bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Beginner Driver Education in Oregon
Authors: Mayhew Dan , Vanlaar Ward , Lonero Larry , Robertson Robyn , Marcoux Kyla , Wood Katherine , Clinton Kathryn , Simpson Herb
Published: February 2017

Although driver education (DE) is widely accepted as an effective teen driver safety measure and widely available in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, evaluations have generally failed to show that such formal programs actually produce safer drivers. To address the issue of safety effects as part of a larger investigation, two studies were conducted to examine whether the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)-approved DE program was associated with reductions in collisions and convictions. In the first study, DE status among a relatively small sample of teens who completed an online survey was not found to have a significant effect on collisions and convictions. In the second study, of a much larger population of teen drivers, DE status was associated with a lower incidence of collisions and convictions. On balance, this suggests that the safety effects of DE are either neutral, based on the results of the first Oregon study, or cautiously optimistic based on the results of the second study. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of making improvements in DE that are evidence-based, and the need for further evaluation to establish that improved and new programs meet their safety objectives.
A General Micro-Level Modeling Approach to Analyzing Interconnected SDGs: Achieving SDG 6 and More through Multiple-Use Water Services (MUS)
Authors: Hall Ralph , Ranganathan Shyam , G. C. Raj
Published: February 2017

The 2030 agenda presents an integrated set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets that will shape development activities for the coming decade. The challenge now facing development organizations and governments is how to operationalize this interconnected set of goals and targets through effective projects and programs. This paper presents a micro-level modeling approach that can quantitatively assess the impacts associated with rural water interventions that are tailored to specific communities. The analysis focuses on how a multiple-use water services (MUS) approach to SDG 6 could reinforce a wide range of other SDGs and targets. The multilevel modeling framework provides a generalizable template that can be used in multiple sectors. In this paper, we apply the methodology to a dataset on rural water services from Mozambique to show that community-specific equivalents of macro-level variables used in the literature such as Cost of Illness (COI) avoided can provide a better indication of the impacts of a specific intervention. The proposed modeling framework presents a new frontier for designing projects in any sector that address the specific needs of communities, while also leveraging the knowledge gained from previous projects in any country. The approach also presents a way for agencies and organizations to design projects or programs that bridge sectors/disciplines (water, irrigation, health, energy, economic development, etc.) to advance an interconnected set of SDGs and targets.
Effects of Continuous Tomato Monoculture on Soil Microbial Properties and Enzyme Activities in a Solar Greenhouse
Authors: Fu Hongdan , Zhang Guoxian , Zhang Fan , Sun Zhouping , Geng Guoming , Li Tianlai
Published: February 2017

Soil-related obstacles resulting from continuous monoculture have limited the sustainable development of the tomato industry in China. An experiment on tomatoes with seven continuous monoculture treatments (the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th crops, respectively) was conducted in a solar greenhouse, to investigate the influence of monoculture on soil quality. Most soil quality indicators first increased and then decreased with increasing continuous monoculture crops, and significant differences among crops were observed. Indicators at the 13th crop were significantly lower than those at the other crops in terms of average well color development (AWCD), substrate richness (S), the Shannon diversity index (H), and the McIntosh index (U) of the soil microbial community (SMC), soil urease (UR), and neutral phosphatase (N-PHO) activities, and available nitrogen (AN) and potassium (AK). However, fungal abundance (FUN) at the 13th crop was significantly higher than that at the other crops. As principal component analysis (PCA) revealed, SMC functional diversity at the 1st, 11th, and 13th crops were similar, and were obviously distinguished from those at the other crops. Moreover, the tomato yield was significantly and positively correlated with soil-available potassium and SMC functional diversity indexes. Our findings indicated that short-term continuous monoculture, e.g., for fewer than seven or nine crops, was beneficial for soil quality improvement. However, continuous monoculture for greater than 11 crops had adverse effects on soil enzyme activities, soil microbial abundances, soil chemical properties, soil SMC functional diversity, and the tomato yield, particularly at the 13th crop.
Carbon Dioxide Emission Evaluation of Porous Vegetation Concrete Blocks for Ecological Restoration Projects
Authors: Kim Hwang-Hee , Lee Seung-Kee , Park Chan-Gi
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this study is to determine the mix proportions that can minimize CO2 emissions while satisfying the target performance of porous vegetation concrete. The target performance of porous vegetation concrete was selected as compressive strength (>15 MPa) and void ratio (>25%). This study considered the use of reinforcing fiber and styrene butadiene (SB) latex to improve the strength of porous vegetation concrete, as well as the use of blast furnace slag aggregate to improve the CO2 emissions-reducing effect, and analyzed and evaluated the influence of fiber reinforcing, SB latex, and blast furnace slag aggregate on the compressive strength and CO2 emissions of porous vegetation concrete. The CO2 emissions of the raw materials were highest for cement, followed by aggregate, SB latex, and fiber. Blast furnace slag aggregate showed a 30% or more CO2 emissions-reducing effect versus crushed aggregate, and blast furnace slag cement showed a 78% CO2 emissions-reducing effect versus Portland cement. The CO2 emissions analyses for each raw material showed that the CO2 emissions during transportation were highest for the aggregate. Regarding CO2 emissions in each production stage, the materials stage produced the highest CO2 emissions, while the proportion of CO2 emissions in the transportation stage for each raw material, excluding fiber, were below 3% of total emissions. Use of blast furnace slag aggregate in porous vegetation concrete produced CO2 emissions-reducing effects, but decreased its compressive strength. Use of latex in porous vegetation concrete improved its compressive strength, but also increased CO2 emissions. Thus, it is appropriate to use latex in porous vegetation concrete to improve its strength and void ratio, and to use a blast furnace slag aggregate replacement ratio of 40% or less.
Erratum: Muhammad, S.; Fathelrahman, E.; Tasbih Ullah, R.U. The Significance of Consumer’s Awareness about Organic Food Products in the United Arab Emirates. Sustainability 2016, 8, 833
Authors: Muhammad Safdar , Fathelrahman Eihab , Tasbih Ullah Rafi
Published: February 2017

The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper [...]
The Techno-Politics of Data and Smart Devolution in City-Regions: Comparing Glasgow, Bristol, Barcelona, and Bilbao
Authors: Calzada Igor
Published: February 2017

This paper explores the substantial effect that the critical understanding and techno-political consideration of data are having in some smart city strategies. Particularly, the paper presents some results of a comparative study of four cases of smart city transitions: Glasgow, Bristol, Barcelona, and Bilbao. Likewise, considering how relevant the city-regional path-dependency is in each territorial context, the paper will elucidate the notion of smart devolution as a key governance component that is enabling some cities to formulate their own smart city-regional governance policies and implement them by considering the role of the smart citizens as decision makers rather than mere data providers. The paper concludes by identifying an implicit smart city-regional governance strategy for each case based on the techno-politics of data and smart devolution.
Acute Toxicities of the Saxitoxin Congeners Gonyautoxin 5, Gonyautoxin 6, Decarbamoyl Gonyautoxin 2&3, Decarbamoyl Neosaxitoxin, C-1&2 and C-3&4 to Mice by Various Routes of Administration
Authors: Selwood Andrew , Waugh Craig , Harwood David , Rhodes Lesley , Reeve John , Sim Jim , Munday Rex
Published: February 2017

Paralytic shellfish poisoning results from consumption of seafood naturally contaminated by saxitoxin and its congeners, the paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). The levels of such toxins are regulated internationally, and maximum permitted concentrations in seafood have been established in many countries. A mouse bioassay is an approved method for estimating the levels of PSTs in seafood, but this is now being superseded in many countries by instrumental methods of analysis. Such analyses provide data on the levels of many PSTs in seafood, but for risk assessment, knowledge of the relative toxicities of the congeners is required. These are expressed as “Toxicity Equivalence Factors” (TEFs). At present, TEFs are largely based on relative specific activities following intraperitoneal injection in a mouse bioassay rather than on acute toxicity determinations. A more relevant parameter for comparison would be median lethal doses via oral administration, since this is the route through which humans are exposed to PSTs. In the present study, the median lethal doses of gonyautoxin 5, gonyautoxin 6, decarbamoyl neosaxitoxin and of equilibrium mixtures of decarbamoyl gonyautoxins 2&3, C1&2 and C3&4 by oral administration to mice have been determined and compared with toxicities via intraperitoneal injection. The results indicate that the TEFs of several of these substances require revision in order to more accurately reflect the risk these toxins present to human health.
Geographic Distribution of Registered Packaged Water Production in Ghana: Implications for Piped Supplies, Groundwater Management and Product Transportation
Authors: Dzodzomenyo Mawuli , Dotse‐Gborgbortsi Winfred , Lapworth Dan , Wardrop Nicola , Wright Jim
Published: February 2017

Packaged water consumption has grown rapidly in urban areas of many low‐income and middle‐income countries, but particularly in Ghana. However, the sources of water used by this growing packaged water industry and the implications for water resource management and transport‐related environmental impacts have not been described. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of regulated packaged water production in Ghana, both in relation to demand for natural mineral water and hydrogeological characteristics. A total of 764 addresses for premises licensed to produce packaged water from 2009 to 2015 were mapped and compared to regional sachet water consumption and examined beverage import/export data. We found evidence to suggest that packaged water is transported shorter distances in Ghana than in developed countries. Groundwater abstraction for packaged water is low relative to piped water production and domestic borehole abstraction nationally, but may be locally significant. For natural mineral water, producers should be able to address the most widespread water quality hazards (including high salinity, iron and nitrates) in aquifers used for production through reverse osmosis treatment. In future, packaged water producer surveys could be used to quantify unregulated production, volumes of piped versus groundwater abstracted and treatment processes used.
Recent Advances in the Use of Chemical Markers for Tracing Wastewater Contamination in Aquatic Environment: A Review
Authors: Lim Fang , Ong Say , Hu Jiangyong
Published: February 2017

There has been increasing research focus on the detection and occurrence of wastewater contamination in aquatic environment. Wastewater treatment plants receive effluents containing various chemical pollutants. These chemicals may not be fully removed during treatment and could potentially enter the receiving water bodies. Detection of these chemical pollutants and source identification could be a challenging research task due to the diversified chemical and functional groups, concentration levels and fate and transportation mechanisms of these pollutants in the environment. Chemical markers such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, artificial sweeteners, fluorescent whitening agents, sterols and stanols, and nitrate and nitrogen isotopics have been widely used by most research as markers. These markers served as indicators of wastewater contamination to the receiving bodies due to their frequent usage, resistance to biodegradability and, more importantly, anthropogenic origin. These markers are commonly used in combination to identify the contaminant source of different origins. This article discusses the main chemical markers that are used to identify wastewater contamination in receiving bodies, the current trends, and approach to select suitable chemical markers.
Using SWAT and Fuzzy TOPSIS to Assess the Impact of Climate Change in the Headwaters of the Segura River Basin (SE Spain)
Authors: Senent-Aparicio Javier , Pérez-Sánchez Julio , Carrillo-García Jesús , Soto Jesús
Published: February 2017

The Segura River Basin is one of the most water-stressed basins in Mediterranean Europe. If we add to the actual situation that most climate change projections forecast important decreases in water resource availability in the Mediterranean region, the situation will become totally unsustainable. This study assessed the impact of climate change in the headwaters of the Segura River Basin using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) with bias-corrected precipitation and temperature data from two Regional Climate Models (RCMs) for the medium term (2041–2070) and the long term (2071–2100) under two emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Bias correction was performed using the distribution mapping approach. The fuzzy TOPSIS technique was applied to rank a set of nine GCM–RCM combinations, choosing the climate models with a higher relative closeness. The study results show that the SWAT performed satisfactorily for both calibration (NSE = 0.80) and validation (NSE = 0.77) periods. Comparing the long-term and baseline (1971–2000) periods, precipitation showed a negative trend between 6% and 32%, whereas projected annual mean temperatures demonstrated an estimated increase of 1.5–3.3 °C. Water resources were estimated to experience a decrease of 2%–54%. These findings provide local water management authorities with very useful information in the face of climate change.
Nanostructured carbon materials decorated with organophosphorus moieties: synthesis and application
Authors: Biagiotti Giacomo , Langè Vittoria , Ligi Cristina , Caporali Stefano , Muniz-Miranda Maurizio , Flis Anna , Pietrusiewicz K Michał , Ghini Giacomo , Brandi Alberto , Cicchi Stefano
Published: February 2017

A new synthetic approach for the production of carbon nanomaterials (CNM) decorated with organophosphorus moieties is presented. Three different triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) derivatives were used to decorate oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ox-MWCNTs) and graphene platelets (GPs). The TPPOs chosen bear functional groups able to react with the CNMs by Tour reaction (an amino group), nitrene cycloaddition (an azido group) or CuAAC reaction (one terminal C–C triple bond). All the adducts were characterized by FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, TEM, XPS, elemental analysis and ICP-AES. The cycloaddition of nitrene provided the higher loading on ox-MWCNTs and GPs as well, while the Tour approach gave best results with nanotubes (CNTs). Finally, we investigated the possibility to reduce the TPPO functionalized CNMs to the corresponding phosphine derivatives and applied one of the materials produced as heterogeneous organocatalyst in a Staudinger ligation reaction.
Health Demands Characteristics and Quality of Life in the Elderly Monitored in the Primary Care
Authors: Arouca de Miranda Jéssica Maria , Lima Torres Neidjany Patrícia , Da Silva Toscano Gislani Acásia , Vieira Cavalcante Anna Carolyna , Araújo Oliveira Rafaela , Justino Dionisio Alessandra , Rodrigues Barbosa Anne Caroline , Alves da Silva Lara Laise , Borges Soares Joana Gabriela , Gomes da Costa Vanessa , Fernandes Morais Jéssica Renaly , Fernandes Morais Camila Cintya , Gomes Simões de Oliveira Torres Sandra Maria Da Solidade , Chaves Maia Eulália Maria , Alves de Vilar Rosana Lucia , De Holanda Campos Henry , De Vasconcelos Torres Gilson
Published: February 2017

Background: To characterize the demands of health and quality of elderly peoplemonitored in the primary care of Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil.

Methods and Findings: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study of a quantitative approach with elderly patients monitored by the primary care. The sample was given for convenience, obtaining 120 participants. The research was conducted through an interview with theapplication of the following questionnaires: Mini Mental State Examination, Socio-demographic Data and Pain Characteristics, Short-Form-36, Mini Nutritional Assessment, the primary activities of daily living, the instrumental activities of daily living, Prism 7 and the Geriatric Depression Scale. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS statistical program, in which descriptive and association tests were used.The main demands were related to functionality, followed by nutritional and geriatric depression. The quality of life presented worse results in the domain of general health status and better scores in the emotional and mental health aspects. Regarding the dimensions, the physical health obtained aworse score.

Conclusion: Based on the characterization of the health demands found, it is suggested to perform other studies with the same population, enabling to plan and implementing a multidimensional intervention and improving the quality of life of the elderly people.

Keywords: Elderly; Quality of Life; Aging; Elderly Health; Nursing.
Gender Category Study: Perspectives Of Nursing Interns In Public Health
Authors: Lima Brasil Mikael , Vasconcelos Santos Laís , Gomes da Silva Freitas Javanna Lacerda , Delgado da Cunha Wendy , Costa Ferreira Thalys Maynnard , Gomes Brandão Gisetti Corina , De Sales Clementino Francisco , Galdino Sousa Barros Polyana , Vieira de Sousa Raine Danyele , Da Silva Santos Rafaela Andresa , Tarquino Maria Louiza , Borges Coutinho Maria Inês , Oliveira Rodrigues Jéssica , Alves de Carvalho Ádylla Maria , Da Costa Carneiro Márcio Victor
Published: February 2017

Introduction: The dialog with learning process about gender category is one of the ways, in nursing, to recognize needs produced by population through social control. It may be linked by formative mechanisms, aiming the qualification of academic knowledge and practical internship activities.

Objective: We explore the learning experience from the approximation with gender category and its implications to the care provided by nurses in Primary Care.

Methods: This is a descriptive study, critic-reflexive, of experience report type, systematized from the experience with gender category in health, and designed under two reflective axes: 1 – Operationalization of Supervised Curricular Internship; and 2 - Conceptualizing gender: perspectives for nursing care.

Results: There were a theoretical enrichment about gender category in overcoming the biases found during the formation process, demystifying normative patterns built around gender and sexuality, becoming necessary to conceptual comprehension in nursing care context, in nurse’s action in Primary Care, in the current social scenario of health-disease process from identity questions, recognizing subjects’ expression through their subjectivity.

Conclusion: Making the nursing students’ knowledge about the theme possible has demonstrated to be an operationalization of necessary tools to implement a more qualified assistance in Public Health.

Keywords: Gender; Nursing; Public Health.
An ALMA and MagAO Study of the Substellar Companion GQ Lup B∗
Authors: Wu Ya-Lin , Sheehan Patrick D. , Males Jared R. , Close Laird M. , Morzinski Katie M. , Teske Johanna K. , Haug-Baltzell Asher , Merchant Nirav , Lyons Eric
Published: February 2017

Multi-wavelength observations provide a complementary view of the formation of young, directly imaged planet-mass companions. We report the ALMA 1.3 mm and Magellan adaptive optics Hα,

,

, and Y

S
observations of the GQ Lup system, a classical T Tauri star with a

substellar companion at ∼110 au projected separation. We estimate the accretion rates for both components from the observed Hα fluxes. In our ∼0.″05 resolution ALMA map, we resolve GQ Lup A’s disk in the dust continuum, but no signal is found from the companion. The disk is compact, with a radius of ∼22 au, a dust mass of ∼6 M
⊕, an inclination angle of ∼56°, and a very flat surface density profile indicative of a radial variation in dust grain sizes. No gaps or inner cavity are found in the disk, so there is unlikely a massive inner companion to scatter GQ Lup B outward. Thus, GQ Lup B might have formed in situ via disk fragmentation or prestellar core collapse. We also show that GQ Lup A’s disk is misaligned with its spin axis, and possibly with GQ Lup B’s orbit. Our analysis on the tidal truncation radius of GQ Lup A’s disk suggests that GQ Lup B’s orbit might have a low eccentricity.
4. L’entrepreneuriat est-il genré ?
Authors: Chasserio Stephanie , Pailot Philippe , Poroli Corinne
Published: February 2017

Le concept de « genre » vient enrichir l’analyse du phénomène entrepreneurial. La recherche tend à aborder le sujet par une double lecture constructiviste et relationnelle, non sans ambiguïté et prénotions parfois genrées. Le présent article s’efforce de mettre à jour comment le concept de genre est mobilisé dans les recherches en entrepreneuriat, et vient éclairer les obstacles que rencontrent les femmes entrepreneures.
5. Création d’entreprises innovantes et relations professionnelles : l’apport de la méthode des narrations quantifiées
Authors: Chauvac Nathalie
Published: February 2017

Les entreprises innovantes sont créées et se développent souvent en utilisant des ressources relationnelles provenant de réseaux déjà existants. C’est notamment visible dans la recherche de clients, de collaborateurs et d’employés qui peuvent mobiliser des relations de nature professionnelle ou non. Ainsi, en ce qui concerne le recrutement, l’accent est aussi bien mis sur les compétences « objectives » des candidats que sur la recherche d’une complémentarité et d’adhésion au projet développé dans la structure de la part de ces derniers. De plus, les entreprises innovantes sont caractérisées par une importance accrue des relations interpersonnelles : les crises en leur sein menacent jusqu’à l’existence de la structure et la poursuite du projet.
7. La « figure de l’entrepreneur » est-elle absente de l’analyse économique ?
Authors: Baudry Marc
Published: February 2017

L’entrepreneur est souvent perçu comme un acteur clé pour appréhender la dynamique de la croissance. Pourtant, l’analyse néoclassique ne semble guère lui avoir accordé de place. Ni le risque, ni les asymétries d’information, ni même la possibilité d’inefficience dans le processus de production ne semblent permettre d’y faire apparaître la fonction spécifique de l’entrepreneur. Ce n’est que progressivement, en développement une analyse de l’innovation, que le courant néoclassique dominant a internalisé une « figure de l’entrepreneur » d’inspiration Schumpétérienne. Au passage, il en résulte une modification non marginale de l’approche de l’efficience du marché. Celle-ci ne peut plus être statique mais dynamique et impose une certaine tolérance à l’égard du pouvoir du marché dès lors qu’il est la contrepartie à la création de valeur par l’innovation.
9. L’Entrepreneuriat des femmes : motivations et obstacles
Authors: Boring Anne
Published: February 2017

Les femmes choisissent moins souvent que les hommes la voie de l’entrepreneuriat. Malgré un penchant pour l’entrepreneuriat semblable en de nombreux points aux hommes, elles rencontrent un certain nombre d’obstacles qui peuvent les démotiver. Le fait d’évoluer dans un environnement associé à des stéréotypes de genre masculins constitue la principale difficulté. Cependant, les normes évoluent et de plus en plus de femmes commencent à se lancer dans l’entrepreneuriat. Afin de mieux comprendre l’entrepreneuriat des femmes, de futurs travaux de recherche sont encore nécessaires.
Sarcophages et klinai. À propos de la représentation du couple dans l’art grec
Authors: Pasquier Alain
Published: February 2017

À propos des couples sculptés à demi-couchés qui ornent les couvercles des sarcophages étrusques de Cerveteri, conservés respectivement au Louvre et au Musée de la Villa Giulia, on n’a guère tardé à découvrir et à commenter l’influence des modèles grecs. Une telle parenté pouvait naturellement inviter à se demander si les Grecs avaient pratiqué le même genre d’art funéraire. On sait qu’il n’en est rien. Cependant, sous d’autres aspects, les sarcophages grecs ne sont pas rares, de l’âge mycénien jusqu’à la période hellénistique. Durant l’archaïsme, c’est surtout en Grèce de l’est qu’on les rencontre. Mais il en est aussi à Tarente, comme dans la presqu’île de Kertch, un peu plus tard, dans les générations classiques. Quant aux klinai sur lesquelles banquettent les époux de Caeré, elles sont bien présentes dans les images grecques, depuis la céramique géométrique, jusqu’aux tombes macédoniennes, et au sarcophage du monument de Bélévi. Le colloque suscitait aussi une réflexion plus large sur la représentation du couple homme/femme, telle qu’on peut la rencontrer dans l’art grec, et où il est parfois difficile de distinguer divinités et mortels. Le groupe familial archaïque de Généléos, à Samos, est un monument qui fixe bien les rôles. Ce qui apparaît à partir d’une observation rapide, c’est que les Grecs, en général, ne réservent pas à l’épouse le même rang que celui qui est offert à la femme étrusque  : la céramique attique à figures rouges en porte témoignage, comme les reliefs grecs votifs et funéraires des périodes archaïque et classique. Toutefois, au milieu d’un grand nombre de scènes purement conventionnelles, certaines stèles funéraires pourraient refléter l’existence de la tendresse échangée par les deux époux.
Sagesse grecque, sagesse chinoise : la réception des philosophes socratiques par les intellectuels chinois du groupe The Critical Review dans les années 1920 et 1930*
Authors: Xu Xin
Published: February 2017

L’étude de l’article s’intéresse au groupe The Critical Review (CR), rassemblement de plusieurs intellectuels chinois conservateurs des années 1920 et 1930, dont la réflexion sur la culture chinoise s’articule autour de la comparaison et de l’intégration de deux traditions intellectuelles que sont les philosophes socratiques et les penseurs confucéens. Nous allons, d’abord, étudier la formation de cette réflexion culturelle en tant que résultat de l’interaction culturelle et intellectuelle entre la Chine et l’Occident du premier tiers du xxe siècle. Ensuite, l’étude examine comment la philosphie grecque – l’Idée platonicienne comme exemple – est introduite et présentée par les intellectuels de la CR sous l’influence de cette réflexion.
Max Weber et l’Antiquité
Authors: Meier Christian
Published: February 2017

Cette contribution est la traduction française d’un article publié en 1988 par Christian Meier, intitulé «  Max Weber und die Antike ». L’auteur se propose d’évaluer l’apport des travaux de Max Weber dans le domaine de l’histoire ancienne et des sciences de l’Antiquité. Après avoir interrogé la place accordée à l’Antiquité dans l’œuvre du savant allemand, depuis son habilitation sur L’histoire agraire romaine (1891) jusqu’à son essai sur La Ville (rédigé entre 1911 et 1914, publié en 1921), Christian Meier souligne l’originalité de la démarche historienne de Weber, centrée sur la question de la spécificité de la civilisation gréco-romaine au sein de l’histoire universelle. Il montre comment les recherches de Weber dans ce domaine, fondées à la fois sur l’analyse croisée de facteurs concrets et la mise en œuvre d’une approche comparatiste, constituent le point de départ d’une théorie globale de la société antique. C’est en cela que réside, selon Christian Meier, toute l’actualité de l’œuvre de Weber, que l’on peut compter parmi les historiens de l’Antiquité de premier plan.
Routing in Wireless Mesh Networks based on Termites' Intelligence
Authors: Sharma Sharad , Malik Asha
Published: February 2017

Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) is envisaged to be key component of next generation wireless networks which can effectively cope with the ever increasing fast and vast growing need to access data and avail services over the network. These networks provide infrastructure less high speed internet access to the end users and have a cutting edge over the existing networks. Routing, being most critical issue in their implementation. The dynamic network conditions impose setbacks in the selection of optimal path. There is exigent requirement to tackle these routing issues in context of these networks. In this paper, the authors apply a nature inspired soft computing based meta heuristic technique called Termite Colony Optimization in WMN to find an optimal route based on the link cost. TCO approach is inspired by the emergent behaviour exhibited by the natural termite colony swarms for mound building. Experimentally TCO shows faster converges over some existing algorithms.
Fog Caching and a Trace-Based Analysis of its Offload Effect
Authors: Zhanikeev Marat
Published: February 2017

Many years of research on Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) offers a number of effective methods for caching of content replicas or forwarding requests. However, recently CDNs have aggressively started migrating to clouds. Clouds present a new kind of distribution environment as each location can support multiple caching options varying in the level of persistence of stored content. A subclass of clouds located at network edge is referred to as fog clouds. Fog clouds help by allowing CDNs to offload popular content to network edge, closer to end users. However, due to the fact that fog clouds are extremely heterogeneous and vary wildly in network and caching performance, traditional caching technology is no longer applicable. This paper proposes a multi-level caching technology specific to fog clouds. To deal with the heterogeneity problem and, at the same time, avoid centralized control, this paper proposes a function that allows CDN services to discover local caching facilities dynamically, at runtime. Using a combination of synthetic models and real measurement dataset, this paper analyzes efficiency of offload both at the local level of individual fog locations and at the global level of the entire CDN infrastructure. Local analysis shows that the new method can reduce inter-cloud traffic by between 16 and 18 times while retaining less than 30% of total content in a local cache. Global analysis further shows that, based on existing measurement datasets, centralized optimization is preferred to distributed coordination among services.
An Empirical Analysis of Web Navigation Prediction Techniques
Authors: Jindal Honey , Sardana Neetu
Published: February 2017

With the advancement of Information Technology, web is growing rapidly and it has became necessary part of our daily lives. It is mandate to study the navigation behavior of the user to improve the quality of web site design for personalization and further recommendation. Analysis of web navigation behavior heavily relies on navigational models. This paper is an effort to give insights of current state-of-the-art techniques used for web navigation prediction. These navigation models are broadly classified into three categories: sequential mining, classification and clustering. Analytical analysis is performed on all the categories used in web navigation prediction. Further empirical analysis is performed on popular techniques of each category Markov Model (sequential mining), Support vector machine (classification) and K-means (clustering) on the common platform to measure the effectiveness of these techniques.
The Role of Marketing Intelligence in Brand Positioning
Authors: Kanwal Supreet , Samalia Harsh Vardhan , Singh Gurparkash
Published: February 2017

The presented study explains the role of Marketing Intelligence (MI) in the brand positioning of select consumer durable goods. This involves examining the usage and application of Marketing Information System (MkIS) by the various marketing professionals for formulating brand positioning strategies related to various consumer durable goods offered by their respective organizations. One of the aims of this study is to design a scale that examines the impact of MI on the identified brand positioning factors derived from the extensive review of literature and exploratory factor analysis. Survey method has been used to collect the responses of marketing professionals working in the select consumer durable companies. The principles of reliability, validity, and sensitivity in the design of scale have been applied to enhance the rigor of the scale thus developed. The study tries to advance the understanding of MkIS and MI research by investigating relationship among marketing intelligence and factors of brand positioning.
Improving Classification Accuracy on Imbalanced Data by Ensembling Technique
Authors: Agrawal Divya , Bonde Padma
Published: February 2017

Prediction using classification techniques is one of the fundamental feature widely applied in various fields. Classification accuracy is still a great challenge due to data imbalance problem. The increased volume of data is also posing a challenge for data handling and prediction, particularly when technology is used as the interface between customers and the company. As the data imbalance increases it directly affects the classification accuracy of the entire system. AUC (area under the curve) and lift proved to be good evaluation metrics. Classification techniques help to improve classification accuracy, but in case of imbalanced dataset classification accuracy does not predict well and other techniques, such as oversampling needs to be resorted. Paper presented Voting based ensembling technique to improve classification accuracy in case of imbalanced data. The voting based ensemble is based on taking the votes on the best class obtained by the three classification techniques, namely, Logistics Regression, Classification Trees and Discriminant Analysis. The observed result revealed improvement in classification accuracy by using voting ensembling technique.
Fuzzy Decision Support System to Enhance Productivity in Indian Coal Mining Industry
Authors: Singh Gopal , Mukherjee Kuntal , Singh Alok Kumar , Jha Amar Nath
Published: February 2017

Coal powers the Indian economy. Over 70% of the entire power generated in the country is coal based. Coal India produces over 84% of the entire country's coal. As coal mining is a capital intensive industry, it is important to maximize productivity. This paper explores how adoption of “Kayakalp” Model of e- governance in CCL, a subsidiary of Coal India, resulted in complete transformation of the company in terms of production and productivity. The fuzzy based decision support system has investigated this fact.
The Role of Organizational Culture and Process-Structure in Marketing Intelligence
Authors: Kanwal Supreet , Singh Gurparkash , Samalia Harsh Vardhan
Published: February 2017

The presented study seeks to explore the factors impacting MI of select consumer durable organizations and to know the strength of their relationship. The intention is the development of a scale and to find the role of organizational culture and process-structure in generating MI. Survey method is used to collect the responses of IT professionals of select consumer durable companies. Data from IT professionals of consumer durable companies from Northern region of India has been collected. The principles of reliability, validity, sensitivity in the design of scale and linear regression technique have been applied to know the strength of the relationship between organizational culture and process-structure on MI. This study advances the understanding of intelligence generation in an organization that is further used in marketing applications by investigating relationships among elements of intelligence.
Impact of Donor-Specific anti-HLA antibodies and donor KIR characteristics in haploidentical HSCT for beta-Thalassemia
Authors: Andreani Marco , Testi Manuela , Sodani Pietro , Troiano Maria , Di Luzio Andrea , Testa Giuseppe , Falco Michela , Poggi Elvira , Gaziev Javid , Piazza Antonina
Published: February 2017

In the present study we investigated the role of donor specific HLA antibodies (DSA) and donor KIR repertoire characteristics in a group of 18 patients affected by haemoglobinopathies who underwent haploidentical T cell depleted transplantation. Among these patients, 8 rejected the transplant while 10 had complete donor chimerism (CC). Five out of 8 patients (62.5%) who rejected graft had anti-HLA antibodies in the sera collected before transplant, while only 1 patient out of 10 (10%) with CC showed their presence (p=0,042). Notably, of the 5 HLA antibodies positive patients who rejected the graft 3 had DSA (2 for class I and 1 for class I and II) while none of the patients with CC had DSA. Among the 8 patients that experienced graft failure 4 were transplanted with a donor characterized by the lack of NK alloreactivity and 5 with a donor with a B content value <2. Although we analyzed a small cohort of patients, our data indicated that the presence of anti-HLA antibodies in patient sera, but not donor KIR characteristics, correlates with graft failure thus suggesting that analysis of anti-HLA antibodies should be taken into account in haploidentical transplant setting.
MYELODYSPLASTIC SYNDROMES AND IRON CHELATION THERAPY
Authors: Angelucci Emanuele , Urru Silvana Anna Maria , Pilo Federica , Piperno Alberto
Published: February 2017

Over recent decades we have been fortunate to witness the advent of new technologies and of an expanded knowledge and application of chelation therapies to the benefit of patients with iron overload. However, extrapolation of learnings from thalassemia to the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has resulted in a fragmented and uncoordinated clinical evidence base. We’re therefore forced to change our understanding of MDS, looking with other eyes to observational studies that inform us about the relationship between iron and tissue damage in these subjects. The available evidence suggests that iron accumulation is prognostically significant in MDS, but levels of accumulation historically associated with organ damage (based on data generated in the thalassemias) are infrequent. Emerging experimental data have provided some insight into this paradox, as our understanding of iron-induced tissue damage has evolved from a process of progressive bulking of organs through high-volumes iron deposition, to one of ‘toxic’ damage inflicted through multiple cellular pathways. Damage from iron may therefore occur prior to reaching reference thresholds, and similarly, chelation may be of benefit before overt iron overload is seen. In this review, we revisit the science and clinical evidence for iron overload in MDS to better characterise the iron overload phenotype in these patients, which is distinct from the classical transfusional and non-transfusional iron overload syndrome. We hope this will provide a conceptual framework to better understand the complex associations between anemia, iron and clinical outcomes, to accelerate progress in this area.
Do not let him die: Celebrating the legacy of Es’kia Mphahlele
Authors: Ndlela Phil
Published: February 2017

No abstract available.
Parents are aware of the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy in paediatrics undergoing cancer treatment – Professional versus parental views: A pilot study
Authors: Moroe Nomfundo F. , Hughes Kirstie
Published: February 2017

Background: The primary goal of chemotherapy is to cure cancer and its symptoms. Hence, in recent years, there has been an increase in cancer paediatric survival rate. However, there have also been adverse side effects such as ototoxic hearing loss because of chemotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring whether the parents of children undergoing chemotherapy are aware of ototoxic effects of chemotherapy.Methods: A non-experimental quantitative study was conducted to collect data through questionnaires, one for paediatric oncologists and the other for parents. A convenience sampling strategy was employed to recruit 11 paediatric oncologists and 7 parents from two public hospitals in Gauteng. The questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, using descriptive statistics.Results: About 55% of paediatric oncologists indicated informing parents about the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy. On the contrary, 71% of parents reported having been informed by paediatric oncologists about the possible hearing loss because of chemotherapy; however, 57% of the children are receiving a combination of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide despite being aware of their ototoxic nature.Conclusion: This study paves the way for qualitative studies to ascertain how parents are informed about the possible side effects such as hearing loss because of chemotherapy treatment. The mode in which parents are informed about the possible side effects related to chemotherapy is critical, considering that a high number of children are still receiving chemotherapeutic drugs that are directly linked to hearing loss.
Bestuursuitdagings van ’n informasiekommunikasie-tegnologienetwerk in landelike skole
Authors: Mihai Maryke A.
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this study was to describe the management challenges and the type of management approach that developed during the implementation of an ICT network between six schools, transmitting Maths and Science lessons for grade 12 learners. In April 2008 an interactive whiteboard (IWB) network was established in a Mpumalanga town, with one of the province’s foremost schools being partnered with five disadvantaged schools. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. I described the reality through the eyes of the participants and the context of the study from the perspective of the researchers. The project is a case study that investigates a small geographical area with a small number of individuals chosen. I undertook a content analysis of my semistructured interviews, documents and field notes. The data was divided in different codes and families in Atlas.ti and the patterns described. Findings indicate a difference between the management challenges of the rural schools and the leading school. A systems approach was followed. A balanced matrix management model developed in the leading school, but in the rural schools teachers still reported hierarchically to their HODs and principals. They also reported horizontally to the project manager, administrative officer and HODs of the leading school in their subject groups. This study contributes to current management theory, by means of the description of the matrix model developed in the leading school, the discussion of the management procedures in the rural schools, as well as the special roles played by the participants.
Atributos físicos e estoque de carbono do solo em áreas de Terra Preta Arqueológica da Amazônia
Authors: Da Cunha José Maurício , Gaio Denilton Carlos , Costa Campos Milton César , Rodrigues Soares Marcelo Dayron , Pinheiro da Silva Douglas Marcelo , Leite de Lima Alan Ferreira
Published: February 2017

Para se avaliar a qualidade do solo e a sustentabilidade em ambientes de Terra Preta Arqueológica da Amazônia, é importante a caracterização dos impactos de uso de solo dos diferentes tipos de cobertura. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os atributos físicos e o carbono orgânico em áreas de Terra Preta Arqueológica, no município de Novo Aripuanã, AM, sob os cultivos feijão guandu (Cajanus cajan) e pastagem, em comparação com a cobertura de floresta, com base em técnicas de estatística tradicional univariada e multivariada e de geoestatística. Para isso foram delimitadas malhas com espaçamentos regulares e 88 pontos amostrais georreferenciados por malha. Foram coletadas amostras em blocos de solo com estrutura preservada e anéis volumétricos, para a determinação das propriedades físicas e do carbono orgânico do solo. O feijão guandu e pastagem diferem estatisticamente da floresta, que apresentaram características de estabilidade dos agregados acima da média, mas características texturais e carbono orgânico abaixo da média. O modelo exponencial, pelo semivariograma escalonado, mostrou que atributos físicos do solo apresentaram predominância, com grau de dependência de forte a moderado, sendo a área sob feijão guandu com maior variabilidade dos atributos do solo.
The use of caffeine as a chemical marker of domestic wastewater contamination in surface waters: seasonal and spatial variations in Teresópolis, Brazil
Authors: Gonçalves Eline Simões , Rodrigues Silvana Vianna , Silva-Filho Emmanoel Vieira da
Published: February 2017

This study assessed the suitability of caffeine as an indicator for surface water pollution by domestic wastewaters. Caffeine concentrations determined in samples collected in the Paquequer River, located at the city of Teresópolis, a medium-sized city in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were compared to other conventional water quality parameters such as phosphate, nitrate and ammonium concentrations to determine whether it as an efficient indicator of anthropic pollution of an urban aquatic environment. The Paquequer River originates in a pristine area called Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos (PARNASO) and it crosses the urban area of the city of Teresópolis. Water samples were collected at seven points along the river, considering the periods of rain (summer) and drought (winter) and the different uses of land. Caffeine was measured using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Caffeine concentrations were found in a range from 0.16 to 47.5 µg L-1. The results show a positive relation between caffeine, phosphate, nitrate and ammonium concentrations and the increase of wastewater load, suggesting that caffeine can be used as an indicator of surface water pollution by domestic wastewaters.