bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Professional Development in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Copper Jenna Marie , Semich George William
Published: August 2018

High-stakes student testing, accountability for students' outcomes, new educational trends, and revised curricula and standards are only a few of the reasons that teachers must learn to teach complex material with skilled and intentional practices. As a result, professional development for educators is in critical demand. Nevertheless, research in the field of professional development indicates that most teachers do not experience effective teacher training. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter was to examine one professional development opportunity using the video-sharing tool, YouTube, as a training modality for in-servicing teachers. For this study, the researchers conducted interviews with eight educators in the United States to analyze their perceptions about the YouTube teacher training method. The results of the study indicated that the YouTube training tool is a quality training tool to assist teachers in the implementation of teaching strategies. Additionally, the results indicated that YouTube training videos could reinforce in-person training.
Managing the Knowledge for an E-Tourism Curriculum
Authors: Fu Jing , Chakpitak Nopasit
Published: August 2018

The evolution from an information-based economy to a knowledge-based society requires higher education to produce intellectual outputs which match market and society needs by improving its educational process and outputs. Curriculum, as a core factor in refining this process, is therefore a key part of the transformation. management solutions such as knowledge management (KM) or supply-chain management (SCM) have been applied to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education but were mostly applied at an administrative level. To improve the quality of education to meet industry and society needs requires a holistic management of the curriculum design and development process. This empirical research in Thailand proposes a knowledge supply chain (KSC) approach as a potential solution, which integrates theories and practices of KM and SCM to design an e-tourism curriculum to meet the industry and society needs in the context of the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS).
Adolescents, Third-Person Perception, and Facebook
Authors: Chapin John
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this chapter is to document the extent of Facebook use and cyberbullying among adolescents. It is based on a study theoretically grounded in third-person perception (TPP), the belief that media messages affect other people more than oneself. As Facebook establishes itself as the dominant social network, users expose themselves to a level of bullying not possible in the analog world. The study found that 84% of adolescents (middle school through college undergraduates) use Facebook, and that most users log on daily. While 30% of the sample reported being cyberbullied, only 12.5% quit using the site and only 18% told a parent or school official. Despite heavy use and exposure, adolescents exhibit TPP, believing others are more likely to be negatively affected by Facebook use. A range of self-protective behaviors from precautionary (deleting or blocking abusive users) to reactionary (quitting Facebook) were related to decreased degrees of TPP. Implications for prevention education are discussed.
Automatical Emotion Recognition Based on Daily Gait
Authors: Liu Xiaoqian , Zhu Tingshao
Published: August 2018

In this chapter, a kind of emotion recognition method based on gait using a customized smart bracelet with a built-in acceleration sensor was introduced in detail. The results showed that the classification accuracies of angry-neutral, happy-neutral, angry-happy, and angry-happy-neutral using the acceleration data of wrist are 91.3%, 88.5%, 88.5%, and 81.2%, respectively. Besides, the wearable devices and motion-sensing technology application in psychology research have been further discussed, and non-contact emotion identification and mental health monitoring based on offline behaviors were reviewed summarily.
Cyber-Victimization and Cyber-Aggression
Authors: Martins Maria José D. , Simão Ana Margarida Veiga , Caetano Ana Paula , Freire Isabel , Matos Armanda , Vieira Cristina C. , Pessoa Teresa , Amado João
Published: August 2018

This chapter review some of the principal personal and situational factors established through recent international research that contribute to explain the phenomenon of cyber-victimization and cyber-aggression among adolescents, as well as its relations with socio-demographic variables (age, sex, grade level). Personal factors, like emotions, motives, normative beliefs, and moral disengagement were discussed jointly with situational factors, as the role of peers, friends, school and family environments, in addition to the possible interactions of these variables on cyber-bullying. The chapter ends with a discussion of future directions about the research on this phenomenon, namely in what concern educational programs that can use digital technology to help adolescents, schools and families to deal with cyber-bullying.
Development and Analysis of an Enhanced Multi-Expert Knowledge Integration System for Designing Context-Aware Ubiquitous Learning Contents
Authors: Hwang Gwo-Haur , Chen Beyin , Huang Shiau-Huei
Published: August 2018

This article describes how in context-aware ubiquitous learning environments, teachers must plan a theme and design learning contents to provide complete knowledge for students. Knowledge acquisition, which is an approach for helping people represent and organize domain knowledge, has been recognized as a potential way of guiding teachers to develop real-world context-related learning contents. However, previous studies failed to address the issue that the learning contents provided by multiple experts or teachers might be redundant or inconsistent; moreover, it is difficult to use the traditional knowledge acquisition method to fully describe the complex real-world contexts and the learning contents. Therefore, in this article, a multi-expert knowledge integration system with an enhanced knowledge representation approach and Delphi method has been developed. From the experimental results, it is found that the teachers involved had a high degree of acceptance of the system. They believe that it can unify the knowledge of many teachers.
Factors That Influence Consumer Buying Behavior of Fresh Packaged Food in Tunisia
Authors: Derbali Chaima , Periklis Drakos , Spyridon Mamalis , van Dijk Gert , Angelakis George
Published: August 2018

This article provides current information about the consumer buying behaviors for fresh packaged food in Tunisia, and studies the Tunisian consumers' attitudes and perceptions of fresh packaged food quality. Based on this study, a potential marketing strategy can be introduced or improved to attract the consumer to purchase fresh packaged food. In this article, the quantitative method was applied by categorical regression which resulted in two models based on the consumption of fresh packaged food and the quantity purchased of the product.
Analyzing Consumer Impulse Purchasing Behaviour Using Observational Data
Authors: Kyrdoda Yuliia , Baltas George , Hammami A.Malek
Published: August 2018

This article identifies consumers' impulse purchasing behavior in supermarkets. The study includes an interpretation of the impulse decision relationship with the final purchase and an analysis of the distribution of impulse purchasers' demographic characteristics (age and shoppers' company). SPSS was used to analyze the observed data at a national retail supermarket chain. The logistic regression model was developed in order to identify the explanatory power of the variables. Categorical principal component analysis was employed to analyze the distribution of the variables. Empirical findings indicated that “impulsive decision” has a stronger intensity on “purchase” than “gender” does. Impulsive customers are split into three age groups and two company categories. These results could be used to design marketing strategies in order to increase sales. However, a few limitations occurred during the study such as: observation timing, unicity of location and observers' subjectivity.
Visitors' Multi-Dimensional Decision-Making Approach
Authors: Fakotakis George , van Dijk Gert
Published: August 2018

The Samaria National Park in Chania, Crete, Greece was established in 1962 and has since been one of the most well-known protected areas of Greece. It attracts thousands of visitors every year and creates a social and economic environment for various local businesses such as hotels and restaurants. Most of those businesses operate seasonally for the same time period as the park and owe a high percentage of their turnover to the park's visitors. Tourists spend a large share of their budget for various goods and services during their visit which has a considerable impact on the economy of the whole region of Chania. However, because of the fact that the Samaria National Park is a natural asset, its value as a touristic multi-attraction is often overlooked or taken for granted. This research attempts to explore the preferences of tourists who have visited the island of Crete and the Samaria National Park, and the overall impact of that activity on the local economy. The approach involves collecting questionnaires during the period that the park operates, from May to October, in order to derive primary data about the preferences, attitudes, socio-demographic profiles and satisfaction criteria of tourists towards the park.
Comparative Effectiveness Between Game-Enhanced and Pencil-and-Paper English Vocabulary Learning Approaches
Authors: Zhonggen Yu
Published: August 2018

Numerous studies were devoted to use of games in vocabulary learning in English as a foreign language (EFL) tertiary courses, which reported significant improvements of vocabulary learning when using computer games. This study used a mixed-design research method comparing the effectiveness in EFL vocabulary acquisition. Data was collected from randomly selected participants who were randomly assigned to the interactivity-prone computer game (Group 1), the less interactive-prone computer game (Group 2) and the pencil-and-paper (Group 3) assisted EFL vocabulary learning approaches. The first group learned EFL vocabulary through interactivity-prone computer game Hujiang Fun Vocabulary, the second group learned EFL vocabulary assisted with less interactive computer game Baicizhan, and the third group learned EFL vocabulary via the traditional pencil-and-paper approach. It was concluded that (1) The interactivity-prone computer game was more effective than the less interactivity-prone computer game in EFL vocabulary learning; (2) The computer game-assisted EFL vocabulary learning was significantly more effective than the traditional pencil-and-paper approach; (3) Males outperformed females in computer game-assisted EFL vocabulary learning. It was suggested that future research focuses on both design features of educational computer games and cross-disciplinary research into computer game assisted EFL vocabulary acquisition.
The Internet of Things
Authors: Eltayeb Mohamed A
Published: August 2018

In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become an increasingly prominent concept, and the benefits associated with this technology are seemingly limitless. The interest in the IoT stems from its elasticity and scalability and scholars, researchers, and investors alike are increasingly turning their attention to how best to harness this powerful concept. One area that has become of specific interest relates to the vast amount of data that is generated by the sensors that form the diverse networks that sit at the core of the IoT. More and more opportunities to collate and harness this data are emerging, and the collection of intelligence can be of significant value politically, economically, and socially. This article hence examines some of the ways in which the IoT can be employed to advance the artificial intelligence (AI). Furthermore, this article presents and discusses the limitations of the current systems and propose recommendations for the future direction.
Improving Cyber Defense Education through National Standard Alignment
Authors: Wang Ping , Dawson Maurice , Williams Kenneth L
Published: August 2018

There has been a fast-growing demand for cybersecurity professionals to defend cyber space and information systems. With more and more programs and course offerings in cybersecurity popping up in higher education, it is important to have a consistent and reliable quality standard to guide and evaluate the training and preparation of qualified cyber defense workforce. The national Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) designation program jointly sponsored by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a rigorous national standard with specific criteria for maintaining the quality of cybersecurity education. This article explains the CAE-CDE program criteria and requirements and discusses the important role of the special designation in improving cyber defense education and workforce development. This article illustrates the educational value and quality impact of the CAE-CDE program with three case studies: (1) University of Missouri – St. Louis; (2) American Public University; and (3) Robert Morris University.
An Exploration of the Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage
Authors: Burrell Darrell Norman
Published: August 2018

There is a colossal cyber security workforce shortage. Global estimates state there are over 1 million unfilled cyber security jobs. As everyone becomes increasingly hyper-connected and cybercrime intensifies in both scale and complexity, the need for experts in the field is dire. Innovative organizations are realizing that they need to tap into new talent pools of minorities and woman that have historically been overlooked. This article explores nature of this this workforce shortage and how to find new sources of talent.
The Role of Benchmarking in Managerial Performance
Authors: Stanciu Alina , Ifrim Ana-Maria
Published: August 2018

Benchmarking is one of the methods of widespread use in practice and in management theory, benefiting from continuous development. This article intends to identify and analyze the perspective of benchmarking in romanian smes from the perspective of quality, cost, effectiveness, and customer satisfaction. The results show that for many romanian organizations, benchmarking is still a little overlooked, on the one hand because of the lack of necessary financial resources, on the other hand, of a poor awareness of the importance of these investments in the medium and long term.
A Multi-Feature Based Automatic Approach to Geospatial Record Linking
Authors: Zhang Ying , Yang Puhai , Li Chaopeng , Zhang Gengrui , Wang Cheng , He Hui , Hu Xiang , Guan Zhitao
Published: August 2018

This article describes how geographic information systems (GISs) can enable, enrich and enhance geospatial applications and services. Accurate calculation of the similarity among geospatial entities that belong to different data sources is of great importance for geospatial data linking. At present, most research works use the name or category of the entity to measure the similarity of geographic information. Although the geospatial relationship is significant for geographic similarity measure, it has been ignored by most of the previous works. This article introduces the geospatial relationship and topology, and proposes an approach to compute the geospatial record similarity based on multiple features including the geospatial relationships, category and name tags. In order to improve the flexibility and operability, supervised machine learning such as SVM is used for the task of classifying pairs of mapping records. The authors test their approach using three sources, namely, OpenStreetMap, Google and Wikimapia. The results showed that the proposed approach obtained high correlation with the human judgements.
A Fuzzy Logic Based Synonym Resolution Approach for Automated Information Retrieval
Authors: Kathuria Mamta , Nagpal Chander Kumar , Duhan Neelam
Published: August 2018

Precise semantic similarity measurement between words is vital from the viewpoint of many automated applications in the areas of word sense disambiguation, machine translation, information retrieval and data clustering, etc. Rapid growth of the automated resources and their diversified novel applications has further reinforced this requirement. However, accurate measurement of semantic similarity is a daunting task due to inherent ambiguities of the natural language, spread of web documents across various domains, localities and dialects. All these issues render to the inadequacy of the manually maintained semantic similarity resources (i.e. dictionaries). This article uses context sets of the words under consideration in multiple corpora to compute semantic similarity and provides credible and verifiable semantic similarity results directly usable for automated applications in the intelligent manner using fuzzy inference mechanism. It can also be used to strengthen the existing lexical resources by augmenting the context set and properly defined extent of semantic similarity.
Pediatric Delirium in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Identification and Intervention
Authors: Bryant Kristen J.
Published: August 2018

Delirium is characterized by transient behavioral manifestations of acute brain disturbances. Delirium in the intensive care unit has been well researched and documented in the adult population. Pediatric delirium research has lagged, but recent developments in screening tools have shed light on the prevalence of delirium among children. The overall prevalence of delirium in the pediatric intensive care unit is 25%. A recent study showed a prevalence of 49% in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit; this higher prevalence may be due to factors related to critical illness and the postoperative environment. This article is intended to increase awareness of delirium in the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit and give nurses the tools to identify it and intervene when necessary. A definition of delirium is provided, and its prevalence, risk factors, and current knowledge are reviewed. Available screening tools and environmental and pharmacological interventions are explored.
Cutting Edge: IL-1R1 Mediates Host Resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Trans-Protection of Infected Cells
Authors: Bohrer Andrea C. , Tocheny Claire , Assmann Maike , Ganusov Vitaly V. , Mayer–Barber Katrin D.
Published: August 2018

IL-1R1 deficiency in mice causes severe susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mice and macrophage cultures lacking IL-1R1 display increased bacterial growth, suggesting that phagocytes may require IL-1R1–dependent antimicrobial signals to limit intracellular M. tuberculosis replication directly. However, the myeloid-cell–intrinsic versus –extrinsic requirements for IL-1R1 to control M. tuberculosis infection in mice have not been directly addressed. Using single-cell analysis of infected cells, competitive mixed bone marrow chimeras, and IL-1R1 conditional mutant mice, we show in this article that IL-1R1 expression by pulmonary phagocytes is uncoupled from their ability to control intracellular M. tuberculosis growth. Importantly, IL-1R1–dependent control was provided to infected cells in trans by both nonhematopoietic and hematopoietic cells. Thus, IL-1R1–mediated host resistance to M. tuberculosis infection does not involve mechanisms of cell-autonomous antimicrobicidal effector functions in phagocytes but requires the cooperation between infected cells and other cells of hematopoietic or nonhematopoietic origin to promote bacterial containment and control of infection.
Analysis of KIR3DP1 Polymorphism Provides Relevant Information on Centromeric KIR Gene Content
Authors: Bono Maria , Pende Daniela , Bertaina Alice , Moretta Alessandro , Della Chiesa Mariella , Sivori Simona , Zecca Marco , Locatelli Franco , Moretta Lorenzo , Bottino Cristina , Falco Michela
Published: August 2018

Four killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) genes, collectively referred to as framework genes, characterize almost all KIR haplotypes. In particular, KIR3DL3 and KIR3DL2 mark the ends of the locus, whereas KIR3DP1 and KIR2DL4 are located in the central part. A recombination hot spot, mapped between KIR3DP1 and KIR2DL4, splits the haplotypes into two regions: a centromeric (Cen) region (spanning from KIR3DL3 to KIR3DP1) and a telomeric region (from KIR2DL4 to KIR3DL2), both varying in KIR gene content. In this study, we analyzed KIR3DP1 polymorphism in a cohort of 316 healthy, unrelated individuals. To this aim, we divided KIR3DP1 alleles into two groups by the use of a sequence-specific primer– PCR approach. Our data clearly indicated that KIR3DP1 alleles present on haplotypes carrying Cen-A or Cen-B1 regions differ from those having Cen-B2 motifs. Few donors (∼3%) made exceptions, and they were all, except one, characterized by uncommon haplotypes, including either KIR deletions or KIR duplications. Consequently, as KIR2DL1 is present in Cen-A and Cen-B1 regions but absent in Cen-B2 regions, we demonstrated that KIR3DP1 polymorphism might represent a suitable marker for KIR2DL1 gene copy number analysis. Moreover, because Cen-B1 and Cen-B2 regions are characterized by different KIR3DP1 alleles, we showed that KIR3DP1 polymorphism analysis also provides information to dissect between Cen-B1/Cen-B1 and Cen-B1/Cen-B2 donors. Taken together, our data suggest that the analysis of KIR3DP1 polymorphism should be included in KIR repertoire evaluation.
Mechanistic Insights into CpG DNA and IL-15 Synergy in Promoting B Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Clonal Expansion
Authors: Gupta Rashmi , Yan Xiao J. , Barrientos Jacqueline , Kolitz Jonathan E. , Allen Steven L. , Rai Kanti , Chiorazzi Nicholas , Mongini Patricia K. A.
Published: August 2018

Malignant cell growth within patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is largely restricted to lymphoid tissues, particularly lymph nodes. The recent in vitro finding that TLR-9 ligand (oligodeoxynucleotide [ODN]) and IL-15 exhibit strong synergy in promoting B-CLL growth may be particularly relevant to growth in these sites. This study shows IL-15–producing cells are prevalent within B-CLL–infiltrated lymph nodes and, using purified B-CLL cells from blood, investigates the mechanism for ODN and IL-15 synergy in driving B-CLL growth. ODN boosts baseline levels of phospho-RelA(S529) in B-CLL and promotes NF-κB–driven increases in IL15RA and IL2RB mRNA, followed by elevated IL-15Rα and IL-2/IL-15Rβ (CD122) protein. IL-15→CD122 signaling during a critical interval, 20 to 36–48 h following initial ODN exposure, is required for optimal induction of the cycling process. Furthermore, experiments with neutralizing anti–IL-15 and anti-CD122 mAbs indicate that clonal expansion requires continued IL-15/CD122 signaling during cycling. The latter is consistent with evidence of heightened IL2RB mRNA in the fraction of recently proliferated B-CLL cells within patient peripheral blood. Compromised ODN+IL-15 growth with limited cell density is consistent with a role for upregulated IL-15Rα in facilitating homotypic trans IL-15 signaling, although there may be other explanations. Together, the findings show that ODN and IL-15 elicit temporally distinct signals that function in a coordinated manner to drive B-CLL clonal expansion.
ERK Signaling Controls Innate-like CD8+ T Cell Differentiation via the ELK4 (SAP-1) and ELK1 Transcription Factors
Authors: Maurice Diane , Costello Patrick , Sargent Mathew , Treisman Richard
Published: August 2018

In mouse thymocyte development, signaling by the TCR through the ERK pathway is required for positive selection of conventional naive T cells. The Ets transcription factor ELK4 (SAP-1), an ERK-regulated cofactor of the SRF transcription factor, plays an important role in positive selection by activating immediate-early genes such as the Egr transcription factor family. The role of ELK4–SRF signaling in development of other T cell types dependent on ERK signaling has been unclear. In this article, we show that ELK4, and its close relative ELK1, act cell autonomously in the thymus to control the generation of innate-like αβ CD8+ T cells with memory-like characteristics. Mice lacking ELK4 and ELK1 develop increased numbers of innate-like αβ CD8+ T cells, which populate the periphery. These cells develop cell autonomously rather than through expansion of PLZF+ thymocytes and concomitantly increased IL-4 signaling. Their development is associated with reduced TCR-mediated activation of ELK4–SRF target genes and can be partially suppressed by overexpression of the ELK4–SRF target gene EGR2. Consistent with this, partial inhibition of ERK signaling in peripheral CD8+T cells promotes the generation of cells with innate-like characteristics. These data establish that low-level ERK signaling through ELK4 (and ELK1) promotes innate-like αβ CD8+ T cell differentiation, tuning conventional versus innate-like development.
Cutting Edge: Glycolytic Metabolism and Mitochondrial Metabolism Are Uncoupled in Antigen-Activated CD8+ Recent Thymic Emigrants
Authors: Cunningham Cody A. , Hoppins Suzanne , Fink Pamela J.
Published: August 2018

Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are peripheral T cells that have most recently completed selection and thymic egress and constitute a population that is phenotypically and functionally distinct from its more mature counterpart. Ag-activated RTEs are less potent effectors than are activated mature T cells, due in part to reduced aerobic glycolysis (correctable by exogenous IL-2), which in turn impacts IFN-γ production. Mitochondria serve as nodal regulators of cell function, but their contribution to the unique biology of RTEs is unknown. In this study, we show that activated mouse RTEs have impaired oxidative phosphorylation, even in the presence of exogenous IL-2. This altered respiratory phenotype is the result of decreased CD28 signaling, reduced glutaminase induction, and diminished mitochondrial mass in RTEs relative to mature T cells. These results suggest an uncoupling whereby IL-2 tunes the rate of RTE glycolytic metabolism, whereas the unique profile of RTE mitochondrial metabolism is “hard wired.”
Communication channels in the host community market adopted by Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs
Authors: Ndoro Tinashe T.R. , Louw Lynette , Kanyangale MacDonald
Published: August 2018

Orientation: There is a growing prevalence of entrepreneurial activity by immigrant entrepreneurs in different sectors of various economies across the world. Immigrant entrepreneurs seek to identify opportunities to grow and sustain their businesses in hostile business markets. Immigrant entrepreneurs use an array of channels of communication to gain insight of the opportunities in the market.Research purpose: The study sought to investigate the communication channels used by Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs to identify opportunities in the host community market.Motivation for the study: The study was undertaken given the dearth of research on the role of communication channels in enabling the identification of opportunities by immigrant entrepreneurs.Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research design was adopted in which purposive and snowball sampling were adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs operating small businesses in the South African context.Main findings: The results indicate that the immigrant entrepreneurs identified opportunities in the business environment through establishing channels of communication that manifested as networks with family members, customers, local employees and competitors. Building relationships through networks was key for the process of identifying opportunities.Practical/managerial implications: The study provides evidence that information about opportunities in the market is identified through dynamic channels of communication characterised by networks with different stakeholders.Contribution/value-add: Communication channels are pivotal in enabling the identification of opportunities in the business environment. Immigrant entrepreneurs actively create and sustain their relationships with various stakeholders in the business environment to be able to identify opportunities in the business environment.
Bayesian inference of earthquake rupture models using polynomial chaos expansion
Authors: Cruz-Jiménez Hugo , Li Guotu , Mai Paul Martin , Hoteit Ibrahim , Knio Omar M.
Published: August 2018

Abstract. In this paper, we employed polynomial chaos (PC) expansions to understand earthquake rupture model responses to random fault plane properties. A sensitivity analysis based on our PC surrogate model suggests that the hypocenter location plays a dominant role in peak ground velocity (PGV) responses, while elliptical patch properties only show secondary impact. In addition, the PC surrogate model is utilized for Bayesian inference of the most likely underlying fault plane configuration in light of a set of PGV observations from a ground-motion prediction equation (GMPE). A restricted sampling approach is also developed to incorporate additional physical constraints on the fault plane configuration and to increase the sampling efficiency.
Exceptionally cold water days in the southern Taiwan Strait: their predictability and relation to La Niña
Authors: Cheng Yu-Hsin , Chang Ming-Huei
Published: August 2018

Abstract. The objectives of this study were to assess the predictability of
exceptionally cold water in the Taiwan Strait (TS) and to develop a warning
system on the basis of the scientific mechanism, which is a component of the
information technology system currently under development in Taiwan to
protect aquaculture against extreme hazards. Optimum interpolation sea
surface temperature (SST) data were used to find exceptionally cold water
days from January 1995 to May 2017. We found that the SST and wind speed over
the TS are low and strong in La Niña winters, respectively. According to
tests conducted using relative operating characteristic curves, predictions
based on the Oceanic Niño Index and integrated wind speed can be employed
at lead times of 60–120 and 0–25 days, respectively. This study utilized
these two proxies to develop a possible warning mechanism and concluded four
colors of warning light: (1) blue, meaning normal (0 % occurrence
probability); (2) cyan, meaning warning (∼ 50 % occurrence
probability); (3) yellow, meaning moderate risk (∼ 60 % occurrence
probability); and (4) red, meaning high risk (∼ 75 % occurrence
probability). Hindcasting winters over the period 1995–2017 successfully
predicted the cold water hazards in the winters of 2000, 2008, and 2011 prior
to the coldest day by ∼ 20 days.
PLAUKŲ PRIEŽIŪROS PRIEMONIŲ NEPAGEIDAUJAMAS POVEIKIS: RAIŠKA, PASIRINKIMO KRITERIJAI
Authors: Šniepienė Gražina , Gerikienė Vitalija
Published: August 2018

Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti moterų plaukų priežiūros priemonių pasirinkimo, patirtų nepageidaujamų poveikių ir išsilavinimo sąsajas. Atliktas kiekybinis tyrimas: anoniminė anketinė apklausa. Tyrime dalyvavo 386 Klaipėdos miesto moterys. Statistinė duomenų analizė atlikta, naudojant duomenų kaupimo ir analizės SPSS programos 17 versijos programinį paketą. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė, kad didžioji respondentų dalis patyrė nepageidaujamų poveikių, susijusių su plaukų priežiūros priemonių vartojimu. Jiems renkantis plaukų priežiūros priemones siekiama estetinė išvaizda buvo mažiau svarbi. Respondentams, nepatyrusiems nepageidaujamų poveikių, buvo mažiau svarbi kaina, gaminio kvapas ir pagaminusios kompanijos vardas. Respondentai, įgiję aukštesnį išsilavinimą, mažiau patyrė nepageidaujamų poveikių, susijusių su plaukų priežiūros priemonių vartojimu. Renkantis priemones jiems buvo mažiau svarbi kaina ir ilgas priemonių galiojimo laikas. Žemesnio išsilavinimo respondentams buvo mažiau svarbi natūrali gaminių sudėtis ir nekenksmingumas aplinkai.
FIZINĘ NEGALIĄ ĮGIJUSIŲ ASMENŲ SPORTINĖS VEIKLOS
PASIRINKIMO PSICHOLOGINIAI ASPEKTAI
Authors: Klizas Šarūnas , Abugelytė Greta
Published: August 2018

Tyrimo tikslas – atskleisti asmenų pasirinkimo pradėti
sportinę veiklą po fizinės negalios įgijimo psichologinius
aspektus. Tyrimo dalyviai – Kaune ir Vilniuje
gyvenantys 27 – 47 metų asmenys, turintys įgytą fizinę
negalią ir šiuo metu ne trumpiau nei 3 metus
užsiimantys sportine veikla (n=5). Tyrimo metodai.
Tyrimui atlikti pasirinktas kokybinis tyrimo tipas.
Duomenų rinkimui pasirinktas pusiau struktūruoto
interviu metodas. Su atrankos kriterijus atitikusiais
tyrimo dalyviais susisiekta telefonu arba internetu,
jie supažindinti su tyrimo tema, tikslu ir procedūra,
susitarta dėl patogios vietos ir laiko tyrimui atlikti.
Interviu atlikimo metu tyrimo dalyviams užduoti 2
pagrindiniai bei tikslinamieji klausimai, atsakant į su
tyrimu susijusius klausimus. Gauti duomenys analizuoti
teminės duomenų analizės principu, 6 etapais,
pasitelkus kompiuterinę kokybinių duomenų analizės
programą ATLAS.ti (versija 7.5.7). Rezultatai.
Duomenų analizės metu išskirtos 2 pagrindinės temos:
pirmoji – „Paskatos ir kliūtys pradėti sportinę
veiklą“ suformuota iš 2 potemių, apimančių paskatas
ir kliūtis pradėti sportinę veiklą; antroji – „Iššūkiai
sportinėje veikloje“ sudaryta iš 3 potemių, kuriose
atskleisti sportinės veiklos pradžioje kilę iššūkiai.
Išvados: 1. Atskleista, kad fizinę negalią įgijusių asmenų
pasirinkimą pradėti užsiimti sportine veikla
po fizinės negalios įgijimo lemia paskatos ir kliūtys.
Kaip paskatos pradėti sportinę veiklą nurodytas vidinis
noras, naujos patirties siekis, savarankiškumo įrodymo
siekis ir išorinė paskata, o kaip kliūtys – fizinis
nepajėgumas bei informacijos trūkumas. 2. Išryškėjo,
kad sportinės veiklos pasirinkimo pradžioje fizinę negalią
įgiję asmenys susiduria su šiais iššūkiais: nepalaikančia
aplinka, aplinkinių reakcijos baime, išėjimu
iš komforto zonos.
DIGOKSINO VARTOJIMAS VYRESNIO AMŽIAUS PACIENTŲ GRUPĖJE
Authors: Ališauskas Andrius , Jankauskienė Laima
Published: August 2018

Įvadas. Gydant progresuojantį širdies nepakankamumąsu sumažėjusia kairiojo skilvelio išstūmimofrakcija šalia pagrindinių medikamentų grupių(AKFI/ARB, BAB, MRA) skiriamas ir digoksinas.Gydant vyresnio amžiaus pacientus svarbu atsižvelgtiį su amžiumi susijusius farmakokinetikos ir farmakodinamikospokyčius: sumažėjusį glomerulų filtracijosgreitį, lytį, šalutines ligas. Vyresnio amžiaus pacientaiblogiau toleruoja digoksino preparatus nei jaunesni.Jie turi padidėjusią digoksino toksiškumo riziką.Tyrimo medžiaga ir metodai. Atliktas retrospektyvinistyrimas II lygio kardiologijos skyriuje. Tirti 65 metųir vyresni pacientai, ambulatoriškai vartoję digoksiną.Tirtos sąsajos tarp serumo digoksino koncentracijosir pacientų amžiaus, digoksino vartojimo schemos,lyties, kreatinino, kalio koncentracijos, glomerulųfiltracijos greičio, sergamumo šalutinėmis ligomis,elektrokardiografinių pakitimų, diuretikų bei antiaritminiųvaistų vartojimo.Rezultatai. Vidutinė digoksino koncentracija serume2,01 ng/ml (min. 0,40 ng/ml, maks. – 5,10 ng/ml).Nustatyta, kad serumo digoksino koncentracija suamžiumi didėja (r=0,261, p=0,000). Nustatyta sąsajatarp inkstų funkcijos ir serumo digoksino koncentracijos.Kreatinino koncentracijos padidėjimas lemiair serumo digoksino koncentracijos padidėjimą(r=0,182, p=0,009). Su amžiumi mažėja glomerulųfiltracijos greitis, kuris susijęs su didėjančia serumodigoksino koncentracija (r= -0,335, p=0,000). Nustatyta,kad tarp moterų digoksino koncentracija didesnė,nei tarp vyrų (p<0,05). Didesnė digoksino paros dozėbuvo susijusi su didesne digoksino koncentracija serume(p<0,05). Antiaritminių vaistų ir diuretikų vartojimastaip pat buvo susijęs su didesne digoksinokoncentracija serume (p<0,05). Didėjanti digoksinokoncentracija serume lėmė elektrokardiografiniuspokyčius: bradikardiją, skilvelines ekstrasistoles, atrioventrikulinęblokadą (p<0,05).Išvados. Mūsų tyrimo duomenimis, didesnė serumodigoksino koncentracija buvo susijusi su vyresniuamžiumi, moteriška lytimi, didesne kreatinino koncentracijair sumažėjusiu glomerulų filtracijos greičiu,didesne paros digoksino doze, antiaritminių vaistų irdiuretikų vartojimu, elektrokardiografiniais pakitimaisbei obstrukcinės plaučių ligos buvimu. Vyresniemspacientams rekomenduojama digoksino parosdozė yra 0,125 – 0,0625 mg. Serumo digoksinokoncentracija 1 ng/ml yra pakankama. Tirtų pacientųvidutinė serumo digoksino koncentracija buvo 2,01ng/ml, taigi viršijo rekomenduojamą. Lietuvoje nėra0,125 mg digoksino tablečių. Reikėtų inicijuoti jųpatekimą į Lietuvos vaistų rinką.
Performance measurement in perspective: An exploratory study of Australian foundations' approaches to performance measurement (ACPNS Working Paper number 64)
Authors: Leat Diana , Williamson Alexandra , Scaife Wendy
Published: August 2018

Performance measurement in Australian philanthropic foundations is a hot topic. Foundation staff and board members are concerned with striking the right balance between their need for information with which to assess the effectiveness of their grant-making programs, and the costs in both time and money for grantees. Influenced by normative pressures, the increasing size and professionalism of the Australian philanthropic sector, and trends from the U.S.A and the U.K, foundations are talking amongst themselves, seeking expert advice and training, consulting with grantees and trying different approaches. Many resources examine methods of data collection, measurement or analysis. Our study instead treads into less charted but important territory: the motivations and values that are shaping the debate about performance measurement. In a series of 40 interviews with foundations from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, we asked whether they felt under pressure to measure performance and if so, why. We queried whether everyone in the foundation shared the same views on the purposes of performance measurement; and the ways in which the act of performance measurement changed their grant-making, their attitude to risk, their relationship with grantees and their collaborations with other funders. Unsurprisingly, a very diverse set of approaches to performance measurement were revealed.
Analysis of the Effectiveness of E-Government in the Federal Government of Nigeria
Authors: Dibie Robert A. , Quadri Maryam O.
Published: August 2018

This paper examines the nature, impact, effectiveness and barriers of e-government in the Federal Government of Nigeria. It also explores the extent to which e-government has facilitated a better relationship between citizens and the federal government of Nigeria. It argues that the utilization of technologies such as internet, email, websites, and social media have yet to effectively connect citizens, and the government. As a result, the federal government of Nigeria has not fully adopted the new e-government approaches to improve its services. The paper uses data derived from questionnaire survey administered to 3,000 Nigerian citizens including federal government staff in Abuja, Lagos and some state capitals in Nigeria., Interviews of 300 federal officials and stakeholders were conducted. The secondary data consisted of the review of related government reports, government websites, academic and professional journals. Data were analyzed to determine the impacts of e-governance in the federal government. The conceptual framework is based on stakeholders’ theory, and an integrated e-government model. The findings suggest that on one hand there is a negative correlation between the e-governance initiatives and federal government efficient service delivery in Nigeria. On the other hand, there is also a negative correlation between citizens and federal government relations in the country. Some challenges preventing the adoption of proactive e-governance practices were identified and recommendations for appropriate policies that could address the current impediments were offered.
Correlação entre índice de massa corporal e circunferência abdominal em adultos e idosos
Authors: Ruiz da Silva Luiz Alberto , Takamatu Watanabe Elaine Aparecida Mye , De Oliveira Roberto Dias , Santos Junior Valfredo De Almeida
Published: August 2018

A adiposidade abdominal está diretamente ligada ao risco de desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares. Indicadores antropométricos têm limitações, por não detectarem a variação na distribuição de gordura corporal, podendo subestimar o risco cardíaco em adultos e idosos. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar os indicadores antropométricos utilizados em adultos e idosos que melhor se correlacionam com a adiposidade central, para predizer de forma mais eficaz o risco cardíaco em estudos epidemiológicos neste público. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo transversal com 33 indivíduos adultos e idosos, participantes do projeto Universidade Aberta para a Melhor Idade, da Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul. Foi analisada a composição corporal por meio do índice
de massa corporal (IMC) e o risco cardíaco por meio da circunferência abdominal (CA). Foi realizada a correlação de Pearson entre o IMC e a CA, com nível de significância
p < 0,05. A maioria dos participantes do estudo (77,78%) apresentou risco cardiovascular de acordo com a adiposidade central. O IMC teve forte correlação com a CA em ambos os sexos (R = 0,82). Conclui-se que o IMC é um indicador antropométrico importante para identificar a
existência de riscos cardiovasculares decorrentes da adiposidade central, como pode ser observado nos participantes. São, portanto, necessárias estratégias políticas e intervenções que reduzam esses riscos e melhorem a qualidade de vida nesta população.
Acidentes com animais peçonhentos e venenosos em idosos registrados em municípios do estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil
Authors: Beltrame Vilma , D'Agostini Fernanda Maurer
Published: August 2018

O presente estudo tem por objetivo avaliar aspectos epidemiológicos dos acidentes com animais peçonhentos e venenosos em idosos registrados em municípios do estado
de Santa Catarina, na Região Sul do Brasil, por meio de dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan). Foram analisadas, de maneira retrospectiva,
informações sobre os acidentes ocorridos no período de 2010 a 2014, e os dados foram obtidos por meio das “Fichas de Acidentes por Animais Peçonhentos”, atendidos e/ou ocorridos nas unidades de atendimento. Foram registrados 1.656 casos de acidentes, sendo que 246 ocorreram em idosos, 143 do sexo masculino e 103 do sexo feminino. A maioria dos acidentes foi ocasionada na
zona rural e causada por aranhas, seguidas de lagartas, abelhas, serpentes, escorpiões e vespas. Quanto à sazonalidade, o período em que ocorreu o maior número de acidentes foi nos meses de dezembro a março. O tempo de atendimento médico variou de 1 hora a 24 horas. Os dados encontrados permitem diagnosticar a necessidade e a importância de estudos epidemiológicos sobre acidentes causados por animais peçonhentos e venenosos.
Utilização dos critérios de Beers para avaliação das prescrições em idosos portadores de doenças crônicas vinculados a um plano de saúde
Authors: Oliveira Henrique Souza Barros de , Sousa Jamile Rafaela Poltronieri de , Donis Ana Carolina Gariba , Manso Maria Elisa Gonzalez
Published: August 2018

A senescência é um processo natural do envelhecimento que altera a farmacocinética e a farmacodinâmica dos medicamentos, sendo particularmente importante quando se trata de um país de idosos como o Brasil. Associado à idade, há um aumento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNTs) e consequentemente do uso de diversos medicamentos. A polifarmácia aumenta o risco de reações adversas, especialmente quando associado à prescrição de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados (MPIs) para idosos. O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a prescrição de MPIs por meio dos critérios de Beers de 2015 em um grupo de idosos portadores de doenças crônicas vinculados a um plano de saúde em São Paulo, Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo, realizado mediante a análise de 5.995 prescrições médicas, de setembro a dezembro de 2015. Os medicamentos foram examinados segundo os critérios
de Beers revisados em 2015. Observou-se que, das 5.995 prescrições médicas feitas a 1.428 idosos, 20,3% foram consideradas inapropriadas. Os MPIs mais prescritos foram: inibidores de bomba de prótons (IBP), 39,4% (481); antidiabéticos, 13,3% (162); benzodiazepínicos (BZP) de ação curta, intermediária e longa, 10,8% (132);
anti-inflamatórios não hormonais (AINEs), 10,3% (127); e anti-histamínicos de primeira geração, 6,8% (83). O grupo estudado apresentou um alto índice de prescrição inadequada de medicamentos em uso contínuo. Trata-se de um grupo populacional de risco, devido às suas próprias particularidades clínicas, predispondo a desfechos
biopsicossociais desfavoráveis.
Transformaciones en las relaciones de género-familiares y la agencia de campesinas indígenas cafetaleras en cooperativa
Authors: López Zepeda Ana Georgina
Published: August 2018

El presente artículo muestra algunos hallazgos respecto a las transformaciones familiares y de género de las últimas décadas en los ámbitos rurales, sustentada en la investigación realizada para mi tesis doctoral: “Campesinas indígenas cafetaleras en cooperativa: Violencias y alternativas de agencia. El caso del Ejido Zaragoza, Municipio de Ocosingo, Chiapas” la cual aborda diversas situaciones que atraviesan las mujeres en los ámbitos rurales y sus posibilidades de agencia al estar organizadas en cooperativa. Este trabajo tiene un enfoque de género y antropológico, apoyado en la etnografía y en la comprensión teórica de lo que viven las mujeres en estos contextos. La investigación constituye un aporte con relación a las dinámicas rurales de las últimas décadas de las familias indígenas, que se expresan en conjunto con las alternativas de generar ingresos extra-domésticos y construir capacidades individuales y colectivas a través de la cooperativa.
“Aquí nadie es más que nadie”. Igualdad y familias en el debate sobre el “matrimonio igualitario” en Uruguay
Authors: Sempol Diego
Published: August 2018

En 2013 Uruguay pasó a ser el segundo país de América Latina en aprobar el “matrimonio igualitario”, una reforma del Código Civil, que permitió –entre otras cosas- contraer matrimonio a las parejas del mismo sexo/género. Este artículo busca indagar, desde una perspectiva histórica, las condiciones que facilitaron este reconocimiento de derechos, así como analizar las nociones de familia que se pusieron en juego durante el debate social en torno al proyecto. En particular, se intenta debatir con las visiones teóricas que consideran este tipo de reformas como una concesión innecesaria a la heteronormatividad a través del estudio contextualizado de un caso donde se visualiza como este cambio permitió revertir formas históricas de subordinación, a través de una normalización democratizadora.
Relaciones de género emergentes y paternidad en el hacer familia dentro de contextos Homoparentales
Authors: Robaldo Marcelo
Published: August 2018

El presente artículo presenta los resultados de la investigación titulada Relaciones de género emergentes en el hacer familia dentro de contextos Homoparentales, realizada para el Master de Equidad Igualdad en el Desarrollo de la Universidad de Vic, España. Aborda las relaciones inter-género dentro de contextos de homoparentalidad. Se parte de la noción que las personas no heterosexuales pueden compartir una realidad comunitaria que los vincula solidariamente frente a la exclusión y por ende las lleva a “hacer” parentalidad de un modo reflexivo – hablamos aquí de la parentalidad como un “hacer” performativo tal como lo plantea Judith Butler-. Un modo de hacer parentalidad que no es “natural” y que conlleva negociaciones, acuerdos y compromisos que lo diferencian respecto de una construcción del parentesco hecha en sintonía con el contexto cultural y social de la heteronormatividad.