bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to Design Accounting Video Lectures to Recover Lost Time
Authors: Loliwe Thando
Published: May 2018

Aim/Purpose: The objective of this study is to understand how video lectures of the same length and content as the current face-to-face lectures can be designed and implemented to have a positive effect on student performance, particularly when there is a campus shutdown.

Background: In a number of South African universities protests by the students are on the increase. Often, they lead to the cancellation of academic activities such as face-to-face classes and examinations.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was used on two video lectures to (1) compare the performance of the students who did not watch the video lectures and those who watched the video lectures, (2) compare the performance of each student who watched the video lectures on the test topics covered in the videos and the test topics not covered in the videos, and (3) determine the factors that influence the effectiveness of the video lectures.

Contribution: This study contributes to the literature by investigating the effectiveness of video lectures in improving student performance, the factors associated to the effectiveness of such lectures, and the complexity or simplicity of the two video lectures used, and by providing possible solutions to the challenges identified in relation to designing video lectures.

Findings: In terms of student performance, there is no significant advantage arising from watching the video lectures for the students who watch the video lectures, as compared to those who did not watch the video lectures. It is also found that the student performance on the topics with video lectures is significantly associated to the students’ commitment, prior performance, the quality of the content, and the design of the videos.

Recommendations for Practitioners: This study recommends how the accounting video lectures can be designed and highlights the environments in which the video lectures of the same length and content as the face-to-face lectures should not be used.

Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should replicate this study by using short length videos of better quality and appropriate length, which incorporate current issues, games, are interactive, and so forth.

Impact on Society: This study examines the use of educational video lectures in order to minimise the impact of disruptions at university level.

Future Research: Future studies may use randomly selecting treatment and control groups. They may consider a nationwide research or using qualitative interviews in examining the use of educational video lectures.
A Study on Social Graph Analysis Using Beacon Bluetooth Radio Transmitter
Authors: Takamatsu Makoto , Tomioka Tsuyoshi , Iwata Eizaburo , Hasegawa Makoto
Published: May 2018

Social graph analysis using Bluetooth radio transmitters called “Beacon” is discussed in this paper. Each person carries the beacon and a smart phone; the smart phone is performed for a receiver. Someone’s smart phone can recognize another person’s beacon and the distance between the two persons. As the result, our social graph can be generated using those data. Graph pruning is necessary, and we discuss how to determine the two threshold parameters for the distance between two persons and the received signal reception frequency. We show one guideline to determine the two threshold. A system simulation is shown in our experiments.
Does fragmentation by logging reduce grouse reproductive success in boreal forests?
Authors: Borchtchevski Vladimir G. , Hjeljord Olav , Wegge Per , Sivkov Andrey V.
Published: May 2018

In 1999 and 2001, we compared the population characteristics of capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black grouse T. tetrix and hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia inside the pristine forest reserve State Natural Reserve ‘Pinezhskiy’ in northwestern Russia and in the logged forests surrounding the reserve. We also compared the abundance of mammalian predators and birds of prey. The August density of capercaillie was lower in logged forests than in the reserve (P = 0.05), but black grouse tended to be more abundant in the logged area (P = 0.08). For hazel grouse, no difference in abundance was found between the reserve and the logged area. Reproductive success of all three grouse species was generally higher in the logged area than in the reserve. A winter track survey indicated low abundance (< 1 track/10 km/24 hours) and no difference in density of small and mediumsized mammalian predators between the reserve and the logged area. The only exception was red fox Vulpes vulpes whose tracks were recorded only in the logged area. Buzzards Buteo spp. and goshawk Accipiter gentilis were the most numerous birds of prey. Goshawk tended to be more common in the reserve (P = 0.09), whereas buzzards were seen more often in the logged area (P = 0.1). Tracks of mountain hare Lepus timidus was twice as abundant in the logged forest (P = 0.02), whereas tracks of red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris was almost 10 times more numerous in the reserve (P < 0.001) than in the logged area. Judged by the remains found, the majority (72%) of grouse were killed by birds of prey. Our study suggests that reproduction of all three species of forest grouse in this region remains stable or increases following logging. We hypothesise that this may be due to the type of logging performed and to differences in the composition of predators and of prey other than grouse inside and outside the reserve.
Timing and distance of natal dispersal for wild boar Sus scrofa in Sweden
Authors: Truvé Johan , Lemel Jonas
Published: May 2018

In order to estimate age at natal dispersal and dispersal distance, wild boars Sus scrofa were studied in Sweden by use of mark‐recapture and telemetry. To describe the average natal dispersal in the population, we applied a sigmoid regression model to analyse the age specific distance to the natal site. We used the first and second order derivatives of the model to determine at which average age dispersal begins, reaches its maximum rate and ceases. The average dispersal distance was estimated by the maximum value of the model. Using this method, we reached the conclusion that male wild boars begin to disperse at the age of 10 months, reach their maximum dispersal rate at the age of 13 months, and that dispersal ceases at the age of 16 months. At that age, they have dispersed 16.6 km from their natal sites. For females, the corresponding ages were 7, 9 and 11 months, with a dispersal distance of 4.5 km. The results follow the prevalent opinion on natal dispersal in polygynous mammals. Dispersal distances are generally short with a negative exponential probability distribution. Dispersal reaches its maximum rate during the age at which sexual maturity is occurring, and males disperse longer distances than females.
Scriblerian Cognition
Authors: Hawley Judith
Published: May 2018

Members of the Scriblerus club were sceptical about the power of reason and about fashionable get-knowledgeable-quick schemes. For Swift in particular, scientific projectors were motivated more by the passion of pride than by a desire for truth. But some members of the group expressed a different attitude in their non-satirical works. Alexander Pope and John Arbuthnot reflected on knowledge – especially self-knowledge – and found a positive role for the passions. Arbuthnot’s poemKnow Thyselfexplicitly addresses the relationship between the bodily, affective self and knowledge. Both Arbuthnot in his poem and Pope in hisEssay on Manemploy the image of a maze to symbolise the difficulty of understanding human nature. This essay will consider how Pope, in hisEssay on Man, addresses questions raised by Arbuthnot and Swift about the relations between the passions and cognition. In particular it will consider which takes priority – passion or reason – in the process that leads to knowledge. The notions of process and progress are also at issue in Pope’s account of the development of the arts and sciences. The essay will also analyse the tension between the maze and the plan – the experience of confusion versus the knowledge of a structure. I will suggest that the apparent scepticism about knowledge that Pope evokes in his rhetorical question at the start of theEssayis partly worked out or circumvented through the use of structural devices that attempt to arrive at certainty. The prose arguments, concluding statements and maxims suggest that theEssayarrives at a truth that was already known.
The Hurry and Uproar of Their Passions
Authors: Kozak Katarzyna
Published: May 2018

The period between the Glorious Revolution and the end of Queen Anne’s reign was a time of fierce antagonism between the political parties. This rivalry defined the political situation in early eighteenth century Britain and laid the foundation for the development of the ministerial machine of propaganda aimed at discrediting opponents and justifying the policies of the government. Methodically developed, the system was well applied during Oxford’s Ministry (1710-14). The establishment of a ministerial newspaper –The Examiner –played a significant role in solidifying public opinion behind the transfer of power to the Tories. Remaining a ‘right-wing’ organ, it became a sharp edge of anti-whig propaganda. The main objective of this article is to analyse the rhetoric of passions, one of the literary tools used inThe Examinerto build up a negative image of Whigs. This image, created on the pages ofThe Examiner, represents an element of a wider vision depicting passionate Whigs and reasonable Tories.
ANALISIS SENSITIVITAS BEBERAPA WILAYAH DI PAPUA BARAT TERHADAP FENOMENA ENSO
Authors: Subgan Aries Astradhani
Published: May 2018

Inter-annual climate variability (ENSO) become major issues for sciences for nowadays because the effect of globally.  The purpose of this research is to know the characteristic of the climate on West Papua Region that can investigate and to know variable of the responds to every area of the ENSO phenomena. This is use for the climate parameter for rainfall and sea surface temperature (SST). Technic analysis begins to see periodicities rainfall using wavelet transformation. Next, analysis percentage of rainfall on the phases of ENSO Cases to see how big the influence of ENSO to the Increasing and Decreasing of rainfall in every region. Next step is to use statistic technical to see the connection between rain drop variable into the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) to the ENSO index. The result of wavelet analysis to the rainfall showed the domination of periodicities in one year, this indicated that the research area is effected by monsoon and local factors. The result of rain fall percentage and linier correlation analysis of ENSO index to the SPI in each territorial in general showed the ENSO influence. This can be shown by negative correlation score that means, when there is an EL NINO (La Nina) in Pacific Ocean at the same time there is a decreasing or increasing of rainfall in research territorial. The variation in each location responds showed the ENSO effect doesn’t have to influence directly to the rain fall in the research zone
Vestigios de una lengua originaria en el territorio de la cultura chachapoya
Authors: Valqui Jairo , ZieMendorff Michaela
Published: May 2018

Previas investigaciones basadas principalmente en la toponimia y antro- ponimia de la zona antiguamente habitada por los pueblos de la cultura chachapoya en el sur del departamento de Amazonas han permitido es- tablecer la hipótesis de una lengua originaria preincaica, sustituida por el quechua antes de la Conquista. Las fuentes disponibles, sin embargo, no dan ninguna razón de dicha lengua, por lo que el presente artículo recurre a un análisis lingüístico para determinar si la toponimia y antro- ponimia han conservado vestigios de una o varias lenguas en la región ocupada por esta cultura y si, por lo tanto, es justificado referirse a una «lengua chacha». Este estudio desarrolla principalmente un trabajo de campo enfocado en el análisis de vestigios toponímicos prequechuas que permite sostener vestigios de una lengua originaria en parte del territorio de los chachapoya.
“Temprano hay que ser hombre”. Masculinidades, educación sexual y confesión en Amor Mundo de José María Arguedas
Authors: Huaytán Martínez Eduardo
Published: May 2018

El propósito de este artículo es entender la función de la sexualidad para la construcción de las identidades masculinas en Amor mundo (1967) de José María Arguedas. Identifica la masculinidad subalterna del niño San- tiago y la masculinidad dominante del hacendado don Guadalupe. Pro- pone que la interacción de ambos personajes es dada a través de una dinámica aprendiz (Santiago)/ maestro (don Guadalupe). Intenta resolver cómo estas identidades son jugadas básicamente en el terreno de las relaciones sexuales. Además cómo la sexualidad masculina establece re- laciones con el poder y el placer, con las identidades femeninas, con el fantasma de la culpa y con la confesión como acto edificante.
Un encuentro entre pintura abstracta y poesía quechua. Szyszlo, Westphalen y Arguedas hacia una ‘tradición peruana’ en la plástica (1952-1963)
Authors: Cornelio José Eduardo
Published: May 2018

El presente artículo examina la lectura que hace Emilio Adolfo Westpha len de la serie pictórica Apu Inka Atawallpaman (1963) de Fernando de Szyszlo. El propósito es mostrar cómo el poeta formula una lectura de este trabajo de naturaleza abstracta dentro de las coordenadas de una tradición cultural que se vincula con lo andino. Junto con ello, se sugiere que la figura y las ideas de José María Arguedas fueron una influencia importante en un medio artístico que le reclamaba una ‘peruanidad’ a la pintura sin que, al mismo tiempo, cayera en el folklorismo. Precisamen- te, es Arguedas quien propone la idea de un arte y una literatura en los que fuese posible la coexistencia de mundo y comunidad.
José María Arguedas, etnógrafo: campo cultural y mestizaje
Authors: Cortez Enrique E.
Published: May 2018

En la actualidad, es imposible trazar una historia de la etnología en el Perú sin tomar en cuenta las contribuciones de José María Arguedas. Sin embargo, la antropología de su época atribuyó escasa importancia a su trabajo. El propósito de este artículo es identificar los motivos del reconocimiento tardío y póstumo del aporte de Arguedas. El argumento central es que el concepto de mestizo manejado por la etnografía de Arguedas implicaba una crítica profunda de las prácticas deshistorizantes de la antropología dominante. Interviniendo de manera decisiva en un debate clave en la historia intelectual latinoamericana, Arguedas cuestionó la ideología hispanista del mestizaje de la primera mitad del siglo XX, que entendía tal condición como la realización del ideal de un sincretismo armónico. Retrospectivamente, es posible argüir que su formulación de lo mestizo tiene elementos en común con paradigmas culturales contemporáneos que valorizan la diferencia y el multiculturalismo.
La reconstrucción de la memoria: la poesía peruana después de la violencia política 2000-2010
Authors: Villacorta Carlos
Published: May 2018

El presente trabajo analiza la última poesía peruana que articula y re- presenta la violencia política que sufrió la sociedad peruana durante los años ochentas y los años noventas. Durante esas dos décadas, el lenguaje conversacional, considerado hegemónico por mucho tiempo en el escenario poético peruano, fue perdiendo legitimidad ya que no fue suficiente herramienta para retratar la vertiginosa atomización de la sociedad. Al mismo tiempo, la poesía peruana empezó un largo proceso de reformulación y de búsqueda de un nuevo lenguaje durante la década de los noventas que se fue acentuando al inicio del siglo XXI.  Los tra- bajos de una nueva generación de poetas como Victoria Guerrero, Luis Fernando Chueca, Roxana Crisólogo, entre otros, han tenido una doble preocupación: reformular el lenguaje poético peruano y representar lo que fue el Conflicto Armado interno (1980-2000) ya sea desde sus cau- sas, proceso y/o consecuencias.
El detalle como transgresión al poder disciplinario en “Anacondas en el parque” de Pedro Lemebel
Authors: Rodríguez Fernández Mario , Esparza Pezo María Elena
Published: May 2018

El artículo se centrará en el análisis de la crónica urbana “Anacondas en el parque”, perteneciente al libro La esquina es mi corazón. Crónica urbana (1995) de Pedro Lemebel, en la que se evidenciará la transgresión al poder disciplinario que funciona en el espacio público representado en el texto. Dicho aspecto quedará de manifiesto en el examen de la viola- ción al dispositivo disciplinario, a través de lo que Foucault denomina la “minucia” o el “detalle” en la terminología de Pimentel. El poder ejerce un disciplinamiento de los cuerpos mediante detalles que son ironiza- dos, parodiados e incluso carnavalizados. El análisis devela, además, la tensión entre el cuerpo versus no cuerpo, específicamente, culo versus cara, según la disyunción planteada por Octavio Paz.
Algunas claves del humor judío en la “Prosa de Humor” de Alejandra Pizarnik
Authors: Daza D. Paulina
Published: May 2018

La “Prosa de Humor”, compilada en su Prosa Completa (2008) de Alejandra Pizarnik es una muestra importante de la obra desarrollada por la escritora durante sus últimos años de vida, por su intenso trabajo con la lengua y por su relación con la escritura, tanto actividad vital, así como trabajo artístico literario característico de su obra.  Este artículo intenta un acercamiento entre la prosa humorística pizarnikiana y algunas características del humor judío que parecen fijarse en su obra como la evidencia de un vínculo cultural que comenzó con una doble educación infantil y adolescente y que continuó manifestándose en sus cartas, diarios y conversacionesprivadas registradas por su círculo cercano. Se propone que el resultado del vínculo cultural y artístico da lugar a una risa benefactora que ayuda a la escritora a sobrellevar el peso de una locura y una muerte inminente.
El Hábeas Data, protección al derecho a la información y a la autodeterminación informativa
Authors: Quiroz Papa de García Rosalía
Published: May 2018

La investigación describe y analiza el nivel de protección al derecho de acceso a la información y la protección de datos personales o autodeterminación informativa, a través de las jurisprudencias de Hábeas Data resueltas por el Tribunal Constitucional del Perú durante los últimos cinco años (2010-2014). Se identifica los lugares de mayor incidencia de este tipo de garantías, el tipo de demandantes y demandados, la materia de la demanda y el tipo de fallos emitidos por el Tribunal que dieron fin a las demandas de Hábeas Data.
Las perífrasis verbales de infinitivo en el español de los niños de La Mar (Ayacucho)
Authors: Esquivel Villafana Jorge
Published: May 2018

El presente estudio se centra en la descripción de las construcciones perifrásticas verbales de infinitivo registradas en el español de los niños del distrito de La Mar (Ayacucho), zona andina de contacto de lenguas quechua-español, ubicada en el sur del Perú. Dada la naturaleza del trabajo, este será de corte sintáctico-semántico.
Periodización de la literatura afrohispanoamericana: retóricas de la (auto) representación, y figuras de autor y lector
Authors: Velázquez Castro Marcel
Published: May 2018

En este artículo se propone una definición y una periodización de la literatura afrohispanoamericana, campo clave en la construcción de la múltiple y heterogénea cultura de la América hispana. La periodización abarca desde el siglo XVI hasta hoy y presenta como variables: las retóricas de la (auto) representación del afrodescendiente y las figuras de autor y lector.
Aspectos semánticos de la polisemia somática en el quechua Ayacucho-chanca: los casos de uma 'cabeza' y simi 'boca’
Authors: Gálvez Astorayme Isabel , Gálvez Gálvez Isabel Judith , Domínguez Chenguayen Frank Joseph
Published: May 2018

Los lexemas referidos a la anatomía humana en el quechua Ayacuchochanca transgreden el significado literal (o convencional) y constituyen unidades fuertemente polisémicas en la lengua y cultura quechua. En el presente artículo, analizamos los lexemas somáticos uma 'cabeza' y simi 'boca', los cuales evidencian un complejo universo conceptual y forman una red semántica provista de una estructura radial interna. En particular, nuestros objetivos son dos. Por una parte, nos interesa identificar todos aquellos conceptos a los que estas dos formas lingüísticas, referidas a la biología humana del quechuahablante, están asociadas. Por otra parte, pretendemos explicar la manera en que estos nuevos conceptos habrían llegado a asociarse a los referidos lexemas somáticos. Para ello, nos basaremos en los principios teóricos y metodológicos de la disciplina denominada lingüística cognitiva (Lakoff y Johnson 1980, Langacker 1987, Lakoff 1987, entre otros), y propondremos la metáfora y la metonimia como aquellos mecanismos responsables de la extensión de los significados.
Reconstructive operations on pedal arteries in the treatment of critical limb ischemia
Authors: I. I. Kobza  , Ya. I. Yarema  , R. A. Zhuk  , D. Ye. Fedoriv
Published: May 2018

The aim —  to analyze results of reconstructive operations on pedal arteries in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI).Materials and methods. From January 2008 to September 2017 in the Department of Vascular Surgery of Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital reconstructions of pedal arteries were performed in 41 patients with CLI. Middle age was 65 years (62, 97 %), male patients prevailed — 34 (83 %), female patients — 7 (17 %) respectively. During the period of supervision major amputations were performed in 5 (12.2 %) cases, in 28 (68.3 %) tissue loss was limited to the necrectomies and minor amputations.Results and discussion. Limb salvage was in 36 (87.8 %) patients. Using of popliteal artery as inflow provided better cumulative bypass patency comparatively with femoral artery bypass, the dependency of bypass and distal anastomosis localization was not statistically significant.Conclusions. Reconstructive operations on pedal arteries are an efficient method of CLI management in patients with distal occlusive stenotic damages and often remain as only chance to avoid amputation in patients with CLI. Better bypass flow is observed when popliteal artery is used as an inflow, the dependency on distal anastamosis localization was not defined.
Features of circadian regulation and cardiac rhythm disorders in patients with arterial hypertension and frequent recurrences of atrial fibrillation
Authors: T. D. Danilevych
Published: May 2018

The aim — to determine the features of circadian regulation and cardiac rhythm disorders according to Holter monitoring of electrocardiogram (HM ECG) in patients with arterial hypertension (AH) and frequent recurrences of atrial fibrillation (AF), depended on the clinical form and vegetative variant of arrhythmia.Materials and methods. There were examined 146 patients aged from 37 to 86 years with AH stage II complicated by frequent recurrences of AF. As a comparison group, 26 patients were examined aged 39 to 74 years with AH II stage without AF, that was ruled out with anamnesis data and HM ECG. The duration of the arrhythmic anamnesis ranged from 1 to 30 and mean duration was 5.7 ± 0.5 years. Paroxysmal form of AF was in 56 (38.4 %) patients and persistent form of AF was in 90 (61.6 %) patients. The anamnesis of AH ranged from 1 to 40 and mean duration was 11.6 ± 0.6 years. All patients underwent HM ECG according to the standard protocol.Results and discussion. In groups with AH and AF in contrast to group without AH, the total number of supraventricular premature contractions (SPC) per day was higher (p < 0.0001). In the groups with AH and AF there was the prevalence of the pair and group of SPC (p < 0.0001). Short asymptomatic episodes of supraventricular paroxysmal tachycardia (SVPT) were defined in 35.7 % of patients with paroxysmal and in 33.3 % of patients with persistent AF. SVPT wasn’t defined in group with AH (p < 0.001). The analysis of painless myocardium ischemia cases demonstrated statistically significant differences in such cases registration in patients with persistent AF comparing with patients without AF (38.9 and 19.2 % respectively; p = 0.05). The dispersion of the interval QT was significantly higher in the groups of patients with AF in comparison with group without AH (p < 0.05). The ratio of the dispersion PQ/QT was lower in groups of AH and AF compared with the group of AH (p < 0.05).The daily heart rate (p < 0.04) and the circadian index (CI) (p = 0.02) are significantly lower and the mean daily number of asymptomatic SVTS episodes is significantly higher (p < 0.04) in patients with vagal variant of AF. In patients with mixed variant of AF the value of CI (p < 0.05), the daily amount of SPC (p < 0.04) and the number of episodes of paired and group SPC (p < 0.04) are significantly higher.Conclusions. In groups of AH and AF in comparison with group owithout AH, the number of SPC, paired and group SPC, SVPT were higher, increasing of the dispersion of QT and dispersion ratio PQ/QT was observed. The study did not reveal any fundamental differences between clinical forms of AF. The heart rate and CI are significantly lower and the number of asymptomatic episodes of the SVTS is significantly higher in patient with vagal variant of AF. The CI value, daily amount of SPC and episodes of paired and group SPC were significantly higher in patients with mixed variant of AF.
Changes in climate extremes in Vietnam
Authors:   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Nguyen Van Thang , Mai Van Khiem ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Vu Van Thang ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Nguyen Dang Mau ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Nguyen Ngoc Bich Phuong ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Le Duy Diep ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Ha Truong Minh ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, Luu Nhat Linh ,   Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change
Published: May 2018

This study represents the observed and projected changes in climate extremes in the context of climate change. A linear regression method was used to identify trends and variations of climate extremes in the past, while projected changes in climate extremes were detected based on dynamical downscaling and compared with the baseline period (1986-2005). The results show that daily maximum and minimum surface air temperatures (Txx, Tnn) increased considerably with the highest value of about 0.9oC/decade during the period of 1961-2014. The number of hot days increased across most observed stations, especially in Central Vietnam. Trends of extreme precipitation varied among the regions: decreasing across most stations in the Northwest, Northeast and Red River Delta; and increasing at other stations. In Vietnam, over the period 1959-2015, there were no obvious changes in the frequency of tropical cyclones causing landfall events, including typhoons and tropical depressions. However, the rate of occurrence of the very strongest typhoons are currently on the increase. In recent years, typhoon seasons tend to end later than in the past, and typhoons occur more frequently in Southern regions. Predicted results of climate extremes in the future for the periods 2046-2065 and 2080-2099, compared with the baseline period of 1986-2005 under the medium and high scenario (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) show that temperature extremes will likely increase considerably in the future. The number of hot days will likely increase in both frequency and intensity, while the number of extreme cold days will likely decrease at most stations in the North. A maximum 1-day rainfall will also likely increase across all regions in Vietnam. Results from models show that the number of strong typhoons will likely increase in the mid- and late-century.
Regional Nodes of Colombian Clinical Engineers
Authors: Ibarra Andrea Garcia , Berrio Paula , Trujillo Maximiliano , Salazar Francia , Garcia Leonardo
Published: May 2018

The Health Technology Management (HTM) staff in small or remote hospitals can have difficulty accessing good practice information, so we have created a simple, convenient, and accessible networking model for clinical engineers in Colombia, called Regionals Nodes. These Nodes break radically with tradition because they do not have a static structure that limits access to meetings or information. These Nodes are dynamic which allows them to reach more people in less time and at a lower cost. The Nodes use social media to be in contact, coordinate regular meetings with leaders and topics of interest, and disseminate large amounts of information quickly. Thus, new open spaces are created, they are adaptable to each region, and can easily evolve over time. Currently the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MoHSP), with regional support of engineers from hospitals with national or joint commission accreditation (JCI) lead the Nodes. Today, there are 240 engineers from 140 hospitals and 13 universities and a regulatory agency that recently joined. This initiative began in 2015 with minimal coverage and we have now reached 40% of the country. The members of the Nodes meet every 2 months in order to prepare projects on Medical Equipment Management (MEM) and share information and experiences. Some of the accomplishments and outcomes of these meetings are: continuous training in Colombian regulations, positioning biomedical engineers as key stakeholders in MEM, institutional strengthening of the MoHSP in the health technology field, and HTM regional benchmarking. The interaction among the members of the participant institutions has facilitated a successful knowledge and best practices transfer in MEM from the 8 high-complexity university hospitals to almost 140 regional and local hospitals. These regional and local hospitals have limited access to resources and the operation of the Nodes has contributed in improving the efficiency in the equipment managing process and outcomes that better service the population. One of the priority projects of the Nodes is collaboration with the MoHSP in the validation of the Equipment Maintenance and Obsolescence Assessment Manual. The next steps are strengthening of the Nodes, increasing membership and motivating members and institutions, and interacting with professional engineering societies and health technology organizations worldwide. These steps will involve seeking support and improving communication with health authorities, hospital directors, and administrators looking for the expansion of the Nodes.
Physiotherapists' and Physiotherapy Students' Perspectives on the Use of Mobile or Wearable Technology in Their Practice
Authors: Blumenthal Jenna , Wilkinson Andrea , Chignell Mark
Published: May 2018

Purpose: Although extensive research has been carried out on the determinants of mobile or wearable health care technology (mHealth), as well as on its acceptance by patients and other health care providers, very little research has been done on physiotherapists' perspectives on the use of mHealth in their current or future practice. The aims of this study were to (1) explore the attitudes of physiotherapists toward mHealth using a modified technology acceptance model questionnaire, (2) understand the applications and delivery paradigms that are most desirable, and (3) assess the content validity of the questionnaire. Method: The questionnaire was administered online. Participants (n=76) were recruited using snowball and convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using factor analysis and partial least-squares path modelling. Results: Results indicate that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were related to early adoptive behaviour among participants. We found no evidence that age, gender, experience, or practice setting influenced early adoptive behaviour. Participants demonstrated favourable attitudes toward mHealth tools in clinical practice. Conclusions: This article provides initial insights into factors that are likely to be significant determinants of adoption of mHealth among physiotherapists. Further work, including qualitative research, will help to identify personal and institutional factors that will improve the acceptance of mHealth.
Description and Intrarater Test–Retest Reliability of a Reverse-Action Method to Assess Ankle Evertor Muscle Performance: The I-to-V Test
Authors: Park Kyue-Nam , Park So-Yeon
Published: May 2018

Purpose: Reverse action (RA) of the ankle evertor muscle is when the proximal attachment moves toward the distal attachment, moving the lower leg in the frontal plane when the foot and ankle are fixed on the ground and inducing ankle eversion. The purpose of this study was to describe an RA method for measuring ankle evertor muscle performance. Method: Eighteen healthy individuals were recruited for this study. To assess the RA of their ankle evertors, the participants sat with their knees together and their feet firmly planted on the floor, then spread their knees as far apart as possible. A tester used a measuring tape to measured the distance (in cm) between the medial tibial tuberosity of the tested side and that of the non-tested side. In the end range position of the RA, ankle evertor electromyographic activity was recorded simultaneously. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated to establish the intrarater test–retest reliability. The correlation between each performance value and muscle activity was assessed using a linear correlation model. Results: The proposed method of assessing RA performance was highly reliable (ICC=0.95) and had a low SEM (1.63 cm); in addition, the performance value showed a strong positive correlation with ankle evertor muscle activity (ρ=0.90; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.95; p=0.01). Conclusions: The proposed RA method of assessing the ankle evertor muscles can be used as a simple, reliable, economical performance test. It can also be used as an alternate method of testing the peroneal muscles rather than selectively measuring ankle evertor performance because hip external rotation occurs when performing RA.
Why So Stressed? A Descriptive Thematic Analysis of Physical Therapy Students' Descriptions of Causes of Anxiety during Objective Structured Clinical Exams
Authors: Zhang Nancy , Walton David M.
Published: May 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to collect and conduct a descriptive content analysis of the primary triggers of practical exam anxiety in Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) students in a Canadian university programme. Method: First and second-year MPT students were invited to reflect upon their top 5 sources or triggers of OSCE exam anxiety, collected in written format during a low-stress, low-examination period of their programme. All participants had participated in at least 3 OSCEs before providing data. The emergent themes were member-checked with 10 of the original participants to improve trustworthiness of the results. Results: 56 of a possible 105 students provided 224 triggers of OSCE anxiety. Thematic content analysis revealed 6 emergent meta-themes that adequately captured all triggers. They were: social performance anxiety, fear of lacking competence, overvaluing the outcome, fear of the unknown, impaired personal health/coping resources, and operational/procedural influences. These meta-themes were endorsed by the participant sub-group. Conclusions: OSCEs are common forms of evaluation in MPT training programmes, but are also highly anxiogenic. The first step toward mitigating exam anxiety, thereby ensuring exam performance is less confounded by anxiety, is to identify the common triggers. Confidence in results will be strengthened by replication in other programmes.
Intérêt du scanner abdominopelvien chez les patients âgés de plus de 75 ans consultant aux urgences pour douleurs abdominales
Authors: Lafay M. , Chenevier-Gobeaux C. , Paslaru L. , Lefèvre G. , Leveau M. , Gast C. , Houry S. , Ray P.
Published: May 2018

Introduction : Déterminer l’étiologie des syndromes abdominaux aigus (SAA) chez les personnes âgées nécessite souvent une imagerie abdominale. L’objectif de notre étude était d’étudier la place du scanner abdominal chez les patients âgés de plus de 75 ans consultant aux urgences, et de rechercher des facteurs prédictifs de scanner pathologique.

Patients et méthodes : Il s’agissait d’une étude rétrospective, monocentrique, observationnelle, effectuée aux urgences de l’hôpital Tenon entre le 1er janvier et le 31 décembre 2014, chez les patients âgés de plus de 75 ans consultant pour un SAA. Deux groupes distincts étaient définis et comparés : un groupe « scanner normal » et un groupe « scanner pathologique », défini selon le compte-rendu du radiologue.

Résultats : Cent soixante-dix-huit patients (d’âge moyen de 84 ans) ont été inclus. Cent quatre-vingt-six scanners ont été effectués durant l’année 2014, parmi lesquels 41 scanners (22 %) étaient normaux. Les pathologies retrouvées le plus fréquemment étaient les occlusions (40 %), les pathologies urinaires (23 %), et les pathologies biliopancréatiques (22 %). Il n’existe aucun facteur clinique ou biologique prédictif de scanner pathologique.

Conclusion : Le scanner semble être un examen d’une grande rentabilité diagnostique chez la personne âgée, dont l’indication doit être large, car aucune donnée clinicobiologique n’est associée à un scanner pathologique.
Validation du score qSOFA au Service d’Accueil des Urgences : étude prospective monocentrique
Authors: Lafon T. , Vallejo C. , Organista A. , Baisse A. , Zmiri C. , Coroller L. , Morel G. , Daix T. , François B. , Vignon P.
Published: May 2018

Introduction : Le sepsis est défini comme une défaillance d’organes secondaire à une infection pouvant entraîner le décès du patient. Le score quick Sequential (Sepsis-Related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) a récemment été proposé pour dépister la présence d’une défaillance d’organes chez les patients suspects d’infection. L’objectif de cette étude est de valider l’utilisation du score qSOFA au service d’accueil des urgences (SAU) pour prédire la mortalité et le recours à l’hospitalisation en réanimation.

Méthodes : Étude prospective monocentrique au SAU sur 6 mois. Les données démographiques, la source infectieuse, le score qSOFA, le score SOFA et les valeurs biologiques étaient collectés. Les dossiers étaient relus par un comité d’adjudication indépendant pour valider le diagnostic de sepsis en utilisant la définition Sepsis-3. La mortalité à 28 jours était colligée.

Résultats : Parmi les 476 patients suspects d’infection, 374 avaient leur diagnostic confirmé (204 hommes, âge moyen : 65 ± 20 ans). Le score qSOFA était positif chez 77 patients (21%). La mortalité était supérieure pour les patients avec un score qSOFA ≥ 2 (47% vs 4% : p < 0,01). Pour prédire la mortalité à 28 jours, le score qSOFA avait une sensibilité de 74% (IC 95% : 59 - 85%) et une spécificité de 87% (IC 95% : 83 - 91%). L’aire sous la courbe ROC du score qSOFA pour prédire la mortalité à 28 jours était de 0,80 (IC 95% : 0,76 - 0,84).

Conclusion : Cette étude confirme que le score qSOFA recueilli au SAU semble être fiable pour prédire la mortalité à 28 jours.
Intérêt clinique des concentrations sériques de la protéine S100β dans l’évaluation des patients traumatisés crâniens
Authors: Grandpierre R. Genre , Bobbia X. , de La Coussaye J.-E. , Claret P.-G.
Published: May 2018

Les recommandations de la Société française de médecine d’urgence concernant la prise en charge des patients traumatisés crâniens légers ont été éditées en 2012, complétées par des recommandations sur la bonne utilisation du biomarqueur S100β deux ans plus tard. Grâce à son excellente valeur prédictive négative, la protéine S100β utilisée à travers des règles strictes de prescription a été définie comme une alternative solide à la tomodensitométrie. Cependant, plusieurs questions restent en suspens concernant le délai maximum de réalisation du prélèvement par rapport à l’heure du traumatisme, l’impact médicoéconomique, les variations en rapport avec l’âge du patient, l’impact des agents anticoagulants ou antiagrégants plaquettaires et l’utilité du dosage sérique de cette protéine dans d’autres cadres nosologiques.
Novel Bioinspired Approach Based on Chaotic Dynamics for Robot Patrolling Missions with Adversaries
Authors: Curiac Daniel-Ioan , Banias Ovidiu , Volosencu Constantin , Curiac Christian-Daniel
Published: May 2018

Living organisms have developed and optimized ingenious defense strategies based on positional entropy. One of the most significant examples in this respect is known as protean behavior, where a prey animal under threat performs unpredictable zig-zag movements in order to confuse, delay or escape the predator. This kind of defensive behavior can inspire efficient strategies for patrolling robots evolving in the presence of adversaries. The main goal of our proposed bioinspired method is to implement the protean behavior by altering the reference path of the robot with sudden and erratic direction changes without endangering the robot’s overall mission. By this, a foe intending to target and destroy the mobile robot from a distance has less time for acquiring and retaining the proper sight alignment. The method uses the chaotic dynamics of the 2D Arnold’s cat map as a primary source of positional entropy and transfers this feature to every reference path segment using the kinematic relative motion concept. The effectiveness of this novel biologically inspired method is validated through extensive and realistic simulation case studies.
A Game-Theoretic Approach to Information-Flow Control via Protocol Composition
Authors: Alvim Mário S. , Chatzikokolakis Konstantinos , Kawamoto Yusuke , Palamidessi Catuscia
Published: May 2018

In the inference attacks studied in Quantitative Information Flow (QIF), the attacker typically tries to interfere with the system in the attempt to increase its leakage of secret information. The defender, on the other hand, typically tries to decrease leakage by introducing some controlled noise. This noise introduction can be modeled as a type of protocol composition, i.e., a probabilistic choice among different protocols, and its effect on the amount of leakage depends heavily on whether or not this choice is visible to the attacker. In this work, we consider operators for modeling visible and hidden choice in protocol composition, and we study their algebraic properties. We then formalize the interplay between defender and attacker in a game-theoretic framework adapted to the specific issues of QIF, where the payoff is information leakage. We consider various kinds of leakage games, depending on whether players act simultaneously or sequentially, and on whether or not the choices of the defender are visible to the attacker. In the case of sequential games, the choice of the second player is generally a function of the choice of the first player, and his/her probabilistic choice can be either over the possible functions (mixed strategy) or it can be on the result of the function (behavioral strategy). We show that when the attacker moves first in a sequential game with a hidden choice, then behavioral strategies are more advantageous for the defender than mixed strategies. This contrasts with the standard game theory, where the two types of strategies are equivalent. Finally, we establish a hierarchy of these games in terms of their information leakage and provide methods for finding optimal strategies (at the points of equilibrium) for both attacker and defender in the various cases.
MOTiFS: Monte Carlo Tree Search Based Feature Selection
Authors: Chaudhry Muhammad Umar , Lee Jee-Hyong
Published: May 2018

Given the increasing size and complexity of datasets needed to train machine learning algorithms, it is necessary to reduce the number of features required to achieve high classification accuracy. This paper presents a novel and efficient approach based on the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) to find the optimal feature subset through the feature space. The algorithm searches for the best feature subset by combining the benefits of tree search with random sampling. Starting from an empty node, the tree is incrementally built by adding nodes representing the inclusion or exclusion of the features in the feature space. Every iteration leads to a feature subset following the tree and default policies. The accuracy of the classifier on the feature subset is used as the reward and propagated backwards to update the tree. Finally, the subset with the highest reward is chosen as the best feature subset. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by experimenting on many benchmark datasets. The results are also compared with significant methods in the literature, which demonstrates the superiority of the proposed method.
A New Gob-Side Entry Layout for Longwall Top Coal Caving
Authors: Feng Guorui , Wang Pengfei , P. Chugh Yoginder
Published: May 2018

In China, gob-side entry is typically located one pillar-width (less than 5 m) away from the previously mined-out panel in a conventional longwall panel using top coal caving (LTCC). Design of gob-side entries is a challenge due to the complex dynamic loading process during their service life. A new gob-side entry (NGE) design practice is presented here for Zhenchengdi Colliery, which has many advantages. A theoretical analysis is presented followed by numerical modeling. The modeling included the double-yield constitutive model for gob behavior to analyze the stress environment for the gob-side entry with validation through field observations. The results indicate that pre-mining stress within gob occurred 51 m away from the gob edge. The NGE is located within a destressed zone in the entire panel system, which results in lower side abutment pressure for the adjacent panel to be mined. The stress concentration around the gob edge near the gob-side entry is relatively low (less than 0.1) compared with the other side of the gob. Field observations indicate that: (1) a simple support design, i.e., steel sets with wire mesh on the top, can maintain ground control and ventilation during active mining; (2) the periodic weighting interval is 9–12 m; (3) the length of the block “B” which “protects” the gob-side entry is 10–13 m; (4) stress distribution formula for the elevating section is derived; and (5) the roof pressure of the gob-side entry is much smaller than non-gob side entry and is smaller than the pre-mining stress. Deformation data of the gob-side entry shows that both roof-to-floor and rib-to-rib convergences are smaller than for the non-gob-side entry with an improved overall stress environment. Theoretical analysis, numerical modeling, and field observation are consistent, which validates the scientific foundations of the new technology.