bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Les hospitalisations interrompues de manière prématurée – Étude réalisée au sein d’une unité de sevrage physique
Authors: Bouchez Anne , Clavie Ronald , de Villers Bénédicte
Published: May 2018

Cette étude porte sur les hospitalisations interrompues de manière prématurée au sein d’une unité de sevrage physique d’un hôpital neuropsychiatrique, qu’elles se terminent avant l’échéance convenue des trois semaines ou avant la concrétisation d’un projet de sortie. Différentes recherches portent sur les motivations des patients ayant stoppé leur hospitalisation contre avis médical. Notre étude inclut également les motivations d’une équipe de soins à mettre un terme à des hospitalisations. Les résultats de notre investigation montrent que différents facteurs interviennent dans la question des hospitalisations interrompues de manière prématurée. L’article propose des observations intéressantes pour le secteur des assuétudes dans le but de favoriser la continuité des soins.
« Soyez cohérent, jeune homme ! »
Authors: Carayon Lisa , Mattiussi Julie , Vuattoux Arthur
Published: May 2018

Résumé Les jeunes isolés étrangers sont confrontés, à Paris, à une évaluation administrative de leur situation, visant à déterminer s’ils sont ou non mineurs, et donc fondés à demander une protection spécifique. Une enquête sur les dossiers de ces jeunes et les acteurs qui les évaluent a permis d’étudier leur catégorisation comme « mineurs » ou « majeurs ». L’évaluation des jeunes se base sur leur apparence physique et la cohérence de leur récit, et on perçoit l’influence des normes de genre, race, classe et âge dans les décisions administratives. De telles catégorisations visent en réalité à distinguer des demandeurs légitimes (les « vrais » mineurs) de demandeurs illégitimes (les jeunes étrangers majeurs).
Quand les patrons font la politique
Authors: Galimberti Deborah
Published: May 2018

Résumé À partir du cas de la région urbaine milanaise, l’article s’intéresse aux modalités de participation des acteurs économiques à l’action publique territoriale dans la longue durée. Mobilisant l’approche corporatiste, il montre que les relations entre organisations patronales et acteurs publics locaux varient dans le temps en fonction de dynamiques institutionnelles et économiques. Les acteurs économiques les plus organisés ont pu renouveler dans le temps leur capacité d’influence. L’étude complète ainsi les recherches sur la territorialisation des groupes d’intérêts économiques en Europe, en prenant en compte des facteurs structurels et les relations de pouvoir.
Le marché français de la médiation de la consommation
Authors: Bernheim-Desvaux Sabine
Published: May 2018

En obligeant chaque professionnel à mettre en place un système de médiation de la consommation, la Directive de 2013 a conduit chaque État membre de l’Union européenne à contribuer au développement des modes alternatifs de règlement des litiges de consommation. Un nouveau marché s’est alors développé et la qualité du médiateur, attestée par un organisme indépendant, légitime la place que la médiation de la consommation doit désormais occuper sur ce marché très concurrentiel de la résolution des litiges de consommation.
Le prix des services juridiques
Authors: Kern Christoph A.
Published: May 2018

Le prix des services juridiques est, d’un côté, un facteur important de l’accès à la justice pour le justiciable ; de l’autre côté, dépendent du prix l’offre et la qualité de ces services. Pour le justiciable, il est difficile de déterminer la qualité des services qui lui sont rendus. Il peut, certes, juger l’accessibilité et la disponibilité de son avocat ainsi que la longueur des écritures et la beauté des locaux et du papier à lettres. De même, il peut facilement déterminer s’il a gagné ou non un procès. En revanche, il a du mal à savoir si les services en tant que tels, c’est-à-dire le bien-fondé des conseils et la valeur juridique des arguments ainsi que leur présentation, servent au mieux le client. Pour cette raison, les forces du marché règlent le prix, l’offre et la qualité d’une manière très incomplète. Étant donné l’importance des services juridiques pour une société, les législateurs essaient depuis fort longtemps de garantir à la fois un prix abordable et une offre de qualité acceptable. À première vue, les nouvelles techniques et technologies pourraient diminuer les prix et ainsi réduire les soucis dans ce domaine. Or il faut se poser des questions non seulement en ce qui concerne la qualité, mais aussi le développement des prix à long terme compte tenu de la tendance à une monopolisation.
Le prix des services juridiques entre défaillance de la réglementation et défaillance de marché ?
Authors: Marty Frédéric
Published: May 2018

Les réformes de la réglementation relative aux professions juridiques ont été sous-tendues par une logique d’économie industrielle. La réglementation précédente, loin de porter exclusivement des objectifs d’intérêt général, aurait été capturée par les professionnels eux-mêmes pour se protéger de la concurrence et se serait traduite par l’émergence de prix excessifs. Cette contribution vise à éclairer les termes de ce débat et à évaluer la possibilité de mettre en œuvre une réelle gouvernance concurrentielle dans ce secteur en raison de la spécificité des services rendus en termes de qualité et des externalités dont ils peuvent être porteurs. Codes JEL  : K23, L51
La mécanisation du droit peut-elle triompher de l’avocat ?
Authors: Fortuit Philippe , Hamidou Farah Nemira
Published: May 2018

Le présent article analyse l’impact du développement des legaltechs sur le devenir de la profession d’avocat, à partir d’une étude des marchés français et nord-américain. Il apparaît au terme de cette analyse que les legaltechs , dont le statut juridique demeure incertain, créent un nouveau marché du droit et ne semblent pas menacer les prestations traditionnelles de l’avocat, garant des libertés publiques, qui demeure seul à même de susciter la confiance de son client et d’assurer avec humanité la défense de ses intérêts.
Services juridiques à l’entreprise et création de valeur selon Gilson
Authors: Papillon Benoit Mario
Published: May 2018

La valeur des services juridiques aux entreprises est un thème récurrent dans les réflexions des avocats sur leur profession. Un article, largement cité sur le sujet, est celui de Ronald Gilson paru en 1984 dans le Yale Law Journal. L’étude de Gilson s’intéresse plus particulièrement aux acquisitions d’entreprises et procède à une analyse par les coûts de transaction pour évaluer la contribution des avocats à la création de valeur. Certaines analyses économiques du droit ainsi que l’analyse économique de Coase sur la nature de l’entreprise font une hypothèse concernant la détermination des prix. La contribution des avocats avancée par l’analyse est en partie tributaire de cette hypothèse. Après une synthèse des principaux éléments de l’étude de Gilson, l’article en présente les fondements et limites.
A Secure Cloud Based Digital Signature Application for IoT
Authors: El-Rahman Sahar A. , Aldawsari Daniyah , Aldosari Mona , Alrashed Omaimah , Alsubaie Ghadeer
Published: May 2018

IoT (Internet of Things) is regarded as a diversified science and utilization with uncommon risks and opportunities of business. So, in this article, a digital signature mobile application (SignOn) is presented where, it provides a cloud based digital signature with a high security to sustain with the growth of IoT and the speed of the life. Different algorithms were utilized to accomplish the integrity of the documents, authenticate users with their unique signatures, and encrypt their documents in order to provide the best adopted solution for cloud-based signature in the field of IoT. Where, ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) is utilized to ensure the message source, Hash function (SHA-512) is used to detect all information variations, and AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is utilized for more security. SignOn is considered as a legal obligated way of signing contracts and documents, keeping the data in electronic form in a secure cloud environment and shortens the duration of the signing process. Whereas, it allows the user to sign electronic documents and then, the verifier can validate the produced signature.
Random Node Pair Sampling-Based Estimation of Average Path Lengths in Networks
Authors: Castro Luis E. , Shaikh Nazrul I.
Published: May 2018

This article describes how the average path length (APL) of a network is an important metric that provides insights on the interconnectivity in a network and how much time and effort would be required for search and navigation on that network. However, the estimation of APL is time-consuming as its computational complexity scales nonlinearly with the network size. In this article, the authors develop a computationally efficient random node pair sampling algorithm that enables the estimation of APL with a specified precision and confidence. The proposed sampling algorithms provide a speed-up factor ranging from 240-750 for networks with more than 100,000 nodes. The authors also find that the computational time required for estimation APL does not necessarily increase with the network size; it shows an inverted U shape instead.
Inventory and Credit Decisions Under Inflationary Conditions With Inflation Induced Bad-Debts
Authors: Aggarwal K.K. , Tyagi Arun Kumar
Published: May 2018

This article describes how a credit period, through its influence on demand, becomes a determinant of inventory decisions; therefore, inventory decisions should be determined jointly with credit decisions. Inflation and time value of money affects valuation of investments; hence their effect should not be disregarded in decision-making. Selling on credit exposes a firm to an additional dimension of default risk from customers as a result of inflation. Consequently, this article presents a mathematical model for the joint determination of optimal inventory and credit decisions for a day-terms credit-linked demand by incorporating the effects of inflation and the time value of money. It is assumed that an increase in the rate of inflation leads to an increase in bad-debts. The objective of the model is to maximize the present value of a firm's net profit per unit of time by jointly optimizing the day-terms credit period and order interval. A numerical example, sensitivity analysis, and observations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.
A Simple and Efficient Algorithm for Solving Type-1 Intuitionistic Fuzzy Solid Transportation Problems
Authors: Kumar P. Senthil
Published: May 2018

This article describes how in solving real-life solid transportation problems (STPs) we often face the state of uncertainty as well as hesitation due to various uncontrollable factors. To deal with uncertainty and hesitation, many authors have suggested the intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) representation for the data. In this article, the author tried to categorise the STP under uncertain environment. He formulates the intuitionistic fuzzy solid transportation problem (IFSTP) and utilizes the triangular intuitionistic fuzzy number (TIFN) to deal with uncertainty and hesitation. The STP has uncertainty and hesitation in supply, demand, capacity of different modes of transport celled conveyance and when it has crisp cost it is known as IFSTP of type-1. From this concept, the generalized mathematical model for type-1 IFSTP is explained. To find out the optimal solution to type-1 IFSTPs, a single stage method called intuitionistic fuzzy min-zero min-cost method is presented. A real-life numerical example is presented to clarify the idea of the proposed method. Moreover, results and discussions, advantages of the proposed method, and future works are presented. The main advantage of the proposed method is that the optimal solution of type-1 IFSTP is obtained without using the basic feasible solution and the method of testing optimality.
IoT- and Big Data-Driven Data Analysis Services for Third Parties, Strategic Implications and Business Opportunities
Authors: Lokshina Izabella V. , Lanting Cees J.M. , Durkin Barbara J.
Published: May 2018

This article describes ubiquitous sensing devices, enabled by wireless sensor network (WSN) technologies, now cut across every area of modern day living, affecting individuals and businesses and offering the ability to obtain and measure environmental indicators. Proliferation of these devices in a communicating-actuating network creates an Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT provides the tools to establish a major, global data-driven ecosystem that also enables Big Data techniques to be used. New business models may focus on the provision of services, i.e., the Internet of Services (IoS). These models assume the presence and development of the necessary IoT measurement and control instruments, communications infrastructure, and easy access to the data collected and information generated. Different business models may support opportunities to create revenue and value for various types of customers. This article contributes to the literature by considering, a first, knowledge-based management practices, business models, strategic implications and business opportunities for third-party data analysis services.
Sustainable Development and Economic Policy of Water in Tunisia Application of Panel Data
Authors: Bouchrika Ali , Chokri Terzi , Issaoui Fakhri
Published: May 2018

The present article aims to evaluate the actual water policy management and to see if it's efficient either in macroeconomic level or in the regional one. Thus, the authors have recoursed, to a new set of explanatory variables to estimate an extended demand function in the short and long-run. Indeed, they have assumed that distributed volume of water is determined by the number of connections to Water supply network, the distribution performance, the linear loss index recorded in the distribution system, the evolution of the length of the water network and the water tariffs. The main results of this study are that, at the macroeconomic level, the price of water seems to be an efficient tool to waste reduction only in the long run. Consequently, the efficiency can be established only in the long-run. Indeed, the Tunisian consumer needs more of time to adjust its behavior to avoid all possible water waste. Nevertheless, the estimation of the said relation by region has shown that it exists, a large disparity and inequity between them.
Genetic-Fuzzy Programming Based Linkage Rule Miner (GFPLR-Miner) for Entity Linking in Semantic Web
Authors: Singh Amit , Sharan Aditi
Published: May 2018

This article describes how semantic web data sources follow linked data principles to facilitate efficient information retrieval and knowledge sharing. These data sources may provide complementary, overlapping or contradicting information. In order to integrate these data sources, the authors perform entity linking. Entity linking is an important task of identifying and linking entities across data sources that refer to the same real-world entities. In this work, they have proposed a genetic fuzzy approach to learn linkage rules for entity linking. This method is domain independent, automatic and scalable. Their approach uses fuzzy logic to adapt mutation and crossover rates of genetic programming to ensure guided convergence. The authors' experimental evaluation demonstrates that our approach is competitive and make significant improvements over state of the art methods.
Marefa
Authors: Ktob Ahmed , Li Zhoujun
Published: May 2018

This article describes how recently, many new technologies have been introduced to the web; linked data is probably the most important. Individuals and organizations started emerging and publishing their data on the web adhering to a set of best practices. This data is published mostly in English; hence, only English agents can consume it. Meanwhile, although the number of Arabic users on the web is immense, few Arabic datasets are published. Publication catalogs are one of the primary sources of Arabic data that is not being exploited. Arabic catalogs provide a significant amount of meaningful data and metadata that are commonly stored in excel sheets. In this article, an effort has been made to help publishers easily and efficiently share their catalogs' data as linked data. Marefa is the first tool implemented that automatically extracts RDF triples from Arabic catalogs, aligns them to the BIBO ontology and links them with the Arabic chapter of DBpedia. An evaluation of the framework was conducted, and some statistical measures were generated during the different phases of the extraction process.
A New Kind of Image Edge Detection Based on The Theory of The Adaptive Lifting Wavelet and Morphology
Authors: Ren Honge , Xu Xiyan , Zhu Meng , Huo Dongxu
Published: May 2018

This article describes how in traditional edge detection it is prone to defects such as fuzzy positioning, and noise influence. This article proposes a type of edge detection algorithm which combines lifting wavelet transform and adaptive mathematical morphology, which makes a lifting wavelet to analyze the wood cell image. Then, the high-frequency part is detected by using the algorithm fusing the wavelet packet and the rapid-combining multi-scale wavelet, which controls noise effectively; while for the low frequency part is detected with modified adaptive mathematical morphology, to locate the exact details. The final result will processes the edge of the image using “algebra” algorithm fusion. The example for a wood cell image which illustrates the algorithm is to detect the cell boundary relatively clearly, and effectively suppress the noise.
A New Method of Adaptive Filtering and Wavelet Transform to Filter Baseline Shift
Authors: Shi Jianting , Wang Jiancai
Published: May 2018

This article describes how a baseline shift is a slow change in the orientation of the baseline over time. It often exists in the process of signals sampling, e g. ECG, TLC and so on. In order to filter the baseline shift, a combination method of wavelet transform and an adaptive filter is proposed. First, the wavelet transform method is used to decompose the original ECG signal and the high-frequency components are used to as Reference input data. Then, a new adaptive filtering algorithm, P-LMS, based on the power function, is proposed to conduct adaptive noise filtering. Finally, compared with the traditional normalized least mean square algorithm (NLMS), the proposed algorithm has the characteristics of faster convergence and the effect is better. Experiments on the ECG signal in MIT-BIH database, using the method of combining P-LMS and a wavelet transform is verified to effectively filter the baseline shift and maintain the geometric characteristics of the ECG signal.
Application of Webometrics Techniques for Measuring and Evaluating Visibility of University Library Websites in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ramanayaka Kokila Harshan , Chen Xianqiao , Shi Bing
Published: May 2018

A library website plays an enhanced role compared to its traditional physical library while providing a wide variety of library services to its users. Evaluation of library websites is a key to realize the extent of user acceptance acceptance acceptanceacceptanceacceptance acceptance of the website and to improve the overall quality of the website. Under such backdrop, this paper provides a framework for ranking university library websites in Sri Lanka based on two standard webometric methods. The proposed framework consists of quantitative web presence measuring attributes namely; size, visibility, rich files and scholars along with simple and comprehensible mathematical calculations. The library administrators can get awareness about whether their website has effectively represented itself on the internet with better performance from the ranking results. The findings of the study will guide to the librarians to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses accordingly with the performance of their library websites. In general, the effective presence of these library websites on the internet can be passed on as the top by having proper number of site pages in the website that impact their perceivability through web search tools and accordingly the quantity of received external links. Meanwhile, libraries having low rich files can publish more rich files on the web to improve their overall rank. The research approach, criteria and their relative impact provide useful information in monitoring the effectiveness of the current websites and provide strategic suggestions to develop enhanced websites.
Visibility of Sri Lankan Publication in the Database of the Library of Congress
Authors: Ketheeswaren S.
Published: May 2018

Visibility of online catalogues will contribute data for many aspects such as creating uniform catalogues in libraries and ranking of libraries, authors, publishers, and institutions. The Cataloguing in Publication is the description of cataloguing the record for a book, which is obtained by the publishers just prior to their book publication for printing the same on the verso of the book title page while making them available online. Library of Congress provides online access to its Cataloguing in Publication and other catalogue data. The paper identifies the online visibility for catalogue data for the national publications in the Library of Congress. The finding shows that the coverage of national publications in the Library of Congress database is not satisfactory. A critical decline of online catalogue data from the LC is identified after the year of 2007, and the expected values for online catalogue record numbers for the year from 2007 to 2016 were measured using a fitting curve. Another finding of this study reveals that publications in the social science discipline get more online catalogue data from the LC. Necessary discussion and interpretation for these trends have been made throughout the paper using Tables and Figures.
The benefits of hydrotherapy to patients with spinal cord injuries
Authors: Ellapen Terry J. , Hammill Henriëtte V. , Swanepoel Mariëtte , Strydom Gert L.
Published: May 2018

Background: Many patients with spinal cord injury (PWSCI) lead sedentary lifestyles, experiencing poor quality of life and medical challenges. PWSCI don’t like to participate in land-based-exercises because it’s tedious to perform the same exercises, decreasing their rehabilitative compliance and negatively impacting their well-being. An alternative exercise environment and exercises may alleviate boredom, enhancing compliance.Objectives: Discuss the benefits of hydrotherapy to PWSCI concerning underwater gait-kinematics, thermoregulatory and cardiovascular responses and spasticity.Methodology: A literature surveillance was conducted between 1998 and 2017, through the Crossref meta-database and Google Scholar, according to the PRISMA procedures. Key search words were water-therapy, aquatic-therapy, hydrotherapy, spinal cord injury, rehabilitation, human, kinematics, underwater gait, cardiorespiratory, thermoregulation and spasticity. The quality of each paper was evaluated using a modified Downs and Black Appraisal Scale. The participants were records pertaining to PWSCI and hydrotherapy. The outcomes of interest were: hydrotherapy interventions, the impact of hydrotherapy on gait-kinematics, thermoregulation during water submersion and cardiorespiratory function of PWSCI. Omitted records included: non-English publications from before 1998 or unrelated to hydrotherapy and PWSCI. The record screening admissibility was performed as follows: the title screen, the abstract screen and the full text screen.Results: Literature search identified 1080 records. Upon application of the exclusion criteria, 92 titles, 29 abstracts and 17 full text records were eligible. Only 15 records were selected to be included in this clinical commentary. Evidence shows a paucity of randomised control trials (RCT) conducted in this field.Conclusion: Hydrotherapy improves PWSCI underwater gait-kinematics, cardiorespiratory and thermoregulatory responses and reduces spasticity.
Male students’ perceptions about gender imbalances in a speech-language pathology and audiology training programme of a South African institution of higher education
Authors: Du Plessis Sandra
Published: May 2018

Background: The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology (SLPA) are characterised by occupational gender segregation. Reasons given by men are a lack of awareness of SLPA; a perception of poor salaries; a perception of poor working conditions; a stereotype that the profession is a female occupation; and a perception that working with children is feminine. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the perceptions of male students in a specific SLPA training programme regarding gender imbalances. The objectives were to describe the influences of gender on the career orientation of students, the factors shaping students’ career choices and the experiences of students during their undergraduate training. Method: This study followed a quantitative descriptive survey design. Thirty-one conveniently sampled male SLPA students, across different years of study, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Participants indicated that they did not believe in the gendered nature of occupations and that SLPA are not ‘female only’ professions. They (65%) recorded that they considered salary and career prospects for choosing a career, and 74% specified that they chose SLPA because of a desire to help people. The perception of male students regarding their training appears to be positive as participants are comfortable with the clinical (71%) and learning (77%) activities. However, barriers were reported and some lecture information may be more obvious or applicable to female students. A need was identified to address the issue of working alone with paediatric clients and pertains to the societal awareness regarding sexual harassment of children, which may impact spontaneity in engagements. Conclusion: The recruitment of male students should be prioritised to better reflect the client population served by the professions. Recommendations include career counselling in rural schools, recruitment campaigns to identify interested students, public awareness regarding the professions and guidance regarding working with paediatric clients.
Strongly minimal theories with recursive models
Authors: Andrews Uri , Knight Julia F.
Published: May 2018

We give effectiveness conditions on a strongly minimal theory

T

guaranteeing that all countable models have computable copies. In particular, we show that if

T

is strongly minimal and for all

n\geq 1

,

T\cap\exists_{n+2}

is

\Delta^0_n

, uniformly in

n

, then every countable model has a computable copy. A longstanding question of computable model theory asked whether for a strongly minimal theory with one computable model, every countable model has an arithmetical copy. Relativizing our main result, we get the fact that if there is one computable model, then every countable model has a

\Delta^0_4

copy.
Small scale distribution of zeros and mass of modular forms
Authors: Lester Stephen , Matomäki Kaisa , Radziwiłł Maksym
Published: May 2018

We study the behavior of zeros and mass of holomorphic Hecke cusp forms on SL

_2(\mathbb Z) \backslash \mathbb H

at small scales. In particular, we examine the distribution of the zeros within hyperbolic balls whose radii shrink sufficiently slowly as

k \rightarrow \infty

. We show that the zeros equidistribute within such balls as

k \rightarrow \infty

as long as the radii shrink at a rate at most a small power of

1/\mathrm {log} \: k

. This relies on a new, effective, proof of Rudnick's theorem on equidistribution of the zeros and on an effective version of Quantum Unique Ergodicity for holomorphic forms, which we obtain in this paper.

We also examine the distribution of the zeros near the cusp of SL

_2(\mathbb Z) \backslash \mathbb H

. Ghosh and Sarnak conjectured that almost all the zeros here lie on two vertical geodesics. We show that for almost all forms a positive proportion of zeros high in the cusp do lie on these geodesics. For all forms, we assume the Generalized Lindelöf Hypothesis and establish a lower bound on the number of zeros that lie on these geodesics, which is significantly stronger than the previous unconditional results.
Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia Incidence and Methicillin Resistance in Rural Thailand, 2006–2014
Authors: Jaganath Devan , Jorakate Possawat , Makprasert Sirirat , Sangwichian Ornuma , Akarachotpong Thantapat , Thamthitiwat Somsak , Khemla Supphachoke , DeFries Triveni , Baggett Henry C. , Whistler Toni , Gregory Christopher J. , Rhodes Julia
Published: May 2018

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bloodstream infection and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a growing threat worldwide. We evaluated the incidence rate of S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) and MRSA from population-based surveillance in all hospitals from two Thai provinces. Infections were classified as community-onset (CO) when blood cultures were obtained ≤ 2 days after hospital admission and as hospital-onset (HO) thereafter. The incidence rate of HO-SAB could only be calculated for 2009–2014 when hospitalization denominator data were available. Among 147,524 blood cultures, 919 SAB cases were identified. Community-onset S. aureus bacteremia incidence rate doubled from 4.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.3–5.8) in 2006 to 9.3 per 100,000 persons per year (95% CI: 7.6–11.2) in 2014. The highest CO-SAB incidence rate was among adults aged 50 years and older. Children less than 5 years old had the next highest incidence rate, with most cases occurring among neonates. During 2009–2014, there were 89 HO-SAB cases at a rate of 0.13 per 1,000 hospitalizations per year (95% CI: 0.10–0.16). Overall, MRSA prevalence among SAB cases was 10% (90/911) and constituted 7% (55/736) of CO-SAB and 20% (22/111) of HO-SAB without a clear temporal trend in incidence rate. In conclusion, CO-SAB incidence rate has increased, whereas MRSA incidence rate remained stable. The increasing CO-SAB incidence rate, especially the burden on older adults and neonates, underscores the importance of strong SAB surveillance to identify and respond to changes in bacteremia trends and antimicrobial resistance.
Evaluation of Argentinean Bird Species as Amplifying Hosts for St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (Flavivirus, Flaviviridae)
Authors: Díaz Adrián , Flores Fernando S. , Quaglia Agustín I. , Contigiani Marta S.
Published: May 2018

St.Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is an emerging human pathogen flavivirus in Argentina. Recently, it has reemerged in the United States. We evaluated the role as amplifying host of six resident bird species and analyzed their capacity as host during the 2005 encephalitis outbreak of SLEV in Córdoba. Eared Dove, Picui Ground Dove, and House Sparrow were the three species with highest host competence index. At a city level, Eared Dove and Picui Ground Dove were the most important amplifying hosts during the 2005 SLEV human outbreak in Córdoba city. This finding highlighted important differences in the SLEV ecology between Argentina and the United States. Characterizing and evaluating the SLEV hosts contribute to our knowledge about its ecology and could help us to understand the causes that promote its emergence as a human pathogen in South America.
Zika Virus: Knowledge Assessment of Residents and Health-Care Providers in Roatán, Honduras, following an Outbreak
Authors: Brissett Daniela I. , Tuholske Cascade , Allen Isabel E. , Larios Noely S. , Mendoza Diego J. , Murillo Ana G. , Bloch Evan M.
Published: May 2018

Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of Zika virus (ZIKV) public health educational campaigns. Following a ZIKV educational campaign in Roatán, Honduras (October 2016), a survey was administered (March–May 2017) to residents (N = 348) and health-care professionals ([HCPs]; N = 44) to evaluate ZIKV knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices, with attention to sexual health. Knowledge scores were calculated and mapped using participants’ home locations. The knowledge scores between HCPs and residents were significantly different (mean 17 versus 11; P < 0.001). Only 6% of residents and 14% of HCPs knew that ZIKV was sexually transmissible. Few reported abstinence (2.6% residents; 9.4% HCPs) or condom use (1.6% residents; 12.5% HCPs) to prevent ZIKV infection. Of all subjects, 15.6% were pregnant or had a pregnant partner in the past year; 57.6% expressed concern over ZIKV. Mapping demonstrated spatial heterogeneity in knowledge. The findings suggest a need for improved public health messaging in ZIKV-affected areas.
Lagrangian simulation of ice particles and resulting dehydration in
the polar winter stratosphere
Authors: Tritscher Ines , Grooß Jens-Uwe , Spang Reinhold , Pitts Michael C. , Poole Lamont R. , Müller Rolf , Riese Martin
Published: May 2018

Abstract. Polar ozone loss in late winter and early spring is caused by enhanced concentrations of active chlorine. The surface necessary for heterogeneous reactions activating chlorine species is provided by cold stratospheric aerosols and polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Moreover, sedimentation of PSC particles changes the chemical composition of the lower stratosphere and alters the process of ozone depletion by irreversible redistribution of nitric acid and water vapor. The Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) simulates the nucleation, growth, sedimentation, and evaporation of PSC particles along individual trajectories. Particles consisting of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) were the focus of previous work and are known for their potential to denitrify the polar stratosphere. Here, we carried this idea forward and introduced the formation of ice PSCs and the related dehydration within the sedimentation module of CLaMS. We show results from the Arctic winter 2009/2010, which is already well characterized because of the RECONCILE aircraft campaign and connected work. CLaMS simulations from the Antarctic winter 2011 complete this study and demonstrate the model's performance over an entire PSC season in the Southern Hemisphere. For both hemispheres, we present CLaMS results in comparison to PSC observations from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) and the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). Moreover, we confront CLaMS simulations of water vapor with vortex-wide Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations. Observations and simulations are compared on season-long and vortex-wide scales as well as for single PSC events. The simulations reproduce well both the timing and extent of PSC occurrence inside the entire vortex. Divided into specific PSC classes, CLaMS results show good agreement with CALIOP and MIPAS observations, even for specific days and single satellite orbits. The vertical redistribution of nitric acid and water during the polar winter season, as seen in the MLS data, is visible in the CLaMS data as well. Overall, a conclusive agreement between CLaMS and a variety of independent measurements is presented.
Silicon cycle in the Tropical South Pacific: evidence for an active pico-sized siliceous plankton
Authors: Leblanc Karine , Cornet Véronique , Rimmelin-Maury Peggy , Grosso Olivier , Hélias-Nunige Sandra , Brunet Camille , Claustre Hervé , Ras Joséphine , Leblond Nathalie , Quéguiner Bernard
Published: May 2018

Abstract. This article presents data regarding the Si biogeochemical cycle during two oceanographic cruises conducted in the Southern Tropical Pacific (BIOSOPE and OUTPACE cruises) in 2005 and 2015. It involves the first Si stock measurements in this understudied region, encompassing various oceanic systems from New Caledonia to the Chilean upwelling between 8 and 34° S. Some of the lowest levels of biogenic silica standing stocks ever measured were found in this area, notably in the Southern Pacific Gyre, where Chlorophyll a concentrations are most depleted worldwide. Integrated biogenic silica stocks are as low as 1.08 ± 0.95 mmol m−2, and are the lowest stocks measured in the Southern Pacific. Size-fractionated biogenic silica concentrations revealed a non-negligible contribution of the pico-sized fraction (
Distributions of 210Po and 210Pb activities along the North Atlantic GEOTRACES GA01 (GEOVIDE) cruise: partitioning between the particulate and dissolved phase
Authors: Tang Yi , Castrillejo Maxi , Roca-Martí Montserrat , Masqué Pere , Lemaitre Nolwenn , Stewart Gillian
Published: May 2018

Abstract. Vertical distributions of total and particulate 210Po and 210Pb activities in the water column were measured at eleven stations in the North Atlantic during the GEOTRACES GA01 GEOVIDE cruise in May–June 2014. Total 210Po activity was on average 24 % lower than 210Pb activity in the upper 100 m, and was closer to unity in the mesopelagic (100–1000 m). The partitioning coefficients (Kd) along the transect suggest the preferential association of 210Po relative to 210Pb onto particles. The prominent role of small particles in sorption was confirmed by the observation that over 80 % of the particulate radionuclide activity was on small particles. To account for the observed surface water 210Po / 210Pb disequilibria, particulate radionuclide activities and export of both small (1–53 μm) and large (> 53 μm) particles must be considered. A comparison between the GEOVIDE total particulate 210Po / 210Pb activity ratios (AR) and the ratios in previous studies revealed a distinct geographic distribution, with lower particulate AR in the high-latitude North Atlantic (including this study) and Arctic in relation to all other samples. For the samples where apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) was calculated at the same depth and time as the 210Po / 210Pb AR (40 stations including this study), there was a two-phase correlation between the total particulate AR and AOU demonstrating the competing forces of remineralization and radionuclide decay from particles as they age.
Algorithms for optimization of branching gravity-driven water networks
Authors: Dardani Ian , Jones Gerard F.
Published: May 2018

Abstract. The design of a water network involves the selection of pipe diameters that satisfy pressure and flow requirements while considering cost. A variety of design approaches can be used to optimize for hydraulic performance or reduce costs. To help designers select an appropriate approach in the context of gravity-driven water networks (GDWNs), this work assesses three cost-minimization algorithms on six moderate-scale GDWN test cases. Two algorithms, a backtracking algorithm and a genetic algorithm, use a set of discrete pipe diameters, while a new calculus-based algorithm produces a continuous-diameter solution which is mapped onto a discrete-diameter set. The backtracking algorithm finds the global optimum for all but the largest of cases tested, for which its long runtime makes it an infeasible option. The calculus-based algorithm's discrete-diameter solution produced slightly higher-cost results but was more scalable to larger network cases. Furthermore, the new calculus-based algorithm's continuous-diameter and mapped solutions provided lower and upper bounds, respectively, on the discrete-diameter global optimum cost, where the mapped solutions were typically within one diameter size of the global optimum. The genetic algorithm produced solutions even closer to the global optimum with consistently short run times, although slightly higher solution costs were seen for the larger network cases tested. The results of this study highlight the advantages and weaknesses of each GDWN design method including closeness to the global optimum, the ability to prune the solution space of infeasible and suboptimal candidates without missing the global optimum, and algorithm run time. We also extend an existing closed-form model of Jones (2011) to include minor losses and a more comprehensive two-part cost model, which realistically applies to pipe sizes that span a broad range typical of GDWNs of interest in this work, and for smooth and commercial steel roughness values.
Late Holocene channel pattern change from laterally stable to meandering caused by climate and land use changes
Authors: Candel Jasper H. J. , Kleinhans Maarten G. , Makaske Bart , Hoek Wim Z. , Quik Cindy , Wallinga Jakob
Published: May 2018

Abstract. River channel patterns may alter due to changes in hydrological regime, related to changes in climate or land cover. Such changes are well documented for transitions between meandering and braiding rivers, whereas channel pattern changes between laterally stable and meandering rivers are poorly documented and understood. We identified a river that was laterally almost stable throughout the Holocene until the Late Middle Ages, after which large meanders formed at lateral migration rates of about 2 m yr−1. The lateral stability before the Late Middle Ages was proven using a combination of coring information, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), radiocarbon (14C) dating, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Our objective of this work is to identify the possible causes for the meander initiation. We carried out a unique reconstruction of bankfull discharge as a function of time, based on channel dimensions that were reconstructed from the scroll bar sequence using coring information and GPR data, combined with chronological constraints from historical maps and OSL dating. Empirical channel and bar pattern models were used to determine the potential for meandering and to identify the causes of meander initiation. Several potential causes were investigated, varying from discharge regime changes to increased sediment input. Our investigation shows that bankfull discharge was two to five times higher during the meandering phase compared to the laterally stable phase. This increase likely reflects climate changes related to the Little Ice Age and land use changes in the catchment, in particular as a result of peat reclamation and exploitation. We hypothesize that many low-energy meandering rivers were laterally stable during most of the Holocene, reflecting relatively low peak discharges during a stable climate and with limited human impact. However, channel deposits associated with such stable phases are poorly preserved, due to recent increase in dynamics of such systems. Considering the importance of climate and land use changes on the river channel pattern, successful river restoration requires an integral approach that includes scenarios of climate and land use changes in the catchment.
Effects of climatic seasonality on the isotopic composition of evaporating soil waters
Authors: Benettin Paolo , Volkmann Till H. M. , von Freyberg Jana , Frentress Jay , Penna Daniele , Dawson Todd E. , Kirchner James W.
Published: May 2018

Abstract. Stable water isotopes are widely used in ecohydrology to trace the transport,
storage, and mixing of water on its journey through landscapes and
ecosystems. Evaporation leaves a characteristic signature on the isotopic
composition of the water that is left behind, such that in dual-isotope
space, evaporated waters plot below the local meteoric water line (LMWL) that
characterizes precipitation. Soil and xylem water samples can often plot
below the LMWL as well, suggesting that they have also been influenced by
evaporation. These soil and xylem water samples frequently plot along linear
trends in dual-isotope space. These trend lines are often termed “evaporation
lines” and their intersection with the LMWL is often interpreted as the
isotopic composition of the precipitation source water. Here we use numerical
experiments based on established isotope fractionation theory to show that
these trend lines are often by-products of the seasonality in evaporative
fractionation and in the isotopic composition of precipitation. Thus, they
are often not true evaporation lines, and, if interpreted as such, can yield
highly biased estimates of the isotopic composition of the source water.
Interannual sea ice thickness variability in the Bay of Bothnia
Authors: Ronkainen Iina , Lehtiranta Jonni , Lensu Mikko , Rinne Eero , Haapala Jari , Haas Christian
Published: May 2018

Abstract. While variations of Baltic Sea ice extent and fast ice thickness have been extensively studied, there is little information about the sea ice thickness distribution and its variability. In our study, we quantify the interannual variability of sea ice thickness in the Bay of Bothnia during the years 2003–2016. We use various different data sets: official ice charts, drilling data from the regular monitoring stations in the coastal fast ice zone and from helicopter- and ship-borne electromagnetic soundings. We analyze the different data sets and compare them to each other to characterize the interannual variability, to discuss the ratio of level and deformed ice, and to derive ice thickness distributions in the drift ice zone. In the fast ice zone the average ice thickness is 0.58 ± 0.13 m. Deformed ice increases the variability of ice conditions in the drift ice zone where the average ice thickness is 0.92 ± 0.33 m. In heavily ridged ice regions near the coast, mean ice thickness can be even manyfold thicker than in a pure thermodynamically grown fast ice. Drift ice exhibits larger inter-annual variability than fast ice.
MENINGITAS PO IŠORINIO SKILVELIŲ DRENAŽO OPERACIJOS
Authors: Dobrovolskytė Ugnė , Tamošuitis Tomas , Balčiūnienė Neringa
Published: May 2018

Tikslas. Nustatyti pooperacinio bakterinio meningito dažnį, rizikos veiksnius, sukėlėjus bei ligos baigtis pacientams, gydytiems Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universiteto ligoninės (LSMUL) Neurochirurgijos intensyvios terapijos skyriuje (NITS) po išorinio skilvelio drenažo (ISD) operacijos.

Tyrimo metodika. Atliktas retrospektyvusis tyrimas, į kurį įtraukta 212 pacientų, kurie 2012-2016 metais po ISD suformavimo operacijos buvo gydyti NITS. Analizuoti tiriamųjų demografiniai rodikliai, indikacijos ISD operacijai, rizikos veiksniai pooperaciniam bakteriniam meningitui išsivystyti, gydymo trukmė NITS ir ligoninėje, infekcijos sukėlėjai bei ligos baigtys.

Rezultatai. Pooperacinis bakterinis meningitas po ISD suformavimo operacijos buvo nustatytas 50 (23%) tiriamųjų. Dažniausi meningito sukėlėjai – stafilokokų rūšies patogenai. Rizikos veiksniai pooperaciniam meningitui išsivystyti: ISD kateterio laikymo trukmė >10 dienų (p=0,034), pakartotinis ISD kateterio įkišimas (p<0,001), nustatyta imunosupresinė būklė (p=0,006), sąmonės būklė pagal Glasgow komos skalę (GKS) < 9 balų (p=0,029). Pooperacinis bakterinis meningitas ilgina tiek gydymo NITS (16,2 ± 14,06 dienos ir 11,2 ± 8,93 dienos, p=0,029), tiek ligoninėje trukmę (44,12 ± 27,01 dienos ir 22,36 ± 20,58 dienos, p=0,004).

Išvados. Pooperacinio bakterinio meningito dažnis po ISD operacijos 23 proc. Pagrindiniai pooperacinio bakterinio meningito rizikos veiksniai: ISD kateterio laikymo trukmė daugiau nei 10 dienų ir pakartotinis drenažas. Pooperacinis bakterinis meningitas ilgina gydymo NITS ir ligoninėje trukmę.