bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact Characteristics of Steel Spheres Dropped into a Single Layer Composite
Authors: Özben Tamer
Published: February 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the different mechanical properties with respect to the impact behaviour on a single layer composite. For this, steel spheres have been used with low initial speed of vo = 2.5 m/s, 4 m/s and 5 m/s and three different diameters. The spheres have been dropped to the plate surface in the vertical direction. Sphere diameters of d = 7 mm, 8.5 mm and 10 mm have been chosen and the effect of impact on three different ply made composite materials has been calculated. The impact characteristics were evaluated by the pulse parameter λ, the reversal energy E, the contact force F, and the rebound velocity V.
Acrylonitrile-Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer Film with Activated Carbon and MnO2 for Formaldehyde Degradation
Authors: Wei Shao , Hua Zhang , Kai Gao , Dong Wan , Xingxiang Zhang
Published: February 2014

Acrylonitrile-vinylidene chloride (AN-VDC) copolymer films containing activated carbon, manganese dioxide nanoparticles were fabricated via casting method. The formaldehyde degradation capacity of copolymer film was investigated. The results showed that formaldehyde eliminating rate was obviously improved when copolymer film was blended with MnO2 or activated carbon, respectively. The HCHO removal rate increased with concentration of MnO2 or activated carbon. HCHO degradation rate of AN-VDC copolymer film without addition was 45 % for 48 h, while it was up to 90–95 % with the treatment time of 36 h after 3 wt.-% MnO2 or activated carbon addition. Furthermore, the complex effect of MnO2 and activated carbon on the degradation has also been studied. When 3 wt.-% MnO2 and 1 wt.-% activated carbon was mixed into copolymer, the HCHO removal rate was about 90 % for 36 h treatment. The results demonstrated that the formaldehyde eliminating rate was enhanced by complex addition of both MnO2 and activated carbon compared to films with single additions. The enhancement of HCHO eliminating efficiency occured due to a double effect of physical absorption of activated carbon and catalytic oxidation of MnO2.
Processed and Ultra-processed Food Products: Consumption Trends in Canada from 1938 to 2011
Authors: Moubarac Jean-Claude , Batal Malek , Martins Ana Paula Bortoletto , Claro Rafael , Levy Renata Bertazzi , Cannon Geoffrey , Monteiro Carlos
Published: February 2014

Purpose

A classification of foods based on the nature, extent, and purpose of industrial food processing was used to assess changes in household food expenditures and dietary energy availability between 1938 and 2011 in Canada.

Methods

Food acquisitions from six household food budget surveys (1938/1939 , 1953, 1969, 1984, 2001, and 2011) were classified into unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, and ready-to-consume processed or ultra-processed products. Contributions of each group to household food expenditures, and to dietary energy availability (kcal per capita) were calculated.

Results

During the period studied, household expenditures and dietary energy availability fell for both unprocessed or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients, and rose for ready-to-consume products. The caloric share of foods fell from 34.3% to 25.6% and from 37% to 12.7% for culinary ingredients. The share of ready-to-consume products rose from 28.7% to 61.7%, and the increase was especially noteworthy for those that were ultra-processed.

Conclusions

The most important factor that has driven changes in Canadian dietary patterns between 1938 and 2011 is the replacement of unprocessed or minimally processed foods and culinary ingredients used in the preparation of dishes and meals; these have been displaced by ready-to-consume ultra-processed products. Nutrition research and practice should incorporate information about food processing into dietary assessments.
Antioxidant and Protective Mechanisms against Hypoxia and Hypoglycaemia in Cortical Neurons in Vitro
Authors: Merino José , Roncero César , Oset-Gasque María , Naddaf Ahmad , González María
Published: February 2014

In the present work, we have studied whether cell death could be induced in cortical neurons from rats subjected to different period of O2 deprivation and low glucose (ODLG). This “in vitro” model is designed to emulate the penumbra area under ischemia. In these conditions, cortical neurons displayed loss of mitochondrial respiratory ability however, nor necrosis neither apoptosis occurred despite ROS production. The absence of cellular death could be a consequence of increased antioxidant responses such as superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) and GPX3. In addition, the levels of reduced glutathione were augmented and HIF-1/3α overexpressed. After long periods of ODLG (12–24 h) cortical neurons showed cellular and mitochondrial membrane alterations and did not recuperate cellular viability during reperfusion. This could mean that therapies directed toward prevention of cellular and mitochondrial membrane imbalance or cell death through mechanisms other than necrosis or apoptosis, like authophagy, may be a way to prevent ODLG damage.
Intelligence: Pre-Theory and Post-Theory
Authors: Flynn James
Published: February 2014

Defining “intelligence” exemplifies a mistake that has historical precedent: confusing the role of pre-theory and post-theory definitions. In every area, pre-theory concepts give broad directions for investigation: are the movements of heavenly bodies affected by the existence of other heavenly bodies? Post-theory concepts add precision and predictability. The mistake occurs when a successful theory like Newton’s demands that its peculiar and precise theory-imbedded concept forbids competing theories: Einstein was impossible (warping of space) so long as it was assumed that all theories must be in accord with Newton’s concept (attraction across space). In psychology, Arthur Jensen made the same mistake. He gave his theory-embedded concept of g the role of executioner: the significance of every phenomenon had to be interpreted by its compatibility with g; and thus trivialized the significance of IQ gains over time. This is only one instance of a perennial demand: give us a precise definition of “intelligence” to guide our research. However, precision comes after research has generated a theory and its very precision stifles competing research. Be happy with a broad definition on the pre-theory level that lets many competing theories bloom: pre-theory precision equals post-theory poverty.
Mapping Urban Transitions Using Multi-Temporal Landsat and DMSP-OLS Night-Time Lights Imagery of the Red River Delta in Vietnam
Authors: Castrence Miguel , Nong Duong , Tran Chinh , Young Luisa , Fox Jefferson
Published: February 2014

The urban transition that has emerged over the past quarter century poses new challenges for mapping land cover/land use change (LCLUC). The growing archives of imagery from various earth-observing satellites have stimulated the development of innovative methods for change detection in long-term time series. We tested two different multi-temporal remote sensing datasets and techniques for mapping the urban transition. Using the Red River Delta of Vietnam as a case study, we compared supervised classification of dense time stacks of Landsat data with trend analyses of an annual series of night-time lights (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS). The results of each method were corroborated through qualitative and quantitative GIS analyses. We found that these two approaches can be used synergistically, combining the advantages of each to provide a fuller understanding of the urban transition at different spatial scales.
Synthesis and Characterization of Holmium-Doped Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Authors: Bloemen Maarten , Vandendriessche Stefaan , Goovaerts Vincent , Brullot Ward , Vanbel Maarten , Carron Sophie , Geukens Nick , Parac-Vogt Tatjana , Verbiest Thierry
Published: February 2014

Rare earth atoms exhibit several interesting properties, for example, large magnetic moments and luminescence. Introducing these atoms into a different matrix can lead to a material that shows multiple interesting effects. Holmium atoms were incorporated into an iron oxide nanoparticle and the concentration of the dopant atom was changed in order to determine its influence on the host crystal. Its magnetic and magneto-optical properties were investigated by vibrating sample magnetometry and Faraday rotation measurements. The luminescent characteristics of the material, in solution and incorporated in a polymer thin film, were probed by fluorescence experiments.
Micropositioning and Fast Transport Using a Contactless Micro-Conveyor
Authors: Laurent Guillaume , Delettre Anne , Zeggari Rabah , Yahiaoui Reda , Manceau Jean-François , Fort-Piat Nadine
Published: February 2014

The micro-conveyor is a 9 × 9 mm2 manipulation surface able to move millimeter-sized planar objects in the four cardinal directions using air flows. Thanks to a specific design, the air flow comes through a network of micro-channels connected to an array of micro-nozzles. Thus, the micro-conveyor generates an array of tilted air jets that lifts and moves the object in the required direction. In this paper, we characterize the device for transport and positioning tasks and evaluate its performances in terms of speed, resolution and repeatability. We show that the micro-conveyor is able to move the object with a speed up to 137 mm · s-1 in less than 100 ms whereas the positioning repeatability is around 17.7 μm with feedback control. The smallest step the object can do is 0.3 μm (positioning resolution). Moreover, we estimated thanks to a dynamic model that the speed could reach 456 mm· s-1 if several micro-conveyors were used to form a conveying line.
Pyrrolidine-Mediated Direct Preparation of (E)-Monoarylidene Derivatives of Homo- and Heterocyclic Ketones with Various Aldehydes
Authors: Gu Xin , Wang Xiaoyan , Wang Fengtian , Sun Hongbao , Liu Jie , Xie Yongmei , Xiang Mingli
Published: February 2014

An efficient method for the facile synthesis of (E)-monoarylidene derivatives of homo- and heterocyclic ketones with various aldehydes in the presence of a pyrrolidine organocatalyst has been achieved. A range of α,β-unsaturated ketones were obtained in moderate to high yields (up to 99%). Unlike the Claisen-Schmidt condensation process, the formation of undesired bisarylidene byproducts is not observed. The possible reaction mechanism suggests that the reaction proceeds via a Mannich-elimination sequence.
A High-Dose Shiitake Mushroom Increases Hepatic Accumulation of Triacylglycerol in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet: Underlying Mechanism
Authors: Handayani Dian , Meyer Barbara , Chen Jiezhong , Brown Simon , Mitchell Todd , Huang Xu-Feng
Published: February 2014

Shiitake mushroom have been shown to have health benefits including lowering plasma lipids and preventing body weight gain. However, their underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The study aim was to assess the potential underlying mechanism of Shiitake mushrooms in lowering plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) in rats fed a high fat diet (HFD). Forty Wistar rats were divided into control group were given HFD and treatment group were fed HFD, enriched with Shiitake mushroom powder at a low dose (LD-M): 0.7%, medium dose (MD-M): 2%, or high dose (HD-M): 6% (wt:wt) for six weeks. Diets were isocaloric containing ~50% energy from fat. After six weeks’ dietary intervention, the rats were sacrificed, and blood and tissue samples were collected. The HD-M group showed a significantly higher ratio of liver weight to 100 g body weight (p < 0.05), a more severe hepatic steatosis marker, such as hepatocyte ballooning (p < 0.0001), and more liver triacylglycerol content than LD-M and MD-M (p < 0.05). HD-M also showed a significantly decreased ratio of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) compared to HFD (p < 0.05), however, there were no differences compared to HD-M and MD-M. Our results also showed a positive association between the dosage, liver TAG, and liver ballooning histology. A negative association was found between the mushroom dosage and the ratio of liver PC to PE. This study showed the mechanism of how high-dose Shiitake mushroom (HD-M) prevents obesity by increasing TAG accumulation in the liver, rather than adipose tissue.
Absolute Calibration of Optical Satellite Sensors Using Libya 4 Pseudo Invariant Calibration Site
Authors: Mishra Nischal , Helder Dennis , Angal Amit , Choi Jason , Xiong Xiaoxiong
Published: February 2014

The objective of this paper is to report the improvements in an empirical absolute calibration model developed at South Dakota State University using Libya 4 (+28.55°, +23.39°) pseudo invariant calibration site (PICS). The approach was based on use of the Terra MODIS as the radiometer to develop an absolute calibration model for the spectral channels covered by this instrument from visible to shortwave infrared. Earth Observing One (EO-1) Hyperion, with a spectral resolution of 10 nm, was used to extend the model to cover visible and near-infrared regions. A simple Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution function (BRDF) model was generated using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations over Libya 4 and the resulting model was validated with nadir data acquired from satellite sensors such as Aqua MODIS and Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+). The improvements in the absolute calibration model to account for the BRDF due to off-nadir measurements and annual variations in the atmosphere are summarized. BRDF models due to off-nadir viewing angles have been derived using the measurements from EO-1 Hyperion. In addition to L7 ETM+, measurements from other sensors such as Aqua MODIS, UK-2 Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), ENVISAT Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat 8 (L8), which was launched in February 2013, were employed to validate the model. These satellite sensors differ in terms of the width of their spectral bandpasses, overpass time, off-nadir-viewing capabilities, spatial resolution and temporal revisit time, etc. The results demonstrate that the proposed empirical calibration model has accuracy of the order of 3% with an uncertainty of about 2% for the sensors used in the study.
Ontology-Based Classification of Building Types Detected from Airborne Laser Scanning Data
Authors: Belgiu Mariana , Tomljenovic Ivan , Lampoltshammer Thomas , Blaschke Thomas , Höfle Bernhard
Published: February 2014

Accurate information on urban building types plays a crucial role for urban development, planning, and management. In this paper, we apply Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) methods to extract buildings from Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) data and investigate the possibility of classifying detected buildings into “Residential/Small Buildings”, “Apartment Buildings”, and “Industrial and Factory Building” classes by means of domain ontology and machine learning techniques. The buildings objects are classified using exclusively the information computed from the ALS data. To select the relevant features for predicting the classes of interest, the Random Forest classifier has been applied. The ontology-based classification yielded convincing results for the “Residential/Small Buildings” class (F-Measure 97.7%), whereas the “Apartment Buildings” and “Industrial and Factory Buildings” classes achieved less accurate results (F-Measure 60% and 51%, respectively).
Availability Issues in Wireless Visual Sensor Networks
Authors: Costa Daniel , Silva Ivanovitch , Guedes Luiz , Vasques Francisco , Portugal Paulo
Published: February 2014

Wireless visual sensor networks have been considered for a large set of monitoring applications related with surveillance, tracking and multipurpose visual monitoring. When sensors are deployed over a monitored field, permanent faults may happen during the network lifetime, reducing the monitoring quality or rendering parts or the entire network unavailable. In a different way from scalar sensor networks, camera-enabled sensors collect information following a directional sensing model, which changes the notions of vicinity and redundancy. Moreover, visual source nodes may have different relevancies for the applications, according to the monitoring requirements and cameras’ poses. In this paper we discuss the most relevant availability issues related to wireless visual sensor networks, addressing availability evaluation and enhancement. Such discussions are valuable when designing, deploying and managing wireless visual sensor networks, bringing significant contributions to these networks.
Efficient Hardware Implementation of the Horn-Schunck Algorithm for High-Resolution Real-Time Dense Optical Flow Sensor
Authors: Komorkiewicz Mateusz , Kryjak Tomasz , Gorgon Marek
Published: February 2014

This article presents an efficient hardware implementation of the Horn-Schunck algorithm that can be used in an embedded optical flow sensor. An architecture is proposed, that realises the iterative Horn-Schunck algorithm in a pipelined manner. This modification allows to achieve data throughput of 175 MPixels/s and makes processing of Full HD video stream (1; 920 × 1; 080 @ 60 fps) possible. The structure of the optical flow module as well as pre- and post-filtering blocks and a flow reliability computation unit is described in details. Three versions of optical flow modules, with different numerical precision, working frequency and obtained results accuracy are proposed. The errors caused by switching from floating- to fixed-point computations are also evaluated. The described architecture was tested on popular sequences from an optical flow dataset of the Middlebury University. It achieves state-of-the-art results among hardware implementations of single scale methods. The designed fixed-point architecture achieves performance of 418 GOPS with power efficiency of 34 GOPS/W. The proposed floating-point module achieves 103 GFLOPS, with power efficiency of 24 GFLOPS/W. Moreover, a 100 times speedup compared to a modern CPU with SIMD support is reported. A complete, working vision system realized on Xilinx VC707 evaluation board is also presented. It is able to compute optical flow for Full HD video stream received from an HDMI camera in real-time. The obtained results prove that FPGA devices are an ideal platform for embedded vision systems.
Dual Roadside Seismic Sensor for Moving Road Vehicle Detection and Characterization
Authors: Wang Hua , Quan Wei , Wang Yinhai , Miller Gregory
Published: February 2014

This paper presents a method for using a dual roadside seismic sensor to detect moving vehicles on roadway by installing them on a road shoulder. Seismic signals are split into fixed time intervals in recording. In each interval, the time delay of arrival (TDOA) is estimated using a generalized cross-correlation approach with phase transform (GCC-PHAT). Various kinds of vehicle characterization information, including vehicle speed, axle spacing, detection of both vehicle axles and moving direction, can also be extracted from the collected seismic signals as demonstrated in this paper. The error of both vehicle speed and axle spacing detected by this approach has been shown to be less than 20% through the field tests conducted on an urban street in Seattle. Compared to most existing sensors, this new design of dual seismic sensor is cost effective, easy to install, and effective in gathering information for various traffic management applications.
Detection and Tracking of Dynamic Objects by Using a Multirobot System: Application to Critical Infrastructures Surveillance
Authors: Rodríguez-Canosa Gonzalo , Del Cerro Giner Jaime , Barrientos Antonio
Published: February 2014

The detection and tracking of mobile objects (DATMO) is progressively gaining importance for security and surveillance applications. This article proposes a set of new algorithms and procedures for detecting and tracking mobile objects by robots that work collaboratively as part of a multirobot system. These surveillance algorithms are conceived of to work with data provided by long distance range sensors and are intended for highly reliable object detection in wide outdoor environments. Contrary to most common approaches, in which detection and tracking are done by an integrated procedure, the approach proposed here relies on a modular structure, in which detection and tracking are carried out independently, and the latter might accept input data from different detection algorithms. Two movement detection algorithms have been developed for the detection of dynamic objects by using both static and/or mobile robots. The solution to the overall problem is based on the use of a Kalman filter to predict the next state of each tracked object. Additionally, new tracking algorithms capable of combining dynamic objects lists coming from either one or various sources complete the solution. The complementary performance of the separated modular structure for detection and identification is evaluated and, finally, a selection of test examples discussed.
3D-nanoarchitectured Pd/Ni catalysts prepared by atomic layer deposition for the electrooxidation of formic acid
Authors: Assaud Loïc , Monyoncho Evans , Pitzschel Kristina , Allagui Anis , Petit Matthieu , Hanbücken Margrit , Baranova Elena A , Santinacci Lionel
Published: February 2014

Three-dimensionally (3D) nanoarchitectured palladium/nickel (Pd/Ni) catalysts, which were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on high-aspect-ratio nanoporous alumina templates are investigated with regard to the electrooxidation of formic acid in an acidic medium (0.5 M H2SO4). Both deposition processes, Ni and Pd, with various mass content ratios have been continuously monitored by using a quartz crystal microbalance. The morphology of the Pd/Ni systems has been studied by electron microscopy and shows a homogeneous deposition of granularly structured Pd onto the Ni substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis performed on Ni and NiO substrates revealed an amorphous structure, while the Pd coating crystallized into a fcc lattice with a preferential orientation along the [220]-direction. Surface chemistry analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed both metallic and oxide contributions for the Ni and Pd deposits. Cyclic voltammetry of the Pd/Ni nanocatalysts revealed that the electrooxidation of HCOOH proceeds through the direct dehydrogenation mechanism with the formation of active intermediates. High catalytic activities are measured for low masses of Pd coatings that were generated by a low number of ALD cycles, probably because of the cluster size effect, electronic interactions between Pd and Ni, or diffusion effects.
Efficacy of Tenofovir in Adefovir-Experienced Patients Compared with Treatment-Naive Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Keskin Onur , Örmeci Asli Ç , Baran Bülent , Kabaçam Gökhan , Tüzün Ali , Karatayli Ersin , Akyüz Filiz , Karatayli Senem , Bozdayi A Mithat , Önel Derya , Badur Selim , Idilman Ramazan , Kaymakoglu Sabahattin , Yurdaydin Cihan
Published: February 2014

Background

Tenofovir (TDF) has similar antiviral efficacy in both treatment-naive and lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Data on TDF use in patients with adefovir (ADV) resistance is inconsistent. The aim of our study was to assess antiviral efficacy of TDF against nucleoside analogue-naive (NN) and ADV-resistant (ADV-R) CHB and suboptimal responders to ADV (ADV-S).

Methods

A database of 135 CHB patients treated with TDF was analysed. A total of 37 patients with incomplete data were excluded and analysis was performed in 98 (44 NN, 30 ADV-R and 24 ADV-S). Patients with primary ADV-R mutations had either A181T/V or N236T mutations or both. HBV DNA was measured at 3-month intervals until month 24. Primary outcome measures were comparison of the decline of HBV DNA between the three treatment groups.

Results

NN patients had higher baseline HBV DNA compared with ADV-R and ADV-S patients (6.08 log10 IU/ml versus 5.53 and 4.88, respectively; P=0.002). By exponential regression analysis, HBV DNA decline kinetics differed between the three groups. HBV DNA decline was faster in NN patients compared to ADV-R and ADV-S CHB patients ( P=0.002 and P=0.004, respectively). Undetectable HBV DNA was achieved in 77.2%, 60% and 75% of NN, ADV-R and ADV-S CHB patients, respectively, at month 12 ( P= not significant).

Conclusions

HBV DNA decline is slower in ADV-experienced patients compared with treatment-naive patients. The clinical significance of this slow response may be important in patients with critical liver reserve and high viral load. Optimal combination treatment (TDF+ entecavir) could be considered in these patients.
The Effect of Intravenous Peramivir, Compared with Oral Oseltamivir, on the Outcome of Post-Influenza Pneumococcal Pneumonia in Mice
Authors: Tanaka Akitaka , Nakamura Shigeki , Seki Masafumi , Iwanaga Naoki , Kajihara Toshiki , Kitano Mitsutaka , Homma Tomoyuki , Kurihara Shintaro , Imamura Yoshifumi , Miyazaki Taiga , Izumikawa Koichi , Kakeya Hiroshi , Yanagihara Katsunori , Kohno Shigeru
Published: February 2014

Background

Pneumococcal pneumonia often occurs secondary to influenza infection and accounts for a large proportion of the morbidity and mortality associated with seasonal and pandemic influenza outbreaks. Peramivir is a novel, intravenous neuraminidase inhibitor that exhibits potent antiviral activity against influenza A and B viruses. We investigated the efficacy of peramivir for modulating the severity of secondary pneumococcal pneumonia.

Methods

CBA/JNCrlj mice, infected with influenza virus and superinfected with Streptococcus pneumoniae, were treated with either intravenous peramivir (single or multiple doses of 60 mg/kg/day) or oral oseltamivir at doses of 10 or 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses. The survival rate, viable bacterial count and virus titre in the lungs, as well as cytokine/chemokine concentration and histopathological findings were compared between both groups.

Results

The median duration of survival of coinfected mice was significantly prolonged by treatment with multiple doses of peramivir, relative to mice treated with oseltamivir at either dose. Viable bacterial counts and virus titres in the lungs were significantly reduced by intravenous peramivir treatment compared with no treatment or oral oseltamivir treatment. The production of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines was also significantly suppressed by multiple dosing of peramivir compared with oseltamivir. Increased survival appeared to be mediated by decreased inflammation, manifested as lower levels of inflammatory cells and proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs and less severe histopathological findings. The lungs of mice treated with multiple doses of peramivir showed mild inflammatory changes compared to oseltamivir.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that a multiple-dose regimen of intravenous peramivir was more efficacious than a single peramivir dose or multiple doses of oseltamivir for improving outcomes in pneumococcal pneumonia following influenza virus infection in mice.
Antibiotic usage in surgical prophylaxis: a prospective surveillance of surgical wards at a tertiary hospital in Malaysia
Authors: Oh Ai Ling , Goh Leh Min , Nik Azim Nik Abdullah , Tee Chee Sian , Shehab Phung Chee Wei
Published: February 2014

Introduction: The widespread and inappropriate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in surgical prophylaxis has led to reduced treatment efficacy, increased healthcare costs, and antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to explore the adherence of antibiotic usage in surgical prophylaxis to the national antibiotic guideline and the incidences of surgical site infection (SSI). Methodology: A three-month prospective observational study has been conducted in the surgical wards of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) using a standardized surveillance form. Each patient was reviewed for up to 30 days post-operatively to determine the occurrence of SSI. Results: A total of 87 patients were included within the study period. The majority of the cases were clean-contaminated wounds (60.9%). Most were hepatobiliary cases (37.9%), followed by colorectal cases (19.5%). The most preferred antibiotic used was cefoperazone (63.2%). The choices of antibiotics in 78.2% of the cases were consistent with the guideline. Around 80% of prophylactic antibiotics were given within one hour before operation and 27.6% were omitted from intraoperative re-dosing. Prophylactic antibiotics were discontinued within 24 hours post-operatively in 77% of the cases. Of those continued for > 24 hours, the majority (60%) were administered for unknown reasons. SSI was documented in 13.8% of the total cases studied. However, there was no significant association between choices of antibiotics and timing of surgical prophylaxis with SSI (p = 0.299 and p = 0.258 respectively). Conclusion: Overall guideline adherence rate was more than 70%. Areas of non-concordance to the guideline require further investigation..
Mutant prevention concentrations of ciprofloxacin against urinary isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Daoud Ziad , Sokhn Elie Salem , Azar Eid , Masri Khalil , Doron Shira
Published: February 2014

Introduction: The aim of this work was to study the ability of ciprofloxacin to restrict the development of resistant mutants of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae through determination of the Mutant Prevention Concentration (MPC). Methodology: We studied 140 strains of E. coli and 86 strains of K. pneumoniae with different profiles of sensitivity to fluoroquinolones and extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production. The MPCs were determined using an inoculum of 1010 CFU/ml in Mueller-Hinton agar plates with serial concentrations of ciprofloxacin. Results: Ciprofloxacin-susceptible ESBL-producing strains showed a higher MPC for ciprofloxacin (P <0.001) than ciprofloxacin-susceptible non ESBL-producing strains, while ciprofloxacin-resistant ESBL-producing and non ESBL-producing strains did not significantly differ. The presence of qnr variants was associated with elevated MPCs. This was observed for both tested organisms. Conclusions: Our study helps to explain the frequent finding of resistance to fluoroquinolones in ESBL-producing strains. Consequently, the use of concentrations of ciprofloxacin higher than the MIC in order to prevent the recovery and growth of resistant mutants is recommended.
Prevalence of Campylobacter among goats and retail goat meat in Congo
Authors: A Mpalang Rosette Kabwang , Boreux Raphaël , Melin Pierrette , Akir Ni Bitiang Khang'Mate , Daube Georges , De Mol Patrick
Published: February 2014

Background: The prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli was determined in goat and goat meat sold at retail outlets in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). Methodology: A total of 644 samples, including 177 goat meat, 86 goat stomachs, 139 ready to eat (RTE) goat skewers, and 242 goat faecal samples were examined for the presence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli using polymerase chain reaction. Results: Overall, Campylobacter spp. were found in 34.6% of the examined samples. C. jejuni was isolated in 10.1% and C. coli in 26.7% of samples. Only 2.2% of all samples were positive for both species. There was a significant association between the prevalence of C. coli and the type of sample (p < 0.05). The overall prevalence of Campylobacter in different sample groups was 41.2%, 37.2%, 23.7%, and 35.1% for goat meat, goat stomachs, RTE goat skewers, and goat faecal samples, respectively. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the prevalence observed in the rainy season (16.7%) and the dry season (20.0%). Moreover, the overall prevalence of Campylobacter in slaughter sites, open-air markets, warehouses, and semi-open-air markets was 28.2%, 34.2%, 35.4%, and 42.9%, respectively. Statistically, there was no influence of the sample collection site on the frequency of isolation of Campylobacter (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that, considering the relatively high prevalence of this pathogen, live goat and goat meat are major sources of human and environmental contamination by Campylobacter spp. in Lubumbashi.
Actinobaculum schaalii causing urinary tract infections: report of four cases from Argentina
Authors: Barberis Claudia , Cittadini Roxana , Del Castillo Marcelo , Acevedo Pablo , Garcia Roig Cristian , Ramirez Maria Soledad , Perez Susana , Almuzara Marisa , Vay Carlos
Published: February 2014

Actinobaculum schaalii may be a more common urinary tract pathogen than previously described. Here we report four cases of A. schaalii UTIs and we also propose a simple identification scheme to be used in the conventional microbiology laboratory based on standard biochemical tests.
The clinical management of cesarean section-acquired Mycobacterium abscessus surgical site infections
Authors: Tsao Shih-Ming , Liu Keh-Sen , Liao Hsien-Hua , Huang Tian-Lin , Shen Gwan-Han , Tsao Thomas Chang-Yao , Lee Yuan-Ti
Published: February 2014

Introduction: Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) can cause a broad spectrum of both community and healthcare-associated infections in humans. The aim of this study was to report the clinical management and outcomes of successive patients following cesarean delivery with healthcare-associated surgical site infections (SSIs) caused by RGM. Methodology: Patients who were admitted to Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, between September 2006 and July 2008, and who developed SSIs following cesarean delivery at an obstetrics hospital and were then referred to our hospital, were enrolled. Demographic characteristics of the patients and clinical isolates were obtained retrospectively and an environmental investigation was performed. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the hsp65gene and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of large genomic DNA restriction fragments were applied to differentiate Mycobacterium species. Results: Seventeen patients were diagnosed with RGM infections by microbiology and/or histopathology. Mycobacterial isolates by PCR-RFLP analysis from 15 patients revealed Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) and M. lentiflavum. Most of the patients received surgical debridement and combination antimicrobial therapy and were eventually cured. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the potential that RGM infections have in causing healthcare-associated SSIs. Surgery plus prolonged combination antimicrobial therapy seemed to be an effective option for the management of M. abscessus infections.
High prevalence of multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Djibouti: a retrospective study
Authors: Boyer-Cazajous Géraldine , Martinaud Christophe , Déhan Céline , Hassan Mohammed Osman , Gaas Yassin , Chenilleau-Vidal Marie-Caroline , Soler Charles
Published: February 2014

Introduction: The Republic of Djibouti is an African country that exhibits one of the highest incidence rate of tuberculosis in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among new cases. Methodology: We studied retrospectively every tuberculosis case diagnosed over a 12-month period in patients hospitalized at the French Military Hospital of Bouffard. During this period, 1,274 samples from 675 patients were tested. Results: We isolated 266 mycobacteria corresponding to 180 cases of tuberculosis. Thirty-three were fully susceptible and 57% met the tuberculosis criteria, with 46% primary resistance. No extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis was found. Conclusion: Our results highlight a major concern about the situation in this part of the world.
Ces jeunes qui, même dans une conjoncture favorable, n'y arrivent pas...
Authors: Gauthier Madeleine
Published: February 2014

« Par quoi commencer ? », se demandent des intervenants dans un groupe de discussion à propos de jeunes aux prises avec des difficultés multiples et complexes. Cette rencontre qui s’est réalisée en 2008 fait partie d’une démarche de recherche en partenariat suscitée par le constat que, même en période de prospérité comme c’est alors le cas pour la ville de Québec, des jeunes adultes n’arrivent pas à trouver d’emploi et les moyens d’assurer leur autonomie. Comment expliquer ce phénomène lorsque le recours aux facteurs structurels habituels ne répond pas et comment réagir dans ce contexte ?
Par le petit bout de la lorgnette
Authors: Guillaume Jean-François
Published: February 2014

Dans le champ des politiques publiques en Belgique francophone, l’information des jeunes n’occupe qu’une place très marginale. Mais à considérer d’un peu plus près cet objet faussement mineur, on y perçoit les tensions générées par les nouvelles orientations de l’action publique. Dans un paysage institutionnel complexe, les travailleurs des centres d’information de jeunesse doivent parvenir à concilier un principe de participation des jeunes, hérité des aspirations d’émancipation sociale des années 1960, et une injonction de professionnalisation dans un secteur où les évolutions technologiques ont bouleversé les pratiques juvéniles.
Malentendus et désaccords sur le plaisir cinématographique
Authors: Legon Tomas
Published: February 2014

Créé par le Centre national du cinéma et les Régions, Lycéens et apprentis au cinéma (LAC) est un dispositif qui permet à des élèves de voir trois films en salle et de profiter d’une « éducation à l’image ». L’article vise à éclairer comment les différents jeunes qui bénéficient du dispositif en Rhône-Alpes le perçoivent. Cette étude de la réception est un moyen idéal pour comprendre, notamment, comment un travail de médiation qui vient des institutions parvient ou non à créer des effets sur une pratique culturelle déjà massivement et ordinairement investie par les adolescents.
Le rapport des élèves de milieux favorisés à la culture scolaire
Authors: Eloy Florence
Published: February 2014

Le cas des savoirs musicaux scolaires, exemple emblématique de « savoirs gratuits », illustre bien l’ambiguïté du rapport à la culture scolaire que peuvent entretenir les élèves de milieux favorisés. Si l’on observe une plus grande proximité de ces élèves aux rapports à la musique visés par l’école, cela n’est pas forcément associé à une plus grande adhésion ou croyance aux savoirs musicaux scolaires, la tendance inverse étant particulièrement fréquente au sein de cette population. Ce phénomène peut être rapporté à l’attitude distanciée vis-à-vis de la culture scolaire décrite chez les « héritiers » pour les élèves les plus dotés en capital culturel, mais aussi, parmi les adolescents issus des franges moins « cultivées » des milieux favorisés, à des formes d’utilitarisme scolaire, compte tenu de la place marginale de l’éducation musicale dans les curricula .
Construire une offre de loisirs avec les adolescents
Authors: Céroux Benoît , Crépin Christiane
Published: February 2014

La politique familiale intègre aujourd’hui des objectifs concourant au bien-être des familles, parmi lesquels figurent les loisirs des adolescents. Le contenu des activités constitue, dans ce cas, moins la visée principale qu’un moyen d’action orienté vers les principes traversant l’ensemble des dispositifs. À la suite de travaux faisant ressortir le décalage des aspirations des adolescents, de leurs parents et des institutions, la branche Famille expérimente de nouvelles modalités de mise en place de loisirs pour les adolescents, associant ces derniers à l’élaboration des projets et intégrant un adulte référent à la démarche. Cet article articule la présentation des dispositifs des Allocations familiales à destination des adolescents et des études qui les accompagnent.
La prise en charge des spécificités adolescentes par les politiques éducatives et culturelles des collectivités publiques
Authors: Enel Françoise
Published: February 2014

Le présent article est élaboré à partir d’une série d’études qualitatives sur les pratiques culturelles des jeunes et les politiques d’éducation artistique et culturelle réalisées par l’auteur à la demande de collectivités publiques (ministère de la Culture et de la Communication, INJEP, ACSE, conseil général de la Somme et mairie de Paris). Il vise à mettre en regard les transformations des pratiques culturelles des jeunes et les tentatives d’ajustement des politiques dans un contexte de sensibilisation croissante des collectivités territoriales au rôle de l’ouverture culturelle dans le maintien du lien social avec les jeunes.
Hacia la universidad colaborativa. Promoviendo un debate sobre el modelo organizativo académico
Authors: Heckscher Charles , Martín-Ríos Carlos
Published: February 2014

El objetivo de este artículo es provocar un debate sobre el futuro de la universidad pública y su modelo de organización. El modelo actual de universidad parece estar en crisis. De los varios factores que contribuyen a esta afirmación, este artículo centra su atención en la idiosincrasia de su modelo organizativo y en las dificultades que éste plantea a la hora de amoldarse a los nuevos retos sociales. Por ello, en los últimos tiempos han aumentado las demandas externas reclamando mayores controles burocráticos que garanticen mayor eficacia en los logros docentes e investigadores. Sin embargo, la consolidación de este modelo supondría sacrificar la capacidad innovadora y de respuesta académica en pos de modelos de trabajo que fomentan menor audacia y mayor uniformidad. A este respecto, se ofrece una propuesta de reformulación de los principios organizativos académicos orientándolos a un modelo de universidad permeable a las necesidades de la sociedad y los diversos grupos de interés a través de la puesta en marcha de prácticas organizativas colaborativas.
¿Cómo salvar de sí misma a la universidad?. Retos y límites de la profesión académica
Authors: Fernández Enguita Mariano
Published: February 2014

No disponible
Modelos organizativos en la educación superior
Authors: Salaburu Pello
Published: February 2014

No disponible
Promoviendo el debate sobre el modelo organizativo de universidad
Authors: Martín-Ríos Carlos , Heckscher Charles
Published: February 2014

No disponible
A Taxonomy of Scientific Areas Driving Assessment of Organisations Readiness
Authors: Koussouris Sotirios , Mouzakitis Spiros , Lampathaki Fenareti
Published: February 2014

Enterprise Interoperability is one of the most crucial research domains of the modern information age, as it is directly linked with the competitiveness of enterprises as it defines at a large extent the ability of an enterprise to take advantage of the productivity gains offered by the ICT solutions available. However, although various solutions and best practises are emerging on a daily basis, it is the fragmented analysis of the domain that restrains the birth of holistic solutions that will provide the needed leverage to enterprises. Motivated by this situation, this chapter provides an analysis of the different scientific areas that can be found under the Enterprise Interoperability landscape and proposes an assessment framework which may support the identification of the current interoperability profile of an organisation while it reveals various solution paths that could be developed in order to gradually improve the interoperability status of the latter.
Hybrid Modeling
Authors: Woitsch Robert
Published: February 2014

Enterprise Interoperability can be identified on cultural, rule, process, data, software, object, social network, services, knowledge, electronic ID, cloud, and ecosystem level, whereas the challenge is the conceptual integration across those layers in a flexible way. Meta Modeling as a concept is a proven technology to enable such conceptual integration for both machine computation and human-oriented interpretation for information value creation. Hybrid Modeling is a realization approach to merge different meta models and hence enable the interoperability between conceptual models. Stability is provided by the meta modeling platform whereas flexibility is ensured by hybrid modeling via a holistic integration framework. This approach has been successfully implemented in a list of EU-research projects. This chapter introduces (a) concept models as an instrument for interoperability, (b) a meta model approach as a flexible but stable platform, and (c) hybrid modeling as an approach to flexibly compose the conceptual integration. After discussing this theoretical background, the chapter introduces different realization scenarios of hybrid modeling. Each scenario is supported differently by the underlying meta modeling platform ADOxx®. Here, the experience of a list of EU-research projects is explained and reflected to enterprise interoperability requirements. Sample solutions are introduced, showing different hybrid modeling implementations. Technical overviews of the ADOxx® meta modeling platforms are introduced and references to open development communities are provided to invite readers to realize their own modeling solutions.
Interoperability in Service-Oriented Production Networks
Authors: Alexakis Spiros , Bauer Markus , Britsch Johannes , Kölmel Bernhard
Published: February 2014

How can complex relationship structures be managed? When collaborating in networks, the diversity of stakeholder relationships is increasing. Most times, this leads to interoperability issues that need to be addressed. In this chapter, the authors show how Anything Relationship Management (xRM) can increase interoperability in many-to-many (n:n) relationships. Building upon relationship management theory, they firstly categorize different types of relationships and link them with fitting IT solutions. The authors then give a brief introduction to the xRM concept. Following and more specifically, they present the EU research project GloNet1 and propose three technical xRM approaches (collaboration spaces, integration of external services, and synchronization framework) in order to improve social network interoperability, services interoperability, and data interoperability. The chapter closes with a conclusion, an example of application, and a research outlook.
Attaining Semantic Enterprise Interoperability through Ontology Architectural Patterns
Authors: Saripalle Rishi Kanth , Demurjian Steven A.
Published: February 2014

Enterprise Interoperability Science Base (EISB) represents the wide range of interoperability techniques that allow the creation of a new enterprise application by utilizing technologies with varied data formats and different paradigms. Even if one is able to bridge across these formats and paradigms to interoperate a new application, one crucial consideration is the semantic interoperability to insure that similar data is reconciled that might be stored differently from a semantic perspective. In support of this requirement, usage of ontologies is gaining increasing attention as they capture shareable domain knowledge semantics. The design and deployment of an ontology for any system is very specific, created in isolation to suit the specific needs with limited reuse in the same domain. The broad proliferation of ontologies for different systems, which, while similar in content, are often semantically different, can significantly inhibit the information exchange across enterprise systems. This situation is attributed, in part, to a lack of a software-engineering-based approach for ontologies; an ontology is often designed and built using domain data, while software design involves abstract modeling concepts that promote abstraction, reusability, interoperability, etc. The intent in this chapter is to define ontologies by leveraging software design pattern concepts to more effectively design ontologies. To support this, the chapter proposes Ontology Architectural Patterns (OAPs), which are higher-level abstract reusable templates with well-defined structures and semantics to conceptualize modular ontology models at the domain model level. OAP borrows from software design patterns inheriting their key characteristics for supporting enterprise semantic ontology interoperability.