bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy After Coronary Angiography: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of 125 Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Ali-Hassan-Sayegh Sadegh , Mirhosseini Seyed Jalil , Ghodratipour Zahra , Sarrafan-Chaharsoughi Zahra , Rahimizadeh Elham , Karimi-Bondarabadi Ali Akbar , Haddad Fatemeh , Shahidzadeh Arezoo , Mahdavi Parisa , Dehghan Ali-Mohammad , Tahernejad Mahbube , Shahidzadeh Azadeh , Dehghan Hamidreza , Ghanei Azam , Lotfaliani Mohammadreza , Weymann Alexander , Zeriouh Mohamed , Popov Aron-Frederik , Sabashnikov Anton
Published: August 2016

This systematic review with meta-analysis sought to determine the strength of evidence for the effects of hydration (sodium bicarbonate [SB] and normal saline [NS]), supplementations ( N-acetylcysteine [NAC] and vitamin C), and some common drugs (adenosine antagonists [AAs], statins, loop diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors [ACEIs]) on the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and requirement for hemodialysis after coronary angiography. After screening, a total of 125 trials that reported outcomes were identified. Pooled analysis indicated beneficial effects of SB versus NS (odds ratio [OR] = 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.94; P = .01), NAC (OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70-0.88; P = .001), vitamin C (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.45-0.89; P = .01), statins (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.35-0.57; P = .001), AA (OR = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.14-0.47; P = .001), loop diuretics (OR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.33-2.85; P = .9), and ACEI (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.69-1.61; P = .8). Overall, hydration with SB, use of supplements, such as NAC and vitamin C, and administration of statins and AA should always be considered for the prevention of CIN after coronary angiography.
‘Plants out of place’: The ‘noxious weeds’ eradication campaign in colonial south India
Authors: Nongbri Natasha
Published: August 2016

The spread of transferred plants such as the prickly pear and lantana, labelled ‘noxious weeds’ in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century south India, and the exploration of viable means for their extirpation gave rise to a complex colonial discourse. Such plants not only seriously impeded agricultural and plantation interests but also threatened colonial commercial concerns. The eradication discourse consisted of various shades of opinion highlighting the ambivalences and contradictions within the eradication agenda. The increasing use of the legal domain as a regime of control by the colonial state was directed at legitimising the use of coercion for the destruction of undesirable plants. Notably, the use of legal coercion proved ineffective in the face of escalating costs of implementation and lack of local support. Local voices appealing against the enactment of eradication programmes were also attempts at opposing the colonial state’s efforts at instituting a regime of control. The colonial state’s eradication discourse and campaign against lantana in south India provide valuable insights into the then prevailing perceptions and attitudes towards exotics and invasives.
Debugging Parallel DEVS
Authors: Van Mierlo Simon , Van Tendeloo Yentl , Vangheluwe Hans
Published: August 2016

To this day, debugging support for the DEVS formalism has been provided, at best, in an ad-hoc way. The intricacies of dealing with the interplay of different notions of (simulated) time, formalism semantics, and user input have not been thoroughly investigated. This paper presents a visual modeling, simulation, and debugging environment for Parallel DEVS, which builds on a theoretical foundation for debugging DEVS models. We take inspiration from both code debugging and the simulation world to model our environment; we transpose a set of useful code debugging concepts onto Parallel DEVS, and combine those with simulation-specific operations, such as as-fast-as-possible simulation and (scaled) real-time execution. Apart from these common debugging operations, we introduce new features to the debugging of Parallel DEVS models, such as “god events,” which can alter the model state during simulation, and reversible debugging, which allows one to go back in time. To achieve this, the PythonPDEVS simulator is deconstructed and reconstructed: the modal part of the simulator–debugger, as well as the debugging operations, are modeled using the Statecharts formalism. These models are combined, resulting in a model of the timed, reactive behavior of a debuggable simulator for Parallel DEVS. The code for the simulator is automatically synthesized from this model. To improve usability, we combine the simulator with a visual modeling environment, allowing for visual and interactive live debugging.
The after-effects of youth unemployment: More vulnerable persons are less likely to succeed in Youth Guarantee programmes
Authors: Selenko Eva , Pils Kerstin
Published: August 2016

This article investigates unemployed adolescents’ success in re-employment programmes. It proposes that not being in employment, education, or training indicates a setback in the achievement of important life goals, which affects mental health and success in re-employment programmes. Adolescents who are more affected by the experience of unemployment will be even less likely to succeed. An analysis of longitudinal archival records of 300 adolescents in a Youth Guarantee apprenticeship scheme confirms the expectations. Adolescents who were more vulnerable during unemployment and who had a worse relationship with their parents when starting the apprenticeship were more likely to drop out within the first year. The effect of age was moderated by relationship quality. The results show that taking the prior experience of not being in employment, education and training into account can offer a new understanding for the success of re-employment programmes. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Information Technology Usage: The Indian Experience
Authors: Gupta M P , Sanjay
Published: August 2016

This paper attempts to understand the current state of Information Technology (IT) usage in select Indian organizations based on a questionnaire survey of business executives and IS staff of select IT-savvy organizations. In recent years, rapid changes and developments in the IT domain have created new leaders in the market place. Corporates, the world over, are leveraging on these developments through efficient supply chain, inventory control, and business intelligence applications for gaining an edge over their competitors. The Information System (IS) developed by these organizations is non-replicable thus providing the differentiation. Though Indian companies are aware of concepts such as supply chain, inventory control, etc., the actual implementation of such concepts is not that widespread. Also, the IS function in India is yet to establish itself as a mainstream business function. It is in this context that this paper makes an effort to understand the importance of IT as a key driver for business strategy and recommend to the industry to adopt some of the best practices prevailing in organizations worldwide.

The analysis of the responses indicates that there is a discrepancy between the opinions of business executives and IS staff regarding the adequacy of the current IT systems. This situation can be remedied by implementing some of the suggestions which are as follows: The business executives and the IS staff should be located in the same place to integrate IT into the mainstream of business. Business intelligence application needs to be included in the portfolio of applications for business use. The Indian industry needs to be stepped up to the ‘informate’ stage as it is still in the ‘automate’ stage. CIOs have to play an important role by linking IT to business strategy. Information needs of the executives are increasing and necessary steps for imple- menting data warehousing and OLAP solutions need to be taken. Supporting IS should be put in place to facilitate decision-making. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be clearly identified and incorporated into the IS to monitor the health of the organization.

These initiatives are expected to have the following implications: tighter integration of IT with business strategy transformation from the ‘informate mode’ to the ‘transformate’ mode implementation of newer business intelligence tools development of information-based decision-making culture better understanding of organization's KPIs by the IS staff.
Straight Through Processing (STP): Prospects and Challenges
Authors: Natarajan Mohan , Khan Arshad , Nadkarni Girish , Sethu G
Published: August 2016

The financial services industry is in the midst of transformation. Straight Through Processing (STP) is one of the major initiatives currently under way in developed securities markets. STP strives to reduce the trade transaction settlement cycle. STP is expected to reduce transaction processing risk and cost and may offer opportunities for value-added products and services to customers.

Indian government has announced its intention to reduce the settlement cycles from (T+3) to (T+2) and eventually to (T+1) over the next few years. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been asking the Indian securities industry to implement STP which is characterized by significant real time virtual processing with concurrent information exchange.

Implementation of STP has many strategic angles. The players would see STP as a project investment and would be motivated only if there are gains commensurate with risks. All players are unlikely to benefit evenly. Some players are further along the learning curve than others. There are multiple messaging standards and software making interoperability a difficult issue to resolve to everyone's satisfaction.

Successful implementation of STP would result in a quantum jump in the way security market transactions are processed in India. But, it is a challenging task. This colloquium was arranged to discuss the main issues as seen by the market participants in the securities industry in India.

The panel members addressed the following issues: What is STP? What kinds of benefits from STP have been realized in the global markets? What are the challenges of implementing STP in the Indian securities market? The salient features of the responses are as follows: At present, different entities in the security transaction processing work use different systems. There is no synchronization of data. In developed markets, much progress has been made in eliminating this roadblock. In India, we should address this issue quickly to realize the benefits of STP. STP implementation in each entity has two elements - streamlining external processes (external STP) as well as internal processes (internal STP). Benefits of STP arise from operational efficiencies, productivity gains, and also from improved customer satisfaction. The biggest challenge for STP is to ‘determine the best approach.’ This dilemma is further complicated due to the two elements of STP strategy: internal STP and external STP.
Subsidiary Initiative in Indian Software Subsidiaries of MNCs
Authors: Krishnan Rishikesha T
Published: August 2016

In this paper, the author investigates intrapreneurship in software subsidiaries of multinational corporations in India using an analogous concept—subsidiary initiative— that has been used in the international business literature. Subsidiary initiative is a discrete, proactive undertaking by an operational unit situated outside the home country that advances a new way for the corporation to use or expand its resources.

Based on an analysis of published case studies written on the Indian software subsidiaries of Motorola, Philips, and Siemens, the author finds that subsidiary initiative played a visible role in obtaining business at the early stages of the subsidiary�s evolution when organizational credibility was lacking and the liability of the country of origin had to be overcome. Subsidiary initiative is also critical if the subsidiary wishes to reposition itself in its market, i.e., in the network of the multinational parent. Barriers to subsidiary initiative include the following: administrative heritage of the subsidiary difficulties in the evaluation of business potential lack of funds to develop new capabilities the attrition of qualified people.

Moving to a higher position on the value curve is impeded by the nature of past relationships with internal customers and the strong bargaining position of these customers. These barriers are accentuated by asymmetries in the flexibility allowed to product divisions and subsidiaries.

High levels of subsidiary initiative are associated with low levels of integration and high levels of autonomy. This is contrary to earlier research done on multinational subsidiaries in the developed country context. The author proposes that the explanation for this contrast lies in the different contexts in which these subsidiaries operate. Specifically, subsidiary initiative in the Indian context is an outcome of subsidiary managers seeking to cope with the environment in which they operate.The distinctive features of this environment include: the pressure of retaining and motivating engineers with multiple career options pressures from the media and wider social expectations a desire to control one�s destiny when there is a realization that India�s time has come.

The author also finds a new trend in the organizational arrangements of software subsidiaries within multinationals in that some multinational parents are allowing subsidiaries to chart their own destiny in return for dilution of a part (or whole) of their stake in the subsidiary. Based on this trend, he proposes a new model titled ‘Competitiveness for Growth Opportunities’ for the subsidiary-parent relationship to replace the existing ‘Loyalty for Security in the MNC Network’ model. In conclusion, the author argues that more multinational corporations will have to shift to this new model to achieve the level of agility required to compete in an era of rapid changes in technology and enhanced competition.
Activity Theory: A Useful Framework for Analysing Project-Based Organizations
Authors: Vakkayil Jacob D
Published: August 2016

This paper contributes to the efforts to understand the dynamics of project mode of work and project-based organizations by highlighting the usefulness of Activity Theory and the associated concepts from practice-based approaches to organizations. The author utilizes his experiences during his doctoral work in the setting of software development firms in India. Initially, the theoretical roots of the Activity Theory are explored in the context of other practice-based frameworks. Through an elaborate structuring of the elements in social and organizational situations, the concept of “activity” tries to overcome the separation of human action from the relevant elements embedded in the context. By engaging with various aspects of systemic and individual peculiarities in understanding a situation, the Activity Theory strives to make the analysis of organizational situations richer and deeper. The importance of such an approach for analysing project mode of work is explored and its feasibility is illustrated by suggesting that projects in software development can be analysed effectively as “activities”.

While conceptualizing organizational units like software projects as activities, it is important to also visualize devices for understanding their interactions with other activities within and outside the organization. This is especially true for outsourced software development work. For this, the ideas of “boundary objects” and “boundary spanners” are conceptualized in an activity theoretical way. By utilizing these ideas, it is illustrated how two dimensions of inter-activity interactions can be identified and studied. It is especially noted that multiple activity memberships and trajectories of organizational actors and tools can be profitably incorporated into research efforts that strive to bring such interactions in project-based organizations to the limelight.

From a practice perspective, the ideas associated with the Activity Theory can help in looking at the challenges of project management in newer ways. For example: It can give them a vocabulary to understand expertise in newer ways. Resultantly, it can help them explore ways of facilitating the creation and maintenance of expertise in the project. The theory can also help them create processes for inter-activity interactions creatively by considering the socio-historical aspects of other activities both within and outside the company.

Like other frameworks used for organizational analysis, the Activity Theory focuses on certain aspects of human action and interprets them using a unique vocabulary and theoretical standpoint. This inevitably results in concerns, limiting factors, and the grey areas where the framework may not be as illuminating. These are explored and some directions in which they could be addressed are pointed out at the end of the article.
Listening to ironically-enjoyed music: A self-regulatory perspective
Authors: van den Tol Annemieke J. M. , Giner-Sorolla Roger
Published: August 2016

This research examines adults’ reported motivations for listening to music that they enjoy ironically using Thematic Analysis. Based on the pilot study ( N = 96), ironically-enjoyed music was defined as “Music that is enjoyed because of being bad, despite being bad, or for different reasons than intended.” Many relevant self-regulatory functions of listening to music in general were relevant to ironically-enjoyed music in the main study ( N = 175). Ironic enjoyment of music also has unique characteristics: the additional role of mocking, ridiculing, and laughing at the music, and the social benefit that this provides. Music that was listened to “because of” its negative features had a variety of musical features, and the listening usually served functions unique to ironic enjoyment of music. When music was listened to “despite” negative qualities, the music itself was often described as having attractive rhythm, melody or lyrics, while the irony protected the listener from conflicting values associated with the music, helping the listener communicate to others that they did not identify with the music on a higher level. Unfamiliar music mainly played a social role, whereas familiar music related to nostalgia as well as most other functions.
Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: MacQueen Glenda M. , Frey Benicio N. , Ismail Zahinoor , Jaworska Natalia , Steiner Meir , Lieshout Ryan J. Van , Kennedy Sidney H. , Lam Raymond W. , Milev Roumen V. , Parikh Sagar V. , Ravindran Arun V. ,   the CANMAT Depression Work Group
Published: August 2016

Background:

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) conducted a revision of the 2009 guidelines by updating the evidence and recommendations. The scope of the 2016 guidelines remains the management of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults, with a target audience of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.

Methods:

Using the question-answer format, we conducted a systematic literature search focusing on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Evidence was graded using CANMAT-defined criteria for level of evidence. Recommendations for lines of treatment were based on the quality of evidence and clinical expert consensus. This section on “Special Populations” is the sixth of six guidelines articles.

Results:

Recent studies inform the treatment of MDD in children and adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, women in perimenopause or menopause, and the elderly. Evidence for efficacy of treatments in these populations is more limited than for the general adult population, however, and risks of treatment in these groups are often poorly studied and reported.

Conclusions:

Despite the limited evidence base, extant data and clinical experience suggest that each of these special populations can benefit from the systematic application of treatment guidelines for treatment of MDD.
All voices matter in experience design
Authors: Wolf Jason A.
Published: August 2016

This article intends to frame the broader concept of experience design and the engagement of patient and family voice, reinforcing how truly aligned healthcare professionals are not only on the value of this work but also in understanding the benefits of it. When addressing the idea of design, it is important to look at the broadest possible construct and consider the engagement of patient and family voices in healthcare operational efforts, not as passive advisors but as active participants in data gathering, providing input, and with actual decision-making. The article offers engagement is not just part of process, facility, or experience design but must be part of the decisions made in how organizations in healthcare today are built, led, and sustained, fundamentally reinforcing our opportunity in healthcare is to focus on overall experience with purpose and intention. This commitment is what will lead to the outcomes all ultimately hope to achieve.
An Alternative Analysis of Scale Data: A Marketing Application
Authors: Sengupta Pooja , Chaudhuri Himadri Roy
Published: August 2016

The idea of materialism is one of the most important in modern consumer behaviour literature. In this article we have attempted at studying this component using the celebrated Richins and Dawson (1992) scale, where the required data has been collected using the standard instrument. This data is analyzed with the help of the mechanisms of item response theory (IRT). Specifically the graded response model has been used to analyze and get an insight into the problem of subjective well-being. Item response theory is an increasingly popular approach for development, evaluation and administration of psychological measures. We have used in this article one of the three IRT fundamentals, namely, the item response functions. We next illustrate how IRT modelling can be put to use to analyze the data collected in the study of the judgement component of subjective well-being. To that end, we have used the grm() function available in R. The results obtained are thereafter interpreted.
Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Self-Service Technologies
Authors: Blut Markus , Wang Cheng , Schoefer Klaus
Published: August 2016

To facilitate efficient and effective service delivery, firms are introducing self-service technologies (SSTs) at an increasing pace. This article presents a meta-analysis of the factors influencing customer acceptance of SSTs. The authors develop a comprehensive causal framework that integrates constructs and relationships from different technology acceptance theories, and they use the framework to guide their meta-analysis of findings consolidated from 96 previous empirical articles (representing 117 independent customer samples with a cumulative sample size of 103,729 respondents). The meta-analysis reveals the following key insights: (1) SST usage is influenced in a complex fashion by numerous predictors that should be examined jointly; (2) ease of use and usefulness are key mediators, and studies ignoring them may underestimate the importance of some predictors; (3) several determinants of usefulness impact ease of use, and vice versa, thereby revealing crossover effects not previously revealed; and (4) the links leading up to SST acceptance in the proposed framework are moderated by SST type (transaction/self-help, kiosk/Internet, public/private, hedonic/utilitarian) and country culture (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance). Results from the meta-analysis offer managerial guidance for effective implementation of SSTs and provide directions for further research to augment current knowledge of SST acceptance.
Challenges for a new bilingual program: Implementing the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme in four Colombian schools
Authors: Lochmiller Chad R , Lucero Audrey , Lester Jessica Nina
Published: August 2016

The International Baccalaureate (IB) has expanded in Latin America. Drawing from a larger multi-sited qualitative case study, we examined the challenges associated with the implementation of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) in a Colombian and bilingual context. Findings highlight (1) the intersecting nature of challenges associated with the PYP and bilingual education, (2) the importance of school-based support for teaching, and (3) the importance of school-based resources for bilingual instruction. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for the IB and other global educational organizations.
Informal Leadership Status and Individual Performance
Authors: Shaughnessy Brooke A. , Treadway Darren C. , Breland Jacob W. , Perrewé Pamela L.
Published: August 2016

Informal leadership has been a topic of growing interest in recent years, with the recognition that much remains to be known about this phenomenon. In the present study, an integrative social–political conceptualization of informal leadership is proposed and tested. The research question was tested through individual self-report survey questions, a network-based consensus informal leadership measure whereby each employee identified informal leaders in their network, and individual performance provided by the organization. Specifically, the mediated moderation test demonstrated that employees high in political will, as operationalized by power motivation, were more likely to be collectively recognized as informal leaders than those low in political will, and the performance of these informal leaders was found to be contingent on their political skill. By capturing informal leadership using a consensus measure, the results of this study provide a first look at informal leadership in an organizational setting, not team or group. Furthermore, the current research offers a social network—political conceptualization of informal leadership in organizations that contributes to theory, research, and practice.
Rational approach, technique and selection criteria treating lumbar disk herniations by oxygen–ozone therapy
Authors: Muto Mario , Giurazza Francesco , Silva Ricardo Pimentel , Guarnieri Gianluigi
Published: August 2016

Radicular lumbar back pain is an important public health problem not yet benefiting from a unequivocal treatment approach. Medical and physical therapies represent the first solution; however, when these fail, the second therapeutic step is still controversial and mini-invasive treatments may play an important role. In these cases oxygen–ozone therapy has been proved to be a very safe and effective option that is widely used with different modalities. This paper, by reviewing oxygen–ozone therapy literature data, aims to describe the rationale of oxygen–ozone therapy for the treatment of lumbar disk herniations, propose an effective procedural technique and clarify patient selection criteria; furthermore, complications and follow-up management are also considered.
Implications of different criteria for percutaneous coronary intervention-related myocardial infarction on study results of three large phase III clinical trials: The CHAMPION experience
Authors: Leonardi Sergio , Lopes Renato D , Steg Ph. Gabriel , Abnousi Freddy , Menozzi Alberto , Prats Jayne , Mangum Stacey , Wilson Matthew , Todd Meredith , Stone Gregg W , Gibson C Michael , Hamm Christian W , Price Matthew J , White Harvey D , Harrington Robert A , Bhatt Deepak L , Mahaffey Kenneth W
Published: August 2016

Aims:

The purpose of this study was to test whether different results between Cangrelor versus standard therapy to acHieve optimal Management of Platelet InhibitiON (CHAMPION) PCI/PLATFORM and PHOENIX trials are due in part to different definitions of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-related myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and results:

In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the definition of MI was identical in CHAMPION PCI and PLATFORM and did not require an assessment of baseline cardiac biomarker status, while in PHOENIX specific MI criteria were associated with different patient presentations. The same MI criteria were used in PCI, PLATFORM, and PHOENIX for patients with stable angina. Logistic regression assessed the effect of cangrelor on MI (PCI- and non-PCI related) in the combined PCI/PLATFORM population and in PHOENIX. Consistency of cangrelor’s effect in PCI/PLATFORM and in PHOENIX in patients with stable angina and in those with an ACS (with or without ST elevation) was evaluated. Overall, the incidence of PCI-related MI at 48 h was 6.3% in PCI/PLATFORM and 4.0% in PHOENIX. In patients with ACS, MI incidence was 6.4% in PCI/PLATFORM and 1.7% in PHOENIX, and 6.3% and 5.6%, respectively in stable angina patients. Cangrelor’s effect on PCI-related MI differed between PCI/PLATFORM (odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90–1.17) and PHOENIX (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.66–0.98) with pINT=0.04. This difference was mostly evident in patients with ACS ( pINT= 0.06) while the effect was consistent in patients with stable angina ( pINT=0.81). Results were similar when all MIs were analyzed.

Conclusions:

The definition of PCI-related MI has important implications for event rates, treatment effect, and study results. This illustrates the importance of a rigorous assessment of PCI-related MI in clinical trials of patients with an ACS.
Light path alignment for computed tomography of scattering material
Authors: Iwaguchi Takafumi , Funatomi Takuya , Kubo Hiroyuki , Mukaigawa Yasuhiro
Published: August 2016

We aim to estimate internal slice of the scattering material by Computed Tomography (CT). In the scattering material, the light path is disturbed and is spread. Conventional CT cannot measure the scattering material because they rely on the assumption that rays are straight and parallel. We propose light path alignment to deal with scattering rays. Each path of disturbed scattering light is approximated with a straight line. Then the light path in the object corresponding to a single incident ray is modeled as straight paths spreading from incident point. These spreading paths are aligned to be parallel, so that they can be used directly by conventional reconstruction algorithm.
In Any Two-Boat Operation… (Lessons from my Mentor)
Authors: Larner Ken
Published: August 2016

Politics, religion, and love—three discussion areas in which people usually are cautioned to tread lightly. Not so for Carl Savit. Carl relished any opportunity to dive into these topics, basically any subject that would allow him to search out what people think and in the process to share a bit of his wealth of original thought. Variations on this pastime included sparring with lawyers, fencing on philosophy, mollifying politicians—and, along the way, teaching many of us what's important in seismic exploration. Carl would have thrived many centuries back, for jousting and chivalry were his hallmark. At the same time, no individual could be said to have been more at the forefront of the digital revolution in geophysics than Carl Savit, and nobody could have been more valuable than he in envisioning future directions for the technology.
Direct elastic properties to resistivity transforms
Authors: Economou Dimitrios , Alaei Behzad
Published: August 2016

Numerous publications have dealt with estimations of resistivity from elastic parameters and vice versa. Attempts have been made in the cross-property relationship of elastic and electric properties, in particular, velocity to resistivity using different parameters, such as porosity and water saturation. These types of transforms are currently used to predict background seismic velocities and resistivities, or even start models for seismic or controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) inversions. However, they are not reliable predictors because they depict the regional elastic or electric variations with limited accuracy. We present a novel approach for the development of models capable of estimating the regional subsurface resistivity based on information from regional wells and seismic inversions. We apply multivariate nonlinear regression on data derived from regional wells and seismic inversions and subsequently produced an estimation of subsurface horizontal resistivity that could be either used as a direct hydrocarbon indicator or provide a constraint on the horizontal resistivity in anisotropic CSEM inversions. We have verified the validity of the approach using two data sets from the Norwegian continental shelf. We found very good agreement between the borehole-measured and predicted resistivity.
Building good starting models for full-waveform inversion using adaptive matching filtering misfit
Authors: Zhu Hejun , Fomel Sergey
Published: August 2016

We have proposed a misfit function based on adaptive matching filtering (AMF) to tackle challenges associated with cycle skipping and local minima in full-waveform inversion (FWI). This AMF is designed to measure time-varying phase differences between observations and predictions. Compared with classical least-squares waveform differences, our misfit function behaves as a smooth, quadratic function with a broad basin of attraction. These characters are important because local gradient-based optimization approaches used in most FWI schemes cannot guarantee convergence toward true models if misfit functions include local minima or if the starting model is far away from the global minimum. The 1D and 2D synthetic experiments illustrate the advantages of the proposed misfit function compared with the classical least-squares waveform misfit. Furthermore, we have derived adjoint sources associated with the proposed misfit function and applied them in several 2D time-domain acoustic FWI experiments. Numerical results found that the proposed misfit function can provide good starting models for FWI, particularly when low-frequency signals are absent in recorded data.
The influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on sodium regulation and nitrogenous waste excretion in the zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Al-Reasi Hassan A. , Smith D. Scott , Wood Chris M.
Published: August 2016

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is both ubiquitous and diverse in composition in natural waters, but its effects on the branchial physiology of aquatic organisms have received little attention relative to other variables (e.g. pH, hardness, salinity, alkalinity). Here we investigated the effects of four chemically distinct DOM isolates (three natural, one commercial, ranging from autochthonous to highly allochthonous, all at∼6 mg C L−1) on the physiology of gill ionoregulation and N-waste excretion in zebrafish acclimated to either circumneutral (7.0 – 8.0) or acidic pH (5.0). Overall, lower pH tended to increase net branchial ammonia excretion, net K+ loss, and [3H]PEG-4000 clearance rates (indicators of transcellular and paracellular permeability respectively). However unidirectional Na+ efflux, urea excretion, and drinking rates were unaffected. DOMs tended to stimulate unidirectional Na+ influx rate and exerted subtle effects on the concentration-dependent kinetics of Na+ uptake, increasing maximum transport capacity. All DOM sources reduced passive Na+ efflux rates regardless of pH, but exerted negligible effects on N-waste excretion, drinking rate, net K+ loss, or [3H]PEG-4000 clearance, so the mechanism of Na+ loss reduction remains unclear. Overall, these actions appear beneficial to ionoregulatory homeostasis in zebrafish, and some may be related to physico-chemical properties of the DOMs. They are very different from those seen in a recent parallel study on Daphnia magna using the same DOM isolates, indicating that DOM actions may be both species-specific and DOM-specific.
CCR4 and CAF1 deadenylases have an intrinsic activity to remove the post-poly(A) sequence
Authors: Niinuma Sho , Fukaya Takashi , Tomari Yukihide
Published: August 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) recruit the CCR4–NOT complex, which contains two deadenylases, CCR4 and CAF1, to promote shortening of the poly(A) tail. Although both CCR4 and CAF1 generally have a strong preference for poly(A) RNA substrates, it has been reported from yeast to humans that they can also remove non-A residues in vitro to various degrees. However, it remains unknown how CCR4 and CAF1 remove non-A sequences. Herein we show that Drosophila miRNAs can promote the removal of 3′-terminal non-A residues in an exonucleolytic manner, but only if an upstream poly(A) sequence exists. This non-A removing reaction is directly catalyzed by both CCR4 and CAF1 and depends on the balance between the length of the internal poly(A) sequence and that of the downstream non-A sequence. These results suggest that the CCR4–NOT complex has an intrinsic activity to remove the 3′-terminal non-A modifications downstream from the poly(A) tail.
Disfunção erétil associada à prática de atividade física e qualidade de vida de idosos
Authors: Heck Patricia , Guimarães Adriana , Araujo Camila , Pazin Joris , Seemann Taysi , Oliveira Paulo , Machado Zenite
Published: August 2016

Objetivou-se analisar a relação entre a atividade física e a qualidade de vida com a disfunção erétil de 121 idosos participantes de grupos de convivência cadastrados na prefeitura de Florianópolis, com média de idade de 73,1±7,27 anos. Aplicou-se um questionário em forma de entrevista contendo: a) identificação pessoal; b) situação socioeconômica; c) Nível de atividade física (IPAQ- versão longa adaptada para idosos); d) Qualidade de vida: WHOQOL-bref; e) Índice Internacional de Função Erétil. Verificou-se prevalência elevada de idosos com disfunção erétil (63%), sendo 18% suave, 8% moderada e 36% severa. Os idosos com e sem disfunção erétil foram suficientemente ativos (67%). Em relação a qualidade de vida, aqueles idosos com disfunção erétil apresentaram escores inferiores nos domínios Psicológico e Social, quando comparados aos sem disfunção. Houve alta prevalência de disfunção erétil e essa variável parece diminuir a percepção de qualidade de vida nos domínios psicológico e social.
Assessment of the sea-ice carbon pump: Insights from a three-dimensional ocean-sea-ice biogeochemical model (NEMO-LIM-PISCES)
Authors: Moreau Sébastien , Vancoppenolle Martin , Bopp Laurent , Aumont Oliver , Madec Gurvan , Delille Bruno , Tison Jean-Louis , Barriat Pierre-Yves , Goosse Hugues
Published: August 2016

The role of sea ice in the carbon cycle is minimally represented in current Earth System Models (ESMs). Among potentially important flaws, mentioned by several authors and generally overlooked during ESM design, is the link between sea-ice growth and melt and oceanic dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA). Here we investigate whether this link is indeed an important feature of the marine carbon cycle misrepresented in ESMs. We use an ocean general circulation model (NEMO-LIM-PISCES) with sea-ice and marine carbon cycle components, forced by atmospheric reanalyses, adding a first-order representation of DIC and TA storage and release in/from sea ice. Our results suggest that DIC rejection during sea-ice growth releases several hundred Tg C yr−1 to the surface ocean, of which < 2% is exported to depth, leading to a notable but weak redistribution of DIC towards deep polar basins. Active carbon processes (mainly CaCO3 precipitation but also ice-atmosphere CO2 fluxes and net community production) increasing the TA/DIC ratio in sea-ice modified ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes by a few Tg C yr−1 in the sea-ice zone, with specific hemispheric effects: DIC content of the Arctic basin decreased but DIC content of the Southern Ocean increased. For the global ocean, DIC content increased by 4 Tg C yr−1 or 2 Pg C after 500 years of model run. The simulated numbers are generally small compared to the present-day global ocean annual CO2 sink (2.6 ± 0.5 Pg C yr−1). However, sea-ice carbon processes seem important at regional scales as they act significantly on DIC redistribution within and outside polar basins. The efficiency of carbon export to depth depends on the representation of surface-subsurface exchanges and their relationship with sea ice, and could differ substantially if a higher resolution or different ocean model were used.
Effect of the Roasting Intensity and Extraction Time of Coffee Bean on the Antioxidant Activity of Coffee Extract
Authors: Jo Shin Jae , In Man-Jin , Kim Dong Chung
Published: August 2016

The effect of roasting intensity and extraction time of coffee bean on the antioxidant activity of roasted ground coffee extract was investigated. Coffee was roasted at 185oC using a rotating fluidized bed roaster for 5.17 (medium roasting) and 6.00 (dark roasting) min, respectively. Both roasted coffees were extracted in 90°C hot water according to the increased extraction time. Until 20 min, an increase in extraction time significantly increased soluble solute, caffeine, brown color, and phenolic compound. The soluble solid and caffeine contents showed no significant difference among medium- and dark-roasted coffee extracts. The brown color intensity and free radical scavenging activity of dark-roasted coffee extract were higher than those of medium-roasted coffee. On the contrary, the total phenolic content of dark-roasted coffee extract was lower than that of medium-roasted coffee. The free radical scavenging activity of coffee extracts showed a positive correlation with brown color intensity, as well as total phenolic content.
Effect of Liposome-Coated Salt on Salty Taste Intensity of Noodle
Authors: Lee Jiseon , Lee Mi-Yeon , Cho Hyung-Yong , Choi Mi-Jung
Published: August 2016

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of liposome-coated salt (LCS) on the salty taste intensity of noodle. Dough, dried noodle, and boiled noodle with LCS were evaluated physico-chemically for water content, water binding capacity, solubility, swelling power, color, texture, cooking properties, and sensory test. There were no significant differences in water content, water binding capacity, lightness, yellowness, and texture of noodle between the noodles with liposome-coated salt and non-coated salt. For the sensory analysis, the panel did detect more salty taste at 1.0% and 2.0% of LCS compared to the control. From these results, this study demonstrates that liposome coated salt can enhance salty taste, maintaining the same salt concentration without the physical property changes of noodle.
A exploração dos recursos digitais para a construção de narrativas: o caso Impresa
Authors: Marques Inês , Peixinho Ana Teresa
Published: August 2016

O nosso propósito, neste artigo, é problematizar as transformações narrativas do jornalismo a dois níveis Em primeiro, utilizaremos três conceitos que se entrecruzam na questão do storytelling digital (a transmedialidade ou storytelling transmediático, a multimedialidade e a interatividade) para perceber as transformações decorrentes das potencialidades da web para a construção de narrativas. Em segundo lugar, uma vez que vamos trabalhar com narrativas criadas no seio do maior grupo mediático português – Impresa - tentaremos perceber se a concentração empresarial influencia a construção e difusão de narrativas multimédia.
Serviço público de media e políticas públicas no contexto do sistema dos media português: 2003-2013
Authors: Conde Nuno
Published: August 2016

A presente comunicação tem por objeto a análise dos modelos de financiamento, governação e prestação de contas do serviço público de media em Portugal, entre 2003 e o último trimestre de 2013. As conclusões da investigação apontam para a redução progressiva do financiamento público da RTP, em sintonia com uma tendência mais vasta de reposicionamento do papel do Estado na sociedade. Constata-se que o Estado, enquanto acionista da RTP, perpetuou até ao momento um modelo de governação ‘governamentalizado’, no qual é patente a existência de um significativo grau de ligação entre o sistema político e o operador de serviço público. Reconhece-se, ainda, que os mecanismos institucionais de prestação de contas da RTP, relativamente ao cumprimento da sua missão de serviço público, têm como destinatário principal o Estado, em detrimento de práticas de prestação de contas mais direcionadas para o cidadão e para os restantes agentes do sistema de media.
A inflexão quotidiana do serviço público de media
Authors: Mateus Samuel
Published: August 2016

Historicamente, o Serviço Público de Media tem sido associado a duas dimensões interrelacionadas: a dimensão político- -democrática e a dimensão educativa. Por um lado, ele subentende um papel preponderante de formação de uma opinião pública esclarecida como parte essencial do processo político. E, ao contribuir para o fortalecimento democrático, enquanto instância simultaneamente separada do Estado e do Mercado, o Serviço Público de Media está igualmente a desempenhar um papel educacional. Para além da informação e do entretenimento, ele possui a obrigação de garantir e preservar elevados padrões de qualidade na sua programação que correspondam ao modelo moral das sociedades. Uma terceira dimensão igualmente importante é a dimensão integradora do Serviço Público de Media, ou se quisermos, a relação que se estabelece entre sociedade e publicidade na sua articulação com os dispositivos tecnológicos de mediação simbólica. Este artigo procura refletir sobre a dimensão convergente do Serviço Público de Media através do destaque concedido à sociabilidade mundana, quer ao nível das temáticas, quer ao nível da organização daprópria programação. O que está em causa nesta enfatização da mundanidade é que o interesse geral parece agora moldado por uma motivação em ver representado no Serviço Público de Media a própria vida quotidiana das próprias pessoas a quem se dirige. É um discurso não apenas voltado para a objetividade e atualidade informativa, como também para a subjetividade e autenticidade dos próprios indivíduos.
Correlation between lipid profile and C-reactive protein in children with nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Astuti Kurnia Dwi , Muryawan Mohammad Heru , Mellyana Omega
Published: August 2016

Background Nephrotic syndrome (NS) causes dyslipidemia in children, which can be long term or intermittent. Dyslipidemia has long been established as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. An early sign of atherosclerosis is elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protien (hsCRP). Atherosclerosis early in life, especially in childhood, warrants an assessment for NS. Study on a correlation between lipid profile and hsCRP, as a marker of atherosclerosis, in pediatric NS patients has been limited. Objective To assess for a correlation between lipid profile and hsCRP in childhood nephrotic syndrome. Methods This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 29 children with NS in Dr. Kariadi Hospital. Serum hsCRP, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were examined in the active phase. Spearman’s test was used to analyze a possible correlation between total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and hsCRP levels. Results Mean levels of total cholesterol (454 mg/dL) and LDL (288 mg/dL) in this study were high, while the HDL level (55 mg/dL) was normal, according to US Department of Health and Human Services classifications. The median hsCRP level was 0.33 mg/L and 9 (31%) subjects had high hsCRP levels of more than 1 mg/L. There was a positive correlation between LDL level and hsCRP (r=0.423; P<0.05). Conclusions There is a weak positive correlation between LDL and hsCRP levels in children with NS.