bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health systems: A review of the concept, global challenges and reforms
Authors: El-Fallah Mohamed
Published: July 2017

The study of health systems (HSs) is an important but confusing field. Its unclear boundaries, overlap, and multiple interpretations of terms require conceptual clarification. In light of the available evidence, Firstly, it is very important to realize that the current HSs thinking addresses individual parts rather than the whole HS. Secondly, it fails to recognize that concentrating on the performance of one part of the HS may have damaging effects on the whole HS. Thirdly, current HSs thinking fails to address the views, interests and influence of human resources for health involved in the implementation of reform, and how people and communities are expected to benefit from it. Fourthly, it does not take into account the different meanings, perceptions, cultural values and beliefs that may influence the very different institutions and structures belonging to a HS and working towards the same goals. Fifthly, the structural parts of HSs are designed to work in a stable environment, rather than addressing the ever changing context. Finally, HSs thinking does not provide a structural response to cope with the variety of healthcare stakeholders. The way HSs are currently understood may contribute to their weak performance. The current understanding is fundamentally functionalist, because the practice has focused on the definition of the structure, units and functions at different levels of recursion. The analysis of the literature demonstrates that most existing HSs are underpinned by functionalist approaches.

This review provides a conceptual framework for many of the studies that focuses on specific situations and localities and explores what other approaches and methodologies can offer, in order to develop a framework for a given HS, which is more relevant in theory and practice than the other functionalist frameworks that may have been adopted previously. This framework will hopefully also narrow the gap between HSs goals and performance.
Histological effects of permethrin insecticide on the testis of adult wistar rats
Authors: Omotoso Gabriel , Onanuga Ismail , Ibrahim Ridwan
Published: July 2017

Permethrin is a common constituent in some household insecticides. This study examined the effects of this chemical on the testicular histology of exposed rats. Fifteen adult male Wistar rats were subgrouped into a control and two treatment groups. The controls were fed on normal rat feeds, whilst the diet of animals in the two treatment groups was mixed with 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg Permethrin respectively. An increase in body weights and organ weights was observed in the animals in both treatment groups. Various degrees of histological alterations in the structure of their seminiferous tubules were also observed in comparison with the control group. These abnormalities included disruption of the normal architecture, reduction in the population of mature sperm cells, wider luminal diameter and reduced interstitial spaces. These effects could impair the fertility potential of male subjects.
Coruja, lobisomem, vaga-lume: o traço animal do narrador
Authors: Loth Raquel Wandelli
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n1p11O percurso por uma rede de narradores de diferentes épocas encontra um traço de animalidade no olhar e na escritura-flâneur, desde que Restif de la Bretonne propôs, no século XVIII, a associação entre o repórter/narrador e uma ave noturna. Esse rastro orienta a constituição da categoria do narrador-coruja, que coloca em prática um método inumano de olhar as zonas de sombra das cidades. Aqui chamada narrativas do escuro, esta cartografia percorre diversas textualidades interligadas pelo desejo de ver o que está por baixo do cotidiano − de Bretonne e Mercier, passando por Poe, Baudelaire, João do Rio e remetendo a Clarice Lispector. De tempos em tempos, a narrativa coruja desaparece para reaparecer em cada cidade onde haja um andarilho obstinado a ultrapassar a mancha de invisibilidade no olhar humano. As multidões caminham desatentas, ofuscadas pela proliferação de signos e propagandas, marcham para o porvir sem olhar para trás. A coruja não; ela retém o tempo para pressentir os desaparecimentos das singularidades e entrever o que a história do presente diz de mais clandestino, pois como ensina Benjamin (1994b, p. 231), “pensar não inclui apenas o movimento de ideias, mas também sua imobilização”. O passeio pelos primeiros escritores-repórteres permite ensejar que o coruja-flâneur inaugura não apenas a si próprio, mas também esse modo de narrativa calcado em uma poética do olhar para os escombros. A deambulação física o caracteriza, mas não determina a narrativa, assim como não determina a viagem, o deslocamento interior. Antes, a pulsão de ver o desconhecido desperta outras potências obscurecidas, reintegrando-as à percepção dos movimentos urbanos e impulsionando a narrativa a caminhar, ouvir, cheirar, sentir. No voo noturno de olhar pivotante, a literatura anuncia as sobrevivências que não cessam de desaparecer diante do contemporâneo.
O percurso doloroso entre a prática e a teoria: reflexões sobre a personagem urania em “A festa do bode”, de Mario Vargas Llosa
Authors: Marks de Marques Eduardo , Cardoso Amaral Raíssa
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n1p32Este artigo irá apresentar reflexões sobre a personagem Urania do romance A Festa do Bode, publicado originalmente em 2000, pelo escritor peruano Mario Vargas Llosa. Para esta análise, utilizou-se o conceito de metaficção historiográfica, cunhado por Linda Hutcheon ([1998] 1991) para abordar a relação entre literatura e história no romance. No que concerne à análise da personagem Urania (foco primordial do artigo) será demonstrado o entrelaçamento de memória e trauma no eixo narrativo de Urania, já que a personagem passou por uma experiência traumática em um período limite da República Dominicana: a ditadura da Era Trujillo (1930-1961). No percurso entre a teoria e prática, isto é, a vivência histórica e o conhecimento histórico, eis que surge Urania e o poder de recriar ficcionalmente as consequências que a ditaduras podem deixar nos indivíduos. Além disso, é justamente no movimento entre teoria e prática que a reconstrução da identidade dominicana de Urania torna-se possível.
Colagens da heterogeneidade contemporânea
Authors: Grants Andréa Figueiredo Leão , Mattia Bianca Rosina , Silva Izabele Cristini da , Zandoná Jair , Drey Marina Siqueira , Furlan Stélio
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n1p7
Impressões russas da modernidade: Dostoiévski em viagem pela Europa
Authors: Mendonça Paulo
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n1p70No presente ensaio, analiso o texto não ficcional que Fiódor Dostoiévski (1821-1881) escreveu ao longo de suas viagens pela Europa em 1862, Notas de inverno sobre impressões de verão (1863) – obra de caráter aparentemente despretensioso e que não obedece ao rigor formal de nenhum gênero literário específico. Em princípio e de forma breve, importa-me destacar a origem da palavra modernidade à luz da investigação etimológica do termo empreendida pelo teórico alemão Hans Robert Jauss (1921-1997) e da concepção elaborada pelo poeta e crítico francês Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), especialmente em seu poema À une passante. Em seguida, alguns dos principais trechos de Notas de inverno... referentes às descrições físicas das cidades serão comentados de modo a pôr em evidência, sobretudo, o olhar crítico com o qual Dostoiévski observava as transformações pelas quais passava a Europa (notadamente as capitais Paris e Londres) durante a segunda metade do século XIX.
Mário de Sá-Carneiro, sem anos depois
Authors: Costa Paula Cristina
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p112A obra de Mário de Sá-Carneiro ainda se mantém actual cem anos depois da sua morte: a modernidade do seu estilo não se esgota nas modas modernistas da época, mas mantém-se actual e contemporânea dos dias de hoje. Esta obra é de uma grande coerência temática. Ao longo da sua poesia, prosa e teatro, repete-se renovadamente o tema do Eu/Outro, o desejo de atingir a perfeição absoluta, como Ícaro, e o fracasso da realização plena. Em textos como os bem conhecidos poemas «Quasi», e «7» assim como na narrativa «A Confissão de Lúcio», está presente este desejo de fusão do Eu e do Outro e a impossibilidade de o conseguir. Mário de Sá-Carneiro foi, juntamente com Pessoa, um dos fundadores do modernismo português, um dos directores da revista «Orpheu». Ambos os poetas criaram ismos fundamentais para a construção do nosso modernismo: paulismo, interseccionismo, sensacionismo. No entanto, mantiveram-se fiéis aos seus estilos próprios.
Notícias da guerra na correspondência de Mário de Sá-Carneiro
Authors: Silva Maria Manuela Parreira da
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p12Vivendo em Paris desde 1912, Mário de Sá-Carneiro assiste, angustiado, ao eclodir da Guerra de 1914-1918. A sua correspondência para os amigos Fernando Pessoa e José Pacheco não transmite, porém, notícias sobre a evolução das operações militares ou análises críticas das causas e circunstâncias do conflito. Aquilo que verdadeiramente interessa ao poeta é dar conta da transformação sofrida pela sua cidade-outrora-luz e a inevitabilidade de ter de abandonar, temporariamente que seja, o lugar onde a sua arte encontra a matéria-prima e o seu talento bebe a verdadeira «inspiração». Em Sá-Carneiro, a arte e a vida mutuamente se contaminam, mas o artista impõe-se sempre ao homem. Por isso as suas cartas são, em grande medida, fragmentos ou páginas de literatura, nas quais sobressai uma visão transfigurada e muito pessoal da guerra e, sobretudo, do seu «Paris da guerra», a cidade agora sombria, desolada e desoladora, com a qual intimamente se identifica.
A invenção de Hugo Cabret: ilustração e cinema na literatura juvenil
Authors: Cordeiro Maisa , Fernandes Célia
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p145Este artigo analisa a obra A invenção de Hugo Cabret, de Brian Selznick (2007), ambientada na Paris de 1930. O objetivo deste estudo é verificar o diálogo verbo-visual na obra, catalogada como juvenil e integrante do acervo de 2013 do Programa Nacional Biblioteca da Escola - PNBE. O livro traz a ficção da história de Hugo Cabret, que perdeu o pai e precisa sobreviver sozinho, ao lado da história de George Méliès, importante cineasta das primeiras décadas do século XX. A narrativa evidencia a vida de Hugo Cabret, que, em meio às dificuldades particulares da adolescência, lida, ainda, com a ausência do pai, a morte de seu tio Claude, seu único parente, a fome, a solidão e a necessidade de construir sua identidade. Destacam-se, dessa forma, três questões: o diálogo verbo-visual; a representação do cinema; a representação da história de George Méliès. Nessa perspectiva, a análise pauta-se, principalmente, em Camargo (2003) e Groppo (2000).
Os paratextos editoriais em “Alabardas, Alabardas, Espingardas, Espingardas”, o romance inacabado de José Saramago
Authors: Mattia Bianca Rosina
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p178Em 2014, quatro anos após a morte de José Saramago, chegava às livrarias seu último romance, que restou inacabado e foi encontrado em seu computador. Alabardas, alabardas, Espingardas, espingardas tem apenas três capítulos. Porém, a edição do livro apresenta ainda o diário de Saramago, com anotações referentes ao romance, ilustrações de Günter Grass e textos de outros autores. O romance centra-se na temática da violência, da guerra e da fabricação e comércio de armas. Neste artigo, contudo, objetivamos uma análise dos paratextos editoriais da edição de Alabardas. A proposta, nesse sentido, pauta-se, a partir da definição de paratexto apresentada por Gérard Genette (2009), na investigação de uma possibilidade de leitura de Alabardas não [só] como romance, mas como manifesto. Tal possibilidade alicerça-se no caráter polissêmico dos paratextos editoriais, que proporcionam novas perspectivas de leitura e interferem na produção de sentidos quando da leitura do texto, bem como na concepção de editor enquanto adaptador, considerando um dos conceitos de adaptação abordados por Linda Hutcheon (2013).
Trabalho e malandragem em Marafa, de Marques Rebelo
Authors: Freire Manoel , De Oliveira Maria Clediane
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p193Em Marafa, Marques Rebelo constrói a dinâmica da sociedade carioca trazendo à cena uma grande galeria de personagens que compõem dois universos distintos que não se comunicam e não interagem um com outro: o da ordem ou do trabalho, o qual pertencem os indivíduos que seguem os padrões sociais burgueses, procurando viver de forma digna e honesta; e o da desordem ou malandragem, em que estão inseridos aqueles que vivem trapaça, do ócio, da prostituição e de tudo que está relacionado a uma vida desregrada. Nesse contexto, prevalece a ética daqueles que se sobressaem através da malandragem e da ociosidade, pois em uma sociedade competitiva em que o ativismo é uma característica fundamental, geralmente vence quem não se importa com os meios para conseguir realizar seus objetivos, ao passo que aqueles que permanecem resignados acabam pagando o preço da não-realização.
Algumas notas para a leitura de "Manucure", de Mário de Sá-Carneiro
Authors: Marques Ricardo Manuel
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p30“Manucure”, de Mário de Sá-Carneiro (1890-1916), constitui um dos poemas mais importantes da vanguarda na literatura portuguesa, a par das odes de Fernando Pessoa-Álvaro de Campos e dos poemas-manifesto de Almada Negreiros. O presente artigo pretende não só discutir o longo poema no contexto dessa mesma vanguarda, mas igualmente situá-lo no âmbito da obra de Sá-Carneiro, que foi decididamente influenciada pela amizade, nos últimos quatros anos da sua curta vida, com Fernando Pessoa, de que nos chegou extensa e valiosa correspondência. Desta forma, falaremos não só dos elementos tipográficos do poema, do seu intuito e significado no seio do texto, bem como iremos fazer uma leitura próxima da poética e estilística deste autor, do seu contacto e contaminação com outras vanguardas europeias. Esperamos também demonstrar, com estas notas para a leitura do poema (publicado pela primeira vez no segundo número de Orpheu) a extrema importância das revistas literárias enquanto suporte de criação e difusão dos nomes maiores da literatura portuguesa, especialmente neste primeiro momento do Modernismo português.
O abrigo e o exílio de Sá-Carneiro
Authors: Gagliardi Caio Márcio Poletti Lui
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p42Paris é um espaço-chave na poesia de Sá-Carneiro, não apenas por boa parte de seus poemas ter sido produzida ali, mas como realidade simbólica. Este artigo busca refletir a respeito do papel simbólico representado por Paris na obra do poeta Mário de Sá-Carneiro, tomando por base a análise do poema “Abrigo” (1915), sua abordagem comparativa com o poema “Memória”, do poeta português António Nobre, e com a correspondência que o escritor estabeleceu com o amigo e colega de geração Fernando Pessoa. Transfigurada pela linguagem, Paris é aqui enfocada como espaço de identificação e de alteridade: ao mesmo tempo abrigo dos afetos represados num passado perdido e exílio interior num presente imaginário. Essa cidade de sonho, profusamente retratada tanto na correspondência quanto na literatura do autor, contrasta com uma realidade histórica grave e urgente. O poeta admite, afinal, que a sua Paris é um espaço de linguagem, produto de sua nostalgia imaginativa.
Mário de Sá-Carneiro: suicídio ou transfiguração?
Authors: Ferreira Ermelinda Maria Araújo
Published: July 2017

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2016v21n2p89Vivemos uma era de inflação: dinheiro inflacionado, cargos inflados, cartas de recomendação infladas, reputações infladas e ideias infladas. O pós-modernismo, sem designação própria, não passa, para alguns, de uma versão enfatuada do modernismo. O excessivo racionalismo da sociedade ocidental fracassou na construção de defesas contra o irracional. Seu culto ingênuo do progresso deixou a humanidade vulnerável aos horrores do século XX. No alvorecer dessa época, no centro do picadeiro dessas questões, surgiu em Portugal um movimento conduzido por uma jovem dupla de poetas antitéticos e complementares, Fernando Pessoa e Mário de Sá-Carneiro: o sério e o fútil, o magro e o gordo, o pesado e o leve, o sobrevivente e o suicida. Cada vez mais atuais no século XXI, suas obras refletem, exemplarmente, a espetacularização do real e a dessubstancialização do sujeito num mundo em contínua metamorfose.
Divergence of dominant factors on soil microbial communities and functions in forest ecosystems along a climatic gradient
Authors: Xu Zhiwei , Yu Guirui , Zhang Xinyu , He Nianpeng , Wang Qiufeng , Wang Shengzhong , Xu Xiaofeng , Wang Ruili , Zhao Ning
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Soil microorganisms play an important role in regulating nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Most of the studies conducted thus far have been confined to a single forest biome or have focused on one or two controlling factors, and few have dealt with the integrated effects of climate, vegetation, and soil substrate availability on soil microbial communities and functions among different forests. In this study, we used phospholipid-derived fatty acid (PLFA) analysis to investigate soil microbial community structure, and extracellular enzymatic activities to evaluate the functional potential of soil microbes of different types of forests in three different climatic zones along the North-South transect in eastern China (NSTEC). In general, soil enzyme activities and microbial PLFAs were higher in primary forests than in secondary forests in temperate and warm temperate regions. In the subtropical region, soil enzyme activities were lower in the primary forests than in the secondary forests and microbial PLFAs did not differ significantly between primary and secondary forests. The microbial PLFAs and enzyme activities differed considerably between broadleaved and coniferous forests. Different species of coniferous trees may cause variations in soil microbial PLFAs and enzyme activities. Both climate and forest type had significant effects on soil enzyme activities and microbial communities with a considerable interactive effect. Litter nutrients made an important contribution to variations in the soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in temperate zones, while soil micro-climate and nutrients were the main controls on the soil microbial community structure and enzymatic activities in warm temperate and subtropical zones. Our results indicate that the main controls on soil microbes and functions vary across forest ecosystems in different climatic zones, and that the effects of soil moisture content, soil temperature, and the soil N/P ratio were considerable. This information will add value to modeling of microbial processes and will contribute to carbon cycling in large-scale carbon models.
Quality transformation of dissolved organic carbon during water transit through lakes: contrasting controls by photochemical and biological processes
Authors: Berggren Martin , Klaus Marcus , Panneer Selvam Balathandayuthabani , Ström Lena , Laudon Hjalmar , Jansson Mats , Karlsson Jan
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) may be removed, transformed or added during water transit through lakes, resulting in qualitative changes in DOC composition and pigmentation (color). However, the process-based understanding of these changes is incomplete, especially for headwater lakes. We hypothesized that because heterotrophic bacteria preferentially consume non-colored DOC, while photochemical processing remove colored fractions, the overall changes in DOC quality and color (absorbance) upon water passage through a lake depends on the relative importance of these two processes, accordingly. To test this hypothesis we combined laboratory experiments with field studies in nine boreal lakes, assessing both the relative importance of different DOC decay processes (biological or photo-chemical) and the loss of color during water transit time (WTT) through the lakes. We found that photo-chemistry qualitatively dominated the DOC transformation in the epilimnia of relatively clear headwater lakes, resulting in selective losses of colored DOC. However, in highly pigmented brown-water lakes (absorbance at 420 nm > 7 m−1) biological processes dominated, and there was no systematic relationship between color loss and WTT. Instead in situ data and dark experiments supported our hypothesis of selective microbial removal of non-pigmented DOC, mainly of low molecular weight, leading to persistent water color over time in these lakes. Our study shows that individual brown headwater lakes do not conform to the commonly reported pattern of selective removal of colored constituents in freshwaters, but rather the DOC shows a sustained degree of pigmentation upon transit through these lakes.
Water-mass evolution in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway of North America and equatorial Atlantic
Authors: Eldrett James S. , Dodsworth Paul , Bergman Steven C. , Wright Milly , Minisini Daniel
Published: July 2017

Abstract. The Late Cretaceous Epoch was characterized by major global perturbations in the carbon cycle, the most prominent occurring near the Cenomanian–Turonian (CT) transition marked by Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2) at 94.9–93.7 Ma. The Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway (KWIS) was one of several epicontinental seas in which a complex water-mass evolution was recorded in widespread sedimentary successions. This contribution integrates new data on the main components of organic matter, geochemistry, and stable isotopes along a north–south transect from the KWIS to the equatorial western Atlantic and Southern Ocean. In particular, cored sedimentary rocks from the Eagle Ford Group of west Texas (∼ 90–98 Ma) demonstrate subtle temporal and spatial variations in palaeoenvironmental conditions and provide an important geographic constraint for interpreting water-mass evolution. High-latitude (boreal–austral), equatorial Atlantic Tethyan and locally sourced Western Interior Seaway water masses are distinguished by distinct palynological assemblages and geochemical signatures. The northward migration of an equatorial Atlantic Tethyan water mass into the KWIS occurred during the early–middle Cenomanian (98–95 Ma) followed by a major re-organization during the latest Cenomanian–Turonian (95–94 Ma) as a full connection with a northerly boreal water mass was established during peak transgression. This oceanographic change promoted de-stratification of the water column and improved oxygenation throughout the KWIS and as far south as the Demerara Rise off Suriname. In addition, the recorded decline in redox-sensitive trace metals during the onset of OAE-2 likely reflects a genuine oxygenation event related to open water-mass exchange and may have been complicated by variable contribution of organic matter from different sources (e.g. refractory/terrigenous material), requiring further investigation.
Hydrological modeling of the Peruvian–Ecuadorian Amazon Basin using GPM-IMERG satellite-based precipitation dataset
Authors: Zubieta Ricardo , Getirana Augusto , Espinoza Jhan Carlo , Lavado-Casimiro Waldo , Aragon Luis
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In the last two decades, rainfall estimates provided by the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) have proven applicable in hydrological studies. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, which provides the new generation of rainfall estimates, is now considered a global successor to TRMM. The usefulness of GPM data in hydrological applications, however, has not yet been evaluated over the Andean and Amazonian regions. This study uses GPM data provided by the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals (IMERG) (product/final run) as input to a distributed hydrological model for the Amazon Basin of Peru and Ecuador for a 16-month period (from March 2014 to June 2015) when all datasets are available. TRMM products (TMPA V7 and TMPA RT datasets) and a gridded precipitation dataset processed from observed rainfall are used for comparison. The results indicate that precipitation data derived from GPM-IMERG correspond more closely to TMPA V7 than TMPA RT datasets, but both GPM-IMERG and TMPA V7 precipitation data tend to overestimate, compared to observed rainfall (by 11.1 and 15.7 %, respectively). In general, GPM-IMERG, TMPA V7 and TMPA RT correlate with observed rainfall, with a similar number of rain events correctly detected ( ∼  20 %). Statistical analysis of modeled streamflows indicates that GPM-IMERG is as useful as TMPA V7 or TMPA RT datasets in southern regions (Ucayali Basin). GPM-IMERG, TMPA V7 and TMPA RT do not properly simulate streamflows in northern regions (Marañón and Napo basins), probably because of the lack of adequate rainfall estimates in northern Peru and the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Delineating wetland catchments and modeling hydrologic connectivity using lidar data and aerial imagery
Authors: Wu Qiusheng , Lane Charles R.
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In traditional watershed delineation and topographic modeling, surface depressions are generally treated as spurious features and simply removed from a digital elevation model (DEM) to enforce flow continuity of water across the topographic surface to the watershed outlets. In reality, however, many depressions in the DEM are actual wetland landscape features with seasonal to permanent inundation patterning characterized by nested hierarchical structures and dynamic filling–spilling–merging surface-water hydrological processes. Differentiating and appropriately processing such ecohydrologically meaningful features remains a major technical terrain-processing challenge, particularly as high-resolution spatial data are increasingly used to support modeling and geographic analysis needs. The objectives of this study were to delineate hierarchical wetland catchments and model their hydrologic connectivity using high-resolution lidar data and aerial imagery. The graph-theory-based contour tree method was used to delineate the hierarchical wetland catchments and characterize their geometric and topological properties. Potential hydrologic connectivity between wetlands and streams were simulated using the least-cost-path algorithm. The resulting flow network delineated potential flow paths connecting wetland depressions to each other or to the river network on scales finer than those available through the National Hydrography Dataset. The results demonstrated that our proposed framework is promising for improving overland flow simulation and hydrologic connectivity analysis.
Mechanisms influencing seasonal-to-interannual prediction skill of sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean in MIROC
Authors: Ono Jun , Tatebe Hiroaki , Komuro Yoshiki , Nodzu Masato I. , Ishii Masayoshi
Published: July 2017

Abstract. To assess the skill of predictions of the seasonal-to-interannual detrended sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean (SIEAO) and to clarify the underlying physical processes, we conducted ensemble hindcasts, started on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st for each year from 1980 to 2011, for lead times of up three years, using the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC) version 5 initialized with the observed atmosphere and ocean anomalies and sea ice concentration. Significant skill is found for the winter months: the December SIEAO can be predicted up to 1 year ahead. This skill is attributed to the subsurface ocean heat content originating in the North Atlantic. The subsurface water flows into the Barents Sea from spring to fall and emerges at the surface in winter by vertical mixing, and eventually affects the sea ice variability there. Meanwhile, the September SIEAO predictions are skillful for lead times of up to 3 months, due to the persistence of sea ice in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and East Siberian Seas initialized in July, as suggested by previous studies.
FUNCTIONALIZATION OF ACRYLONITRILE BUTADIENE RUBBER WITH META-PENTADECENYL PHENOL, A MULTIFUNCTIONAL ADDITIVE AND A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Authors: Samantarai Satyajit , Mahata Denial , Nag Ahindra , Nando Golok B. , Das Narayan C.
Published: July 2017

The present invention deals with the functionalization of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) by chemically grafting meta-pentadecenyl phenol (cardanol) onto the backbone chain. This imparts inherent multifunctional characteristics to the nitrile rubber. The grafting of cardanol onto NBR was accomplished successfully in emulsion stage using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as a free radical initiator. The grafted NBR is characterized by ultraviolet–visible, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. Cardanol grafted NBR (CGNBR) shows an increase in molecular weight (6.6%) with an increase in polydispersity index value. The optimal conditions of grafting are found out to be, “1 phr BPO, 15 phr cardanol, at a reaction temperature of 60 °C and a reaction time 10 h” by using the “Taguchi L9 orthogonal array” method. The grafting efficiency and percentage grafting are calculated to be 79.2% and 7.1%, respectively, at the optimum combination of parameters. The CGNBR shows an increase in molecular weight and reduction in Wallace plasticity number as well as Mooney viscosity, but exhibits a higher plasticity retention index value, as compared to ungrafted NBR. The rheological characteristics of CGNBR exhibit a better flow behavior index than NBR. Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis results exhibit a decrease in Tg value for grafted NBR. Thermogravimetric analysis results displayed an increase in thermal stability of the functionalized NBR than that of raw NBR.
Hypomagnesemia and Cause-specific Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients: 5-year follow-up Analysis
Authors: Selim Gjulsen N. , Spasovski Goce , Tozija Liljana , Georgievska-Ismail Ljubica , Zafirova-Ivanovska Beti , Masin-Spasovska Jelka , Rambabova-Busletic Irena , Petronijevic Zvezdana , Dzekova-Vidimliski Pavlina , Ristovska Vesna , Pusevski Vladimir , Stojceva-Taneva Olivera
Published: July 2017

Introduction

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the association between serum magnesium (Mg) and mortality, in particular the cause-specific mortality of Mg and other risk factors in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 185 HD patients receiving thrice-weekly HD treatment, on a dialysate Mg concentration of 0.5 mmol/L. We stratified 3 patient groups according to the level of Mg: lower (<1.1 mmol/L), intermediate-reference (1.1 to <1.3 mmol/L), and higher (Mg >1.3 mm/L).

Results

During the 5-year follow-up, 60 patients died, with cardiovascular (CV) disease as the predominant cause (73.3%). Hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause and CV mortality were 2.55 and 2.67 in the lower versus intermediate Mg group, but there was no significant association between the higher and intermediate Mg group. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that Mg <1.1 versus 1.1–1.30 mml/L with HR 2.34, was a significant univariate predictor for increased mortality in addition to the Hb <110 g/L, Alb <40 g/L, C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥10 mg/L and brain natriuretic peptide >1,200 pg/mL However, in the multivariate analysis only CRP ≥10 mg/L with HR 3.89 was a significant predictor of mortality. Subgroup analyses showed that among patients with CRP >10 mg/L, HR for all-cause and CV mortality of the lower versus intermediate Mg group were 1.96 and 2.39, respectively, not reaching significance for the higher versus intermediate Mg group. Conversely, there was no association between Mg level and all-cause and CV mortality within these 3 groups among patients with CRP <10 mg/L.

Conclusions

Lower serum Mg level was significantly associated with an increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in HD patients, especially in inflamed patients.
Particle Image Velocimetry Tests on Pediatric 45-cc and 30-cc Ventricle Assist Devices: Effects of Heart Rate on VAD Operation
Authors: Witkowski Dariusz , Obidowski Damian , Reorowicz Piotr , Jodko Daniel , Jozwik Krzysztof
Published: July 2017

Background

This study investigated flow analysis inside pediatric ventricle assist devices (VADs) designed and manufactured at the Foundation for Cardiac Surgery Development (FRK), Zabrze, Poland. The main goal of the experiment was to define the minimal heart rate admissible in clinical practice.

Methods

The flow was directed by mechanical, single-disc valves developed at the Lodz University of Technology, Institute of Turbomachinery in Lodz, Poland. VAD operation conditions under different heart rates were analyzed. Measurements were performed on Religa PED pediatric VADs (45 cm3 and 30 cm3) with a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system.

Results

Due to the PIV method used, the measurements were made without interference of the measuring system onto the flow structure in the investigated channel, as the measurement procedure is noninvasive. During the investigations conducted in different measurement planes, the majority of the flow volume in the chamber was observable.

Conclusions

The measurements at different heart rates demonstrated a significant influence of this parameter on the flow nature in the heart ventricle. Additionally, it was found that the heart rate affected the operation of heart valves in the VAD.
Evaluation of Calcium (Ca2+) and Hydroxide (OH–) Ion Diffusion Rates of Indirect Pulp Capping Materials
Authors: Aksoy Merve Kurun , Oz Firdevs Tulga , Orhan Kaan
Published: July 2017

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the calcium (Ca2+) and hydroxide (OH–) ion release of 4 artificially produced pulp capping materials (MTA, Biodentin, TheraCal LC, Calsimol) used for indirect pulp capping treatment.

Methods

In total, 70 freshly extracted human third molar teeth were used for the study. Cavities of extracted teeth were prepared by round burs. The remaining dentin thickness (1 ± 0.3 mm) tissue was measured by a micrometer and cone beam computerized tomography. Indirect pulp capping was performed in the cavities using Calcimol, MTA, TheraCal LC and Biodentin. The leached Ca2+ were measured using optical emission spectrometry and the release of OH– ions using a pH meter. The measurements were performed after 24 hours, 7 days and 28 days in saline solution. Statistical analysis was performed using 1-way and 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests (p<0.05).

Results

Ca2+ ions were detected in treated saline solution during the experimental period for all materials. All the measurements of Biodentin and Theracal LC levels for Ca2+ ions were higher than those of the other materials (p<0.05). For all materials, Ca2+-ion release increased during the first 7 days followed by a linear decrease during the subsequent study periods. The Biodentine group showed the highest OH– ion rates compared to the other materials in the 24-hour examination period, while the scores gradually decreased during the subsequent measurement periods (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Tricalcium silicate materials such as Biodentine and TheraCal LC used in this study may be preferable for indirect pulp capping because of their stimulation of hard tissue formation and ion-releasing ability.
Differential expression of hepatocyte growth factor in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Sung Yon K. , Zamanian Roham T. , Wagner Catriona A. , Robinson William , Steen Virginia , Chung Lorinda
Published: July 2017

Introduction

Non-invasive biomarkers are needed to identify pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients who may benefit from early intervention. We sought to identify novel cytokines that differentiate patients with incident SSc-PAH from those at high risk for PAH.

Methods

The Pulmonary Hypertension Assessment and Recognition of Outcomes in Scleroderma (PHAROS) Registry is a multicenter registry of SSc patients at high risk for PAH (at-risk) or with incident right-heart catheterization-confirmed PAH (definite PAH). Serum from 10 at-risk and 9 definite PAH patients were profiled with Bio-PlexTM bead arrays for 48 cytokines and chemokines. We also evaluated the longitudinal change in cytokine profiles from 3 at-risk patients who subsequently developed definite PAH.

Results

Clinical features of at-risk versus definite PAH patients were not significantly different except for right-ventricular systolic pressure on echocardiogram (34 ± 7 vs. 45 ± 8 mmHg, p = 0.006), left atrial diameter (2.9 ± 0.5 vs. 3.7 ± 0.4 cm, p = 0.02), 6-minute walk distance (508 ± 115 vs. 393 ± 70 m, p = 0.02), mean pulmonary artery pressure (18 ± 4 vs. 32 ± 6 mmHg, p = 0.01), and pulmonary vascular resistance (111 ± 48 vs. 272 ± 109 dyn/s/cm5, p = 0.009). Serum cytokine profiling identified hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as the only cytokine significantly different between the at-risk and definite PAH groups (225.8 ± 55.0 vs. 361.6 ± 164.5 pg/mL, q<0.1%). Profiling of longitudinal samples of at-risk to definite PAH patients did not identify any significant changes in HGF or other cytokines over time.

Conclusions

Definite PAH patients expressed higher levels of HGF than at-risk patients. Further studies are needed to clarify the utility of HGF as a predictive biomarker for SSc-PAH.
A correlation study of fluorouracil pharmacodynamics with clinical efficacy and toxicity
Authors: Esin Ece , Telli Tugba Akin , Yuce Deniz , Yalcin Suayib
Published: July 2017

Purpose:

Plasma 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) concentrations vary greatly between individuals who have received standard dosage. Pharmacokinetic adjusted doses have been hypothesized to overcome the possibility of potential toxicity and ineffectiveness related to inappropriate plasma levels of 5-FU. In this study, we prospectively investigated the clinical benefit and toxicity of 5-FU in relation to its pharmacokinetic properties.

Methods:

Pharmacokinetics, effectiveness, and toxicity of 5-FU were investigated in 101 patients. The 5-FU pharmacokinetics were measured on day 2 of chemotherapy infusions. Clinicodemographic characteristics are outlined.

Results:

All 101 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy were alive at the end of a median 45 months of the follow-up period. At least one grade 1 adverse event (AE) was observed in 69.3% of the patients and grade two AEs were observed in 10.1% of the patients. The 5-FU levels ranged between 103 and 4311 µg/L and area under the curve (AUC) measurements ranged between 4.5 and 189.7 mg min/L. Pharmacokinetic measurements were not significantly correlated with clinical efficacy (log-rank p = 0.21). However, higher AUC levels were positively correlated with toxicity (p = 0.02) and with the severity of adverse events. The risks of mucositis (odds ratio [OR] 1.45; p = 0.042) and neurotoxicity (OR 2.01; p = 0.009) were significantly increased in a logistic regression model.

Conclusions:

There is no clear evidence that increased plasma levels or pharmacokinetic adjusted doses of 5-FU were related to better efficacy. However, toxicity might be closely associated with increased plasma levels of 5-FU. Toxicities can be deferred via dose adjustments without any expense in efficacy.
Physicists' Views on Hadrontherapy: A Survey of Members of the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM)
Authors: Giandini Tommaso , Tenconi Chiara , Carrara Mauro , Ciocca Mario , Russo Stefania , Panaino Costanza M.V. , Cattani Federica , Ciardo Delia , Morlino Sara , Avuzzi Barbara , Bedini Nice , Villa Sergio , Marvaso Giulia , Romanelli Paola , Hasegawa Azusa , Vischioni Barbara , Valvo Francesca , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara A. , Orecchia Roberto , Valdagni Riccardo , Pignoli Emanuele
Published: July 2017

Background

This study was based on a survey to investigate perceptions of hadrontherapy of the members of the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM). The survey was digitally submitted to the 991 members between the end of January and the beginning of April 2016.

Methods

A 19-item questionnaire was designed focusing on advantages and disadvantages of hadrontherapy, current status and possible future improvements, and need and opportunities for future investments in Italy and abroad. Information about professional qualifications, main fields of clinical involvement and specific competencies of the respondents was also collected.

Results

The survey was completed by 121 AIFM members (response rate 12.2%). In the answers collected, it was shown that medical physicists expressed interest in hadrontherapy mainly for reasons of personal interest rather than for professional needs (90% ± 2.5% vs. 52% ± 4.3% of the respondents, respectively), with a good knowledge of the related basic aspects as well as of the pros and cons of its application. However, poor knowledge of the current status of hadrontherapy was observed among the medical physicists not directly involved at a professional level, who were less than 3% of the physicists working in radiotherapy.

Conclusions

In light of these results, the implementation of new training and education initiatives should be devised to promote a deeper and global knowledge of hadrontherapy-related issues, not only from a theoretical point of view but also in practical terms. Moreover, a close collaboration between highly specialized medical physicists employed in hadrontherapy centers and others in oncology hospitals should be ­encouraged.
Quantifier spreading in child eye movements: A case of the Russian quantifier kazhdyj ‘every'
Authors: Sekerina Irina A. , Sauermann Antje
Published: July 2017

Extensive cross-linguistic work has documented that children up to the age of 9–10 make errors when performing a sentence-picture verification task that pairs spoken sentences with the universal quantifier every and pictures with entities in partial one-to-one correspondence. These errors stem from children’s difficulties in restricting the domain of a universal quantifier to the appropriate noun phrase and are referred in the literature as quantifier-spreading (q-spreading). We adapted the task to be performed in conjunction with eye-movement recordings using the Visual World Paradigm. Russian-speaking 5-to-6-year-old children (N = 31) listened to sentences like Kazhdyj alligator lezhit v vanne ‘Every alligator is lying in a bathtub’ and viewed pictures with three alligators, each in a bathtub, and two extra empty bathtubs. Non-spreader children (N = 12) were adult-like in their accuracy whereas q-spreading ones (N = 19) were only 43% correct in interpreting such sentences compared to the control sentences. Eye movements of q-spreading children revealed that more looks to the extra containers (two empty bathtubs) correlated with higher error rates reflecting the processing pattern of q-spreading. In contrast, more looks to the distractors in control sentences did not lead to errors in interpretation. We argue that q-spreading errors are caused by interference from the extra entities in the visual context, and our results support the processing difficulty account of acquisition of quantification. Interference results in cognitive overload as children have to integrate multiple sources of information, i.e., visual context with salient extra entities and the spoken sentence in which these entities are mentioned in real-time processing. This article is part of the special collection: Acquisition of Quantification
Estimating the Tourism Demand Impact of Public Infrastructure Investment: The Case of Malaga Airport Expansion
Authors: Eugenio-Martin Juan L.
Published: July 2017

This paper shows how structural time series models can be used to estimate the tourism demand impact of an airport expansion. The impact is measured by interventions in the series. Such interventions can be related to one-off events, permanent shifts or permanent changes in the slope of the series. The study case is the Malaga airport expansion. The impact distinguishes two effects: the new terminal building and the new runway. The results show that the infrastructure made a difference in attracting additional international tourists, especially those flying with low-cost carriers. The estimations show that the traffic increased by 6% due to the new terminal building, and the growth rate increased by 18% due to the new runway.
Research Note: Assessment Index of International Tourism Hubs
Authors: Zou Tongqian , Meng Fang , Li Hengyun , Zhang Pei , Ren Yaqing
Published: July 2017

An assessment index of international tourism hubs is developed based on a comprensive literature review. The index includes 49 indicators covering three primary functions: gathering and distributing; transferring; and management and service. The study surveyed a panel of 15 tourism experts and applied the analytical hierarchy process to determine the importance weight of each indicator in the assessment index. Data were transformed to have dimensionless quantities for assessment indicators. Strategic and managerial implications and suggestions are provided based on the results.
CARACTERIZAÇÃO FLORÍSTICA E DIVERSIDADE NA FLORESTA NACIONAL DE SÃO FRANCISCO DE PAULA, RS, BRASIL
Authors: Kanieski Maria Raquel , Longhi Solon Jonas , Milani Jaçanan Eloisa de Freitas , Santos Tomaz Longhi , Soares Philipe Ricardo Casemiro
Published: July 2017

Objetivou-se com esse trabalho encontrar os melhores indicadores para avaliar a estrutura e a diversidade no componente arbóreo em área de Floresta Ombrófila Mista na Floresta Nacional de São Francisco de Paula, RS. A amostragem da vegetação foi realizada por meio de 180 subunidades de 10 m x 10 m, onde foram inventariados todos os indivíduos arbóreos com CAP ≥ 30 cm. Foram calculados os parâmetros de frequência e densidade, os índices de dispersão de McGuinnes, Fracker e Brischle e Payandeh e diferentes índices de diversidade alfa. Os índices de dispersão revelaram o mesmo comportamento para as espécies, sendo a maioria classificadas como agregadas ou com tendência ao agrupamento, o que mostra que a floresta ainda não atingiu um estado maduro e avançado de desenvolvimento. Os índices de Margalef e Shannon obtiveram valores subestimados possivelmente influenciados pelo tamanho da unidade amostral, denotando baixa diversidade de espécies quando comparado com outras áreas. O índice de Menhinick representou a diversidade de forma bastante real mesmo em unidades amostrais pequenas, caracterizando a floresta de média a alta diversidade. Os índices de Simpson e MacIntosh denotaram baixa dominância e os índices de equidade demonstraram alta uniformidade nas espécies.
An Exploratory Study on How Talent Management Affects Employee Retention and Job Satisfaction for Personnel Administration in Ain Shams University Egypt
Authors: Hafez Eglal , AbouelNeel Reem , Elsaid Eahab
Published: July 2017

Our study examines how talent management affects both job satisfaction and employee retention at a public university in Egypt. The sample for the field study consists of a 105 administrative employees who work at Ain Shams University (a public university). The study instrument is a questionnaire that consists of four parts: talent management, job satisfaction, employee retention and the sample’s demographic variables. The study uses Cronbach’s Alpha, Ordinary Least Squares Regressions and the Kruskal-Wallis test. We find that the components of talent management (motivating outstanding performance, training and development, job enrichment) have a significant impact on job satisfaction and on employee retention but have no significant impact on the sample’s demographic variables (gender, age, education and experience). The contribution of the study is to examine how talent management affects job satisfaction and employee retention in a higher educational institution in Egypt, an Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern country. Talent management research in Arab/Muslim countries, such as Egypt, remains mostly unexamined. By researching new countries and regions, we can help provide further insight for organizations on how to adapt their talent management practices to fit different national and cultural contexts.