bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effective marketing of library and information services: problems and prospects
Authors: Igwela Jennifer N.B. , Owate Comfort O.
Published: July 2016

Effective marketing of library services is an important aspect of Librarianship that helps achieve necessary growth and development in the education industry. Library and Information Science offers different services to its clients but in doing so, it has been noticed that the industry is faced with a lot of challenges. Therefore, this work x-rays the problems and prospects of effective marketing of library and information services and come up with the findings that effective marketing of library services are faced with a lot of challenges and that effective marketing will bring about holistic development to the library profession, students, researchers and the nation at large. Recommendations were made that strategies of marketing library and information services should be expended and developed with the current trends to withstand all these challenges and meet the changing need of the prospective clients for sustainable development of the Nigerian Libraries.Keywords: Effective Marketing, Client, Information, Challenges, Prospect, Development
L’abus de l’enfant comme obstacle au développement humain: Étude d’Allah n’est pas obligé d’Ahmadou Kourouma
Authors: Muotoo Chukwunonso Hyacinth , Obinaju Nwabueze Joe
Published: July 2016

La littérature africaine d’expression française post-indépendante étant une littérature engagée et un instrument de lutte, continue à adresser les maux sociaux tels que la violence et l’abus de l’enfant. Un enfant se développe par le procédé d’imitation. Cet enfant essaie d’imiter les adultes pour sa formation. L’abus de l’enfant est un vice qui touche la vie humaine. C’est un élément mauvais dans l’existence de l’homme car le développement de l’enfant est affecté. Cette pratique est provoquée par beaucoup de facteurs y comprend la pauvreté, la mort, la guerre et les conflits. Ahmadou Kourouma en tant qu’écrivain, est conscient de cette situation dans la vie au Libéria comme on voit dans son oeuvre Allah n’est pas Obligé. L’enfance est un thème principal dans ce roman. Dans cette communication, on va démontrer comment la société exerce des influences sur la formation et l’abus de l’enfant. On verra aussi comment l’abus de l’enfant constitue un obstacle au développement humain.
Unsteady MHD flow in porous media past over exponentially accelerated inclined plate with variable wall temperature and mass transfer along with Hall current
Authors: Rajput Uday Singh , Kumar Gaurav
Published: July 2016

In this paper we are studying unsteady MHD flow in porous media past over exponentially accelerated inclined plate having variable wall temperature as well as mass transfer along with Hall current. We have used Laplace-transform technique to find the solution of the equations in the flow model. The results obtained are discussed with the help of graphs. The drag force at the boundary has been tabulated.Keywords: MHD, unsteady flow, inclined plate, Hall current, skin friction
Elastic limit angular speed of solid and annular disks under thermomechanical loading
Authors: Nayak Priyambada , Saha Kashinath
Published: July 2016

In this study, the influence of thermo-mechanical loading on stresses and deformation states in a rotating disk with varying thicknesses has been evaluated based on a variational principle considering the radial displacement field as unknown. The solutions till the elastic limit yield stress of the material are attained with the assumption of plane stress condition. MATLAB® computational simulation software is used to implement the solution algorithm. The analysis is accomplished for different disk geometries as well as temperature distribution profiles. Limit angular speed of the disks is calculated under thermo-mechanical loading and accounted for in dimensional mode as limit peripheral speed and dimensionless form as normalized limit angular speed. The influence of temperature on yield stress and subsequently on the limit peripheral speed is also studied for any given temperature distribution and results are furnished in dimensional form. The effects of temperature field on other material properties are also studied. The results of some reduced problems are validated with those available in literature and very good agreement is observed. The new results, furnished graphically as design monograms, might prove helpful for the practicing engineers.Keywords: Rotating disks, Variational method, Thermo-elastic stresses
Influence of expertise on rockfall hazard assessment using empirical methods
Authors: Delonca Adeline , Verdel Thierry , Gunzburger Yann
Published: July 2016

Abstract. To date, many rockfall hazard assessment methods still consider qualitative observations within their analysis. Based on this statement, knowledge and expertise are supposed to be major parameters of rockfall assessment. To test this hypothesis, an experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the influence of knowledge and expertise on rockfall hazard assessment. Three populations were selected, having different levels of expertise: (1) students in geosciences, (2) researchers in geosciences and (3) confirmed experts. These three populations evaluated the rockfall hazard level on the same site, considering two different methods: the Laboratoire des Ponts et Chaussées (LPC) method and a method partly based on the "slope mass rating" (SMR) method. To complement the analysis, the completion of an "a priori" assessment of the rockfall hazard was requested of each population, without using any method. The LPC method is the most widely used method in France for official hazard mapping. It combines two main indicators: the predisposition to instability and the expected magnitude. Reversely, the SMR method was used as an ad hoc quantitative method to investigate the effect of quantification within a method. These procedures were applied on a test site divided into three different sectors. A statistical treatment of the results (descriptive statistical analysis, chi-square independent test and ANOVA) shows that there is a significant influence of the method used on the rockfall hazard assessment, whatever the sector. However, there is a non-significant influence of the level of expertise of the population the sectors 2 and 3. On sector 1, there is a significant influence of the level of expertise, explained by the importance of the temporal probability assessment in the rockfall hazard assessment process. The SMR-based method seems highly sensitive to the "site activity" indicator and exhibits an important dispersion in its results. However, the results are more similar with the LPC qualitative method, even in the case of sector 1.
Stepwise drying of Lake Turkana at the end of the African Humid Period: an example of forced regression modulated by solar activity?
Authors: Nutz Alexis , Schuster Mathieu
Published: July 2016

Abstract. Although timing of the termination of the African Humid Period (AHP) is relatively well-established now, modes and controlling factors are still being determined. Here, through a geomorphological approach, we characterize the evolution of the final regression of Lake Turkana at the end of the African Humid Period. We show that lake level fall during this period was not constant, yet rather stepwise consisted of five periods marked by rapid rates of lake level fall separated by periods of lower rates of lake level fall. Even the overall regressive trend is associated with regional decreased precipitations due to reduced insolation controlled by orbital precession, we discuss the origin of the five periods of accelerated rates of lake level fall. Finally, we propose that accelerations are associated with periods marked by solar activity minima that locally resulted in the repeated westward displacement of the Congo Air Boundary (CAB), thereby reducing rainfall across the Lake Turkana basin.
An ice-sheet-wide framework for englacial attenuation from ice-penetrating radar data
Authors: Jordan T. M. , Bamber J. L. , Williams C. N. , Paden J. D. , Siegert M. J. , Huybrechts P. , Gagliardini O. , Gillet-Chaulet F.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. Radar inference of the bulk properties of glacier beds, most notably identifying basal melting, is, in general, derived from the basal reflection coefficient. On the scale of an ice sheet, unambiguous determination of basal reflection is primarily limited by uncertainty in the englacial attenuation of the radio wave, which is an Arrhenius function of temperature. Existing bed-returned power algorithms for deriving attenuation assume that the attenuation rate is regionally constant, which is not feasible at an ice-sheet-wide scale. Here we introduce a new semi-empirical framework for deriving englacial attenuation, and, to demonstrate its efficacy, we apply it to the Greenland Ice Sheet. A central feature is the use of a prior Arrhenius temperature model to estimate the spatial variation in englacial attenuation as a first guess input for the radar algorithm. We demonstrate regions of solution convergence for two input temperature fields and for independently analysed field campaigns. The coverage achieved is a trade-off with uncertainty and we propose that the algorithm can be "tuned" for discrimination of basal melt (attenuation loss uncertainty  ∼ 5 dB). This is supported by our physically realistic ( ∼ 20 dB) range for the basal reflection coefficient. Finally, we show that the attenuation solution can be used to predict the temperature bias of thermomechanical ice sheet models and is in agreement with known model temperature biases at the Dye 3 ice core.
High resolution boundary conditions of an old ice target near Dome C, Antarctica
Authors: Young Duncan A. , Roberts Jason L. , Ritz Catherine , Frezzotti Massimo , Quartini Enrica , Cavitte Marie G. P. , Tozer Carly R. , Steinhage Daniel , Urbini Stefano , Corr Hugh F. J. , Van Ommen Tas , Blankenship Donald D.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. A high resolution (1 km line spacing) aerogeophysical survey was conducted over a region near the East Antarctic Ice Sheet's Dome C that may hold a 1.5 million year old climate record. New ice thickness data derived from an airborne coherent radar sounder was combined with unpublished data that was unavailable for earlier compilations. We find under the primary candidate region elevated rough topography, near a number of subglacial lakes, but also regions of smoother bed. The high resolution of this ice thickness dataset also allows us to explore the nature of ice thickness uncertainties in the context of radar geometry and processing.
Stock Market Liquidity Measurement via the Bid-Ask Spread: Tunis Stockmarket
Authors: Mosbeh Hsini , MOSBAHI Mohamed Nidhal
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we attempt to explore the nature of the linkage relation of liquidity with market structure. Owing to his function of serving liquidity immediacy, the market maker determines his transacting prices (bid and ask) with all other operators. Accordingly, via his bid-ask spread, he does orient the transaction flow. This study shuts for testing a measure of market liquidity via the bid-ask spread via Stoll Model methodology (1989) on the covariance s’ regressions on Tunis stock market over a period stretching from January 2005 until January 2012. The results show that the higher the spread; the less liquid is the market.
Genre, Identity, and the Brain: Insights from Neuropsychology
Authors: Clark Irene
Published: July 2016

The article explores several perspectives on the interconnection between genre and identity, an issue that has generated significant scholarship in rhetorical genre studies. It suggests that current work in neuroplasticity—that is, changes in the brain that can occur through learning and experience—complicates and problematizes the issue and is important to introduce into conversations about genre. Utilizing advanced brain technology, recent neuropsychological studies indicate that certain skills and experiences that contribute to identity formation can now be discerned in the brain but that the brain can change frequently in a variety of settings. These studies thus suggest that identity is not an essentialized or static construct. Rather, it should be viewed as multifaceted, altering frequently in response to various environmental factors. The article argues that although genres, in particular academic genres, may have at least some influence on identity, the interconnections are complex and fluid, can be understood in terms of performativity, and can be influenced by student agency. It also emphasizes the importance of addressing genre and metacognitive awareness in the classroom as a means of enabling students to understand and choose the identities they wish to assume.
The True Story of Oral Communication Education in Alabama: A Case of Academic Discrimination?
Authors: Emanuel Richard
Published: July 2016

Written communication and oral communication are inextricably linked as essential life skills and as desirable educational outcomes. However, there is a clear disconnect between what Alabama colleges expect of their graduates and what they are providing them in terms of oral communication education. The steps taken to develop the general studies curriculum for public colleges in Alabama are described. The current state of oral communication education in Alabama highlights inconsistencies between stated academic goals and the means to achieve them, and it exposes a cancer in the curriculum, “teaching” oral communication as a module in another discipline's course. Very few Alabama high school graduates have ever had an oral communication course, but they have all had four years of required English. The real debate is not whether oral communication should be included in the general studies curriculum but where to put it. Oral communication is currently an option in Area II—Humanities. The regional accrediting agency for public colleges in Alabama states that oral communication is a skill course, like English composition, that does not belong in the humanities. The recommendation is to move oral communication to Area I and rename it Communication—Written and Oral.
State Mandates and General Education: One Campus Responds to Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Alexander Ross , Blakefield Mary , Frank Katherine , Pomper Markus
Published: July 2016

This study highlights the efforts of Indiana University East to make substantive changes to its general education program, resulting primarily from state mandates and legislation, on an extremely aggressive timeline. While fraught with challenges, these legislative mandates also presented opportunities for the institution to make necessary and impactful improvements to its general education curriculum, policies, and procedures that may not have occurred without the looming deadlines and requirements of the legislation. Indiana is one of several states that have enacted and implemented similar legislation, causing curricular and procedural change in general education programs throughout the nation. While often difficult to manage, these legislative measures can be viewed as opportunities at institutions, like Indiana University East, that desperately needed general education reform.
Connecting Intercultural Communication Service Learning with General Education: Issues, Outcomes, and Assessment
Authors: Littlefield Robert S. , Rick Jessica M. , Currie-Mueller Jenna L.
Published: July 2016

This study explored the intersection between service learning and general education outcomes through the self-reported perceptions of 382 college students participating in an intercultural communication course that satisfied the general education requirement at a midsized Upper Plains research university for studying cultural diversity. The data demonstrated student attention to cognitive, behavioral, and integrative outcomes associated with general education objectives. In addition, personal and social responsibility outcomes were noted in the reflections.
Contrast preservation in Polish Palatalization
Authors: Łubowicz Anna
Published: July 2016

There is a great deal of work on the role of contrast preservation in phonology and morphology (Flemming 1996; Padgett 2009; Hall 2011; Mackenzie 2013, among others). This article illustrates contrast preservation with the example of Coronal Palatalization in Polish (Rubach 1984; Gussmann 2007). The basic idea is that contrast is preserved between lexical items despite palatalization due to the choice of different allomorphs as suffixes for original and derived pre-palatals. If the same suffixes were selected for original and pre-palatal consonants, contrast would be neutralized between them in output forms. The analysis will be couched in the framework of PC (‘preserve contrast’) Theory (Łubowicz 2012). Cross-linguistic evidence and implications of the proposal will be examined. This article is part of the special collection: Palatalization
Explaining state constitutional changes
Authors: Tarr G. Alan
Published: July 2016

The article aims to analyze the fundamentals and the methods of state constitutional changes in the United States. It recognizes a certain pattern in the political processes of state constitutional changes, but it also points out that, in each case, some specific social groups act more intensely. Furthermore, it analyzes how external political forces can influence changes in state Constitutions. Finally, it concludes that, as a rule, the United States is currently undergoing a period in which there is a certain resistance to the creation of new state Constitutions, with greater popular preference for specific changes in the existing Constitutions.
Editorial - A dinâmica constitucional em tempos de mudanças e crises políticas
Authors: Hachem Daniel Wunder
Published: July 2016

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Technical assessment of forest road network using Backmund and surface distribution algorithm in a hardwood forest of Hyrcanian zone
Authors: Parsakhoo Aidin
Published: July 2016

Aim of study: Corrected Backmund and Surface Distribution Algorithms (SDA) for analysis of forest road network are introduced and presented in this study. Research was carried out to compare road network performance between two districts in a hardwood forest.Area of study: Shast Kalateh forests, Iran. Materials and methods: In uncorrected Backmund algorithm, skidding distance was determined by calculating road density and spacing and then it was designed as Potential Area for Skidding Operations (PASO) in ArcGIS software. To correct this procedure, the skidding constraint areas were taken using GPS and then removed from PASO. In SDA, shortest perpendicular distance from geometrical center of timber compartments to road was measured at both districts. Main results: In corrected Backmund, forest openness in district I and II were 70.3% and 69.5%, respectively. Therefore, there was little difference in forest openness in the districts based on the uncorrected Backmund. In SDA, the mean distance from geometrical center of timber compartments to the roads of districts I and II were 199.45 and 149.31 meters, respectively. Forest road network distribution in district II was better than that of district I relating to SDA.Research highlights: It was concluded that uncorrected Backmund was not precise enough to assess forest road network, while corrected Backmund could exhibit a real PASO by removing skidding constraints. According to presented algorithms, forest road network performance in district II was better than district I.
A forest simulation approach using weighted Voronoi diagrams. An application to Mediterranean fir Abies pinsapo Boiss stands
Authors: Abellanas Begoña , Abellanas Manuel , Pommerening Arne , Lodares Dolores , Cuadros Simón
Published: July 2016

Aim of study: a) To present a new version of the forest simulator Vorest, an individual-based spatially explicit model that uses weighted Voronoi diagrams to simulate the natural dynamics of forest stands with closed canopies. b) To apply the model to the current dynamics of a Grazalema pinsapo stand to identify the nature of its competition regime and the stagnation risks it is currently facing.Area of study: Sierra del Pinar de Grazalema (S Spain)Material and methods: Two large plots representative of Grazalema pinsapo stands were used to fit and validate the model (plus 6 accesory plots to increase the availability of mortality data). Two inventories were carried out in 1998 and 2007 producing tree size and location data. We developed a forest simulator based on three submodels: growth, competition and mortality. The model was fitted, evaluated and validated for Grazalema plots. The simulation outputs were used to infer the expected evolution of structural diversity of  forest stands.Main results: Vorest has proved to be a good tool for simulating dynamics of natural closed stands. The application to Grazalema pinsapo stands has allowed assessing the nature of the main processes that are driving its development pathway. We have found that the prevailing size-asymmetric competition dominates the self-thinning process in small-sized trees. At the same time, there is an active tree-size differentiation process.Research highlights:Vorest has proved to be a good tool for simulating natural stands with closed canopies.The Grazalema pinsapo stand under consideration is currently undergoing a natural process of differentiation, avoiding long-term stagnation.Keywords: Vorest; stand dynamics; individual-based forest model; spatially explicit forest model; pinsapo.
Analysis of National Forest Programs for REDD+ Implementation in six South and Southeast Asia countries
Authors: Mohammed Abrar J , Inoue Makoto , Shivakoti Ganesh P , Nath Tapan K , Jashimuddin Mohammed , De Zoysa Mangala , Kaskoyo Hari , Pulhin Juan M , Peras Rose J
Published: July 2016

Aim of study: To facilitate REDD+ implementation and identify relevant attributes for robust REDD+ policies, this study evaluated and synthesized information from national forest programs in South and Southeast Asian countries.Area of study: Data was collected from six countries: Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, India and Thailand.Methods: The data sources for the evaluation was an in-depth desk review of relevant documents and focus group discussion among experts from each study country.  Main Results: We found out that diverse factors may influence program feasibility and the ability to achieve ‘triple benefits’: the nature of the forest targeted by the policy, the characteristics of the population affected by the policy, attributes of the policy instrument and the different actors involved.Research highlights: We argue that national policies and programs targeted for REDD+ implementation should focus on the identified features to achieve REDD+ goals.Keywords: policy evaluation; policy instruments; triple benefits; Southeast Asia.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for English Language Teaching, Vol. 9, No. 8
Authors: Yu Gavin
Published: July 2016

Reviewer acknowledgements for English Language Teaching, Vol. 9, No. 8, 2016
Finance and R&D Investment: A Panel Study of Italian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Succurro Marianna , Costanzo Giuseppina Damiana
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of different sources of finance on R&D investment decisions in Italian manufacturing firms. Accounting data, taken from the Aida database, are collected over the 2006-2013 years. The empirical evidence shows that the availability of external financing primarily affects the decision to engage in R&D activity rather than R&D intensity. Internal cash flow, on the contrary, does affect both the likelihood of whether firms will undertake any R&D and the size of R&D spending. This impact is strongly significant for financially weaker firms, SMEs and high-tech firms. Due to greater asymmetric information problems, small innovative firms mainly rely on cash-flow to finance innovative projects. Since bank loans and other forms of debt are not well suited for R&D-intensive activities, our study would contribute to the debate whether it might be socially desirable to incentivize alternative small business financing options, still limited in Italy.
The Effect of Omalizumab on Eosinophilic Inflammation of the Respiratory Tract in Patients with Allergic Asthma
Authors: Kupryś-Lipińska Izabela , Molińska Katarzyna , Kuna Piotr
Published: July 2016

Bronchial asthma is characterised by high levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukins IL-4, IL-13 and IL-5 needed for, amongst other things, the production of IgE and the differentiation, maturation, migration and survival of eosinophils. Eosinophils are one of the most important cells in allergic inflammation. Their presence in tissue is linked to the persistence of inflammatory infiltrate, tissue damage and remodelling. Although these cells are very sensitive to corticosteroids, some asthmatic patients do not respond to high doses of these drugs, even when administered systemically. Transbronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage performed in patients with steroid-resistant asthma have demonstrated higher levels of eosinophils and Th2-type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-5) compared to steroid-sensitive patients. Clinical studies have confirmed that the very effective treatment in these cases is therapy with omalizumab—an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody. The paper discusses the efficacy of omalizumab in reducing eosinophil number in peripheral blood and in the airways of asthmatic patients based on basic, clinical, observational studies and case reports. The significance of omalizumab therapy in asthma control and mechanisms that regulate the effects of omalizumab on eosinophils are evaluated.
Reading Gogol’ in Azeri: Parodic Genealogies and the Revolutionary Geopoetics of 1905
Authors: Feldman Leah
Published: July 2016

This essay investigates the geopoetic strategies through which Muslim writers contributed to as well as undermined the consolidation of the Russian literary canon. Its central focus is the Azeri writer Celil Memmedquluzade’s translation of Gogol’’s work, revealing the politicization of Gogol”s poetics in the Muslim south Caucasus in 1905. Drawing upon Gogol’’s prose about the Russian provinces, its translation in the Caucasus, and its resurrection in literary theory, I illustrate the ways in which the poetics of the imperial provinces intersected with the Russian and Soviet imperial gaze, highlighting the internalizing force of imperial expansion as well as the radical alterity of the colonial experience. The early twentieth century was marked by a series of revolutionary upheavals in the imperial capital and periphery, as well as a Bolshevik ideological campaign to envision literature as an enlightened enterprise, that is, one characterized by both its scientific and political power. In dialectical fashion, the creation of a revolutionary poetics involved a repetition of Gogol’’s prose in order to reconcile and thus transcend the series of binaries associated with nineteenth century literature: center/periphery, oral/written, self/other. Gogol’’s resurrection in Memmedquluzade’s translations and in the hands of his Formalist and postcolonial critics highlights the role of Russian imperial geopoetics in simultaneously sustaining and subverting a revolutionary literary culture
Information Privacy and Social Self-Authorship
Authors: Susser Daniel ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: July 2016

The dominant approach in privacy theory defines information privacy as some form of control over personal information. In this essay, I argue that the control approach is mistaken, but for different reasons than those offered by its other critics. I claim that information privacy involves the drawing of epistemic boundaries—boundaries between what others should and shouldn’t know about us. While controlling what information others have about us is one strategy we use to draw such boundaries, it is not the only one. We conceal information about ourselves and we reveal it. And since the meaning of information is not self-evident, we also work to shape how others contextualize and interpret the information that they have about us. Information privacy is thus about more than controlling information; it involves the constant work of producing and managing public identities, what I call “social self-authorship.” In the second part of the essay, I argue that thinking about information privacy in these terms reveals threats to privacy that the control approach neglects. Namely, information technology makes social self-authorship invisible and unnecessary by making it difficult for us to know when others are forming impressions about us and by providing others with tools for making assumptions about who we are which obviate the need for our involvement in the process.
POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS E A ATUAÇÃO DOS GESTORES FRENTE AO CÂNCER DE MAMA E DO COLO UTERINO
Authors: Schlemmer Braun Josiane Bizzi , Castilhos Lívia Gelain , Lima Suzinara Beatriz Soares de
Published: July 2016

Objetivo: descrever sobre as políticas públicas nas neoplasias de mama e do colo uterino, assim como a atuação dos gestores nestes cânceres. Metodologia: revisão narrativa da literatura, realizada nas bases de dados: scielo, pubmed e lilacs. Resultados: selecionou-se 42 artigos, datados de 1984 a 2014. os descritores utilizados foram: neoplasia de mama, neoplasia do colo do útero, políticas públicas e gestor de saúde. foi possível observar que as produções científicas buscam orientar a população sobre a promoção, a prevenção e o tratamento do câncer de mama e do colo uterino, através de políticas públicas. mostram também as responsabilidades dos gestores do sus na condução das ações nesta área. Considerações Finais: para que sejam efetivas estas políticas é preciso garantir que os gestores sejam parceiros no planejamento e na execução das mesmas, contribuindo para a prevenção do câncer, melhorando a qualidade de vida e prevenção de outras patologias.Descritores: Neoplasia de Mama; Neoplasia do Colo do Ùtero; Políticas Públicas; Gestor em Saúde.
ABORDAGEM DAS DOENÇAS SEXUALMENTE TRANSMISSÍVEIS NA ADOLESCÊNCIA: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA
Authors: Bottega Angelita , Canestrini Thomás , Rodrigues Mônica De Abreu , Rampelotto Roberta Filipini , Santos Silvana Oliveira dos , Silva Danielly Da Costa , Hörner Rosmari
Published: July 2016

O estudo objetivou reportar sobre os riscos de contágio das Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis (DSTs), apresentando as principais formas de transmissão, sinais e sintomas associados, tratamento e prevenção. Realizou-se uma revisão bibliográfica no período de abril a junho de 2015, por meio das bases de dados (SciELO, PubMed, LILACS e BIREME), cartilhas e materiais do Ministério da Saúde, publicados entre 2003 a 2015 envolvendo os descritores: “doenças sexualmente transmissíveis”, “adolescente”, “sexualidade” e “vulnerabilidade em saúde” no idioma inglês e português. A busca resultou em 63 publicações das quais 58 foram selecionadas a partir da leitura dos resumos dos materiais para elaboração deste trabalho por abordarem o tema proposto. Pode se observar que a disseminação das DSTs entre a população jovem é crescente, sendo necessário investir continuamente em ações de caráter educativo que visem à redução dos fatores de riscos e possam contribuir para sua cidadania.Descritores: Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis; Adolescente; Sexualidade; Vulnerabilidade em Saúde.
Drinking Water Quality Regulation: Where Are We in a Continuing Evolution?
Authors: Rouse Michael J.
Published: July 2016

Safe drinking water is critical to the overall health of communities. When most people lived in rural areas, with wells and springs providing generally safe water, drinking water was not recognized as a major public health threat. During the Industrial Revolution in Europe and North America in the 19th century, waterborne threats increased as a result of the high density of populations that had moved from the countryside to cities seeking work. In the drive for profitable industry, little regard was given to living conditions or to the pollution that occurred as a consequence of human and industrial waste. With growing populations and associated increases in demand, more and more reliance was placed on surface waters. There was no water source protection or water treatment.
Planning for the Unconventional Emergency
Authors: Bernosky Joseph
Published: July 2016

In the March 2016 Journal AWWA Inside Insight column, Mike McGuire mentioned the dreaded 3:30 AM telephone call informing a utility manager about an emergency. It's been my experience that such telephone calls can arrive not just at that dark hour but at 8:00 on a sunny Saturday morning or 3:00 on a peaceful Sunday afternoon. Emergencies rarely occur at 10:15 on a Tuesday morning when all operations, maintenance, and technical staff are present; it just doesn't work that way.
Annual cost of antiretroviral therapy among three service delivery models in Uganda
Authors: Vu Lung , Waliggo Samuel , Zieman Brady , Jani Nrupa , Buzaalirwa Lydia , Okoboi Stephen , Okal Jerry , Borse Nagesh N , Kalibala Samuel
Published: July 2016

Introduction

In response to the increasing burden of HIV, the Ugandan government has employed different service delivery models since 2004 that aim to reduce costs and remove barriers to accessing HIV care. These models include community‐based approaches to delivering antiretroviral therapy (ART) and delegating tasks to lower‐level health workers. This study aimed to provide data on annual ART cost per client among three different service delivery models in Uganda.

Methods

Costing data for the entire year 2012 were retrospectively collected as part of a larger task‐shifting study conducted in three organizations in Uganda: Kitovu Mobile (KM), the AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) and Uganda Cares (UC). A standard cost data capture tool was developed and used to retrospectively collect cost information regarding antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and non‐ARV drugs, ART‐related lab tests, personnel and administrative costs. A random sample of four TASO centres (out of 11), four UC clinics (out of 29) and all KM outreach units were selected for the study.

Results

Cost varied across sites within each organization as well as across the three organizations. In addition, the number of annual ART visits was more frequent in rural areas and through KM (the community distribution model), which played a major part in the overall annual ART cost. The annual cost per client (in USD) was $404 for KM, $332 for TASO and $257 for UC. These estimates were lower than previous analyses in Uganda or the region compared to data from 2001 to 2009, but comparable with recent estimates using data from 2010 to 2013. ARVs accounted for the majority of the total cost, followed by personnel and operational costs.

Conclusions

The study provides updated data on annual cost per ART visit for three service delivery models in Uganda. These data will be vital for in‐country budgetary efforts to ensure that universal access to ART, as called for in the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, is achievable. The lower annual ART cost found in this study indicates that we may be able to treat all people with HIV as laid out in the 2015 WHO guidelines. The variation of costs across sites and the three models indicates the potential for efficiency gains.
DNA barcode data accurately assign higher spider taxa
Authors: Coddington Jonathan A. , Agnarsson Ingi , Cheng Ren-Chung , Čandek Klemen , Driskell Amy , Frick Holger , Gregorič Matjaž , Kostanjšek Rok , Kropf Christian , Kweskin Matthew , Lokovšek Tjaša , Pipan Miha , Vidergar Nina , Kuntner Matjaž
Published: July 2016

The use of unique DNA sequences as a method for taxonomic identification is no longer fundamentally controversial, even though debate continues on the best markers, methods, and technology to use. Although both existing databanks such as GenBank and BOLD, as well as reference taxonomies, are imperfect, in best case scenarios “barcodes” (whether single or multiple, organelle or nuclear, loci) clearly are an increasingly fast and inexpensive method of identification, especially as compared to manual identification of unknowns by increasingly rare expert taxonomists. Because most species on Earth are undescribed, a complete reference database at the species level is impractical in the near term. The question therefore arises whether unidentified species can, using DNA barcodes, be accurately assigned to more inclusive groups such as genera and families—taxonomic ranks of putatively monophyletic groups for which the global inventory is more complete and stable. We used a carefully chosen test library of CO1 sequences from 49 families, 313 genera, and 816 species of spiders to assess the accuracy of genus and family-level assignment. We used BLAST queries of each sequence against the entire library and got the top ten hits. The percent sequence identity was reported from these hits (PIdent, range 75–100%). Accurate assignment of higher taxa (PIdent above which errors totaled less than 5%) occurred for genera at PIdent values >95 and families at PIdent values ≥ 91, suggesting these as heuristic thresholds for accurate generic and familial identifications in spiders. Accuracy of identification increases with numbers of species/genus and genera/family in the library; above five genera per family and fifteen species per genus all higher taxon assignments were correct. We propose that using percent sequence identity between conventional barcode sequences may be a feasible and reasonably accurate method to identify animals to family/genus. However, the quality of the underlying database impacts accuracy of results; many outliers in our dataset could be attributed to taxonomic and/or sequencing errors in BOLD and GenBank. It seems that an accurate and complete reference library of families and genera of lifecouldprovide accurate higher level taxonomic identifications cheaply and accessibly, within years rather than decades.
Speed Limits
Authors: Menzin Eleanor R.
Published: September 2024

In this narrative medicine essay, a pediatrician discusses the ambiguity of diagnoses of patients and settles on honestly admitting when the parameters are unclear with an explanation of the range of possibilities.
Thirty-Five Years of HIV Research in Africa—An Interview With Winners of the 2024 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award
Authors: Malani Preeti
Published: September 2024

This Medical News article is an interview with Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD, and Salim S. Abdool Karim, MBChB, PhD, who received the award for their decades of work on AIDS in Africa.
Standardized Definitions for Efficacy End Points for Adjuvant Trials—The Updated STEEP Criteria
Authors: Hlauschek Dominik , Fesl Christian , Gnant Michael
Published: September 2024

This Viewpoint discusses how the inclusion or exclusion of certain events in the standardization of clinical trial end points can affect the interpretation of results.
Transperineal vs Transrectal Prostate Biopsy—The PREVENT Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hu Jim C. , Assel Melissa , Allaf Mohammad E. , Vickers Andrew J. , Ehdaie Behfar , Cohen Andrew J. , Green David A. , Ghazi Ahmed , Ristau Benjamin T. , Kowalczyk Keith J. , George Arvin K. , Patel Hiten D. , Montgomery Jeffrey S. , Han Misop , Rezaee Michael , Pavlovich Christian P. , Patel Neal A. , Ross Ashley E. , Kundu Shilajit D. , Wang Gerald J. , Shoag Jonathan E. , Singla Nirmish , Stensland Kristian , Gorin Michael A. , Schaeffer Anthony J. , Schaeffer Edward M.
Published: September 2024

This randomized clinical trial compares the effect of transperineal vs transrectal prostate biopsy on infection rates after biopsy.
Untreated Vision Loss as a Modifiable Dementia Risk Factor
Authors: Ehrlich Joshua R.
Published: September 2024

This Viewpoint discusses vision impairment as a modifiable dementia risk factor.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Circulating Tumor HPV DNA Testing in Patients With a Lateral Neck Mass
Authors: Ferrandino Rocco M. , Barlow Joshua , Gold Brandon , Kraft Daniel , Roof Scott A. , Teng Marita S. , Khan Mohemmed N. , Berger Michael H. , Misiukiewicz Krzysztof J. , Sindhu Kunal K. , Bakst Richard L. , Posner Marshall R. , Westra William H. , Genden Eric M. , Chai Raymond L.
Published: September 2024

Importance

The most frequent presenting symptom for patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)–associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is a lateral neck mass. Circulating tumor tissue–modified viral (TTMV)–HPV DNA is a unique biomarker produced by the fragmentation of HPV DNA during the degradation of HPV-associated tumors, and its detection and quantitation are currently being used as an adjunct to imaging in monitoring for disease recurrence and may have utility for diagnosis.

Objective

To measure the diagnostic characteristics of TTMV-HPV DNA compared with gold standard tissue biopsy for diagnosing HPV-OPSCC in patients presenting with an indeterminate lateral neck mass.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective diagnostic test study enrolled patients 18 years or older who presented with a lateral neck mass to a large urban tertiary health care system from December 2021 to June 2023. Participants underwent standard-of-care testing to obtain a tissue diagnosis and a single TTMV-HPV DNA measurement.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome of interest was sensitivity, while specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were secondary end points. A subset analysis was performed comparing test performance metrics between TTMV-HPV DNA testing and fine-needle aspiration.

Results

A total of 138 patients were included, of whom 80 (58.0%) were men, with median age of 57.5 years (IQR, 43.3-67.0 years). Of 138 patients, 87 (63.0%) had neck masses in level 2 and 47 (34.1%) had HPV-OPSCC. TTMV-HPV DNA testing exhibited a sensitivity of 95.7% (95% CI, 85.5%-99.5% [45 of 47 patients]), specificity of 97.8% (95% CI, 92.3%-99.7% [89 of 91 patients]), positive predictive value of 95.7% (95% CI, 85.5%-99.5% [45 of 47 patients]), and negative predictive value of 97.8% (95% CI, 92.3%-99.7% [89 of 91 patients]).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this diagnostic study of patients presenting with a lateral neck mass, circulating TTMV-HPV DNA demonstrated excellent diagnostic test characteristics for the detection of HPV-OPSCC. Such testing may have particular utility for patients in whom obtaining adequate tissue is problematic, as is often the case with cystic neck masses and unknown primary tumors.
Effect of Cell Size on the Mechanical Properties of the Porous Structure of a CuCrZr Alloy Formed by Selective Laser Melting Technology
Authors: Gao Yuan , Liu Bin , Hao Yangbiao , Li Zhonghua , Li Yadong , Guo Xintao , Zhang Fangyuan , Zhang Kaifei
Published: September 2024

The porous structure has been widely used in heat sinks in aerospace fields because of its good specific strengthand lightweight. The porous structure formed by selective laser melting technology offers many advantages, but it also presents some challenges, for instance, how to how to ensure that the density is greatly reduced without sacrificing the material's mechanical properties. The Schoen I‐graph‐wrapped package structure with different cell sizes under the same volume fraction had been designed and fabricated by selective laser melting technology using CuCrZr powder as the raw material. The microstructure, grain orientation, and static properties were explored. At the same volume fraction, the pores were almost completely blocked when the cell size was 2 mm, with reduced powder adhesion when the cell size was 9 mm. As the cell size decreases, the compressive strength increases, with the compressive strength reaching 180 MPa at a cell size of 2 mm. Moreover, the energy absorption efficiency increases with the increase in cell size, with the highest energy absorption efficiency of 28% at a cell size of 9 mm. The limit dimensions under these conditions were determined to provide a reference for related research in this field.
Fluorescent Microneedle‐Based Theranostic Patch for Naked‐Eye Monitoring and On‐Demand Photo‐Therapy of Bacterial Biofilm Infections
Authors: Lai Shuangquan , Cao Boling , Ouyang Xumei , Zhang Shuting , Li Jing , He Wenhuan , Dong Jianwen , Shi Liangjie , Chan Yau Kei , Guo Zhong , Deng Yi , Peng Shaojun
Published: September 2024

The eradication of recalcitrant bacterial biofilm infections necessitates the development of speedy diagnostics and prompt therapeutics. However, constructing a portable versatile platform that enables in situ monitoring of biofilm infections accompanied by potent antibiofilm activity remains challenging. To address this conundrum, a microneedle theranostic patch (Mn: C/G@MN) is devised by incorporating an innovative biophotonic probe (manganese‐doped carbon dots, Mn: CDs) into methacrylated gelatin for visual monitoring of biofilm infection and on‐demand photo‐therapy. The Mn: C/G@MN patch penetrates the physical barrier of biofilms to track their acidic microenvironment, exhibiting a visualized fluorescence color change (from yellow to turquoise) to enable naked‐eye monitoring of biofilm infection. Furthermore, the Mn: C/G@MN patch can drastically eradicate biofilm on‐demand through the synergy of local hyperthermia and hydroxyl radical (•OH) storm under 808 nm near‐infrared light illumination, enabling the damaging of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) matrix to disperse biofilms and subsequently kill detached bacteria. Both in vitro and in vivo findings authenticate that biofilm infection monitoring‐and‐treating can be achieved. Moreover, the versatile Mn: C/G@MN patch is conducive to suppressing inflammatory responses, expediting collagen deposition, stimulating angiogenesis, and accelerating biofilm‐infected wound healing. As envisaged, this work highlights the potential of such a versatile platform for application in integrated theranostics for biofilm infection.
Sliding Ferroelectricity Induced Ultrafast Switchable Photovoltaic Response in ε‐InSe Layers
Authors: Wang Yufan , Zeng Zhouxiaosong , Tian Zhiqiang , Li Cheng , Braun Kai , Huang Lanyu , Li Yang , Luo Xinyi , Yi Jiali , Wu Guangcheng , Liu Guixian , Li Dong , Zhou Yu , Chen Mingxing , Wang Xiao , Pan Anlian
Published: September 2024

2D sliding ferroelectric semiconductors have greatly expanded the ferroelectrics family with the flexibility of bandgap and material properties, which hold great promise for ultrathin device applications that combine ferroelectrics with optoelectronics. Besides the induced different resistance states for non‐volatile memories, the switchable ferroelectric polarizations can also modulate the photogenerated carriers for potentially ultrafast optoelectronic devices. Here, it is demonstrated that the room temperature sliding ferroelectricity can be used for ultrafast switchable photovoltaic response in ε‐InSe layers. By first‐principles calculations and experimental characterizations, it is revealed that the ferroelectricity with out‐of‐plane (OOP) polarization only exists in even layer ε‐InSe. The ferroelectricity is also demonstrated in ε‐InSe‐based vertical devices, which exhibit high on‐off ratios (≈104) and non‐volatile storage capabilities. Moreover, the OOP ferroelectricity enables an ultrafast (≈3 ps) bulk photovoltaic response in the near‐infrared band, rendering it a promising material for self‐powered reconfigurable and ultrafast photodetector. This work reveals the essential role of ferroelectric polarization on the photogenerated carrier dynamics and paves the way for hybrid multifunctional ferroelectric and optoelectronic devices.