bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Primary Mitochondrial Disease in Children Younger Than 2 Years Presenting With Acute Liver Failure
Authors: McKiernan Patrick , Ball Sarah , Santra Saikat , Foster Katherine , Fratter Carl , Poulton Joanna , Craig Kate , McFarland Robert , Rahman Shamima , Hargreaves Iain , Gupte Girish , Sharif Khalid , Taylor Robert W.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Mitochondrial liver disease (MLD), and in particular mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome (MDS) is an important cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in infancy. Early and accurate diagnosis is important because liver transplantation (LT) is often contraindicated. It is unclear which methods are the best to diagnose MLD in the setting of ALF.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of MLD in children younger than 2 years with ALF and the utility of routine investigations to detect MLD.

Methods:

Thirty‐nine consecutive infants with ALF were admitted to a single unit from 2009 to 2011. All were extensively investigated using an established protocol. Genes implicated in mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome were sequenced in all cases and tissue mtDNA copy number measured where available.

Results:

Five infants (17%) had genetically proven MLD: DGUOK (n = 2), POLG (n = 2), and MPV17 (1). Four of these died, whereas 1 recovered. Two had normal muscle mtDNA copy number and 3 had normal muscle respiratory chain enzymes. An additional 8 children had low hepatic mtDNA copy number but pathogenic mutations were not detected. One of these developed fatal multisystemic disease after LT, whereas 5 who survived remain well without evidence of multisystemic disease up to 6 years later. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy did not distinguish between those with and without MLD.

Conclusions:

Low liver mtDNA copy number may be a secondary phenomenon in ALF.

Screening for mtDNA maintenance gene mutations may be the most efficient way to confirm MLD in ALF in the first 2 years of life.
Full House: A Retrospective Analysis of High Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevalence among Adult Film Actors at a Singular Residence
Authors: Kendrick Katherine , Brown Veronica , Lords Caleb , Matthias James , Henning Ian , Blackmore Carina , Likos Anna
Published: August 2016

Background

During a routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) investigation, Florida Department of Health staff identified a house (house A) in which over 150 individuals had resided at least briefly. Further investigation revealed that house A is used by the producer of a small adult film production company to board his actors. This report describes sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence among male actors in gay adult films residing in a common Florida residence.

Methods

LexisNexis Accurint was used to identify house A residents since October 2002 when the producer arrived. Information on STIs and interview data were obtained from Florida's STI surveillance system. An infection was considered to be associated with residence in house A if the date of diagnosis occurred 6 months before an individual's residence start date through 6 months after his residence end date.

Results

Excluding the producer, 150 men resided in house A starting from September 2003 to July 2015. Forty-six individuals had a reported case of HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and/or chlamydia with 92 infections total. Forty-two (46%) infections among 24 men were considered associated with residence in house A.

Conclusions

LexisNexis Accurint was a useful tool for identifying house A residents, a highly mobile and highly sexually active population. There is a high prevalence of STIs among residents, but it is unclear where transmission is occurring. Settings like house A are good candidates for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and active STI screenings and may be an opportunity for public health officials to intervene in high-risk groups to reduce STI rates in the community.
Endocrinologic Diseases in Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care
Authors: Soto-Rivera Carmen L. , Schwartz Steven M. , Sawyer Jaclyn E. , Macrae Duncan J. , Agus Michael S. D.
Published: August 2016

Objectives:

The objectives of this review are to discuss the pathophysiology, clinical impact and treatment of hyperglycemia, and disturbances in thyroid and adrenal function prior to and following cardiac surgery in children.

Data Source:

MEDLINE and PubMed.

Conclusions:

Disturbances in glucose metabolism and thyroid and adrenal function are common in critically ill children with cardiac disease and in particular in children undergoing cardiac surgery for complex congenital heart disease. An understanding of the pathophysiology, clinical impact and treatment of these disturbances is essential for the management of these at risk patients.
Assessment of CK17 as a Marker for the Diagnosis of Differentiated Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia
Authors: Podoll Mirna B. , Singh Naveena , Gilks C. Blake , Moghadamfalahi Mana , Sanders Mary Ann
Published: August 2016

Differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (dVIN), precursor of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, is human papilloma virus independent and often found in a background of lichen sclerosus (LS) and lichen simplex chronicus (LSC). Subtle histologic findings make the diagnosis of dVIN difficult, and, although the use of p53 and Ki-67 has been of some value, there is a need for a better immunohistochemical marker. Cytokeratin 17 (CK17), a cytoskeletal intermediate filament protein, has previously been used in the diagnosis of anogenital lesions. Here we evaluated CK17 in dVIN in comparison with LS, LSC, and usual VIN (uVIN/HSIL). Twenty-nine cases of dVIN, 9 cases of uVIN, 8 cases of LS, and 7 of LSC were evaluated using CK17, Ki-67, and p53. All 29 dVIN cases displayed immunoreactivity for CK17, with 27 (93%) showing intermediate to strong and diffuse reactivity. No cases of uVIN displayed diffuse CK17 expression, whereas 63% of LS and 29% of LSC displayed intermediate to strong diffuse immunoreactivity, confined to the upper half of the epithelium. P53 and Ki-67 expression was present in varying degrees in all types of lesions, displaying limited discriminatory power for dVIN. Our findings suggest that CK17, although not specific for dVIN, when combined with histologic findings, Ki-67, and p53 immunohistochemistry, can be a marker of vulvar dysplasia and serve as an adjunct in the diagnosis of dVIN. Specifically, in small biopsies, the presence of diffuse suprabasal or full thickness expression strongly favors a diagnosis of dVIN over LSC, whereas focal and/or superficial expression supports a diagnosis of LSC.
Lipomatous Angiomyofibroblastoma of the Vulva: Report of a Rare Variant
Authors: Nili Fatemeh , Nicknejad Nakisa , Salarvand Samaneh , Akhavan Setareh
Published: August 2016

Angiomyofibroblastoma is a rare and benign tumor that usually involves vulvovaginal area in women of reproductive age and early menopause. We report a lipomatous angiomyofibroblastoma in a 55-year-old multigravid woman. This tumor measured 9 cm in size and contained prominent mature adipose tissue that comprised approximately 50% of the tumor.
Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback
Authors: El Nagar Aliya , MacColl Andrew D. C.
Published: August 2016

Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and the reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, little strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here, we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Laboratory-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation.
ENSURING QUALITY IN AN ONLINE DISTANCE COMPUTING COURSE
Authors: Lai Hung Auyeung
Published: August 2016

This article describes an illustrative case of an online distance education course in introductory computing which aimed to empower learners by facilitating active learning in an innovative, high quality, and student-centered learning environment. This course was offered to 180 non-computing science students at a university in Hong Kong. In this article, this computing course will be first evaluated against the benchmarks established by The Institute for Higher Education Policy for ensuring quality in Internet-based distance education. Secondly, the effectiveness of the course was examined in two student tracking studies conducted before the mid-term and final examinations, respectively. Results showed that towards the end of the course, statistically significant differences in learners' behaviors were found, e.g., the use of self-assessment activities rose from an average of 1.27 hours per week prior to mid-term examination to 2.63 hours per week prior to final examination. It was also observed that students adjusted their studying methods and their attitudes towards the course over time. It is expected that by documenting this experience, some good practice in technology-mediated instruction can be identified.
CRITERIA'S FOR E-LEARNING DELIVERY PLATFORM (ELDP)
FOR OPRN AND DISTANCE LEARNING
Authors: Muthusamy Kanesan , Fadzil Mansor
Published: August 2016

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has been widely discussed by academicians and Information Technology (IT) personnel's in recent years. In an ODL system, ELearning Delivery Platform (ELDP) plays an integral part that ensures learning materials delivered to users in the most effective and efficient manner. Identifying the selection criteria's is very important and vital for a suitable ELDP system that will enhance and enrich the ODL. At the same time, evaluation formats or check-sheets can be developed using the criteria's to evaluate various ELDP providers by the ODL provider. The criteria's can also be used to help the ELDP developer or provider to develop new systems and make further improvements from time to time. This paper gives a brief summary of the criteria's to select an ELDP system for delivering education via ODL environment. The criteria's are required to satisfy the requirements for courses such as arts, social science, business, management, IT, engineering, science, and so on. It also represents the multiple perspectives of the course developer, the course learning-ware developer, the course lecturer/tutor, the course e-learning administrative staff, the technical support staff, the student and the university administration.
ATTITUDE OF DISTANCE LEARNERS TOWARDS MULTIMEDIA APPROACH TO INSTRUCTION
Authors: Pant Hema
Published: August 2016

Distance education is fast emerging as an alternative method for course delivery, thereby increases access to higher education at the national and international level. Distance education adopts a multimedia approach to instruction which differentiates it from the conventional mode of teaching-learning. The present study was undertaken to examine the attitude of distance learners towards multimedia approach to instruction. Participants were enrolled at Indira Gandhi National Open University, in its various programmes. An adapted attitude scale (Thurstone type) was administered to 1200 students, of which only 243 responded. Data analysis revealed a mean attitude score of 7.17, indicating a favourable inclination of respondents to learn through the multimedia approach. Further research is warranted in this area to explore the attitude of learners in various other distance education settings. It would help distance educators to expand the outreach of education through distance mode, motivate learners and reduce attrition rates considerably.
STUDENTS' PERSPECTIVE OF PRACTICAL WORK IN LEARNING SCIENCES VIA DISTANCE EDUCATION
Authors: Chan Jason K.Y. , Shin Namin
Published: August 2016

This article focuses on students' perspectives on various aspects of learning science at a distance, such as ‘expectations,’ ‘learning outcomes,’ and ‘satisfaction’. Two foundation science courses offered by the School of Science and Technology at the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) were selected for the study. A series of indepth interviews was carried out with students enrolled in these courses, followed by questionnaire surveys and field observations in order to validate and triangulate the interview data. The findings revealed that students placed a high value on practical work in science courses. Moreover, the more familiar with the course subject, the less difficulty they anticipate in learning science via distance education. Two significant correlations were also found, between the perception of practical work and satisfaction, and between the attendance rate and the perception of practical work with distance learning at OUHK. This research adds to knowledge of disciplinebased distance education research in terms of empirical data in both qualitative and quantitative forms. Further investigation on this issue may help instructional designers and developed of science courses in the decision on various aspects of course design and development.
DESIGNING AN ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY AMONG TEACHER EDUCATORS
Authors: Karunanayaka Shironica
Published: August 2016

Online course delivery is rapidly growing among educational institutions all over the world, especially in Open and Distance Learning institutions. The frequent criticisms on distance education for having only limited interactions between teachers and students as opposed to traditional face to face teaching can be significantly minimized with the increased use of online methods, due to its unique instructional capabilities. Online learning provides ample opportunities for students learning at a distance to constantly interact with their teachers as well as peers, sharing experiences and working collaboratively. The creation of a sense of social presence is essential to establish a collaborative online learning environment, as it is a most important factor that helps people actively collaborate, thus increasing a sense of belonging to the learning community. The Faculty of Education of the Open University of Sri Lanka offered the online course, "Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist" in December 2007, using the learning management system Moodle. The course was designed using a collaborative learning model, allowing adequate opportunities for the distant learners to actively engage in their learning process, engaging in a number of learning and assessment tasks with the support of learning resources and instructor guidance, while collaborating and sharing experiences among each other, mainly through discussion forums. Using the case study approach, an investigation was carried out to find out the specific strategies and techniques adopted by designers, instructors and students in enhancing community building among the participants in the online learning environment. It further explored the impact of community building on the distant learners, who were also novices to online learning. This paper discusses the development process in the building of an online learning community and emphasizes on the roles of designers, teachers, and learners.
THE ENHANCEMENT OF ODL STUDENT RECRUITING CAMPAIGN WITH DATA WAREHOUSE DEVELOPMENT AND DATA MINING TECHNIQUES
Authors: Poonnawat Waranya , Komlayut Sumruay , Henchareonlert Nuttaporn
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this research was to develop an OLAP cube data warehouse, and, using data mining techniques, to support the university's public relations, admissions, and planning divisions in the efficient recruiting of students by surveying, through interviews; the opinions of management and operational personnel, and through documents; the attributes in application forms and annual reports. User requirements, source data and systems were all examined. The data warehouse and front-end applications developed are described below. 1. Student Data Warehouse—this repository was designed to store students' historical data and to facilitate analysis and reporting following the user requirements. Students' historical data including demographic data from 2001-2005 were extracted, loaded and transformed from source systems, then they were cleaned before uploading to the data warehouse using star schema. 2. OLAP Cub—this 122 multidimensional structure enables users to analyze the students' demographic data in many dimensions such as “Number of Registered Students in each year by Semester, Major, School, Gender, Occupation, Region, etc.” Predefined reports were created and published to an intranet and users were able to create ad-hoc reports through web browsers as well as XLAddin. 3. Data Mining—this technique finds hidden knowledge and patterns in ODL student data supporting decision making, using three algorithms: Naïve Bayes, Clustering and Association Rules. Occupation of students is the strongest factor influencing students' choices of Schools. Students' demographic data can be clustered into groups with similar or dissimilar characteristics such as “Single, Unemployed, Low Income (<3,000 Baht)” or “Married, Male, Studying Law, High Income”, and can generate rules from frequently occurring cases such as “Occupation=Teacher-Lecturer (private sector), Marital Status=Single > School=School of Educational Studies” or “Occupation=Police, Marital Status=Single -> School=School of Law”. The results from the study indicated that users were satisfied using information and applications from the data warehouse, OLAP cube and data mining techniques which enable the university to reduce costs and to reach the desired enrolment target effectively.
LOOKING FOR A ‘QUALITY ASSESSMENT MECHANISM’ FOR TEACHING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY THROUGH OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
Authors: Weerasekera Kolita S.
Published: August 2016

Although general courses related to humanities, social sciences, education and pure sciences are popularly taught through distance mode, through the institutions involved in teaching distance mode techniques for some time, more practical application courses such as engineering technology and applied sciences are less popular as distance mode teaching till recent. The current technical advancement is making it possible for more practical application courses to be offered through distance education techniques. The Faculty of Engineering Technology of the Open University of Sri Lanka is one of the few faculties involved in teaching of engineering technology through distance mode in the region. Faculty offers courses leading to diploma in technology, bachelor in engineering technology, postgraduate diplomas and postgraduate degrees in engineering through distance mode. The diplomats and graduates passing out from the faculty have to compete with the diplomats and graduates passing out from the conventional universities in the common job markets. Hence to maintain a high quality of the diploma/degree is important. Attempt is made to develop a quality assurance system that will help to maintain a high standard of the faculty diploma/graduate output. This study investigates the strengths, and in particular the weaknesses of quality assessment practices used in conducting subject reviews in Sri Lankan universities, especially when it comes to subject reviews in relation to more practical application courses such as engineering technology and applied sciences. This paper describes the aspects that were looked into: adopted current practices & the weaknesses, areas identified to check on quality maintenance, and measures to be taken to improve in developing a quality assurance mechanism based on the Faculty of Engineering Technology at Open University of Sri Lanka.
Ensuring Quality Education in Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) Through Virtual Learning Communities
Authors: Pena-Bandalaria Melinda dela
Published: August 2016

A process documentation was employed to determine how virtual learning communities are built in an open and distance education context as one mechanism to ensure quality education in this mode of instructional delivery. The study conducted at the University of the Philippines Open University from June 2008 to February 2010 specifically aimed to: 1) describe what a learning community is in the context of ODeL; 2) describe the process of building learning communities in ODeL; 3) determine factors essential for the building of learning communities in ODeL; 4) determine specific benefits of learning communities in an ODeL context wherein independent studying or learning is the core of the guiding principle. The study is also an attempt to document a good practice in ODeL, especially one that hopes to address quality of the learning process.
Students' Interaction in the Online Learning Management Systems:
A Comparative Study of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Courses
Authors: Ping Teoh Ai
Published: August 2016

The quality of interaction between learners and online content is one of the imperative factors in determining the efficacy of web-based teaching-learning towards the creation and maintenance of sustainable learning communities. Interaction with content is an internal dialogue of reflective thought that occurs between learner and the substance. Interaction is often triggered and supported by events in the learning environment – focusing on how the learner interacts with what is to be learned.

This paper looks at the difference in learners' interaction on the online Learning Management System (LMS) of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Based on a framework developed for investigating learners' interaction with online content in Wawasan Open University, data from the LMS log and activity database was extracted. The data is then analyzed based on the pattern and behavior of learners' interaction with the online content of the courses. Further analysis is done by transcribing the discussions and exchanges of teacher and learners within the online forums, specifically investigating the dimension, depth and category of exchanges that occurred. Based on the findings, several recommendations are made to enhance the design and delivery of web-based content, aiming at maximizing the efficacy of the online learning environment of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in open distance learning (ODL).
Mobile Agents Approach for Transaction Processing in Mobile Database Systems – Mobile Learning Environment
Authors: Chung Sheng-Hung , Khor Ean-Teng
Published: August 2016

This paper describes the architecture of using the Mobile Agent and ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability) in Mobile e-Learning (mLearning). In the coming years, there will be an incremental amount of mobile learning experiments for the purpose of implementing mobile ICTs into mainstream education. In this article, the Replication Agent and Snapshot Agent architecture is proposed as an effective way to overcome the problem of heavy loading on the limited bandwidth used in wireless transmission for mobile learning environment merge replication process. The implementation of mobile agents as middleware for mLearning environment is to provide database replication between learners and off-site database e.g., Knowledge Management Centre's (KMC) databases using handheld devices. The approach using the combination of both these agents plays an important role in wireless transmission. It provides an intelligent solution to the limitation of the wireless bandwidth by lowering the bandwidth taken up during the bursts of mobile transactions. In this proposed technique, a mLearning database is determined as a Snapshot publisher where a compact edition of files and information is generated at the snapshot location which resides on the central database server. Learners may retrieve quick bursts of information through mobile applications wirelessly. The Replication Agent offers the flexibility to move from one site (user) to another (central database) for essential data synchronization. In order to provide learners with appropriate courses, a prototype on mLearning platform supporting three-layered structure and device adapting was put forward. The architecture of the platform discussed in this study as the mobile agent approach would facilitate more widespread use of mLearning, including in courses discussions between learners and academicians.
Innovative practices in ODL — the experience of Open University Malaysia
Authors: Chea Chiam Chooi , Meng Lim Tick , Nooi Phang Siew
Published: August 2016

With the advancements in communications technology brought about by the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web, attention has been drawn to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) as a mode for teaching and learning. In Malaysia, the establishment of ODL universities such as Open University Malaysia (OUM) has expanded the role of ICT in learning and knowledge generation. By leveraging on Internet technology, ODL universities are able to transmit education across the country and even globally. ODL sets about making quality e-learning and e-content more accessible to both facilitators and learners. Utilising this method, new opportunities are continuously created to make higher education more accessible to those who seek to improve and upgrade themselves. This paper examines OUM's practice of using the innovative technology of online learning and teaching to make higher education easily accessible to those that seek it. With greater advancements in technology, the future of higher education may lie more with ODL than with traditional face-to-face learning.
Contribution to research when engineering is taught through ODL: A Sri Lankan case study
Authors: Weerasekera Kolita S.
Published: August 2016

This paper is based on a study that investigated a general conception that academics and students of engineering in ODL institutions conduct less research compared to those teaching and learning in conventional institutions of higher learning. The study first observed the level of research conducted by Sri Lankan researchers, and compared it to similar activities carried out in neighbouring countries. Subsequently, attention was focused on the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), which is the pioneer ODL institution in Sri Lanka. It closely observed the research carried out at OUSL over the last few years and made comparisons between different disciplines.

A tracer study was carried out to identify the research activities at the Faculty of Engineering Technology over the years and compare them with the research done at other OUSL faculties. It was evident from this study that the number of research papers presented at conferences and journal articles generated by the Faculty of Engineering Technology was low compared to the number produced by the other three faculties in the university. The study revealed some interesting reasons for the low level of engineering-based research output when engineering is taught through ODL.
Theoretical and practical dilemma of distance learning: The case of Universitas Terbuka Indonesia
Authors: Nurcholis Hanif , Rachman Ace Sriati
Published: August 2016

Universitas Terbuka (UT) was founded in 1984. It utilised the same learning mode as any other distance learning institutions. However, since 1987, UT has changed its mode to the certification model of learning with: 1) no admission test; 2) no course books given to students; 3) no tutorials and academic counselling; and 4) no mid-term tests. UT only requires students to perform three tasks: 1) register and pay tuition fees; 2) complete Tasks Independently (TM); and 3) take exams at the end of semester. With the certification model in place, UT transformed itself into a distance learning institution that provides limited support to aid students' learning process. In the early 1990s, the government urged UT to hold an in-service training programme for elementary school teachers (PGSD) nationwide with provisions to manage the student learning process.In 2004, the government provided UT with a license to conduct a postgraduate programme of studies (PPS) based on conventional distance learning standards. Since 1987, UT has developed the institution and its employees as a certifying agency according to the needs of the government as stipulated in the law. Considering the new initiatives implemented by the government, UT faces both theoretical and practical dilemma in implementing the initiatives set by the government in line with the change in its learning mode to the certification model since 1987. UT faces a series of challenges in its learning management system, institutional development and career planning for lecturers to successfully implement the stipulated provision by the government and at the same time abide by the law.
Independent learning skill, competence and job performance of graduates of Universitas Terbuka: Perceptions of graduates and supervisors
Authors: Ratnaningsih Dewi Juliah
Published: August 2016

Open and distance education institutions such as Universitas Terbuka (UT) encourage independent learning among its students, which hopefully will lead to the ability of selflearning in the workplace. This is important so that graduates will meet the requirements of competence and performance in their job. Employer perception is imperative in assessing characteristics of independent learning skill, competence and performance in line with job requirements. This paper describes the perception of graduates and their immediate supervisors about competence and independent learning skill acquired during study which impacted on their job performance. The study finds that UT's graduates have adequately met the requirements needed in the workplace in terms of independent learning skill, competence and job performance.
Automatic content filtering and publishing by email for the UP Open University Doctor of Communication Programme learning management system
Authors: Borromeo Ria Mae H.
Published: August 2016

The DComm website is an electronic learning environment using the Joomla Content Management Framework (CMF), designed specifically for the Doctor of Communication Programme offered by the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). Previously, when a faculty member or staff wanted to publish content on the website, content was first emailed to the web administrator, who uploaded it manually. While this method ensured that proper content was published on the site, publishing was delayed at times due to the unavailability of the web administrator. To enable DComm faculty members and staff to directly publish content without having to study web publishing or going through the web administrator, publishing content through email was enabled using Post-by-Email, an extension for Joomla that allows such functionality. The resulting website now allows authorised users to publish information in a particular section of the site by emailing content to a specific email address. However, without quality control over content that gets published, this practice raises the possibility of inappropriate content publishing. To address this issue, a strategy for content filtering and publishing that uses existing technologies such as email filters and SpamAssasin, an open source mail filter based on content matching rules, was designed and implemented. The result is a learning environment where faculty members and staff can automatically publish filtered content through email, making it immediately accessible to the students, ultimately providing for a more dynamic learning environment.
Morphology and acoustic artefacts of copper deposits electroplated using megasonic assisted agitation
Authors: Jones Thomas D.A. , Flynn David , Desmulliez Marc P.Y. , Price Dennis , Beadel Matthew , Strusevich Nadia , Patel Mayur , Bailey Chris , Costello Suzanne
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to understand the influence of megasonic (MS)-assisted agitation on printed circuit boards (PCBs) electroplated using copper (Cu) electrolyte solutions to improve plating efficiencies through enhanced ion transportation.

Design/methodology/approach

The impact of MS-assisted agitation on topographical properties of the electroplated surfaces was studied through a design of experiments by measuring surface roughness, which is characterised by values of the parameter Ra as measured by white light phase shifting interferometry and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy.

Findings

An increase in Ra from 400 to 760 nm after plating was recorded for an increase in acoustic power from 45 to 450 W. Roughening increased because of micro-bubble cavitation energy and was supported through direct imaging of the cavitation. Current thieving effect by the MS transducer induced low currents, leading to large Cu grain frosting and reduction in the board quality. Current thieving was negated in plating trials through specific placement of transducer. Wavy electroplated surfaces, due to surface acoustic waves, were also observed to reduce the uniformity of the deposit.

Research limitations/implications

The formation of unstable transient cavitation and variation of the topology of the Cu surface are unwanted phenomena. Further plating studies using MS agitation are needed, along with fundamental simulations, to determine how the effects can be reduced or prevented.

Practical implications

This study can help identify manufacturing settings required for high-quality MS-assisted plating and promote areas for further investigation, leading to the development of an MS plating manufacturing technique.

Originality/value

This study quantifies the topographical changes to a PCB surface in response to MS agitation and evidence for deposited Cu artefacts due to acoustic effects.
Striving for a way out from a rock and a hard place
Authors: Kwan Paula , Li Yuet-man Benjamin
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand the dilemmas facing Hong Kong vice-principals in discharging their roles and to further explore their engagement in informal mentoring as a coping mechanism in the absence of a structured professional development program.

Design/methodology/approach

– The qualitative study was conducted in the form of in-depth face-to-face, loosely structured individual interviews with ten informants from a variety of personal and school backgrounds, contributing to a set of data that unveiled the basic themes.

Findings

– Three dilemmas facing Hong Kong vice-principals were identified: juggling administrative work with teaching, standing by management or siding with peer teachers, and forced innovation vs omnipresent conservatism. The findings also suggested that the informants tended toward external resources intentionally with a view to gaining emotional support as well as professional stimulation. They also engaged in informal mentoring, which took the form of observing principals’ behaviors, joining support groups organized by school governing bodies, and enrolling in academic programs offered by universities and/or professional bodies, as a way to resolve the dilemmas.

Research limitations/implications

– Informal mentoring has been identified as an effective approach for Hong Kong vice-principals to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to overcome workplace challenges and the feelings of loneliness experienced upon changing their role. The findings point to the importance of formalizing mentoring in vice-principal development programs.

Originality/value

– This study is the first of its kind to explore the impact of informal mentoring on vice-principals in Hong Kong where both dual-career track systems and a structured mentoring programs are missing.
Potential carbon emission abatement cost recovery from carbon emission trading in China
Authors: Wang Ke , Xian Yujiao , Zhang Jieming , Li Yi , Che Linan
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to provide an estimation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission abatement costs in China’s industry sector during the period of 2006-2010, and additionally provide an ex-post estimation of CO2 abatement cost savings that would be realized if carbon emission permits trading among different industry sectors of 30 provinces in China during the same period were allowed, to answer the question that whether the industrial carbon emission abatement cost can (partially) be recovered from carbon emission trading in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The joint production framework associated with the environmental technology is utilized for formulating the models for estimating abatement costs and simulating emission permits trading scheme. Several data envelopment analysis-based models that could deal with both the desirable and undesirable outputs within the above framework are utilized for abatement cost saving estimation. The weak disposability assumption and variable returns to scale assumption are applied in the modelling.

Findings

In China’s industry sector, during 2006-2010, the estimated CO2 emission abatement cost was 1,842 billion yuan, which accounts for 2.45 per cent of China’s total industrial output value; the emission abatement cost saving from emission permits trading would be 315 billion yuan, which accounts for 17.12 per cent of the emission opportunity abatement cost; and additional 1,065.95 million tonnes of CO2 emission reductions would be realized from emission permits trading, and this accounts for 4.75 per cent of the total industrial CO2 emissions.

Research limitations/implications

The estimation is implemented at the regional level, i.e. the emission permits trading subjects are the whole industry sectors in different Chinese provinces, because of the data limitation in this study. Further estimation could be implemented at the enterprise level to provide a deeper insight into the abatement cost recovery from emission permits trading.

Practical implications

The estimation models and calculation process introduced in this study could be applied for evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of pollutant emission permits trading schemes from the perspective that whether these market-based abatement policy instruments help to realize the potential abatement cost savings.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has provided the estimation of CO2 emission abatement cost and the estimation of CO2 abatement cost saving effect from emission permits trading for China’s industry sector. This study provides the first attempt to fill this research gap.
Pre-purchase information search: too many sources to choose
Authors: Broilo Patricia Liebesny , Espartel Lélis Balestrin , Basso Kenny
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Because of the increasing volume of information spread in physical and online environments, a consumer intending to purchase a product or service must choose not only what to buy but also which sources to consult when searching for information that may aid decision-making. This study aims to understand how consumers choose their sources of information in pre-purchase external searches, given the information overproduction scenario.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, data collected through interviews with consumers were analyzed under the technique of content analysis, and the results were synthesized into a framework.

Findings

Consumers tend to consider few sources of information, based on a previously built perception of which sources are more or less appropriate for consultation. Choice tends to be based on pre-established evaluation criteria involving the use of heuristics in the form of socialized images regarding those sources.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the study’s exploratory nature, the proposed framework sheds light into how consumers respond to information overproduction when choosing their sources, providing interesting venues for future investigations.

Practical implications

The study identified the possible occurrence of consumer confusion associated with information sources, extending the theoretical understanding of such a concept. Moreover, it revealed the need for managers to consider specific aspects related to the sources to be included in marketing communications.

Originality/value

This is the first study to address choice of information sources associated with consumer confusion focusing the offline/online scenario.
Using Action Research and Action Learning (ARAL) to develop a response to the abuse of older people in a healthcare context
Authors: McAlinden Fiona
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe Monash Health’s development of a Policy and Procedure on the abuse of older people in metropolitan Australia. Monash Health is a public healthcare network that consists of six public hospitals and over 40 community health care sites throughout the South East of Melbourne.

Design/methodology/approach

An Action Research Action Learning approach was employed to develop a comprehensive set of policy and procedure documents to ensure that Monash Health became compliant with the State Government’s expectations around responding to the abuse of older people in a consistent manner.

Findings

Almost 90,000 Monash Health hospital admissions per year are older people aged over 65 years. Senior Monash Health management recognized that staff did not have adequate information, education and resources to consistently identify and respond to situations of elder abuse. What is more, the existing internal Monash Health document Supporting Older People at Risk did not meet obligations stated in the Victorian Government’s Elder Abuse Strategy (2009).

Originality/value

The project’s emphasis upon participatory action research, cooperative inquiry and action learning further resulted in the identification of an opportunity to develop a strategic response to violence and abuse for all patients of Monash Health, not just older people.
Small lesion size measured by colposcopy may predict absence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in a large loop excision of the transformation zone specimen
Authors: Munmany M , Marimon L , Cardona M , Nonell R , Juiz M , Astudillo R , Ordi J , Torné A , del Pino M
Published: August 2016

Objective

To evaluate whether colposcopic measurement of the lesion size at diagnosis and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping can predict the absence of dysplasia in a large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) specimen in women treated for squamous intraepithelial lesions/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (SIL/CIN).

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Tertiary university hospital.

Population

A cohort of 116 women who underwent LLETZ because of biopsy‐proven low‐grade SIL/CIN that had persisted for 2 years, or because of a high‐grade SIL/CIN diagnosed in the referral visit and squamocolumnar junction completely visible (types 1 or 2, according to the International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy, IFCPC).

Methods

After LLETZ the women were classified by histology into the study group (absence of SIL/CIN in the surgical specimen, 28/116, 24.1%) and the control group (SIL/CIN in the LLETZ specimen, 88/116, 75.9%).

Main outcome measures

The size of the lesion determined in the diagnostic colposcopy and the HPV genotype were evaluated in all women.

Results

The lesion size was significantly smaller in the study group (25.7 ± 37.8 versus 84.5 ± 81.7 mm2; P < 0.001). A lesion size of ≤12 mm2 and HPV types other than 16 or 18 were associated with an absence of SIL/CIN in the LLETZ specimen (P < 0.001 and P = 0.016, respectively). On multivariate analysis only a lesion size of ≤12 mm2 predicted the absence of SIL/CIN (odds ratio, OR 10.6; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 3.6–30.6; P < 0.001). A lesion size of ≤12 mm2 had a specificity of 90.9% (95% CI 83.0–95.3%) and a negative predictive value of 86.0% (95% CI 77.5–91.6%) to predict the absence of SIL/CIN in the surgical specimen.

Conclusions

Small lesion size in diagnostic colposcopy could predict the absence of SIL/CIN in the LLETZ specimen. Colposcopy measurement of lesion size prior to LLETZ may avoid unnecessary treatment.

Tweetable abstract

Small lesion size in colposcopic evaluation might predict the absence of SIL/CIN in an LLETZ specimen.
Transversus abdominis plane block or intravenous lignocaine in open prostate surgery: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Maquoi I. , Joris J. L. , Dresse C. , Vandenbosch S. , Venneman I. , Brichant J.‐F. , Hans G. A.
Published: August 2016

Background and Objectives

Transversus abdominis plane block (TAP) and intravenous lignocaine are two analgesic techniques frequently used after abdominal surgery. We hypothesized that these two techniques improve post‐operative analgesia after open prostate surgery and sought to compare their efficacy on immediate post‐operative outcome after open prostate surgery.

Methods

After ethics committee approval, 101 patients were enrolled in this prospective study and randomly allocated to receive bilateral ultrasound‐guided TAP (n = 34), intravenous lignocaine (n = 33) or placebo (n = 34). In addition, intravenous paracetamol was given every 6 h. The primary endpoint was the cumulative opioid consumption during the first 48 post‐operative hours (median[IQR]). Secondary endpoints included pain scores at rest and upon coughing, need for rescue tramadol, incidence of post‐operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), recovery of bowel function and incidence of bladder catheter‐related discomfort.

Results

Cumulative piritramide consumption after 48 h was 28 [23] mg in the control group, 21 [29] mg in the TAP group and 21 [31] mg in the lignocaine group (P = 0.065). There was no significant difference in post‐operative pain scores between groups. The proportions of patients requiring rescue tramadol, experiencing PONV or bladder catheter‐related discomfort were similar in each group. Recovery of bowel function was also similar in the three groups.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that TAP block and intravenous lignocaine do not improve the post‐operative analgesia provided by systematic administration of paracetamol after open prostatectomy.
Effectiveness and tolerability of simeprevir and sofosbuvir in nontransplant and post‐liver transplant patients with hepatitis C genotype 1
Authors: Lutchman G. , Nguyen N. H. , Chang C. Y. , Ahmed A. , Daugherty T. , Garcia G. , Kumari R. , Gupta S. , Doshi D. , Nguyen M. H.
Published: August 2016

Background

Hepatitis C virus genotype 1a (HCV‐1a), prior treatment, cirrhosis and post‐transplant status are historically associated with poor treatment responses. The new oral direct‐acting agents appear to be effective and safe in these patients.

Aims

To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of simeprevir and sofosbuvir in a diverse real‐life cohort of patients, including difficult‐to‐treat patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 198 consecutive patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 (148 nontransplant, 50 post transplant), who were treated with simeprevir and sofosbuvir for 12 weeks between December 2013 and December 2014. Primary outcome was sustained virological response with undetectable HCV RNA 12 weeks after completion of therapy (SVR12). Risk factors evaluated for lack of SVR12 included HCV 1a (vs. 1b), prior treatment (vs. none), and cirrhosis (vs. no cirrhosis).

Results

SVR12 rates were similar in non‐ and post‐transplant settings, 82% and 88%, respectively. There were no significant differences in adverse events in patients regardless of cirrhosis or transplant status. On multivariate analysis also inclusive of gender and liver transplant status, negative predictors of SVR12 were having at least 2 or 3 risk factors (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.10–0.87, P = 0.027 or 0.29, 95% CI 0.09–0.85, P = 0.025, respectively).

Conclusion

Simeprevir and sofosbuvir combination is a safe and effective regimen for the treatment of non‐ and post‐transplant patients with traditional risk factors for poor treatment response, unless more than 2 difficult‐to‐treat risk factors are present.