bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIV‐exposed uninfected infants: elevated cord blood Interleukin 8 (IL‐8) is significantly associated with maternal HIV infection and systemic IL‐8 in a Kenyan cohort
Authors: Lohman‐Payne Barbara , Gabriel Benjamin , Park Sangshin , Wamalwa Dalton , Maleche‐Obimbo Elizabeth , Farquhar Carey , Bosire Rose Kerubo , John‐Stewart Grace
Published: July 2018

Background

In low and middle income countries, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants demonstrate higher morbidity and mortality than their unexposed counterparts. To determine possible immune correlates of this effect, we investigated the impact of in utero HIV exposure on the uninfected neonatal immune milieu and maternal factors mediating these abnormalities in a cohort of vaginally delivered mother‐infants. Samples of delivery and cord blood plasma were selected from 22 Kenyan HIV‐infected women and their HIV exposed uninfected (HEU) infants drawn from the pre‐ARV era, while 19 Kenyan HIV‐uninfected (HU) women and their infants were selected from a control cohort.

Results

Compared to HU cord plasma, HEU cord plasma contained significantly higher levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukins (IL)‐6 and ‐8 (both p < 0.001) and significantly lower levels of CXC motif chemokine 11 (CXC11) (p < 0.001). Mediation analysis demonstrated that maternal HIV infection status was a significant determinant of infant IL‐8 responses: HEU status was associated with a ninefold higher infant:mother (cord:delivery) plasma levels of IL‐8 (p < 0.005), whereas maternal viral load was negatively associated with HEU IL‐8 levels (p = 0.04) and not associated with HEU IL‐6 levels.

Conclusions

Exposure to maternal HIV infection drives an increase in prenatal IL‐8 that is partially mediated by maternal cytokine levels. Differences between maternal and infant cytokine levels strongly suggest independent modulation in utero, consistent with prenatal immune activation. Elevated pro‐inflammatory signals at birth may interfere with T cell responses at birth and subsequently influence immune maturation and the risk of morbidity and mortality in HEU infants.
Addressing viscous effects in acoustic full-waveform inversion
Authors: Calderón Agudo Òscar , Vieira da Silva Nuno , Warner Michael , Kalinicheva Tatiana , Morgan Joanna
Published: July 2018

In conventional full-waveform inversion (FWI), viscous effects are typically neglected, and this is likely to adversely affect the recovery of P-wave velocity. We have developed a strategy to mitigate viscous effects based on the use of matching filters with the aim of improving the performance of acoustic FWI. The approach requires an approximate estimate of the intrinsic attenuation model, and it is one to three times more expensive than conventional acoustic FWI. First, we perform 2D synthetic tests to study the impact of viscoacoustic effects on the recorded wavefield and analyze how that affects the recovered velocity models after acoustic FWI. Then, we apply the current method on the generated data and determine that it mitigates viscous effects successfully even in the presence of noise. We find that having an approximate estimate for intrinsic attenuation, even when these effects are strong, leads to improvements in resolution and a more accurate recovery of the P-wave velocity. Then, we implement and develop our method on a 2D field data set using Gabor transforms to obtain an approximate intrinsic attenuation model and inversion frequencies of up to 24 Hz. The analysis of the results indicates that there is an improvement in terms of resolution and continuity of the layers on the recovered P-wave velocity model, leading to an improved flattening of gathers and a closer match of the inverted velocity model with the migrated seismic data.
Effect of Intravenous Dexamethasone on the Regression of Isobaric Bupivacaine Spinal Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Guay Juliane , Williams Stephan R. , Robin Florian , Ruel Monique
Published: July 2018

The effect of intravenous dexamethasone on the regression of sensory and motor block after isobaric bupivacaine spinal anesthesia is unknown. We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial on 60 patients who received intravenously either placebo (group P) or 8-mg dexamethasone (group D) during the intrathecal injection of 12-mg isobaric bupivacaine 0.5%. Primary outcome was the time from bupivacaine injection to regression of 2 dermatomes in relation to the highest dermatome blocked by the spinal local anesthetic. Time to 2-dermatome regression was 85 minutes (74–96 minutes) in group P versus 87 minutes (76–98 minutes) in group D (P = .79).
Kratom and General Anesthesia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Vermaire Deborah J. , Skaer Deborah , Tippets William
Published: July 2018

Kratom is a botanical substance derived from the Mitragyna speciosa plant, which grows naturally in Southeast Asia. Its active compounds include alkaloids with psychoactive and opioid properties. Low doses act as a stimulant, while higher doses cause analgesia and euphoria. As a drug of abuse, there are reports of seizure, acute psychosis, and death. Both the US Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency warn against the use of kratom. Here is the first reported case of an anesthetic in a patient using kratom for chronic pain.
Making Books to Form Readers
Authors: Zanger Abby E.
Published: July 2018

This essay examines the prolific use of woodcut images by Denis Janot, a well-known and successful sixteenth-century printer-publisher. It argues that the repetition and reuse of images both within and among books on Janot's list served as a form of branding that connected the reader not to one individual work but to the larger corpus of works produced by this industrious and skilled libraire. In this period, the book was not yet a familiar object to its users; in linking the recycling of images solely to economic and practical exigencies, scholars have misconstrued this practice and its import for publishing and reading. Such recycling of woodcuts can be better understood as a way to familiarize and form readers at the very earliest moments of establishing economic and sociocultural viability for the early modern French printed book.
What Made Reading Dangerous in Eighteenth-Century France?
Authors: Graham Lisa Jane
Published: July 2018

This article approaches reading by comparing the views of police officers and physicians in eighteenth-century France. Both had a vested interest in readers as part of their professional duties. Contrary to expectations, anxiety about reading cut across the ideological divisions of the Enlightenment. When we situate the police perspective on the dangers of reading in this broader conversation, we see their repressive activities in a new light. What distinguished their views from those of doctors, who targeted reading as a public health problem for medical intervention, was not their conviction that reading required regulation but their understanding of fiction and its effects. The police located the dangers of reading outside the text, not inside it. Reading fueled conversations, speculations, and the production of more texts. By contrast, the doctors warned about the absorptive powers of fiction and moved the danger zone inside the individual's imagination. This analysis suggests that attitudes toward reading revealed doubts about the human capacity for self-government that guided both royal officials and men of science in their diagnosis of social life.
Buffalo Bill Goes to France
Authors: Datta Venita
Published: July 2018

In 1889 and 1905 William F. Cody, commonly known as Buffalo Bill, took his Wild West show on a tour of Europe, playing to sellout crowds on both trips. Although at first glance Buffalo Bill may appear to be a symbol of the vanishing American West, he also represented the power of the new American colossus, embodied by the conquest of the frontier through the technology of the rifle. Buffalo Bill's Wild West was a symbol of American invention and ingenuity, employing electric lights and mass publicity techniques. The show, however, was not simply a demonstration of modern American enterprise and technology; its very message of the westward march of civilization was modern. Examining the reception of Buffalo Bill in France on two visits offers us a unique opportunity to explore the evolution of the relationship of the “sister republics” at a key moment in French and American history.
Hillis Miller on the End of Literature
Authors: Liyuan Zhu
Published: July 2018

In the first decade after 2000, the idea of “the end of literature” proposed by J. Hillis Miller aroused widespread controversy in Chinese academe. This article seeks to reiterate the original meaning of Miller’s statement while tracing the original Chinese context from which this debate arose. The article points out that the real reason for this debate is not that there are different understandings of Miller’s term the end of literature but that Chinese academics have become dissatisfied with and anxious about the increasingly marginal status of literature. This debate has coincided historically with scholarly concerns over visual culture, the aestheticization of everyday life, cultural studies, and globalization. Each of these discussions contains related insights into the future development and transformation of literary theory and its disciplinary boundaries.
Western Literary Theory in China
Authors: Miller J. Hillis
Published: July 2018

The authors of the essays on Western theory in China in this issue of MLQ all favor the development of a distinctively Chinese literary theory. Wang Ning focuses on the influence since 1950 of Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, and Alain Badiou. Zhang Jiang more or less totally rejects Western literary-critical theorists as guilty of what he calls “imposed interpretation.” Zhang eschews formulas or models in literary criticism in favor of reading each work as something unique and sui generis. Zhu Liyuan discusses in detail the influence in China of the present author’s “end of literature” essay. “Western Literary Theory in China” ends with a section about something the three Chinese authors do not stress, namely, the major changes in literary theory in every country, including China, brought about willy-nilly by the shift from print media to digital media. What happens to a literary work when it is read online rather than in print?
A predicted unstructured C-terminal loop domain in SIRT1 is required for cathepsin B cleavage
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Daitsh Yutti , Ben-Aderet Louisa , Qiq Omar , Elayyan Jinan , Batshon George , Reich Eli , Maatuf Yonatan Harel , Engel Stanislav , Dvir-Ginzberg Mona
Published: July 2018

The C-terminus of SIRT1 can be cleaved by cathepsin B at amino acid H533 to generate a lower-functioning, N-terminally intact 75 kDa polypeptide (75SIRT1) that might be involved in age-related pathologies. However, the mechanisms underlying cathepsin B docking to and cleavage of SIRT1 are unclear. Here, we first identified several 75SIRT1 variants that are augmented with aging correlatively with increased cathepsin B levels in various mouse tissues, highlighting the possible role of this cleavage event in age-related pathologies. Then, based on H533 point mutation and structural modeling, we generated a functionally intact ΔSIRT1 mutant, lacking the internal amino acids 528–543 (a predicted C-terminus loop domain), which exhibits resistance to cathepsin B cleavage in vitro and in cell cultures. Finally, we showed that cells expressing ΔSIRT1 under pro-inflammatory stress are more likely to undergo caspase 9- dependent apoptosis than those expressing 75SIRT1. Thus, our data suggest that the 15-amino acid predicted loop motif embedded in the C-terminus of SIRT1 is susceptible to proteolytic cleavage by cathepsin B, leading to the formation of several N-terminally intact SIRT1 truncated variants in various aging mouse tissues.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Differentiating spinal intradural-extramedullary schwannoma from meningioma using MRI T
2 weighted images
Authors: Takashima Hiroyuki , Takebayashi Tsuneo , Yoshimoto Mitsunori , Onodera Maki , Terashima Yoshinori , Iesato Noriyuki , Tanimoto Katsumasa , Ogon Izaya , Morita Tomonori , Yamashita Toshihiko
Published: July 2018

Objective:

Prior studies advocate the subjective visual differences between meningioma and schwannoma on T  2 weighted images, however objective measurement of signal intensity differences may be useful in certain cases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an objective evaluation of SIs on T  2 weighted images would be useful to differentiate spinal schwannomas from meningiomas.

Methods:

The patients with spinal MRIs demonstrating path proven and subsequently treated intradural extramedullary spinal tumors were selected between April 2008 and May 2017. Regions of interest (ROIs) were measured in the tumor and subcutaneous fat on the same image, and we calculated the SI ratio between tumor and fat ROIs.

Results:

Twenty patients each with meningioma and schwannoma were enrolled. The SI ratios of schwannomas were significantly higher than those of meningiomas (both researcher 1 and 2: p = 0.002). The areas under the curve by researchers 1 and 2 were 0.780. The cutoff value of SI ratio by both of researchers 1 and 2 to differentiate between schwannomas from meningiomas was 0.420 (sensitivity: 80.0%, specificity: 70.0–75.0%).

Conclusion:

The SI ratio, calculated from the SIs of the tumor and fat on T  2 weighted images, is useful for differentiating spinal schwannomas from meningiomas to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

Advances in knowledge:

Signal intensity ratio of the spinal tumor and fat on T  2 weighted images is useful for differentiating schwannomas from meningiomas to obtain an accurate diagnosis.
A Univariate Analysis of Unemployment and Inflation in Italy: A Fractionally Integrated Approach
Authors: Gil-Alana Luis A.
Published: July 2018

In this article we examine the behaviour of unemployment and inflation in Italy (1970-1994) by means of fractionally integrated techniques. Using a version of the tests of Robinson (1994a) that permits us to test I(d) statistical models, the results show that both variables are I(d) with d smaller than 1, thus implying mean reverting behaviour. This order of integration substantially varies depending on how we specify the I(O) disturbances, though in general, it oscillates around 0.80 for unemployment and 0.60 for inflation, suggesting that unemployment is more persistent than inflation. Splitting the sample in 1980, the degree of persistence seems higher for the second subperiod in both variables.
Core Inflation: Robust Common Trend Model Forecasting
Authors: Moreira Ajax R. B. , Migon Helio S.
Published: July 2018

Monetary authorities need a measure of the future inflation trend to keep inflation on target. Many alternative core inflation measures appear in the recent literature intending to avoid the deficiencies of the usual headline inflation index as a predictor. This price index is defined as some weighted average of the individual price change for a list of goods and services. Its use as a future inflation indicator is criticized in the literature because the products are heterogeneous in respect to the variability and some of the prices involved have relevant seasonal movements. A multivariate model simultaneously including the seasonal effects of each component of the price index and a common trend - core inflation - will be developed in this paper. The model is phrased as a dynamic model and a robust sequential filter is introduced. The posterior and predictive distributions of the quantities of interest are evaluated via stochastic simulation techniques, MCMC - Markov chain Monte Carlo. Different models are compared using the minimum posterior predictive loss approach and many graphical illustrations are presented.
Long-run Implications of the Brazilian Capital Stock and Income Estimates
Authors: Gomes Victor , Bugarin Mirta N. S. , Ellery-Jr Roberto
Published: July 2018

The present study aims to analyze the empirical as well as theoretical implications related to the possible inconsistencies between the Brazilian capital stock estimate and its associated investment decision. The common practice of using the country’s accumulated (depreciated) fixed capital formation data as a proxy for the capital stock series generates a set of incompatible facts with dynamic models built on balanced growth and on aggregate production functions. Moreover, a related issue on the Brazilian capital income is considered in our analysis. According to the country’s National Accounts, the participation of capital income reaches about half of the aggregate income which is an unusual high share compared to international standards. It is shown that this problem can also be solved using alternative methods that lead to a more suitable capital stock series to be used in recursive equilibrium models. Finally, the long-run impacts of using the proposed capital stock series is studied using a modified basic growth model calibrated to reproduce some Brazilian empirical facts
Πετρολογική - ορυκτολογική μελέτη των μεταβασιτών (πρασινιτών) της Λαυρεωτικής γεωτεκτονικό περιβάλλον σχηματισμού τους
Authors: ARIKAS Κ. , PAPE Μ. , ΣΕΡΕΛΗΣ Κ. , ΤΣΑΓΚΑΛΙΔΗΣ Α.
Published: July 2018

The SE part of Attica belong to the Attico Cycladic massif and comprises gneiss, quartzites series of marble and scists, metabasites and metaultrabasites. The metabasites (prasinittes) of Laurium area recognized in over 60 outcrops. The main mineral of the metabasites are actinolites, actinolitic hornblende glaucophan frequently altered to chlorite, albite, epidot - clinozoisite and chlorite which in the most frequent mineral. According to the mineral composition those metabasites have been affected by an intermediate to high temperature green - schist metamorphic phase. Nevertheless the presence of glaucophane shows that a high pressure metamorphic phase under subduction conditions was preceded. The detailed study of distinctive classification diagrams based on the main and trace elements of the Laurium prassinites showed a subalkalic basaltic character. The geotectonic environment of thoss basaltic magmas should be of MORB type with a tholeiitic character belonging the E or PMORB type basalts
Late palaeozoic magmatism in the basement rocks Southwest of Mt. Olympos, Central Pelagonian zone, Greece: Remnants of a permo-carboniferous magmatic arc
Authors: REISCHMANN T. , KOSTOPOULOS D. K. , LOOS S. , ANDERS B. , AVGERINAS A. , SKLAVOUNOS S. A.
Published: July 2018

We dated basement rocks from several localities southwest of Mt. Olympos, as well as from a locality near the top of the mountain using the single zircon Pb/Pb evaporation technique. For the samples southwest of the mountain, the ages obtained range from ca. 280 to 290 Ma, with only a few zircon grains being around 300 Ma. By contrast, the sample from near the top of the mountain appears to be slightly younger, with ca. 270 Ma. These ages imply that the granitoids crystallized during Late Carboniferous - Early Permian times, and are therefore younger than the basement gneisses of other regions of the Pelagonian zone, which yielded zircon ages of around 300 Ma (e.g. Yarwood & Aftalion 1976, Mountrakis 1983, De Bono 1998, Engel & Reischmann 2001). However, the ages obtained in the present study are identical, within error, to the muscovite Ar-Ar cooling ages from Mt. Ossa (Lips 1998). Our geochronological data show that the magmatic evolution for this part of the basement of the Pelagonian Zone lasted at least 30 Ma.
Characterization of Panton–Valentine leukocidin-positive Staphylococcus aureus from skin and soft tissue infections and wounds in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ayepola Olayemi O. , Olasupo Nurudeen A. , Egwari Louis O. , Schaumburg Frieder
Published: July 2018

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a significant pathogen implicated in numerous nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) can be associated with severe necrotizing diseases such as pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI). 

Methods: In total, 96 S. aureus isolates were obtained from patients presenting with wounds (n=48) and soft tissue infections (SSTIs, n=48). These were characterized based on their antimicrobial susceptibility profile, the possession of virulence genes (e.g. capsular type, PVL), accessory gene regulator (agr) type, and the staphylococcal protein A (spa) type. The production of the PVL protein was assessed by western blotting.

Results: All isolates were susceptible to methicillin. The resistance was highest to penicillin (97.9%), followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (85.4%) and tetracycline (10.4%). The PVL gene was found in 83.3% of isolates from SSTIs and in 79.2% of isolates from wound. Of these, 53 (68%) produced PVL as assessed by western blotting. The most prevalent spa type was the t084 (78.1%, n=75) and, majority of the isolates carried agr2 (82.3%, n=79).

Conclusions: Prevalence of antibiotic resistant PVL-positive methicillin susceptible S. aureus strains has severe implications on PVL mediated infections.
Extraction, purification, and activity of protease from the leaves of Moringa oleifera
Authors: Banik Swarnali , Biswas Shrutidhara , Karmakar Srabani
Published: July 2018

Background: Proteases cleave proteins, thereby providing essential amino acids for protein synthesis, and degrade misfolded and damaged proteins to maintain homeostasis. Proteases also serve as signaling molecules, therapeutic agents and find wide applications in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.  Plant-derived proteases are suitable for many biomedical applications due to their easy availability and activity over a wide range of pH, temperature, and substrates. Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae) is a very common food plant with medicinal property and geographically distributed in tropical countries. Here, we isolate proteases from the leaves of Moringa oleifera and characterize its enzymatic activity.

Methods: Proteases were isolated from the aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera by ammonium sulfate precipitation and purified by ion exchange chromatography. Subsequently, the enzyme kinetics was determined using casein as a substrate and calibrated over different pH and temperature range for maximal activity.

Results: We obtained purified fraction of the protease having a molecular weight of 51 kDa. We observed that for the maximal caseinolytic activity of the protease, a pH of 8 and temperature of 37ºC was found to be most effective.

Conclusion: The plant-derived proteolytic enzymes are finding increasing clinical and industrial applications. We could extract, purify and characterize the enzymatic activity of proteases from the leaves of Moringa oleifera. Further molecular characterization, substrate specificity and activity of the extracted protease are required for determining its suitability as a proteolytic enzyme for various applications.
TRAYECTORIA DE APRENDIZAJE DE LA LONGITUD Y SU MEDIDA COMO INSTRUMENTO CONCEPTUAL USADO POR FUTUROS PROFESORES
Authors: Sánchez-Matamoros García Gloria , Moreno Moreno Mar , Pérez Tyteca Patricia , Callejo de la Vega María Luz
Published: July 2018

El objetivo de este trabajo es caracterizar el uso de una trayectoria de aprendizaje de la longitud y su medida como instrumento conceptual para favorecer la adquisición de la competencia docente “mirar profesionalmente” el pensamiento matemático de los niños. Participaron 64 estudiantes de la carrera de maestro de educación infantil que siguieron un módulo de enseñanza. Este módulo estaba articulado en torno a una trayectoria de aprendizaje sobre la longitud y su medida, con objeto de que los futuros maestros la usaran como instrumento conceptual para describir e interpretar las respuestas de niños de educación infantil a situaciones de enseñanza-aprendizaje (primer esquema de acción instrumental) y proponer tareas en función de la comprensión inferida (segundo esquema de acción instrumental). Los resultados muestran que hay estudiantes que se preparan para ser maestros que no desarrollan ningún esquema de acción instrumental, y otros desarrollan el primer esquema y algunos, ambos; esto proporciona evidencias de la adquisición de la competencia arriba señalada.
“I am Different, Not Less”: Temple Grandin and Strengths-Based Leadership Education
Authors: Rosson Haley , Weeks Penny Pennington
Published: July 2018

The use of film as a teaching methodology in an undergraduate personal leadership development course helped students apply strengths-based leadership concepts. The film Temple Grandin was utilized to illustrate key concepts from Buckingham and Clifton’s (2001) text, Now, Discover Your Strengths. After completing the Gallup Clifton StrengthsFinder® assessment, students viewed the film Temple Grandin and identified Dr. Grandin’s perceived top five strengths in relation to scenes from the film. Several lessons were devoted to the exploration and development of students’ strengths. This practice paper describes the teaching methodologies employed and provides recommendations for leadership educators seeking to implement the use of film in their courses.
Multilateral Bargaining in Networks: On the Prevalence of Inefficiencies
Authors: Lee Joosung
Published: July 2018

We introduce a new noncooperative multilateral bargaining model for network-restricted environments in which players can bargain only with their neighbors. The main theorem characterizes a condition on network structures for efficient equilibria. If the underlying network is either complete or circular, an efficient stationary subgame perfect equilibrium exists for all discount factors—all the players always try to reach an agreement as soon as practicable, and hence no strategic delay occurs. In any other network, however, an efficient equilibrium is impossible if a discount factor is greater than a certain threshold, as some players strategically delay an agreement. We also provide an example of a Braess-like paradox, in which network improvements decrease social welfare.

The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2018.1725 .
Social work and Marxism: a short essay on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Karl Marx
Authors: Garrett Paul Michael
Published: July 2018

Marxism is frequently regarded in a disdainful and dismissive way in social work education. However, often drawing on Marx’s own words, this article argues that many of his focal ideas have continuing resonance for contemporary social work. Three key themes are briefly examined: Marx’s analysis of labour and working lives in a capitalist society; neoliberalism and the voraciousness of capital; and the role of the state and dominating ideology. Finally, the discussion will turn from theory to praxis, illustrating how practitioners and educators within the field of social work might endeavour not only to ‘interpret’ the world, but also to ‘change’ it.
Avaliação Contínua da Aprendizagem como Indicador da Qualidade Educacional
Authors: Fonseca Ubaldo De Jesus , Lopes Mário Marcos
Published: July 2018

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a eficácia dos critérios da avaliação contínua da aprendizagem como indicador da qualidade educacional. Tomando como base um curso de graduação presencial em uma faculdade da rede pública estadual. O embasamento teórico envolveu autores como Luckesi (1995), Masetto (2003), Hoffmann (1999), Chueriri (2008), Pacheco (1995), Perrenoud (1999), Santos (2005), Stufflebeam (1987), assim como a Lei de Diretrizes e Base da Educação Nacional, o Projeto Político Pedagógico e o Regimento de uma faculdade pública. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida de forma exploratória e classificada como bibliográfica. Foi constatado nesse estudo entre outros resultados, que os atuais critérios de avaliações discentes são ineficazes, devendo os mesmos passarem por uma reestruturação. Contudo, propõe-se uma mudança drástica na cultura enraizada no Brasil, onde existe uma necessidade de quantificar o desempenho dos alunos em notas.
Percepção Motivacional dos Servidores de uma Instituição Pública Federal
Authors: Silva Adalberto Campinho da , Silva Bruno Cezar , Silva Maria Gabriela Jandiroba
Published: July 2018

Uma forma eficiente de diagnosticar o nível de motivação em um ambiente organizacional é por meio da expressão da percepção dos seus colaboradores. Nesse estudo propôs-se verificar o nível de motivação para o trabalho dos servidores de uma instituição pública federal, em Petrolina/PE, perante uma escala de motivação conhecida. Adotou-se a escala Multi-Moti, pois permite a identificação de quatro dimensões de motivação associadas ao trabalho. Aplicou-se um questionário fechado, constituído de itens demográficos e da escala motivacional relacionada a uma escala Likert de cinco pontos. Os resultados mostraram que o nível de motivação percebido pelos servidores é positivo, tendo obtido média geral de 3,31 pontos de 5,00. Que a expressão da percepção de motivação dos servidores face a motivação para realização e poder destacou-se como detentora da maior média, diferenciando-se significativamente das demais. Diferenciação correlacionada à percepção de fatores ligados diretamente ao enaltecimento, valorização e a perspectivas de ascensão profissional.
Síndrome da Morte Súbita Infantil (SMSI): aspectos acerca das principais causas e as formas de prevenção
Authors: Martins Maria Eliana Pierre , Amorim Liromaria Maria De , Rodrigues Micaelle Nayara Dias , Lima Danielly Gonçalves Sombra , Moreira Jamacir Ferreira
Published: July 2018

O presente artigo objetiva refletir aspectos relacionados a Síndrome da Morte Súbita Infantil (SMSI).  A SMSI é uma expressão usada para se referir a uma morte repentina e inesperada, na maioria dos casos inexplicável, que pode acometer os bebês no seu primeiro ano de vida. Trata-se de uma das maiores causas de morte infantil, ocupando inclusive a oitava posição nos países desenvolvidos. Em países como o Brasil, não existe uma coleta de dados que seja suficiente para uma avaliação das influências socioculturais ou geográficas quanto ao desenvolvimento da enfermidade. Ações educativas direcionadas às gestantes, mães, pais e cuidadores, podem ajudar a reduzir os casos de mortalidade subida infantil.
O Controle Social na Efetivação das Políticas Públicas com ênfase na Assistência Social
Authors: Carvalho Marília Gabriela , Santos Luam Leiverton Pereira dos
Published: July 2018

: O Controle Social das Políticas Públicas no Brasil é um instrumento capaz de ampliar os horizontes dos processos democráticos e de contribuir para redução das desigualdades sociais, de forma substantiva e tornando-se igualitária, promovendo assim o acesso dos cidadãos aos direitos fundamentais básicos individuais, sociais, políticos e jurídicos, para quem dela necessitar como preconiza a Constituição Federal de 1988. Os processos democráticos e de participação social não tem conquistado grandes avanços em função das resistências impostas por parte do governo, assim como pelas limitações dos cidadãos, no que se refere a falta de conhecimento de seus direitos pela utilização dos instrumentos que viabilizem o exercício à sua cidadania. Assim, nasce o desejo refletir sobre a eficácia e eficiência da instância de Controle Social sob a Política de Assistência Social através da participação popular, dialogando governo e sociedade civil. Tal estudo foi realizado por meio de pesquisa bibliográfica sobre o tema proposto, concluindo assim que se faz necessário um maior conhecimento e compreensão no quem vêm a ser instância de Controle Social, assim de que se possa democratizar os mecanismos de participação, para que de fato a política possa avançar e ser executada com transparência, respeitando sempre os princípios constitucionais.
Energy Consumption Analysis in WSN Based on Node Placement Strategies
Authors: Shanmugavalli R , Subashini P
Published: July 2018

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a collection of devices and sensor nodes connected with wireless network and communicate with one another via radio signals. Sensor in WSN is an autonomous (self-configuring) device used to sense the light, heat, motion, moisture and pressure etc that communicate with their neighbor nodes. Node placement is a technique that places the nodes effectively in the specified network environment. In WSN basically, wireless sensor network includes different topologies namely star, point-to-point, ring, bus, mesh and hybrid. In recent years, research has been carried out on different node placement strategies and produced different results based on its performance that includes power distribution and energy consumption of sensors. Energy consumption and network lifetime are considered to be the critical issues as the nodes are powered by the batteries which have finite energy reservoirs. In this paper, three different node placements namely Random, Uniform and Grid with respect to AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector) protocol is evaluated in order to analyze the energy factor during wireless communication. The performance metrics used to measure the analysis are Energy Consumption Average Jitter, Average End-to-End Delay, Average Throughput and Average Packet Delivery Ratio. The comparison results suggests that Grid node placement performs well in grid scenarios and shows best for specific performance metrics.
FPGA implementation of power on self-test towards combo card
Authors: Srivel R , R. P. Singh Dr , D. Arokiaraj Dr
Published: July 2018

The Combo Card is a legacy trunk and subscriber card which provides loop dialing, MAGNETO, FXS, FXO, E&M and SHDSL two wire ports. The Purpose of this Card is to Facilitate Voice and Data Services for the User in Small Deployment. This Module is going to be plugged into Line Card V3 and used in TDM Router. As an FPGA Engineers, Our main Focus is on FPGA part on this SERVICES CARD. We are Using Spartan-6 FPGA in this Project. The Name COMBO CARD isCame into Existence as we are Combining Many Interfaces viz., FXS, FXO, LD, E & M, Magneto, and SHDSL. In this study We are Dealing With Respect to FPGA by Using VHDL and Generating Clock and Sync Pulse 8.192 M Hz Generation for FXO and FXS, SHDSL Control Pin Mapping, Power on Self-Test With Respect to Clock Monitor and Generation of Reset Pulse 300us For all the Devices Connected to FPGA, So, that the Title FPGA Implementation of Power on Self-Test On Services Card Justifies.
An Innovative Web 2.0-Based Collaborative Learning Framework: Activities for The Initial Development of Social Negotiation Competencies
Authors: Ataie Farib , Shah Asadullah , Bahar Sharifa , Imtiaz Ali Najma
Published: July 2018

This research aims to present a Facebook-based collaborative learning (CL) framework that supports initial development of social negotiation and debate competencies. This framework has implications for the International Debate Education Association (IDEA, 2018) that aims to promote the opportunity to debate, breaking down barriers of location, race and class while extending the boundaries of online-learning. The guidelines for CL and social negotiation in this study are based on social constructivist theory with the ethical system that value safe and structured environment for debate and negotiation. The integration of Facebook as an information and communication technology (IICT) provides conditions of CL and social negotiation, multiple modes and methods of learning and multiple perspectives, to achieve learning goals. This practical framework under the guidelines of design science research methodology (DSRM) motivates learners to actively engage in the CL and social negotiation processes with empathy, self- control, endurance and reasoning to develop critical thinking and awareness. This study will contribute to the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) that aims to complement communication skills of students with a culture of research and critical thinking. Experts reviewed and confirmed the validity of the framework. Three successive iterations working with Facebook members and experts in informal learning were conducted to demonstrate and validate how learners started developing social negotiation and debate competencies.
Detection And Restoration of Cracked Digitized Paintings and Manuscripts Using Image Processing
Authors: Abdulwahab Farajalla Ali Nawafil , Fakhri Taha Al-Shaikhli Imad , Hasan Raini
Published: July 2018

Ancient paintings are cultural heritage that can be preserved via computer aided analysis and processing. These paintings deteriorate due to undesired cracks, which are caused by aging, drying up of painting material, and mechanical factors. These heritages need to be restored to their respective original or near-original states. There are different techniques and methodologies that can be used to conserve and restore the overall quality of these images. The main objective of this study is to analyze techniques and methodologies that have been developed for the detection, classification of small patterns, and restoration of cracks in digitized old painting and manuscripts. The purpose of the developed algorithm is to identify cracks using the thresholding operation, which was the output of the top-hat transform morphology. Afterwards, the breaks, which were wrongly identified as cracks, were separated for utilization in a semi-automatic procedure based on region growth. Finally, both the median filter and weighted median techniques were applied to fill the cracks and enhance image quality.
Near Field Communication Enabled Mobile Payments: Preliminary Study
Authors: Ali Brohi Imtiaz , Imtiaz Ali Najma , Shah Asadullah , Bt. S. Abd. Aziz Madihah , Izzuddin Bin Mohd. Tamrin Mohd.
Published: July 2018

The ubiquitous computing has made consumers life easy, it has given the new way to interact with family and friends and perform many activities which were impossible in previous time. One of the profound achievement of ubiquitous computing is Mobile Payment and an advanced mode of the mobile payment is the near field communication mobile payment. In this study the authors have proposed theoretical  near field communication mobile payment model that is based on extended unified technology acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) .In this paper, the author have performed the pilot study to validate the variables and to verify their reliability among the proposed items.  The results has proven that there is a reliability among the items in variables, as the Cronbach’s alpha value for the variables is above or equal to 0.7.
Knowledge Management Practice in Private Sector: Building the Way for Saudi Arabia Strategic Growth and Transformation To Knowledge-Based Economy
Authors: Gharamah Abdulrahman , Fauzan Noordin Mohamad , Imtiaz Ali Najma , Ali Brohi Imtiaz
Published: July 2018

The Kingdome of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and its growth objective is to be a major player in the global economy and moving toward a knowledge-based economy. To achieve its objectives, the private sector in various fields in KSA needs to be in line with country’s ambitious goal; Knowledge Management (KM) handling and readiness for the foreseen customer demand need to be in line with goals. This study presents a critical review to evaluate existing KM practice in the private sector in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to see the readiness of this sector to play an integral role of knowledge-based economy and support nation’s growth strategy.  The paper will examine current states in term of how knowledge management is practiced in the country.  This paper addressed various aspects of knowledge management ranges from the need of implementing knowledge management systems to the added value by deploying such systems. In addition, the review was discuss if the private sector is heading in the right direction, and coherent with KSA strategic goal by examining a sample of four major firms in private sector. The outcome of the sample reflected that the private sector is harmonized with KSA objective.
Approach for Successful Knowledge Management System Deployment for Organizations
Authors: Gharamah Abdulrahman , Fauzan Noordin Mohamad , Imtiaz Ali Najma , Ali Brohi Imtiaz
Published: July 2018

Globalization and rivalries are the fundamental two difficulties confronting firms who are attempting to support their prosperity or even to remain in the market. Subsequently; interests in technology, process and people wind up plainly important for the association to guarantee to have fancied offer in the Marketplace. Vast firms set up cutting edge and complex sites and hello tech innovation to make, keep up and share knowledge inside by gathering and applying picked up information to make financial esteem. Knowledge is an imperative concentration in association's methodology, where information is viewed as essential for organizations. Organizations can turn out to be more productive by exchanging and sharing what specialists know, and after that, they can create learning strategies. The fundamental target of this paper is to distinguish existing knowledge management hone with a specific end goal to enhance it. A reasonable guide will be hypothetically proposed to be actualized and embedded in the corporate operations and business system. The pilot study was performed to validate the research questionnaire. The results were within the prescribed range so the researcher is ready to collect the actual data.
Determinants of Employee Happiness in an Information Technology Company in India
Authors: T Thiruvenkadam , Jayasingh Sudarasan
Published: July 2018

Happiness is the experience of pleasure, satisfaction, or affirmative well-being, pooled with a sense that one’s life is good, significant, and valuable. Happiness is a rational or emotional condition of comfort defined by optimistic or enjoyable emotions ranging from satisfaction to intense delight. The study had been carried out with the objectives to study the level of happiness of employees, to find out the determinants of employee happiness, to analyse the influence of demographic factors on employee happiness and to test how employee happiness is correlated with various factors like, attitude towards self, attitude towards job, career growth and development, organization culture and alignment, physical and mental well-being, work life balance, relationship with team, relationship with managers. The research is descriptive in nature. The size of the population for the IT vertical of the organization with associates in the experience range of 4-7 years is 6000 and the sample taken for study is 410 employees. Purposive sampling method was used for selecting samples from the population. The samples are chosen across different projects in the organization and a quota is assigned in each project for selecting the sample. The data analysis has been done using correlation, chi-square, one way ANOVA and Regression analysis. The results of the study could establish a moderate positive co-relation between the happiness and all eight constructs. The study had been concluded with a remark that the constructs like work life balance, physical and mental well-being, relationship with managers has a significant influence on employee happiness.
Tetradentate Palladium(II) Salophen Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Catalytic Activities in Copper-Free Sonogashira Coupling Reaction
Authors: Nizam Ahmad Shahrul , Bahron Hadariah , Mohd Tajuddin Amalina
Published: July 2018

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of three salophen ligands; 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2 phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))diphenol [L1H], 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis (methanylylidene))bis(4-chlorophenol) [L1C] and 2,2'-((1E,1'E)-(1,2-phenylenebis(azanylylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(4-methoxylphenol) [L1OME]. The compounds were prepared from condensation reaction between salicylaldehyde, and its derivatives, with ortho-phenylenediamine. Their palladium(II) complexes, namely PdL1H, PdL1C and PdL1OME were synthesized through insertion reaction between the ligands with palladium(II) acetate. All compounds were characterized through melting point, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Palladium(II) complexes were tested as homogenous catalysts in copper-free Sonogashira coupling reaction between iodobenzene and phenylacetylene in DMSO using triethylamine as base with 1.0 mmol% catalyst loading. The most performing catalyst was PdL1OME with 91% conversion followed by PdL1H (83%) and PdL1C (27%).
Optimisation of SC-CO2 Extraction of Curcuma zedoaria by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Subuki Istikamah , H. Saidin Saidatul , Nabilah M. Hisan Nurul
Published: July 2018

In this study, Curcuma zedoaria was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction system (SFE) to obtain valuable extract. Optimisation of extraction condition for high yield and curzerene concentration was carried out by employing the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) particularly, Central Composite Design (CCD).  The objectives of this work are to investigate the effect of temperature (40oC to 60oC) and pressure (100 to 300 bar) on extraction yield and concentration of major chemical constituents and determine the optimum parameter for high oil yield and curzerene concentration using RSM. Chemical constituents of the oil were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography Spectrometry (GCMS) and showed that curzerene as the key chemical constituent in the oil extract. The results demonstrated that the oil yield obtained were ranged from 0.6 w/w% to 1.8 w/w% and curzerene concentration in range of 1.6% to 4.1%. The optimum parameters predicted by RSM for the highest oil yield and curzerene concentration were found to be 138.65 bar and 40oC, which produced the best oil yield and curzerene concentration predicted as 1.7 w/w % and 3.7% respectively. In conclusion, the pressure and temperature significantly influence the oil yield and oil concentration as p ≤ 0.05 for both factor.
Understanding the Electronic Transition of Normal Spinel Structure of Co3O4 Using GGA+U Calculations
Authors: H.M Zaki N , Mustaffa M , F.M. Taib M , H.Hassan O , Z.A.Yahya M , M.M.Ali A
Published: July 2018

The normal spinel cobalt oxide Co3O4 is considered as a magnetic semiconducting material comprising of cobalt ions with two oxidation states of Co2+ and Co3+. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation are employed to generate the structural, electronic and optical properties using Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) function. The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerh for solids (PBEsol) exchange-correlation functional approach successfully predict the semiconductor behaviour of Co3O4 but severely underestimates the band gap in relation to the experimental value. The GGA+U is performed in order to treat the Co-3d states and achieve the band gap of 1.26eV which agrees with the experimental results. For optical studies, here we unveil the predicted three assumed electron transition occurring in Co3O4 for O(2p)→Co2+(t2g), O(2p)→Co3+(eg) and Co3+(t2g)→Co2+(t2g).