be particularly dangerous areas, which is due to a high probability of the occurrence of gasogeodynamic phenomena. Tectonic dislocations running across a seam have a destructive impact on coal. Degradation of the coal structure, particularly visible in the microscale, is reflected in the coal’s strength or gas properties. Such “structurally altered” coal is characterized by the presence of numerous fracturings, crushed areas, or dislocations of some of its fragments, and sometimes even the total destruction of the original structure. The present paper provides a detailed analysis and description of near-fault coal obtained from selected seams of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, completed due to the application of optical methods. Both the type and the degree of changes in the structure of such coal were identified. On this basis, the author attempted to systematize the nomenclature used in relation to selected Upper Silesian hard coal seams, which, in turn, resulted in a proposed classification of the “altered structures” of the near-fault coal.
A Computer-aided Application for Modeling and Monitoring Operational and Maintenance Information in Mining Trucks
Authors: Nikulin Christopher , Ulloa Andres , Carmona Carlos , Creixell Werner
Published: October 2016

The combination of maintenance planning and key performance indicators are relevant to create a more holistic scenario of the mining activities. On the one hand, reliability and maintainability are system characteristics suitable for planning maintenance strategies. On the other hand, key performance indicators are suitable to analyze cost and resource consumption information about mining equipment. Nevertheless in practice, both approaches are modeled separately and frequently by different team-works of a mining company. With this in mind, a computer-aided application was conceived to drive with better efficacy the operational and maintenance strategy in a complex process where the equipment is in continuous movement such as the transportation process in an open-mine pit.
Assessment of Political Vulnerabilities on Security of Energy Supply in the Baltic States
Authors: Česnakas Giedrius , Jakštaitė Gerda , Juozaitis Justinas
Published: October 2016

The article argues that despite the evident link between political environment and security of energy supply, political elements are not sufficiently represented in contemporary scientific literature, namely in indexes that are designed for the assessment of security of energy supply. In an attempt to fill this gap, the article presents an innovative methodology for quantitative assessment of the political vulnerabilities on security of energy supply and applies it to the analysis of the Baltic States.

The proposed index determines the plausibility of the occurrence of threats of a political nature on the security of energy supply and defines it as political vulnerability. The application of index methodology to an analysis of the Baltic States has revealed that the overall political vulnerability on security of energy supply is the highest in Lithuania, considerably lower in Latvia, and the lowest in Estonia. The analysis has shown that political vulnerability has increased in Lithuania due to the closure of Ignalina NPP and an increase in energy import quantities from politically unstable countries, such as Russia. On the contrary, political vulnerabilities on the security of the energy supply have decreased in Latvia and Estonia due to the increase of consumption of indigenous energy. However, preliminary calculations show that political vulnerabilities should decrease considerably in 2015 in Lithuania due to the diversification of the natural gas supply.
Multiple-perspective Reorganisation of the Dairy sector: Mathematical Programming Approach
Authors: Kocjančič Tina , Žgajnar Jaka , Juvančič Luka
Published: October 2016

Background:Agriculture is a production system in which the economic principles of organisation act in mutual dependence with its ecological boundaries.

Objectives:Building on this premise, the paper evaluates performance of a chosen agricultural production system (dairy production in Slovenia) from two complementary perspectives, the socio-economic and the biophysical.

Methods/Approach:The latter is presented by means of emergy analysis, which is a system-based approach that measures the aggregate work of biosphere needed for the provision of goods or services in the units of solar energy joules. The novelty aspect of this paper is the introduction of emergy indicators into the standard socioeconomic optimisation model of the chosen agricultural production system. The optimisation model based on linear mathematical programming is designed to empirically investigate different alternatives to the sector’s reorganisation.

Results:The results of the optimisation models suggest considerable restructuring of the sector and, consequently, large discrepancies in the sector’s performance.

Conclusions:The results suggest that further expansion of organic production systems as a result of a stronger environmental focus in farm management would improve the sector from both, the socio-economic and the emergy perspective. Moreover, even pursuing certain socio-economic targets may improve the sector’s biophysical performance and lower pressure on the local environment.