bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Making It Real
Authors: Hamel Erin , Glover Crystal P.
Published: September 2018

The urgent and ubiquitous call for White, middle class female teachers of immigrant students and families who are well versed in the strengths and struggles of this vulnerable population is one to which teacher education programs must respond with fervor. In a profession largely dominated by White, middle class mainstream females who work with children and families representing a wide variety of ethnicities, religions, sexualities, family structures, socioeconomic statuses, etc., it is imperative that higher education courses specifically prepare educators to empower, support, and learn from and with immigrant families. In this chapter, the authors share a study that examines the reactions of pre-service teachers to a teaching strategy that required their face-to-face interactions with Spanish-only speaking immigrant families. The pre-service teachers listened to the stories and authentic experiences shared by the English learner (EL) families and participated in a simulation activity with the families. Findings indicate that through their participation in the strategy, pre-service teachers experienced changes in their thinking about themselves and the children and families with whom they will one day work. Findings also suggest that after participating in the strategy, pre-service teachers began thinking differently with regards to their understanding of and preparedness for their future careers.
Second to None
Authors: Boss Ginny Jones , Davis Tiffany J. , Porter Christa J. , Moore Candace M.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this chapter is to foreground the experiences of women of Color who serve in full-time, contingent faculty roles and interrogate the policies and practices that present both barriers and opportunities for these faculty members within the academy. Using a conceptual framework of previous literature in combination with critical race feminism and structuration theory, the authors discuss the ways in which identity (race, gender, and age) and position (contingent vs. tenure-track) influence faculty life and teaching. Throughout this discussion, the authors also introduce results from a study they conducted on Black women contingent faculty. The chapter concludes with the authors offering suggestions for institutional policy and practice.
Cyber Risk Management in Banks
Authors: Yıldırım İsmail
Published: September 2018

Security vulnerabilities available in cyber security systems lead to virtual and physical damages to financial systems which in turn cause national- and individual-level security issues. Today's world is being shaped by digital technology, and cyber threats to information constitute a significant risk factor for businesses. This study explores the cyber security risks the banking system may encounter. The status of banking system, a system which includes a number of online services, in Turkey with respect to cyber security risks and the current risks are assessed and presented along with possible solutions. This study analyzes e-payment systems (online banking and e-trade/the use of debit/credit cards) and the supply chain, the backbone of the e-finance system, with respect to national cyber security risks. Nevertheless, cyber risk insurance, an emerging tool for cyber risk management, was analyzed in detail.
Cyber Security Competency Model Based on Learning Theories and Learning Continuum Hierarchy
Authors: Yaokumah Winfred
Published: September 2018

There is an urgent need for transformative changes in cyber security awareness and training programs to produce individuals and the workforce that can deal with business risks emanating from the prevailing and emerging cyber-attacks. This chapter proposes a cyber security competency model that integrates learning theories (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor), learning continuum hierarchy (awareness and training), and cyber security domain knowledge. Employing literature search of scholarly and practitioner works, together with cyber security standards from governmental and non-governmental organizations, the chapter integrates cyber security domain knowledge, learning theories, and learning continuum hierarchy to design a model of cyber security competencies suitable for use in educating individuals and the general workforce. This theoretical-based approach to designing cyber security awareness and training programs will produce skillful individuals and workforce that can mitigate cyber-attacks in the global business environment.
The Electronic Hive Mind and Cybersecurity
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: September 2018

If people are the “weakest link” in cybersecurity because of their psychological make-up and hardwiring—their socialized desire to trust and cooperate with others, their cognitive biases and misperceptions, their preferences for convenience, their general going with System 1 inattention instead of System 2 attention and thinking—this begs the question of whether the same micro-scale cognitive limits found in individual users are also present on a mass scale. After all, there have been discovered problematic unthinking leanings in group decision making: obedience to authority, bystander effects, groupthink, and the Abilene paradox, among others. Using a range of often mass-scale data sources and data analytics tools, research questions were asked around three areas: (1) the level of sophistication of the cybersecurity electronic hive mind towards cybersecurity issues, (2) the gap between the non-expert members and the expert members in the hive mind, and (3) whether the extant hive mind was more reflective of mob unthinkingness or deliberation and wisdom.
Pesticides as Water Pollutants
Authors: Srivastava Anamika , Jangid Nirmala Kumari , Srivastava Manish , Rawat Varun
Published: September 2018

A chemical that is toxic to one animal may also be toxic to other forms of animal life. Although it might take a larger dose of pesticides to harm humans than pests, such as insects, many pesticides are still toxic to humans. The doses needed to kill a pest might not kill us, but may still harm us. Many pesticides classified as herbicides are designed to target plant pests. The exceptions to this are broad spectrum herbicides that are designed to kill a wide variety of plants. An herbicide that is specific to one or more species of plants does not ensure that it is safe to enter the water system. Some of the dangers from these chemicals are yet to be fully understood. Caution should be used to ensure that these products do not unnecessarily enter the water system. Using safe, well-planned applications of materials, such as pesticides, decreases the risk to humans and other animals. The overall picture is not as bleak as one might be imagining as the optimization of these important water resources are available at present and will also be available in the near future. Owing to the threat to water systems and mechanisms, those that may cause water to become polluted are now well-understood and precautions have been taken to protect the quality of water.
Pesticides as an Occupational Hazard Facts and Figures
Authors: Tarannum Nazia , Singh Meenakshi , Hawaldar Ranjit
Published: September 2018

The chapter gives insight into the harmful use of pesticides in different professional environments. It portrays the use of pesticides as the potential risks to the health of users and third parties and a danger to the environment. The use of pesticides has increased at a phenomenal rate. Pesticides and their threat to the biological world have reached almost hysterical proportions. Their residues are found everywhere, particularly those of the so-called “hard pesticides” or organochlorine compounds, DDT. Herein, an attempt has been made to reflect pesticide exposure in different occupational settings and their harmful effects on humans. Excess use of pesticide in agriculture has placed workers in this industry at risk of lethal exposure. Personnel working in domestic pest control service is also from continuous exposure to the pesticide. Further, the chapter highlights various corrective measures to be taken by the people working in different occupational settings to combat the dangerous effects of pesticides in everyday life.
Cost-Effective Methods of Monitoring Pesticide Pollution in Water
Authors: Kanagasubbulakshmi S. , Lakshmi Krishnasamy , Kadirvelu K.
Published: September 2018

Environmental protection efforts require numerous advanced technologies to prevent and monitor the health and ecological effects associated with abiotic and biotic systems. Development of innovative tools and methodologies with the help of multidisciplinary approach to assess the transport, accumulation, and impact of pesticides will avoid the long-term effects in the environment. The lack of information about the pesticides hampers the labeling requirements that lead to misuse and discharge of pesticide-contaminated effluents into the water resources. This chapter covers the information on major sources of pesticides, chronic impacts, labeling of pesticides, multidisciplinary approach for monitoring, current cost-effective technologies, pros and cons of current technologies, and future perspectives of the pesticide monitoring technologies.
The Role and Importance of Rural Tourism on the Development and Promotion of Cultural Heritage Tourism
Authors: Yılmaz Emine , Yılmaz Ekin Enver
Published: September 2018

Cultural heritage will benefit from the support of other branches of tourism for the development of tourism. In addition to being inland with many tourism spots, rural tourism has a very important place especially for cultural heritage. Rural tourism can be defined as a type of tourism based on the activities of agricultural activities and natural resources in rural areas. Rural areas are especially recommended for cultural tourism. Indeed, in support of this, one of the four charms that World Tourism Organization has identified as rural tourism attractions is “rural heritage.”
Information Disclosure on Social Networking Sites
Authors: Doherty Clare , Lang Michael , Deane James , Connor Regina
Published: September 2018

This chapter explores how six constructs—control, trust, perceived risk, risk propensity, perceived legal protection, and privacy disposition—affect information disclosure on the Social Networking Site (SNS) Facebook. Building upon previous related work, an extended causal model of disclosure behaviour is proposed. The hypothesised relationships in this model were tested using survey data collected from 278 social networking site users in Ireland. The results of the analysis provide strong support for the proposed model.
Who Is Tracking You?
Authors: Beck Estee
Published: September 2018

Exchanging information online often involves a degree of assessing the credibility and reliability of websites, which include the authors, sources, and content. This chapter argues for an additional assessment category: evaluating privacy and/or data use statements of websites because of the underlying ideologies, methods of tracking technologies used to collect data, and the need for comprehension of what website terms and conditions mean for the average person. This chapter provides a rhetorical framework as suggested guidelines to follow when evaluating privacy and/or data use statements of websites.
Monetization of Personal Digital Identity Information
Authors: Adjei Joseph Kwame
Published: September 2018

Monetization of personal identity information has become a major component of modern business models, contributing to dramatic innovations in the collection, aggregation, and use of personal information. This phenomenon is commonplace given that parties to business transactions and social interactions usually rely on the issue of claims and disclosure of unique attributes and credentials for proof and verification of identity. However, the heightened societal information privacy concerns and the diminishing level of trust between transacting parties make such attempts to monetize personal information a very risky endeavor. This chapter examines the major technological and regulatory imperatives in the monetization of personal identity information. The resulting monetization model provides an important source of reference for effective monetization of personal information.
Blogracy
Authors: Franchi Enrico , Poggi Agostino , Tomaiuolo Michele
Published: September 2018

The current approach to build social networking systems is to create huge centralized systems owned by a single company. However, such strategy has many drawbacks, e.g., lack of privacy, lack of anonymity, risks of censorship and operating costs. In this paper the authors propose a novel P2P system that leverages existing, widespread and stable technologies such as DHTs and BitTorrent. In particular, they introduce a key-based identity system and a model of social relations for distributing content efficiently among interested readers. The system they propose, Blogracy, is a micro-blogging social networking system focused on: (i) anonymity and resilience to censorship; (ii) authenticatable content; (iii) semantic interoperability using activity streams. The authors have implemented the system and conducted various experiments to study its behaviour. The results are presented here, regarding (i) communication delays for some simulations of node churn, (ii) delays measured in test operations over PlanetLab, in direct communication, and (iii) through the I2P anonymizing network.
A Surveillance and Spatiotemporal Visualization Model for Infectious Diseases Using Social Network
Authors: Fatima-Zohra Younsi , Djamila Hamdadou , Omar Boussaid
Published: September 2018

In this paper, the authors propose a surveillance and spatiotemporal visualization system to simulate the infectious diseases spread which enables users to make decisions during a simulated pandemic. This system is based on compartment Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, and Removed (SEIR) model within a Small World network and Geographic Information System. The main advantage of this system is that it allows not only to understand how epidemic spreads in the human population and which risk factors promote this transmission but also to visualize epidemic outbreaks on the region's map. Experiments results reflect significantly the dynamical behavior of the influenza epidemic and the system can provide significant guidelines for decision makers when coping with epidemic diffusion controlling problems.
Dimensions of Privacy Concerns Amongst Online Buyers in India
Authors: Jain Tinu , Mishra Prashant
Published: September 2018

Internet is quickly becoming the public electronic marketplace. Though the internet has revolutionized retail and direct marketing, the full scale incorporation and acceptance of the internet marketplace with the modern business is limited. One major inhibition shown by the internet buyers is in the form of lack of confidence in the newly developed marketing machinery/technology and concern related fear and distrust regarding loss of personal privacy due to easy access of personal information to the marketers. This concern about personal information and privacy varies with consumers especially with countries. It is also suggested that importance provided to various privacy dimensions would vary. The research investigates different dimensions and their interrelationship to identify factors affecting privacy concern among Net buyers in India.
Privacy in the Internet of Things
Authors: Kanniappan Jayashree , Rajendiran Babu
Published: September 2018

Internet of Things technology is rapidly gaining popularity, not only in industrial and commercial environments, but also in personal life by means of smart devices at home. The Internet of Things (IoT) spawn new businesses and make buildings, cities and transport smarter. The IoT allows for ubiquitous data collection or tracking, but these useful features are also examples of privacy threats that are already limiting the success of the IoT vision when not implemented correctly. Privacy should be protected in the device, in storage, during communication, and at processing. The privacy of users and their data protection have been identified as one of the important challenges that need to be addressed in the IoT. The chapter presents the IoT technology, the various applications, and privacy issues. Various other issues such as security and performance are also addressed.
Evaluating the Brand With Radical Transparency
Authors: Veselinova Elena , Samonikov Marija Gogova
Published: September 2018

The justification of all the theoretical knowledge in this book is verified through the evaluation of the brand, which is analyzed in this chapter. Gradually, we fully complete the concept: from idea to evaluation of the brand. The valuation of the brand through radical transparency is elaborated through several variants: the brand equity as a measure of the value of the brand, financial approaches to valuation of brands, integration of finance and marketing through the “best practice” approach for brand evaluation and the brand value chain. Thus, we conclude the efforts for the understanding, application and assessment of the brand equity as a source of competitive advantage through the prism of radical transparency.
A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Motives and Patterns of Brand Recommendation in Social Media
Authors: Kolo Castulus , Widenhorn Stefan , Borgstedt Anna-Lena , Eicher David
Published: September 2018

This article describes how today, social media enable users to comment on brands in a multitude of ways. Although it is undoubted that this can have a substantial influence on the way brands impact on consumers, comparatively little is known about what motivates consumers to recommend brands in social media and whether there are cultural differences therein. This article aims to determine the factors leading to either positive or negative communication about brands on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and brand-related blogs based on a representative sample from Germany and the US, each with 1,000 adults. Complementary to an analysis of factors determining a general inclination to recommend, a principal component analysis of the diverse motives to do so exhibits patterns being largely consistent in a cross-cultural perspective, however, with differences in specific practices concerning gender, age, and formal education. A cluster analysis as well as taking a look at “influencers” provide a basis for developing differentiated strategies of brand communication and management respectively.
Mobile Phone Purchasing and Brand Presence on Facebook
Authors: Ardley Barry , Hardwick Jialin , Delarue Lauriane , Taylor Nick
Published: September 2018

Focusing on the mobile phones sector, this study explores how the social networking site ‘Facebook' is used by consumers in their purchasing. Although there is extensive work on the influences on the buying decision process relevant to mobile phone purchasing, it is mainly set outside of a social media context. This paper assists in filling a gap in contemporary research, revealing the presence of different behavioural segments on Facebook. The authors analyse the consumer decision sequence in response to the notion of ‘brand presence', manifested through online advertising, fan and group pages. The approach is interpretative. The study is based on young professional user's experiences, collected through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The findings show that Facebook fan pages are shown to have a degree of influence, particularly in the early stages of buying behaviour. In this context, five novel behavioural segments of consumer interactions with Smartphone brands on Facebook have been identified by the research. These are the Avoider, the Suspicious, the Passive, the Receptive, and the Active. Future research of cross comparative studies could be taken on the issues the authors examine and consider them in relation to not only Facebook, but additionally, to other social network sites. Companies could utilise the findings in the future development of social media strategy. The research highlights the socially networked and collective nature of much activity on Facebook, which impacts on the consumer decision-making process for mobile phones.
Audiobranding and Its Importance to Your Personal Brand
Authors: Terol Raúl
Published: September 2018

In this chapter we will try to discover the importance of audio and voice as key elements in building a personal brand. Podcast, audioblogs and web tools that reference the sound will be analyzed based on their degree of influence on personal branding. By using the voice we can differentiate ourselves from our competitors, so the audio branding, or sonic branding as it is also known, shows a verbal identity of his own personality. The sound has always been known for being a great tool to convey memorable messages to consumers, in fact we are able to consume the sound since we are in the womb. Having an audio brand is one way to ensure that no other company uses a similar audio and make our brand is consistent. The radio language, consisting of voice, music, silence and the special effects are responsible for generating emotions in the receiving public. The audio conveys information, entertains consumers and in the long term, helps build a positive image that reinforces the brand values. The design of an audio brand goes beyond creating a catchy jingle or a piece of melody.
Branding Culture
Authors: Biswal Santosh Kumar
Published: September 2018

Telugu film industry, known as Tollywood is gaining popularity in the domain of regional film industry in India. Over the years, the industry through its actors, remaking and dubbing to various languages films; a tendency of culture and brand has emerged. Sometimes celebrated artists brand the films and vice versa. Brand endorsements and in film advertisements have become the order of the day. The current chapter attempts to explore Telugu cinema as culture and brand by analyzing the cases of the films like Pokiri, Magadheera, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. In addition, the study tries to understand the timeline of Telugu cinema, keeping the culture and branding in mind.
Los Angeles
Authors: Smirnov Kristen , Khowploum Gabriela
Published: September 2018

During the Twentieth Century, Los Angeles experienced periods of both positive and negative city branding. Its gleaming midcentury optimism devolved into challenges such as the Rodney King riots. However, modern leadership has a renewed sense of optimism in the Los Angeles city brand that appears to rest on a more integrated and therefore more sustainable foundation. This chapter examines examples of this more integrated and diverse approach toward Los Angeles' city brand. Examples include major events, industrial development, and examinations of certain cultural and ethnic enclaves. It ends with a discussion of how the specific actions taken by Los Angeles can be translated into other cities and their unique assets.
Investigation of Consumer Behavior
Authors: Baziana Sotiria , Tzimitra-Kalogianni Eirini
Published: September 2018

Evidence shows that sustainability not only helps a business case getting stronger, but also embraces a sustainability agenda which can stimulate innovation, pushing companies to rethink their operations, products and business models. In addition, during the past few years the demand for organic wine has increased and many Greek businesses have entered the market, advertising the superiority of organic wine. The main objective of this study is to portray the need for an implementation of new technologies in the distribution and supply of organic wine in the city of Xanthi. Furthermore, the investigation of consumers' attitude will constitute the basis for further development of business strategies regarding sustainability and innovation in the agri-food chain. From the quantitative and qualitative data, the statistical analysis will provide findings on consumer behavior, attitudes, new trends, and factors that affect the choice of organic wine. Finally, the current paper is indicative of the general consumer stance towards organic-products.
The Power of Associations in Creating, Building, and Sustaining Brand Value
Authors: Kara Ayşe , Arslan Gamze
Published: September 2018

Establishing connection with consumers or making existing communications more powerful is curcial to attain sustainability in today's branding world. Day by day competition is getting more fierce, and the variety of products in the market even for one simple need is extraordinary in range of span. Consequently, brand managers go through rough times lately, constantly looking for alternative ways to differentiate themselves from brands of competition such as focusing on different aspects such as strengthening their images, placing associations in consumer minds, and designing better positioning to differentiate themselves apart from their competitors. Since literature is scarce with respect to pinpointing the role of brand associations in attaining brand reputation, this chapter attempted provide an overview to pinpoint the relationship between brand associations and purchasing behavior and the effects of brand associations on consumer perception to emphasize the role of associations in acquiring brand reputation.
#TerroristFinancing
Authors: Tierney Michael
Published: September 2018

This article describes how the internet has come to play a central role in terrorist financing endeavours. Online channels allow terrorist financiers to network with like-minded individuals, in order to increase support, raise funds, and move wealth across the international system. For instance, the Islamic State, Hezbollah, and other groups have become adept at using these channels to finance their activities. Therefore, increased examination is required of the ways in which terrorists use the internet to raise and move funds. This study assesses some of the current trends and risks associated with online terrorist financing. Some policy options are also outlined, in order to reduce the threat of terrorist financing via the internet moving into the future.
Management of Chronic Mental Illnesses and Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Sinha Pallavi , Garg Amit , Khanna Prerna , Khanna Amit
Published: September 2018

There is vast literature available about prevalence and pattern of substance use in patients with Chronic mental illness such as Schizophrenia. Many of these studies have also investigated the issues related to the impact of substance use on the course and prognosis of the mental illness and vice versa. The factors affecting the use and its impact on treatment have also been studied to some extent in the Western countries. Estimates of the prevalence of substance abuse in schizophrenia and major affective disorder vary as a function of settings (e.g., community, hospital-in-patient vs. out-patient), demographic characteristics of the sample and assessment methods, with most prevalence rates ranging between15% to 65%. Patients with Chronic Mental illnesses and Substance use disorders are difficult to treat and many models for their management have been proposed. This chapter will deal with some of these issues.
Chronic Mental Illness and the Changing Scope of Intervention Strategies, Diagnosis, and Treatment in Child and Adolescent Population
Authors: Garg Bhavuk , Khanna Prerna , Khanna Amit
Published: September 2018

A significant proportion of the Child and Adolescent population suffer from a psychological or psychiatric disorder. It is estimated that at least 20% of the child and adolescent population is affected mental health problems and largely this is undetected. Some of the mental health problems are severe and disabling and tend to be chronic in nature. Childhood forms an important phase in the development period of life during which one develops physically, emotionally, socially, intellectually and morally. Chronic and severe mental health problems in children impact the overall development of the child thereby leading to significant and lifelong disability. The scope of this chapter has been narrowed to include two important chronic mental illness in children mainly Schizophrenia and Bipolar Mood Disorder. The Authors will discuss the clinical features, course, outcome and treatment strategies. Special issues in children are also discussed in terms of diagnosis and treatment.
Long-Term Care Spending Relevant to U.S. Medicaid Expansion
Authors: Schmeida Mary , McNeal Ramona Sue
Published: September 2018

The U.S. population is living longer, placing a demand on long-term care services. In the U.S., Medicaid is the primary player in funding costly long-term care for the aged poor. As a major health reform law, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148, gives financial incentive for states to expand Medicaid, transitioning long-term care services from facilities toward community care. Facing other funding obligations and recent recessions, not all states expanded their Medicaid long-term care program using the financial incentives. Some states continue to spend more dollars on traditional nursing facility care despite legislation. This chapter explores why some states spend more revenue on nursing facility long-term care despite enhanced federal funding to reform, while others are spending more on home and community-based services. Regression analysis and 50 state-level data is used.
Bioinformatics
Authors: Ragan Mark A.
Published: September 2018

Bioinformatics has emerged as new discipline at the interface of molecular bioscience with mathematics, computer science, and information technology. Bioinformatics is driven by data arising from high-throughput technologies in molecular bioscience. To enable biological discovery, bioinformatics draws on and extends technologies for data capture, management, integration and mining, computing, and communication technology. The rise of genomics has been a key driver for bioinformatics. Genomics, however, was never an end unto itself, but rather was intended to enable the understanding of complex biological systems. Bioinformatics continues to evolve in support of its constituent domains and, increasingly, their integration into genome-scale molecular systems biology. This chapter presents bioinformatics first from the perspective of computer science and information technology, then from the perspective of bioscience. In practice these perspectives often merge, making bioinformatics a rich, vibrant area of multidisciplinary research and application.
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Diffusion and an Examination of Physician Resistance
Authors: MacIver Kristen , Ngafeeson Madison N.
Published: September 2018

Since the enactment of the United States Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in 2009, there has been substantial progress in the diffusion of electronic health record (EHR) systems in medical clinics throughout the United States. Many physicians, however, continue to resist adopting EHR technology despite several accepted, long-term benefits and available government-sponsored financial incentives. The objective of this chapter is to provide insight into the question as to why physicians are resistant to adopting EHR technology. This chapter details several of the benefits of EHR systems and uses a systematic review of literature to critically analyze and detail the most common perceived physician barriers to the adoption of EHRs. With the awareness of the major physician barriers to the adoption of EHR technology, stakeholders and policymakers can address barriers and pursue actions to mitigate or reduce physician resistance to achieve nationwide diffusion targets and pursue initiatives to digitize all patient records.
Internet of Things Applications for Healthcare
Authors: Diković Ljubica
Published: September 2018

This chapter shows how the internet of things (IoT) can be applied for various purposes in the healthcare domain. The functioning of this concept has enabled the collection of a number of technologies in the field of telecommunications, information technology, electronics, and social sciences. M-health as a part of e-health could be defined as synergistic solution of mobile computing, medical sensor, and communications technologies for healthcare, whose common goal is wirelessly monitoring the psycho-physical state of health or remote patient monitoring. This concept represents the evolution of e-health systems to wireless and mobile configurations. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive review of recent solutions as well as possible future implementations from the m-health perspective. Further developments in wireless communications and configurations will have a huge impact on future healthcare delivery systems.
Maintenance Policies Optimization of Medical Equipment in a Health Care Organization
Authors: Roig Juan Ignacio , Gómez Andrés , Romero Isabel , Carnero María Carmen
Published: September 2018

The aim of this chapter is to minimize the corrective breakdowns produced in the electromedical equipment of a healthcare organization. To this, an optimization plan of maintenance policies will be developed. This plan includes the creation of preventive maintenance datasheets. The data used in this research has been obtained from the computerized maintenance management system, which is owned by the healthcare organization. Different types of rankings have been made in the stocks to prioritize items by family of equipment and by average work orders by equipment generated. The maintenance tasks are optimized to preserve the satisfactory working conditions and the performance of equipment in the healthcare organization optimizing available resources. All of this is intended to anticipate the maintenance activity to breakdowns and to prevent the care quality from diminishing by increasing the patient waiting time by unavailability of medical equipment in the treatments and diagnostic tests.
The Optimal Workforce Staffing Solutions With Random Patient Demand in Healthcare Settings
Authors: Kolker Alexander
Published: September 2018

Staffing planning is paramount for cost-efficient workforce management. An accurate assessment of the required staffing level for the specific time period is an integral part of the hospital budgeting and planning process. Daily fluctuations of patient census create staffing planning challenges to many organizations. There is a growing trend for hospitals to use data analytics for determining the optimal staffing solutions. The dynamic nature of the staffing process creates two types of issues: (1) overstaffing vs. the planned budgeted level, which hurts operations margins, or (2) understaffing, which requires costly overtime and/or premium pay that also hurts margins and causes substandard quality of care. The goal of this chapter is providing an overview and examples of application of the methodology called the “newsvendor” framework. This methodology helps to develop the optimal nursing and other skill mix staffing solutions that minimize the total cost of over- and understaffing occurrences within the specified time period for the units with random patient census fluctuations.
Comprehensive E-Learning Appraisal System
Authors: Anton Jose Luis Monroy , Soriano Juan Vicente Izquierdo , Martinez Maria Isabel Asensio , Garcia Felix Buendia
Published: September 2018

The healthcare sector in the 21st century presents a big technological development. All fields of medicine are deepening their knowledge, which increases the volume of material that must be handled by professionals in each specialty. This large volume of material should be taken into account by health professionals, because it contributes to a better quality of care. The traditional way of teaching has been face-to-face classes; however, with rising technologies, virtual training via computers and virtual teachers are being implemented in some institutions. This change in the way of teaching also leads to changes in how to assess the knowledge gained through this method of learning. The aim of this chapter is to provide a small analysis of online training courses for health professionals, and deepen into an appraisal system developed to integrate different complementary variables, and how they can be implemented as a method addressed to assess online courses in a more comprehensive way.
Medical Equipment and Economic Determinants of Its Structure and Regulation in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Gavurová Beáta , Kováč Viliam , Šoltés Michal
Published: September 2018

The changing paradigm of health as well as its new tasks requires constant updating of state health policy. Health of the population in the Slovak Republic is considerably worse according to many indicators in comparison to the advanced countries of the European Union. The new health policy should reflect the economic capacity of the country based on the current data about health of the population, the requirements of the healthcare providers, and the healthcare sector itself. Its modification should be based on updated information on the health status of the population and its trends as well as the situation in use of medical devices and equipment. It reflects the contribution of these factors and should be designed to provide healthcare in the most appropriate way. Aspect of the medical equipment localization in the Slovak regions is an important point making solution of the mentioned issues clearer. Results of the analysis have confirmed the relevant facts there is unsuitable distribution of the medical equipment among the healthcare facilities in the Slovak Republic.
Cyber Bullying
Authors: Oravec Jo Ann
Published: September 2018

“Cyberbullying” comprises a wide spectrum of behaviors that have negative and often devastating impacts upon their targets (or “victims”). This chapter is intended to analyze research trends on cyberbullying as well as related concerns involving online harassment, online reputational damage, and cyberstalking. Its focuses are as follows: (1) analyze the conceptual work and research that have emerged on the technological and social aspects of the issues, with an emphasis on social media scenarios; (2) present insights as to how cyberbullying and reputational damage can best be mitigated, given current mental health insights and technological know-how; and (3) discuss why cyberbullying is of continuing importance to business, government, non-profit, and educational audiences. The chapter includes reflections about the moral and personal dimensions of cyberbullying. Cyberbullies can often combine anonymous interactions with personally identifiable ones to make it appear that more than one individual is participating, potentially intensifying the negative social impacts involved.
Elimination of Chromium (VI) by Adsorption onto Natural and/or Modified Kaolinite
Authors: Hezil Nouel , Fellah Mamoun , Assala Omar , Touhami Mohamed Zine , Guerfi Kamel
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of a natural and / or modified kaolinite to adsorb chromium-containing aqueous effluents in its most toxic form (the hexavalent chromate ion (Cr (VI)). Adsorbant used in the present study is a kaolinite of hydrothermal origin. The modified kaolinite has been prepared by insertion of a cationic surfactant DTAC in interlayer space of this clay. The modification method is generally performed by the cation exchange reaction in the liquid state. The specific surface areas determined by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K for the two samples of kaolinite (natural and modified) are succinctly 48.75 and 63.72 m2/g. Scanning electron microscopy has shown that the used clay is in tubular form. The treatment of natural kaolin by the intercalation of cationic surfactant increased its specific surface of about 18 %. Therefore its power sorptif increased which was found by a comparative study of adsorption of Cr (VI) on natural kaolin and / or modified.
Structural Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of Reactive Sputtered Cr-N and Cr-V-N Films
Authors: Aissani Linda , Fellah Mamoun , Nouveau Corinne
Published: September 2018

CrVN coatings between 10 and 26 at.-% V were prepared by PVD to investigate the effect of V on the properties of CrN system. The films were analysed using, DRX, X microanalysis, AFM SEM, scratch, tribometer and nanoindentation testers.The DRX spectrum shows the formation of (CrN-VN) phases and the examinations morphology show that the progressive change in the structure mode with adding V. The study of mechanical behavior shows degradation in the hardness and elastic modulus. On the other hand, the Cr-V-N film has a good wear resistance which remains lower than that of CrN film. Detachment of the Cr-V-N layer is observed at the all scratch trace while the CrN film exhibits best adhesion performance.
Fracture Toughness of Random Short Natural Fibers Polyester Composites
Authors: Rokbi Mansour , Imad Abdellatif , Herbelot Christophe , Belouadah Zouhyer
Published: September 2018

The aim of this paper is to describe the fracture behavior of composites reinforced with two layers of Alfa random. An alkaline treatment at 1, 5 and 10% for a period of 24 hours with NaOH solution was performed to improve the mechanical properties of Alfa fibers. The morphological and structural changes that occurred in fiber after treatment; and the effects of this treatment on the mechanical properties of composites were discussed and were supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Many aspects of studies reported in this paper are original, such as the strain energy release rate and intensity factor evaluation of Alfa composites.
Influence of Carbon Nanotubes on the Interlaminar Properties of Carbon Fiber Aluminum Metal Laminates
Authors: Shifa Madni , Tariq Fawad , Baloch Rasheed Ahmed
Published: September 2018

The present research work describes the fabrication and interlaminar properties testing of carbon fiber aluminum metal laminates (CARALL). CARALL was fabricated through hand layup process followed by compression molding technique and interlaminar properties were assessed through double cantilever beam (DCB) test short beam and flexural test. Different treatments were performed on the surface of aluminum alloy and parameters were optimized to ensure good adhesion between metal sheet and carbon composite layer. Pull-off adhesion test was performed to gauge the adhesion strength of epoxy resin on aluminum alloy sheet. Effect of Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was also investigated on the interlaminar properties of CARALL. Treated surface of aluminum alloy sheet was examined under Optical and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM). Porous surface was evident on aluminum sample due to surface treatment which contributes towards better adhesion between epoxy resin and metal surface through mechanical interlocking and diffusion mechanism. FE-SEM and stereo microscopy was also performed on fractured DCB samples and underlying fracture mechanism was discussed. Test results demonstrated that addition of MWCNTs deteriorated the interlaminar properties of CARALL by weakening the interface between treated aluminum surface and carbon composite.
Fabrication and Characterization of Laser Scribed Supercapacitor Based on Polyimide for Energy Storage
Authors: Malik Tayyaba , Naveed Shayan , Muneer Muhammad , Ali Mohammad Mohammad
Published: September 2018

Recently, supercapacitors have attracted a tremendous amount of attention as energy-storage devices due to their high-power density, fast charge–discharge ability, excellent reversibility, and long cycling life. In this research work, we demonstrate a laser scribed super capacitor based on polyimide (PI) substrate for the storage of electrical energy. PI substrate of thickness 200μm and area 1cm × 1cm was reduced by a laser engraver with a 450 nm wavelength in the form of stackable supercapacitor electrodes. Although, PI itself exhibits non-conductive behavior; however, by laser irradiation we change the surface properties of PI and reduce its resistance. The chemical property of irradiated PI was characterized with XRD where the carbon peak was observed at 2*theta = 25.44, which confirms the reduction of PI material in to a graphene-like substance. The electrical conductivity was analyzed with a probe station and observed to be 1.6mS. Two conductive regions were assembled into a capacitor device by sandwiching a PVA/H3PO4 electrolyte in between. During the charging and discharging characterization of the capacitor device, current density was observed to be 1.5mA/cm2. Capacitance versus voltage analysis was carried out and the device showed 75mF/cm2 against a voltage sweep of ±2V. The galvanostatic charging and discharging curve shows a symmetric behavior with respect to time exhibiting the stability and durability of the device.
Analysis of Electric Transport Mechanism of Barium Titanate by Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Humera Nudrat , Noor Hadia Noor , Riaz Saira , Naseem Shahzad
Published: September 2018

Barium titanate (BTO) samples were prepared by nanomilling based solid state reaction method. Dielectric behavior of BTO sample has been investigated by temperature dependent impedance spectroscopy. The impedance analysis of BTO samples confirm that hopping of electrons and defects coexisted in sample and contribution of grain and grain boundary to dielectric behavior is discussed. A single semicircular arc obtained by Nyquist plots whose radius decreased with increase in temperature illustrates the prominent role of grains. The activation energy of defects was calculated from Arrhenius plot. These defects may be due to oxygen vacancies and hopping between Ti+4 to Ti+3 ions.
Aging Behavior and Electric Field Induced Instabilities in Lead Magnesium Niobate - Titanate Relaxor Ferroelectric Single Crystal
Authors: Shabbir Ghulam
Published: September 2018

The aging characteristics and influence of electric field poling on the phase transitions in (1-x)Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-xPT) [110]-oriented single crystal were examined through temperature dependent complex capacitance study. In addition to two phase transition anomalies exhibited by the crystal in the virgin state, other phase transition instabilities were observed in the complex capacitance of the crystal under the external applied electric field. The aging behavior deviated from the linear logarithmic law and followed the stretched exponential expression typical for relaxor ferroelectrics. Moreover, aging decreased with frequency while it became faster with increase in temperature towards the paraelectric – ferroelectric structural phase transition temperature.
Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of SiCp/ 2009 Al by Cerium and Lanthanum Conversion Treatment
Authors: Aziz Irfan , Zhang Qi
Published: September 2018

The present study investigates the effect of lanthanide chlorides conversion coatings on the corrosion response of the 2009 Al alloy and SiCp reinforced 2009 Al MMCs. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization studies showed that the localized corrosion resistance increased after treatments with solutions having various combinations of CeCl3.7H2O and LaCl3.7H2O, with maximum increase noticed for 5000ppm CeCl3.7H2O. It was found that the protection degree effect obtained under similar coating conditions for 25 vol.% SiCp/2009 Al was relatively higher than 15vol.% SiCp/ 2009 Al MMC, but both of them were less than that of the unreinforced alloy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) accompanied with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed the deposition of Ce and/ or La oxides/ hydroxides on cathodic intermetallics/ SiCp and the existence of crevices at the SiCp/ matrix interfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that Ce was incorporated as Ce3+ and Ce4+ species in the coatings.