bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Possibilities of platelet function assays
Authors: Mongirdienė Aušra
Published: July 2018

The aim of this article is to review various methods used and started to introduce into practice for determining platelet function, their possibilities, advantages, and disadvantages. Nowadays, in platelet function investigations, devices and their systems with unequal possibilities, operating in different principles, are used. However, because of a wide variety of platelets defects, none of them gives the accuracy of 100%. In order to avoid mistakes, several assays are used. Analysis of platelets function testing is represented in two ways: according to its investigation object and investigation methods and according to the most frequently used platelet function assays. The most important criteria are presented in two different tables.
Leptin levels at birth and in early postnatal life in small- and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants
Authors: Valūnienė Margarita , Verkauskienė Rasa , Boguszewski Margaret , Dahlgren Jovanna , Lašienė Danutė , Lašas Liudvikas , Wikland Kerstin
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to evaluate leptin concentration at birth and in early postnatal life in small- and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants and to assess its relationship with infants’ anthropometry at birth and some characteristics of maternal pregnancy. Materials and methods. A total of 367 infants born after 32–42 weeks of gestation were enrolled in the study. Umbilical cord blood samples were collected from 80 small- and 287 appropriate- for-gestational-age newborns. Altogether, 166 venous blood samples were taken from these neonates on days 2–6 of life. Results. Cord leptin levels were significantly lower in small- compared to appropriate-forgestational- age infants. We observed a positive correlation between cord leptin and birth weight, all neonatal anthropometric parameters, placental weight, and some maternal nutritional factors. In multivariate analysis, cord leptin concentration explained up to 15% of the variation in sum of newborn’s skinfold thickness but only 5% of the variation in birth weight. Postnatally, leptin concentration decreased markedly to the similar low levels in both infant groups and remained so during the first postnatal week. Conclusions. Significantly lower cord leptin concentration in small-for-gestational-age neonates reflects a lower fat mass content compared to appropriate-for-gestational-age infants. However, an abrupt decrease in leptin levels shortly after birth in both groups suggests that placenta could be an important source of leptin in fetal circulation. The impact of low leptin levels at birth in small-for-gestational-age infants on their postnatal appetite and weight gain remains to be elucidated in future studies.
Anticholinergic effect of 2-aminopyridine and its sulfonylcarbamide derivatives on electromechanical activity in guinea pig atrium
Authors: Gendvilienė Vida , Zablockaitė Danguolė , Martišienė Irma , Gurskaitė Herta , Stankevičius Antanas
Published: July 2018

The aim of the study was to investigate an action of 2-aminopyridine and its new sulfonylcarbamide derivatives 2-AP21, 2-AP22, 2-AP26, and 2-AP27 (10–5–10–3 M) on carbachol-induced shortening of action potential duration and reduction of contraction force in guinea pig atrial muscles. Experiments were carried out using a standard method of myocardium electromechanical activity registration. Under control conditions (perfusion of atrial strips with Tyrode solution), an average of action potential duration, measured at 90% (AP90) and 50% (AP50) of repolarization, were 112.32±6.07 ms and 50.21±3.25 ms, (n=19), respectively, and contraction force was of 1.42±0.28 mN (n=20). Carbachol (10–6M), an agonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor and activator of KAch channels, markedly decreased AP90 to 35.31±4.21%, AP50 – to 26.42±2.66% (n=19) (P<0.001), and contraction force – to 24.23±2.0% (n=20) (P<0.001) vs. control. Modification of 2-aminopyridine structure by replacing 2-amino group by 4-toluolsulfonylcarbamide fragment and quaternization of nitrogen in pyridine ring increased anticholinergic effect on action potential duration and contraction force. According to their maximal prolongation of AP at 90% of repolarization, all new drugs ranked as follows: 2-AP27>>2-AP26>2-AP22³2-AP>2-AP21. 2-aminopyridine derivative 2-AP27, containing 4-toluolsulfonylcarbamide fragment and 4-nitrobenzyl radical at quaternized nitrogen of the pyridine, had the most potent anticholinergic effect on AP90 (936.60±178.23%). 2-AP22 and 2-AP26 (containing methyl or allyl radicals at quaternized nitrogen of the pyridine, respectively) showed a much weaker anticholinergic effect (231.39±28.48% and 318.25±63.81%, respectively). The weakest anticholinergic effect (63.59±34.38%) was induced by 2-aminopyridine derivative 2-AP21, which had non-quaternized nitrogen of the pyridine.
Health behavior of families having preschool-age children
Authors: Petrauskienė Aušra , Dregval Liudmila , Petkutė Sandra
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study is to assess health behavior among families growing up the preschool children. The study was performed in 2007 in Kaunas kindergartens selected randomly. The anonymous questionnaires were filled in by 271 families. Mothers answered to the questions more frequently than fathers did. Fathers were less educated than mothers. It was estimated that preschool-age children used fresh vegetables and fruits insufficiently. Two-thirds of children ate fresh vegetables at least once a day, and only 1 of 20 – 3 times a day. Children ate fresh fruits more frequently than vegetables: every tenth child used them three times a day. The tendency of relation between parents’ education and frequency of eating fresh vegetables and fruits was established. More frequently they were used in families where parents had university education. Physical activity of examined families was insufficient. Half of the parents have never done their morning exercises, and about half of the preschool-age children did their exercises rarely (12.5%) or never (41.4%). The majority of children exercised every day in families where fathers had incomplete secondary/secondary education. Children spend much time passively watching TV or playing with computer. Harmful habits among parents are spread widely in the families: more than one-third of fathers and every thirteenth mother smoke regularly; alcohol is used in the majority of families.
Positron Emission Tomography in the Diagnosis and Management of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kazakauskaitė Eglė , Žaliaduonytė-Pekšienė Diana , Rumbinaitė Eglė , Keršulis Justas , Kulakienė Ilona , Jurkevičius Renaldas
Published: July 2018

Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) are encouraging precise non-invasive imaging modalities that allow imaging of the cellular function of the heart, while other non-invasive cardiovascular imaging modalities are considered to be techniques for imaging the anatomy, morphology, structure, function and tissue characteristics. The role of cardiac PET has been growing rapidly and providing high diagnostic accuracy of coronary artery disease (CAD). Clinical cardiology has established PET as a criterion for the assessment of myocardial viability and is recommended for the proper management of reduced left ventricle (LV) function and ischemic cardiomyopathy. Hybrid PET/CT imaging has enabled simultaneous integration of the coronary anatomy with myocardial perfusion and metabolism and has improved characterization of dysfunctional areas in chronic CAD. Also, the availability of quantitative myocardial blood flow (MBF) evaluation with various PET perfusion tracers provides additional prognostic information and enhances the diagnostic performance of nuclear imaging.
The Effect of Growth Rate on the Microstructure and Tensile Behaviour of Directionally Solidified Ti-44Al-9Nb-1Cr-0.2W-0.2Y Alloys
Authors: Jiang Zhu-Hang , Li Ning , Zhang He-Xin , Zhao Cheng-Zhi
Published: July 2018

Ti-44Al-9Nb-1Cr-0.2W-0.2Y alloys were directionally solidified (DS) at different growth rates varying from 10 to 20 μm/s using a modified liquid metal cooling (LMC) method. The results show that an increase in the growth rate leads to both a decrease in the size of the columnar grains in the directional solidification stable growth zone and a deterioration of the preferred orientation of the α2(Ti3Al)/γ(TiAl) lamellar structure in the columnar grains. The growth direction of the primary dendrite in the quenching zone gradually deflected along the axial direction as the growth rate increased. At the same time, the morphology changed from dendrite to a cystiform dendritic structure, with considerable B2 phase segregation in the dendritic core. Correspondingly, the tensile properties of the alloy decreased at 800 °C with a gradual increase in the cleavage fracture area. These findings show that the low growth rate is beneficial for the preferred orientation and the mechanical properties of the alloy. The content of the B2 phase and the change in the lamellar orientation are the main limiting factors for the tensile properties of the materials at high temperatures.
Identification of Genomic Regions Contributing to Protein Accumulation in Wheat under Well-Watered and Water Deficit Growth Conditions
Authors: Elbasyoni Ibrahim S. , Morsy Sabah M. , Ramamurthy Raghuprakash K. , Nassar Atef M.
Published: July 2018

Sustaining wheat production under low-input conditions through development and identifying genotypes with enhanced nutritional quality are two current concerns of wheat breeders. Wheat grain total protein content, to no small extent, determines the economic and nutritive value of wheat. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to identify accessions with high and low grain protein content (GPC) under well-watered and water-deficit growth conditions and to locate genomic regions that contribute to GPC accumulation. Spring wheat grains obtained from 2111 accessions that were grown under well-watered and water-deficit conditions were assessed for GPC using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Results indicated significant influences of moisture, genotype, and genotype × environment interaction on the GPC accumulation. Furthermore, genotypes exhibited a wide range of variation for GPC, indicating the presence of high levels of genetic variability among the studied accessions. Around 366 (166 with high GPC and 200 with low GPC) wheat genotypes performed relatively the same across environments, which implies that GPC accumulation in these genotypes was less responsive to water deficit. Genome-wide association mapping results indicated that seven single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) were linked with GPC under well-watered growth conditions, while another six SNPs were linked with GPC under water-deficit conditions only. Moreover, 10 SNPs were linked with GPC under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. These results emphasize the importance of using diverse, worldwide germplasm to dissect the genetic architecture of GPC in wheat and identify accessions that might be potential parents for high GPC in wheat breeding programs.
Association between Tornadoes and Instability of Hosting Prominences
Authors: Mghebrishvili Irakli , Zaqarashvili Teimuraz V. , Kukhianidze Vasil , Kuridze David , Tsiklauri David , Shergelashvili Bidzina M. , Poedts Stefaan
Published: July 2018

We studied the dynamics of all prominence tornadoes detected by the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly from 2011 January 01 to December 31. In total, 361 events were identified during the whole year, but only 166 tornadoes were traced until the end of their lifetime. Out of 166 tornadoes, 80 (48%) triggered CMEs in hosting prominences, 83 (50%) caused failed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) or strong internal motion in the prominences, and only 3 (2%) finished their lifetimes without any observed activity. Therefore, almost all prominence tornadoes lead to the destabilization of their hosting prominences and half of them trigger CMEs. Consequently, prominence tornadoes may be used as precursors for CMEs and hence for space weather predictions.
Star Cluster Formation in Cosmological Simulations. II. Effects of Star Formation Efficiency and Stellar Feedback
Authors: Li Hui , Gnedin Oleg Y. , Gnedin Nickolay Y.
Published: July 2018

The implementation of star formation and stellar feedback in cosmological simulations plays a critical role in shaping galaxy properties. In the first paper of the series, we presented a new method to model star formation as a collection of star clusters. In this paper, we improve the algorithm by eliminating accretion gaps, boosting momentum feedback, and introducing a subgrid initial bound fraction, f

i
, that distinguishes cluster mass from stellar particle mass. We perform a suite of simulations with different star formation efficiency per freefall time

and supernova momentum feedback intensity

. We find that the star formation history of a Milky Way–sized galaxy is sensitive to

, which allows us to constrain its value,

, in the current simulation setup. Changing

from a few percent to 200% has little effect on global galaxy properties. However, on smaller scales, the properties of star clusters are very sensitive to

. We find that f

i
increases with

and cluster mass. Through the dependence on f

i
, the shape of the cluster initial mass function varies strongly with

. The fraction of clustered star formation and maximum cluster mass increase with the star formation rate surface density, with the normalization of both relations dependent on

. The cluster formation timescale systematically decreases with increasing

. Local variations in the gas accretion history lead to a 0.25 dex scatter for the integral cluster formation efficiency. Joint constraints from all the observables prefer the runs that produce a median integral efficiency of 16%.
Luz à Solano Trindade: contribuições da universidade em um projeto de geração de energia para uma ocupação do Movimento Nacional de Luta pela Moradia
Authors: Maia de Almeida Layssa Ramos , Magalhães Filipe Ribeiro , Teixeira Christiane Duarte , Machado Renata Nogueira
Published: July 2018

O presente artigo descreve o desenvolvimento de um projeto de geração de energia como parte da parceria estabelecida entre a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) e a Ocupação Solano Trindade, em Duque de Caxias, coordenada pelo Movimento Nacional de Luta pela Moradia. A parceria com a UFRJ tem colaborado para estruturar as ações no território e para reforçar as bases de uma outra prática extensionista. O projeto propõe a instalação de um sistema fotovoltaico no Centro de Formação Politécnica da ocupação, como alternativa para sua sustentabilidade, uma vez que poderá cobrir o principal custo de funcionamento do prédio. Apresentamos as escolhas financeiras e estruturais envolvidas na construção do projeto, além de apontar sua contribuição à proposta pedagógica de formação pelo trabalho, por meio da realização de atividades que vinculem a formação teórica formal à formação prática, a partir da montagem, instalação e manutenção dos equipamentos necessários à utilização do sistema.
Faire son lit pour être un homme
Authors: Marly Mathieu
Published: July 2018

L’article explore les formes complexes de la domination, exercée dans l’exercice des tâches ménagères, dans les casernes de la Belle Époque. Prendre au sérieux ces activités domestiques revient à inverser l’ordre des évidences : il n’est pas certain – comme le proclame l’institution militaire – que la caserne forme des hommes prêts à se battre pour leur pays ; il est sûr, en revanche, qu’elle les contraint à effectuer quotidiennement des tâches ménagères. Or celles-ci participent à l’emprise disciplinaire exercée sur les soldats en s’appuyant sur la hiérarchie militaire, les identités sociales et les formes de masculinités dans le monde des casernes. Soumis plus que d’autres à ce travail astreignant et dévalorisé, les hommes les moins gradés et les moins instruits trouvent cependant des manières d’infléchir et de renverser ce dispositif contraignant.
Les montres d’armes, source de l’étude de la société militaire de la fin du Moyen Âge : l’exemple bourguignon
Authors: Schnerb Bertrand
Published: July 2018

Les rôles de montres d’armes établis à l’occasion du contrôle des gens de guerre engagés dans les armées des ducs de Bourgogne, conservés aujourd’hui aux archives départementales de la Côte-d’Or à Dijon, constituent un corpus documentaire quantitativement important qui n’a jamais fait l’objet d’une exploitation globale et systématique comparable, par exemple, à ce qui a pu être réalisé en Grande-Bretagne à partir de sources de même type. Ils se présentent comme des listes de gens de guerre, désignés par leurs « nom et surnom » et classés, selon un ordre à la fois hiérarchique, fonctionnel et social. Ils offrent des informations précieuses concernant l’organisation et la société militaires de la fin du Moyen Âge. Le propos de cet article est, après une présentation de ces sources spécifiques, d’étudier, d’après ces rôles de montres, la désignation fonctionnelle des gens de guerre. L’étude anthroponymique qui nécessite un dépouillement complet et un traitement statistique de grande ampleur sera réalisée ultérieurement, après l’élaboration d’une base de données.
La primo-socialisation culturelle durant la première année de la vie à travers l’enquête ELFE
Authors: Octobre Sylvie , Berthomier Nathalie , Facq Florent
Published: July 2018

La sociologie des pratiques culturelles en France se penche de plus en plus sur les modalités sociales d’incorporation des dispositions culturelles aux âges précoces ; mais jusqu’à récemment, les enquêtes quantitatives portant sur les tout-petits à l’échelon national faisaient défaut. S’appuyant sur les données de l’enquête longitudinale ELFE (premier panel d’enfants en France), cet article propose une analyse des climats familiaux de primo-socialisation culturelle des enfants durant leur première année de vie à travers une double approche : celle du parc à jouets et celle des interactions éducatives des parents (mère et père) avec leur enfant. Cet article met ainsi en évidence l’imbrication des conceptions de l’enfance, de la bonne parentalité ainsi que de la bonne volonté culturelle socialement situées dès la prime enfance, et comment ces imbrications façonnent des climats familiaux très différenciés.
A Big Data Platform for Enhancing Life Imaging Activities
Authors: Abidi Leila , Azzag Hanene , Benbernou Salima , Bentounsi Mehdi , Cérin Christophe , Duong Tarn , Garteiser Philippe , Lebbah Mustapha , Ouziri Mourad , Sahri Soror , Smadja Michel
Published: July 2018

The field of life imaging spans a large spectrum of scientific study from mathematics and computer science to medical, passing by physics, biology, etc. The challenge of IDV project is to enrich a multi-parametrized, quantitative, qualitative, integrative, and correlative life imaging in health. It deals with linking the current research developments and applications of life imaging in medicine and biology to develop computational models and methods for imaging and quantitative image analysis and validate the added diagnostic and therapeutic value of new imaging methods and biomarkers.
The Induction of the Principal Teacher in the Instituto Politecnico Nacional en Mexico
Authors: Chávez Romelia Flores , Espinosa Edgar Oliver Cardoso , Galaviz José Luis Flores
Published: July 2018

The objective of the research was to assess the Diploma in Teacher Training in the Instituto Politecnico Nacional in the induction of the teaching staff of the School of Medicine in the areas of planning, teaching strategies, and evaluation. The type of study that was used was a quantitative methodology with an exploratory-descriptive cross-sectional design because it focused on the diagnosis on the induction of the teaching staff of the School of Medicine of the IPN. Thus, the instrument that was elaborated was a questionnaire based on a Likert scale with five options of answer understood always, almost always, occasionally, rarely, and never. The main conclusion was that it was identified that the teachers of new income agree with the need to professionalize the planning, development, and evaluation of didactic strategies.
Teacher Socialization in a Changing World
Authors: Gökçe Asiye Toker
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this chapter is to examine teacher socialization with different aspects. Therefore, teacher socialization was investigated as a concept. Afterward, the primary socialization traditions—functionalist, interpretive, and critical—were explained, and then the idea of teacher socialization was examined thoroughly according to these traditions. Throughout the chapter, the items of the stages of socialization, and Lacey's model of socialization, the social strategies of beginning/novice teachers, the socializing factors, the socialization role of preservice teacher education and induction period, socialization in the workplace and culture were examined.
Cities, Knowledge Flows and the New Commons
Authors: Garcia Blanca C.
Published: July 2018

This chapter aims to outline the central notions of the Knowledge-City paradigm in which a recent innovation commons development provides a complex perspective of the interdependencies between the many and diverse dimensions of urban value categories that co-exist in the northern city of Monterrey, Mexico, within the Mexico-Texas Borderland. It will focus on an integrated perspective of knowledge (intangible) capitals that are leveraged for city value-generating processes. Such focus will serve as the basis for theorizing on transformations of socially networked environments - e.g., knowledge networks, hubs and clusters, networked cities, and similar concepts that could eventually become knowledge commons under certain conditions. Monterrey's recent developments under the flag of Knowledge City models could shed some light in the way clustering processes are perceived, resulting in a thorough, honest and integrative case of where the city stands in its own terms comparable to other city-regions with knowledge-based aspirations.
Transformative Urbanization Through Public-Private Partnership in Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: Muhammad Zayyanu , Abubakar Ismaila Rimi
Published: July 2018

Urbanization possesses the power to transform the physical and socioeconomic structure of cities globally. In developing countries, transformative urbanization requires employing suitable tools that can address contemporary challenges such as rapid population growth, housing and basic infrastructure provision, as well as inadequate financial and technical resources. Despite some criticism, public-private partnership (PPP) is increasingly being applied to tackle these challenges and to foster sustainable urbanization. Yet, limited studies have investigated PPP applications in providing housing and infrastructure in Nigerian cities. Using desktop study, this chapter analyzes the potentials and challenges of PPP in housing and infrastructure delivery in Abuja, Nigeria. It specifically reviews the modes of housing and infrastructure provision, highlights the concept and models of PPP, and examines the potentials and challenges of PPP in housing and infrastructure delivery in Abuja. It then recommends ways of enhancing the existing PPP in Abuja and concludes with future research direction
Application of Digital Technologies, Multimedia, and Brain-Based Strategies
Authors: Chai Meei Tyng , Malik Aamir Saeed , Saad Mohamad Naufal Mohamad , Rahman Mohammad Abdul
Published: July 2018

Teaching adult learners is challenging because the characteristics of adult learners and their expectations are different from children/early adolescence. Recent advances in digital technology offer various opportunities that are particularly useful in fostering adult learning by transforming traditional “live” classroom-based into “virtual.” This chapter aims to explore how the digital technologies affect the way the brain learns and memorizes, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions to promote personal and professional development. First, this chapter presents the application of digital technologies that support and engage adult learners in enhancing knowledge acquisition and retention, discusses the specific engagement techniques for adult, along with the research on multimedia learning. This chapter also covered neuroscience studies related to brain-based learning and strategies. The opportunities and challenges of the use of digital technology and multimedia platform to be effective learning tools for academic context and lifelong learning are also presented.
Video-Literature Teaching in the EFL/ESL Classroom
Authors: Bobkina Jelena , Domínguez Romero Elena
Published: July 2018

This chapter reports on work carried out to develop an inclusive multimodal framework for the implementation of literary works with film adaptations as part of a video/literature workshop designed for one of the Master's courses aimed at the training of EFL/ESL secondary teachers in the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain). This multimodal framework was motivated primarily by the fact that literature has recently become an essential part of the curriculum in Bilingual Secondary Schools in Madrid. The reality that the use of film adaptations of literary texts facilitates the implementation of literature in the EFL/ESL classroom was also a key factor. The lines following not only describe the framework developed, but also provide one example of implementation of the model for the teaching of Geoffrey Chaucer's “The Wife of Bath,” without any doubt one of the hardest texts to tackle in the EFL/ESL classroom out of the literary works recommended for the bilingual official curriculum in the Spanish Community of Madrid.
The Applicability of Picturebooks to Teach English as a Foreign Language
Authors: Guillén Teresa Fleta
Published: July 2018

Interactive shared picturebook reading with learners of different ages and levels has proven to be a prominent practice in all languages. The overall aim of the chapter is to explore the applicability of shared picturebook reading to teach English as a foreign language. Due to the affordances of the multimodality of picturebooks to develop language and content knowledge, this critical investigation seeks to integrate shared picturebook reading as a mode of instruction into the young learners' academic curriculum to promote oral language abilities and conceptual knowledge. In order to provide practical advice for educators of young learners, the chapter describes ways that picturebooks boost vocabulary, language learning, and conceptual knowledge in English L2. The chapter develops criteria to select picturebooks for subject-area instruction, paying attention to the picture-word dynamics.
Learning English in a Multidisciplinary Context
Authors: Correoso-Rodenas José Manuel
Published: July 2018

John Adams is a biographical miniseries produced and broadcasted by the American satellite network HBO, which ran between March 16 and April 27, 2008. It illustrates the life of the United States' second president, John Adams, from 1770 to his death in 1826. Some of the key scenes deal with the Tea Party of Boston, the process of independence and the signing of the Declaration. This series is a major example of how to use a media source to get the student involved in the lesson while acquiring skills and knowledge belonging to different areas. The development of the American Revolution (for history and geography), the ideals of Liberalism (for philosophy), and the early pamphlets and the Declaration of Independence itself (for literature) are some examples of how the student can get acquainted with a multidisciplinary learning process. The experience has shown how this miniseries helps the student to learn English while watching it (with or without subtitles, regarding the subject's skills), and through several workshops afterwards.
Communication Technologies in E-Tourism
Authors: Matiatou Maria
Published: July 2018

Information-intensive and technology-driven environments like e-tourism need to be constantly oriented towards improvement of their communication strategies and infrastructure considering their immediate impact on user experience and customer behavior. The full range of available technologies is rapidly stretching from sophisticated website features to personalized services based on recommender systems that associate user preference with destinations and hospitality services. Despite the development of these technologies, many challenges remain in designing, applying, and evaluating the web-based services in their critical role between visitor and destination experience. This chapter addresses the problem of how to support management decisions on information technology solutions that best promote destination brands, support visitors' decision-making process, and enhance user experience of a place, service, or destination.
A Strategic Framework for Managing the Challenges of Developing Rural Tourism Destination Branding
Authors: Adeyinka-Ojo Samuel
Published: July 2018

This chapter explores the importance and challenges of branding for rural tourism destination. In the wider context of destination branding construct, empirical studies on the strategies to manage the identifiable challenges have received fewer academic interests. In this chapter, triangulation of data sources was used in the collection of data that included in-depth interviews with 31 multiple stakeholders in Bario, Miri, and Kuching in Malaysia. Findings show destination branding is important and there are several factors inhibiting rural tourism destination brand development. In terms of contributions to the existing knowledge, this study has produced a strategic framework for managing the challenges of rural tourism destination branding. Implications for practice, host community, and directions for future studies are discussed.
Wireless Sensor Networks Technologies and Applications for Smart Farming
Authors: Jat Dharm Singh , Madamombe Chucknorris Garikayi
Published: July 2018

In recent years, there has been increased use of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) which consists of sensor nodes and the intelligent machine learning algorithms to improve the performance of various applications in smart environments. These smart environments include smart home, smart agriculture, smart office, and smart hospital. In various countries throughout the world, agriculture is regarded as the backbone of the economy. To date, many families in Africa are employed in the agriculture industry. The dawn of information communication technologies (ICT) has changed the conventional way in which farming is conducted. However, quite a large number of farmers in Africa are still stagnant and highly dependent on the traditional ways of farming which started hundreds of years ago. This chapter has presented the current problems in farming and irrigation systems and suggests solutions through proposing the intelligent WSNs in a smart environment.
Voluntary Reporting of Performance Data
Authors: Kazandjian Vahé A.
Published: July 2018

Reporting safety of care data is now a global imperative. Performance improvement strategies, however, often reflect the requirements of the ambient healthcare system, especially with regard to the voluntary or mandatory reporting of data. The quality and completeness of the data are affected by the nature of the reporting requirement and will consequently determine the robustness of the strategies to improve safety of care. The measurement of the complete/true magnitude of events may be important for the appropriateness of safety improvement strategies and initiatives. The goal of this article is to identify the key characteristics of voluntary and mandatory safety of care data reporting systems, and their implications for performance improvement from an epidemiological, clinical and administrative points of view.
Opportunities and Challenges of Implementing Predictive Analytics for Competitive Advantage
Authors: Attaran Mohsen , Attaran Sharmin
Published: July 2018

The past few years have seen an explosion in the business use of analytics. Corporations around the world are using analytical tools to gain a better understanding of their customer's needs and wants. Predictive analytics has become an increasingly hot topic in analytics landscape as more companies realize that predictive analytics enables them to reduce risks, make intelligent decisions, and create differentiated customer experiences. As a result, predictive analytics deployments are gaining momentum. Yet, the adoption rate is slow, and organizations are only beginning to scratch the surface in regards to the potential applications of this technology. Implemented properly, the business benefits can be substantial. However, there are strategic pitfalls to consider. The key objective of this article is to propose a conceptual model for successful implementation of predictive analytics in organizations. This article also explores the changing dimensions of analytics, highlights the importance of predictive analytics, identifies determinants of implementation success, and covers some of the potential benefits of this technology. Furthermore, this study reviews key attributes of a successful predictive analytics platform and illustrates how to overcome some of the strategic pitfalls of incorporating this technology in business. Finally, this study highlights successful implementation of analytics solutions in manufacturing and service industry.
Digital Citizenship for All
Authors: Conley Quincy , Scheufler Jessica , Persichini Gina , Lowenthal Patrick R. , Humphrey Michael
Published: July 2018

Digital literacy is important, particularly for young people as they prepare for college and a career in modern society. From computer-based tests used to measure student progress on college applications and online job applications, the transition to college and career requires the use of technology. Individuals must have digital literacy skills to fully participate and contribute on the job and at school. This includes people with disabilities. These young adults have aspirations for jobs and higher education just like others their age and therefore deserve to be taken seriously. This article is a review of literature that explores what it means to be digitally literate, the digital literacy experience for young adults with disabilities, and the implications for education and the workplace. It also proposes instructional solutions to aid in the preparation of young adults for college and career.
Earcons Versus Auditory Icons in Communicating Computing Events: Learning and User Preference
Authors: Amer T. S. , Johnson Todd L.
Published: July 2018

This article investigates the effectiveness and user preferences of auditory icons and earcons in communicating various computing events. A controlled data collection exercise revealed that participants more quickly learned the relationships between computing events and auditory icons than the relationships between the same computing events and earcons. Results from a second data collection exercise showed that participants not only preferred to hear earcons rather than auditory icons, but indicated that auditory icons would be more irritating after repeated hearings. Taken together, these results present an interesting conundrum for systems designers: The more effective mode of communication is less preferred by users.
Amorphous Phase Formation and Heat Treating Evolution in Mechanically Alloyed Al-Ti Powders
Authors: Urban Petr , Caballero Eduardo Sanchez , Ternero Fatima , Reina Francisco Javier Viña , Cuevas Francisco Gomez
Published: July 2018

This paper focuses on the microstructural characterization of Al25Ti75, Al37Ti63, Al50Ti50, Al63Ti37and Al75Ti25powders mixtures prepared by mechanical alloying (MA). The high-energy ball-milling, up to 75 h, of aluminium and titanium powders leads to a nanocrystalline or an amorphous structure. It is showed that a stable amorphous Al–Ti phase with uniform elemental distribution forms after 50 h of milling in Al50Ti50alloy. Heat treatment of the different alloys leads to the crystallization of AlTi3, AlTi, Al2Ti and Al3Ti intermetallic compounds. A comprehensive study by laser granulometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was carried out on the structure, surface morphology and thermal behaviour of the MA Al-Ti mixtures, both of milled and heat treated powders.
Production of Aluminium Based MMCs by Short-Time Ammonia Gas Flow Milling
Authors: Caballero Eduardo Sanchez , Astacio Raquel , Reina F.J.V. , Montes Juan Manuel , Cintas Jesus
Published: July 2018

In order to produce metal matrix composites (MMCs), aluminium powder was milled for a total time of 5 hours. Aluminium nitride was the ceramic reinforcement chosen to improve the mechanical behaviour of the aluminium matrix. In order to form it in situ, an ammonia gas flow was incorporated during a certain period of the milling process. Two different conditions of NH3 flow during milling were studied: short time (5 min) and long time (3 h). In both cases, milling started with a 2 h period of mechanical alloy in vacuum (5 Pa). Then, NH3 was incorporated during the stipulated time (5 min or 3 h), after which the milling process continued under vacuum to complete 5 hours. The powders were cold pressed and vacuum sintered to produce compacts. The results showed that compacts with better mechanical properties are obtained when short duration ammonia gas flow is used. The use of short flows provides good control of the amount of ceramic second phases formed. This allows the produced compacts to reach ultimate tensile strength higher than 400 MPa.
Magnetorheological Elastomer Silicone-Based Containing Corroded Carbonyl Iron Particles
Authors: Rahman Nor Azlin Nazira Abd , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Aziz Siti Aishah Abdul , Nordin Nur Azmah , Ubaidillah  , Hapipi N.
Published: July 2018

In this study, magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) were synthesized using silicone rubber (SR) as the matrix element interspersed with 70 weight percent of corroded carbonyl iron particles (CIPs). The CIPs were corroded in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) for 4 hours. The rheological properties related to MR effect were experimentally examined in the absence and presence of magnetic field at various current using a rheometer. The experimental results depicted the MR effect of the MRE with corroded CIPs decreased one-half, 27% as compared to the non-corroded samples, 58%. The correlation between the purity of CIPs and storage modulus of MR elastomer is examined in this study.
Balance- and Strength-Training Protocols to Improve Chronic Ankle Instability Deficits, Part II: Assessing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures
Authors: Hall Emily A. , Chomistek Andrea K. , Kingma Jackie J. , Docherty Carrie L.
Published: July 2018

Context: 

Assessing global, regional, and fear-of-reinjury outcomes in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) is critical to understanding the effectiveness of clinical interventions.

Objective: 

To determine the improvement of patient-reported outcomes after balance- and strength-training and control protocols among participants with CAI.

Design: 

Randomized controlled clinical trial.

Setting: 

Athletic training research laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants: 

Thirty-nine volunteers with CAI who scored 11 or greater on the Identification of Functional Ankle Instability questionnaire were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: balance-training protocol (7 males, 6 females; age = 23.5 ± 6.5 years, height = 175.0 ± 8.5 cm, mass = 72.8 ± 10.9 kg), strength-training protocol (8 males, 5 females; age = 24.6 ± 7.7 years, height = 173.2 ± 9.0 cm, mass = 76.0 ± 16.2 kg), or control (6 males, 7 females; age = 24.8 ± 9.0 years, height = 175.5 ± 8.4 cm, mass = 79.1 ± 16.8 kg).

Intervention(s): 

Each group met for 20 minutes, 3 times each week, for 6 weeks. The control group completed a mild to moderately strenuous bicycle workout.

Main Outcome Measure(s): 

Global patient-reported outcomes, regional ankle function, and perceived instability were measured using the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale, the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure, and a visual analog scale for perceived instability. Participants completed the questionnaires at pretest and 6 weeks posttest. A multivariate repeated-measures analysis of variance with follow-up univariate analysis was conducted. The α level was set a priori at .05.

Results: 

No time-by-group interaction was found (P = .78, η2 = 0.09). However, we observed a main effect for time (P = .001, η2 = 0.49). Follow-up univariate analyses revealed differences between the pretest and posttest for the Disablement in the Physically Active Scale (P = .02, η2 = 0.15), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (P = .001, η2 = 0.27), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure–Activities of Daily Living subscale (P = .003, η2 = 0.22), Foot and Ankle Ability Measure–Sport subscale (P = .001, η2 = 0.36), and visual analog scale (P = .008, η2 = 0.18).

Conclusions: 

Statistically, after the 6-week intervention, all groups improved in global and regional health-related quality of life. Clinicians should compare patient-reported outcomes with clinical measures to have a better understanding of progression during rehabilitation.
Prevalence, diagnosis, and management of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia among Syrian children in a major outpatient center in Damascus, Syria
Authors: Albaroudi Issam N , Khodder Majed , Al Saadi Tareq , Turk Tarek , Youssef Lama A
Published: July 2018

Background: Given the public health significance of anemia, the long-term sequelae of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) on children, the expected effect of war on the trends of anemia in Syrian society, and the lack of assessment on the national burden of anemia and/or iron deficiency (ID) data, there is a vital need to investigate all-cause anemia, ID, and IDA in Syria during the crisis. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of ID and IDA in Syrian children, the effectiveness of oral iron supplements in the management of ID, and the diagnostic effectiveness of conventional iron markers. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on hemoglobin (Hb) levels in 4-month-old to 14-year-old children and a prospective study on hematological (complete blood count, reticulocytes, and reticulocyte Hb content) and biochemical iron indices (serum ferritin, iron, and total iron-binding capacity) of infants visiting the primary care clinic at Children's Hospital in Damascus, Syria. Results: Of the 1128 children in the retrospective study, 648 children (57%) were found to be anemic, with 417 (37%) moderately-severely anemic. The prevalence of ID and IDA in the 135 children of the prospective study was 71.85% and 55.55%, respectively. Infants with ID who underwent a 4–8-week course of oral iron supplementation demonstrated good responsiveness. Except mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), conventional iron markers (i.e., ferritin) routinely used to assess iron status proved unreliable. Conclusion: This study reveals a high prevalence of anemia, ID, and IDA among a group of apparently healthy Syrian children. Our findings necessitate a framework of urgent public health interventions that can address two major limitations; the poor follow-up by the parents and unreliability of the conventional iron diagnostic markers. MCH may represent a simple and cheap ID screening index in children.
Mobile Gambling Among Youth: A Warning Sign for Problem Gambling?
Authors: Zhao Yaxi , Marchica Loredana , Derevensky Jeffrey L. , Ivoska William
Published: July 2018

With the rapid development of technology in the gambling industry, underage mobile gambling has become a growing concern. The present study investigated the prevalence of adolescent mobile gambling and the relationship between frequency of mobile gambling and gambling-related problems. A survey assessing past-year gambling behavior, gambling problems, perceived risk for gambling, and parental and peer disapproval of gambling was completed by 6,818 junior/senior high school students aged 10 to 19. A descriptive analysis demonstrated a 5% prevalence of mobile gambling, and regular mobile gambling (at least monthly) was associated with a higher risk of developing a gambling problem and engagement in other forms of gambling. A hierarchical logistic regression revealed that being female, younger, and perceiving higher parental disapproval of gambling is related to less past-year mobile gambling. Perceived risk of gambling-related harms and peer disapproval were not significant predictors after controlling for other factors. The results suggest that underage mobile gambling may serve as one warning sign of adolescent problem gambling. Given that mobile gambling accessibility is increasing, the results provide valuable information for early intervention and prevention.RésuméAvec le développement rapide de la technologie dans le secteur du jeu, le jeu sur appareil portable chez les personnes mineures devient une préoccupation croissante. La présente étude a examiné la prévalence du jeu sur portable chez les adolescents et la relation entre la fréquence des jeux de hasard sur portable et les problèmes liés au jeu. Un sondage évaluant le comportement de jeu au cours de l’année précédente, les problèmes de jeu, le risque perçu de jeu et la désapprobation des parents et des pairs a été effectué auprès de 6 818 élèves du secondaire, âgés de 10 à 19 ans. Une analyse descriptive a démontré une prévalence de 5 % du jeu sur portable, et le jeu régulier sur portable (au moins une fois par mois) était associé à un risque plus élevé de développer un problème de jeu et de s’engager dans d’autres formes de jeu. Une régression logistique hiérarchique a révélé que le fait d’être une femme, d’être plus jeune et de percevoir une grande désapprobation parentale à l’égard des jeux de hasard a donné lieu à moins de jeu sur portable au cours de l’année écoulée. Le risque perçu de méfaits liés au jeu et la désapprobation par les pairs n’étaient pas des prédicteurs significatifs, après neutralisation d’autres facteurs. Les résultats montrent que le jeu sur appareil portable chez les mineurs peut constituer un signe d’avertissement du jeu problématique chez les adolescents. Étant donné que l’accessibilité au jeu sur portable augmente, les résultats fournissent des données précieuses pour l’intervention précoce et la prévention.