bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female physicians’ health in Hungary. A longitudinal perspective
Authors: Győrffy Zsuzsa , Girasek Edmond
Published: June 2014

Introduction: There is a worldwide rising tendency of women who decide to become physician. One of the most remarkable fields of investigation is the well-being of female doctors. Aim: To study the prevalence of somatic and reproductive morbidity in a representative sample of Hungarian female physicians and compare it with a control group of graduated women. Method: Data for this epidemiological study were collected from 2515 female physicians in 2013. Graduated women from a representative survey (Hungarostudy 2013) served as controls. The results were compared to the previous (2003–2004) representative female physicians’ survey. Results: We found that the prevalence of chronic somatic morbidity among female physicians was significantly higher than that in the respective control groups. A larger proportion of female medical doctors were characterized by time-to-pregnancy interval longer than one year, and undergoing infertility therapy and miscarriages, compared to the control female population, while the same prevalence of terminations of pregnancy was found. Conclusions: The longitudinal perspective confirmed the existence of the “Hungarian female physicians’ paradox”. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(25), 993–999.
Effects of supplementation with omega-3 on insulin sensitivity and non-esterified free fatty acid (NEFA) in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Farsi Payam Farahbakhsh , Djazayery Abolghassem , Eshraghian Mohammad Reza , Koohdani Fariba , Saboor-Yaraghi Ali Akbar , Derakhshanian Hoda , Zarei Mahnaz , Javanbakht Mohammad Hassan , Djalali Mahmoud
Published: June 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role of omega-3 supplementation on NEFA concentration, insulin sensitivity and resistance, and glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic patients. Subjects and methods: Forty-four type 2 diabetic patients were randomly recruited into two groups. Group A received 4 g/day omega-3 soft gels, and group B received a placebo for 10 wks. Blood samples were collected after 12-h fast. Physical activity records, three-day food records, and anthropometric measurements were obtained from all participants at the beginning and end of the study. Results: Omega-3 supplementation caused a significant reduction in NEFA in the intervention group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.009). Additionally, the administration of omega-3 resulted in significantly greater changes (Diff) for the intervention group in various parameters, such as insulin and Quicki indices compared with the placebo group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in type 2 diabetic patients improved insulin sensitivity, probably due to the decrease in NEFA concentrations. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(4):335-40
TSH reference range in older adults: a Brazilian study
Authors: Rosario Pedro Weslley , Calsolari Maria Regina
Published: June 2014

Objective: To establish serum TSH reference values for a population of Brazilian elderly, and to compare them to those found in the adult population. Subjects and methods: Healthy volunteers aged 70 to 85 years, without known thyroid disease or risk factors for thyroid dysfunction, who did not use any medication that could potentially interfere with TSH, were selected. Subjects with goiter, palpable thyroid nodules, anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies, or altered free T4 were excluded. The sample consisted of 360 older adults (180 per sex). Results: TSH values corresponding to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile of the sample were 0.2 and 4.62 mIU/L, respectively. TSH > 2.5 mIU/L was seen in 25.26% of the volunteers, > 3 mIU/L in 15.26%, and > 4 mIU/L in 6.1% of them. TSH values were slightly higher than those previously reported for adults (18-60 years). Conclusion: This study suggests an upper limit for normal TSH of approximately 4.6 mIU/L for the Brazilian elderly population.
An uncommon case of Marine-Lenhart syndrome
Authors: Giuffrida Giuseppe , Giovinazzo Salvatore , Certo Rosaria , Vicchio Teresa Manuela , Baldari Sergio , Campennì Alfredo , Ruggeri Rosaria Maddalena
Published: June 2014

The term Marine-Lenhart syndrome describes the association between Graves’ disease and autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN), such as toxic adenoma or toxic multinodular goiter. The two diseases may coexist or may be present at different moments in the same patient. In the literature, there are many reports on the development of Graves’ disease after radioiodine treatment for AFTN, but very little information may be found on the occurrence of AFTN after radioiodine therapy for Graves’ disease. We describe here the case of a female patient with Graves’ disease who was successfully treated with radioiodine for Graves’ disease, returning to normal thyroid function. Three years later, biochemical analysis and ultrasound examination identified a thyroid nodule that progressively increased in size. The 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy showed avid uptake in the right lobule, which corresponded to a nodular lesion consistent with AFTN.
Análise de robustez de estações da rede GNSS-SP
Authors: Cavalheri Emerson Pereira , Chaves João Carlos
Published: June 2014

Atualmente, a necessidade de coordenadas confiáveis tem sido um dos objetivos da comunidade científica e prática. Desta forma, a análise de robustez de uma rede geodésica, tem como objetivos, com base nos erros máximos não detectados, analisar se a rede é "robusta" ou não. A rede será robusta se a influência destes erros for pequena, caso contrário é "fraca", ou seja, "não robusta". Esta análise se faz com a fusão de duas técnicas, uma que trata da análise estatística de confiabilidade e outra sobre a análise geométrica de deformações. A análise de confiabilidade fornecerá o erro máximo que não pode ser detectado por testes, após o ajustamento. Depois de encontrar estes erros, a análise geométrica de deformações determinará o potencial de deformação que esta rede terá com base nestes erros. Ressalta-se, ainda, que a análise de robustez não é dependente de datum, refletindo somente na geometria da rede e na acurácia das observações (VANÌCEK et al., 2001). Portanto, este trabalho tem como propósito contribuir com as investigações científicas sobre redes geodésicas, checando a mesma, com base em sua geometria e observações.
A aplicação das tecnologias de prototipagem rápida na confecção de matrizes táteis
Authors: Ferreira Maria Engracinda dos Santos , Silva Luiz Felipe Coutinho Ferreira da
Published: June 2014

No Brasil, as matrizes necessárias para a reprodução de mapas táteis ainda são produzidas de modo artesanal e demorado. Este artigo apresenta uma proposta de confeccionar matrizes táteis a partir de diferentes tecnologias de prototipagem rápida e determinar a sua viabilidade na automação do processo de fabricação das matrizes táteis. Primeiro foi realizada uma revisão na literatura sobre o assunto para verificar, dentro dos processos de prototipagem existentes, quais podem ser utilizados na confecção de matrizes táteis, principalmente quanto a capacidade da matéria-prima em resistir à pressão e altas temperaturas durante o processo de produção dos mapas finais. Apesar destes requisitos operacionais constituírem uma desvantagem em termos de equipamento especializado, o principal ganho no emprego destes poderá ser obtido pela garantia de geração de matrizes idênticas e flexibilidade na escolha de padrões. Os primeiros protótipos foram produzidos em poliuretano, pó de gesso e Uriol, em dois processos: impressoras 3D e máquinas fresadoras. As matrizes foram feitas apenas com o uso da fresadora, com poliuretano e MDF como matéria-prima. Foram conduzidos testes de percepção tátil pelo revisor de Braille do Instituto Benjamin Constant, seguindo metodologia padrão adotada pela instituição em todos os materiais produzidos.
Determinação dos coeficientes dos harmônicos esféricos para o cálculo dos parâmetros pcv e pco utilizando dados de programas comerciais de calibração
Authors: Morescki Junior Luiz Fernando Macedo , Ferreira Luiz Danilo Damasceno
Published: June 2014

Erros provenientes do centro de fase da antena, conhecidos como PCV - Phase Center Variations - são considerados agentes limitadores da acurácia do posicionamento relativo GNSS e do Posicionamento por Ponto Preciso (PPP). As PCVs dependem da direção do sinal do satélite e podem ser modeladas por parâmetros determinados por calibração de antenas em que são utilizados programas específicos, como por exemplo Wasoft/Kalib. Alguns autores afirmam que os programas aplicam funções harmônicas esféricas para a modelagem dos parâmetros PCV, mas não informam quais coeficientes são adotados para que a modelagem seja alcançada. Nesta pesquisa, são utilizados os parâmetros PCV de calibração determinados pelo programa comercial WaSoft/Kalib para a antena LEIAX 1202GG. O objetivo principal é calcular os coeficientes a nm e b nm da expansão em funções harmônicas esféricas. Os coeficientes são utilizados para determinar novos parâmetros PCV e PCO que são comparados aos parâmetros obtidos pelo programa comercial Wasoft/Kalib. Os novos parâmetros e os parâmetros calibrados são utilizados para determinar as coordenadas geodésicas de dois pontos com o objetivo de serem comparadas. Foram realizados testes para duas linhas de base diferentes e os resultados confirmam diferenças submilimétricas para as PCVs e milimétricas para a componente vertical do vetor PCO.
The impact of source effects and message valence on word of mouth retransmission
Authors: Radighieri Jeffrey P. , Mulder Mark
Published: June 2014

The impact of word of mouth (WOM) on consumer actions is more pronounced now than ever due to technology. Modern advancements have made engaging in WOM and contributing to viral marketing very commonplace. This notion can be troubling for firms, as consumers can say anything about any firm with virtually no chance of repercussions. Therefore, it is important to study the flow of WOM to help firms design strategies to influence its transmission. This study compares the impact of WOM sender expertise and valence of the WOM message on consumer likelihood to contribute to viral marketing by retransmitting messages to others. Results of our study find that messages from experts and non-experts are equally influential when the valence is positive (PWOM), but messages from experts are more influential than those from non-experts when the valence is negative (NWOM). Explanations for this result are given, as are contributions to both theory and practice.
Introduction: Changing Orders of Knowledge? Encyclopaedias in Transition
Authors: Haider Jutta , Sundin Olof
Published: June 2014

No abstract available.
The Free Encyclopaedia that Anyone can Edit: The Shifting Values of Wikipedia Editors
Authors: Osman Kim
Published: June 2014

Wikipedia is often held up as an example of the potential of the internet to foster open, free and non-commercial collaboration. However such discourses often conflate these values without recognising how they play out in reality in a peer-production community. As Wikipedia is evolving, it is an ideal time to examine these discourses and the tensions that exist between its initial ideals and the reality of commercial activity in the encyclopaedia. Through an analysis of three failed proposals to ban paid advocacy editing in the English language Wikipedia, this paper highlights the shift in values from the early editorial community that forked encyclopaedic content over the threat of commercialisation, to one that today values the freedom that allows anyone to edit the encyclopaedia.
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of New Compounds from Hydrazinecarbothioamide and 1,2,4-Triazole Class Containing Diarylsulfone and 2,4-Difluorophenyl Moieties
Authors: Barbuceanu Stefania-Felicia , Ilies Diana , Saramet Gabriel , Uivarosi Valentina , Draghici Constantin , Radulescu Valeria
Published: June 2014

In the present investigation, new hydrazinecarbothioamides 4–6 were synthesized by reaction of 4-(4-X-phenylsulfonyl)benzoic acids hydrazides (X= H, Cl, Br) 1–3 with 2,4-difluorophenyl isothiocyanate and further these were treated with sodium hydroxide to obtain 1,2,4-triazole-3-thione derivatives 7–9. The reaction of 7–9 with α-halogenated ketones, in basic media, afforded new S-alkylated derivatives 10–15. The structures of the synthesized compounds have been established on the basis of 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR, mass spectral studies and elemental analysis. The antioxidant activity of all compounds has been screened. Hydrazinecarbothioamides 4–6 showed excellent antioxidant activity and 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones 7–9 showed good antioxidant activity using the DPPH method.
Standardized Salvia miltiorrhiza Extract Suppresses Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Attenuates Steatohepatitis Induced by a Methionine-Choline Deficient Diet in Mice
Authors: Lee Hak , Son Woo-Chan , Ryu Jae-Eun , Koo Bon , Kim Yeong
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of standardized extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SME) on gene and protein expression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related factors in activated human hepatic stellate cells (HSC), and in mice with steatohepatitis induced by a methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet. Male C57BL/6J mice were placed on an MCD or control diet for 8 weeks and SME (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally every other day for 4 or 6 weeks. HSCs from the LX-2 cell line were treated with transforming growth factor β-1 (TGF-β1) or TGF-β1 plus SME (0.1–10 μg/mL). To investigate the effect of SME on reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced condition, LX-2 cells were treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or H2O2 plus SME (0.1–100 μg/mL). MCD administration for 12 weeks increased mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), TGF-β1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), C-reactive protein (CRP), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), type I collagen, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9. TGF-β1-induced LX-2 cells exhibited similar gene expression patterns. SME treatment significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression of NASH-related factors in the mouse model and HSCs. Histopathological liver analysis showed improved non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity and fibrosis score in SME-treated mice. The in vivo studies showed that SME had a significant effect at low doses. These results suggest that SME might be a potential therapeutic candidate for NAFLD treatment.
A Distributed Air Index Based on Maximum Boundary Rectangle over Grid-Cells for Wireless Non-Flat Spatial Data Broadcast
Authors: Im Seokjin , Choi JinTak
Published: June 2014

In the pervasive computing environment using smart devices equipped with various sensors, a wireless data broadcasting system for spatial data items is a natural way to efficiently provide a location dependent information service, regardless of the number of clients. A non-flat wireless broadcast system can support the clients in accessing quickly their preferred data items by disseminating the preferred data items more frequently than regular data on the wireless channel. To efficiently support the processing of spatial window queries in a non-flat wireless data broadcasting system, we propose a distributed air index based on a maximum boundary rectangle (MaxBR) over grid-cells (abbreviated DAIM), which uses MaxBRs for filtering out hot data items on the wireless channel. Unlike the existing index that repeats regular data items in close proximity to hot items at same frequency as hot data items in a broadcast cycle, DAIM makes it possible to repeat only hot data items in a cycle and reduces the length of the broadcast cycle. Consequently, DAIM helps the clients access the desired items quickly, improves the access time, and reduces energy consumption. In addition, a MaxBR helps the clients decide whether they have to access regular data items or not. Simulation studies show the proposed DAIM outperforms existing schemes with respect to the access time and energy consumption.
WO3/W Nanopores Sensor for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Determination under Visible Light
Authors: Li Xuejin , Bai Jing , Liu Qiang , Li Jianyong , Zhou Baoxue
Published: June 2014

A sensor of a WO3 nanopores electrode combined with a thin layer reactor was proposed to develop a Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) determination method and solve the problem that the COD values are inaccurately determined by the standard method. The visible spectrum, e.g., 420 nm, could be used as light source in the sensor we developed, which represents a breakthrough by limiting of UV light source in the photoelectrocatalysis process. The operation conditions were optimized in this work, and the results showed that taking NaNO3 solution at the concentration of 2.5 mol·L−1 as electrolyte under the light intensity of 214 μW·cm−2 and applied bias of 2.5 V, the proposed method is accurate and well reproducible, even in a wide range of pH values. Furthermore, the COD values obtained by the WO3 sensor were fitted well with the theoretical COD value in the range of 3–60 mg·L−1 with a limit value of 1 mg·L−1, which reveals that the proposed sensor may be a practical device for monitoring and controlling surface water quality as well as slightly polluted water.
Évaluation de l’impact des politiques « Quartiers verts » et « Quartiers tranquilles » sur les prix de l’immobilier à Paris
Authors: Glachant Matthieu , Bureau Benjamin
Published: June 2014

This study uses the hedonic-price method to assess the impact on residential property values of two policies implemented by the Paris municipality : “ Quartiers Verts ” (“ Green Neighborhoods ”) and “ Quartiers Tranquilles ” (“ Quiet Neighborhoods ”). Both policies aim to reorganize targeted neighborhoods in order to promote non-motorized transportation modes. The neighborhoods cover 18 % of the total Paris area. We find that the “ Quartiers Verts ” and “ Quartiers Tranquilles ” policies caused property values to rise 3 % and 1.5 % respectively.
Inégalité de patrimoine et progressivité de l’impôt
Authors: Hairault Jean-Olivier , Desbonnet Audrey
Published: June 2014

On se propose d’analyser l’impact de la progressivité de l’impôt sur le revenu et sur les successions sur l’inégalité de patrimoine en France. En passant à une proportionnalité de chaque type d’impôt, on révèle que la progressivité de l’impôt sur le revenu permet de réduire davantage l’inégalité de patrimoine. La progressivité de l’impôt sur le revenu réduit le risque de revenu. L’épargne de précaution des plus riches se réduit et l’inégalité de patrimoine diminue. En revanche, la progressivité de l’impôt sur les successions modifie peu le risque de revenu. En outre, la progressivité de l’impôt sur les successions s’avère inefficace pour réduire l’inégalité de revenu à la différence de la progressivité de l’impôt sur le revenu.
Politique monétaire optimale et effet de variété en économie ouverte
Authors: Poutineau Jean-Christophe , Eyquem Aurélien , Auray Stéphane
Published: June 2014

Cet article étudie la manière dont la politique monétaire doit être conduite en économie ouverte lorsque l’on prend en compte son influence sur la marge extensive de l’activité. Dans un modèle à deux pays, on montre que, contrairement aux résultats obtenus par Bilbiie et alii (2007), la politique monétaire optimale consiste à stabiliser les prix à la consommation, la stabilisation des prix à la production induisant un ajustement insuffisant du taux de change réel. D’autre part, lorsque l’on tient compte de la marge intensive de l’activité, l’adoption d ’ un régime de change fixe entraîne une sur-volatilité macroéconomique qui génère des coûts en termes de bien-être lorsque les relations commerciales sont importantes et que les heures travaillées sont fortement élastiques au salaire réel.
Effect of Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy on Outcome of Patients with Locally Advanced Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma—A Pilot Study
Authors: Orditura M. , Galizia G. , Di Martino N. , Ancona E. , Castoro C. , Pacelli R. , Morgillo F. , Rossetti S. , Gambardella V. , Farella A. , Laterza M.M. , Ruol A. , Fabozzi A. , Napolitano V. , Iovino F. , Lieto E. , Fei L. , Conzo G. , Ciardiello F. , De Vita F.
Published: June 2014

Background: To date, few studies of preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (crt) in gastroesophageal junction (gej) cancer have been statistically powered; indeed, gej tumours have thus far been grouped with esophageal or gastric cancer in phase iii trials, thereby generating conflicting results. Methods: We studied 41 patients affected by locally advanced Siewert type i and ii gej adenocarcinoma who were treated with a neoadjuvant crt regimen [folfox4 (leucovorin–5-fluorouracil–oxaliplatin) for 4 cycles, and concurrent computed tomography–based threedimensional conformal radiotherapy delivered using 5 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy per week for a total dose of 45 Gy], followed by surgery. Completeness of tumour resection (performed approximately 6 weeks after completion of crt), clinical and pathologic response rates, and safety and outcome of the treatment were the main endpoints of the study. Results: All 41 patients completed preoperative treatment. Combined therapy was well tolerated, with no treatment-related deaths. Dose reduction was necessary in 8 patients (19.5%). After crt, 78% of the patients showed a partial clinical response, 17% were stable, and 5% experienced disease progression. Pathology examination of surgical specimens demonstrated a 10% complete response rate. The median and mean survival times were 26 and 36 months respectively (95% confidence interval: 14 to 37 months and 30 to 41 months respectively). On multivariate analysis, TNM staging and clinical response were demonstrated to be the only independent variables related to long-term survival. Conclusions: In our experience, preoperative chemoradiotherapy with folfox4 is feasible in locally advanced gej adenocarcinoma, but shows mild efficacy, as suggested by the low rate of pathologic complete response.
The Role of Interventional Radiology in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Molla N. , AlMenieir N. , Simoneau E. , Aljiffry M. , Valenti D. , Metrakos P. , Boucher L.M. , Hassanain M.
Published: June 2014

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Overall, liver transplantation and resection are the only available treatments with potential for cure. Various locoregional therapies are widely used to manage patients with advanced HCC or as a bridging therapy for patients with early and intermediate disease. This article reviews and evaluates the role of interventional radiology in the management of such cases by assessing various aspects of each method, such as effect on rates of survival, recurrence, tumour response, and complications. Methods: A systemic search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid Medline In-Process, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews retrieved all related scientific papers for review. Results: Needle core biopsy is a highly sensitive, specific, and accurate method for HCC grading. Portal-vein embolization provides adequate expansion of the future liver remnant, making more patients eligible for resection. In focal or multifocal unresectable early-stage disease, radiofrequency ablation tops all other thermoablative methods. However, microwave ablation is preferred in large tumours and in patients with Child–Pugh B disease. Cryoablation is preferred in recurrent disease and in patients who are poor candidates for anesthesia. Of the various transarterial modalities—transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), drug-eluting beads, and transarterial radioembolization (TARE)—TACE is the method of choice in Child–Pugh A disease, and TARE is the method of choice in HCC cases with portal vein thrombosis. Conclusions: The existing data support the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in HCC management. Large randomized controlled studies are needed to provide clear indication guidelines for each method.
Use of Screening Tests, Diagnosis Wait Times, and Wait-Related Satisfaction in Breast and Prostate Cancer
Authors: Mathews M. , Ryan D. , Gadag V. , West R.
Published: June 2014

Background: Understanding factors relating to the perception of wait time by patients is key to improving the patient experience. Methods: We surveyed 122 breast and 90 prostate cancer patients presenting at clinics or listed on the cancer registry in Newfoundland and Labrador and reviewed their charts. We compared the wait time (first visit to diagnosis) and the wait-related satisfaction for breast and prostate cancer patients who received regular screening tests and whose cancer was screening test–detected (“screen/screen”); who received regular screening tests and whose cancer was symptomatic (“screen/symptomatic”); who did not receive regular screening tests and whose cancer was screen test–detected (“no screen/screen”); and who did not receive regular screening tests and whose cancer was symptomatic (“no screen/symptomatic”). Results: Although there were no group differences with respect to having a long wait (greater than the median of 47.5 days) for breast cancer patients (47.8% screen/ screen, 54.7% screen/symptomatic, 50.0% no screen/ screen, 40.0% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.814), a smaller proportion of the screen/symptomatic patients were satisfied with their wait (72.5% screen/ screen, 56.4% screen/symptomatic, 100% no screen/ screen, 90.9% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.048). A larger proportion of screen/symptomatic prostate cancer patients had long waits (>104.5 days: 41.3% screen/screen, 92.0% screen/symptomatic, 46.0% no screen/screen, 40.0% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.011) and a smaller proportion of screen/ symptomatic patients were satisfied with their wait (71.2% screen/screen, 30.8% screen/symptomatic, 76.9% no screen/screen, 90.9% no screen/symptomatic; p = 0.008).
Classical molecular dynamics investigations of biphenyl-based carbon nanomembranes
Authors: Mrugalla Andreas , Schnack Jürgen
Published: June 2014

Background: Free-standing carbon nanomembranes (CNM) with molecular thickness and macroscopic size are fascinating objects both for fundamental reasons and for applications in nanotechnology. Although being made from simple and identical precursors their internal structure is not fully known and hard to simulate due to the large system size that is necessary to draw definite conclusions.

Results: We performed large-scale classical molecular dynamics investigations of biphenyl-based carbon nanomembranes. We show that one-dimensional graphene-like stripes constitute a highly symmetric quasi one-dimensional energetically favorable ground state. This state does not cross-link. Instead cross-linked structures are formed from highly excited precursors with a sufficient amount of broken phenyls.

Conclusion: The internal structure of the CNM is very likely described by a disordered metastable state which is formed in the energetic initial process of electron irradiation and depends on the process of relaxation into the sheet phase.
An economical and safe procedure to synthesize 2-hydroxy-4-pentynoic acid: A precursor towards ‘clickable’ biodegradable polylactide
Authors: Zhang Quanxuan , Ren Hong , Baker Gregory L
Published: June 2014

2-Hydroxy-4-pentynoic acid (1) is a key intermediate towards ‘clickable’ polylactide which allows for efficient introduction of a broad range of pendant functional groups onto polymers from a single monomer via convenient ‘click’ chemistry with organic azides. The incorporation of various pendant functional groups could effectively tailor the physicochemical properties of polylactide. The reported synthesis of 1 started from propargyl bromide and ethyl glyoxylate. However, both of starting materials are expensive and unstable; especially, propargyl bromide is shock-sensitive and subjected to thermal explosive decomposition, which makes the preparation of 1 impractical with high cost and high risk of explosion. Herein, we report a simple, economical and safe synthetic route to prepare 1 using cheap and commercially available diethyl 2-acetamidomalonate (4) and propargyl alcohol. The desired product 1 was obtained via alkylation of malonate 4 with propargyl tosylate followed by a one-pot four-step sequence of hydrolysis, decarboxylation, diazotization and hydroxylation of propargylic malonate 5 without work-up of any intermediate.
Monetary Policy Deliberations : Committee Size and Voting Rules
Authors: Maurin Vincent , Vidal Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2014

Quelle est la taille optimale d’un comité de politique monétaire ? Quelle est la meilleure règle de vote ? Dans l’esprit du théorème de Condorcet, cet article propose un modèle de prise de décision contenant des phases de délibération pendant lesquels les membres du comité peuvent changer de position. Ce processus de délibération est conclu par une décision qui peut être prise à l’unanimité, à la majorité simple ou à la majorité qualifiée. En termes de performance, la majorité simple apparaît plus efficace pour les comités composés d’un grand nombre de membres. En revanche, décider à l’unanimité n’est profitable que dans les comités de petite taille. D’une manière générale, les règles de super-majorité sont adaptées dans un environnement incertain, lorsque les propositions initiales ont moins de chance d’être correctes, ou dans des problèmes de décision asymétrique, quand la perte liée à l’adoption d’une mauvaise proposition est plus élevée que celle du rejet d’une bonne proposition. Classification JEL : D71, D78, D81, E58.
Wabash River Freshwater DrumAplodinotus grunniensDiet: Effects of Body Size, Sex, and River Gradient
Authors: Jacquemin Stephen J. , Pyron Mark , Allen Michael , Etchison Lucas
Published: June 2014

The objectives of this study were to describe the diets of freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens in the Wabash River in the Midwestern United States. We used a multivariate ordination approach (nonmetric multidimensional scaling) to describe drum diets combined with a generalized linear model to test for covariation of diet with body size, sex, and longitudinal river gradient. Hydropsychidae (trichoptera, caddisfly larvae), pleuroceridae (gastropoda), and heptageniidae (ephemeroptera, mayfly larvae) were the most consumed prey items (∼75% of overall diets). Among all freshwater drum, hydropsychidae, pleuroceridae, and heptageniidae were present in 69%, 23%, and 38% of stomachs, respectively. Freshwater drum diets were similar along an upstream–downstream river gradient spanning 350 river km, but varied with body size and sex. Small- and medium-sized fish tended to consume more diptera and annelids compared with the largest individuals, which fed on mollusks and crayfish. With control for body size, the diets of male individuals were composed of more diptera (chironomidae) and annelid prey items compared with female individuals, whose diets included more molluscs and crayfish. Overall, we interpret the lack of diet diversity in freshwater drum with Wabash River longitudinal gradient as evidence of diet specialization. Alternatively, we propose that a potential dietary–river-gradient signal may be diluted as a function of increased freshwater drum longitudinal movements.
METHODS TO QUANTITATE ATRIAL ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY USING ELECTROGRAMS ACQUIRED DURING ATRIAL FIBRILLATION
Authors: Ciaccio Edward J. , Biviano Angelo B. , Garan Hasan
Published: June 2014

Herein, commonly used quantitative bioengineering methods that have been developed to analyze fractionated electrograms recorded from the surface of the atria during atrial fibrillation (AF) are described. Techniques were categorized as time-domain and frequency-domain methods. The main time-domain method is peak counting. Its variations based on preprocessing and thresholding are discussed. The main frequency-domain method is spectral analysis. Two spectral estimators, the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the new spectral estimator (NSE) are described. The ability of each estimator to detect the main periodic component of fractionated atrial electrograms is compared. Several spectral parameters that are used for analysis of atrial electrograms including the dominant frequency (DF), dominant amplitude (DA) and mean spectral profile (MP) are defined. Mean values of these parameters are compared in paroxysmal versus persistent AF fractionated electrograms based upon the results of several studies. Time-domain methods are shown to work best for analysis with deterministic, not fractionated atrial electrograms. For fractionated atrial electrograms, frequency-domain methods are often used. The DF, DA and MP spectral parameters are significantly different in paroxysmal versus longstanding persistent AF recordings. The DF and the DA are significantly higher, and the MP is significantly lower, in persistent AF electrogram recordings. The higher DF and DA parameter values reflect substrate remodeling in persistent AF, which increases the stability of the electrical activation pattern. The lower MP value in persistent AF reflects the lower spectral noise floor, indicative of a less complex and more periodic pattern of electrical activity.
Connected Services Delivery Framework
Authors: Al-Husban Mohammed , Adams Carl
Published: June 2014

Efficient public service delivery is a primary task of public administration within any governance model. The main theme of modern governance implies an integrated, effective, and citizen-centric practices of government and administration as a prerequisite for a long-term positive development of the economy. Electronic public service delivery via e-government portal has become a convenient means for the customers—citizens and businesses—to fulfil their requirements. However, the quality of service delivery is heavily based on the level of integration of the services between different partners in the back office. Service integration requires good governance among partners in agencies in various departments and sometimes at different government levels. This chapter provides an interoperability integration framework that connects closely coordinated services based on Service-Oriented Architecture, Enterprise Service Bus, and Web services. The proposed framework is presented as an attempt to align the organizational structures and processes of different government departments while reducing implementation and ownership costs. The framework is applied to a realistic case example of integrating three different public services, namely applying for a Tourism Agency License, applying for a Vocational License, and applying for No Criminal Record Certificate, in a highly interoperable manner and a high level of adaptability to existing government policies and priorities.
Web 2.0, ICT Infrastructure, and Training Provision for E-Government Readiness in Nigeria
Authors: Ikponmwosa Oghogho
Published: June 2014

This chapter presents a discussion on e-readiness, Web 2.0, social media, mobile/wireless technologies, and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that can help to facilitate the attainment and sustenance of an e-ready environment necessary to enhance e-governance in Nigeria. The chapter aims to clearly articulate the necessary steps to be taken to provide all stakeholders with a blueprint of areas and factors on which to focus. An assessment of how e-ready the Nigerian government and its citizens currently are and the requirements necessary for further steps to be taken (such as policies, programmes, and processes to be put in place, infrastructures to be acquired, and training provisions to equip Nigerian citizens and government officials with the capacity to benefit from and sustain the use of acquired e-technologies) are also presented. Specific ways by which Nigeria can harness the various emerging technologies (social media, Web 2.0, and mobile/wireless technologies) are highlighted. If employed appropriately, these technologies can help to provide improved processes, increased efficiency, improved transparency, and citizen's effective participation and involvement in governance to further improve the lives of Nigerian citizens.
Mobile and Cloud Technologies for Smarter Governance
Authors: Raj Pethuru
Published: June 2014

There are hordes of data-driven, context-aware, and people-centric applications and services for smarter environments such as smarter homes, governments, buildings, cities, and organizations. With the exponential growth of smart phones, there are service repositories and application stores in remote mobile clouds. Similarly, with the ceaseless advancements in the device ecosystem and in the IT field, government-specific applications will flourish and be deployed and maintained in special cloud stores, platforms, and infrastructures to be found, bound, and used by any input/output devices for a variety of everyday personal and professional purposes. Smart, sustainable, intuitive, and citizen-aware services can be dynamically created from the ground up as well as orchestrated or choreographed out of multiple atomic and discrete software services. Such composite services are directly fulfilling government activities. Thus, clouds emerge as the most common and minimum requirement for not only producing and stocking services but also for hosting application platforms. Further, clouds facilitate provisioning and renting out their configurable and customizable assets on demand. Through self-service portals, the cloud usage is to pick up fast in the days to unfold. In this chapter, the authors write about how cloud adoption is to ring in delectable transformations for worldwide governments as well as their citizens, that is, how governments can accomplish more with less, how people can experience high quality, technology-sponsored digital living, how the cloud idea becomes a centre of attraction for more ingenuity towards newer and nimbler service conceptualization, concretization, and delivery.
Scalability and Sustainability of M-Government Projects Implementation in Developing Countries
Authors: Ogunleye Olalekan Samuel , Van Belle Jean-Paul
Published: June 2014

Mobile technology has played a crucial role in facilitating democratic change in many of the developing countries. Many countries have attempted to implement Mobile Government (m-government), which is a form of electronic government, using mobile and other latest technologies such as social media as the most fundamental infrastructure for implementing such changes. However, m-government projects' scalability and sustainability are amongst the key issues relating to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This chapter attempts to discuss the scalability and sustainability of m-government projects in the context of developing countries. The aim is to provide a broader understanding of the inherent issues surrounding scalability and sustainability of m-government projects: in general terms and also in relation to mobile phone-based projects for governments' service delivery. In order to understand these issues, definitions of these two concepts are provided and various e-government maturity models are discussed. This is then followed by an overview of the challenges of scaling up and sustaining the m-government projects in developing countries, and lastly, an elaboration of how sustainability and scalability can be achieved is also presented.
Social Computing and Cooperation Services for Connected Government and Cross-Boundary Services Delivery
Authors: Castelnovo Walter
Published: June 2014

Connected Government requires different government organizations to connect seamlessly across functions, agencies, and jurisdictions in order to deliver effective and efficient services to citizens and businesses. In the countries of the European Union, this also involves the possibility of delivering cross-border services, which is an important step toward a truly united Europe. To achieve this goal, European citizens and businesses should be able to interact with different public administrations in different Member States in a seamless way to perceive them as a single entity. Interoperability, which is a key factor for Connected Government, is not enough in order to achieve this result, since it usually does not consider the social dimension of organizations. This dimension is at the basis of co-operability, which is a form of non-technical interoperability that allows different organizations to function together essentially as a single organization. In this chapter, it is argued that, due to their unique capacity of coupling several technologies and processes with interpersonal styles, awareness, communication tools, and conversational models, the integration of social computing services and tools within inter-organizational workflows can make them more efficient and effective. It can also support the “learning” process that leads different organizations to achieve co-operability.
Modeling Domain Ontology for Occupational Therapy Resources Using Natural Language Programming (NLP) Technology to Model Domain Ontology of Occupational Therapy Resources
Authors: Sawsaa Ahlam F. , Lu Joan
Published: June 2014

Creation and development of a formal domain ontology of Ocuupational Therapy (OT) requires the prescription and formal evaluation of the results through specific criteria. Methontology of development ontologies was followed to create OTO ontology, and was implemented by using Protégé- OWL. Accuracy of OTO ontology was assessed using a set of ontology design cretria. This paper describes a software engineering approach to model domain ontology for occupational therapy resources (OT) using Natural Language Programming (NLP) technology. The rules were written to annotate the domain concepts using Java Annotation Patterns Engine (JAPE) grammar. It is used to support regular expression matching and thus annotate OT concepts by using the GATE developer tool. This speeds up the time-consuming development of the ontology, which is important for experts in the domain facing time constraints and high workloads. The rules provide significant results: the pattern matching of OT concepts based on the lookup list produced 403 correct concepts and the accuracy was generally higher. Using NLP technique is a good approach to reducing the domain expert's work, and the results can be evaluated. This study contributes to the understanding of ontology development and evaluation methods to address the knowledge gap of using ontology in the decision support system component of occupational therepy.
Interactive Visual Analytics of Databases and Frequent Sets
Authors: Leung Carson K.S. , Carmichael Christopher L. , Johnstone Patrick , Yuen David Sonny Hung-Cheung
Published: June 2014

In numerous real-life applications, large databases can be easily generated. Implicitly embedded in these databases is previously unknown and potentially useful knowledge such as frequently occurring sets of items, merchandise, or events. Different algorithms have been proposed for managing and retrieving useful information from these databases. Various algorithms have also been proposed for mining these databases to find frequent sets, which are usually presented in a lengthy textual list. As “a picture is worth a thousand words”, the use of visual representations can enhance user understanding of the inherent relationships among the mined frequent sets. Many of the existing visualizers were not designed to visualize these mined frequent sets. In this journal article, an interactive visual analytic system is proposed for providing visual analytic solutions to the frequent set mining problem. The system enables the management, visualization, and advanced analysis of the original transaction databases as well as the frequent sets mined from these databases.
Implementation of Adaptive Noise Canceller System for Audio-Related Applications
Authors: Godbole Swati S. , Pokle Sanjay B.
Published: June 2014

This paper describes the performance of Adaptive Noise Cancellation system. Basic concept of adaptive noise canceller is to process signals from two input sources and to reduce the level of undesired noise with adaptive filtering techniques. Adaptive filtering techniques play vital role in wide range of applications. An implementation of adaptive noise cancellation system is used to remove undesired noise from a received signal for various audio related applications that has been developed and implemented by MATLAB. The dual channel adaptive noise cancellation system uses an adaptive filter with least mean square algorithm to cancel noise component from primary signal picked up by primary sensor. Various parameters such as convergence behavior, tracking ability of the algorithm, signal to noise ratio, mean square error etc. of ANC system are studied, analyzed for various applications of adaptive noise cancellation and the same are discussed in this paper.
Are Accessible Distance Learning Systems Useful for All students?
Authors: Iglesias Ana , Moreno Lourdes , Castro Elena , Cuadra Dolores
Published: June 2014

Nowadays the use of distance learning systems is widely extended in engineering education. Moreover, most of them use multimedia resources that sometimes are the only educational material available to provide certain educational knowledge to the students. Unfortunately, most of the current educational systems and their educational content present accessibility barriers so some students cannot access to these educational resources. This paper introduces IMES, an inclusive system designed to ensure that students of all abilities can access the educational content of the system. But, are all the students (not only students with disabilities) satisfied with this kind of inclusive applications? Are they useful for all the students? One hundred and eight students participated in the evaluation of the system during an academic course at Universidad Carlos III of Madrid. The evaluation shows that the system presents educational benefits to all the students in terms of usefulness and user's satisfaction.
Personalized Recommender System for Digital Libraries
Authors: M. O. Omisore , O. W. Samuel
Published: June 2014

The huge amount of information available online has given rise to personalization and filtering systems. Recommender systems (RS) constitute a specific type of information filtering technique that present items according to user's interests. In this research, a web-based personalized recommender system capable of providing learners with books that suit their reading abilities was developed. Content-based filtering (CBF) was used to analyze learners' reading abilities while books that are found suitable to learners are recommended with fuzzy matching techniques. The yokefellow cold-start problem inherent to CBF is assuaged by cold start engine. An experimental study was carried out on a database of 10000 books from different categories of computing studies. The outcome tracked over a period of eight months shows that the proposed system induces greater user satisfaction and this attests users' desirability of the system.
Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning for the Supply Chain Management of the Food and Beverage Department at Macao Entertainment Corp
Authors: Vai Fong Tou , Lee Leanda , Negreiros Joao
Published: June 2014

One of the six gaming concession holders in Macao, Macao Entertainment Corp (MEC)1, undertook to centralize three casino/entertainment properties through utilization of a centralized Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in April 2010. The Supply Chain (SC) department was the first to apply the ERP in this centralization process. After rolling-out the new ERP system, a number of problems arose due to the organizational changes required. To identify the problems, information was collected through questionnaires and interviews in order to determine the level of agreement by staff regarding the existence of issues typical to such organizational change. The present paper aims to determine what problems and challenges occurred in this initial implementation to assist in developing recommendations to mitigate those effects in subsequent rollouts.