bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Big Data and Service Science
Authors: Ho Tu-Bao , Taewijit Siriwon , Ho Quang-Bach , Dam Hieu-Chi
Published: October 2013

Big data is about handling huge and/or complex datasets that conventional technologies cannot handle or handle well. Big data is currently receiving tremendous attention from both industry and academia as there is much more data around us than ever before. This chapter addresses the relationship between big data and service science, especially how big data can contribute to the process of co-creation of service value. In particular, the value co-creation in terms of customer relationship management is mentioned. The chapter starts with brief descriptions of big data, machine learning and data mining methods, service science and its model of value co-creation, and then addresses the key idea of how big data can contribute to co-create service value.
Dynamic Service Matchmaking Model and Algorithm
Authors: Pan Haixia , Wang Jing , Kosaka Michitaka
Published: October 2013

In the service industry, individual customer service requirements are different from the market demands. The requirements determined by the market demand are called static requirements, and those determined by individual customers in specific service processes are dynamic requirements. The service system is constructed according to the static requirements, to meet the market demand, and then, in each service process, the service system must combine its capabilities with the dynamic requirements of the specified customer to provide customized services. Using the dynamic requirements as input, the service system realizes its value in co-creation with the customers more efficiently. Dynamic service matchmaking is the process of matching the dynamic requirements of a specific customer to the service system’s capabilities, giving the most suitable service recommendation or customization. By using the theory of Ontology, the authors present a dynamic requirement description model. In this model, they first decompose services and requirements into sub-items. They then map these items to requirement ontology trees to calculate the similarity between service and requirement items. Finally, the authors calculate the weighted average of those similarities as the result of matchmaking. A dynamic service matchmaking problem is presented as an example for further explanation. The multi-stage dynamic matchmaking model takes this issue for a more complex situation and tries to compose a service bundle for a series of dynamic requirements.
The Design of Service Systems Architecture for Building Smart Public Infrastructures
Authors: Kawano Katsumi
Published: October 2013

This chapter shows a systems technologies framework to lead the approach to design information service system architecture standing on the systems concept. It also presents application examples for building smart public infrastructures. Moreover, it shows that a systems concept, autonomous decentralization, gives a consistent design approach for the reference architecture, the concrete architecture, and the implementation. The presented service system provides an autonomous process for a service receiver to get valued information changing the state of the receiver. The example of the service system provides, recursively, the information to see in smart public infrastructures (MIERUKA in Japanese) for rapid decision making among stakeholders in the business process.
Trends and Issues in Service Business Innovations in Japanese Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Sumi Tadao , Kitatani Taiichiro
Published: October 2013

Trends and issues in service business innovation in the Japanese manufacturing industry are discussed in this chapter. The manufacturing industry in Japan is rapidly changing to not only supply products but also provide solutions to customers. However, the business procedures and evaluations to manufacture products and supply services seem to have quite different aspects. That might raise issues for doing service business in manufacturing firms: service business models, quality and productivity of services, cost estimates and prices of services, establishment of management systems for service businesses, collaboration between second and third industrial sectors with service businesses, stable business management with products as flows, and services as stock businesses. These subjects and two case studies on advanced service businesses, such as a construction machinery company and an instrumentation company, are discussed.
An Analysis of Knowledge Space Concept and Recursive Approach for Servitizing in Manufacturing Industries
Authors: Belal H. M. , Shirahada Kunio , Kosaka Michitaka
Published: October 2013

This chapter proposes a knowledge space concept and a recursive approach to servitizing in the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing companies need to move up the value chain and compete on the basis of value delivered rather than on the basis of typical products. Therefore, more corporations are adding value to their core corporate offerings through services, which is called servitization, and the strength of service activities within the manufacturing industry (servitization) has become the main source of competitive advantage. This chapter identifies two exclusive approaches to adapting servitization in the manufacturing industry called the knowledge space concept and recursive approach, which also explains the value co-creation process with customers through integrating “B-to-B to C,” which produces a company that is a value provider.
A Value Co-Creation Model for Energy-Saving Service Business Using Inverters
Authors: Kosaka Michitaka , Yabutani Takashi , Zhang Qi
Published: October 2013

This chapter proposes a value co-creation model for the energy saving service business using inverters. The proposed model considers the effectiveness of the service business approach to reducing energy using inverters, where risk sharing between service providers and customers is very important to provide stable services to users in the long term. Service value co-creation in collaboration to share risks can be formulated and described in four steps of the KIKI model (Knowledge sharing related to the service system, Identification of the service field, Knowledge creation for the new service idea, and Implementation of the service idea). An example is shown to demonstrate the validity of the proposed model of collaboration.
Service-Oriented Organizational Management System for an Information Systems Business
Authors: Konno Shoji
Published: October 2013

Recently, the globalization of information system business has expanded all over the world. In order to enhance the service quality of the business, the authors examine adopting the “value in use” concept to a traditional organizational management system based on GDL. Now, they face the improvement problems, which are defined as transformation from GDL-oriented organizational management systems into service-dominant logic-oriented organizational management systems. In this chapter, the authors describe how to transform from the GDL-oriented system into the SDL-oriented management system by using the “value in use” concept, which is deeply related to service value creation.
Market Research through Online Custom Panel
Authors: Katarivas Renata Bendit , Bendit Zilla Patricia , Rosenthal Benjamin
Published: October 2013

Online panels are, more and more, an important form of collecting consumer information for marketing decisions. Consumer online panels are more used in developed countries than in third world countries. This chapter also talks about customized online panels within online panels in general. This chapter discusses the current challenges to the use of online panels in Brazil, according to the research experience of the leading provider of such methodology in the country. The chapter describes two cases of online panels in Brazil, and in one of them it describes the communal aspects of the panel and the implications that the communal traces bring to panel management. The chapter concludes with an analysis of research results, managerial implications, and future research directions.
Managing Public Service Innovation in Emerging Countries
Authors: Wei Fuxiang , Zhang Shuqin
Published: October 2013

The very nature of the monopoly of public services in most emerging countries leads to the complex drivers and results in public service innovation, as well as a series of social ethnic problems, such as universal access and equity. The chapter presents the nature of public services, public services innovation, and the main drivers of public services innovations. By using the field survey research, the chapter explores the innovation process and effects of the ticketing system innovation of China Railways. This study makes an attempt to understand how common interests of the less affluent neglected consumers can be addressed during the public service innovation process. The chapter presents contributing experiences and learning for other emerging countries based on insights from the ticketing system innovation of China Railways.
The Customer Relationship Management as an Element of the Acceleration of Society Evolution
Authors: Ramandimbiarison Lova Mirella Rakotomalala
Published: October 2013

Globalization and the rapid advance of information technology and communication have led to the emergence of new trends like postmodernity and hypermodernity. Madagascar, a future emerging economy, chosen as the research field, has not been immune to these phenomena. It is integrated into the global cultural system, although it is known for its specific traditional culture. Therefore, this work has demonstrated how the chosen tool of relationship marketing, which is Customer Relationship Management (CRM), can be an element of accelerated societal change and how CRM can cause changes in the Malagasy culture. The research presented in this chapter examines the four major roles of CRM as used in Madagascar to determine whether it is suitable for Malagasy consumers. This study may help service marketers of international companies in using new marketing tools as innovative means in emerging economies and increase their customer loyalty.
Hospitality Innovations in the Emerging Experience Economy
Authors: Bharwani Sonia
Published: October 2013

With the emergence of the experience economy, hospitality consumers have become qualitatively more discerning and are increasingly demanding innovative products and services. In order to understand the DNA of successful hospitality innovations, this chapter uses the case study of the Oberoi Group’s luxury resorts to examine the innovations in the components of the marketing mix. The chapter then looks at the innovative personalized experience options offered by the resorts to meet the exponentially rising bar of guest expectations. The strategic role that hospitality employees play in contributing to and implementing service innovations, as well as the importance of embedding a culture of excellence and creative thinking in the organisation by recruiting the right employees and by providing training, empowering and engaging them to enable to innovate on a continuous basis, is also highlighted.
Introduction to Labor and Health Economics
Authors: Driouchi Ahmed
Published: October 2013

This chapter introduces the main components of the book and focuses on the shortage in medical doctors, its causes, and its consequences. The implications on migration of medical doctors is also introduced. The role of the new economics of migration is identified as a promising research angle. A series of issues need to be analyzed in order to better understand the global health system and feed economic and social policies. These elements are discussed in relation to the outcomes of the new economics of migration of medical doctors in the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Eastern and Central Europe (ECE), and the European Union (EU).
Economic Models of Migration of Skilled Labor and Preliminary Empirical Evidence
Authors: Zouag Nada , Driouchi Ahmed , Boboc Cristina
Published: October 2013

This chapter introduces the major trends that have affected the perception of the migrations of skilled labor. Different models are introduced to capture the impacts of the decisions of skilled emigrants. The last and the more up to date models are the ones related to the new economics of skilled labor migration and its likely positive spillovers into education and research. Attempts to compare the best known models are also pursued in this chapter with preliminary empirical assessments based on some available data. The results attained confirm the promising role of these models of the new economics of skilled labor migration.
Perception by Moroccan Physicians of Factors Affecting their Migration Decisions
Authors: Chetioui Youssef
Published: October 2013

The variety of factors affecting migration decisions of medical doctors are confronted with the opinions of medical doctors operating in Morocco. The major objective of this exercise is to see how individual and environmental factors are perceived by each medical doctor who has selected to stay or to return to the country of origin after his or her medical studies. The method used in this research is based on the analysis of the information and data from a survey of physicians. This survey is based on the inputs from 117 medical doctors operating in different cities of Morocco. The results reveal that those with lower age and higher difficulties in medical practice constitute most of the medical doctors to relocate overseas. The migration conditions are also found to have a significant negative effect on respondents’ intention to migrate. The study reveals as well that labor wages, gender, the status of the hospital (private or public), and the situations prevailing in hospitals do not significantly affect the attitude of respondents about migration. These results confirm that the surveyed doctors have selected to not migrate but to operate in Morocco while those that migrate could have opposite assessments for the same factors. All the surveyed doctors have confirmed the importance of intensifying cooperation between hospitals and medical schools on both sides of the Mediterranean region. This cooperative framework creates new incentives for the promotion of exchanges of medical doctors, knowledge, and experiences between the South and the North. The intensification of this collaboration allows medical doctors to be more mobile, creating a new win-win process that is far from the brain-drain type of vision.
Medical Knowledge, North-South Cooperation, and Mobility of Medical Doctors
Authors: Driouchi Ahmed
Published: October 2013

This chapter introduces the overall context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the on-going cooperative frameworks and the triple helix approach with the support of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). These are devoted to accelerate the implementation of further collaboration between medical schools in both North and South of the Mediterranean area. Three important players are identified in each region. These include the medical school, the public authority, and the business related to healthcare. These players from North and South can engage in specific areas that are education, research, and development, before the identification of means and incentives to be further devoted to attract medical doctors. These collaborations follow the trends developed by international organizations, mainly the WHO. The most important conclusions attained in the previous chapters of the present book are also summarized in the present chapter.
Cloud Computing Overview
Authors: Shen Yushi , Li Yale , Wu Ling , Liu Shaofeng , Wen Qian
Published: October 2013

Cloud Computing is deemed the main trend of IT development for the coming decades, and it is to have a profound impact on the development of the human society and the world economy. In this chapter, the authors examine the history of cloud computing, the technical and business models, and the global implications of cloud computing’s development in the near future. Finally, the market demands for cloud computing and the foreseeable developmental stages are explored.
Cloud Infrastructure
Authors: Shen Yushi , Li Yale , Wu Ling , Liu Shaofeng , Wen Qian
Published: October 2013

This chapter focuses on the different aspects of cloud computing virtualization. It introduces the fundamental concepts of computer virtualization, storage virtualization, network virtualization, and application virtualization. Virtualization techniques, infrastructure, components, and implementation are described in detail.
Border Adaptive Micro-Base-Station for Wireless Communications
Authors: Gao Henry , Shen Yushi
Published: October 2013

This chapter presents a novel architecture, namely the border adaptive micro-base-station network, which can sufficiently meet the bandwidth requirements for the future wireless networks. From the three screens convergence point, the goal is to make the wireless service performance match that of the wired systems, instead of downgrading the performance of wired network applications to the wireless level. Based on the analysis of Shannon theory, the only way to build future wireless networks is to adopt this micro-base-station approach instead of progressively improving the traditional large-cell-base-station systems, such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
Impact of Cultural Differences on the Cloud Computing Ecosystems in the USA and China
Authors: Shen Yushi , Yang Jie , Keskin Tayfun
Published: October 2013

The IT industry is both fundamental and strategic to a nation’s economy. It continues to play a critical role in the industry’s upgrade and economic development in the foreseeable future. The future of the IT industry lies in cloud computing. In the recent years, many countries in the world are responding to cloud computing with much enthusiasm. The USA, Japan, and European countries have created strategies to develop cloud computing, aiming to become the leader of the new era. The Chinese government also sees cloud computing as a historic opportunity to rebuild competitive advantages and leapfrog Western countries. Against this backdrop, this chapter compares and contrasts the evolution of IT towards cloud computing between China and the Western countries, especially the USA.
Broadening the Scope of Ethical Consumer Behaviour
Authors: Chaminda J. W. Dushan , Ratnayake Nilanthi
Published: October 2013

Consumption is an essential everyday process. By very nature, it is a means of expressing our moral identities and an outlet for ethical obligations. In more recent years, ethical aspects of consumption have come under greater scrutiny with the emergence of ethical consumption discourses, and are currently associated with a range of consumer behaviours and responsible business practices. To this end, religion is an undeniably powerful and concurrently the most successful marketing force that can shape the ethical behaviour, yet under-investigated in consumption practices despite Corporate Socially Responsibility provoked ethical behaviour. Ethical consumption practices are regularly characterised as consumption activities that avoid harm to other people, animals or the environment where basic Buddhist teachings become more pertinent and practiced in Buddhist communities. This study conceptualises the importance of religious beliefs in ethical consumer behaviour and through researcher introspection methodology, the study empirically explore whether and how ethical consumerism is reflected through Five Precepts of Buddhism [i.e. (1) abstain from taking life, (2) abstain from stealing, (3) abstain from sexual misconduct, (4) abstain from false speech, and (5) abstain from intoxicants that cloud the mind]. The study contributes to the theory and teaching in the marketing discipline by linking how religious beliefs enhance ethical consumerism that remains largely unexplored.
Designing Analytical Approaches for Interactive Competitive Intelligence
Authors: Prilop Michael , Tonisson Liina , Maicher Lutz
Published: October 2013

Since Porter’s work on competitive strategies in the 1980s, the concept of competitive intelligence has become part of the management mainstream. Currently, two big shifts are challenging the state of the art. On the one hand there is the rise of the ubiquitous servicification in all industries which makes the existing methods for product-oriented industries outdated. On the other hand there is the rise of big data (volume, velocity, variety). Both shifts are driving the development towards interactive competitive intelligence systems. The authors introduced a framework for interactive competitive intelligence systems which overcome the sequential water-fall processes which are current CI practice. In the introduced framework they combine the concept of Key Intelligence Topics (KIT) with the concept of (boundary) objects from interaction theory. The authors demonstrated with examples within their “IP Industry Base” how interactive CI for service-oriented sectors can be implemented. The resulting vector-based representations of the companies’ service profiles allow the user to visualize, compare, retrieve and analyse companies in a constructive and scalable way.
Invited by God onto the worship stage: Developing missional communities through participation in Theo-drama
Authors: Nell Ian A. , Meyer Neil
Published: October 2013

When the front of the church begins to resemble a stage and the preacher, musicians and other leaders act like performers whilst the congregation takes on the role of an audience, then something is wrong with worship. But not only with worship: something is wrong with the church. A church longing to be missional � that is, a church in which all Christians are participants in the mission of God � needs to express that participation in its worship. Theological dramatic theory shows us how the Trinity acts out a grand narrative in creation, redemption and glorification, and invites us to participate in the Story being performed. This same narrative can be present in worship and can invite our immediate participation. But this cannot happen if either God or the congregation is relegated to the role of mere audience. However, when the Story is told and performed in worship and when the worshipping community is able to participate alongside the Trinity in the Theo-drama of worship, then worship takes on the ability to form that community missionally. Worship is a habit repeated week after week; therefore, its power to transform a community into a missonal congregation is immense.
Vocational Programs in the Federal Bureau of Prisons: Examining the Potential of Agricultural Education Programs for Prisoners
Authors: Coppedge Ricky H. , Strong Robert
Published: October 2013

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has a long-standing desire to be the pinnacle in corrections and correc- tional education. In 1891 Congress passed the Three Prisons Act, which established the federal prison system, prior to this Act federal inmates were housed in state, city, and county jails (Keve, 1991). The Act not only established the first three prisons, but also allotted $100,000 to each institution to create work- shops for the employment of inmates (Fields, 2005). These workshops culminated the early precursors of Vocational Training; programs that have grown and have become a cornerstone in correctional educa- tion over the past century. In 1930 Congress passed an Act establishing the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Act charged the new Bureau with establishing industries and farms with activities to provide for the proper rehabilitation and reformation of inmates (H.R. 7832). The programs that resulted from this charge have grown and changed over the century, where they were once agriculture based they have grown to include a variety of occupational skills to better aid inmates. Through continued research voca- tional training has proven to be a key implement that aids in reducing recidivism.
Corn Clubs: Building the Foundation for Agricultural and Extension Education
Authors: Uricchio Cassandra , Moore Gary , Coley Michael
Published: October 2013

Corn clubs played an important role in improving agriculture at the turn of the 20th century. Corn clubs were local organizations consisting of boys who cultivated corn on one acre of land under the supervision of a local club leader. The purpose of this historical research study was to document the organization, operation, and outcomes of corn clubs. The corn-club movement was cooperatively promoted by various groups such as universities, public schools, agricultural societies, state departments of agriculture, the United States Department of Agriculture, and various philanthropic groups. Corn clubs operated in both the white and Negro schools. The corn club movement increased the demand for agricultural education in public schools and influenced the development of the National FFA Organization and 4-H Youth Devel- opment Organization. Strategies and procedures from corn clubs can be adapted and utilized in agricul- tural and extension education today.
Educational Attainment Model for a Minor Child: The Next Generation
Authors: Kane John , Spizman Lawrence , Donelson Don
Published: October 2013

An ordered probit educational attainment model, used to predict the lost earning capacity of a wrongfully injured minor child, was created by Spizman and Kane (1992) and updated by Kane and Spizman (2001). This paper re-estimates the educational attainment model using the latest round of interviews from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997. The model specification has been updated to reflect recent findings on the determinants of educational attainment. We also examine the legal framework in which econometric techniques have been accepted and have become standard tools in litigation.
Assessing Economic Damages in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation: The State of Colorado
Authors: Lillydahl Jane , Mathis Gilbert L.
Published: October 2013

This article presents the legal framework for the assessment of economic damages in the state of Colorado. Special attention is given to the statutes, case law, and procedural rules that govern the estimation of damages in personal injury and wrongful death actions including medical malpractice and ski accidents. Also included are an overview of the jury instructions and the role of the forensic economic expert in the assessment of economic damages.
Source apportionment of PM10 in a North-Western Europe regional urban background site (Lens, France) using Positive Matrix Factorization and including primary biogenic emissions
Authors: Waked A. , Favez O. , Alleman L. Y. , Piot C. , Petit J.-E. , Delaunay T. , Verlinden E. , Golly B. , Besombes J.-L. , Jaffrezo J.-L. , Leoz-Garziandia E.
Published: October 2013

Abstract. In this work, the source of ambient particulate matter (PM10) collected over a one year period at an urban background site in Lens (France) were determined and investigated using a~Positive Matrix Factorization receptor model (US EPA PMF v3.0). In addition, a Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) was performed by means of the Hysplit v4.9 model to assess prevailing geographical origins of the identified sources. A selective iteration process was followed for the qualification of the more robust and meaningful PMF solution. Components measured and used in the PMF include inorganic and organic species: soluble ionic species, trace elements, elemental carbon (EC), sugars alcohols, sugar anhydride, and organic carbon (OC). The mean PM10 concentration measured from March 2011 to March 2012 was about 21 μg m−3 with typically OM, nitrate and sulfate contributing to most of the mass and accounting respectively for 5.8, 4.5 and 2.3 μg m−3 on a yearly basis. Accordingly, PMF outputs showed that the main emission sources were (in a decreasing order of contribution): secondary inorganic aerosols (28% of the total PM10 mass), aged marine emissions (19%), with probably predominant contribution of shipping activities, biomass burning (13%), mineral dust (13%), primary biogenic emissions (9%), fresh sea salts (8%), primary traffic emissions (6%) and heavy oil combustion (4%). Significant temporal variations were observed for most of the identified sources. In particular, biomass burning emissions were negligible in summer but responsible for about 25% of total PM10 and 50% of total OC at wintertime. Conversely, primary biogenic emissions were found to be negligible in winter but to represent about 20% of total PM10 and 40% of total OC in summer. The latter result calls for more investigations of primary biogenic aerosols using source apportionment studies, which quite usually disregards this type of sources. This study furthermore underlines the major influence of secondary processes during daily threshold exceedances. Finally, apparent discrepancies that could be generally observed between filter-based studies (such as the present one) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometer-based PMF analyses (organic fractions) are also discussed here.
Adolescent abortions: Situational analysis based on official statistics conducted in Kazakhstan during the last 5 years (2007-2011)
Authors: Alimbayeva Gulya Nazarovna , Chimbayeva Gulzhan Narimbayevna
Published: October 2013

In recent decades, adolescent pregnancy has become an important health issue in a great number of both developed and developing countries.We have investigated the official statistics database of the National Ministry of the Health (MoH) and their #13 Statutory Form (SF) and found the total number of abortions between 2007-2011 in Kazakhstan decreased by 28%. The total number of adolescent (≤15 and 15-18 years of age) abortions decreased by 52.7%. Contrary to this decrease in the total number of adolescent abortions, spontaneous abortions have increased from 23.2% to 45.0%. We found a tendency towards a decrease in the number of adolescents with the first pregnancy among adolescents 15-18 who had abortion between 2007-2011, from 51.3% to 35.8%. This clearly reflects the success of prevention activities among adolescents who have already had an abortion or birth. During the analyzed period, there were two lethal outcomes from abortions among girls 15-18 years old. There are some limitations in the assessment levels and dynamic changes of abortions among adolescents due to the division of age in the official statistical database.
On the Differential Market Reaction to Dividend Announcement: Evidence from an Emerging Equity Market
Authors: Bashir Usman , Shah Syed Zulfiqar Ali , Hussain Muntazir
Published: October 2013

The corporate finance literature for market reaction to dividend announcements reports mixed results
Applications of Supported Liquid Membranes and Emulsion Liquid Membranes
Authors: Molinari Raffaele , Argurio Pietro
Published: October 2013

Liquid membrane (LM)‐based processes represent a promising alternative to traditional separation processes as they combine extraction and stripping into a single stage, thus having great potential for significantly reducing cost and ecological impact. Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) and supported liquid membrane (SLM) are the most interesting LM‐based processes in view of large‐scale application. In the present article, some applications of these processes are described. To achieve the success of an ELM process on a large scale, an appropriate selection of the operating conditions, influencing both emulsion stability (e.g., type and concentration of surfactant, emulsification method) and the extraction/stripping process, is important. The optimized ELM process can be employed to efficiently remove organic (e.g., phenol, bisphenol A) and inorganic compounds (e.g., zinc, chromium, and cadmium) from wastewaters at industrial scale. SLM is today largely employed as a sample preconcentration technique for detecting analytes in liquid samples at trace levels in the field of biological and environmental analysis. The high process selectivity; the long‐term stability; the use of the hollow fiber configuration, characterized by high membrane surface area; the optimal quality of treated water; and the green character make the SLM process feasible and effective in concentrating and recovering metallic ions from dilute industrial wastewaters. Thus, the two LM processes considered represent powerful, attractive, and technically feasible methods for selective separation and concentration of both organic and inorganic compounds from dilute aqueous solutions fulfilling sustainability criteria.
Catalytic Membrane Reactors
Authors: Soltani Sahar , Sahimi Muhammad , Tsotsis Theodore
Published: October 2013

Membrane reactors combining reaction and membrane separation provide numerous advantages over conventional reactors, including retaining expensive catalysts, in situ purification, enhancing reaction rate, and reducing postprocessing of the reaction (by) products. In this article, two different ways were used to classify the various types of membrane reactors. One is based on whether the membrane is catalytic or noncatalytic, selective or nonselective, and whether or not a packed bed or a fluidized bed of catalysts is being used. The second classification is based on the membrane role: the extractor‐type, the distributor‐type, and the contactor‐type membrane reactors. This article presents the key features of these three types of reactors and the various classes of reactions these reactors have been applied, with emphasis on conventional (i.e., nonbiochemical) reaction systems.
Membranes for Osmotic Power
Authors: Sim S. T. , Wang Rong , Tian Miao , Fane Anthony G.
Published: October 2013

Pressure‐retarded osmosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis (RED) are two emerging membrane techniques that can utilize seawater to recover osmotic power from salinity gradients. Although such technologies are indeed at an early stage of development, they have attracted intensive interest worldwide. There are already an osmotic power pilot plant utilizing PRO technique in Norway and a pilot salt battery plant utilizing RED technique in the Netherlands. To appreciate how such demonstration plants would eventually result in sufficient cost reductions to enable broadscale deployment, it requires understanding of the working principles and the potential challenges facing the techniques. The aims of this article are to introduce fundamental aspects of the PRO and RED techniques, discuss the feasibility and challenges for achieving optimal power density, and provide an overview on the state of the art of the techniques in terms of PRO membrane development, and reducing the internal resistance and enhancing stack design in RED. The likely developments moving ahead in making the technology more mature for broadscale employment are also highlighted.
Membrane‐Based Treatment of Pulp and Paper Industry Wastewaters
Authors: Kallioinen Mari , Nyström Marianne , Mänttäri Mika
Published: October 2013

In this article, the use of pressure‐driven membrane filtration processes in the treatment of pulp and paper mill process and wastewaters is discussed. The article describes the characteristics of the waters and presents information relevant to optimal membrane and module choice in pulp and paper mill applications. Practical examples of membrane processes that are currently used at mill sites are also reviewed. The literature survey reveals that the pressure‐driven membrane processes have secured their position as a key technology in the treatment of pulp and paper industry process and wastewaters. They have been adopted with the aim of decreasing water consumption, recovering and recycling valuable compounds, and reducing the environmental impact of pulp and paper mills. It also seems that the use of pressure‐driven membrane processes will increase as the pulp and paper industry seeks to produce new products from compounds present in process and waste streams. Recovery, fractionation, and concentration of these compounds by membrane processes have proven to be very effective. Moreover, the tightening requirements for improved environmental protection will increase a need to close water cycles and increase the use of membrane processes at pulp and paper mills. The examples of industrial‐scale membrane applications show that membranes can already be used cost‐effectively. To further improve cost‐efficiency, one of the most significant future research needs is the development of novel membranes with lower fouling tendency, improved fractionation capacity, and improved resistance to conditions prevailing in pulp and paper mills and in wood‐based biorefinery processes.
Membrane Terminology
Authors: Guiver Michael D. , Hoek Eric M. V. , Nikonenko Victor , Tarabara Volodymyr V. , Zydney Andrew L.
Published: October 2013

The sections in this article are

General Terms

Carrier‐Mediated (Facilitated) Separations

Dialysis, Nanofiltration, Ultrafiltration, and Microfiltration Separations

Electrically Mediated Separations

Gas, Vapor, and Pervaporation Separations

Osmotic Processes

Acknowledgments
Membranes for Microfluidic Applications
Authors: Vladisavljević Goran T. , Kobayashi Isao , Nakajima Mitsutoshi
Published: October 2013

This article provides an overview of major membrane microfluidic techniques for the production and modification of liquid‐liquid and gas‐liquid dispersions and the most common membranes used in these processes. The main emphasis is on Shirasu porous glass (SPG) membrane, microengineered membranes, and single‐crystal silicon microchannel (MC) plates. For each membrane type, fabrication process and microfluidic applications are discussed. SPG membrane is an interconnected‐type membrane fabricated by spinodal decomposition, which has been widely used in membrane emulsification (ME) and membrane micromixing/nanoprecipitation processes leading to the generation of emulsions, micro‐ and nanobubbles, and micro‐ and nanoparticles. Typical microengineered membranes used in microfluidic applications are silicon nitride microsieves fabricated by photolithography and reactive ion etching, nickel membranes fabricated by UV‐LIGA process, and stainless steel membranes with laser‐drilled pores. Microengineered membranes are used in stirred cell, cross‐flow, and pulsating cross‐flow ME systems. In order to prevent damage to shear‐sensitive materials in the product stream, a shear stress on the downstream side of the membrane can be provided using oscillating (vibrating) or spinning (rotating) membrane. MC plates are microchips with 3D architecture consisting of an array of horizontal microgrooves or vertical straight‐through channels integrating with other features such as terrace lines, steps, and cross‐flow channels. They are usually fabricated in single‐crystal silicon by photolithography and anisotropic wet etching or deep reactive ion etching.
Relationship of Race/Ethnicity With Door‐to‐Balloon Time and Mortality in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Findings From Get With the Guidelines–Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Cavender Matthew A. , Rassi Andrew N. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Cannon Christopher P. , Peacock W. Frank , Laskey Warren K. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Peterson Eric D. , Cox Margueritte , Grau‐Sepulveda Marie , Schwamm Lee H. , Bhatt Deepak L.
Published: October 2013

Background

Prior studies have described racial/ethnic disparities in door‐to‐balloon (DTB) time for patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to compare DTB time between different racial/ethnic groups undergoing primary PCI for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction in Get With the Guidelines (GWTG).

Hypothesis

There may be differences in D2B time associated with race/ethnicity.

Methods

We identified 7445 white (n = 6365), African American (n = 568), and Hispanic (n = 512) patients undergoing primary PCI.

Results

There were no differences in the median DTB time between white (74 minutes; intraquartile range [IQR], 54–99), African American (77 minutes; IQR, 57–100), and Hispanic (75 minutes; IQR, 56–100) (P = 0.13) patients. There were no crude differences in DTB time ≤90 minutes; however, after adjusting for confounders, African American race was associated with lower odds of DTB time ≤90 minutes (odds ratio [OR]: 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70‐0.99; P = 0.04). This association was seen in African American males (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.55‐0.80) but not African American females (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.96‐1.68). Overall, Hispanic ethnicity was not associated with a difference in DTB time ≤90 minutes (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.77‐1.25; P = 0.88); although Hispanic males did have a slightly longer median DTB time compared with whites. During the study, the proportion of patients with DTB times ≤90 minutes increased for all groups, and mortality was similar between groups (white 3.8%, African American 3.0%, Hispanic 4.1%, P = 0.62).

Conclusions

In GWTG‐Coronary Artery Disease, small differences in DTB times persist among different races/ethnicities. However, the proportion achieving DTB times ≤90 minutes has increased substantially for all patients over time, and there was no association between race/ethnicity and in‐hospital mortality.
Seasonal variations in lower stratospheric gravity wave energy above the Falkland Islands
Authors: Moffat‐Griffin T. , Jarvis M. J. , Colwell S. R. , Kavanagh A. J. , Manney G. L. , Daffer W. H.
Published: October 2013

The gravity wavefield in the lower stratosphere (between 15 km and 22 km altitude) above Mount Pleasant Airport (51°49′S, 58°26′W) on the Falkland Islands is studied using over 2100 high‐resolution radiosonde soundings from 2002 to 2010. The seasonal variation in vertical direction of propagation shows a small decrease in numbers of upward propagating waves that is related to critical level filtering; however, there is a very large increase in numbers of downward propagating waves between July and September; this is attributed to the proximity of the edge of the polar vortex. There is a seasonal variation in gravity wave energy density, with a large peak during the austral autumn equinox; this is markedly different to results in the literature both from Rothera, on the Antarctic Peninsula, and stations on the main Antarctic continent. This seasonal pattern has been shown to be linked to variations in the sources of upward propagating gravity waves. The seasonal variation in gravity wave characteristics above Mount Pleasant Airport seen in our results suggests that the gravity wavefield in this region is determined by a combination of different gravity wave sources located above and below the lower stratosphere.
Surgical Outcomes of Gastrectomy for Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Takeshita Hiroki , Ichikawa Daisuke , Komatsu Shuhei , Kubota Takeshi , Okamoto Kazuma , Shiozaki Atsushi , Fujiwara Hitoshi , Otsuji Eigo
Published: October 2013

Background

This study was designed to determine the surgical outcomes of gastric cancer in elderly patients. This information can help establish appropriate treatment for these patients.

Methods

A total of 1,193 patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy between 1995 and 2010 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The clinicopathologic features of 104 elderly patients (aged ≥80 years) were compared with those of 1,089 nonelderly patients.

Results

(1) Tumors located in the lower‐third of the stomach, differentiated cancer, and surgery with limited lymph node dissection were more common in elderly patients. However, there was no difference in the proportion of laparoscopic gastrectomy between elderly and nonelderly patients. (2) Although surgical complication rates were similar in the two groups, the operative mortality rate was higher in elderly patients (1.9 %) than in nonelderly patients (0.7 %). (3) Elderly patients had a significantly poorer overall survival rate, whereas the disease‐specific survival rates of the two groups were similar. Limited lymph node dissection did not influence the disease‐specific survival rate of elderly patients. (4) The median life expectancy of elderly gastric cancer survivors was 9.8 years in patients aged 80–84 years and 6.0 years in those ≥85 years. The patients with limited lymph node dissection had slightly better prognosis.

Conclusions

The treatment results in elderly patients were comparable to those in nonelderly patients. These findings suggest that R0 resection with at least limited lymph node dissection according to Japanese guidelines should be considered, even for elderly patients.
Trends in Use of Upper Abdominal Procedures in Sweden 1998–2011: A Population‐Based Study
Authors: Sundbom Magnus , Hedberg Jakob
Published: October 2013

Background

Surgical care is constantly developing as demographic shifts occur and indications change when new techniques are introduced. The purpose of this study was to describe trends of in‐hospital upper abdominal procedures in Sweden during 1998–2011.

Methods

Data were collected from the National Patient Register containing annual number of procedures and procedures per 100,000 inhabitants. Comparisons were made between the first 3 years (1998–2000) and last 3 years (2009–2011). High‐volume procedures and resectional surgery were studied in particular.

Results

During the study period, a total of 435,394 upper abdominal procedures were performed in 318,991 individuals. The number of procedures increased 44.9 % between the early and late period. Bariatric surgery increased almost sixfold, with a substantial increase in laparoscopic gastric bypass to 58.2/100,000/year. The most common operation was cholecystectomy, 144.9/100,000/year. Liver resections tripled and, in total, major resectional surgery, performed on the esophagus, stomach, liver, and pancreas, increased by 36.3 %. Per 100,000 adult inhabitants and year, resections of the esophagus was performed in 2.3 patients, stomach in 5.9, liver in 9.0, and pancreas in 5.7, in late time period. An increase in all types of endoscopic work was observed.

Conclusions

In total, the number of upper abdominal procedures performed per inhabitant increased. Laparoscopic gastric bypass increased substantially and became the second most common procedure after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. An increase in resectional surgery was observed.
Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring Can Reduce Prevalence of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury in Thyroid Reoperations: Results of a Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Barczyński Marcin , Konturek Aleksander , Pragacz Krzysztof , Papier Aleksandra , Stopa Małgorzata , Nowak Wojciech
Published: October 2013

Background

The prevalence of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is higher in repeat than in primary thyroid operations. The use of intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) as an aid in dissection of the scar tissue is believed to minimize the risk of nerve injury. The aim of this study was to examine whether the use of IONM in thyroid reoperations can reduce the prevalence of RLN injury.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent thyroid reoperations with IONM versus with RLN visualization, but without IONM. The database of thyroid surgery was searched for eligible patients (treated in the years 1993–2012). The primary outcomes were transient and permanent RLN injury. Laryngoscopy was used to evaluate and follow RLN injury.

Results

The study group comprised 854 patients (139 men, 715 women) operated for recurrent goiter (n = 576), recurrent hyperthyroidism (n = 36), completion thyroidectomy for cancer (n = 194) or recurrent thyroid cancer (n = 48), including 472 bilateral and 382 unilateral reoperations; 1,326 nerves at risk (NAR). A group of 306 patients (500 NAR) underwent reoperations with IONM and 548 patients (826 NAR) had reoperations with RLN visualization, but without IONM. Transient and permanent RLN injuries were found respectively in 13 (2.6 %) and seven (1.4 %) nerves with IONM versus 52 (6.3 %) and 20 (2.4 %) nerves without IONM (p = 0.003 and p = 0.202, respectively).

Conclusions

IONM decreased the incidence of transient RLN paresis in repeat thyroid operations compared with nerve visualization alone. The prevalence of permanent RLN injury tended to be lower in thyroid reoperations with IONM, but statistical validation of the observed differences requires a sample size of 920 NAR per arm.