bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Smartphone-Based Self-Management Interventions on Self-care and Health Relevant Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Aminuddin Haziqah Binte , Jiao Nana , Jiang Ying , Hong Jingfang , Wang Wenru
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a major health problem worldwide. Proper self-management can improve health outcomes and reduces risk of diabetic complications. Recently, smartphone-based technology has been used for self-management programs but their effectiveness in improving self-efficacy, self-care activities, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and clinical outcomes for patients with T2DM is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

To review the evidence and determine the effectiveness of smartphone-based self-management interventions on self-efficacy, self-care activities, HRQoL, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP) levels of adults with T2DM.

METHODS

A systematic search of five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL and Scopus) was conducted. Study published in English, from January 2007 to January 2018, were considered. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of smartphone-based self-management interventions for patients with T2DM that reported any of the study outcomes were included. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of the studies. Meta-analyses were conducted for the different study outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 26 articles, consisting of 22 studies with 2645 participants were included in the review. A meta-analysis conducted on self-efficacy revealed a large improvement of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42 to 1.55; P < 0.001) with smartphone-based self-management interventions. The effect size on self-care activities was also large (d = 0.90; 95% CI 0.24 to 1.57; P < 0.001). Significant heterogeneity was present among studies pooled for both outcomes and subgroup analyses were conducted for self-efficacy. Smartphone-based self-management interventions also gave a small improvement on HRQoL (d = 0.26; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.47; P = .01) and a significant reduction in HbA1c (pooled MD = -0.55; 95% CI -0.60 to -0.40; P < 0.001). The effects on BMI and BP were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Smartphone-based self-management interventions appear to have beneficial effects on self-efficacy, self-care activities and health-relevant outcomes for patients with T2DM. However, more research with good study designs is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of smartphone-based self-care interventions for T2DM.

CLINICALTRIAL

NA
Using Targeted mHealth Messages to Address Hypertension and Diabetes Self-Management in Cambodia: Protocol for a Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Fitzpatrick Annette L , van Pelt Maurits , Heang Hen , Steinman Lesley , Ide Nicole , Chhea Chhorvann , LoGerfo James P
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Hypertension and diabetes represent the first and third highest contributors to global disability. While mobile health (mHealth) messaging programs have rapidly increased in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), adaptations for specific patient health needs is a new approach to manage chronic conditions.

OBJECTIVE

The primary aim of this study is to develop and test an mHealth communication intervention using electronic data capture (by tablet) and voice messaging to improve hypertension and diabetes self-management in Cambodia. The secondary aim is to share results with the Cambodian Ministry of Health and development partners to inform health policy and develop strategies for hypertension and diabetes control.

METHODS

The study design is a cluster randomized controlled clinical trial randomizing each of 75 Community peer educators (PEs), trained and coordinated by MoPoTsyo Patient Information Center in Phnom Penh, into one of 3 groups of 25 (approximately 60 patients each) to receive either tablet+messages, tablet only, or no intervention (control). The total sample within each group includes 25 clusters and approximately 1500 patients located in 7 Operational Districts in rural regions or urban slums in Cambodia. The interventions (groups 1 and 2) were compared with usual PE monitoring without the tablet or mHealth messaging interventions. Focus groups and informant interviews were conducted to develop messages according to specific themes—medications adherence, laboratory testing, physician visits, obesity, smoking, and general lifestyle issues. Using the data received at monthly PE monitoring meetings, patients will receive specific messages based on their individual health challenges. Following the intervention completion, clinical and process outcomes will be compared with baseline metrics between groups.

RESULTS

PEs were randomized in July 2017, and the intervention was implemented in September 2017 through June 2018. Analyses are underway.

CONCLUSIONS

This project is unique in its combination of electronic data transfer, which can be accessed immediately, with voice messages most relevant to individual patients’ needs. Positive results will indicate the value of using targeted messaging in patient-specific, self-management issues to improve hypertension and diabetes control.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR

DERR1-10.2196/11614
Cost of Dialysis Therapy by Modality in Manitoba
Authors: Beaudry Alain , Ferguson Thomas W. , Rigatto Claudio , Tangri Navdeep , Dumanski Sandi , Komenda Paul
Published: July 2018

Background and objectives

The prevalence of ESKD is increasing worldwide. Treating ESKD is disproportionately costly in comparison with its prevalence, mostly due to the direct cost of dialysis therapy. Here, we aim to provide a contemporary cost description of dialysis modalities, including facility-based hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home hemodialysis, provided with conventional dialysis machines and the NxStage System One.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

We constructed a cost-minimization model from the perspective of the Canadian single-payer health care system including all costs related to dialysis care. The labor component of costs consisted of a breakdown of activity-based per patient direct labor requirements. Other costs were taken from statements of operations for the kidney program at Seven Oaks General Hospital (Winnipeg, Canada). All costs are reported in Canadian dollars.

Results

Annual maintenance expenses were estimated as $64,214 for in-center facility hemodialysis, $43,816 for home hemodialysis with the NxStage System One, $39,236 for home hemodialysis with conventional dialysis machines, and $38,658 for peritoneal dialysis. Training costs for in-center facility hemodialysis, home hemodialysis with the NxStage System One, home hemodialysis with conventional dialysis machines, and peritoneal dialysis are estimated as $0, $16,143, $24,379, and $7157, respectively. The threshold point to achieve cost neutrality was determined to be 9.7 months from in-center hemodialysis to home hemodialysis with the NxStage System One, 12.6 months from in-center hemodialysis to home hemodialysis with conventional dialysis machines, and 3.2 months from in-center hemodialysis to peritoneal dialysis.

Conclusions

Home modalities have lower maintenance costs, and beyond a short time horizon, they are most cost efficient when considering their incremental training expenses.

Podcast

This article contains a podcast at https://www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2018_07_18_CJASNPodcast_18_8_F.mp3
Vehicle Routing Problem Dengan Time Window Untuk Multiple Product Dan Multiple Route Menggunakan Algoritma Sequential Insertion
Authors: Putri Dita Ayu Pratama
Published: July 2018

In this article is related to implemented a method in order to solve vehicle routing problem (VRP) for mineral water distribution activity from depot to customers which has particular constraints such as variant of product that has to be load at a vehicle (multiple product), vehicle’s capacity and time window of each customers. One of the company’s vehicle have 64 customers that must be visited in 6 days so there is a few route has been developed (multiple route). The constraint that set up sustained there might be few customers missed to be visited during horizon plan. Sequential Insertion Algorithm which is one of heuristic method for Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Window is choosen to built a vehicle routing solution. The result from this study show that this method in particular conditions and constraints give a better solusion than the company actual routes. Moreover, in this article, the comparasion of distance and completion time between solution route and actual route, and also the saving in cost is also analyzed. The using of Sequential Insertion Algorithm in this article can be used and applied because its perform an optimal result.
Penjadwalan Produksi Untuk Meminimalkan Waktu Produksi Dengan Menggunakan Metode Branch And Bound
Authors: Lesmana Nunung Indra
Published: July 2018

Scheduling is the process of organizing, selecting and timing of the use of existing resources to produce output as expected within the expected time too. Problems faced by the company is determining the minimal production scheduling, as in the case of the production of the company in March, May and August 2015, delays occurred up to three business days, or approximately 14% compared to normal production time per month. The results of this study indicate if using methods Branch and Bound, the more processing time than the method the company trimmed. for example, in February 2016 when using the method of the company, the turnaround time is obtained 10584.385 minutes, whereas if the company uses Branch and Bound method can be reduced completion time of 789.66 minutes so that it becomes 9794.719 minutes, or 1.8 days faster than using companies.
Penentuan Kriteria Evaluasi Kinerja Widyaiswara Menggunakan Nominal Group Technique
Authors: Rohmatulloh R , Kusumastuti Retno , Shiddiq Julian Ambassadur
Published: July 2018

The role of competent trainers as an important part in creating an organizing  system of the  qualified training program. To improve the competencyof trainers to match the expected criteria, trainers evaluation of performance as the basic tools are needed. The purpose of this study is to determine the criteria or parameters that used in evaluating trainers performance. Determination of criteria is using the groupdecision-making techniques, namely nominal group technique (NGT).  The NGT participants are trainer and planner. Successful criteria in consensus are established by the suitability of substance with the competence attended training, training participant satisfaction in classroom teaching ability, and the achievement of credit points. The criteria can be used as a reference for the evaluation and the results can be used for the appropriate competencies development that suitable with trainers requirement. The use of NGT is more effective to generate many ideas and determination of evaluation criteria.
Penilaian Situs E-Government Dengan Metode Webqual Dan Importance Performance Analysis
Authors: Andhika Yudha Koessala Puja
Published: July 2018

Lapor.go.id is a website to aspirate and complaints were easily accessible and integrated in order to increase community participation in monitoring programs and the performance of the government to implementation of public development and services. This research was descriptive quantitative approach using WEBQUAL dimensions namely usability, information, and service interaction that were assessed based on the perspective of performance and importance. Besides that, this research was conducted to investigate the user satisfaction on the website’s performances. Based on the research result shows that users are satisfied with the website’s performance with the satisfaction index value of 73.02%. Beside that, It is known that the website’s attributes of poorly performing and need to be improved are attributes related to the website’s interfaces, website’s competency, updated informations, detailed informations, and information that is easily understood.
IMAGING OF INFECTIOUS PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES
Authors: Kosichkina A. B. , Mishchenko A. V. , Kuleva S. A. , Burovik I. A. , Chudinovskikh Yu. A. , Kharchenko E. V. , Zyuzgin I. A. , Alekseev C. M.
Published: July 2018

Radiological imaging is the main diagnostic technique of infectious pulmonary complications in patients with hematological malignancy. Disturbance of the immune system in this group of patients causes uncommon epidemiology, nonspecific clinical manifestation and rapidly progressive development of the infectious process. Modern diagnostic methods allow to reveal inflammatory changes in the lungs with high efficiency. In the current clinical practice, the most actual problem is rapid identification of pathogens using the wide-spread method. This possibility results in faster and more accurate patient treatment. The article reviews different imaging techniques and focuses on the preferable method for diagnosing pneumonia in immunocompromised patients and presents a recent view of russian and foreign researchers on the advantages and limitations of computed tomography in the differential diagnosis of lower respiratory tract infections.
PERSPECTIVE METHODS FOR CONTOUR ANALYSIS OF RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGES OF MALIGNANTBREAST TUMORS
Authors: Mikhailov M. K. , Romanycheva E. A. , Sevastyanov V. V. , Furman Ya. A.
Published: July 2018

X-ray mammography is considered one of the primary diagnostic methods for malignant breast tumors. Since the conclusion is mainly based on the visual analysis of analog or digital X-ray images of the breast, the objectivity of the method is highly dependent on the professional experience of the radiologist. Therefore, the automation of the process of analyzing X-ray mammograms is a relevant task. The present study aims to develop a method for the automatic classification of the types of tumors on x-ray mammograms. To this end, the boundaries of breast tissue densities were described analytically using the mathematical apparatus of contour analysis. It has been found that malignant tumors are characterized by rough contours, which enables the determination of the tumor type by calculating the straightness coefficient of its contour. The straightness coefficient values for malignant and benign tumors have been found. Based on a representative sample from the patients with a previously known diagnosis, consistent classification results have been obtained which is an indication of the feasibility of the proposed method.
ROLE OF VIRTUAL HYSTEROSALPINGOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS THE CAUSES OF INFERTILITY
Authors: Dmitriev A. A. , Bogdanova E. O. , Karpenko A. K. , Karpeev S. A.
Published: July 2018

According to the results of epidemiological studies, the incidence of infertility in marriage varies from 8 to 29% [1]. Therefore, the development of new methods of diagnosis of the causes of infertility and the improvement of existing ones, is an important issue of radiology, the solution of which will significantly reduce the share of infertile marriages. The article demonstrates the diagnostic capabilities of virtual hysterosalpingography in the diagnosis of causes of infertility. Using computed tomography hysterosalpingography were examined 185 women suffering from infertility. In the study, 39% of women were identified different pathology of the uterus and fallopian tubes, and further verified using MRI, hysteroscopy or laparoscopy. According to the results it can be concluded that virtual hysterosalpingography is an informative method in the diagnosis of pathology of the uterus and fallopian tubes that serve as causes of infertility.
Komitmen Guru Profesional Dalam Pembelajaran
Authors: Ismail Bachtiar
Published: July 2018

Bahwa profesi akan hidup dan berkembang jika profesi itu dihargai masyarakat, dan penghargaan dari masyarakat ter-hadap sebuah profesi ditunjukkan olehnya untuk memilih profesi sebagai suatu pilihan terbaik. Pilihan masyarakat terhadap profesi tersebut disebabkan profesi itu dianggap sulit untuk dimasuki oleh seseorang dan sesuai dengan hukum pasar, sehingga peng-hargaan terhadap profesi itu sesuai dengan kesulitan bagi memasukinya. Kemampuan seseorang guru selalu kaitan dengan tanggung jawab yang harus dikembangkan melalui kegiatan pembelajaran di sekolah, termasuk seluruh bi-dang studi yang diajarkan. Bahwa tanggungjawab itu punya aspek individual, sosial, etis dan religius. Maka dengan demikian ke-beradaan seorang guru sebagai pemelajar punya tanggung jawab secara intelektual, dan bahkan guru se¬cara nalar mampu mengembang-kan berbagai berpikir, problematis dan sistematis.
Achievable accuracy of an azimuth obtained at short range with use of GPS and geodetic instruments
Authors: Sholokhov A.V. , Kotov N.I. , Berkovich S.B. , Makhaev A.Y.
Published: July 2018

The problem of finding optimal estimates of the azimuth using the GPS coordinates is considered. The azimuth accuracy is improved through using additional measurement data of distances between reference points. It is also possible to use the measurement data of the angles between the directions to the reference points. An original algorithm for obtaining optimal estimates of azimuths is suggested. The algorithm enables to find a priori a root mean square error of the azimuth. The accuracy of the GPS coordinates, measuring distances and angles is supposed to be known. Using the algorithm, calculating azimuth accuracy was performed and the analysis of two approaches to the reference points’ location carried out. The first approach supposes the minimum number of reference points with a given precision of the azimuth. The second one is characterized by the minimum sizes of the polygon, which are the reference points. Both approaches were considered from the point of view of achieving high accuracy of finding the azimuth. As a result the possibility of finding the azimuth with root mean square error of about 1? is confirmed, when the distance between reference points is less than 400 m.
Theory and practice of the information concept cartographic research method. Part 1
Authors: Beshentsev A.N.
Published: July 2018

The theoretical foundations for the being developed concept of the cartographic investigation method based on the cartographic information phenomenon and the possibilities of its transformation are presented in the article. The functional structure of the concept is proposed. It establishes information postulates, concepts, procedures, constructs and mechanisms as the components of the implementing cartographic research method in the context of informatisation of the society’s territorial activities. The place, significance and content of each component of the concept in the information-cartographic transforming the space-and-time reality into a cartographic model are established. The value of information postulates characterizing the physical state, the form of storage, internal properties, the field of use and social functions of cartographic information at each stage of the reality transformation were determined. The contents of these stages, which are separate types of cartographic activity, are disclosed. The importance of information concepts characterizing modern knowledge of a certain type of cartographic activity and revealing the semantic content of analog and automated actions performed at each stage of informational and cartographic transforming the reality was established.
Assessment of the environment-forming potential of the territory of populated areas in the implementation of state monitoring of lands
Authors: Sizov A.P.
Published: July 2018

The basic concept of the analysis and planning environmental management for the development of territories is its natural resource potential (NRP), understood as the territory’s set of natural resources, which can be used in the economy, taking into account the achievements of scientific and technological progress to increase social welfare. In the developing the concept of NRP the concept of forming the territories ‘environment potential (EFP) is identified. It is a set of all natural resources, the factors and conditions of the site, with environmental and environmental characteristics (including climate, geological, hydrological, land, soil, etc.). EFP is determined by a logical combination of the land in their composition. The total square of EFP lands of rural settlements in Russia is 1, 5 times more than the urban one. The ranking of the Federal value cities in concern to descending the size of total EFP is as follows
The generality and diff erence in verifi cation schemes for the main condition of the level
Authors: Visirov Yu.V. , Prusakov A.A.
Published: July 2018

The causes of the violating horizontal positioning of the vision axis as the main geometric leveling condition were studied. The importance of this condition at leveling forward performed as the main method of altitude measurements for topographic and geodetic engineering works was particularly emphasized. When analyzing the ways of calibrating the main position, the authors highlighted the general regulations for different methods of determining the calibration base and mirror rotation of the tested level to the differences in visualization the visual scale readings depending on the length of shoulders of the upcoming leveling process. The obligatory required return of testing to initial altitude of calibration base creates a closed loop of heights that enables to define the correction of horizontal sight axis and the difference between the inequality sums of rear and front shoulders. For performing field works, a new scheme of calibration the main position of level with its offset from alignment calibration base is offered.
Efficacy of corporate social responsibility in corporate governance structures of family owned business groups in India
Authors: Naz Raveena
Published: July 2018

The concept of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) has often relied on firms thinking beyond their economic interest despite the larger debate of shareholder versus stakeholder interest. India gave legal recognition to CSR in the Companies Act, 2013. CSR in India is believed to be different for two reasons: the dominance of family business and the history of practice of social responsibility as a form of philanthropy (mainly among the family business). This paper problematises the actual structure of business houses in India and the role of CSR in a context where the law identifies each company as a separate business entity while the economics of institutions emphasizes the ‘business group’ consisting of a plethora of firms as the institutional organization of business where capital owned or controlled by the family group is spread across the firms through the interlocked holding structures. Within this framework, the largest family firms, which are part of family owned business groups, top the CSR expenditure list. The governance structure of family firms allows family owned business group to show mandatory compliance of CSR even when they actually spend much less than what is prescribed by law. This aspect of the family firms is not addressed by the CSR legislation in particular or corporate governance legislation in general in India. The paper illustrates this with an empirical study of one of the largest family owned business group in India Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which is well acclaimed for its CSR activities. The paper demonstrates how the business group through these series of shareholding network reduces its legally mandated CSR liability. The paper thus indicates the inadequacy of CSR legislation in India because the unit of compliance is an individual firm and it assumes that each firm is independent and only connected to each other through market dealings. The law does not recognize the inter-connections of firms (through common ownership and control) in corporate governance structures of family owned business group and hence is inadequate in its design to effect the threshold level of CSR expenditure. This is the central argument of the paper.
Schumpeterian growth theory: Empirical testing of barriers to competition effect
Authors: Petrovic Predrag , Nikolic Goran
Published: July 2018

This study is dedicated to empirical testing of barriers to competition
effect on productivity growth, taking into account the hypothesis that
different policies improve economic growth in countries at different levels
of technological development. The results of econometric analysis of two
panel data sets comprising 144 countries (not controlled for education) and
128 countries (controlled for education) have demonstrated that when
approaching the technology frontier, countries with high barriers to
competition lose their productivity growth much faster than countries with a
low barrier, which is the direct result of the decreasing but positive
influence of barriers to competition on productivity growth, regardless of
whether the economy is underdeveloped or advanced. This positive effect of
barriers can be rationalized by Romer?s (1990) product variety model; or
possibly by the inverted-U pattern between competition and innovation proved
by Aghion et al. (2005), under the assumption that these sample countries are
on the downward slope. Finally, the positive effect of barriers, irrespective
of the degree of the countries? technological development, implies that the
theory is not completely consistent with empirical data.
Corporate taxes and the location of FDI in Europe: The importance of economic integration and project characteristics
Authors: Silva Tomás , Lagoa Sérgio
Published: July 2018

European countries face ever-increasing competition for Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI). This paper studies how corporate taxes affect the location
of FDI in Europe. Using firm-level data, we start by analysing the impact of
the level and volatility of three tax rates on FDI: effective, statutory,
and marginal tax rates. Next, we investigate how economic and monetary
integration influences the effect of taxes on FDI. Finally, we focus on how
the impact of taxes varies by project characteristics and sector: expansion
versus new investment, industry versus services, high-tech versus low-tech
manufacturing industries, and high versus low capital intensity firms. We
conclude that stable taxes play a significant role in attracting FDI and,
most importantly, that lowering taxes fosters FDI especially when the
country has a high tax rate or is outside the euro area. There are some
nuances in this relationship that are relevant to policymakers. Tax cuts are
particularly important in stimulating foreign firms already in situ to
expand their activities and in attracting industrial businesses. Finally,
capital-intensive projects are less sensitive to taxes, but high-tech
manufacturing projects have the same reaction to tax rates as other
manufacturing projects.
An internal model for measuring premium risk when determining solvency of non-life insurers
Authors: Kocovic Jelena , Koprivica Marija
Published: July 2018

Under contemporary dynamic approaches the solvency of insurance companies is
determined by measuring the risks that threaten their business. This paper
presents an internal model for measuring premium risk when evaluating the
solvency of non-life insurers. The solvency capital requirement is
calculated on the basis of a compound distribution of insurance portfolio
aggregate claim amount, resulting from combining separately modelled claim
frequency and severity distributions, with prior verification of earned
technical premium sufficiency. The practical application of the model is
illustrated by a case study of a specific non-life insurance company in
Serbia. The research findings show that the dynamic model of premium risk
measurement results in larger capital requirement and contributes to a more
reliable assessment of insurers? solvency than the static model. This proves
the inadequacy of the existing fixed ratio model and stresses the need for
changes in the current methodology of determining the solvency of insurance
companies in Serbia.
A Content Analysis of the Privacy Policies of Cloud Computing Services
Authors: Gao Lei , Brink Alisa G.
Published: July 2018

Cloud computing is increasingly popular across all sectors and offers users unparalleled scalability, elasticity, and flexibility. However, the rapid transition toward cloud computing has raised privacy and confidentiality concerns. Cloud service providers can access users' data, and private information may be accidentally or deliberately disclosed or used for unauthorized purposes. Privacy policies are intended to provide users with information about privacy practices and their privacy options. This study performs content analysis of the privacy policies of 47 cloud service providers who offer services to business users. This analysis identifies what information is collected and why, to whom the information is disclosed, and what measures are in place for data security, data retention, and data complaints. Additionally, we investigate the readability, uncertainty language, and linguistic tone of cloud service privacy policies. Our results offer implications for cloud service users, providers, and policymakers, and provide directions for future research.

Data Availability: Data are available upon request.
Determination of a laser eye dazzle safety framework
Authors: Williamson Craig A. , McLin Leon N.
Published: July 2018

A simple safety framework for laser eye dazzle, based on a complex model developed from human subject experiments, is proposed to address the urgent need for guidance within international laser safety standards. Maximum Dazzle Exposure (MDE) safety limits are derived that set the laser irradiance at the eye above which an object cannot be visually detected. A newly defined concept of dazzle level accounts for the extent of visual obscuration, and different ambient light levels are accommodated by determining safety limits for night, dusk/dawn, and day conditions. The resulting table of MDE values allows dazzle effects to be quantified in simple safety calculations across a wide range of scenarios. This safety framework is intended to empower the laser safety community to understand and quantify the impacts of laser eye dazzle, specify protection measures for those at risk, and assure the safety and effectiveness of laser dazzle devices.
Laser size reduction of radioactively contaminated structures
Authors: Khan Ali , Blackburn Jon
Published: July 2018

Due to the environment, nuclear decommissioning is an extremely challenging activity. High ambient radiation levels often preclude entry to the areas involved, and as the industry tries to minimize dose uptake, moderate radiation levels are now requiring remote solutions. In situ size reduction of process plant including vessels, containers, dissolvers, and pipework allows the removal of the nuclear inventory from a building prior to further decontamination and demolition. Ex situ size reduction comprises a dedicated facility to take in the existing nuclear waste inventory for further size reduction activity to achieve high waste management efficiencies. Traditional size reduction or cutting methods such as reciprocating saws or grinders pose a significant challenge for remote deployment platforms, where haptic feedback is lost and, when deployed, take considerable time to perform the task. Although remote engineered solutions for these tools are possible, they are complicated, unreliable, and expensive. Laser cutting is widely used in non-nuclear industrial sectors, and offers a more flexible and simpler method for size reduction. This paper presents results of two projects involving in situ and ex situ deployments of high power fiber-delivered lasers on two separate nuclear sites for size reduction of radioactively contaminated structures.
IMPACT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCT PRICE ON HUMAN WELFARE IN NIGERIA
Authors: Maku Olukayode Emmanuel , Adetowubo-King S. Adetayo , Aduralere O., Oyelade
Published: July 2018

The single most important issue confronting a growing number of world economies today is the price of oil and its attendant consequences on economic output. Therefore the study investigated the impact of petroleum pump price on human welfare in Nigeria over the period 1990 to 2015. The study employed expost facto research design. Secondary time series data were used for the study and these were sourced from World Development Indicator (WDI, 2015) and Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin, (CBN, 2015). The data collected were analyzed using autoregressive distributed lag. The inferences were drown at 1% and 5% significance level. The result showed that premium motor spirit price and dual purpose kerosene price exert a long-run negative and significant impact on human welfare in Nigeria (β = -0.15299, t = -5.31141 and β = -0.471399, t = -1.8838 respectively) while premium motor spirit price, dual purpose kerosene price and inflation rate exert a short-run negative and significant impact on human welfare in Nigeria (β = -0.71735, t= -4.3766; β = -0.62562, t = -2.9188 and β = -0.050310, t = -2.1829 respectively). The study concluded that as premium motor spirit price and dual purpose kerosene price and inflation rate increases, human welfare will fall and vice versa. Therefore for human welfare to increase, there must be a fall in premium motor spirit price and dual purpose kerosene price and inflation rate in Nigeria. The study recommended that Government and it agencies should ensure that petroleum pump prices should be regulated because they have a long way on the market. An increase in the price of petroleum products will lead to market failure because most products use either of these products. Since inflation rate worsen the welfare of people, the policy maker should find a way of control inflation in the system so that the welfare of the people will improve (better-off).
Library Linked Data in the Cloud: OCLC's Experiments with New Models of Resource Description -- Book Review
Authors: Wang Xiaocan
Published: July 2018

Book Review of Library Linked Data in the Cloud
Name Authority Control in Digital Humanities: Building a Name Authority Database of Shanghai Library
Authors: Xia Cuijuan , Liu Wei
Published: July 2018

Libraries as a type of social institution have a long history of collecting, preserving and spreading the knowledge of mankind and have cumulated a vast amount of highly structured data conforming to library and information standards. Among these data, especially, name authority data are fundamentally important for digital humanities. However, traditional library data are not built in the way that digital humanities research requires, which makes it difficult for digital humanities researchers to use them directly. This study is to address this problem through using the Linked Data approach to build knowledge bases in transforming and normalizing name authority data into the format that can be easily deployed by digital humanities research. A name authority database was built on various sources and formed the content infrastructure to provide Linked Open Data services, which enables sophisticated searches and uses of document resources knowledge base with multiple types of documents and multimedia, instead of digital collections with only a keyword search function. The process of design and development as well as the way through which resources are interlinked are described in detail in this paper.
Library Society of China Annual Conference 2018 and CALA's Involvement
Authors: Huang Michael Bailou
Published: July 2018

2018 Chinese Library Annual Conference: Library Society of China Annual Conference & Chinese Library Exhibition was held in Langfang, Hebei Province, China from May 30thto June 2nd, 2018. The conference was organized by the Library Society of China and the Langfang Government of Hebei Province under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China.
Guest Editorial on Linked Data
Authors: Zou Qing
Published: July 2018

Guest editorial on Linked Data
Causality between stock market and “fear gauge” indices: An empirical analysis with E-statistics
Authors: Fousekis Panos , Grigoriadis Vasilis
Published: July 2018

This study investigates empirically the validity of three hypotheses that have been advanced to explain the tendency of stock market and volatility indices to move in opposite directions, using the notion of Brownian distance correlation. We consider three stock market-implied volatility index pairs, namely, the S&P 500 and the VIX, the DAX 100 and the V1XI, and the N225 and the JNIV. The empirical results support the leverage hypothesis relative to the volatility feedback hypothesis for the pairs S&P 500 and VIX, and N225 and JNIV, and the representativeness and affect heuristics hypothesis relative to the leverage hypothesis for the pairs DAX 100 and V1XI, and N225 and JNIV.
An Empirical Study of Regional Mutual Funds’ Diversification Value
Authors: Rodriguez Javier
Published: July 2018

This article studies three samples of United States-based regional mutual funds from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America, to assess whether higher fund diversification translates into higher diversification values to fund shareholders. To measure mutual funds’ portfolio diversification, we implement a modified Herfindahl index.  To assess diversification values we employ a methodology that considers Sharpe ratio funds and its correlation with existent portfolios.  We found that Asian-Pacific funds are the most diversified, whereas European funds provide the highest diversification value to fund shareholders. The correlation between fund diversification and diversification value is positive only in the case of Asian-Pacific funds. To the best of our knowledge, the relation between portfolio diversification and diversification value of regional mutual funds has not yet been addressed in the literature.
REVIEW: Coups, globalisation and Fiji’s reset ‘democracy’ paradigm
Authors: Robie David
Published: July 2018

The General’s Goose: Fiji’s Tale of Contemporary Misadventure, by Robbie Robertson. Canberra: Australian National University. 2017. 366 pages. ISBN 9781760461270
When Commodore (now rear admiral retired and an elected prime minister) Voreqe Bainimarama staged Fiji’s fourth ‘coup to end all coups’ on 5 December 2006, it was widely misunderstood, misinterpreted and misrepresented by a legion of politicians, foreign affairs officials, journalists and even some historians. A chorus of voices continually argued for the restoration of ‘democracy’ – not only the flawed version of democracy that had persisted in various forms since independence from colonial Britain in 1970, but specifically the arguably illegal and unconstitutional government of merchant banker Laisenia Qarase that had been installed on the coat-tails of the third (attempted) coup in 2000. Yet in spite of superficial appearances, Bainimarama’s 2006 coup contrasted sharply with its predecessors.
REVIEW: British bomb legacy lingers in the islands
Authors: Duffield Lee
Published: July 2018

Grappling with the H Bomb, by Nic McLellan. Canberra: ANU Press, 2017. 408 pages. ISBN 9781760461379/9781760461386.
NIC McLELLAN’s Grappling with the H Bomb, is an adroit and readable treatment of the  story of the British nuclear testing programme predominantly in the South Pacific islands. Its chief focus is the series of nine British nuclear tests at Malden and Christmas (Kiritimati) Islands between May 1957 and September 1958. They were then part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (GEIC), which was divided into Kiribati and Tuvalu at independence. Malden and Christmas (Kiritimati) Islands are now part of Kiribati.
REVIEW: Noted: Perfect media research text for undergraduates
Authors: Thomson Christopher
Published: July 2018

Digital Media and Society, by Simon Lindgren. London: Sage, 2017. 328 pages. ISBN 9781473925014

FROM the ‘flamethrower squirrel’ meme chosen for its cover to the many box-outs that define key questions, concepts and exercises for thinking, Simon Lindgren’s Digital Media and Society is a punchy, engaging text pitched perfectly for undergraduates and others seeking an accessible introduction to contemporary media research.
A plan nobody hopes they will need: New Zealand and climate change migration
Authors: Cass Philip
Published: July 2018

At the Second Pacific Climate Change conference in Wellington in February 2018, New Zealand’s Minister for Pacific Peoples, ‘Aupito Tofae Su’a William Sio, said New Zealand must have policies in place to deal with the possibility of climate induced migration from the Pacific Islands. He described having such a policy in place as being akin to a factory preparing an evacuation plan in case of an earthquake: A vital precaution for something everybody hoped would never be needed. But what would that policy look like, how far forward would planners have to think, what issues are involved and who would be responsible for making sure it was effective? This article examines four key areas of concern that will have to be dealt with if an effective policy on climate change-induced migration is to be developed: Public perceptions, the law, maintaining Island culture and identity and changing the existing media narrative on social change. It identifies three groups of key players in the process: Legislators and legal experts, churches and journalists.
REVIEW: Noted: Jungle hostage to photojournalist
Authors: Abcede Del
Published: July 2018

Françoise Huguier: 100 Photos for Press Freedom, edited by Perribe Daubas. Paris: Reporters Without Borders (RSF). 2018. 134 pages. ISBN 978-2-36220-050-9.

THIS is yet another extraordinary ‘100 Photos for Press Freedom’ album from Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), this time with a focus on the ‘indignation of women against male predation and domination’ (p. 139), as essayist Aude Bassonville notes in one of the accompanying articles. The collection of photos mostly feature the work of French photographer Françoise Huguier, who is described by the editors as chareacteristic of the best attributes of a photojournalist – ‘curiosity, intensity, desire and a love for life’.
A tale of two statues: Contemporary conflict reporting constraints and the Battle of Baghdad
Authors: Ellmers Stephen
Published: July 2018

Although television conflict reporting has usually been limited by risks to journalists’ safety, the death throes of Baathist Iraq in April 2003 provided viewers with a unique opportunity to vicariously witness the fall of a large modern city.  Yet if the iconic moment of the Second Gulf War came when Saddam Hussein’s statue in Firdos Square was toppled, then it was at the expense of another image event which unfolded earlier a short distance away.  Because the US military’s violent destruction of the equestrian statue close to the ‘Hands of Victory’ monument better encapsulates the conflict than the sterile bloodless ‘cakewalk’ description it’s usually labelled with.  This article shows how the tale of these two statues is also in some ways the tale of two Fox News correspondents, and how an alienation from military service conditions and methods can leave reporters and their audiences with no sense of what the participants on their screens endured in order to reach Baghdad; or what they had also inflicted upon others. In retrospect, the circumstances which allowed one Fox reporter to provide the world with what might have been its first taste of live, unedited combat footage seem more like an accidental success than the result of systemic best practices. Especially when this network and even its most credible host remain committed to ensuring a particular partisan perspective dominates all their broadcasts.
Assessment of the quality of public transport services – selection of variables for the study by the Delphi method
Authors: Zwierzchowska Magdalena
Published: July 2018

The aim of the study was to identify the attributes of the quality of public transport services. The study was carried out using the Delphi method. The analysis covered 50 quality attributes of services available in identified 24 models. The survey was conducted among independent research workers employed in universities, where they were asked to mark the importance of individual quality attributes in relation to public transport services. The results were compiled collectively, of which 25 variables were distinguished characterized by the highest weight average and at the same time assigned as variables reflecting the specificity of the quality of public transport services. The author’s own contribution includes the selection and listing of attributes necessary to conduct the research and the development of results.
Analysis of intelligent transport systems on the example of the city of Krakow
Authors: Niekurzak Mariusz , Kubińska-Jabcoń Ewa , Bazior Agnieszka
Published: July 2018

The object of research is urban transport in Krakow. The road users are drivers and passengers of combustion vehicles, rail vehicles, electric vehicles and those powered by muscle power, as well as pedestrians. Everyone has the right to use public roads, but under certain conditions. The city’s goal is to provide such infrastructure and enact laws that will enable them to co-exist. The Management Board of Municipal Infrastructure and Transport is tasked with providing such organization of traffic, including public transport, that the city will be passable and passengers’ requirements are met. The journeys should be smooth and without major disturbances. An innovative solution in the field of transport services in passenger traffic is the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).
Contribuições da fisioterapia na incontinência urinária no climatério
Authors: OLIVEIRA Ana Heloísa Faustino Viana de , VASCONCELOS Luíza Quitéria Pinto de , NUNES Erica Feio Carneiro , LATORRE Gustavo Fernando Sutter
Published: July 2018

Este estudo teve como objetivo levantar as contribuições da fisioterapia no tratamento da incontinência urinária de mulheres no climatério. Trata-se de revisão bibliográfica a partir dos termos climatério, incontinência urinária e fisioterapia, bem como de suas variantes em inglês, nas bases Lilacs, MedLine/PubMed, SciELO e PEdro. Observou--se que a fisioterapia para mulheres no climatério com incontinência urinária contribui diretamente para melhorias no quadro clínico e controle miccional, sendo a cinesioterapia e o treinamento do assoalho pélvico as técnicas mais mencionadas. Não houve grande aprofundamento nas especificidades do climatério. O estudo conclui que a fisioterapia pélvica pode contribuir de modo decisivo no tratamento da incontinência urinária no climatério, sendo necessárias pesquisas de melhor qualidade metodológica para aprofundar os estudos de fisioterapia e direcioná-los às especificidades desse período.