bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guns, Crime, and Dangerous Minds
Authors: Vicaro Michael P. , Seitz David W.
Published: August 2015

In the wake of recent, high profile mass shootings, the “deranged mind” has become a common discursive ground for policy makers, pundits, gun enthusiasts, and gun control advocates alike. Interested parties on both sides of the gun control/rights debate have agreed that laws restricting gun ownership should be assessed according to their ability to protect the innocent citizen from the unpredictable criminal violence of the insane (despite the fact that mass shootings account for only one tenth of 1% of all homicides committed with a gun). Contextualizing this development within both distant and recent U.S. history, we argue that policy proposals that tie contemporary gun violence prevention to mental health care can be seen as part of a confluence of technologies of social governance that includes: a turn from therapeutic to risk-management approaches to mental health care; a turn from retrospective/forensic to prospective/preventative approaches to criminal justice; and, a broader turn toward a “criminological” view of civic identity. Furthermore, by shifting the locus of violence from the gun to the interior world of the potential violent criminal, the “mental health” turn dematerializes the gun at the very moments when its “thingliness” is most vivid.
Synpolydactyly of the hand: a radiographic classification
Authors: Wall L. B. , Bae D. S. , Oishi S. N. , Calfee R. P. , Goldfarb C. A.
Published: August 2015

Synpolydactyly is an uncommon congenital anomaly characterized by polydactyly with syndactyly in the central hand. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and assess the reliability of a radiographic classification system for synpolydactyly. We identified 56 hands with central synpolydactyly and developed a radiographic classification system that categorizes by the location within the hand, the bony level of polydactyly, and the presence of a delta phalanx. Four paediatric hand surgeons independently reviewed each radiograph to establish reliability. There was exact agreement among raters in 40 cases (71%). The inter-rater reliability was 0.97 and intra-rater reliability was at least 0.87. Seven of 16 bilateral cases had symmetric deformity classification. The most common presentations were types 1A and 2A. We present a new, reliable radiographic classification system for synpolydactyly that will allow improved communication between clinicians and serve as a foundation for future investigations.

Level of Evidence: 2
Emergency medicine staff’s perception of SimWars: A Singapore view
Authors: Dong Chaoyan , Goswami Rahul , Sim Guek Gwee , Kowitlawakul Yanika
Published: August 2015

Background:

SimWars is an onstage competition among teams of health care providers in front of an audience. Participants demonstrate communication, teamwork, clinical management, and problem-solving skills. Upon completion, judges debrief participants’ clinical actions and team dynamics.

Purpose:

The Society for Emergency Medicine in Singapore hosted the inaugural SimWars in 2014. This study investigated whether SimWars was effective in teaching emergency medicine staff, explored how the competitive nature of SimWars affected the performance and learning of participants, and identified strategies to implement SimWars effectively in Singapore.

Methods:

A descriptive qualitative design was selected owing to the exploratory nature of the questions. Thirteen SimWars participants, six audiences, and three judges participated in the study.

Results:

(1) Twenty-one out of 22 considered SimWars useful for learning; (2) 14 out of 19 agreed that SimWars closely resemble clinical practice compared to clinical practice; (3) 16 out of 19 agreed that competition induced stress from participants and enhanced performance; (4) 16 out of 22 said SimWars was psychologically safe; (5) 18 said the team worked well together; (6) 19 said that debriefing helped them to improve through clarification, discussion, and reflection; debriefing should be personalized, longer, more structured, more detailed, and in a more private manner; (7) 13 said their knowledge and skills on the content areas will change; 21 said what they learned will be transferred to clinical practice; (8) the useful parts of SimWars included practicing under stress, debriefing, teamwork, and critical thinking; and (9) future improvements included avoiding technical problems and providing clear guidelines.

Conclusion:

Our responders perceived SimWars to be effective for professional development.
International guidelines for the successful organisation of humanitarian medical missions (HMMs) during peacetime
Authors: Umapathi Thirugnanam , Yong Bee Choon , Yong Siew Lan , Lee Seng Teik
Published: August 2015

The inaugural International Conference on Humanitarian Medical Mission (ICHMM) was held in Singapore from 30 October to 1 November 2014. Over 300 delegates from 16 countries participated in the conference. The conference theme was “Volunteers Beyond Borders”. It highlighted the scope of humanitarian activities across all medical disciplines and brought many medical volunteers beyond borders together to exchange and interact. The scope was confined to peacetime medical missions. The international guidelines for the successful organisation of humanitarian medical missions during peacetime was developed as a direct consequence of this conference. Prior to the conference, seven different organisations and well-known individuals involved in humanitarian work were surveyed. The results of the survey formed the basis of these guidelines. The content of the guidelines is divided into the following sections: 1) Requests for humanitarian aid; 2) Organisation of an HMM in response to a request; 3) Funding of an HMM; 4) Organising a team and team composition; 5) Protection of team members; 6) Quality assurance and outcomes documentation; 7) Education and training during HMM; 8) Anticipation of difficulties and limiting factors; 9) Attributes of a good volunteer; 10) Dos and don’ts; and 11) A checklist. It is hoped that this set of guidelines will be of assistance to budding health care volunteers who wish to embark on humanitarian medical mission.
“It’s not really a menu because we can’t pick what we want to do”: Content integration in kindergarten contexts
Authors: Heimer Lucinda Grace , Klefstad Erica
Published: August 2015

In our research, we critique current curricular practices as enacted by teachers in kindergarten settings for five-year-olds (5K) in the United States. We explore how teachers of 5K students understand and implement early childhood integrated curriculum regulated by standards and assessments. In the United States, integrated curriculum guidelines are well known and taught throughout the pre-kindergarten community, are considered developmentally appropriate by Western notions, and are recommended for teaching children birth through age eight. Integrated curriculum is commonly modeled in early childhood classrooms; however, there is a dearth of research regarding implementation of such an approach at the elementary level (typically kindergarten through fifth grade). In fact, with a focus on accountability toward proficiency for all children in the United States (Race to the Top; Common Core Standards; Danielson Teacher Effectiveness Evaluations; edTPA), there has been an increased focus on discrete content area instruction. Our data include classroom observations and interviews with teachers in eight public and private 5K classes across a southeastern region of a US Midwestern state. We highlight the increased rigidity for “block content area” time in public school settings and the difficulty in following the interests of children and integrating curriculum across content areas. We call attention to the impact of increasingly regulated classroom time and subsequent regulation of teachers and childhood and suggest the creation of hybrid mentoring spaces to revisit the goal of early education and support teachers’ enactment of policy.
Enhancing adherence, subjective well-being and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia: which role for long-acting risperidone?
Authors: Niolu Cinzia , Bianciardi Emanuela , Di Lorenzo Giorgio , Marchetta Claudia , Barone Ylenia , Sterbini Nicoletta , Ribolsi Michele , Reggiardo Giorgio , Siracusano Alberto
Published: August 2015

Aim:

This study evaluated adherence to treatment, quality of life and subjective well-being in patients with psychosis treated with long-acting injectable risperidone. Subjects enrolled were part of a larger study where patients were observed in an adherence to treatment program of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Materials and methods:

A total of 27 nonadherent patients (21 men, six women; mean age: 36.1 years; range: 23–63 years) were enrolled. Maximum observational period was 30 months.

Results:

A total of 12 patients were under treatment for 30 months (44.44%) but only nine had a valid 30-month follow up, while the remaining three patients initially treated at our unit continued long-acting risperidone at their local centre. Reductions of monthly mean values of Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) [repeated measures analysis of variance (rm-ANOVA): p < 0.0001] and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) ( p < 0.0001), increase of monthly mean values of Subjective Well-Being Under Neuroleptic Treatment Scale (SWN) ( p < 0.0001) and Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (S-QoL) ( p < 0.01) were observed. Significant differences with respect to SAPS baseline values from the sixth month, SANS baseline values from the seventh month, SWN baseline values from the eighth month, S-QoL baseline values from the eighteenth month were shown in post hoc tests. Reduction of SAPS mean values was associated with increase of SWN ( p < 0.0001) and S-QoL ( p < 0.0001) mean values as demonstrated by correlation analysis. The same inverse correlation was found between reduction of SANS mean values and increases of SWN ( p < 0.0001) and S-QoL ( p = 0.0001) mean values.

Conclusions:

Long-term treatment with long-acting risperidone may be associated with improvement to adherence to therapy and quality of life. Patients may show improvement in psychopathological symptoms, subjective well-being and quality of life.
Empowering students: Pedagogy that benefits educators and learners
Authors: Broom Catherine
Published: August 2015

This article argues that one of the main goals of social or civic studies is to empower students. However, traditional teaching practices often have the opposite effect of disempowering students. Traditional teaching practices are understood to emerge from the history and context of public schooling, from early practices, which have been reified. After describing this context, the article reviews the meaning of and literature around empowerment, which relate to the democratic purpose of schooling. The conception of empowerment that is presented is developed from Foucault’s work on power and knowledge. After this discussion, the article provides recommendations that aim to improve teaching practice in this area. These recommendations emerged from the teaching of an integrated teacher education course and include strategies such as inquiry, relationship - and community-building, problem or issue scenarios, and discussions. Comments from the student teachers who took the education course are included. The article demonstrates how empowering students does not disempower teachers, as teachers may fear.
Pharmacy collected medication histories in an observation unit
Authors: Procopio Gabrielle L , Faley Brian , Wynd Michael A , Finefrock Douglas , Kobayashi Michelle , Feldman Joseph
Published: August 2015

Background:

Clear processes to facilitate medication reconciliation in a hospital setting are still undefined. The observation unit allows for a high patient turnover rate, where obtaining accurate medication histories is critical.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of pharmacists and student pharmacists to identify discrepancies in medication histories obtained at triage in observation patients.

Methods:

Pharmacists and student pharmacists obtained a medication history for each patient placed in observation status. Patients were excluded if they were unable to provide a medication history and family, caregiver, or community pharmacy was also unable to provide the history. A comparison was made between triage and pharmacy collected medication histories to identify discrepancies.

Results:

A total of 501 medications histories were collected, accounting for 3213 medication records. There were 1176 (37%) matched medication records and 1467 discrepancies identified, including 808 (55%) omissions, 296 (20.2%) wrong frequency, 278 (19%) wrong dose, 51 (3.5%) discontinued, and 34 (2.3%) wrong medication. There was an average of 2.9 discrepancies per patient profile. In all, 76 (15%) of the profiles were matched. The median time to obtain a medication history was 4 min (range: 1–48 min).

Conclusion:

Pharmacy collected medication histories in an observation unit identify discrepancies that can be reconciled by the interdisciplinary team.
Obesity Phytotherapy
Authors: Bahmani Mahmoud , Eftekhari Zohreh , Saki Kourosh , Fazeli-Moghadam Ezatollah , Jelodari Mahyar , Rafieian-Kopaei Mahmoud
Published: August 2015

Obesity is an important disorders due to which 25 million deaths occur annually worldwide. Synthetic drugs for weight loss have low efficacy and high side effects. Apart from synthetic drugs in modern medicine, various other methods including the use of herbal medications are used to induce weight loss. Cambodia hoodia, green tea, Citrus aurantium, white beans, fenugreek, caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, yohimbine, chitosan, fitostreols, and guar gum have been studied in clinical trials and their effects have been confirmed. It seems necessary to study more to determine the effectiveness and safety of medicinal plants and herbal extracts as well as pharmaceutically active ingredients that may have the property of weight loss. In this article, we aimed to review recent knowledge about medicinal plants that are recommended for weight loss.
Environmental Health and Safety Hazards Experienced by Home Health Care Providers
Authors: Polivka Barbara J. , Wills Celia E. , Darragh Amy , Lavender Steven , Sommerich Carolyn , Stredney Donald
Published: August 2015

The number of personnel providing in-home health care services is increasing substantially. The unique configuration of environmental hazards in individual client homes has a significant impact on the safety and health of home health care providers (HHPs). This mixed-methods study used data from a standardized questionnaire, focus groups, and individual interviews to explore environmental health and safety hazards encountered by HHPs in client homes. The participant sample ( N = 68) included nurses, aides, therapists, and owners/managers from a variety of geographic locations. The most often-reported hazards were trip/slip/lift hazards, biohazards, and hazards from poor air quality, allergens, pests and rodents, and fire and burns. Frequency of identified key hazards varied by room, that is, kitchen (e.g., throw rugs, water on floor), bathroom (e.g., tight spaces for client handling), bedroom (e.g., bed too low), living room (e.g., animal waste), and hallway (e.g., clutter). Findings indicate the need for broader training to enable HHPs to identify and address hazards they encounter in client homes.
Identification of Risk Factors for Initial Elevated Vancomycin Trough Concentrations
Authors: MacDougall Julie , Ahern John , Civalier Maria , Pierce Kristin , Cohen Roseanne
Published: August 2015

Background: Recent literature suggests that elevated vancomycin trough concentrations (>20 µg/mL) may be associated with an increased risk of nephrotoxicity and lead to an increase in mortality and hospital length of stay. Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify variables that may be predictive of elevated initial vancomycin trough concentrations. Methods: Retrospective case–control study of all adult patients who had an initial vancomycin trough concentration measured between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014. Case patients had an initial trough concentration >20 µg/mL, while control patients had an initial trough concentration of ≤20 µg/mL. Patients were excluded from the study if they were in the intensive care unit, had unstable renal function, or if they had cystic fibrosis, solid organ transplant, or bone marrow transplant. Results: Of the 512 vancomycin trough concentrations reviewed, 54 patients met the case definition, while 140 patients were randomly selected as controls. In a multivariate model, baseline serum creatinine, body mass index, heart failure, and malignancy were all independently predictive of an initial vancomycin concentration >20 µg/mL. Conclusions: Reduced baseline renal function coupled with increasing body mass index is associated with an increased risk of an elevated initial vancomycin trough concentration. This risk is further enhanced by the presence of heart failure and/or malignancy. When these risk factors are present, it may be prudent to consider implementation of individualized dosing to achieve initial target concentrations.
An overview of first-principles calculations of NMR parameters for paramagnetic materials
Authors: Lynch C. I.
Published: August 2015

Many technologically important materials exhibit paramagnetism, for example, lithium intercalation materials for lithium-ion batteries and platinum nanoparticles for catalysis. In order to study their properties, for example, their electron transport properties or catalytic efficiency, and hence tailor them to specific engineering applications, information on their structure and bonding needs to be acquired. Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is an excellent experimental method for achieving this; however, the resulting spectra are often difficult to interpret. Calculations based on quantum mechanics therefore provide an invaluable aid for decoding these experimental spectra.

The dominant interaction in paramagnetic materials is the hyperfine interaction. This is the interaction between the spin of a nucleus and the spin of an unpaired electron. The hyperfine interaction affects the appearance of NMR spectra, both by shifting the frequencies at which resonance occurs and by removing degeneracies so that a single resonance frequency splits into several frequencies. This review examines the methods and current limitations for calculating hyperfine interaction parameters, placing this in the context of experimental NMR investigations for lithium intercalation materials and platinum nanoparticles. In this way, the importance of developing increasingly accurate methods for calculating hyperfine parameters is illustrated.
Physician report cards and rankings yield long-lasting hand hygiene compliance exceeding 90 %
Authors: Reich John Adam , Goodstein Monica E. , Callahan Susan E. , Callahan Kathleen M. , Crossley Lindsay W. , Doron Shira I. , Snydman David R. , Nasraway Stanley A.
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Hand hygiene is an effective, low-cost intervention that prevents the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Despite mandatory education and reminders, compliance by physicians in our hospital remained stubbornly low. Our objective was to study whether surveillance by our unit coordinator (secretary) paired with regular feedback to chiefs of service would increase physician hand hygiene compliance in the ICU.

Method

The ICU unit coordinator was trained to observe and measure hand hygiene compliance. Data were collected on hand hygiene compliance at room entry and exit for 9 months. Percentage compliance for each medical and surgical subspecialty was reported to chiefs of service at the end of each month. Comparative rankings by service were widely distributed throughout the physician organization and the medical center.

Results

The hand hygiene compliance rate among physicians increased from 65.1 % to 91.6 % during the study period (p <0.0001). More importantly in the succeeding 24 months after study completion, physician hand hygiene compliance remained >90 % in every month.

Conclusions

Physician hand hygiene compliance increased as a consequence of the surveillance conducted by a full-time ICU team member, leading to a highly significant increase in the number of observations. In turn, this allowed for specific comparative monthly feedback to individual chiefs of service. Over the next 2 years after the study ended, these gains were sustained, suggesting an enduring culture change in physician behavior.
Vitamin D deficiency in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases: results of the cardiovascular in rheumatology [CARMA] study
Authors: Urruticoechea-Arana Ana , Martín-Martínez María A. , Castañeda Santos , Piedra Carlos A. Sanchez , González-Juanatey Carlos , Llorca Javier , Díaz-Gonzalez Federico , González-Gay Miguel A. ,   on behalf of the CARMA Project Collaborative Group
Published: August 2015

Introduction

The aim was to study the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and the clinical characteristics of patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD).

Methods

We studied a cross-section from the baseline visit of the CARMA project (CARdiovascular in rheuMAtology), a 10-year prospective study evaluating the risk of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, and non-CIRD patients who attended rheumatology outpatient clinics from 67 hospitals in Spain. Non-CIRD group was frequency matched by age with the joint distribution of the three CIRD groups included in the study. 25(OH)D deficiency was defined if 25(OH)D vitamin levels were < 20 ng/ml.

Results

2.234 patients (775 RA, 738 AS and 721 PsA) and 677 non-CIRD subjects were assessed. The median (p25-p75) 25(OH)D levels were: 20.4 (14.4-29.2) ng/ml in RA, 20.9 (13.1-29.0) in AS, 20.0 (14.0-28.8) in PsA, and 24.8 (18.4-32.6) ng/ml in non-CIRD patients. We detected 25(OH)D deficiency in 40.5 % RA, 39.7 % AS, 40.9 % PsA and 26.7 % non-CIRD controls (p < 0.001). A statistically significant positive association between RA and 25(OH)D deficiency was found (adjusted (adj.) OR = 1.46; 95 % CI = 1.09-1.96); p = 0.012. This positive association did not reach statistical significance for AS (adj. OR 1.23; 95 % CI = 0.85-1.80) and PsA (adj. OR 1.32; 95 % CI = 0.94-1.84). When the parameters of disease activity, severity or functional impairment were assessed, a marginally significant association between 25(OH)D deficiency and ACPA positivity in RA patients (adj. OR = 1.45; 95 % CI = 0.99-2.12; p = 0.056), and between 25(OH)D deficiency and BASFI in AS patients (adj. OR = 1.08; 95 % CI = 0.99-1.17); p = 0.07) was also found.

Conclusions

Patients with RA show an increased risk of having 25(OH)D deficiency compared to non-CIRD controls.
Monkey Business
Authors: Govindrajan Radhika
Published: August 2015

The translocation of captured monkeys from lowlands to rural hill areas in the Central Himalayan state of Uttarakhand has become an incendiary social and political issue over the last five years. This essay asks what the recent outpouring of intense emotions and arguments around the issue of monkey translocation reveals about notions of belonging in this region. It contends that the reason there is such anxious public discourse around what is called the “monkey menace” is that it has dovetailed with a regional politics of identity and cultural meaning. What is at stake is the question of who belongs and what it means to belong in terms of moral and material access to resources. This essay further suggests that monkeys — the nonhuman actors in this story — play an important part in shaping the nature of these conversations about cultural meaning and belonging. Recognizing their vibrant semiotic-material presence in this landscape, this essay argues that the outsider monkey discourse has such resonance in this region precisely because the situated bodies of monkeys themselves play an important part in determining the nature of ongoing struggles over belonging and identity.
Gandhi, Indian Opinion, and the Making of Indo–south African Identity, 1903–14
Authors: Vahed Goolam
Published: August 2015

Isabel Hofmeyr's Gandhi's Printing Press underlines the significance of Indian Opinion in Gandhi's South African project of fostering Indianness, draws parallels with print cultures elsewhere, and highlights the role of the Phoenix Settlement in sustaining Satyagraha. Among the striking themes of this study are slow reading, which Hofmeyr works out at length, and Gandhi's racial prejudices toward Africans at a time when Africans' own political activism was developing in parallel with those of Gandhi, within a context of the militarized consolidation of white power. Slow reading is particularly relevant in our age when the audit culture at higher education institutions means that there is little market value in critical writing and limited opportunities to produce informed and active citizens. Gandhi's Printing Press underscores the need for a sustained examination of Gandhi's thinking on race and an interrogation of whether his choices were a result of innate biases or larger historical forces that defined the possibilities of political action. Afro-Indian relations remain problematic in the postapartheid era despite the commemoration of Gandhi as an anticolonial hero. A critical examination of the formative period of Indian settlement in South Africa may be more useful than the dominant color-blind account of solidarities between Indians and Africans.
About MFL Technology Application for Ship Plating Corrosion Damages Detection
Authors: Сясько  , Syasko Vladimir
Published: August 2015

Introduction. The article considers matters on ensuring entire nondestructive inspection of ship plating residual thickness with the use of Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) technique. The work aim is optimization of measuring transducers magnetic system parameters in order to guarantee the required sensitivity level at the plating thickness range of 3÷16 mm.

Method. Physical and mathematical models of transducers were developed; the finite-element method was used for formulating the optimization criteria.

Results. Dependences have been obtained that link tested thicknesses range and measurement error with magnetic system geometry and magnetization modes. The influence of nuisance parameters has also been studied.

Conclusion. A set of measuring transducers for entire ship plating residual thickness measurements as well as techniques for adjustment and testing for pitting and planar corrosion detection have been developed as a result of this work.
Non-medical prescribing by health visitors in 2015
Authors: Bishop Philippa , Gilroy Victoria
Published: August 2015

The requirement to support health visitors to develop and maintain their non-medical prescribing practice skills is paramount in supporting better outcomes for children and families. This paper provides discussion and debate on the importance of health visitor prescribing in contemporary health care. Results of a national survey of health visitors’ prescribing practice revealed variations in practice and support. Recommendations include the necessity to develop consistent, high-quality continuing professional development (CPD) around prescribing for health visitors, and also the need to re-engage health visitors with how prescribing skills can deliver better outcomes for children, families and communities.
‘Unlocking’ people with dementia through the use of music therapy
Authors: Mendes Aysha
Published: August 2015

Whatever the challenges of dementia, there is one therapy that has proven successful, whatever the stage of the illness—music therapy. Aysha Mendes takes a whistle-stop tour of some music initiatives around the world that are improving the lives of care home residents
Duty of candour: why it matters and what it means for you
Authors: Hill Tim
Published: August 2015

When a notifiable safety incident occurs, the duty of candour will be triggered. Tim Hill urges managers to make sure they fully understand what this means, and have the right policies in place to avoid legal implications
MALAYSIA ON COURSE TO BECOME A DEVELOPED COUNTRY: PRIORITIZING ISSUES WITH THE ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS
Authors: Islam Rafikul , Ismail Yusof
Published: August 2015

By the year 2020, Malaysia aspires to become a fully developed nation. This lofty vision, known as Vision 2020, was unveiled by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad on February 28, 1991. Currently, it is generally felt that the nation has achieved 50 to 60 percent of the objectives of Vision 2020. What needs to be done to achieve the vision and in what areas? These are the questions that we asked to 759 people living in Malaysia (Malaysians as well as Internationals) in a nationwide survey. As expected, the respondents touched upon a wide variety of issues pertaining to education, economy, technology, quality of life, law and order, R&D, and so on. Upon compilation of all the articulated issues, an affinity diagram was developed. Subsequently, the Analytic Hierarchy Process has been applied in each component of the affinity diagram. This application identifies the main issues that need to be addressed in order to realize the objectives of Vision 2020. The present research findings are expected to provide useful guidelines to the policy makers at the national level in the course of fine tuning Vision 2020 strategies.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v2i2.40
AN APPLICATION OF THE ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS TO ASSESS RISKS IN A MEGA-CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Authors: Khumpaisal Sukulpat , Nazali Mohd Noor , Nisham Zairul Musa , Ross Andrew David
Published: August 2015

This paper aims to introduce an Analytic Network Process (ANP) as an innovative tool to support the decision makers or project managers to deal with the potential risks of mega-construction projects. Risks assessment criteria used to accomplish the ANP calculation was based on both a review of the literature and related experience against Social, Technological, Economic, Ecological and Political (STEEP) requirements. A large airport terminal, London Heathrow Terminal 5, was chosen as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ANP model. The result reveals that ANP is an effective tool to support developers to make decisions based on risks assessment during their feasibility analysis. The ANP model proved its efficiency, and can be adopted by construction practitioners to suit the project requirements in order to assess risks in the mega-projects. However, it is recommended additional study is needed to assess risks in mega-projects.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v2i2.43
AN EVALUATION OF METHODS TO MAKE TRANSITIVE THE MULTIPLE COMPARISONS MATRICES
Authors: Ricciardo Giuseppe
Published: August 2015

In this paper we analyse the response of several methods to construct indices for consistent multiple comparison. We consider also the close formal connection between the comparison of preference judgements and the comparison of economic aggregates. To evaluate the various scaling methods, we have used official data furnished by Eurostat, consequently our analysis is based on real-life data and not on simulations as is usually the case in study in this kind. The most important results that we have achieved are the close concordance of the weights obtained with the various methods and the robustness of the evaluations performed.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v3i1.77
ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS (ANP) AND VISUALIZATION OF SPATIAL DATA: THE USE OF DYNAMIC MAPS IN TERRITORIAL TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES
Authors: Lami Isabella Maria , Masala Elena , Pensa Stefano
Published: August 2015

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is generally used to support planning and decision making processes, but the sharing of information is often limited by two main factors. First, many users have difficulty reading output data, especially tables, matrixes or databases. Second, the presence of many actors introduces different disciplines, knowledge, interests and languages. This paper shows the contribution that the visualization of spatial data can give to the Analytic Network Process (ANP) (Saaty, 2005; 2001; Saaty, Vargas, 2006). This study aims to use visualization techniques to create a common grammar among actors involved, and a shared basis for generating discussion. To do this we have implemented on-going research on a modelling system which is able to visualize various kinds of data in real time. This modelling system works on generative and parametric features applied to datasets, and is based on McNeel’s “Rhinoceros” software and its free plug-in "Grasshopper". The starting point of the work described here is an application on a German section of Corridor 24, Genoa-Rotterdam, part of an Interreg IVB NEW Project, called “Code24”. The goal of this ANP application is to rank three scenarios of improvement of the "Betuwe" railway line connecting Oberhausen to the Dutch borders. The research resulted in an academic internal application which allowed us to improve the system for use in real-world focus groups which included the main stakeholders of these territorial transformation projects.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v3i2.109
Special Report on ISAHP2011
Authors: De Felice Fabio
Published: August 2015

I am proud and honored to contribute to this issue of the International Journal on the Analytic Hierarchy Process. It is the first issue since the International Symposium  on the Analytic Hierarchy Process 2011 (ISAHP  2011) was held in Sorrento  (Naples, ITALY) from  June  15-­18, 2011...

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v3i2.125
Saaty Honorary Doctorate
Authors: Mu Enrique
Published: August 2015

Thomas Saaty (l.) received an honorary doctorate (Doctor Causa Honoris) from Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, in October, 2011, for developing the Analytic Hierarchy Process.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v3i2.126
AN AHP APPLICATION IN THE INVESTMENT SELECTION PROBLEM OF SMALL HYDROPOWER PLANTS IN TURKEY
Authors: Saracoglu Burak Omer
Published: August 2015

Turkey is a country that has had to deal with high electricity consumption due to its rapid growth and development. Attempts have been made to address this increase in demand by increasing the electricity supply by means such as boosting resources by privatization. The electricity generation sector has been privatized in Turkey; hence investors have been looking for the most appropriate electricity generation projects for a long while. Therefore, researchers and practitioners should focus on how the most suitable small hydropower plant project (SHPP) investments can be selected. In this study, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to make the most appropriate and satisfying decision according to the decision makers, experts or investors for a SHPP investment from amongst some alternative SHPP investments in Turkey. All of these SHPPs were assumed to be in the pre-development investment stage, which indicated that their pre-feasibility and feasibility studies had not been presented or taken into consideration until this study was performed. This main constraint forced the researchers to obtain the data and information from the information forms such as the application document to the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works during the data and information gathering process. The AHP model of this study was structured in four levels with five main criteria, seventeen basic criteria and five alternatives on the Super Decisions Software. The results indicated that Alternative 1 and Alternative 5 should be primarily investigated in detail in subsequent SHPP investment investigation steps.
USING ANP TO DESIGN A LIVING SYSTEM LIKE BALANCED OPERATING MODEL FOR INTANGIBLE SERVICES
Authors: Minzoni Angela , Mounoud Eléonore , Zahraei Majid Fathi
Published: August 2015

There is no need to present another ANP-based approach for weighting criteria within decision making contexts. Academic literature in disciplines like economics, engineering, political sciences, statistics or mathematics testify to the broadness of topics, situations and cultures where the method’s value has been proven. From supply planning or road mapping to monitoring, from crisis management or banking crime to rural water supply, decision makers –both in governments or firms- have implemented this method on the five continents.

 

However, the method has been used less in areas beyond decision making. For example, in the field of innovation or organisational design, it can be expected that ANP facilitates the formulation of a suitable dynamic to combine the complex links of experts’ representations of the system under study. We advance the hypothesis that the ANP method’s friendliness to rough data, and ability to combine tangible and intangible information can be useful for providing the relevant interactions for living systems like modelling which is at the centre of the cross disciplinary creativity needed to design innovative and balanced operating models. In this context “operating models” shall be understood as the descriptions of how organizations operate across processes, people and technology in order to accomplish their functions.
‘X marks the spot’: Urban dystopia, slum voyeurism and failures of identity in District X
Authors: Lund Martin
Published: August 2015

This article studies the ‘imaginative mapping’ of a real-world neighbourhood in one comic book series: lower Manhattan’s Alphabet City in writer David Hine and artists David Yardin and Lan Medina’s District X (July 2004–January 2006). In contrast to a long-standing claim to ‘realism’ in Marvel’s use of New York City, this article argues that the real Alphabet City – at the time a contested and rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood – is nowhere to be found in District X, replaced by a voyeuristic fabrication, a sensationalistic node of concentration for middle-class fears about urban decline and blight amid prosperity and contemporary discourses about drugs, crime and homelessness that reproduces long-standing cultural representations of the neighbourhood as different and inferior. In doing so, the series polices a boundary of identity, empathy and imagination and tells readers that force in favour of clearing out radical difference in the neighbourhood and making it into a space fit for ‘normal’ people is natural, rational and logical and in the best interest even of those who might be displaced by gentrification, disproportionately incarcerated in the name of ‘law and order’, or put at risk of their lives in dangerous shelters.
HERMENÊUTICA E A (NÃO) OBSERVÂNCIA CONSTITUCIONAL DA SUBSIDIARIEDADE NAS DEMANDAS JUDICIAIS DA SAÚDE PÚBLICA NO BRASIL: DESCOMPASSOS DA INTERPRETAÇÃO DA CONSTITUIÇÃO E EMPECILHOS ÀS POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS LOCAIS
Authors: Da Veiga Dias Felipe , Hermany Ricardo
Published: August 2015

A presente pesquisa tem como tema a hermenêutica filosófica e a compreensão sistemática da Constituição, em especial do princípio da
subsidiariedade. Essa base é detalhada com a visão cooperativa de federação e integradora entre sociedade e Estado, para com isso alcançar o tema da saúde pública nas decisões judiciais e nas políticas públicas que afetam o plano local. Portanto, tem-se como problema perceber se há ou não, segundo a hermenêutica (conjugando interpretação e aplicação), adoção da subsidiariedade nas demandas da saúde pública, resguardando a preferência da esfera local para concretização de direitos e políticas públicas. Não obstante, tendo em vista a impossibilidade de análise geral da jurisprudência nacional, ateve-se aqui nas demandas do Supremo Tribunal Federal, como lócus de apreciação para a crítica teórica disposta nos dois primeiros itens, bem como a responder ao questionamento da pesquisa sem, contudo, pretender esgotar a temática, embora tenha restado deste estudo a constatação de que ainda se utiliza um modelo positivista de interpretação, já que segmenta-se interpretação e aplicação, desguarnecendo tanto o direito à saúde, quanto a óptica do poder municipal. Por fim, deve-se aludir que foram utilizados como método de abordagem o dedutivo, de procedimento monográfico e técnica de pesquisa a bibliografia indireta.
A SERIEDADE DE LUIS ALBERTO WARAT
Authors: Pasold Cesar Luiz
Published: August 2015

Três especiais momentos de convivência acadêmica com o Professor Warat.
Quasi-static behavior of notched Ti-6Al-4V specimens in water-methanol solution
Authors: Baragetti Sergio , Gerosa Riccardo , Villa Francesco
Published: August 2015

The adoption of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy is widespread in advanced engineering fields, such as the aerospace, automotive, and maritime sectors, due to its remarkable mechanical characteristics and proven corrosion resistance. However, literature studies and field failures have underlined that the Ti-6Al-4V is susceptible to the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and the corrosion fatigue phenomena in methanol-water solutions. Although several studies focused on the SCC behavior of this particular titanium alloy, recent corrosion fatigue experiments (R=0.1) on Ti-6Al-4V specimens in a water-methanol environment have highlighted a sensible decrease in maximum applied stress of up to 50% and a high sensitivity even to low methanol concentrations. In the present work, an experimental quasi-static SCC test campaign in water-methanol mixture at different concentrations has been conducted on flat dogbone Ti-6Al-4V specimens. The results have been compared with recent corrosion fatigue experiments to characterize the different damage mechanisms at play and decouple mechanical and chemical driving forces. The micromechanical behavior of the material has been analyzed, highlighting the role of the microstructure in the SCC mechanism. Failure surfaces have been investigated with scanning electron and optical microscopy.
Association of ABCB1, ABCC5 and xanthine oxidase genetic polymorphisms with methotrexate adverse reactions in Mexican pediatric patients with ALL
Authors: Zaruma-Torres Fausto , Lares-Asseff Ismael , Reyes-Espinoza Aarón , Loera-Castañeda Verónica , Chairez-Hernández Isaías , Sosa-Macías Martha , Galaviz-Hernández Carlos , Almanza-Reyes Horacio
Published: August 2015

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most frequent oncological disorders in pediatric populations. To date, the drug of choice for the treatment of ALL is methotrexate, a drug associated with a high risk of adverse reactions (ADRs). The xanthine oxidase (XO) polymorphisms, 1936A>G and 2107A>G, as well as the polymorphic variants derived from ATP-binding cassette transporter gene subfamilies, ABCB1 and ABCC5, of drug resistant codifying genes, are implicated as precursors of drug-related neurologic, hepatic, and renal toxicities. Our aim was to determine whether the mentioned polymorphisms are risk or protective factors for the development of adverse reactions by methotrexate in our pediatric population with ALL.

Methods: A total of 35 Mexican children from Centro Estatal de Cancerología-Durango, Mexico, with ALL and the previously noted polymorphisms as determined qPCR were studied. At the same time, a 12-month drug monitoring program was conducted in accordance with WHO-PAHO guidelines for pharmacovigilance.

Results: The ABCB11936A>G and 2107A>G and ABCC5 3414+434A>C polymorphisms were not associated with methotrexate ADRs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ABCB1 1236C>T (OR 0.19, 95% CI: 0.03–0.9, p<0.05) and ABCC5 3933+313T>C (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.027–0.58, p<0.05) were associated with methotrexate ADRs.

Conclusions: SNPs 1236C>T of ABCB1 and ABCC5 3933+313T>C are not associated with the development of typical ADRs by methotrexate, rather, they showed a protective factor for myelosuppression in the studied sick population.
Melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 is involved in the induction of stress granules and autophagy by protonophore CCCP
Authors: Xu Feng , Li Xiaobo , Zhang Peifen , Xia Jun , Wang Yi , Yang Chao , Gao Huixin , Zhou Shili , Zhang Ping
Published: August 2015

The eukaryotic cell has evolved a variety of stress responses against external stimuli, such as innate immunity, the formation of stress granules (SGs), and autophagy. We previously demonstrated that the innate immune adaptor IFN-β promoter stimulator 1 (IPS-1) plays an essential role in the formation of dsRNA-induced SGs, indicating a connection between SG formation and innate immunity. In this study, it was further demonstrated that melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), an innate immune sensor, is involved in SG formation induced by carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial protonophore. MDA5 knockdown had no significant impact on the phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) triggered by CCCP, and MDA5 itself was not recruited to SGs, suggesting that the regulation of MDA5 in the SG response occurs downstream of eIF2α. Furthermore, the depletion of MDA5 or G3BP1 led to reduced autophagy in CCCP-stimulated cells, implying that the regulatory effect of MDA5 with respect to autophagy depends on its role in SG formation. This study uncovered an unexpected role of the innate immune protein MDA5 in SG formation and autophagy triggered by the protonophore CCCP, further supporting a correlation between different stress responses.
Antenatal risk factors for symptomatic congenital CMV disease following primary maternal CMV infection
Authors: Hadar Eran , Salzer Liat , Dorfman Elizabeta , Amir Jacob , Pardo Joseph
Published: August 2015

This study aimed to evaluate antenatal risk factors associated with symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, following

This study included a retrospective cohort of 155 neonates with congenital CMV infection, following primary maternal CMV infection during pregnancy, and were divided to symptomatic (n=95) and asymptomatic (n=60) newborns.

Young maternal age (29.1±5.12 vs. 31.6±5.36 years, P=0.005), high risk occupation for viral exposure (20.0% vs. 11.7%, P=0.04), CMV IgG seroconversion at diagnosis (83.1% vs. 63.3%, P=0.005) and abnormal fetal MRI (11.6% vs. 0%, P=0.003) were found to be prognostic risk factors associated with symptomatic CMV disease of the newborn. Maternal febrile illness at diagnosis, IgG avidity, US findings and the timing of maternal infection were not associated with the occurrence of neonatal symptoms.

Knowledge of the reported risk factors may assist in counseling parents with intra uterine CMV infection.
Propositional null objects in Spanish and the completeness of the proposition
Authors: Reig Alamillo Asela
Published: August 2015

This paper addresses the distribution of a phonetically null pronoun and the clitic
The case for external sentential negation: Evidence from Jewish Babylonian Aramaic
Authors: Bar-Asher Siegal Elitzur A.
Published: August 2015

This paper has a twofold goal: (i) In the context of negation in general to provide a clear conceptual distinction between internal and external negation, which is summarized as follows:
On the occurrences of anaphoric bare NPs in Japanese
Authors: Nemoto Naoko
Published: August 2015

It is known that bare NPs can be interpreted as an indefinite description or a definite description in Japanese. A question arises as to whether a bare NP in Japanese can always obtain an intended anaphoric definite reading from the previous context. The present work attempts to answer this question. More specifically, we will explore the occurrences and nonoccurrences of anaphoric definite bare NPs in terms of the Givenness Hierarchy of
The acquisition of tense and aspect in a morphology-sensitive framework: Data from Italian and Austrian-German children
Authors: Bertinetto Pier Marco , Freiberger Eva Maria , Lenci Alessandro , Noccetti Sabrina , Agonigi Maddalena
Published: August 2015

This article criticizes the wide-spread view, sometimes referred to as the “aspect first hypothesis” (initiated by