bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Net' Social Change
Authors: Dhakal Subas P.
Published: September 2017

The notion of empowerment broadly refers to the ability of actors to fulfil their missions. However, assessing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specific contributions to this remains an exigent task in the context of grassroots organizations. The objective of this chapter is to analyse the differences in levels of empowerment between ICT adopters and non-adopters Grassroots Environmental Organizations (GEOs) in Perth, Western Australia. The chapter draws on organizational empowerment theory and proposes an evaluation framework to assess ICT-mediated empowerment for sustainable development. Utilizing a survey of GEOs and interviews with leaders, the chapter unravels the contributions of ICTs in enabling these grassroots actors. The chapter ends with the discussion on the need for overcoming digital divide and recommends strategic support for GEOs that are either not able to or not willing to keep up with the emerging trend of ICTs.
How to Manage Sustainability
Authors: Sen Yasemin
Published: September 2017

Sustainability has increasingly become a critical issue for wellbeing of human life and maintaining sustainability is responsibility of many parties such as individuals, corporations or governments. When taking its social, economical, or environmental impacts into consideration, maybe the most important player in that arena is organizations and in order to take the necessary actions about sustainability, first of all a common understanding of the topic is needed. For this reason, in this chapter it is aimed to create awareness about sustainability issue and commonly used tools for management of it. In this context, definition of sustainability and four corporate sustainability management tools (Environmental Management System - EMS, Sustainable Value Stream Mapping - Sus-VSM, Total Quality Environmental Management - TQEM and Sustainable Balanced Score Card - SBSC) have been explained.
Balancing Formalization and Representation in Cross-Domain Data Management for Sustainable Development
Authors: Diviacco Paolo , Leadbetter Adam
Published: September 2017

Sustainable development is grounded in complex systems where phenomena and processes are so interrelated and intermingled that they can only be studied in a multiple disciplinary manner. Limitations in understanding such systems can be identified that are either epistemic and cognitive or socio-economic. Both cases are problematic for collaborative and multidisciplinary studies in sustainable development. This chapter explores these difficulties with a particular focus on data management, an activity that is at the same time very important and very sensitive to such problems. To allow users to find their way through data and information spaces, solutions are proposed that take advantage of either the formalization of knowledge; or of representations, such as schemas, mind maps or graphs. Through a careful balance of these two pathways this chapter demonstrates that it is possible to mitigate the difficulties mentioned above and allow a community to work together at profit.
Ensuring Environmental Sustainability Through Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Authors: Abereijo Isaac Oluwajoba
Published: September 2017

Sustainability has become an important issue worldwide because of great concerns about the unintended social, environmental, and economic effects of increasing population and economic growth, as well as consumption of natural resources. One recent concept arising from sustainability issue is sustainable entrepreneurship which integrates both the social and environmental aspects, and linking them with entrepreneurial activities. This chapter therefore suggests that efforts of developing countries at promoting entrepreneurship should go beyond engaging in business enterprises but include encouraging the use of entrepreneurial values and approaches to solve sustainability problems. Hence, this chapter is an effort at developing a framework that can be used to influence sustainable entrepreneurship behaviour of the students in developing countries.
The Strategic Association Between Information and Communication Technologies and Sustainability
Authors: Wu Sarah Jinhui , Raghupathi Wullianallur
Published: September 2017

The authors investigate the strategic association between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and sustainability using empirical data. Their hypothesis is that ICTs can promote a country's sustainability. In their framework the authors include the ICT factors of access, quality, affordability, applications, and institutional efficiency & sustainability. Sustainability is represented by individual development indicators, grouped in the clusters of environment, transportation infrastructure, energy consumption efficiency, economic development, and education. Using secondary data on ICTs and sustainability development indicators for countries from the World Bank, meanwhile controlling for the wealth effect, our main multivariate result indicates that ICTs factors have a positive association with sustainability. ICTs, therefore, have the potential to promote sustainability. The authors' results are useful in shaping strategic policy decisions that involve the nature and extent of investment in ICT infrastructure at the country level.
Integration of Renewable Energy in Refrigerated Warehouses
Authors: Fikiin Kostadin , Stankov Borislav
Published: September 2017

Refrigerated warehouses are large energy consumers and account for a significant portion of the global energy demand. Nevertheless the opportunity for integration of renewable resources in the energy supply of large cold storage facilities is very often unjustifiably neglected, whereas the employment of renewable energy for many other industrial and comfort applications is actively promoted and explored. In that context, the purpose of this chapter is to bridge the existing gap by raising the public awareness of stakeholders, researchers, practicing engineers and policy makers about the availability of a number of smart engineering solutions and control strategies to exploit renewables of different nature (solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, etc.) in the food storage sector, as well as by calling the readers' attention to the specialised knowledge in the matter, which has been published so far.
A Paradigm Shift
Authors: Dolunay Ozge
Published: September 2017

The growing population in Turkey as well as in the rest of world is focusing their attention on the availability of main resources for now and for future generations. As the clock ticks by, this focus is intensifying at an exponential rate. Depleting resources, dependency on fossil fuels, high costs of energy, water quality, food cultivation and food safety present themselves as expected issues of our generation. Waste in the form of electricity and fresh water in agricultural practices can be reduced by using Reduction, Recovery, Reuse, Recycle and efficient Technologies in order to come to a sustainable management of waste starting with small-scale farming implementations. This generation must act to implement these changes, and they must act now.
Romanian Rural Tourism in the Context of Sustainable Development
Authors: Zaharia Marian , Gogonea Rodica-Manuela , Enachescu Daniela
Published: September 2017

Tourism, in all its activities, is dependent on the environment, and by exploiting its resources, products are created, creating a significant added value. But all this must take into account the rational use of natural resources with risk of depletion or degradation and the ability to achieve a decent standard of living for future generations, with an equitable distribution of general or specific revenue. Based on these considerations, the aim of this chapter is to assess the evolution of touristic infrastructure both in time and in terms of regional distribution. To estimate the tourism supply of Romanian rural tourism accommodation, the main statistical indicators used were the number of agro tourist boarding houses, the existing accommodation capacity, and the accommodation capacity in operation, their territorial concentration, and the way in which the results are strategic levers in the regional development of Romania.
Energy Cost Saving Tips in Distributed Power Networks
Authors: Siwe Alain Tcheukam , Tembine Hamidou
Published: September 2017

This chapter studies energy cost saving strategies in power networks. A prosumer is a user that not only consumes electricity, but can also produce and store electricity. Three tips are considered: distributed power network architecture, peak energy shaving with the integration of prosumers' contribution and prosumers market. The proposed distributed power network architecture reduces significantly the transmission costs and can reduce significantly the global energy cost up to 42 percent. Different types of prosumer who use self-charging renewable energy systems, are able to intelligently buy energy from, or sell it, to the power grid. Therein, prosumers interact during the purchase or sale of electric power using a double auction with negotiation mechanism. Using a two-step combined learning and optimization scheme, each prosumer can learn its optimal bidding strategy and forecast its energy production, consumption and storage. Our simulation results show that the integration of prosumers can reduce peak hour costs up to 17 percent and 6 percent for eligible prosumers.
Sustainability Criteria for Tourism Attractions
Authors: Ottenbacher Michael C. , Schwebler Sina , Metzler Daniel , Harrington Robert J.
Published: September 2017

With the start of mass tourism in the 1980s, comprehensive concepts were developed not only to optimize these positive effects but also to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment (). Problematic with the development of these concepts is the variety of approaches, each with different emphases, as well as the diverse interpretations of the term ‘sustainability' (). However, the topic of sustainability will be one of the drivers of future tourism development and will further increase in significance (). In response to the growing importance of sustainability, the government of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, intends to implement and facilitate a sustainability check for tourism attractions. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the perception of sustainable tourism, to examine the ways how to implement it in tourism attractions in Baden-Württemberg and to determine specific sustainability criteria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 experts of the tourism industry in Germany to better understand the requirements and expectations of such a sustainability check. The results of the interviews revealed that, in general, there is strong support for the government to implement a sustainability check for the highly diverse tourism attractions within the entire state. In this context, the interviews indicated the difficulties and individual particularities which would have to be considered when implementing a comprehensive sustainability check for different types of tourism attractions. The operationalization of the sustainability concept, such as ecolabels and guidelines, builds the foundation for the implementation of sustainable development.
Decision Making in Local Energy Planning
Authors: Marinakis Vangelis
Published: September 2017

The current financial and economic crisis, as well as the wider socioeconomic and environmental pressures, including climate change among others, put seriously into question the traditional development patterns. This is particularly true for the local and regional authorities, who face a number of challenges as regards growth, jobs and sustainability. These pressures create high expectations for coordinated actions and holistic interventions to address comprehensively the problems toward a competitive economy. In this context, this Chapter describes the main issues of the decision making in local energy planning. The policy context and relevant initiatives are outlined. A detailed review of existing methodologies for local energy planning, as well as standard techniques and methods (participatory approach, aspiration level, multi-criteria decision support, robustness analysis, indicator-based assessment frameworks) are presented. The need to support the local and regional authorities in the decision-making process for the development, implementation and monitoring of their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, especially within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (a first-of-its-kind global initiative of cities and towns) is highlighted.
How Can ICTs Contribute Towards a More Sustainable Future?
Authors: Antonova Albena
Published: September 2017

Since antiquity technological innovations endanger environmental balance and there is major need to keep this balance in check. Any new technology generates more business activity, leading to increased resource extraction and waste and directly affecting natural ecosystems. Thus technological progress and economic growth are based on unsustainable practices. In the last few decades, information and communication technologies (ICT) accelerated globalized business activity by making the world smaller, more connected and smarter. ICT gradually transformed all aspects of human life including work, learning, and leisure; it has a global impact on business processes and practices, communication, logistics and transportation, finance, and commerce among other aspects. This resulted in wealth accumulation, resource depletion and social divide which have led to problems, directly and indirectly, such as scarcity of natural resources, global warming, climate change, population growth, and increasing youth unemployment. This chapter outlines some of the challenges of the new technologies and ICT practices. It proposes a practice-oriented framework for adoption of more sustainable ICT strategy in companies.
Developing an Elementary Engineering Education Program Through Problem-Based Wearable Technologies Activities
Authors: Barker Bradley S. , Nugent Gwen , Grandgenett Neal , Keshwani Jennifer , Nelson Carl A. , Leduc-Mills Ben
Published: September 2017

This chapter describes the efforts and pilot study results of the Nebraska 4-H Wearable Technologies (WearTec) project, funded by the National Science Foundation's Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. The overall goal for the three-year WearTec project is to study a systematic set of learning experiences focused upon the use of wearable technologies to effectively support student comprehension of the engineering design process and to increase interest in STEM academics and careers by students in grades 4 to 6. The key components of the WearTec project include (a) utilizing small sewable electronic components; (b) a focus on engineering design; (c) computer programming via the LilyPad Arduino microcontroller, and (d) bridging the formal and non-formal learning environments in order to deliver the WearTec project.
Mathematics Teacher Education and edTPA
Authors: McCarthy Dianne S. , Burns Barbara A.
Published: September 2017

The development of the educative teacher performance assessment (edTPA) might be considered as beginning over a century ago as mathematics, mathematics teacher education, and the teaching profession strove to improve student learning. Professional teaching organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, industry, and government agencies have been seeking ways to improve teaching, to differentiate among teacher candidates to predict who will be successful teachers and who will not, and to raise the level of student achievement of all students. Along with these goals is the aspiration of recognizing teaching as a profession. To achieve this, complex assessment is necessary. Assessment of teachers, students and teacher preparation programs is necessary. edTPA could lead the way.
Transforming Mathematics Teaching Through Games and Inquiry
Authors: Wiburg Karin , Chamberlin Barbara , Trujillo Karen M. , Parra Julia Lynn , Stanford Theodore
Published: September 2017

This chapter describes the design, development, and testing of a successful mathematics game-based intervention, Math Snacks, for students in grades 3–7. This program shows the impact of an integrative approach of developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), where interactive digital media are combined with inquiry-based activities in classrooms facilitated by teacher involvement. Teachers played a key role in development and testing of Math Snacks, both by using them in their classrooms and by teaching core mathematics concepts connected to each module during annual summer camps. Via this multi-faceted participation, teachers experienced a change in their understanding of how digital tools can connect with inquiry-based pedagogy, mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge to facilitate successful learning for students. Teachers began to approach multimedia and games as part of an inquiry-based pedagogical approach for mathematics learning, rather than seeing games as tools for student practice after learning a concept.
Exploring the Use of Social Media to Advance K12 Science Education
Authors: Ma Jinjin , Chiu Dickson K.W. , Tang Jeff K.T.
Published: September 2017

The astonishing popularity of social media and its emergence into the education arena has shown tremendous potential for innovations in teaching and learning. It enables student-centered learning in a more collaborative and interactive way in the online learning environment. However, few research has been conducted about how to use social media appropriately and effectively in Science education. The main purposes of this project is to explore the experience and perceptions of teachers with relevant teaching experience in using social media for K12 Science education, including the current level and scope of social media use, perception of utility, and its potential impact on science education. The implications, considerations, and challenges for and against the possible use of social media in science education were discussed with possible further research suggestions.
Showcasing the Creative Talents in Science of the Academically Less-Inclined Students Through a Values-Driven Toy Storytelling Project
Authors: Amir Nazir
Published: September 2017

It has been mentioned that gifted students may not necessarily just be the ones who have high IQ and perform consistently well in their examinations but also those who are able to showcase their creative talents through content and skills gained in their academic subjects. This chapter highlights how a class of academically less-inclined students in Singapore has been able to showcase their creative talents in science and other subjects through a values-driven toy storytelling project that serves a community need. Results from this study show that the project has provided an avenue for the students' creative talents in science and other subjects to be recognized by members of the community. The positive recognition through the students' work instilled a sense of pride and self-worthiness amongst them.
The Nature of Third Grade Student Experiences With Concept Maps to Support Learning of Science Concepts
Authors: Merrill Margaret L.
Published: September 2017

To support effective science teaching, educators need methods to reveal student understandings and misconceptions of science concepts and to offer all students an opportunity to reflect on their own knowledge construction and organization. Students can benefit by engaging in scientific activities in which they build personal connections between what they learn and their own experiences. Integrating student-constructed concept mapping into the science curriculum can reveal to both students and teachers the conceptual organization and understanding of science content, which can assist in building connections between concepts and personal experiences. This chapter describes how a class of third grade students used concept maps to understand science concepts (specifically, “watershed systems”). During class discussions and interviews, students revised concept map content and structure as their ideas developed. The study's results demonstrate how students' critical thinking (self-reflection and revision) was supported as misconceptions were revealed through their construction of concept maps over time.
Designing and Implementing Inclusive STEM Activities for Early Childhood
Authors: Donegan-Ritter Mary M. , Zan Betty
Published: September 2017

This chapter provides a rationale for high quality STEM experiences in inclusive early childhood (EC) classrooms, describes what high quality STEM experiences are and why they can be an ideal context for supporting the development of young children with special needs and dual language learners. The authors offer recommendations concerning how to plan and implement STEM learning centers to support the meaningful participation of all children using a tiered perspective that includes the framework of Universal Design for Learning. Ideas and resources for how teachers can plan STEM learning centers, integrate literacy and arts, and interact in ways to support the engagement of all children, especially those with special needs and dual language learners are shared. These strategies are recognized as best practices, and adhere to position statements endorsed by NAEYC and the recommended practices developed by the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC, 2014).
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis of Unsaturated Polyesters Filled with Alumina Trihydrate and Silica Aerogel
Authors: Abdul Halim Zulhelmi Alif , Mat Yajid Muhamad Azizi , Idris Mohd Hasbullah , Hamdan Halimaton
Published: September 2017

Thermal degradation of the composite blend consisting unsaturated polyester resin, alumina trihydrate and silica aerogel was studied using thermal gravimetric analysis. Composite filled with silica aerogel show lower density and slightly improve the thermal stability of the pure polymer. The addition of alumina trihydrate slows down the degradation of the polymer due to the release of bond water while the combination of silica aerogel and alumina trihydrate in polyester matrix does not interrupt the function of alumina trihydrate due to inert properties of silica aerogel.
The Morphology and Mechanical Study on Neolamarckia cadamba and Endospermum diadenum in Wood Composite for Particleboard Application
Authors: Kahar Sadam , Masri Mohamad Najmi , Mohamed Mazlan
Published: September 2017

This research was carried out to investigate the morphology of particleboard by using lesser-known commercial timbers (LKCT) species which are well-known in scientific name as neolamarckia cadamba (NC) and endospermum diadenum (ED). NC and ED are fast growing species available in Peninsular Malaysia. Single layer particleboard was fabricated from urea formaldehyde (UF) blended with NC and ED at different species ratio. The morphological observation on particleboard was conducted using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Particleboard boards with different resin content and species ratio. The results indicated that 7:3 of NC: ED with ratio at 12% of UF have a significant effect in term of surface morphology compared to 1:0 of NC: ED. This can be proved through mechanical and physical properties testing where NC: ED particleboard panel with 7:3 ratio exhibit the highest strength according to EN standard. NC particles can be used as a raw materials to wood-based particleboard for general purpose application.
Moisture Absorption Behavior and Morphology of Thermoplastic Starch via Ascorbic Acid Hydrolysis Technique
Authors: Mohd Zain Amirah Hulwani , Ab Wahab Mohamad Kahar
Published: September 2017

The effect of modified thermoplastic starch (TPS) with organic acid was studied. In presence of ascorbic acid (AATPS) and glycerol (GTPS) along with mechanical process, a native starch granule was transform into a continuous phase as shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Reaction of ascorbic acid (AA) with starch induced to the formation of the ester bond, which improved moisture resistivity of TPS was proven by the determination degree of substitution (DS) and moisture absorption test. The formation of ester bond was identified by using FTIR analysis. The DS values were ranging from 0 to 0.052, respectively, with the increase of AA content.
Behaviour of T91 Steel Oxide Scale Exposure to Temperature at 540°C for Different Exposure Duration
Authors: Suraya Mohamad Nadzir , Astuty Amrin , Hariffin B. , Mohammad Roslina
Published: September 2017

Grade T91 steel is one of a common material used for construction of superheater tubes in power generation boiler. In general, superheater tubes that operates in subcritical boiler are expose to operating temperatures in the range between 540°C to 580°C. Exposure to high temperature makes this steel subject to formation of oxide scale which can cause detrimental effect on the material properties. Excessive formation of oxide scale on internal surface of superheater tube can cause overheating damage at early stage of the boiler operation. This study was conducted to examine the behaviour of oxide scale forms on T91 steel for specimens exposed to temperature of 540°C for 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 hours holding time. The oxidation kinetic was identified as parabolic and the oxide scale was observed having 3 different layers which are haematite (Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4) and spinel (Fe,Cr)2O3. The oxide scales layers were observed separated by voids and crack which are growing in size over time.
Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Morphology and Adhesion Strength of Eggshell Coating on Mild Steel
Authors: Jafar N. Mohamad , Abubakar T. , Chong C.Y. , Ahmad N.H.
Published: September 2017

Eggshell waste is rich source of calcium carbonate and can be applied to protect steel pipe from corrosion. Calcium carbonate precipitation can be naturally formed as a coating to protect steel pipe from oxygen diffusion. However, with calcium carbonate formed due to natural process, it is difficult to achieve the adequate thickness and capable of protecting the steel pipe. By adapting his corrosion protection mechanism, application of eggshell is of mild steel to eliminate the lengthy and complicated corrosion control system has been practiced. In this research, the eggshell powder was applied to coat the mild steel substrate using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. The EPD process is simple and cheap. The eggshell was successfully coated on mild steel substrates at deposition voltage ranged between 20 to 100 volts and sintering temperatures at 400, 500 and 600°C. The best coating morphology and adhesion strength were determined at deposition voltage of 100 volts for 1 minute and sintering temperature at 600°C. These conditions are based on the morphology of the eggshell surface and the highest adhesion strength of the coated samples. The finding demonstrates the ability of the eggshell to be coated on steel substrate using the EPD process with good adhesion strength.
Anodic ZrO2 Nanotube Arrays Formation by Anodisation in Ethylene Glycol with Varying Amount of Water
Authors: Bashirom Nurulhuda , Razak Khairunisak Abdul , Kian Tan Wai , Matsuda Atsunori , Lockman Zainovia
Published: September 2017

Anodisation of zirconium, Zr at 40 V for 60 min in 0.1 wt.% NH4F/ethylene glycol (EG) added to it 1 ml, 2 ml or 3 ml of water resulted in the formation of self-aligned ZrO2 nanotube (ZNT) arrays. Water content did not affect the length and diameter of the ZNTs but was influencing surface etching whereby better surface etching was observed for sample anodised in 3 ml-water/NH4F/EG. From transmission electron microcopy (TEM) image, the ZNTs were found to have an outer diameter of ~ 40 nm and wall thickness of 10 nm. Annealing at 400 °C was resulted in monoclinic (M-ZrO2) and tetragonal (T-ZrO2) formation, but at 600 °C M-ZrO2 dominates. Cr(VI) reduction is higher for ZNTs annealed at 400 °C compared to 600 °C sample.
Photodegradation Improvement of Low-Density Polyethylene Thin Film with gC3N4/5ZnO/TiO2 Photocatalysts
Authors: Sutanto Nelvi , Sreekantan Srimala
Published: September 2017

LDPE waste disposal is a critical issue nowadays and huge pile of this polymer represents a threat to the environment. Herein, gC3N4/5ZnO/TiO2 photocatalysts (1 wt %) incorporated in LDPE film were investigated and compared with neat LDPE film. Tabletop scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph showed the surface morphologies of neat and LDPE composite films before and after accelerated weathering. Experimental results on LDPE composite films after exposure to UV irradiation showed improvement in degradation rate (~0.274%/hour) in comparison to other study (0.225%/hour). Results of weight lost on LDPE composites after accelerated weathering test (~42.31%) also showed that the degradability increased with the decrease of thickness.
Polylactic Acid Scaffold Fabricated by Combination of Solvent Casting and Salt Leaching Techniques: Influence of β-Tricalcium Phosphate Contents
Authors: Md Isa Rosaniza , Jaafar Mariatti
Published: September 2017

β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is a ceramic that commonly been used in bone tissue engineering. This material exhibits low mechanical properties such as low fracture toughness and brittleness. To overcome these problems, polylactic acid (PLA)/ β-TCP scaffolds for bone tissue engineering were prepared by using the combination method of solvent casting and salt leaching. These methods were used to produce three-dimensionally interconnected pores of the scaffold according to different ratio of β-TCP with porogen agent (sodium chloride (NaCl)). It is found that porosity and pore size of the scaffolds were independently controlled by the ratio and the particle size of the added porogen. The increases of pore interconnectivity were observed with increasing of PLA/ β-TCP/ NaCl ratios. Scaffolds with 80-90 wt% of total porogen content displayed acceptable mechanical properties for bone tissue engineering applications. Morphology observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that highly porous three-dimensional scaffold (>80 wt%) with well interconnected porous structure could be achieved by this combination process.
Enhanced Dielectric Properties of Polyimide Matrix Using Modified Electrospun Barium Titanate Nanofibers
Authors: Meng So Pheak , Ahmad Zulkifli , bin Ismail Hanafi , Huat Tan Soon , Nallis Kry , Todo Mitsugu
Published: September 2017

Recently, many researchers focus on the nanoscale fillers to enhance electrical properties of composite due to the uniqueness of material. In this study, polyimide/barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanofibers films were prepared by incorporating electrospun BaTiO3 nanofibers with polyimide derived from 2,2-Bis [4-(4-aminophenoxy) phenyl] propane (BAPP) and 3,3',4,4'-Biphenyl tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA). The obtained nanofibers were modified with (3-Glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane as coupling agent before integrating into the polyimide matrix. Microstructure and dielectric properties of BaTiO3 nanocomposites were investigated. The results showed BaTiO3 nanofibers were successfully produced at nanoscale regime and well dispersed in the hybrid film after modification and ultrasonication method. Dielectric constant of the nanofibers films were improved and increased with increasing of BaTiO3 nanofibers concentration while dielectric loss remains relative low.
Comparison and Characterization of Acid Functionalization of Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using Various Methods
Authors: Janudin Nurjahirah , Abdullah Luqman Chuah , Abdullah Norli , Md Yasin Faizah , Saidi Norshafiqah Mohamad , Kasim Noor Azilah Mohd
Published: September 2017

Functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) is one of several methods used to improve the compatibility of CNT. Even though acid functionalised method is effective, the strong acids such as H2SO4/HNO3 were normally employed and long hours of sonication is used to disperse the CNTs in the solution frequently can damage the nanotube, thus limiting their great performance as mechanical and electrical reinforcements. Here we are reporting comparison between three methods used in acid functionalized treatments of MWCNT. The first method, MWCNT was functionalized using ultra sonication water bath and followed by reflux (Method A). The second method, MWCNT was functionalized using ultrasonication water bath only for 2 hours (Method B). Finally, the third method MWCNT was functionalized using ultrasonication water bath only for 6 hours (Method C). Raman spectroscopy measurements were used to examine the general relationship between the chemical treatment and the amount of non-graphitic carbon. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that MWCNT functionalized using Method C suffered the highest degree degradation such as, nanotube shortening and additional defect generation in the graphitic network. Method B proved to be the most effective for this aim.
Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência 192: Violência Contra A Mulher
Authors: Ibiapino Mateus K , Couto Vanessa BM , Sampaio Bernardo P , Souza Roberto AR , Padoin Felipe A , Carvalho Bárbara EB , Salomão Irany S
Published: September 2017

Histórico

A violência contra a mulher constitui uma grande preocupação de saúde pública brasileira, que apresenta uma taxa de homicídio feminino que coloca o Brasil no quinto lugar no ranking mundial dessa estatística. Contudo, há poucas informações publicadas na literatura sobre mecanismos de trauma e prevalência de lesões nesse cenário. Este trabalho objetiva analisar o perfil epidemiológico das mulheres vítimas de violência através da análise de atendimentos pré-hospitalares.

Desenho do estudo

Foi realizado um estudo descritivo retrospectivo com base em coleta de dados de registros de atendimentos do Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (SAMU) do município de Ilhéus, Bahia, realizados entre janeiro e dezembro do ano de 2014. De um universo de 1588 atendimentos a traumatizados, selecionaram-se as vítimas do sexo feminino (466), e destas aquelas cujos mecanismos de trauma foram por agressão, resultando numa amostra final de 49 atendimentos. Analisaram-se idade, hora do atendimento, dia da semana do evento, mecanismo de lesão, principal região acometida,necessidade de reposição volêmica, Revised Trauma Score (RTS) e a ocorrência de óbito pré-hospitalar. Os dados foram analisados através do software Epi Info versão 7.1.5.

Resultados

A média de idade das vítimas foi 32,6 anos. 23,4% dos eventos ocorreram aos sábados e 21,3% aos domingos e 57,1% ocorreram no período noturno. 49% das injúrias foram causadas por espancamentos. 61,3% das lesões estavam localizadas em cabeça e pescoço. 48% das lesões eram lacerações. Utilizou-se reposição volêmica em 14,3% dos atendimentos. Apenas 1 vítima viva apresentou RTS inferior a 7,8408. A mortalidade verificada foi de 4,1%.

Conclusão

O presente estudo evidencia a preocupante realidade da violência contra a mulher, uma temática urgente e que exige uma resposta para que a sociedade brasileira e mundial alcance melhores condições de vida, segurança e igualdade.

How to cite this article

Ibiapino MK, Couto VBM, Sampaio BP, Souza RAR, Padoin FA, Carvalho BEB, Salomão IS. Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência 192: Violência Contra A Mulher. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2017; 6(2):77-80.
Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in Dengue Fever: An Alert for Emergency Surgeons
Authors: Netto Fernando Spencer , Scherer Julia R , Oliveira Carla S de
Published: September 2017

Dengue fever is an acute viral disease, typical of tropical countries and endemic in Brazil, which can present abdominal symptoms and complications. One of its atypical presentations is acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC), present in 6% of the severe cases. It is usually self-limited, and generally improves with nonoperative treatment.

This is a case report of a patient transferred to a tertiary hospital for surgical evaluation of acute abdomen. She presented with significant abdominal findings (pain, nausea, and vomits), suggestive of acute cholecystitis. After initial assessment and examinations, the patient was diagnosed with severe dengue fever and AAC. The patient was treated conservatively and improved within 3 days. Physicians must be aware of ACC in patients with suspicious presentations in endemic areas for dengue fever. Surgery should be avoided once it is associated with significant postoperative complications and death.

How to cite this article

Becker MJ, Scherer JR, de Oliveira CS, Netto FS. Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in Dengue Fever: An Alert for Emergency Surgeons. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2017;6(2):124-126.
Accreditation is not a One-time Process: Quality Assessment of Intensive Care Unit during Post-NABH Accreditation Period in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Dubey Suneeta , Tadia VK , LNU Monalisa
Published: September 2017

Accreditation is an integral part of quality and it is not a onetime process. This study was done to know the extent to which hospitals maintain the standards after obtaining accreditation. This study tries to find out the gaps in standards during the postaccreditation period. The objective of the study was to assess the policies of the intensive care unit (ICU) with reference to standard protocols of the National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Health Care Providers (NABH) and measures taken by the management to maintain the standards. Data was collected from a 285-bedded NABH-accredited hospital that had five ICUs and four recovery rooms by means of nonparticipant observation, semistructured interviews. Data on indicators was collected by using the hospital management information system; the questionnaire on satisfaction was filled by 30 patients/relatives who were admitted in the ICU for more than a week. Quality team was interviewed to know the perception of the management toward quality and accreditation. To know the compliance of the staff to the NABH standards, a surprise check was done in three ICUs of the hospital.

Data analysis showed that the organization was not able to maintain the standards, as it had done at the time of accreditation. The quality team strongly accepted that accreditation helps in maintaining and improving quality, whereas the data from ICUs showed a wide variation in compliance. Three ICUs from the same hospital were having different compliance rates for standards, which shows that staff was not aware about the standard protocol to be followed. The patient-satisfaction questionnaire also showed that the patients were not satisfied with the services given.

How to cite this article

Tadia VK, Monalisa, Dubey S. Accreditation is not a One-time Process: Quality Assessment of Intensive Care Unit during Post-NABH Accreditation Period in a Tertiary Care Hospital. Int J Res Foundation Hosp Healthc Adm 2017;5(1):29-41.
Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Medicinal Plants of Chandauli and Obra Forests of Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Shankar Rama , Lale Sanjeev K , Mudaiya Rajesh K
Published: September 2017

Aims:

This article deals with the pharmaceutically important medicinal plants from Obra and Chandauli forest divisions of Uttar Pradesh. Exploration of the two adjoining forest divisions has been carried out during 2014 and 2017. The study was conducted to prepare records of medicinal plants in the study areas.

Outcome of the study:

During exploration, records of pharmaceutically important medicinal plants with its Global Positioning System (GPS) and potential in the field were taken. The important medicinal plants, such as Aegle marmelos, Bacopa monnieri, Boswellia serrata, Celastrus paniculata, Centella asiatica, Desmodium gangeticum, Gymnema sylvestris, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Oroxylum indicum, Solanum nigrum, and Terminalia tomentosa were recorded, which can be undertaken for mass cultivation by the farmers by adding some other medicinal plants having commercial value, viz. Aloe barbadensis and Withania somnifera.

Conclusion:

The study area is widely occupied by plants of Holarrhena antidysenterica and Woodfordia fruticosa for commercialization, whereas plants of Oroxylum indicum, Gymnema sylvestre, Butea superba, etc., need conservation in the habitat.
Ayurveda and Plant-based Interventions for Cancer Management
Authors: Gundeti Manohar S , Srikanth Narayanam , Dedge Amrish , Khanduri Shruti , Dave Parth , Tripathi Ashish Kumar , Sakethram Thrigulla , Reddy R Govind
Published: September 2017

Introduction:

A resurgence of interest in Ayurveda, other traditional systems of medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has resulted from the preference of many consumers for products of natural origin. The potential benefits of plant-based medicines could lie in their high acceptance by patients, and efficacy and safety. The most prevalent users of traditional medicine are individuals who have refractory conditions and nonlife-threatening conditions that may be chronic viz. neurological disorders, arthritis, etc. The second-largest group of users is those struggling with chronic, potentially life-threatening diseases, such as cancer and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, etc. Both groups turn to Ayurveda and traditional system of medicine for a variety of reasons, such as management as the main treatment option and improved immune functioning, overall functioning, and quality-of-life (QoL) by coping with side effects from conventional therapies, and to relieve symptoms related to their illness. The upsurge in use of traditional system among cancer patients warrants evidence of safety and effectiveness for these interventions as concomitant to conventional cancer therapy.

Objective:

This manuscript aims at a systematic review of published data on the effectiveness of Ayurveda/ herbal interventions as stand-alone or concomitant in the management of cancer.

Materials and methods:

Literature search for clinical studies with specific terms was carried using search engines viz. Google scholar, PubMed, Ayush Research Portal, etc. and print journals, reports from May 2017 to June 2017.

Results:

Various randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that ginger, honey, turmeric, and ashwagandha are effective as add-on in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), radiation mucositis, and fatigue. Moreover, single case reports and case-control studies also reported with positive outcomes for Ayurveda as stand-alone and add-ons to conventional treatment.

Conclusion:

Evidence for effectiveness of Ayurveda as add-on concomitant to conventional cancer treatment is substantial in comparison with Ayurveda as stand-alone, and this may help to develop integrative Ayurveda oncology treatment protocols.
Tribal Health Care Research Program
Authors: Srikanth Narayanam , Singh Sobaran , Sharma Bhagwan Sahai , Khanduri Shruti , Singh Renu , Maheswar Thugutla
Published: September 2017

Introduction:

Tribal Health Care Research Program (THCRP) was initiated by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in 1982. The core objective of the program is to study the living conditions of tribal people, which includes health-related demography, documentation of folk claims, local health traditions (LHTs), use of common medicinal plants and their availability, propagation of knowledge about personnel hygiene, and prevention of diseases besides extending medical aid at their doorsteps. The program has been implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar at different years from 1982 to 2016. During this period, five independent Tribal Health Care Research units have been relocated through reorganization, which came into force in the year 2000. Further, during the year 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2017 the program has been extended in 10 more states, viz., Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Telangana. Currently, the THCRP is being executed in 14 states through 15 peripheral institutes of CCRAS under tribal subplan (TSP).

Materials and methods:

The gross physical achievements including the beneficiaries of health care services, details of villages, tribal pockets covered, documentation of disease prevalence, and LHTs during the period 1982 to 2016 were compiled, summarized, and presented based on the information available in the published monographs, technical reports, and annual reports.

Conclusion:

A critical appraisal of THCRP revealed that from 1982 up to March 2016, CCRAS has extended health care services at 1,358 villages/tribal pockets that represent around 50 tribes across 14 states covering a population of 947,587. Apart from propagation of knowledge about hygiene and prevention of diseases, medical aid was provided to 336,015 seekers. In addition to this, through this program about 734 folklore claims, LHTs, use of common medicinal plants and their availability were documented and also the prevalence of different diseases in the tribal pockets was recorded.
Innovation and willingness to export: is there an effect of conscious self-selection?
Authors: Movahedi Mohammad , Shahbazi Kiumars , Gaussens Olivier
Published: September 2017

This paper presents an analysis of the crucial relationship between innovation, productivity, and export in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The primary aims of this study are to evaluate the role of innovation in the premium export and test the hypothesis of firm conscious self-selection on willingness to export. To this end, the authors used their database of SMEs, obtained from the survey conducted in the IDEIS project, which provides highly pertinent information on innovation and export areas. Based on the aforementioned database, the authors evaluate apparent premium of exportation and innovation. In addition, they demonstrate the effectiveness of the export premium for high exportation firms that implement process and organization innovations. Finally, the authors analyse the effect of conscious self-selection from the export process that transforms an intention to export into the capacity to export in short term. The conscious self-selection to export is revealed by simultaneously endogeneizing productivity and innovation output based on recursive non-linear model.
'Singing Songs, Making Places, Creating Selves:' Football Songs & Fan Identity at Sydney FC
Authors: Collinson Ian
Published: September 2017

The Australian A-League soccer competition was established in 2004. The creation of a new national soccer league precipitated many changes within Australia’s football culture. These changes were particularly difficult for the supporters because, with a single exception, all the A-League teams were completely new ‘franchises’. The reinvented competition required soccer fans to adopt a new team, to develop new loyalties, new rituals, new places, and consequently a new fan identity. Vital to this act of re-creation has been the collective authorship of a ‘new’ repertoire of football songs. Football songs and communal singing are central to the traditions and performance of soccer fandom. Football song plays a key, perhaps even determining, role in the creation of fan identity. In this paper I examine the way football songs are used create a fan identity for Sydney’s new A-League side: Sydney FC. I argue that the result of Sydney fans’ conscious act of cultural creation is a repertoire of songs and chants that, although derived from an increasingly globalised and commodified football culture, is able to articulate a local identity. Moreover, these songs may even be thought to articulate a local and a global fan identity simultaneously, as fans connect local and distant spaces within global soccer culture.