bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross-Disciplinary Consultancy to Enhance Predictions of Asthma Exacerbation Risk in Boston
Authors: Reid Margaret , Gunn Julia , Shah Snehal , Donovan Michael , Eggo Rosalind , Babin Steven , Stajner Ivanka , Rogers Eric , Ensor Katherine B. , Raun Loren , Levy Jonathan I. , Painter Ian , Phipatanakul Wanda , Yip Fuyuen , Nath Anjali , Streichert Laura , Tong Catherine , Burkom Howard
Published: January 2017

This paper continues an initiative conducted by the International Society for Disease Surveillance with funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to connect near-term analytical needs of public health practice with technical expertise from the global research community.  The goal is to enhance investigation capabilities of day-to-day population health monitors. A prior paper described the formation of consultancies for requirements analysis and dialogue regarding costs and benefits of sustainable analytic tools.  Each funded consultancy targets a use case of near-term concern to practitioners.  The consultancy featured here focused on improving predictions of asthma exacerbation risk in demographic and geographic subdivisions of the city of Boston, Massachusetts, USA based on the combination of known risk factors for which evidence is routinely available.A cross-disciplinary group of 28 stakeholders attended the consultancy on March 30-31, 2016 at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC).Known asthma exacerbation risk factors are upper respiratory virus transmission, particularly in school-age children, harsh or extreme weather conditions, and poor air quality.  Meteorological subject matter experts described availability and usage of data sources representing these risk factors.  Modelers presented multiple analytic approaches including mechanistic models, machine learning approaches, simulation techniques, and hybrids.  Health department staff and local partners discussed surveillance operations, constraints, and operational system requirements.  Attendees valued the direct exchange of information among public health practitioners, system designers, and modelers.  Discussion finalized design of an 8-year de-identified dataset of Boston ED patient records for modeling partners who sign a standard data use agreement.
KIWI: A technology for public health event monitoring and early warning detection
Authors: Mukhi Shamir N , Andres Ellie , Demianyk Bryan , Gammon Ben , Kloeze Harold
Published: January 2017

Objectives: To introduce the Canadian Network for Public Health Intelligence’s new Knowledge Integration using Web-based Intelligence (KIWI) technology, and to perform preliminary evaluation of the KIWI technology using a case study. The purpose of this new technology is to support surveillance activities by monitoring unstructured data sources for the early detection and awareness of potential public health threats.Methods: A prototype of the KIWI technology, adapted for zoonotic and emerging diseases, was piloted by end-users with expertise in the field of public health and zoonotic/emerging disease surveillance. The technology was assessed using variables such as geographic coverage, user participation, and others; categorized by high-level attributes from evaluation guidelines for internet based surveillance systems. Special attention was given to the evaluation of the system’s automated sense-making algorithm, which used variables such as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values. Event-based surveillance evaluation was not applied to its full capacity as such an evaluation is beyond the scope of this paper.Results: KIWI was piloted with user participation = 85.0% and geographic coverage within monitored sources = 83.9% of countries. The pilots, which focused on zoonotic and emerging diseases, lasted a combined total of 65 days and resulted in the collection of 3243 individual information pieces (IIP) and 2 community reported events (CRE) for processing. Ten sources were monitored during the second phase of the pilot, which resulted in 545 anticipatory intelligence signals (AIS). KIWI’s automated sense-making algorithm (SMA) had sensitivity = 63.9% (95% CI: 60.2-67.5%), specificity = 88.6% (95% CI: 87.3-89.8%), positive predictive value = 59.8% (95% CI: 56.1-63.4%), and negative predictive value = 90.3% (95% CI: 89.0-91.4%).Discussion: Literature suggests the need for internet based monitoring and surveillance systems that are customizable, integrated into collaborative networks of public health professionals, and incorporated into national surveillance activities. Results show that the KIWI technology is well posied to address some of the suggested challenges. A limitation of this study is that sample size for pilot participation was small for capturing overall readiness of integrating KIWI into regular surveillance activities.Conclusions: KIWI is a customizable technology developed within an already thriving collaborative platform used by public health professionals, and performs well as a tool for discipline-specific event monitoring and early warning signal detection.
China’s National Health Policies: An Ontological Analysis
Authors: Dai Guobin , Deng Fang , Ramaprasad Arkalgud , Syn Thant
Published: January 2017

The health care system in China is facing a multitude of challenges owing to the changing demographics of the country, the evolving economics of health care, and the emerging epidemiology of health as well as diseases. China’s many national health care policies are documented in Chinese text documents. It is necessary to map the policies synoptically, systemically, and systematically to discover their emphases and biases, assess them, and modify them in the future. Using a logically constructed ontology of health care policies based on the common bodies of knowledge as a lens, we map the current policies to reveal their ‘bright’, ‘light’, and ‘blind/blank’ spots. The ontological map will help (a) develop a roadmap for future health care policies in China, and (b) compare and contrast China’s health care policies with other countries’.
Evaluation of the Measles Surveillance System in Kaduna State, Nigeria (2010-2012)
Authors: Ameh Celestine Attah , Sufiyan Muawiyyah Babale , Jacob Matthew , Waziri Endie Ndadilnasiya , Olayinka Adebola T
Published: January 2017

ObjectiveTo evaluate the case-based Measles surveillance system in Kaduna State of Nigeria and identify gaps in its operation.Introduction In Africa, approximately 13 million cases of measles and 650,000 deaths occur annually, with sub-Saharan Africa having the highest morbidity and mortality (1). Measles infection is endemic in Nigeria and has been documented to occur all year round despite high measles routine and supplemental immunisation coverage (2,3). The frequent outbreaks of Measles in Kaduna State prompted the need for the evaluation of the Measles case-based surveillance system.Methods We interviewed stake holders and  adapted the updated 2001 CDC guidelines on surveillance evaluation to assess the systems usefulness, representativeness, timeliness, stability and acceptability. A retrospective record review of the measles case-based surveillance data from 2010– 2012 was carried out to assess data quality and representativeness. We calculated the annualized detection rate of measles and non-measles febrile rash, proportion of available results, proportion of Districts (LGAs) that investigated at least one case with blood, proportion of cases that were IgM positive and the incidence of measles. We compared the results with WHO (2004) recommended performance indicators to determine the quality and effectiveness of measles surveillance system. Results According to the Stake holders, the case-based surveillance system is useful and acceptable. Median interval between specimen collection and release of result was 38  days (Range: 16 – 109) in 2011, 11 days (Range: 1 – 105) in 2012. The best median turnaround time of 7days (1 – 25) was recorded in 2010. The annualized detection rate of measles rash in 2011 was 1.0 (target: ≥2), in 2012 it was 1.4 (target: ≥2). The annualized detection rate of non-measles febrile rash in 2011 was 0.6 (target: ≥2) while it was 0.8 (target: ≥2) in 2012. Case definitions are simple and understood by all the operators. We found a progressive decline in  timeliness and data quality in the years under review.ConclusionThis evaluation showed that the surveillance system was still useful. Also, the efficiency and effectiveness of the laboratory component as captured by the “median interval between specimen collection and the release of results improved in 2010 and 2012 compared to 2011. However, there was a progressive decline in the timeliness and completeness of weekly reports in the years under review.Keywords:  Measles; Case-based; Surveillance; Evaluation; Nigeria
Privacy, security, and the public health researcher in the era of electronic health record research
Authors: Goldstein Neal D , Sarwate Anand D
Published: January 2017

Health data derived from electronic health records are increasingly utilized in large-scale population health analyses. Going hand in hand with this increase in data is an increasing number of data breaches. Ensuring privacy and security of these data is a shared responsibility between the public health researcher, collaborators, and their institutions. In this article, we review the requirements of data privacy and security and discuss epidemiologic implications of emerging technologies from the computer science community that can be used for health data. In order to ensure that our needs as researchers are captured in these technologies, we must engage in the dialogue surrounding the development of these tools.
ESCRITA DA HISTÓRIA DA EDUCAÇÃO NO CENTRO OESTE: SITUAÇÃO ATUAL E PERSPECTIVAS
Authors: Pessanha Eurize Caldas
Published: January 2017

Este artigo delineia um retrato da pesquisa em História da Educação na Região Centro-Oeste tal como se apresenta hoje e as questões e projeções que este retrato nos impõe. O levantamento realizado agora pretendeu, na medida do possível, comparar dados de 2004 com os dados de 2014, numa espécie de série histórica para verificar avanços e lacunas em relação à tendência de integração. A principal fonte utilizada foram os dados do Censo 2014 dos Diretórios dos Grupos de Pesquisa – CNPq, além da Revista Brasileira de História da Educação e anais dos Congressos Brasileiros de História da Educação. Foram localizados 19 grupos ativos da área de Educação, certificados pelas instituições localizadas na Região Centro Oeste que traziam como palavra-chave “História da Educação”. Os dados sobre a produção bibliográfica foram extraídos da página de cada grupo e restritos aos líderes dos grupos. Os resultados mostraram um forte incremento dessa produção em todos os indicadores: número de grupos de pesquisa ativos, dissertações, teses, artigos em periódicos, livros e capítulos de livros e trabalhos publicados emanais de eventos provando que a pesquisa em História da Educação encontra-se ativa e contribui para a consolidação do campo no Brasil. No entanto, a integração interinstitucional está praticamente ausente pois apenas seis dos dezenove grupos registraram parcerias com outras instituições, algumas de outras. Para melhorar esse indicador, são apresentadas sugestões de ações a serem implementadas.
CONVERSAS SOBRE PESQUISAS EM HISTÓRIA DA EDUCAÇÃO
Authors: Valdez Diane , O. Santos Alessandra de , Viana Verônica P.
Published: January 2017

Propomos, neste texto, apresentar alguns dados referentes à pesquisa em história da educação tendo como referência o debate promovido em um minicurso sobre fontes, categorias e métodos, ministrado em evento da área. Optamos, nesta escrita, por um formato de ensaio, pois, desta forma mantemos o estilo da metodologia do evento. O diálogo sobre pesquisa nesta área, incluiu, além da produção, alguns cuidados e a circulação de investigações que tem como foco o recuo do tempo na escrita da história da educação. No processo de produção da pesquisa,apresentamos algumas pistas como, recorte temático, teórico, cronológico e metodológico, problema, categoria, limites, originalidade e suas relações com as fontes e seu tratamento.
The Need for Strategic and Operational Planning in Adult Education: The Case of Greek Second Chance Schools
Authors: Chira Magdalini , Ηlapanis Georgios Errikos , Brinia Vasiliki
Published: January 2017

Τhe current research investigates the implementation of the planning within the training of the teaching staff in Second Chance Schools (S.C.S.) in Greece, through the perceptions of 90 teachers who work in these units, using quantitative and qualitative method and data collection tools, a structured questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. According to the findings, teachers confirmed the implementation of planning in the training programs as well as the implementation process of both the long-term strategic planning and the short-term operational planning within the training activities of educational units, procedures which are characterized by the participants as necessary for the organization and operation of schools and also for the achievements of their objectives.
PROCESSO DE ENFERMAGEM: IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A SEGURANÇA DO PACIENTE EM CENTRO CIRÚRGICO
Authors: Riegel Fernando , De Oliveira Junior Nery José
Published: January 2017

O objetivo deste estudo foi refletir sobre o processo de enfermagem e suas implicações para a segurança do paciente no centro cirúrgico. Trata-se de uma reflexão alicerçada nos pressupostos teóricos e literatura científica acerca do tema. A segurança do paciente vem sendo tema de discussão desde o século XIX com o intuito de alcançar a qualidade assistencial nas instituições hospitalares. O Processo de Enfermagem constitui-se em um instrumento metodológico e uma valiosa tecnologia leve dura a ser utilizada para garantir segurança no contexto das práticas de enfermagem, porém deve ser aplicado com qualidade e em sua totalidade, estando alinhado com os objetivos institucionais para assim promover a segurança do paciente.
CONSTRUÇÃO DE MANUAL SOBRE CIRURGIA SEGURA PARA PROFISSIONAIS DE SAÚDE
Authors: Souza Gisele Silva Lopes , Ribeiro Mara Regina Rosa
Published: January 2017

As tecnologias educacionais, construídas a partir das concepções dos trabalhadores de saúde, podem ser utilizadas em ações educativas e contribuir para a prática profissional cotidiana. O objetivo foi descrever a construção de tecnologia educacional sobre cirurgia segura. Trata-se de estudo de caso da produção de tecnologia educativa do tipo manual, desenvolvido no primeiro semestre de 2015, a partir de dados coletados por entrevistas semiestruturadas, sobre as percepções dos profissionais sobre a segurança cirúrgica atuantes da clínica cirúrgica e centro cirúrgico de Hospital Universitário de Cuiabá, estado do Mato Grosso. A consideração dos saberes dos profissionais propiciou que o material construído atendesse às necessidades do grupo e estivesse apto a ser utilizado na implantação do protocolo de cirurgia segura.
MORTALIDADE INFANTIL: AVALIAÇÃO DO PROGRAMA REDE MÃE PARANAENSE EM REGIONAL DE SAÚDE DO PARANÁ
Authors: Netto Amanda , Da Silva Rosane Meire Munhak , Santos Marieta Fernandes , Tacla Mauren Teresa Grubisich Mendes , Caldeira Sebastião , Brischiliari Sheila Cristina Rocha
Published: January 2017

Objetivou-se analisar a mortalidade infantil em uma regional de saúde do estado do Paraná, antes e após a implantação do programa Rede Mãe Paranaense. Utilizou-se o método descritivo, retrospectivo com dados secundários dos Sistemas de Informação da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado, com dados de crianças menores de 1 ano e causas de óbitos, entre 2009 e 2014. Observou-se que no período neonatal precoce, houve aumento para o porte populacional entre 15.000 e 50.000 de 31% para 36% óbitos pós-implantação. Apesar da implantação do programa visando à melhoria da atenção à saúde da mulher na gestação, parto e ao recém-nascido, os óbitos evitáveis mantiveram-se elevados, 63% pré-implantação e 51% pós–implantação. Os resultados não evidenciaram redução significativa na mortalidade infantil após a implantação do programa, porém, sua implantação ainda é recente sendo necessário maior tempo para adequações dos municípios em relação ao programa e investimentos nas capacitações dos profissionais envolvidos.
Brazilian Universities Incubators: A Panorama from Activities and GDP Perspective
Authors: Da Cruz Gustavo , Bezerra Nathália Vieira dos Santos , Mendes João Vitor Da Conceição
Published: January 2017

The entrepreneurship can collaborate to the economy and solve environmental problems by contributing to achieve the university third mission through the incubators process as the majority of technology transfer mechanisms. However, Brazilian universities incubators are less developed than the ones from United States and Europe. Therefore, this paper aims to explore Brazilian universities incubators from an activities and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) perspective. As a result, we identified 122 incubators that are from public universities, in their majority and work mainly in social entrepreneurship and base-technology sectors. Universities installed in cities with a high GDP have a restricted number of activities compared to other economic classes, as well as in lower class there are an interesting number of incubators focused on promoting and creating jobs and income generation, corroborating the role of the universities third mission. Incubators are still in consolidation in Brazil, which reflects the early stage of innovation in universities and industries. Recent studies are recommended in the area of incubator management and effectiveness of technology transfer.
Credit Institutes’ Disclosure and Presentation of Derivatives after the Crisis
Authors: Gervasio Daniele , Montani Damiano
Published: January 2017

Asked to reconstruct and interpret the causes of the current global crisis, an archaeologist of the fourth millennium could easily find himself sifting through the deluge of publications on the subject of financial instruments known as “derivatives”.The study analyses the disclosure methods adopted for derivative instruments reported in the balance sheets of major banks in central and southern Europe in the period from 2005 to 2012 for the purpose of outlining the types and methods of use in the trading markets amongst retail investors and bank intermediaries.In the light of the analysis conducted, it is possible to observe how the recent financial crisis has not changed the negotiation strategies of the international banking system with regard to derivatives; financial institutions reputed to be amongst the most famous in Europe are, in fact, still intoxicated by these derivative instruments.This paper presents an empirical-analytical approach with a series of keys to understanding the derivative market today in the post-crisis period.
Consumers Become More or Less Ethnocentric? A Meta-Analysis on Level of Consumer Ethnocentrism
Authors: Guo Gongxing , Lin Quan
Published: January 2017

A huge body of research on consumer ethnocentrism has occurred in cross-cultural consumer behavior research area since the seminal work of Shimp and Sharma (1987). There is, however, a research gap on meta-analysis of the level of consumer ethnocentrism. This study seeks to address this gap by employing, as far as we are aware, the first meta-analysis on level of consumer ethnocentrism. we draw several conclusions with meta-analytical data of 153 mean values in 87 articles during the period of 1987 to 2013 (N = 42840): (1) The average score of consumer ethnocentrism is 3.58 (7 in total); (2) General consumers are more ethnocentric than student consumers; (3) Consumers in developing countries are more ethnocentric than consumers in developed countries.
The Effect of the Global Financial Crisis on the Level of Accounting Conservatism in Commercial Banks: Evidence from Jordan
Authors: Al-Hroot Yusuf Ali , AL-Qudah Laith Akram Muflih , Alkharabsha Faris Irsheid Audeh
Published: January 2017

This paper intends to investigate whether the financial crisis (2008) exerted an impact on the level of accounting conservatism in the case of Jordanian commercial banks before and during the financial crisis. The sample of this study includes 78 observations; these observations are based on the financial statements of all commercial banks in Jordan and may be referred to as cross-sectional data, whereas the period from 2005 to 2011 represents a range of years characterized by time series data. The appropriate regression model to measure the relationship between cross-sectional data and time series data is in this case the pooled data regression (PDR) using the ordinary least squares (OLS) method. The results indicate that the level of accounting conservatism had been steadily increasing over a period of three years from 2005 to 2007. The results also indicate that the level of accounting conservatism was subjected to an increase during crisis period between 2009 and 2011 compared with the level of accounting conservatism for the period 2005-2007 preceding the global financial crisis. The F-test was used in order to test the significant differences between the regression coefficients for the period before and during the global financial crisis. The results indicate a positive impact on the accounting conservatism during the global financial crisis compared with the period before the global financial crisis. The p-value is 0.040 which indicates that there are statistically significant differences between the two periods; these results are consistent with the results in Sampaio (2015).
Developing Civil Servants’ Affective Commitment to Share Knowledge: A Case of Public Organization Cost Reduction
Authors: Hisyam Selamat Mohamad , Mat Saad Rafeah , Zuhdi Murat Rusdi Indra , Kok Soon Foo
Published: January 2017

The present study is designed to propose values for developing civil servants’ affective commitment to share knowledge in the workplace. The proposed values are faith, sincerity, trusting belief, trusting intention and emotional trust. The researchers have applied cross-sectional survey research to validate the framework. It is found that faith and sincerity influenced the development of civil servants’ affective commitment to share knowledge in the workplace significantly. The practical implications are the discovery of theoretical, personal, and workplace practical best practices for the establishment of strategies to reduce operational costs in the public organization.
Are Countries Participating into Regional Integration Performing Better in Growth and Liberalization Than Non-Participators? A Study on European Countries
Authors: Bose Tarun Kanti , Bristy Jannatul Ferdous
Published: January 2017

This study conducted towards identifying practical scenario of effectiveness of regional integration on indicators of trade liberalization and economic growth. Empirical analysis using secondary yet quantitative data using eight ratio and trend analysis on 49 European countries (28 EU and 21 Non-EU) portrays outcome in favor of regional integration. While EU countries seem to be performing consistently in both the categories, Non-EU countries are lagging behind. This outcome comes in the support of the traditional supports of free trade and integration and declares that trade integration creates both dynamic and static effects and trades (open and participatory) actually benefit all.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 12 No. 2
Authors: Lee Stephen
Published: January 2017

Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 12 No. 2, 2017
International Differences in IFRS Policy Choice and the Persistence of Accounting Classification: The Case of China
Authors: Rossetti Silvia , Verona Roberto
Published: January 2017

This paper focuses on the application of IFRS standards in China. The research is mainly conducted on the basis of Kvaal and Nobes’s studies (2010) regarding the different ways that various countries apply IFRS and Nobes’s IFRS accounting classification system (2011). For companies that issued B shares, the use of IFRS in China lasted only until the 2006 ASBE (Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises) reform. The present study examines IFRS overt options in an attempt to 1) review the choices made by Chinese companies to discover – in light of the applicable PRC GAAP (Chinese Local Standards) requirement of that time – whether they were more or less likely to choose an option than the other countries analysed by Nobes & Kvaal; 2) rank China’s place within Nobes’s accounting classification system; and 3) rank China’ place, again in the Nobes’s model but also in light of a recent study based on BRICS (Note 1)countries (Sarquis, et al. 2014). The results of the statistical analysis confirm that Chinese financial statements display a “local” nature in their use of IFRS and that in its accounting tendencies, China belongs to the Continental European group rather than with the other BRICS countries.
Customer Lifetime Value in B2B Markets: Theory and Practice in the Czech Republic
Authors: Horak Pavel
Published: January 2017

We live in a time of permanent change resulting from the turbulence of business environment. Companies operate on markets with increasing competition. One of the key areas of marketing competencies thus becomes the ability of analytical work resulting from the growing volume of information. Using the differentiated CRM strategy for the correct setting of corporate strategy is not possible without systematic, targeted and contextual processing of information from various sources.The customer has become the most valuable asset of the company. Companies are trying to build long-term relationships with their customers. Marketing managers must be able to measure, analyse and optimize the key elements affecting the development of the portfolio of customers, and identify key factors with a positive effect on growing the customer value. For small and medium-sized businesses that usually do not have big teams of specialists and thousands of customers, it is particularly true. Understanding the benefits of working with customer value and its application in creating a marketing strategy for companies operating in B2B markets is the main step that can determine the success of the company.The aim of this article is following the basic theoretical background focused on the customer lifetime value to analyse secondary sources on this issue for B2B markets in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, to provide first findings from the ongoing research in the segment of small and medium-sized companies operating in the information technology market in the Czech Republic.
MNEs’ Ownership Structure under Uncertainty: Explanations from TCE and Real Options Logic
Authors: Oh Kyeungrae (Kenneth)
Published: January 2017

How does an MNE choose its ownership structure when it enters into transition nations where the level of corruption is largely high? This paper examines how uncertainty stemming from corruption affects an MNE’s choice of governance forms using the data of 463 MNEs in 24 transition countries. Drawing on two theoretical perspectives such as TCE and real options logic, this study proposes two sets of competing hypotheses regarding firms’ selection of ownership structure. Results show that TCE predictions have a better explanatory power on the choice of governance forms over those of real options logic as a whole. In particular, this study finds that an MNE is more likely to adopt wholly owned subsidiaries in highly arbitrary environment of corruption whereas they intend to cope with a joint venture form of governance under highly pervasive corruption environment. Consistently, an MNE which has more familiar with corruption tends to adopt a joint venture form of governance.
Field Testing of Efficacy of Three Environmentally Friendly Insecticides Against Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa Decemlineata [Say], Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) on Potato-Evaluation of the Effect on Yield
Authors: Laznik Ziga , Trdan Stanislav
Published: January 2017

In 2007 and 2008 the field experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of three environmentally friendly insecticides against the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), with the aim of evaluating their effect on the yield of potato. 0.25 % water emulsion of Neem-Azal (active ingredient azadirachtin) was applied twice, while 3 % water emulsion of Aktiv (a.i. potassium salt of fatty acids) and 1 % water emulsion of Prima (a.i. refined rape oil) were applied eight times. In 2007, the potato yield was higher (25.3±3.2 t ha-1) than in 2008 (8.2 ± 0.8 t ha-1). In 2007 there were no significant differences in potato yield at different control measures and the yield ranged from 7.5 ± 1.3 t ha-1 (Aktiv) to 9.4 ± 1.8 t ha-1 (Prima). In 2008, the highest potato yield was recorded in Neem-Azal treatment (3.5 ± 0.7 t ha-1), while in two other insecticide treatments the potato yield did not differ significantly with control treatment neither with the Neem-Azal treatment. Potato tubers were classified into three fractions: fraction 1 (tubers <4 cm), fraction 2 (tubers between 4 and 5 cm), and fraction 3 (tubers > 5 cm). On average we produce 2.11 ± 0.06 t ha-1, 9.93 ± 0.53 t ha-1, and 13.17 ± 0.70 t ha-1 of potato in 2007, and 2.11 ± 0.20 t ha-1, 4.68 ± 0.37 t ha-1, 0.84 ± 0.29 t ha-1 of potato in 2008, respectivelly.
Aspects of Safe Operation of Lithium-Based Batteries in Marine Applications
Authors: Polak Adam , Grzeczka Grzegorz , Swoboda Paweł , Bakiera Piotr
Published: January 2017

The paper presents issues related to the operational safety of lithium-based batteries on vessels. In the first part of the paper the regulations of the Polish Register of Shipping (PRS), regarding the requirements for the batteries on a vessel are analysed. The next section presents the risks related to the use of lithium-based electric energy storage technology. The last part discusses the principles to be adopted during operation of lithium batteries to minimize the risk of threats.
The Dirt and The Bees: The Epidemiology of Neonicotinoids
Authors: Johnson Katelyn
Published: January 2017

Neonicotinoids, such as Thiamethoxam (TMX ) and its metabolite Clothianidin (CLO ), are widely used insecticides commonly coated on planting seeds. Due to their contamination of waterways, their accumulation in aquatic organisms is often lethal and possibly contributes to the decline of honey bees. In order to understand the distribution of TMX and CLO in an agricultural-urban-mixed impacted stream, their levels in sediments from seven locations along Stroubles Creek, Blacksburg were investigated. The sediment samples were extracted using liquid/solid extraction, cleaned up using PSA , and analyzed on a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC /MS /MS). The following study suggests the ability of insecticide to travel through the soil to the creek, shows lower levels of CLO than TMX , and reveals the necessity of further research in regards to CLO concentration. Overall, this study re-affirms that TMX can travel into an adjacent aquatic system, which honey bees use for their water foraging needs.
Dreams and Sexuality: A Psychoanalytical Reading of Klimt's Beethoven Frieze
Authors: Flythe Benjamin R.
Published: January 2017

This essay presents a philosophical and psychoanalytical interpretation of the work of the Viennese Secession artist, Gustav Klimt. The manner of depiction in Klimt’s paintings underwent a radical shift around the turn of the twentieth century, and the author attempts to unveil the internal and external motivations that may have prompted and contributed to this transformation. Drawing from Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy as well as Sigmund Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams, the article links Klimt’s early work with what may be referred to as the Apollonian or consciousness, and his later work with the Dionysian or the subconscious. It is then argued that the Beethoven Frieze of 1902 could be understood as a “self-portrait” of the artist and used to examine the shift in stylistic representation in Klimt’s oeuvre.
Learner Improvement From a Simulation‐Enhanced Ultrasonography Curriculum for First‐Year Medical Students
Authors: Miller Geoffrey T. , Scerbo Mark W. , Zybak Samantha , Byars Donald V. , Goodmurphy Craig W. , Lattanzio Frank A. , Knapp Barry J. , Toreno Felicia , Levitov Alex , Shaves Sarah , Abuhamad Alfred
Published: January 2017

Objectives

We describe a simulation‐enhanced ultrasonography (US) curriculum for first‐year medical students as part of a comprehensive curricular integration of US skills. Our goal was to assess student knowledge and performance of US and determine their satisfaction with the integrated curriculum.

Methods

A committee of basic science, clinical, and interinstitutional faculty developed 7 educational US modules integrated into existing anatomy and physiology courses. First‐year students in years 2012 through 2014 were administered a demographic survey and a knowledge‐based pretest at the outset of the US program and assessed with a posttest, satisfaction survey, and their image acquisition abilities in an objective structured clinical examination with standardized patients on completion of the program.

Results

Data from 390 students showed a significant increase in knowledge from the pretest to the posttest [t(389) = 58.027; P < .0001]. Students with higher spatial abilities or some previous US experience performed better on the posttest. The objective structured clinical examination results showed that about 83% of the students were able to capture acceptable or marginally acceptable images. Ninety‐five percent of students indicated that the US educational experience enhanced their medical education.

Conclusions

Initial results show that we were able to successfully develop, implement, and evaluate performance of first‐year medical students on their fundamental knowledge and performance of basic US using a model that emphasized hands‐on simulation‐enhanced training. Furthermore, most students found the experience to be a beneficial component of their education and indicated a desire for more US training in the medical curricula.
Protein interaction screening identifies SH3RF1 as a new regulator of FAT1 protein levels
Authors: de Bock Charles E. , Hughes Michael R. , Snyder Kimberly , Alley Steven , Sadeqzadeh Elham , Dun Matt D. , McNagny Kelly M. , Molloy Timothy J. , Hondermarck Hubert , Thorne Rick F.
Published: January 2017

Mutations and ectopic FAT1 cadherin expression are implicated in a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from developmental disorders to cancer. The regulation of FAT1 and its downstream signalling pathways remain incompletely understood. We hypothesized that identification of additional proteins interacting with the FAT1 cytoplasmic tail would further delineate its regulation and function. A yeast two‐hybrid library screen carried out against the juxtamembrane region of the cytoplasmic tail of FAT1 identified the E3 ubiquitin‐protein ligase SH3RF1 as the most frequently recovered protein‐binding partner. Ablating SH3RF1 using siRNA increased cellular FAT1 protein levels and stabilized expression at the cell surface, while overexpression of SH3RF1 reduced FAT1 levels. We conclude that SH3RF1 acts as a negative post‐translational regulator of FAT1 levels.
Inhibition of platelet‐derived growth factor signaling prevents muscle fiber growth during skeletal muscle hypertrophy
Authors: Sugg Kristoffer B. , Korn Michael A. , Sarver Dylan C. , Markworth James F. , Mendias Christopher L.
Published: January 2017

The platelet‐derived growth factor receptors alpha and beta (PDGFRα and PDGFRβ) mark fibroadipogenic progenitor cells/fibroblasts and pericytes in skeletal muscle, respectively. While the role that these cells play in muscle growth and development has been evaluated, it was not known whether the PDGF receptors activate signaling pathways that control transcriptional and functional changes during skeletal muscle hypertrophy. To evaluate this, we inhibited PDGFR signaling in mice subjected to a synergist ablation muscle growth procedure, and performed analyses 3 and 10 days after induction of hypertrophy. The results from this study indicate that PDGF signaling is required for fiber hypertrophy, extracellular matrix production, and angiogenesis that occur during muscle growth.
Forecasting ultrafine particle concentrations from satellite and in situ observations
Authors: Crippa P. , Castruccio S. , Pryor S. C.
Published: January 2017

Recent innovations in remote sensing technologies and retrievals offer the potential for predicting ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations from space. However, the use of satellite observations to provide predictions of near‐surface UFP concentrations is limited by the high frequency of incomplete predictor values (due to missing observations), the lack of models that account for the temporal dependence of UFP concentrations, and the large uncertainty in satellite retrievals. Herein we present a novel statistical approach designed to address the first two limitations. We estimate UFP concentrations by using lagged estimates of UFP and concurrent satellite‐based observations of aerosol optical properties, ultraviolet solar radiation flux, and trace gas concentrations, wherein an expectation maximization algorithm is used to impute missing values in the satellite observations. The resulting model of UFP (derived by using an autoregressive moving average model with exogenous inputs) explains 51 and 28% of the day‐to‐day variability in concentrations at two sites in eastern North America.
Holocene history of deep‐seated landsliding in the North Fork Stillaguamish River valley from surface roughness analysis, radiocarbon dating, and numerical landscape evolution modeling
Authors: Booth Adam M. , LaHusen Sean R. , Duvall Alison R. , Montgomery David R.
Published: January 2017

Documenting spatial and temporal patterns of past landsliding is a challenging step in quantifying the effect of landslides on landscape evolution. While landslide inventories can map spatial distributions, lack of dateable material, landslide reactivations, or time, access, and cost constraints generally limit dating large numbers of landslides to analyze temporal patterns. Here we quantify the record of the Holocene history of deep‐seated landsliding along a 25 km stretch of the North Fork Stillaguamish River valley, Washington State, USA, including the 2014 Oso landslide, which killed 43 people. We estimate the ages of more than 200 deep‐seated landslides in glacial sediment by defining an empirical relationship between landslide deposit age from radiocarbon dating and landslide deposit surface roughness. We show that roughness systematically decreases with age as a function of topographic wavelength, consistent with models of disturbance‐driven soil transport. The age‐roughness model predicts a peak in landslide frequency at ~1000 calibrated (cal) years B.P., with very few landslide deposits older than 7000 cal years B.P. or younger than 100 cal years B.P., likely reflecting a combination of preservation bias and a complex history of changing climate, base level, and seismic shaking in the study area. Most recent landslides have occurred where channels actively interact with the toes of hillslopes composed of glacial sediments, suggesting that lateral channel migration is a primary control on the location of large deep‐seated landslides in the valley.
Assessing soil carbon vulnerability in the Western USA by geospatial modeling of pyrogenic and particulate carbon stocks
Authors: Ahmed Zia U. , Woodbury Peter B. , Sanderman Jonathan , Hawke Bruce , Jauss Verena , Solomon Dawit , Lehmann Johannes
Published: January 2017

To predict how land management practices and climate change will affect soil carbon cycling, improved understanding of factors controlling soil organic carbon fractions at large spatial scales is needed. We analyzed total soil organic (SOC) as well as pyrogenic (PyC), particulate (POC), and other soil organic carbon (OOC) fractions in surface layers from 650 stratified‐sampling locations throughout Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Wyoming. PyC varied from 0.29 to 18.0 mg C g−1 soil with a mean of 4.05 mg C g−1 soil. The mean PyC was 34.6% of the SOC and ranged from 11.8 to 96.6%. Both POC and PyC were highest in forests and canyon bottoms. In the best random forest regression model, normalized vegetation index (NDVI), mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), and elevation were ranked as the top four important variables determining PyC and POC variability. Random forests regression kriging (RFK) with environmental covariables improved predictions over ordinary kriging by 20 and 7% for PyC and POC, respectively. Based on RFK, 8% of the study area was dominated (≥50% of SOC) by PyC and less than 1% was dominated by POC. Furthermore, based on spatial analysis of the ratio of POC to PyC, we estimated that about 16% of the study area is medium to highly vulnerable to SOC mineralization in surface soil. These are the first results to characterize PyC and POC stocks geospatially using stratified sampling scheme at the scale of 1,000,000 km2, and the methods are scalable to other regions.
Twentieth century warming of the tropical Atlantic captured by Sr‐U paleothermometry
Authors: Alpert Alice E. , Cohen Anne L. , Oppo Delia W. , DeCarlo Thomas M. , Gaetani Glenn A. , Hernandez‐Delgado Edwin A. , Winter Amos , Gonneea Meagan E.
Published: January 2017

Coral skeletons are valuable archives of past ocean conditions. However, interpretation of coral paleotemperature records is confounded by uncertainties associated with single‐element ratio thermometers, including Sr/Ca. A new approach, Sr‐U, uses U/Ca to constrain the influence of Rayleigh fractionation on Sr/Ca. Here we build on the initial Pacific Porites Sr‐U calibration to include multiple Atlantic and Pacific coral genera from multiple coral reef locations spanning a temperature range of 23.15–30.12°C. Accounting for the wintertime growth cessation of one Bermuda coral, we show that Sr‐U is strongly correlated with the average water temperature at each location (r2 = 0.91, P < 0.001, n = 19). We applied the multispecies spatial calibration between Sr‐U and temperature to reconstruct a 96 year long temperature record at Mona Island, Puerto Rico, using a coral not included in the calibration. Average Sr‐U derived temperature for the period 1900–1996 is within 0.12°C of the average instrumental temperature at this site and captures the twentieth century warming trend of 0.06°C per decade. Sr‐U also captures the timing of multiyear variability but with higher amplitude than implied by the instrumental data. Mean Sr‐U temperatures and patterns of multiyear variability were replicated in a second coral in the same grid box. Conversely, Sr/Ca records from the same two corals were inconsistent with each other and failed to capture absolute sea temperatures, timing of multiyear variability, or the twentieth century warming trend. Our results suggest that coral Sr‐U paleothermometry is a promising new tool for reconstruction of past ocean temperatures.
Perioperative Timing of Infliximab and the Risk of Serious Infection After Elective Hip and Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: George Michael D. , Baker Joshua F. , Hsu Jesse Yenchih , Wu Qufei , Xie Fenglong , Chen Lang , Yun Huifeng , Curtis Jeffrey R.
Published: January 2017

Objective

The optimal timing of tumor necrosis factor antagonists before elective surgery is unknown. This study evaluated the association between infliximab timing and serious infection after elective hip or knee arthroplasty.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study evaluated US Medicare patients with rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis who received infliximab within 6 months of elective knee or hip arthroplasty from 2007 to 2013. Propensity‐adjusted analyses examined whether infliximab stop timing (time between the most recent infusion and surgery) was associated with hospitalized infection within 30 days or prosthetic joint infection (PJI) within 1 year.

Results

Hospitalized infection within 30 days occurred after 270 of 4,288 surgeries (6.3%). Infliximab stop timing <4 weeks versus 8–12 weeks was not associated with an increase in infection within 30 days (propensity‐adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.90 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.60–1.34]). The rate of PJI was 2.9 per 100 person‐years and was not increased in patients with stop timing <4 weeks versus 8–12 weeks (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98 [95% CI 0.52–1.87]). Glucocorticoid dosage >10 mg/day was associated with increased risk of 30‐day infection (OR 2.11 [95% CI 1.30–3.40]) and PJI (HR 2.70 [95% CI 1.30–5.60]). Other risk factors for infection included elderly age, comorbidities, revision surgery, and previous hospitalized infection.

Conclusion

Administering infliximab within 4 weeks of elective knee or hip arthroplasty was not associated with a higher risk of short‐ or long‐term serious infection compared to withholding infliximab for longer time periods. Glucocorticoid use, especially >10 mg/day, was associated with an increased infection risk.
Bone Mineral Density and the Risk of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project
Authors: Barbour Kamil E. , Murphy Louise B. , Helmick Charles G. , Hootman Jennifer M. , Renner Jordan B. , Jordan Joanne M.
Published: January 2017

Objective

To address knowledge gaps regarding the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and incident hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA); specifically, lack of information regarding hip OA or symptomatic outcomes.

Methods

Using data (n = 1,474) from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project's first (1999–2004) and second (2005–2010) followup of participants ages ≥45 years, we examined the association between total hip BMD and both hip and knee OA. Total hip BMD was measured using dual x‐ray absorptiometry, and participants were classified into sex‐specific quartiles (low, intermediate low, intermediate high, and high). Radiographic OA (ROA) was defined as development of Kellgren/Lawrence grade ≥2. Symptomatic ROA (sROA) was defined as onset of both ROA and symptoms. Weibull regression modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results

Median followup time was 6.5 years (range 4.0–10.2 years). In multivariate models, and compared with participants with low BMD, those with intermediate high and high BMD were less likely to develop hip sROA (HR 0.52 [95% CI 0.31–0.86] and 0.56 [95% CI 0.31–0.86], respectively; P = 0.024 for trend); high BMD was not associated (HR 0.69 [95% CI 0.45–1.06]) with risk of hip ROA. Compared with participants with low BMD, those with intermediate low and intermediate high total hip BMD were more likely to develop knee sROA (HR 2.15 [95% CI 1.40–3.30] and 1.65 [95% CI 1.02–2.67], respectively; P = 0.325 for trend); similar associations were seen with knee ROA.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that higher BMD may reduce the risk of hip sROA, while intermediate levels may increase the risk of both knee sROA and ROA.
A Wearable Hydration Sensor with Conformal Nanowire Electrodes
Authors: Yao Shanshan , Myers Amanda , Malhotra Abhishek , Lin Feiyan , Bozkurt Alper , Muth John F. , Zhu Yong
Published: January 2017

A wearable skin hydration sensor in the form of a capacitor is demonstrated based on skin impedance measurement. The capacitor consists of two interdigitated or parallel electrodes that are made of silver nanowires (AgNWs) in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The flexible and stretchable nature of the AgNW/PDMS electrode allows conformal contact to the skin. The hydration sensor is insensitive to the external humidity change and is calibrated against a commercial skin hydration system on an artificial skin over a wide hydration range. The hydration sensor is packaged into a flexible wristband, together with a network analyzer chip, a button cell battery, and an ultralow power microprocessor with Bluetooth. In addition, a chest patch consisting of a strain sensor, three electrocardiography electrodes, and a skin hydration sensor is developed for multimodal sensing. The wearable wristband and chest patch may be used for low‐cost, wireless, and continuous monitoring of skin hydration and other health parameters.