bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Farmers knowledge and perception on maize stem borers and their indigenous control methods in south western region of Cameroon
Authors: Oben Esther Obi , Ntonifor Nelson Neba , Kekeunou Sevilor , Abbeytakor Martin Nkwa
Published: November 2015

Background

Agriculture is a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cameroon, The South West region of Cameroon is known for its potential in the production of major agricultural commodities, but farmers’ yields from various speculations are low, dwindling over time due to some major constraints. Maize production is hampered by adverse socio-economic factors, several pests and diseases as well as high rainfall with low solar radiation. Lepidopterous maize stem borers are a major threat to increase maize production. Therefore we hypothesized that the farmers of the South West region: (1) also perceived stem borers as an important pest of maize; (2) they have their own indigenous methods of control; (3) they use chemical pesticides because they have no alternative, but would prefer plant materials if these were standardized.

Methods

A semi-structured questionnaire survey was administered in four villages: Maumu, Lower Bokova, Ekona and Bonduma. A total of 151 (male and female) farmers were randomly interviewed to document farmers’ perception on stem borers, and their use of indigenous knowledge to manage key pests of maize.

Results

Stem borers were present throughout the maize growing areas in the Fako division and ranked as one of the most important pests of the crop. Most farmers (82.1 %) perceived that stem borers caused significant damage on maize and were responsible for yield reductions in the crop. The increased impact of these pests was due to improper/untimely use of expensive conventional insecticides given the lack of a cheaper alternative method of control. About 50 % of respondent admitted not having any indigenous knowledge of stem borer control, while only 20 % had tried plant products. The most relevant indigenous stem borer control was the use of wood ash. Most (90 %) of the respondent would prefer plant-based insecticides in future because they are safer, cheaper and readily available.

Conclusions

Farmers’ knowledge would contribute in understanding the activities of stem borers and use of plant insecticides. Research is therefore needed to standardize the methods of using plant-based products and also identify the active ingredients of these plants to ensure their effectiveness against maize stem borers and other pests.
Argatroban in the management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: a multicenter clinical trial
Authors: Tardy-Poncet Brigitte , Nguyen Philippe , Thiranos Jean-Claude , Morange Pierre-Emmanuel , Biron-Andréani Christine , Gruel Yves , Morel Jérome , Wynckel Alain , Grunebaum Lelia , Villacorta-Torres Judith , Grosjean Sandrine , de Maistre Emmanuel
Published: November 2015

Introduction

The aim of this study was to collect data in France in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who required parenteral anticoagulation and for whom other non-heparin anticoagulant therapies were contraindicated including patients with renal failure, cross-reactivity to danaparoid or at high hemorrhagic risk.

Methods

A total of 20 patients, of mean age 72 ± 10 years, were enrolled in this open-label, multicenter clinical study. Exploratory statistical data analysis was performed with descriptive interpretation of intra-individual comparisons using simple univariate statistics.

Results

The diagnosis of HIT was confirmed in 16 subjects by an independent scientific committee. Fourteen patients (70 %) were in an intensive care unit during the course of the study. Patients were treated with argatroban for a mean duration of 8.5 ± 6.1 days. The mean starting dose of argatroban was 0.77 ± 0.45 μg/kg/min. Platelet recovery was rapid.

aPTT and anti-IIa activity assays were used to monitor the dose of argatroban. The mean baseline aPTT value was 45.0 ± 9.8 sec and increased to 78.2 ± 35.8 sec two hours after initiating argatroban. At this time mean argatroban concentration was 0.34 ± 0.16 and 0.61 ± 0.28 μg/ml using ECT and TT measurements, respectively. New and/or extended thromboses were reported in 25 % of patients and major bleedings were documented in 15 %. Six patients died due to their underlying medical condition.

Conclusion

Considering its hepatic elimination and its short half-life, argatroban can be considered as a safe therapeutic option in HIT patients at high hemorrhagic risk and with renal failure, particularly in an ICU setting.
The Baffling New Inflation: How Cost-Push Inflation Theories Influenced Policy Debate in the Late-1950s United States
Authors: Takami Norikazu
Published: November 2015

This essay examines how cost-push inflation theories, which highlight autonomous increases in wages and other production costs as a cause of inflation, played a decisive role in the policy debate over the interpretation of the price movements of the second half of the 1950s. In late 1956, economic experts, including politicians and journalists as well as economists, began to observe a peculiarity accompanying the ongoing inflation, namely, an apparent lack of excess aggregate demand, and they placed great emphasis on cost-push inflation theories in their interpretations of this peculiar phenomenon. When the recession of 1958 was accompanied by a steady increase in general prices, some experts took this as further supporting evidence for cost-push inflation. Against the background of this atypical inflation, the US Congress, then ruled by the opposition Democratic Party, initiated a large-scale inquiry into the nature and causes of inflation. These investigations produced one report in particular that emphasized cost-push theories. This essay as a whole shows how the controversy over the inflation of the late 1950s created a general perception that inflation can be at least partly controlled by measures that address cost increases in the private sector, and we suggest that this perception sowed the seeds of the Great Inflation later.
Innovating in rural health in Wales: applied findings from the practitioner's perspective
Authors: Best Stephanie
Published: November 2015

The demand for novel and innovative activity is commonplace in health and social care owing to multiple factors, such as ageing, lack of new resources, or the rising prevalence of long-term conditions. These factors are felt more acutely in rural communities because of a variety of influences, for example, access and a more rapidly ageing population. This study, conducted in rural Wales from 2011 to 2012, aims to explore practitioners' perceptions of the process of innovating in health and social care. A mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire and interviews, was employed. Findings centre on the phases of innovating from generation to future activity. The lack of clarity around the term ‘innovation’ is found to hinder the innovation process, with risk (averseness) further stifling activity. An organisational culture of expectation and support is reported to be fundamental to initiating innovative activity.
Midwifery Share Room project
Authors: Sporek Paulina Ewa
Published: November 2015

Inspired by presentations at a recent conference, Paulina Sporek has created an online platform for sharing ideas and growing midwifery projects.
Giant cavernous splenic haemangioma in a dog
Authors: Bendale Kiran , Desai Saral , Patil Asawari , Chaudhari Pradip , Talekar Shivaji , Gaikwad Rajeev , Chaudhari Devendra
Published: November 2015

Case history:

a nine-year-old male German Shepherd Dog presented with a history of progressively enlarged abdomen, shallow breathing and uncoordinated gait. A large abdominal mass, causing huge pressure on the surrounding organs and abdominal distension, was observed on physical examination.

Imaging findings:

contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed two isoattenuating masses originating from the tail of the spleen, depicting hypoattenuating cystic areas with enhancement of solid structures on contrast administration: a characteristic finding of cavernous splenic haemangioma. The dog underwent a successful complete splenectomy and was followed up for next six months.

Histopathology findings:

haematoxylin and eosin staining showed vascular channels lined by well-differentiated endothelial cells with a low mitotic rate, suggestive of cavernous haemangioma. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed for CD34, vimentin, HMB-45, AE1/AE3 and epithelial membrane antigen; the expression of CD34 and vimentin endothelial markers confirmed the diagnosis of splenic haemangioma.

Diagnosis:

cavernous haemangioma of the spleen.

Clinical relevance:

it is rare to have a massive lesion on the spleen presenting as a giant abdominal mass in dogs. The location and nature of such a mass is difficult to diagnose by radiography and ultrasonography owing to its large size. CECT was found to be reliable to characterise the mass morphologically, and CT played a significant role in diagnosis and surgical management. The diagnosis was confirmed by IHC.
Emergency treatment of the seizuring patient
Authors: Donnelly Emma , Elias Neus , Grave Tobias
Published: November 2015

When presented with a seizuring patient, preparation is very important. A systematic approach to history taking, examination and treatment can minimise errors in diagnosis and treatment in a stressful situation. The ABCs — airway, breathing and circulation — must be assessed first unless the patient presents having a tonic-clonic seizure, and any required corrective treatment applied. The cause of the seizure should be determined based on the history and clinical examination. In patients having a tonic-clonic seizure at the time of presentation, rectal diazepam may be given initially and a full examination delayed, otherwise a full clinical and neurological examination should be carried out, with further tests as required to reach a definitive diagnosis. Hypoglycaemia should be considered as a probable, extra-cranial, cause of seizure in young puppies, particularly those of small breeds. Once it is established that a true seizure has occurred (or is occurring), the appropriate treatment must be given, with diazepam or midazolam as the first line treatment. Phenobarbital and levetiracetam can both be used for emergency management of seizures and also for long-term anti-seizure medication. Propofol may be needed for patients that are resistant to benzodiazepines, phenobarbital and levetiracetam.
Feline chronic gingivostomatitis
Authors: Cannon Martha
Published: November 2015

Feline chronic gingiviostomatitis is a common, painful problem in cats, which can be frustrating to manage. It is an idiopathic condition, thought to occur when affected cats raise an inappropriate immune response against one of a range of oral antigens, some of which are a normal part of the oral environment while others are potential pathogens in their own right. As yet there is no management strategy that will reliably eliminate all signs of inflammation in every case, but with a combination of good oral hygiene, tooth extractions and adjunctive medical treatment, good improvement can be achieved for the majority of cats.
Diagnosis and management of hepatitis C
Authors: Vine Louisa J , Sieberhagen Cyril , Cramp Matthew E
Published: November 2015

Hepatitis C virus, a bloodborne virus infection, is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide and was until recently a difficult to treat disease. However, rapid treatment advances can now deliver cure rates of >95% and provide the real possibility of eliminating hepatitis C virus.
The use of ambulatory blood pressure measurement
Authors: Hodgkinson James A , Tucker Katherine L , Martin Una , Beesley Louise , McManus Richard J
Published: November 2015

Measurement of ambulatory blood pressure is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension in the UK. This article describes the use of ambulatory devices, and discusses the benefits and disadvantages of their use in clinical practice.
Readmission rates and financial penalties after ear, nose and throat surgery: how can we improve?
Authors: Danino JF , Taylor T , Metcalfe CW , Muzaffar SJ , Sinha A
Published: November 2015

Introduction:

Since April 2011, all patient readmissions within 30 days have resulted in a financial penalty to the hospital trust, and therefore the responsible department. These costs may be substantial and potentially preventable.

Methods:

A service evaluation of readmissions within 30 days of discharge, over a 12-month period (January–December 2012), was performed in the ear, nose and throat department of a district general hospital, and findings were used as a basis to suggest areas for potential quality improvement.

Aims:

To determine the number of readmissions, causes of readmission and resulting costs, and to explore how these readmissions may be prevented.

Results:

The departmental 30-day readmission rate over the study period was 3.12% (81/2606). The commonest causes of readmission (33.3%) were complications following tonsillectomy (27/81) such as pain, infection or bleeding. Over a third of these patients (30/81) were readmitted for less than 24 hours, with the average length of stay being less than 2.5 days.

Financial implications:

In 2011 the trust had 7526 emergency readmissions which were eligible for penalty within the 30-day time frame. This resulted in a loss of income of more than £60 000 to the ear, nose and throat department.

Conclusions:

Optimizing postoperative care and improving patient understanding of common complications may reduce readmission rates, thus limiting the financial burden on the trust. These areas could serve as a basis for future quality improvement projects.
Performing lumbar punctures for suspected CNS infections: experience and practice of trainee doctors
Authors: Defres Sylviane , Mayer Josephine , Backman Ruth , Kneen Rachel
Published: November 2015

Lumbar punctures are essential in the management of suspected CNS infections. However, despite clear guidelines their use can be haphazard. This survey investigated the training, knowledge and experience of UK doctors in training in relation to lumbar punctures.
Informal carers and wound management: an integrative literature review
Authors: Miller C. , Kapp S.
Published: November 2015

Objective:

The consequences of informal care giving have been well documented in recent decades, and in many fields of illness and chronic disease, the role of informal carers has been recognised and investigated. Informal caregivers in the field of wound management and prevention have been largely unnoticed, despite the chronic nature of many wounds, the enduring nature of treatments and the impact on the physical and social environment; factors likely to have a significant impact on family and friends. The aim of this study was to consider what published evidence is available regarding the experience and role of informal caregivers in wound management or prevention.

Method:

An integrated literature review was completed in October 2014 searching ESBCOhost database, Wound Management Association websites, and reviewing reference lists of accessed papers.

Results:

A number of challenges were noted in accessing information about informal carers in relation to wound management and prevention. Most of these arose from the scarcity of studies for which informal carers was the primary focus. The available evidence suggests that informal carers have a role in wound management and prevention and that their involvement is likely to represent a noteworthy economic contribution to the wound management health-care team. Wound management was also determined to yield physical and psychological impacts for the carer. There was limited evidence of structured information, support or training for informal carers, which was flagged by carers as an area of need.

Conclusion:

General conclusions about the burdensome experience and the valuable role of carers were the main interpretations possible from the evidence. More research which purposively and comprehensively examines the experience and role of informal caregivers is required. This knowledge would provide a foundation upon which interventions and support for informal carers and patients can be generated, which could further serve to enhance wound healing and the prevention of skin damage.
Slough and biofilm: removal of barriers to wound healing by desloughing
Authors: Percival S.L. , Suleman L.
Published: November 2015

The presence of non-viable tissue in a chronic wound presents a barrier against effective wound healing, hence removal facilitates healing and reduces areas where microorganisms can attach and form biofilms, effectively reducing the risk of infection. Wound debridement is a necessary process in those wounds that have evidence of cellular debris and non-viable tissue. As slough is a form of non-viable tissue we hypothesise that it will support the attachment and development of biofilms. Biofilms are entities that have serious implications in raising the risk of infection and delaying wound healing. In those wounds that contain only slough, high-risk debridement methods are not considered necessary for its removal. The use of mechanical techniques for removing the slough is regarded as posing a much lower risk to the patient and the wound bed. The process of removing slough from a wound is referred to as ‘desloughing’. We propose that mechanical desloughing is a low-risk method of debridement to aid the specific removal of slough. Slough in a wound is a recurrent issue for a large majority of patients. Consequently, desloughing should not be deemed a one-off process but an on-going procedure referred to as ‘maintenance desloughing’. Maintenance desloughing will help to achieve and maintain a healthy wound bed and aid the removal of wound biofilms, facilitating wound healing.
Measurement of diabetic wounds with optical coherence tomography-based air-jet indentation system and a material testing system
Authors: Choi M-C. , Cheung K-K. , Ng G. Y-F , Zheng Y-P. , Cheing G. L-Y.
Published: November 2015

Objective:

Material testing system is a conventional but destructive method for measuring the biomechanical properties of wound tissues in basic research. The recently developed optical coherence tomography-based air-jet indentation system is a non-destructive method for measuring these properties of soft tissues in a non-contact manner. The aim of the study was to examine the correlation between the biomechanical properties of wound tissues measured by the two systems.

Method:

Young male Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetic were wounded by a 6 mm biopsy punch on their hind limbs. The biomechanical properties of wound tissues were assessed with the two systems on post-wounding days 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21. Wound sections were stained with picro-sirius red for analysis on the collagen fibres. Data obtained on the different days were charted to obtain the change in biomechanical properties across the time points, and then pooled to examine the correlation between measurements made by the two devices. Qualitative analysis to determine any correlation between indentation stiffness measured by the air-jet indentation system and the orientation of collagen fibres.

Results:

The indentation stiffness is significantly negatively correlated to the maximum load, maximum tensile stress, and Young's modulus by the material testing system (all p<0.05). The orientation of collagen changes with the indentation stiffness over time.

Conclusion:

Our findings support the use of optical coherence tomography-based air-jet indentation system to evaluate the biomechanical properties of wounds in a non-contact manner. It is a potential clinical device to examine the biomechanical properties of chronic wounds in vivo in a repeatable manner.
The use of a collagen matrix in hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers
Authors: Romanelli M. , Mulder G. , Paggi B. , Macchia M. , Panduri S. , Dini V.
Published: November 2015

Objective:

The effects of a collagen dressing on hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers (vlUs) were evaluated in this prospective, randomised, controlled study.

Method:

Patients with hard-to-heal vlU were included and divided into two groups using the block randomisation method. The first group was treated with a collagen and an alginate dressing (group A), and the second group with an alginate dressing alone (group b). both groups also had a short-stretch compression system applied at every dressing change. The dressings were changed twice a week for 12 weeks or until the ulcer was healed. Granulation tissue improvement, wound size, overall dressing performance and dressing comfort were evaluated and recorded.

Results:

A total of 40 patients completed the study evaluation period. Group A had a 65% increase in granulation tissue compared to 38% in group b. The mean ulcer area was reduced to 45% in group A compared to 20% in group b at 12 weeks. no significant side effects were detected in either group. Patients of both groups were satisfied with their treatment and healing progress.

Conclusion:

The results of this study showed the effectiveness and safety of a collagen dressing in hard-to-heal vlUs as an adjunctive therapy with compression bandaging. These encouraging results may positively affect the quality of life of patients with chronic wounds.
Emerging infectious diseases: Implications for primary care
Authors: Beckett Gail , Kumar Alexander
Published: November 2015

It is important for practice nurses to be aware of emerging infectious diseases. Gail Beckett and Alexander Kumar explain how two significant diseases have recently emerged
Skill mixing to enhance care in the home
Authors: Carr Jacqui , Brain Lizzie , Rhodes Georgina
Published: November 2015

Practice nursing teams must adapt and innovate to optimize resources. This article provides the experiences of a practice that used skill mix to enhance care in the home
Research roundup: November
Authors: Winter George
Published: November 2015

George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that may be of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Auditing for the future
Authors: Brown Debbie
Published: November 2015

Debbie Brown performed an audit of general practice nurses and health-care assistants in her area to ascertain the skills and knowledge available, and improve care for the future
Telling the story of a pupil's learning journey
Authors: Gallagher Rachael
Published: November 2015

Rachael Gallagher explains how her school's metacognition project, involving digital portfolios, is empowering children to take ownership of their learning.
On a mission to discover the past, close to home
Authors: Davis John
Published: November 2015

A local history project can start with examining historical aspects of the built environment, such as street names, and expand to oral and written evidence.
Help them to roam, explore and discover…
Authors: Mynard Steve
Published: November 2015

Practical map work is an essential part of the development of young geographers and the national curriculum provides plenty of scope to explore it imaginatively.
On the road to success
Authors: Cartwright Eva
Published: November 2015

If you ensure that your pupils have an end goal in mind when they start a project, they are more likely to be motivated to persist, and enjoy the learning process.
Deliver the wow factor with a science roadshow
Authors: Rhodes Karen
Published: November 2015

Karen Rhodes describes how a science roadshow in her school set up some exciting experiments and re-ignited enthusiasm for the subject in both teachers and pupils.
Living the experience – and learning from it
Authors: McKeown Sal
Published: November 2015

This is a resource that is all about learning through doing. Sal McKeown hears how its curriculum themes are a good fit with one primary school's particular ethos.
Experiences of technology-rich innovation in European schools within the Open Discovery Space project
Authors: Peinado Sonia , Mota José Miguel , Berns Anke , Palomo-Duarte Manuel , Dodero Juan Manuel , Martellos Stefano , Doran Rosa , Lingyte Aušra , Arnold Christine J. , Bissinger Kerstin , Kouzov Orlin , Chelioti Eleni , Cherouvis Stephanos , Stergiopoulos Petros
Published: November 2015

The Open Discovery Space (ODS) project was conceived to introduce innovative resource-based teaching and learning practices in European schools, to promote the creation of communities between European school members and to boost the demand for open educational resources among teachers. After 3 years of applying the ODS innovation model, more than 2,000 European schools have carried out diverse experiences of technology-rich innovation to achieve the project aims. This paper describes the experiences and results of ODS in 7 different European countries, along with the international activities that aim at expanding the scope of the project beyond the European limits.
La regulación compartida en entornos de aprendizaje colaborativo: una revisión del estado de la investigación empírica
Authors: Castellanos Ramírez Juan Carlos , Onrubia Goñi Javier
Published: November 2015

Los procesos de regulación compartida se presentan dentro del campo del aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por ordenador como un ámbito de estudio emergente. El interés por este ámbito de estudio se justifica en el supuesto de que los procesos de regulación inciden positivamente en el desempeño de los grupos y predicen resultados satisfactorios en el aprendizaje de los alumnos. En este artículo, se revisan distintos estudios realizados sobre la regulación compartida en el aprendizaje colaborativo tanto en contextos educativos presenciales como en entornos educativos apoyados por ordenador. Previamente, y como marco para esta revisión, se discute la importancia de la regulación compartida en el aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por ordenador y se distingue a la regulación compartida de otros procesos presentes en el aprendizaje colaborativo, en particular de los procesos de construcción compartida de conocimiento. Como conclusiones se destacan un conjunto de rasgos teóricos y empíricos que definen el tema de la regulación compartida como ámbito de estudio y que, en lo subsecuente, orientan la realización de futuras investigaciones en entornos de aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por ordenador, así como el diseño de apoyos para favorecer dichos procesos.
Interpreting Students’ Perceptions in Fluid Mechanics Learning Outcomes
Authors: Soares Filomena , LeÃo Celina , Guedes Anabela , Pereira Isabel , Morais Cristina , Esteves Teresa
Published: November 2015

The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of introducing a practical work in the learning process of the Fluid Transport Systems course in Chemical Engineering degree. The students, in groups of two or three elements, were free to choose the application case in order to develop the practical work proposed by the responsible teachers. The students selected a centrifugal pump to supply water to houses or buildings and designed the piping system. The practical work was evaluated through the written report. The students’ perceptions were analysed through a questionnaire. The learning outcomes were also considered in order to understand how the fluid mechanics concepts were acquired. In the teachers’ point of view the teamwork should enable the development of students’ soft skills and competencies, promoting the ability to integrate and work in teams. The students changed their learning processing and perception becoming more reflective and less accommodative, forcing them to think critically and share opinions. Regarding the Fluid Mechanics assessment, the practical work increased, in average, the final grade at least one value.
MANIFESTAÇÃO DA ORIENTAÇÃO EMPREENDEDORA EM UMA ORGANIZAÇÃO SEM FINS LUCRATIVOS
Authors: Lacerda Fabrício Martins , Belfort Ana Claudia , Martens Cristina Dai Prá
Published: November 2015

A Orientação Empreendedora constitui importante tema de estudo no contexto organizacional. Porém, em organizações sem fins lucrativos, esse conceito ainda não está adequadamente estabelecido. Nesse sentido, este artigo busca analisar a manifestação da Orientação Empreendedora nas ações de uma organização sem fins lucrativos à luz do modelo de Morris, Webb e Franklin (2011). Os resultados permitiram identificar a manifestação das dimensões inovatividade, proatividade e assunção de riscos nas ações realizadas pela organização diante das suas necessidades ou busca pelas oportunidades (motivação, processos e resultados). Conclui-se que a organização é “socialmente e comercialmente empreendedora”, pois tem enfatizado o empreendedorismo tanto em relação à sua missão social e como ela é alcançada, quanto às parcerias comerciais com organizações públicas e privada.
Influência da estrutura urbana na decisão de realizar viagens a pé em Porto Alegre
Authors: Larranaga Ana Margarita , Bettella Cybis Helena Beatriz , Batistela Torres Tânia
Published: November 2015

Estudos realizados em países desenvolvidos revelam que mudanças nas características da estrutura urbana podem ter impacto significativo sobre o padrão de viagens. Este artigo visa: (i) testar se estas relações reportadas na literatura sobre a relação entre a estrutura urbana e comportamento de viagem são mantidas numa cidade como Porto Alegre; (ii) testar se a magnitude do impacto destas características se mantém; e (iii) comparar o impacto na decisão de caminhar em relação aos resultados obtidos num estudo anterior para a frequência de viagens a pé. Modelos logit binomial e logit mistos foram estimados para modelar a decisão de caminhar. Elasticidades da decisão de caminhar com relação às variáveis da estrutura urbana foram calculadas. Os resultados mostram que, em Porto Alegre, a estrutura urbana influencia a decisão de realizar viagens a pé. No entanto, existem diferenças nas magnitudes do impacto de algumas variáveis. As elasticidades calculadas para a decisão de caminhar com relação às variáveis da estrutura urbana foram maiores do que em outros estudos. Valores de elasticidades podem ser usados em previsões de modelos de demanda.
Análise da severidade dos acidentes com motocicletas utilizando modelos probit e logit ordenados
Authors: Coutinho Carlos Henrique Loiola , Cunto Flávio José Craveiro , Ferreira Sara Maria Pinho
Published: November 2015

O ambiente de circulação rodoviário brasileiro tem apresentado um aumento desproporcional da utilização de motocicletas ao longo dos últimos 15 anos. A mesma tendência acompanha o número de acidentes de trânsito da categoria em parte por sua relativa vulnerabilidade. O objetivo deste trabalho é identificar fatores que influenciam a severidade dos acidentes com motocicletas nas vias urbanas de Fortaleza com a utilização dos modelos ordenados do tipo probit e logit. Foram desenvolvidos modelos ordenados categóricos utilizando uma amostra com 3.232 observações de acidentes de trânsito de 2004 a 2011. A severidade resultante dos acidentes de trânsito foi classificada em quatro categorias. Os resultados da calibração dos modelos indicaram que motociclistas que utilizam capacete e pilotam durante o dia têm um menor risco de sofrer lesões mais graves. De outra forma, motociclistas mais velhos e que sofreram acidente ocorrido em finais de semana apresentaram um maior risco de lesões mais graves
Análise do custo do ciclo de vida do lastro ferroviário na estrada de ferro Vitória Minas
Authors: Sgavioli Fernando , Bernucci Liedi , Motta Rosângela , Moura Edson , Costa Robson
Published: November 2015

Na última década o gerenciamento da infraestrutura ferroviária no Brasil teve grandes mudanças em comparação com as décadas precedentes. O aumento do volume de mercadorias transportadas exigiu a reestruturação das ferrovias e tornou a gestão da infraestrutura uma questão importante. Como resposta as empresas ferroviárias passaram a trabalhar com ferramentas para análises quantitativas dos impactos de decisões de manutenção, para garantir a qualidade da infraestrutura em longo prazo e sustentar suas necessidades de orçamento. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma abordagem baseada no custo do ciclo de vida do lastro ferroviário em função da variação das premissas do ciclo de desguarnecimento e do ciclo de socaria, a fim de propor uma estratégia de manutenção mais econômica para a Estrada de Ferro Vitória Minas (EFVM). Os estudos obtiveram que a solução de renovação de 50% do lastro é a mais econômica e os principais custos envolvidos são trem hora parado e socaria.
Avaliação econômica e energética da distribuição direta do etanol hidratado no estado de São Paulo
Authors: Gama Mateus Brito , Widmer João Alexandre
Published: November 2015

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar os ganhos econômicos e energéticos da distribuição direta do etanol hidratado no estado de São Paulo. Entende-se por distribuição direta a entrega da destilaria ao posto de abastecimento, sem passar compulsoriamente por uma base de distribuição de combustíveis por determinação legal. Na avaliação dos cenários foi desenvolvido um modelo de custo e outro de gasto energético. Os resultados do modelo dos custos da cadeia de distribuição mostram um ganho potencial da ordem de 47% sobre o modelo de distribuição atual. Esse valor de ganho potencial corresponde a aproximadamente 3% do valor de venda do álcool hidratado na bomba de combustível dos postos de abastecimento e, provavelmente, não tem impacto sobre a demanda do produto. Há que se considerar, também, que a viabilidade técnica da entrega direta depende da implementação de novas estruturas de armazenagem nas destilarias, o que implicaria uma redução na estimativa desse ganho potencial, num período inicial de amortização de investimentos. Por outro lado, o ganho estimado em reais é da ordem de R$ 260 milhões/ano, o que, uma vez amortizados os investimentos em armazenagem, representa um valor anual significativo se a alternativa de distribuição direta fosse implementada e repassada para o consumidor final do produto. Com relação ao gasto energético, os resultados apresentam uma estimativa de ganho da ordem de 470 mi de MJ por ano, um ganho de 28% sobre o consumo atual. Comparando os valores de gasto energético encontrados nesta pesquisa com outros valores divulgados na literatura para a mesma etapa da cadeia, observa-se que, de um lado não existe um consenso entre os autores sobre a ordem de grandeza deste valor, e de outro, o valor do gasto energético da cadeia de distribuição é relativamente pequeno quando comparado com o consumo energético dos outros estágios da cadeia de produção da cana-de-açúcar. Por outro lado, o ganho anual corresponde à ordem de grandeza de emissão de gases de efeito estufa de uma cidade de pequeno porte com aproximadamente 40 mil habitantes.
Errance and Elsewheres among Africans Waiting to Restart Their Journeys in Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Echeverri Zuluaga Jonathan
Published: November 2015

This article analyzes the experience of Africans stranded in Dakar, Senegal, halfway through their intended journeys out of the continent. A number of forces such as regimes of border control and visa policies, a culturally rooted sense of adventure, historically established networks, and individual genius shape their itineraries. These forces lead them to Dakar, prevent the continuation of their journeys, and bend their routes and destinations toward the global South. I turn to the notions of errance and elsewheres to describe the spatial and temporal dimensions of this experience, its particular relation to national borders, and the sense of uncertainty pervading it. Errance can be understood as the quest for an acceptable place, while elsewheres describe imagined, distant, malleable destinations that invest a journey with purpose. They not only relate to the there and then of dreams and aspirations but structure relations to the here and now. Academic literatures on migration, economic crises, and border studies generally theorize the experience of being able to leave home in terms of suspension. I extend this literature by examining the ways in which space and time are experienced in an already-begun but interrupted journey. Past and future, actual and potential, destinations, routes, and frail transactions hint at different ways of understanding movement and stasis.
Herding Species: Biosecurity, Posthuman Labor, and the American Industrial Pig
Authors: Blanchette Alex
Published: November 2015

This article examines microbial ecologies and industrial ontologies as they unfold in the animal worlds created by the American factory farm. Based in a hundred-mile radius region of the U.S. Great Plains—where some seven million hogs are annually manufactured from prelife to postdeath—it unpacks agribusiness managers’ varied modes of socio-ecological intervention once porcine overproduction causes disease to breach the indoor spaces of confinement barns. Maintaining the genetic potency of modern industrial animals requires managers to appraise how the pig has become intertwined with wind patterns, terrain gradations, and humanity. One result is that corporations are enacting intimate biosecurity protocols in workers’ domestic homes, a move that frames human sociality as a reservoir sheltering porcine disease. Workers are reimagined as a threat to the vitality of industrial hogs in ways that subtly alter the value of human livelihood and autonomy in this region. To situate how rural work became ambiguously posthuman, this essay develops a political economy of speciation. It inhabits managers’ abstract technologies that allow them to become attuned to the industrial pig as a fragile and world-defining species in need of new types of laboring subjectivity, while analyzing the postanthropocentric politics of class and value in a zone reorganized around forms of capitalist animality.
Environmental education for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation in selected study programmes at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovak Version)
Authors: Ružičková Jana , Nevřelová Marta , Lehotská Blanka
Published: November 2015

Sustainable development, biodiversity and landscape diversity should be a key component in nature oriented curricula. The Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava trains specialists in natural and environmental science in Master's degree, in particular in the context of the curricula “Environmental Planning and Management” and “Landscape Protection and Land Use”. The aim of the analysis was to assess the compulsory and elective study subjects of the curricula in question in terms of coverage of themes of sustainable development (SD). The curricula structure and content were analysed on the basis of 14 themes. The results showed that 20 out of the 41 study subjects cover more than 50% of SD themes. The other subjects, more narrowly focused, are also of importance, because they cover key themes such as biodiversity in detail. Graduates’ preparedness for practice and competencies should be sufficient, but it would be appropriate to also focus on the themes in the study subjects in terms of SD indicators.
Environmentálne vzdelávanie pre udržateľný rozvoj a ochranu biodiverzity v rámci vybraných študijných programov na Prírodovedeckej fakulte Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave (zkrácená verze v angličtině)
Authors: Ružičková Jana , Nevřelová Marta , Lehotská Blanka
Published: November 2015

Sustainable development, biodiversity and landscape diversity should be a key component in nature oriented curricula. The Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University in Bratislava trains specialists in natural and environmental science in Master's degree, in particular in the context of the curricula “Environmental Planning and Management” and “Landscape Protection and Land Use”. The aim of the analysis was to assess the compulsory and elective study subjects of the curricula in question in terms of coverage of themes of sustainable development (SD). The curricula structure and content were analysed on the basis of 14 themes. The results showed that 20 out of the 41 study subjects cover more than 50% of SD themes. The other subjects, more narrowly focused, are also of importance, because they cover key themes such as biodiversity in detail. Graduates’ preparedness for practice and competencies should be sufficient, but it would be appropriate to also focus on the themes in the study subjects in terms of SD indicators.
Lesní alternativa předškolního vzdělávání v České republice zachráněna
Authors: Soběslavská Vendula
Published: November 2015

The Association of Forest Kindergartens in the Czech Republic now has a membership of 120 pre-school educational establishments. Until recently, their existence was threatened in connection with the approval process for the Law on the Provision of Childcare Services in Children's Groups. Recently the Association succeeded in securing a place for forest nursery schools in the early childhood education system – not only through petitions, but also through active participation in the discussion on the amended Act.
Editorial 2015/X/2
Authors: Dlouhá Jana
Published: November 2015

This new issue brings (together with the reviewed papers that focus on environmentally oriented approaches at all levels of education in several countries of Europe) also translated article Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education originally published in Science in 2014. The editorial briefly discusses the starting position of the Czech Republic in the Sustainable Development Goals process.
Quantifying Under- and Overreporting in Surveys through a Dual-Questioning-Technique Design
Authors: De Jong Martijn G. , Fox Jean-Paul , Steenkamp Jan-Benedict E.M.
Published: November 2015

In recent years, marketing researchers have become increasingly interested in under- and overreporting. However, there are few suitable approaches to operationalize deviations from the truth, particularly in behavioral domains in which self-reports are usually the only viable method of choice to measure behavior or attitudes. An especially difficult situation arises if some people underreport while others overreport. This article proposes a Bayesian item response theory model to quantify under- and overreporting in surveys. The method utilizes within-person differences between answers obtained under direct questioning (no privacy protection) and randomized-response questioning (which ensures item-level privacy protection). This method has the important features of incorporating behavioral response-mode effects (e.g., privacy loss when switching from direct to randomized-response questioning, response-mode inertia effects) and allowing the direction of bias to differ across respondents. The authors provide an empirical application for excessive alcohol consumption involving 1,408 respondents from a commercial web panel. The results show that respondents are averse to decreases in privacy and that randomized response is less effective if respondents provide biased responses to earlier direct questions.
The Explosive Power And Speed Abilities Of Lower Extremities Of Young Basketball Players
Authors: Gallová Tatiana , Doležajová Ladislava , Lednický Anton , Matulaitis Kestutis , Bračič Mitja
Published: November 2015

The authors compared selected somatic data and test results in 20 m sprint and countermovement jump (CJM) of 14-year-old Lithuanian players from Sabonis Center (LT, n=143; body height: 173.7 ± 8.99 cm; body mass: 59.30 ± 11.40 kg), and Slovenian (SLO, n=84; body height: 172.8 ± 9.96 cm; body mass: 60.10 ± 12.49 kg) and Slovak national team players (SVK, n=42, body height: 177.5 ± 9.07 cm; body mass: 63.32 ± 11.36 kg). The SVK players were divided into the narrow pick (A-team, n=16) and broader roster (B-team, n=26). Within the SVK groups, significant differences between the A-team and B-team have been found in terms of body height (p<0.05) and body mass measurements (p<0.01), and in the test 20 m sprint (p<0.05). In CMJ results, the differences of the A-team and B-team have not been statistically significant. In the international comparison SVK players were taller than SLO and LT players (p <0.05). In the test 20 m sprint SVK players have achieved significantly better results (LT p <0.05, SLO p <0.01). On the contrary, in CMJ test the results (height of the jump) of SVK players were significantly worse than SLO and LT players (p<0.01).
The Relative Age Effect On The Selection In The Slovakia National Football Teams
Authors: Mikulič Martin , Gregora Pavol , Benkovský Ľuboš , Peráček Pavol
Published: November 2015

The focus of this research was to determine the relative age effect (RAE) on selection in the Slovakia national football teams. A factor that may have a significant impact on the quality of players chosen for the national teams or may result in a poor selection of players for the elite teams. Anthropometric and cognitive acceleration of players born in the first months of the calendar year concerning the overall context of the competition for placement in the national teams may be considered as a significant advantage. The aim of this research was to examine, determine and verify the presence of relative age effect in the selection of football players for the Slovakia national teams starting with the under 16 age category (U-16) through to the A - senior national football team. We presumed that the elite teams under this review and study consisted predominantly of players born in the first quarter of the calendar year, while also presuming that relative age effect receded with the increasing age category. Our survey sample U16 consisted of 79 players, U17 consisted of 47 players, U18 consisted of 58 players, U19 consisted of 71 players, U21 consisted of 52 players and A - senior national team consisted of 302 Slovakia national football players. The information obtained from the Slovak Football Association has been processed by the application of statistical methods and statistical significance test (T-test). Our research confirmed the presence of relative age effect in the U-16, U-17 and U-18 teams under our investigation (p≤0.01). In the U19 and U21 age categories, statistical significance has not been confirmed. As for the senior national team, statistically significant difference has been found in relation to players born in the last quarter of the year as opposed to players born in the first three months of the year (p≤0.01). Our results have shown that with the increasing age, the relative age effect fades and vanishes in full in the category of senior elite players. In the U-19 and U-21 age categories, statistical significance has not been confirmed. Based on this research results it may be recommended to use the advantage of relative age effect for the selection of players of the particular age category in the particular competition (such as e.g. the European Championship qualification, the European Championship final tournament qualification, or the World Cup qualification in the U-16, U-17, U-18 age categories).