bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Document Description and Coding as Key Elements in Knowledge, Records, and Information Management
Authors: Oladokun Olugbade , Zulu Saul F. C.
Published: December 2016

Document description and coding are key operations to information storage and retrieval systems. Description makes it possible for users to obtain information about the documents while coding provides unique numbers to described documents, and enables users to locate, retrieve and store documents manually or electronically. Consequent upon the mass production of information and attendant information explosion, modern libraries and other information dissemination institutions, attached to various institutions, were established. A need therefore arose to put in place systems of achieving bibliographic control over the information produced and collected to facilitate its identification and location wherever it may be found. Among the major systems or tools that information professionals developed to achieve bibliographic control and organization of information include: cataloguing, classification, indexing and abstracting. Using largely documentary sources, the chapter makes a case on the critical role of document description and coding systems in information and knowledge management.
Natural Material Source of Bagasse Cellulose and Their Application to Hydrogel Films
Authors: Carrillo Karla L. Tovar , Kobayashi Takaomi
Published: December 2016

Among all biomass sources, cellulose is the most diverse material sourced from plants and is abundant in nature. It possesses some promising properties such as biodegradability, biocompatibility and hydrophilicity. In several industrial biomasses, the waste products especially for food manufacture have high content of cellulose and their disposals are serious in reuse problem. Therefore, people have given attention with regard to their regeneration to the useful materials. In this chapter, it is worth noting to describe that natural biomass cellulose is usefully applied with the regeneration to functional hydrogel films. The treatment processes of the bagasse waste used as a main source of cellulose and the fabrication of hydrogel films are described and their potential characteristics, especially on the medical field are reviewed.
Poly (Lactic Acid) Generated for Advanced Materials
Authors: Potiyaraj Pranut
Published: December 2016

The consumption of plastic products from petrochemical feedstock has increased sharply resulting in plastic waste problems while raw materials from fossil fuels tend to decrease rapidly. Researchers and the plastic industry have since proposed a sustainable solution through the development of bioplastics. Ideally, bioplastics which are synthesized from renewable bioresources normally render biodegradability in appropriate conditions. Polyester, one of the most diversely used synthetic polymers today, is an ideal choice for biodegradable polymers due to the relative ease of breaking ester linkages. Poly(lactic acid) or polylactide or PLA which is a thermoplastic polyester with many advantageous properties, for instance, environmentally friendly, biocompatibility, processability, and high chemical resistance is now available in the plastic market as a promising bioplastics. However, the cost of PLA is still much higher than that of general commodity plastics. In order to make PLA commercially competitive, advanced and innovative applications should thus be explored. In this chapter, technological background of PLA production as well as its economic situation is firstly reviewed. Then, the enhancement of PLA properties to suit advanced applications is illustrated. Some polymers used for blending with PLA along with some fillers utilized for the production of PLA composites are described. The chapter concludes with the degradation mechanism of PLA and the standard test methods.
Analysis of Lipids Produced by Microalgae Isolated from the Area around Okinawa, Japan
Authors: Ikematsu Shinya , Tada Ipputa , Nagasaki Yasuma
Published: December 2016

Petroleum reserves have been decreasing in recent years and microalgae are attractive as a potential source of new biomass petroleum. Microalgae are unicellar microscopic algae and most species microalgae produce lipids. In particular, Botryococcus braunii produces large amount of lipids found with nearly 70% on the basis of the dry weight. This chapter reviews high lipid-producing microalgae found from Okinawa area around National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College (NIT, Okinawa). The microalgae collected were isolated on an AF-6 agar plates, and incubated in AF-6 medium. The fatty acids were extracted from the algae, converted into fatty acid methyl esters, and analysed by GC/MS. As a result, two microalgae strains were identified that the produced fatty acids was loaded in the algae with nearly 20% in the dry weight base. In addition, these two microalgae strains produced palmitic acid as nearly 40% of the total produced lipids. Therefore, the two microalga strains isolated are potentially and highly efficient for the organisms applied for the production of biodiesel fuel.
Professional Development for Technology Integration into Differentiated Math Instruction
Authors: Kim Jackie HeeYoung , Foster Ardyth , Cho Moon-Heum
Published: December 2016

To make a connection between pedagogy and technology in teaching, this chapter will explore whether or not a professional development design and practice, whose aim is to help teachers use technology for personal purposes, readily translates into the ability to effectively teach and learn with technology. Adopting a conceptual framework known as self-efficacy beliefs and TPACK, or technological pedagogical content knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), this chapter discusses the design of a professional development model, the goal of which is increasing the critical attribute of the successful professional development: self-efficacy. In an effort to provide empirical knowledge to support this design, this chapter further showcases a faculty member's approaches to connecting technology and pedagogy using the TPACK approach, while implementing a model designed to improve teachers' self-efficacy. Implications and guidelines for developing teachers' self-efficacy, through activities during the professional development workshop, are discussed.
ICT Literacy Integration
Authors: Farmer Lesley S. J.
Published: December 2016

In order to be prepared for today's knowledge society, students need to be ICT literate. To ensure that all students become ICT literate requires systematic integration of ICT literacy into the curriculum at the general education level and within each academic discipline. Such integration requires faculty ICT literacy as it applies to their academic content area and instructional practice. Collaboration within academic domains, with expert partnerships of librarians and instructional designers, can boost ICT literacy and facilitate its effective integration for student learning. Therefore, such faculty competency also requires systematic coordination, training, support, and accountability. Efforts need to occur at the course, program, college, campus, and system level in order to ensure that all students learn, practice and apply ICT effectively and responsibly. The California State University Long Beach ICT Literacy Project exemplifies the process of developing a systematic and coordinated approach to ICT literacy into the curriculum.
Digital Wellness
Authors: Royal Chadwick , Wasik Suzan , Horne Robert , Dames Levette S. , Newsome Gwen
Published: December 2016

Are you addicted to your phone? Using the term “addiction” when discussing activities involving technologies is a metaphor. It is intended to portray behaviors that are similar to what is experienced during a drug addiction (Essig, 2012), but it is not an actual addiction. Granted, the metaphor is successful because it relates the experience of being “out of control”. It is proposed that counselors and educators approach problematic behavior from more of a perspective of “wellness” and healthy behaviors - as opposed to approaching it from an addiction model or concept. Digital Wellness is the optimum state of health and well-being that each individual using technology is capable of achieving. The purpose of this chapter is to present the Digital Wellness Model (Royal, 2014) and provide recommendations for how the model can be implemented by users of technology. Specific strategies for promoting digital wellness are shared.
Fully Online Education and Underserved Populations
Authors: Newton Rochelle R.
Published: December 2016

Success in the fully online model requires self-discipline and an intrinsic motivation. Most fully online courses are asynchronous. Typically, in asynchronous education, the student and the instructor are not in the learning space at the same time. For some learners, asynchronous learning is sufficient. For others, instructor and institution support are essential to their success. Many of the learners who require institutional support, can be categorized as underserved populations. Underserved learners have been defined as learners from low socio-economic backgrounds and are likely to be the first in their families to attend college. They may also be students of color. As the cost of a post-secondary education continues to rise, fully online options have been promoted as a low-cost alternative to on-campus education and specifically offered as an option for underserved populations. However, fully online courses may not benefit underserved populations.
Integrating Disciplinary Literacy Practices in One-to-One Classrooms
Authors: Freeman Emily L. , Reyes Alexandra J. , Dragnic-Cindric Dalila , Anderson Janice L.
Published: December 2016

This chapter examines the use of disciplinary literacy in elementary and middle grade science classrooms that participated in a one-to-one iPad initiative. Results of teacher instruction in science disciplinary literacy practices in a one-to-one iPad technology integration, examples of collaborations, and observational data are shared. The teachers in this study demonstrated an overreliance on basic and intermediate literacy practices, with a few using emergent disciplinary practices in their science instruction. We look to extend the STEM and technology integration conversation to include disciplinary literacy practices. We conclude with a call for stronger science disciplinary literacy instruction in teacher education programs, as well as greater collaboration among literacy teachers, science teachers, and researchers. We also recommend developing coaching programs that work with teachers to increase the rigor of their science content, implement intermediate and disciplinary literacy practices, and utilize technology in a transformational manner.
Leadership in Global Open, Online, and Distance Learning
Authors: Ossiannilsson Ebba
Published: December 2016

Global open online, and distance learning call for innovation and new strategies at all levels because of current paradigm shifts and global trends towards increased digitization in all sectors in society. Thus, the educational sector must focus on new trends in executive leadership, shifting paradigms, innovative approaches to distributed leadership, and management practice. The sections in this chapter consider why we have to re-think leadership and why the demands of leadership in global open, online, and distance learning have to innovate, change and be rethought. The main topics elaborated in this chapter are increased digitization and societal issues, global open online and distance learning, and finally leadership in global open online learning arenas. In conclusion, leaders must embrace and be in the forefront in the areas of teaching, research, governance and society for the transitions to personal global open online learning.
Neo-Populist Scandal and Social Media
Authors: Herkman Juha , Matikainen Janne
Published: December 2016

The article analyses a political scandal that occurred in Finland in 2015, when an MP of the populist right-wing Finns Party, Olli Immonen, published a Facebook update in which he used the same kind of militant–nationalist rhetoric against multiculturalism that Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Behring Breivik had used a couple of years earlier. By analyzing the content published in both social and news media, the role of social media and the relationship between news reporting and social media are explored by analyzing the progress of the scandal. The analysis indicates the prominent role of social media as being a starting point for scandal and for keeping scandal in the public eye, serving as forums for supporters and opponents of the scandalized politician. The relationship between social and news media seems symbiotic in this case because both of them fed and inspired each other during the scandal. However, further research is needed to fully understand the role of social media in scandals linked to north and west European populist right-wing parties, as well as political scandals occurring in different political contexts and media environments.
Warranty Cost Analysis within Sustainable Supply Chain
Authors: Alqahtani Ammar Y. , Gupta Surendra M.
Published: December 2016

The primary contribution offered by this book chapter is that it presents a quantitative assessment of the effect of offering warranties on remanufactured items from a manufacturer's perspective in that it proposes an appealing price in the eyes of the buyer as well. While there are developmental studies on warranty policies for brand new products and a few on secondhand products, there exist limited studies that evaluate the potential benefits of warranties on remanufactured products in a quantitative and comprehensive manner. In these studies, the profit improvements achieved by the offering of warranties for different policies determine the range of how much money can be invested in a warranty while still keeping it profitable overall. This paper considers how to predict the effect of offering non-renewable one-dimensional warranty policies to disassembled components and sensor embedded remanufactured products and how to assess the impact of sensor embedded products on warranty cost.
Directors' Role and Responsibilities under the Light of New Amendment Act of Company Law
Authors: Achanta Saroja V. B. N. H. , Raavi Radhika
Published: December 2016

The chapter focuses on the key changes the roles and duties of Directors and Independent Directors under the light of New Amendment Act, 2013 of the Companies Act, 1956. This chapter analyzes the role of Directors / Independent Director by comparing the two major Companies Act 1956 and Companies Act 2013. Company Act 2013, is an initiation for better corporate governance, increasing levels of transparency and enhance the corporate and auditor's accountability. New Amendment Act of 2013 is a good legislative attempt by the Government. The following points are focused for the first time in this New Act, 2013. Duties of Directors are defined and Role of Independent Directors is defined. The Board has to take the precautions to implement proper systems and to ensure that all the compliance with the provisions of all the applicable laws which were adequate and operating effectively. As per the provisions of the New Act, 2013 the maximum number of Directors can be appointed are 15 with a special resolution, can be increased more than 15. Made provision for women Director.
Supply Chain Management in Retailing Business
Authors: Gencer Yasin Galip
Published: December 2016

Supply chain management is receiving increased attention as means of becoming competitive in a globally challenging environment. As its use is rising in several businesses, we have focused on SCM in retailing business. The concept of ethics has become more critical for companies. In this paper, ethics and sustainability in retailing are also examined. Sustainability has received more attention in retail management. Sustainability related issues have been discussed for many years and the term sustainability has received increased attention in research since the last two decade. This paper brings an overview of past and current sustainability research in retail applications for examining retailing and sustainability relevance. The paper considers role of retailers in supply chains through an extensive analysis of sustainability examinations in different research areas relevant to retail supply chains. Ultimately, the study is exampled from retailing businesses and it is concluded by further discussions.
Corporate R&D Investments and Risk
Authors: Uğurlu Mine
Published: December 2016

Corporate R&D Investments,that constitute basis for sustainable development, are influenced by external and firm-specific risks.Evidence shows that firms in Turkey have increased R&D spending during subprime crisis despite its procyclicality in most of the emerging countries.This chapter investigates if business group affiliation or corporate diversification that is predominant in Turkey stimulate R&D investments under risk.It focuses on internal capital markets of business groups or conglomerates that may enhance R&D spending by reducing financial constraints, and likelihood of distress of the affiliated firms.The results reveal that group affiliation and diversification positively affect corporate R&D spending when firm-specific risks rise.These results are significant during the global crisis period.Group-affiliated corporations increase their R&D investments as idiosyncratic risks rise.The diversified conglomerates increase R&D investments when earnings volatility and equity erosion rise.Results indicate that large firms are more inclined to reduce R&D investments under risk.
Reserve Capacity of Mixed Urban Road Networks, Network Configuration and Signal Settings
Authors: Divsalar Masoomeh , Hassanzadeh Reza , Mahdavi Iraj , Mahdavi-Amiri Nezam
Published: December 2016

The authors formulate the transportation mixed network design problem (MNDP) as a mixed-integer bi-level mathematical problem, based on the concept of reserve capacity. The upper level goal is to maximize the reserve capacity by signal settings at intersections, determine street direction and increase street capacities via addition of lanes. The lower level problem is a deterministic user equilibrium traffic assignment problem to minimize the user travel time. The model being non-convex, meta-heuristic methods are used to solve the problem. A hybridization of genetic algorithm with simulated annealing and a bee algorithm are proposed. Numerical examples are illustrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and the algorithms.
COBIT Evaluation as a Framework for Cloud Computing Governance
Authors: Bounagui Yassine , Hafiddi Hatim , Mezrioui Abdellatif
Published: December 2016

The present paper aims at providing an approach for evaluating COBIT as a base framework for cloud computing governance. For that purpose, the authors firstly conducted a systematic research reviews to identify, analyze, and structure the main cloud computing governance requirements. Secondly, with respect to the systematic research review, a mapping of COBIT control objectives to the corresponding cloud computing governance requirements is proposed. Thirdly, the evaluation of the mapped control objectives against the cloud computing governance requirements is performed to identify and analyze the framework gaps. The paper results are relevant outcomes for the extension of COBIT processes and capabilities and thus can provide a base framework for building a holistic cloud computing governance approach.
A Secured Real Time Scheduling Model for Cloud Hypervisor
Authors: Kashyap Rekha , Vidyarthi Deo Prakash
Published: December 2016

Virtualization is critical to cloud computing and is possible through hypervisors, which maps the Virtual machines((VMs) to physical resources but poses security concerns as users relinquish physical possession of their computation and data. Good amount of research is initiated for resource provisioning on hypervisors, still many issues need to be addressed for security demanding and real time VMs. First work SRT-CreditScheduler (Secured and Real-time), maximizes the success rate by dynamically prioritizing the urgency and the workload of VMs but ensures highest security for all. Another work, SA-RT-CreditScheduler (Security-aware and Real-time) is a dual objective scheduler, which maximizes the success rate of VMs in best possible security range as specified by the VM owner. Though the algorithms can be used by any hypervisor, for the current work they have been implemented on Xen hypervisor. Their effectiveness is validated by comparing it with Xen's, Credit and SEDF scheduler, for security demanding tasks with stringent deadline constraints.
Multitasking Among College Students
Authors: Delello Julie A. , Reichard Carla A. , Mokhtari Kouider
Published: December 2016

Using a time-diary, the authors asked 935 undergraduate college students to report on their multi-tasking habits while engaged in four main activities: reading for fun, watching TV, reading for school purposes, and using the Internet. The authors examined student data to find out (a) whether their multi-tasking habits vary significantly by college classification and (b) whether they felt the time spent multitasking in one activity interfered with or displaced time spent on other activities. It was found that first year college freshmen multitasked significantly more than upper class students. However, students' perceptions relative to whether they felt the time spent multitasking in one activity interfered with or displaced time spent on other activities did not significantly differ by college classification. These findings have important implications for understanding the multitasking habits among college students.
Psychological Traits, Addiction Symptoms, and Feature Usage as Predictors of Problematic Smartphone Use among University Students in China
Authors: Leung Louis , Liang Jingwen
Published: December 2016

This study investigates the effects of psychological traits (i.e., procrastination, leisure boredom, and impulsivity) and addiction symptoms on problematic smartphone use. Data were collected from a multistage random sample of 649 university students. The results showed that procrastination, impulsivity [including sensation seeking and (lack of) perseverance], symptoms of addiction (e.g., inability to control craving, withdrawal, and complaints), and frequent usage of smartphone features for instrumental, relational, expressive, and informational purposes were significant predictors of problematic smartphone use.
Tribologic Analysis, Wear Evolution and Torque Trend Estimation of an LSD Clutch Pack
Authors: Tesi Amedeo , Galvanetto Emanuele , Annicchiarico Claudio , Capitani Renzo
Published: December 2016

The wear phenomenon in friction clutches involves a variation in the contact pairs characteristics, defining a decay of transmissible torque properties. For multidisk clutch packs installed in electro-actuated differentials, the friction torque evolution allows to define how wear decay can influence the dynamic of the vehicle where the differential is installed in. A tribological analysis of a molybdenum-coated clutch pack was made under typical working conditions in terms of temperature, normal load and sliding speed. Friction coefficient and wear rate trends were outlined to define material characteristics through block-on-ring tests. Metallurgic studies on the specimens used in tribologic tests validated the base material used in the samples. Results from experimental analyses were used as input for a numerical study regarding wear and pressure evolutions during clutch engagement. The application of Reye's theory and Archard's law on a FE model of the clutch led to the definition of an algorithm to estimate the friction torque generated by the clutch system and the its lifetime.
Tribology of Electroless Ni-P Coating Under Lubricated Condition
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Arkadeb , Duari Santanu , Barman Tapan Kr. , Sahoo Prasanta
Published: December 2016

Friction and wear behavior of electroless Ni-P coating under lubricated condition is studied on a block – on – roller type tribo – tester by varying applied normal load, sliding speed of the roller and sliding time. Electroless Ni-P coating is deposited on AISI 1040 steel substrates. Surface morphology, phase transformation, composition and analysis of wear mechanism are done using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction techniques and energy dispersive X-ray analysis respectively. Based on Taguchi experimental data, a multiple regression model is fitted to relate the coefficient of friction and wear depth with the tribo – testing parameters. Three dimensional surface and contour plots are generated to analyze the trends in variation of the response variables with the interaction of the process parameters (load, speed and time). Significant improvement in wear depth and COF of electroless Ni-P coating is observed under lubrication. Optimization of wear depth and coefficient of friction is conducted using genetic algorithm.
Enterprise Content Management System for IT Training
Authors: Tang Kelvin Chung Tak , Chiu Dickson K. W. , Chan Agnes Wai Yan , Tang Jeff K. T.
Published: December 2016

Information Technology (IT) training is undergoing rapid changes around the world, creating inter-institutional partnerships between IT training centers as well as software and hardware vendors to promote new products and training to users. Online training has resulted in an increasing enrolment of a wider spectrum of learners with more diverse technical skills and needs that must be served. Enterprise content management (ECM) enables IT training centers to deliver education beyond company walls, supporting a range of tools to improve information dissemination, communication, and creating collaborative virtual classrooms. In this article, the authors propose a learning platform with both Web 2.0 and mobile interfaces that supports IT training for nourishing busy workers with the latest IT technology knowledge and skills. Alerts are used as a mechanism to facilitate communications among students, instructors, and administrators. It also reminds students to keep track on their learning progress. The content flow management (such as content editing, content approval, use of content, perform training exercise, practical tests, and examination) as well as external access control for the Web portal can be easily controlled through the e-platform. Besides, the authors also demonstrated how to systematically specify document classifications and tagging of training materials by using the modular design of an integrated IT Training Enterprise Content Management System (ITTECMS) together with ontologies from the Semantic Web. Watermarking technology will be deployed for further protection of the training materials, both online and offline. It also allows the flexibility to create match-making of training content according to user interests. Not only users can retrieve matched contents effectively, vendors can also obtain multi-dimensional analysis of user problems and comments to form a comprehensive knowledgebase and achieve cross-sale of education products to target customers.
Imperatives in Leading Institutions of Higher Learning
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: December 2016

Being an academic leader is a tough job and leading institutions of higher learning is definitely challenging in current scenario. It has become more challenging due to shrinking of budgets, rise in public scrutiny and expectations, commercialisation, massification. Responsibilities continue to grow for academic leaders. But leading a B-School which is also an institution of higher learning is more than a tough job. It is in fact a roller coaster ride. So what is that makes leading B-School so bewildering and what are the imperatives in leading a B-School is the focus of this paper? Adopting in depth literature review and contextual analysis of secondary published data, reports and deep observation as a part of B-School for nearly two decades the paper also proposes a holistic framework to lead a B-School to achieve its rightful place, become more responsible for ensuring sustainability and growth in the context in which it operates.
Using Quick Response Codes with Videos in the Laboratory
Authors: Duarte Marina , Baptista Andresa , Pinto Gustavo
Published: December 2016

Using QR codes to access low-cost, educational, short videos in engineering laboratory classes might be a successful way of building a bridge from concrete to digital content. With QR codes placed on the apparatus, students will know exactly which video to watch. The scanned QR codes can be saved, enabling students to watch them again while performing the experiment or at home. Low-cost videos do not require expensive equipment and software, and keeping the videos short assures a minimum download time, making them compatible for use with smartphones and tablets. The aim of this research is to evaluate the importance undergraduate engineering students attribute to these videos and their reaction to the possibility of accessing them with QR codes scanned by a smartphone or a tablet. Results show students attributed some importance to the videos, and that the QR codes are very helpful as means to quickly and easily access the videos.
Outcomes, cost comparison, and patient satisfaction during long-term central venous access in cancer patients: Experience from a Tertiary Care Cancer Institute in South India
Authors: Babu K Govind , Suresh Babu M C , Lokanatha D , Bhat Gita R
Published: December 2016

Introduction: Prolonged treatment, frequent administration of chemotherapy, antibiotics and blood products in cancer patients requires long term venous access. Central venous catheters (CVC) inserted into the subclavian vein or internal jugular vein, peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICC) and chemoport (CP) are the commonly used central venous access devices (CVAD). Aim: This study was envisaged to review our experience of CVADs over a one year period and analyze the outcome with regard to catheter life, reasons for removal, complications, patient satisfaction and cost comparison between the CVAD types in the Indian setting. Settings and Design: This was a prospective, observational study carried out in a tertiary care cancer institute. Materials and Methods: 180 CVADs placed in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors from January 2014 to December 2014 were included. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U test. P <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results: 180 CVADs were placed in 160 patients. The median catheter indwelling period was 76 days (16 days to 313 days) for CVC, 59 days (20days – 313 days) for PICC and 137 days (70 days – 258 days) for CP. 66 out of 160 patients developed complications (41.2%). 108 complication events were noted in 66 patients. There were 40 episodes of CRBSI. Out of the 68 mechanical complications, 37 were encountered during insertion of the CVAD and 31 were during the catheter indwelling period. Out of 160 patients, 138 (86.25%) were satisfied with the CVAD. The cost incurred for CVC/PICC (INR 4,480) was lower than that for CP (INR 24,150) and it was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Our patients were highly satisfied with the CVAD. Conclusion: Use of CVC and PICC is a safe, reliable and cost saving way of administration of chemotherapy in developing countries. The incidence of complications and catheter loss was acceptable. Our patients were highly satisfied with the CVAD.
Effect of areca nut chewing and maximal mouth opening in schoolgoing children in Ahmedabad
Authors: Khan Azizfatema Munawer , Sheth Megha , Purohit Romsha
Published: December 2016

Context: Areca nut is chewed by itself and in various scented preparations. Areca nut chewing is widely practiced in many parts of Asia, including India. Users often consider it harmless and report a sense of well-being, but evidence has shown that it is far from harmless and can have multiple oral health implications such as oral submucosal fibrosis posing difficulty in opening mouth and carcinogenesis. Studies in India have reported increasing prevalence of this habit among schoolgoing children. The objectives of the study were to find the effect of areca nut chewing on mouth opening, compare it with the children not having this habit, and to find correlation between maximal mouth opening (MMO) and months of areca nut chewing. Aims: The aim of this study is to find the effect of areca nut chewing on MMO in schoolgoing children in Ahmedabad. Settings and Design: An observational analytical study was conducted across various schools of Ahmedabad. Subjects and Methods: A total of eighty male students of 12–14-year-old were included in the study. Group A included children having the habit of eating areca nut for 6 months or more, and Group B had children who did not have the habit of areca nut chewing. Children who had just started eating for <6 months were excluded from the study. MMO was calculated as distance from the edge of the upper incisor teeth to the edge of the lower incisor teeth using a calibrated fiber ruler. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS software version 20.0, with level of significance set at 5%. Results: Mean and standard deviation of MMO for Group A was 3.69 ± 0.5 cm and for Group B was 4.46 ± 0.4 cm. Statistically significant difference was found using Mann–Whitney U-test with U = 239.500 and P = 0.0001. Pearson's coefficient r = −0.623 and P = 0.0001 showed moderate correlation between months of chewing and MMO. The mean duration of chewing was found to be 1.5 years. Conclusion: There is difference in MMO between children chewing areca nut and not chewing it with a moderate correlation between months of eating areca nut and MMO.
Clinicopathological features and outcomes in advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer with tailored therapy
Authors: Bala Stalin , Gundeti Sadashivudu , Linga Vijay Gandhi , Maddali Lakshmi Srinivas , Digumarti Raghunadha Rao , Uppin Shantveer G
Published: December 2016

Context: Lung cancer is an important cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is an increasing incidence of lung cancer in never smokers and a shift of histology from squamous cell to adenocarcinoma globally in the recent past. Data on treatment outcomes with newer platinum doublets is scant from India. Aims: To study the clinicopathological features, response rates (RRs), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and the 1, 2, and 3 years survival, in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Data of all patients who received chemotherapy for Stage IIIB and IV NSCLC between January 2010 and June 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Univariate analysis for OS was done by plotting Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test was used to calculate P values. Logistic regression analysis for OS was carried out using MedCalc statistical software. Results: A total of 353 patients received chemotherapy. Of these, 256 were evaluable for outcome parameters. The median age at presentation was 58 years with a male:female ratio of 2.53:1. The smoker:nonsmoker ratio was 1:1. Adenocarcinomatous histology was the most common both in smokers and nonsmokers reported in 70.8% patients. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation and echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4-anaplastic lymphoma kinase translocation were seen in 35% and 3% of patients, respectively. The RR, median PFS, OS, 1, 2, and 3 years survival were 80%, 8 months, 12.1 months, 51.5%, 12.7%, and 4.2%, respectively. There was no significant survival difference among the treatment regimen used but the response to I line chemotherapy impacted survival. Female gender, performance status, and nonsquamous histology were significant predictors of OS (P = 0.0443, P = 0.0003, P = 0.048, respectively). Conclusions: There was an increase in the incidence of nonsmokers. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology in both smokers and nonsmokers. Treatment outcomes in advanced lung cancer were better compared to the past with the advent of newer platinum doublets and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The response to first-line chemotherapy significantly impacts outcomes in advanced NSCLC.
Burden of cervical cancer and role of screening in India
Authors: Bobdey Saurabh , Sathwara Jignasa , Jain Aanchal , Balasubramaniam Ganesh
Published: December 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality in women and more than a quarter of its global burden is contributed by developing countries. In India, in spite of alarmingly high figures, there is no nationwide government-sponsored screening program. This study was conducted to assess the burden of cervical cancer in India and review the performance characteristics of available cervical cancer screening tools, so as to provide evidence-based recommendations for application of most practically suited screening test to be used in resource-poor field settings. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE and Web of Science electronic database were searched from January 1990 to December 2015, using the keywords such as “cervical cancer”, “screening”, “early detection”, “cervical cytology” and “visual inspection”, and their corresponding MeSH terms in combination with Boolean operators “OR, AND.” Two authors independently selected studies that are published in English and conducted in India. A total of 11 studies were found to be relevant and eligible to be included in the present study. Results: In India, cervical cancer contributes to approximately 6–29% of all cancers in women. The age-adjusted incidence rate of cervical cancer varies widely among registries; highest is 23.07/100,000 in Mizoram state and the lowest is 4.91/100,000 in Dibrugarh district. The pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), magnified VIA, visual inspection with Lugol's iodine (VILI), cytology (Pap smear), and human papillomavirus DNA were found to be 67.65% and 84.32%, 65.36% and 85.76%, 78.27% and 87.10%, 62.11% and 93.51%, and 77.81% and 91.54%, respectively. Conclusions: In developing countries because of lack of necessary infrastructure and quality control, high-quality cytology screening may not be feasible for wide-scale implementation. Hence, cervical cancer screening program based on visual screening test such as VIA/VILI should be adopted as an integral part of primary health-care setup in resource-poor countries like India.
Acitretin Therapy for Inflammatory Linear Verrucous Epidermal Nevus
Authors: Mutalik Sharad D , Rasal Yashashree
Published: December 2016

Acitretin has been commonly used in the treatment of keratinization disorders due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. ILVEN is a rare form of epidermal nevus with an early age of onset usually presenting as a localized itchy linear plaque resistant to treatment. The treatment of ILVEN aims at providing symptomatic and cosmetic improvement. We present two cases of ILVEN with solitary lesions treated with acitretin, with both patients showing remarkable reduction of the lesions with long term remission.
Temperatura e precipitação: futuros cenários do município de Taubaté, SP, Brasil
Authors: Santos Thiago Adriano dos , Fisch Gilberto
Published: December 2016

This work quantified temperature and precipitation variations in the region of Taubate using historic precipitation data and temperature simulations (climatology from 1961 to 1990). Corrections were made based on the observational data, and simulations of future time intervals (2011-2040, 2041-2070, 2071-2099) using a climate-model simulation. Thus, it is possible to predict an increase of 3.6°C in the average annual air temperature and an increase of 231 mm in annual accumulated rainfall (equivalent to approximately 17% of the climatological normal) for the interval 2071-2099. Moreover, in relation to seasonal distribution, there is a higher monthly average temperature increase in the spring (4.1°C) and lower in the summer (3.4°C) and a higher average daily increase in summer rainfall (1.1 mm) and smaller increase in spring (0.3 mm). There is also an increase of approximately 5 days in the daily number of days with greater than 1mm precipitation throughout the year. The analysis of the water balance showed deficits in the months of August and September and found a disparity between the input and output of water entering the territory through precipitation, evapotranspiration, and water consumption, suggesting the need to adapt to new social and environmental scenarios.
Resistência à penetração em Latossolo sob floresta ripária e submetido ao pisoteio animal
Authors: Paulo Larissa Chaves da Costa Vieira , Almeida Ana Aparecida Da Silva
Published: December 2016

O pisoteio animal em condições de umidade inadequada são alguns fatores que provocam deformações plásticas e não recuperáveis do solo. No presente trabalho avaliaram-se as possíveis alterações em alguns atributos físico-químicos e na resistência mecânica à penetração, provocadas pelo pisoteio do gado por aproximadamente 20 anos sobre o Latossolo Vermelho Amarelo de um fragmento florestal, localizado em Tremembé (SP). Foram coletadas amostras com estrutura preservada nas camadas de 0-20 cm e 20-40 cm em pontos da trilha de pisoteio e da floresta. O uso do solo não provocou alterações nos valores médios de densidade do solo (1,25 kg dm-3 na trilha e 1,22 kg dm-3 na floresta) e umidade do solo (293,15 g kg-1 na trilha e 301,5 g kg-1 na floresta) , mas provocou alteração na resistência à penetração na camada de 0-20 cm (8,15 MPa na trilha e 3,85 MPa na floresta). Quanto ao, pH, acidez potencial (H+Al), MO, soma de bases (SB) e a saturação de bases (V) não houve diferenças significativas entre as amostras da trilha de pisoteio e floresta. Conclui-se que o pisoteio do gado promoveu alterações na resistência à penetração na camada mais superficial do solo.
Compostagem e educação ambiental: visão da comunidade escolar avaliada pelo método da análise de conteúdo
Authors: Alcântara Maria Do Carmo de Oliveira , Vani Gannabathula Sree , Almeida Ana Aparecida da Silva , Suda Cecilia Nahomi Kawagoe
Published: December 2016

One of the major environmental problems today is the large quantity of residues produced daily. In the elementary and secondary schools, Tenente Rêgo Barros (ETRB), in the city of Belém (PA), about 3 tons of dry material are produced each semester in the schools’ green spaces. To dispose of this material in an environmentally friendly manner and to educate the pupils about environmental responsibility, an interdisciplinary and transversal project has been developed. The project uses composting as a method of environmental education and meaningful learning. This work aims to analyse the interests of pedagogical advisors, teachers, school employees and the parents of ETRB students, to examine the degree to which academic staff are involved. The study used two instruments to collect the data, a questionnaire and a freehand drawing subjected to content analysis. The results indicate that the community is in favor of the project but only 20% of the teachers could see the educative utility of the compost formation. About 70% of the school community saw the production of organic fertilizer as an end in itself and as a solution for the disposal of organic residue.  Most of the faculty and employees saw the formation of compost as being restricted to a scientific subject.  Hence, what is needed is a discussion by the teachers on the interdisciplinary and transversal nature of the compost formation to attain the objective of environmental education.
O desafio da interdisciplinaridade nos Programas de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais
Authors: Targa Marcelo Dos Santos , Almeida Ana Aparecida da Silva , Cocco Maria Dolores Alves
Published: December 2016

During 18 years of experience in graduate education in the environmental area, the graduate programs in environmental sciences of the University of Taubaté have been consolidating the treatment of environmental issues in different geographic conditions, associated with the development of the metropolitan region of Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, as well as environmental issues in the Amazon region. This edition of Ambi-Água presents 15 original articles from dissertations presented in the last three years, which reinforce the challenge in the treatment of environmental issues in an interdisciplinary context. The commitment of the PPGCA in the construction of knowledge in the environmental area that must guide the development of this important metropolitan region of the state of São Paulo is well known.
A Novel Survey to Examine the Relationship between Health IT Adoption and Nurse-Physician Communication
Authors: Pfeifer Eric , Manojlovich Milisa , Adler-Milstein Julia , Holmgren A
Published: December 2016

Background As EHR adoption in US hospitals becomes ubiquitous, a wide range of IT options are theoretically available to facilitate physician-nurse communication, but we know little about the adoption rate of specific technologies or the impact of their use.

Objectives To measure adoption of hardware, software, and telephony relevant to nurse-physician communication in US hospitals. To assess the relationship between non-IT communication practices and hardware, software, and telephony adoption. To identify hospital characteristics associated with greater adoption of hardware, software, telephony, and non-IT communication practices.

Methods We conducted a survey of 105 hospitals in the National Nursing Practice Network. The survey captured adoption of hardware, software, and telephony to support nurse-physician communication, along with non-IT communication practices. We calculated descriptive statistics and then created four indices, one for each category, by scoring degree of adoption of technologies or practices within each category. Next, we examined correlations between the three technology indices and the non-IT communication practices index. We used multivariate OLS regression to assess whether certain types of hospitals had higher index scores.

Results The majority of hospitals surveyed have a range of hardware, software, and telephony tools available to support nurse-physician communication; we found substantial heterogeneity across hospitals in non-IT communication practices. More intensive non-IT communication was associated with greater adoption of software (r=0.31, p=0.01), but was not correlated with hardware or telephony. Medium-sized hospitals had lower adoption of software (r =−1.14,p=0.04) in comparison to small hospitals, while federally-owned hospitals had lower software (r=−2.57, p=0.02) and hardware adoption (r=−1.63, p=0.01).

Conclusions The positive relationship between non-IT communication and level of software adoption suggests that there is a complementary, rather than substitutive, relationship. Our results suggest that some technologies with the potential to further enhance communication, such as CPOE and secure messaging, are not being utilized to their full potential in many hospitals.

Citation: Holmgren AJ, Pfeifer E, Manojlovich M, Adler-Milstein J. A novel survey to examine the relationship between health IT adoption and nurse-physician communication.
Alex & I: Against Indifference
Authors: Sivanesan Sumugan
Published: December 2016

This text and photo essay concerns a series of portraits made with a community of Tamil refugees living in Bangkok who refer to themselves as ‘the Bachelors.’ The project was initiated by refugee and one-time media figure, Sanjeev ‘Alex’ Kuhendrarajah who hoped his peers would tell their own stories to an ‘international community.’ With reference to Judith Butler’s Frames of War (2009), I have sought to ‘discursively frame’ the images by considering the discrimination these young single men encounter living in the margins of this South Asian metropolis, awaiting the outcomes of their re-settlement applications.