bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Modelling of Heterogeneous Coastal Aquifer: Upscaling from Local Scale
Authors: B.N. Priyanka , Mohan Kumar M.S.
Published: February 2019

The aquifer heterogeneity is often simplified while conceptualizing numerical model due to lack of field data. Conducting field measurements to estimate all the parameters at the aquifer scale may not be feasible. Therefore, it is essential to determine the most significant parameters which require field characterization. For this purpose, the sensitivity analysis is performed on aquifer parameters, viz., anisotropic hydraulic conductivity, effective porosity and longitudinal dispersivity. The results of the sensitivity index and root mean square deviation indicated, that the longitudinal dispersivity and anisotropic hydraulic conductivity are the sensitive aquifer parameters to evaluate seawater intrusion in the study area. The sensitive parameters are further characterized at discrete points or at local scale by using regression analysis. The longitudinal dispersivity is estimated at discrete well points based on Xu and Eckstein regression formula. The anisotropic hydraulic conductivity is estimated based on established regression relationship between hydraulic conductivity and electrical resistivity with R2 of 0.924. The estimated hydraulic conductivity in x and y-direction are upscaled by considering the heterogeneous medium as statistically homogeneous at each layer. The upscaled model output is compared with the transversely isotropic model output. The bias error and root mean square error indicated that the upscaled model performed better than the transversely isotropic model. Thus, this investigation demonstrates the necessity of considering spatial heterogeneous parameters for effective modelling of the seawater intrusion in a layered coastal aquifer.
Cost of Urban Wastewater Treatment and Ecotaxes: Evidence from Municipalities in Southern Europe
Authors: Moral Pajares Encarnación , Gallego Valero Leticia , Román Sánchez Isabel María
Published: February 2019

The principle of cost recovery established by the Water Framework Directive underlines the need for tax rates, which can raise enough revenue to finance the cost of treatments applied to wastewater. The objective of this research is to gain an understanding the different types of charges related to urban wastewater treatment that can be levied by the authorities responsible for this service. This paper also aims to determine whether these taxes contribute to guaranteeing the economic feasibility of the wastewater treatment plants. The proposed methodological approach is applied to 18 municipalities of a province in southern Europe in 2017. The results confirm that in most of these cases, the taxes levied do not guarantee adequate tax revenues to cover the running, maintenance and investment costs of municipal wastewater treatment plants. This situation leads to a lack of financial self-sufficiency in the wastewater management service, meaning that the imbalance between income and expenditure has to be covered by government subsidies. The results of this study will help guide authorities around the world that are in charge of managing urban wastewater treatment services.
A Simple Early Warning System for Flash Floods in an Ungauged Catchment and Application in the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Li Zhehao , Zhang Hongbo , Singh Vijay P. , Yu Ruihong , Zhang Shuqi
Published: February 2019

Under climate change, flash floods have become more frequent and severe, and are posing a danger to society, especially in the ungauged catchments. The objective of this paper, is to construct a simple and early warning system, serving for flash floods risk management in the ungauged catchments of the Loess Plateau in China, and offer a reference for flash flood warning in other areas in the world. Considering the absence of hydrological data in the ungauged catchments, the early warning system for flash floods is established by combining the regional or watershed isograms of hydrological parameters and local empirical formulas. Therein, rainfall and water stage/flow are used as warning indices for real-time risk estimation of flash flood. For early warning, the disaster water stage was first determined according to the protected objects (e.g., residents and buildings), namely the critical water stage. The critical flow (flow threshold), was calculated based on the water stage, and the established relationship between water stage and flow using the cross-sectional measured data. Then, according to the flow frequency curve of the design flood, the frequency of critical flow was ascertained. Assuming that the rainfall and the flood have the same frequency, the critical rainfall threshold was calculated through the design rainstorm with the same frequency of the design flood. Due to the critical rainfall threshold being sensitive with different soil conditions, the design flood and frequency curve of flood flow were calculated under different soil conditions, and thus the rainfall threshold was given under different soil condition for early warning of the flash flood disaster. Taking two sections in Zichang County (within the Loess Plateau) as an example, we set the rainfall and water stage/flow thresholds to trigger immediate or preparation signals for the migration of the population along the river. The application of this method to the 7.26 flood events in 2017 in China, shows that the early warning system is feasible. It is expected that this simple early warning system can provide early warnings of flash floods in ungauged catchments in the Loess Plateau and other similar areas.
Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation Status of Araceae in the State of Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Krömer Thorsten , Acebey Amparo R. , Armenta-Montero Samaria , Croat Thomas B.
Published: February 2019

We present an overview of the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of all 54 taxa of Araceae that are currently known from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. We provide a reference list that gives information about overall distribution, endemism, and occurrence in Mexican states and administrative regions/municipalities of Veracruz. For this latter state, we also provide information on life form, elevational range, habitat, uses, and distinguishing characters useful for species identification. We performed an assessment of conservation status at the regional and global level for 51 and three taxa, respectively, considering International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria. About 80% of aroid taxa from Veracruz belong to a threatened category, mainly because of the continued loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats caused by the lack of protected areas that include tropical humid and humid montane forests.
UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL VARIABLES CONTRIBUTING TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF INTERNATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY CONTRACTORS
Authors: Niu Yanliang , Deng Xiaopeng , Zhang Limao , Duan Xiaochen
Published: February 2019

This article is devoted to identifying and explaining the critical variables contributing to competitive advantages in international High-Speed Railway (HSR) projects from the contractor’s perspective. A total of 24 variables were identified by the literature review and a pilot study. An international questionnaire survey was performed to obtain professional opinions from both practitioners and the academy. The 24 variables were ranked and clustered into 6 factors using exploratory factor analysis. Furthermore, a case study of the Early Train Operator project of the California HSR was carried out by the survey, interview, and first-hand data. The results indicated that the top six ranked variables are (1) None Accident History, (2) Eligibility & International Criteria, (3) Contract Reputation, (4) Marketing Strategy, (5) Risk Management Capability, and (6) Technical Responsiveness. Furthermore, the 24 variables are grouped into six dimensions: Glocalization, Marketing, Safety, Economics, Technology, and Responsibility. The case study indicated that the factor framework was suitable and tractable for the application. The findings of this paper could (1) assist international HSR contractors in obtaining a better understanding of the deeper determinates of competitive advantages and (2) serve as a valuable reference for developing their competitive advantages in the international HSR market.
Four new species of Tremella (Tremellales, Basidiomycota) based on morphology and DNA sequence data
Authors: Zhao Ying , Liu Xin-zhan , Bai Feng-yan
Published: February 2019

In the present study, a total of 33Tremellaspecimens in China were collected and examined using molecular phylogenetic analysis based on a combined sequence dataset of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and nuc 28S rDNA D1/D2 domain in conjunction with the morphological characters. Four new species, namelyTremellabasidiomaticola,T.cheejenii,T.erythrina, andT.salmonea, are newly described based on their distinct phylogenetic relationships and the comparison of morphological characters with knownTremellaspecies. Our results indicate a high species diversity ofTremellawaiting to be discovered.
The Effect of Race on Early Perioperative Outcomes After Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis
Authors: Yin Clark , Sing David C. , Curry Emily J. , Abdul-Rassoul Hussein , Galvin Joseph W. , Eichinger Josef K. , Li Xinning
Published: February 2019

There is a paucity of data on how racial disparities may affect early outcomes following shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in 30-day complications and readmission rates after shoulder arthroplasty based on race. White and black patients who underwent hemiarthroplasty, anatomic or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (
Current Procedural Terminology
codes 23470 and 23472) between 2006 and 2015 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Black patients were propensity score matched 1:4 based on preoperative demographics and comorbidities to white patients. Multivariable analysis was performed to assess postoperative complications based on race. Of the 12,663 patients with shoulder arthroplasty identified, 10,717 (84.6%) were white and 559 (4.4%) were black. Overall, 557 black patients were matched to 2228 white patients, for a total cohort of 2785 patients (mean age, 63.9±11.7 years; female, 61.0%). Surgical indications were similar between black and white patients. The 2 races had similar rates of overall complications, major complications, minor complications, readmissions, and discharge to facility. Mortality was significantly higher among black patients compared with white patients (0.6% vs 0.05%;
P
=.033). Black patients also experienced longer operative time (mean, 126.4 vs 112.5 minutes;
P
<.001) and length of stay (mean, 2.4 vs 2.1 days;
P
<.001). There was a significant disparity with underutilization of shoulder arthroplasty for black patients in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Black and white patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty experienced similar rates of 30-day complications, readmissions, and discharge to facility. However, black patients experienced greater operative time, total length of stay, and mortality compared with white patients. [
Orthopedics
. 2019; 42(2):95–102.]
Brachialis Muscle Tendon Rupture of the Distal Ulnar Attachment in a Competitive Weight Lifter
Authors: Curry Emily J. , Cusano Antonio , Elattar Osama , Bogart Andrew , Murakami Akira , Li Xinning
Published: February 2019

Isolated tears of the brachialis muscle are rare and often take on the clinical appearance of other pathology, such as a distal biceps brachii tendon tear or an intramuscular tumor, thus making diagnosis especially difficult. The authors describe the case of a 31-year-old competitive male weight lifter who was found to have a full-thickness tear of the brachialis tendon at its distal ulnar attachment after performing a 40.8-kg biceps curl. The authors describe the differential diagnosis, radiographic findings, and methods used that led to the diagnosis and also provide a comprehensive review of the literature on brachialis muscle injuries. The patient decided to proceed with conservative management consisting of a period of rest and physical therapy. At 10 months after the injury, the patient went back to weightlifting and biceps curls. He had progressed to full strength and had returned to all weightlifting activities at final follow-up. Isolated full-thickness brachialis muscle ruptures can be treated successfully with conservative management, including rest and physical therapy. [
Orthopedics
. 2019; 42(3):e339–e342.]
Reading Preferences of ESL Students: Electronic Texts vs. Printed
Authors: Alamri Basim
Published: February 2019

The present study investigated the reading preferences of international students regarding their choices between electronic texts (e-texts) and printed texts (p-texts). The study also explored the influence of reading e-texts and p-texts on comprehending their contents, as well as the purpose of students using these electronic devices (e-devices). The data were collected using a questionnaire completed by non-native English speakers (36 males, 24 females) at a southwestern university in the United States. The findings indicated that the students preferred using p-texts over e-texts. Among these students, there was no gender difference in terms of reading preferences. Moreover, the results indicated a statistically significant difference between males and females regarding understanding the content in the printed format. The females understood the content better than the males when they read p-text. The findings also revealed that students preferred using electronic devices for personal uses rather than academic uses. Such personal uses were web browsing, listening to or watching media, and reading and writing emails. The study suggested several pedagogical implications for students and e-book developers and designers.
A Novel Feature Selection Measure Partnership-Gain
Authors: Salama Mostafa A. , Hassan Ghada
Published: February 2019

Multivariate feature selection techniques search for the optimal features subset to reduce the dimensionality and hence the complexity of a classification task. Statistical feature selection techniques measure the mutual correlation between features well as the correlation of each feature to the tar- get feature. However, adding a feature to a feature subset could deteriorate the classification accuracy even though this feature positively correlates to the target class. Although most of existing feature ranking/selection techniques consider the interdependency between features, the nature of interaction be- tween features in relationship to the classification problem is still not well investigated. This study proposes a technique for forward feature selection that calculates the novel measure Partnership-Gain to select a subset of features whose partnership constructively correlates to the target feature classification. Comparative analysis to other well-known techniques shows that the proposed technique has either an enhanced or a comparable classification accuracy on the datasets studied. We present a visualization of the degree and direction of the proposed measure of features’ partnerships for a better understanding of the measure’s nature.
A CAD System for the Early Detection of Lung Nodules Using Computed Tomography Scan Images
Authors: Amer Hanan M. , Abou-Chadi Fatma E. , Kishk Sherif S. , Obayya Marwa I.
Published: February 2019

In this paper,  a computer-aided detection system is developed to detect lung nodules at an early stage using Computed Tomography (CT) scan images where lung nodules are one of the most important indicators to predict lung cancer. The developed system consists of four stages. First, the raw Computed Tomography lung  images were preprocessed to enhance the image contrast and eliminate noise. Second, an automatic segmentation procedure for human's lung and pulmonary nodule canddates (nodules, blood vessels) using a two-level thresholding technique and morphological operations. Third, a feature fusion technique that fuses four feature extraction techniques: the statistical features of first and second order, value histogram features, histogram of oriented gradients features, and texture features of gray level co-occurrence matrix based on wavelet coefficients was utilised to extract the main features. The fourth stage is the classifier. Three classifiers were used and their performance was compared in order to obtain the highest classification accuracy. These are; multi-layer feed-forward neural network, radial basis function neural network and support vector machine. The  performance of the proposed system was assessed using three quantitative parameters. These are: the classification accuracy rate, the sensitivity and the specificity. Forty standard computed tomography images containing 320 regions of interest obtained from an early lung cancer action project association were used to test and evaluate the developed system. The images consists of 40 computed tomography scan images. The results have shown that the fused features vector resulting from genetic algorithm as a feature selection technique and the support vector machine classifier give the highest classification accuracy rate, sensitivity and specificity values of 99.6%, 100% and 99.2%, respectively.
Suborbital Spaceflight
Authors: Takaya-Umehara Yuri
Published: February 2019

The chapter outlines the legal aspects of suborbital spaceflight under international law with the aim of clarifying upcoming legal challenges to the existing space treaties. One of major problems lies in the applicability of air law to the spaceflight. In the case of using aircraft-type reusable launch vehicle (RLV), it fits into the definition of aircraft in air law. The other problems are also addressed, which include the different legal status of airspace and outer space, the lack of specific concepts and terms related the flights in the existing space treaties, and a need for international regulation to ensure safety in the flights. It concludes with recommendations for the present space traffic management.
Mega-Constellations
Authors: Carazo Alberto Rueda
Published: February 2019

As a reflection of the fast-paced world we currently live in, a new era in satellite technology begins to emerge. This sector, of vital importance for our day-to-day lives, is in a period of significant change, characterized by the use of large satellite constellations. These mega-constellations aim to provide, among other things, worldwide internet coverage. Since 2015, satellite internet providers such as Space X and OneWeb have been working on the idea of mega-constellations and intend to launch circa 4.000 and 882 satellites respectively, thus forcing satellite manufacturers to lower the costs drastically. However, many legal issues may arise since the vast amounts of satellites will significantly increase the risk of collision with other satellites or spacecraft.
In-Situ Resource Utilization
Authors: De Man Philip
Published: February 2019

This chapter discusses whether and how the existing rules of international space law can be applied to regulate the activity of space resource exploitation, with a focus on in-situ resource utilization. As such, the chapter aims to establish how natural resources should be defined in the context of space law, how the activity of exploitation compares to other types of activities in space, in particular the prohibited activity of national appropriation, and the extent to which the type and supply of space resource may impact on its regulation. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of the most recent developments in national and international forums attempting to regulate space resource exploitation.
Human Planetary Exploration
Authors: Gruber Sophie
Published: February 2019

The human exploration of planetary bodies started with the Apollo missions to the Moon, which provided valuable lessons learned and experience for the future human exploration. Based on that, the design of hardware and operations need to further be developed to also overcome the new challenges, which arise when planning crewed missions to Mars and beyond. This chapter provides an overview about the environment and structure of the Red Planet and discusses the challenges on operations and hardware correlated to it. It further provides insights into the considerations regarding the hardware development which need to be investigated and defined before launching a crewed mission to Mars.
Interoperability in IoT
Authors: Gonzalez-Usach Regel , Yacchirema Diana , Julian Matilde , Palau Carlos E.
Published: February 2019

Interoperability refers to the ability of IoT systems and components to communicate and share information among them. This crucial feature is key to unlock all of the IoT paradigm´s potential, including immense technological, economic, and social benefits. Interoperability is currently a major challenge in IoT, mainly due to the lack of a reference standard and the vast heterogeneity of IoT systems. IoT interoperability has also a significant importance in big data analytics because it substantively eases data processing. This chapter analyzes the critical importance of IoT interoperability, its different types, challenges to face, diverse use cases, and prospective interoperability solutions. Given that it is a complex concept that involves multiple aspects and elements of IoT, for a deeper insight, interoperability is studied across different levels of IoT systems. Furthermore, interoperability is also re-examined from a global approach among platforms and systems.
Critical Issues in the Invasion of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Authors: Devarakonda Shravani , Halgamuge Malka N. , Mohammad Azeem
Published: February 2019

In this chapter, the authors collected data from issues related to threats in the applications of IoT-based technologies that describe the security and privacy issues from 30 peer reviewed publications from 2014 to 2017. Further, they analyzed each threat type and its percentages in each application of the internet of things. The results indicated that the applications of smart transportation (20%) face the highest amount of security and privacy issues followed by smart home (19%) and smart cities (18%) compared to the rest of the applications. Further, they determined that the biggest threats were denial of service attack (9%) followed by eavesdropping (5%), man in the middle (4%), and replay (4%). Denial of service attacks and man in the middle attack are active attacks that can severely damage human life whereas eavesdropping is a passive attack that steals information. This study has found that privacy issues have the biggest impacts on people. Therefore, researchers need to find possible solutions to these threats to improve the quality of IoT applications.
Security in IoT and Big Data With Technical Challenges
Authors: Rath Mamata
Published: February 2019

There are higher rates of mobile devices in current networks that are associated with each other intelligently using internet of things (IoT) domain to make diverse communication in various applications. Therefore, security issues are a major concern to accomplish a protected communication. There are many functions and cryptographic algorithms developed during research which can be utilized as a part of the communication trade among the devices to make secure internet of things networks in an approach to ensure right transmission. Big data is the most demanding concept used in business analytics and massive data processing. It is heard all over the place, particularly in the social insurance industry. Traditionally, the tremendous measure of data produced by the medicinal services industry was put away as printed version. This data has the ability to help an extensive variety of medicinal services and restorative capacities. The digitization of such data is called big data. The chapter features critical security issues in IoT-associated devices both in wireless network and big data analytics along with all other widely used area where IoT environment has been implemented. It also describes security issues in IoT systems particularly when IoT computing devices are used in critical real-time applications such as utilizing IoT frameworks involving information transmission with mobile phones, existing secured systems for enormous information, and individual information security including verification and secured correspondence in IoT.
Technology Readiness for Education 4.0
Authors: Caputo Francesco , Papa Armando , Cillo Valentina , Del Giudice Manlio
Published: February 2019

The chapter aims at investigating the relationships between human resources and ICTs with the aim to underline what barriers and opportunities are emerging in digital societies. As a matter of fact, the production, through the concept of Industry 4.0, is requiring advanced training of the workforce. To address these challenges, the chapter specifically provides a wide conceptual framework for describing the relationships between human resources and ICTs in the Industry 4.0 framework. After this, the attention is focused on the construct of technology readiness as a way to clarify human resources' reaction to the introduction of new technologies and digital instruments. Finally, the proposed conceptual framework is used to trace possible guidelines for the management of educational programs.
Blended Learning in Higher Education 4.0
Authors: Raman Arumugam , Rathakrishnan Mohan
Published: February 2019

Rapid technology advancement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) has undoubtedly posed a great challenge to the education system in higher education institutes and changed every aspect of our lives including education. Higher education institutions across the world are amalgamating technology in modern learning and teaching approaches such as blended learning so that future teachers are equipped with the latest 21st century knowledge for further innovations and creations. This chapter covers definition, design, and implementation of blended learning in higher education. Further it also discusses blended learning models and assessment tools in recent education setting around the world. The education system worldwide has to transform for the imminent FIR as the job market will be largely prompted by the advancement of digital economy, robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation technology.
Implementation of Flipped Classroom at Malaysia's Teacher Education Institute
Authors: Muthiah Malar , Thannimalai Raamani
Published: February 2019

In a teacher education institute in Malaysia, blended learning is considered as a strategic and effective learning instruction with unique features to help improve student-teacher's discussion skills, improve their communities of practice, and achieve their course purposes. One of the tools of blended learning is flipped classroom. Flipped classroom should be implemented especially among student teachers. The definition of flipped classroom was explained in detail, and furthermore, flipped classroom activities are based on social and cognitive constructivist theory that is suitable to be implemented in teacher education institutions in Malaysia because it is student-centered and involved students actively during the learning process. A research done in one of the teacher education institutions was discussed to find out the effect of flipped classroom in achievement history test and motivation among the 20 student teachers who enrolled for Early European History until 21st Century as one of their major papers.
Deep Learning-Based Mobile Application for Plant Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Verma Shradha , Chug Anuradha , Singh Amit Prakash , Sharma Shubham , Rajvanshi Puranjay
Published: February 2019

With the increasing computational power, areas such as machine learning, image processing, deep learning, etc. have been extensively applied in agriculture. This chapter investigates the applications of the said areas and various prediction models in plant pathology for accurate classification, identification, and quantification of plant diseases. The authors aim to automate the plant disease identification process. To accomplish this objective, CNN has been utilized for image classification. Research shows that deep learning architectures outperform other machine learning tools significantly. To this effect, the authors have implemented and trained five CNN models, namely Inception ResNet v2, VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, and Xception, on PlantVillage dataset for tomato leaf images. The authors analyzed 18,160 tomato leaf images spread across 10 class labels. After comparing their performance measures, ResNet50 proved to be the most accurate prediction tool. It was employed to create a mobile application to classify and identify tomato plant diseases successfully.
The Municipal Map in Portugal
Authors: Barreiros Barbara Luize Iacovino
Published: February 2019

The municipality is the basic territorial organization for almost all the Member States of the European Union and has approximately the same attributions in all these. Even so, the territorial structure of municipalities differs in each of the Member States, and it is possible to group them into two large groups: those that have implemented reforms with a consequent reduction in the number of these entities and those with a high number of municipalities. Although Spain is a neighbor of Portugal and Portugal gets some influences from France, in fact the territorial organization of municipalities corresponds to very different realities. Through this research you can see that Portugal did reform its municipalities while France and Spain failed to do so. However, they all recognize that there is a need to reform the territorial structure of municipalities.
Cyberbullying in Relation to Empathy and Friendship Quality
Authors: Yuliawanti Redita , Adiyanti Maria Goretti
Published: February 2019

Personal characteristics, friendship, culture, and flexibility of the use of technology are specific factors that contribute to cyberbullying. This study aims to explore the characteristics of cyberbullying and examine whether empathy and friendship qualities contribute to the tendency of cyberbullying among adolescents in Indonesia. The method used were qualitative and quantitative phases with the indigenous approach. Subjects were adolescents within the age range of 14 to 18 years. Qualitative data was collected by interviews and FGD from the 18 subjects. The results showed that cyberbullying is an intimidating behavior. The lack of empathy and poor friendship quality characterize the qualitative findings. Next, the quantitative data was obtained from 553 subjects by filling cyberbullying tendencies, empathy, and friendship quality scales. The results showed that empathy and friendship quality have a negative contribution on cyberbullying tendencies. Thus, empathy and friendship quality are factors that prevent the development of cyberbullying behavior in adolescents.
(Re)Designing Business Processes Using Markov Theory and Constrained State, Transition and Actor Role Spaces
Authors: Guerreiro Sérgio
Published: February 2019

Decision-making processes are the utmost important to steer the organizational change whenever business process workarounds are attempted during operational times. However, to decide the non-compliant situations, e.g., bypasses, social resistance, or collusion; the business manager demands contextualized and correct interpretations of the existing business process redesign options to cope with workarounds. This article explores the need to aid the decision-making process with a full constructional perspective to optimize the business processes redesign. So, the Markov decision process is combined with the body of knowledge of business processes, in specific, the concepts of designing enterprise-wide business transactions. This methodology supports the management initiatives with more knowledge about the value of business processes redesign. A classical chain of Order-to-Cash business processes (the order, the production, the distribution and the selling of goods) illustrate the benefits of this quantitative approach. Results obtained for business processes redesign in reaction to workarounds are reported. The analysis results show that this approach can anticipate the sub-optimal solutions before taking actions and highlights the impact of discount factors in the final obtained value. The contribution of this novel conceptual integration to the business processes community is the forecast of value function of business transaction redesign options when facing non-compliant workarounds. From related literature, business processes compliance usually comprises offline computation and the redesign is only considered in the forthcoming business processes instances. This article is innovative in the sense that it anticipates the value impact of a redesign, allowing more effective decisions to be taken.
Study of Nanostructured Cu Al Ni Alloy Produced by High Energy Mechanical Milling
Authors: Mimouche Sofiane , Azzaz M.
Published: February 2019

Some years ago a new process was developed for the elaboration of alloys in order to overcome drawbacks observed in samples produced by conventional casting. In the present work are shown the results obtained by high energy mechanical milling for Cu-Al-Ni. the mechanical alloying powder Cu84Al12Ni4 (W%) was fabricated in high energy planetary ball milling at a speed of 250 r/min for various milling times (10 20 30 40 50 60 hours) the weight ratio of the balls of powder was 15 to 1. this mechanical alloying process is significantly modifying the characteristic of the powder, the recovered grains are ultimately compacted. The means used to study the different evolution are SEM Scaning Electron Microscopy, Differential thermal analysis DTA, X-ray Diffraction analysis and DRX in situ.
Structure and Optical Properties of ZnO and ZnO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Morales-Mendoza Javier Eliel , Paraguay-Delgado Francisco , Moller J.A. Duarte , Herrera-Pérez Guillermo , Pariona Nicolaza
Published: February 2019

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Zinc peroxide (ZnO2) nanoparticles were synthesized by colloidal method at low temperature. The thermal stability of ZnO2 was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The crystalline structure and phase change from ZnO2 to ZnO by heat treatment was studied in detail. Morphology and particle size was examined using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), for as synthesized ZnO and ZnO2 the shape of particles were cuasi-spherical for both materials with average size of 10±2.2 nm and 2.5±0.4 nm, respectively; The crystal size for ZnO obtained by heat treatment was 8±2.2 nm. Electron density contours show the chemical bond type ionic and covalent for ZnO and ZnO2. The vibrational properties were analyzed by Raman and IR spectroscopy. Band gap values were obtained from ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorbance spectrum. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum for ZnO shows two emission edges located at 445 and 492 nm and in the case of ZnO2 presents one edge at 364 nm originated from the band edge emission. The optical spectra present a hypsochromic shift, compared with some reported in the literature.
Acute epiglottitis in a fully immunized child
Authors: Marasinghe D. T. , Panditha K. K. S. , Jayaweera J. M. R. G.
Published: February 2019

Acute epiglottitis in children became a rare entity after introduction of the conjugate Haemophilus influenzae type b(Hib) vaccine1.However, physicians must be aware that epiglottitis may result from vaccine failures or from infection with other pathogenic organisms. Vaccinated children with epiglottitis present in a similar fashion to those who are not vaccinated2. The following is a case of a previously healthy and immunized child who presented to paediatric ward and ultimately diagnosed as epiglottitis.
An unusual case of tuberculous otitis media (TB otitis)
Authors: Warnasuriya W. A. N. , Rosa Sharmika , Kirihene K. D. R. A.
Published: February 2019

We herein report a case of rare disease, Tuberculous otitis with unusual presentation, radiographic and pathologic findings. The granulations and bone erosion were extensive. He also developed extensive cold abscess in the pre-auricular region and rapid regrowth of granulations in the ear after mastoid exploration before starting anti TB treatment.
Sostdc1 Regulates NK Cell Maturation and Cytotoxicity
Authors: Millan Alberto J. , Elizaldi Sonny R. , Lee Eric M. , Aceves Jeffrey O. , Murugesh Deepa , Loots Gabriela G. , Manilay Jennifer O.
Published: February 2019

NK cells are innate-like lymphocytes that eliminate virally infected and cancerous cells, but the mechanisms that control NK cell development and cytotoxicity are incompletely understood. We identified roles for sclerostin domain–containing-1 (Sostdc1) in NK cell development and function. Sostdc1-knockout (Sostdc1−/−) mice display a progressive accumulation of transitional NK cells (tNKs) (CD27+CD11b+) with age, indicating a partial developmental block. The NK cell Ly49 repertoire in Sostdc1−/− mice is also changed. Lower frequencies of Sostdc1−/− splenic tNKs express inhibitory Ly49G2 receptors, but higher frequencies express activating Ly49H and Ly49D receptors. However, the frequencies of Ly49I+, G2+, H+, and D+ populations were universally decreased at the most mature (CD27−CD11b+) stage. We hypothesized that the Ly49 repertoire in Sostdc1−/− mice would correlate with NK killing ability and observed that Sostdc1−/− NK cells are hyporesponsive against MHC class I–deficient cell targets in vitro and in vivo, despite higher CD107a surface levels and similar IFN-γ expression to controls. Consistent with Sostdc1’s known role in Wnt signaling regulation, Tcf7 and Lef1 levels were higher in Sostdc1−/− NK cells. Expression of the NK development gene Id2 was decreased in Sostdc1−/− immature NK and tNK cells, but Eomes and Tbx21 expression was unaffected. Reciprocal bone marrow transplant experiments showed that Sostdc1 regulates NK cell maturation and expression of Ly49 receptors in a cell-extrinsic fashion from both nonhematopoietic and hematopoietic sources. Taken together, these data support a role for Sostdc1 in the regulation of NK cell maturation and cytotoxicity, and identify potential NK cell niches.
Intra-articular soft-tissue sarcoma of the knee: Is extra-articular resection and tumor endoprosthetic reconstruction the solution? A retrospective report on eight cases
Authors: Nottrott Markus , Streitbürger Arne , Gosheger Georg , Guder Wiebke , Hauschild Gregor , Hardes Jendrik
Published: February 2019

Intra-articular sarcoma of the knee joint is a very rare condition. Extra-articular resection and reconstruction with a tumor prosthesis is usually performed. This report describes the results with this rare surgical procedure. This retrospective study evaluated the clinical and functional results after extra-articular resection of the knee joint in eight patients with soft-tissue sarcomas of the knee that were reconstructed using a tumor endoprosthesis. Five of the eight patients (62.5%) ultimately had to undergo amputation, mainly due to periprosthetic infection. In addition, two patients experienced periprosthetic fractures. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 18 (range 10-22), as function was impaired due to a weak extensor mechanism. These results suggest that in patients with intraarticular soft-tissue sarcomas, limb salvage procedures with tumor prostheses after extra-articular resection are associated with very high complication rates. In most cases, long-term limb salvage was not possible. When limb salvage is successful, function is also poor due to a weak extensor mechanism in the knee joint. The indication for this procedure should therefore be considered critically.
Novel deleterious sequence change in the NLRP12 gene in a child with autoinflammatory syndrome, joint hypermobility and cutis laxa from India.
Authors: Ghosh Kanjaksha , Mishra Kanchan , Shah Avani , Patel Parizad , Shetty Shrimati
Published: February 2019

An otherwise healthy male child of 9 years presented with paroxysmal fever and diffuse abdominal pain along with loss of appetite and nausea lasting for 3-4days every 4-6 weeks for last 2 years. He also has stretchable skin and hypermobile joint which he inherited from his mother who never suffered any paroxysmal attack of the kind.  Work up for acute intermittent porphyria, lead poisoning and familial mediterranean fever was negative. A novel harmful sequence change in NLRP12 gene was detected and a diagnosis of NLRP12 associated autoinflammatory syndrome was made. This sequence change with disease has not yet been reported in the literature and is the first such case of NLRP12 related autoinflammatory syndrome from India.
H1N1 INFECTION IN PREGNANCY; A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF FETO-MATERNAL OUTCOME AND IMPACT OF THE TIMING OF ANTIVIRAL THERAPY
Authors: Al-Husban Naser
Published: February 2019

Background and Objective: H1N1 infection carries an increased risk in pregnancy. Our aim was to study the fetomaternal outcome and the effect of early initiation of therapy.

Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. Confirmed infected cases were included. Maternal age, parity, gestational age at diagnosis, presenting symptoms, time between presentation and starting therapy, ICU admission, and maternal and perinatal outcome were evaluated.

Results: Nineteen confirmed patients were included. Most patients are 31 years old or more. Multiparous patients were 73.68% and 57.89% were in the third trimester. Most of our patients presented with cough, fever, and chills. Two patients were admitted to the ICU. One of them was a case of maternal mortality. 42.10% of patients were started on therapy only one day after clinical onset of symptoms. 26.31% delivered before 37 completed weeks. 73.68% delivered beyond term. Around one third delivered vaginally. 45% of babies weighed more than 3 kg. Four babies weighed less than 2 kg. Ninety percent had APGAR scores more than 8 at 1 and 5 minutes after delivery. Twenty five percent were admitted to the NICU with no neonatal mortalities.

Conclusions: H1N1 influenza A infection in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Medical and public awareness, low threshold for testing suspected pregnant patients, very early initiation of antiviral therapy, and multidisciplinary approach in our series decreased the overall adverse effects of this infection.
Experiences of student nurses regarding the bursary system in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa
Authors: Jacobs Eve , Scrooby Belinda , Du Preez Antoinette
Published: February 2019

Background: During 2010, the South African nursing education system was restructured, changing student nurses from having supernumerary status to being bursary holders. Changes with the introduction of this new bursary system included institutional factors and benefits that could be removed from the students, potentially hampering students’ sense of belonging.Aim: This study aimed to describe the experiences of students receiving bursaries in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province and to make recommendations for improving the system to bursary providers, educational institutions and practical settings based on these students’ experiences of the bursary system.Setting: The experiences of student nurses regarding the bursary system are described within a specified setting comprising two nursing campuses in KZN.Method: A qualitative study design was used and seven focus group interviews were conducted with purposively selected participants, representing the target population of first-, second- and third-year male and female nursing students registered for the Diploma in Nursing (General, Psychiatric, Community) and Midwifery.Results: Two main themes and eight subthemes were identified. The findings indicated that some of the bursary system’s experiences were negative as opposed to students having supernumerary status. These experiences had negative socio-economic, psychological, clinical, academic and family impacts. Many concerns related to staff members’ attitudes, shortages of nurses and service demands during students’ clinical practice assignments.Conclusions: The bursary system was not viewed as being beneficial to students as they did not receive all the benefits from being bursary holders. Support in clinical and academic areas was lacking as they were considered to be employees during their clinical assignments. There is an urgent need to review the bursary system.
The triangle of effective education implemented for Theology
Authors: Oliver Erna
Published: February 2019

Higher education in general, and more specifically in the South African environment, is under pressure to transform. Although learning is often seen as the main focal point, the education process consists of three equally important pillars that form the triangle of effective education that fits within the intersection of the spheres of the community of inquiry framework. The basic pillars expand to student-centred teaching, blended learning and transformative assessment. This study is a short explanation of how these three pillars form a basic framework for effective theological training. This is a qualitative study, using a philosophical and analytical research design and illuminative evaluation as research method. This is a model for effective higher education in Theology. The triangle of effective education is formed by student-centred teaching, blended learning and transformative assessment. The model fits into the intersection of the spheres identified by the community of inquiry framework of Garrison, Anderson and Archer.
Thou shalt not smoke: Content and context in the Lord’s Resistance Army’s concept of the Ten Commandments
Authors: Holter Knut
Published: February 2019

With the Ten Commandments as a case, the overall focus of this article is how a reader’s a priori concept of a text influences how he or she allows textual content and interpretive context to interact. The frame of the article is the claim by the so-called Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda that they will establish a society built on the Ten Commandments, a claim that raises questions about what they mean with this reference to ‘Ten Commandments’. The article falls into two parts. The first part surveys some examples from the history of interpretation of the Ten Commandments, demonstrating contextual and terminological fluidity both in their biblical versions and in their postbiblical history of interpretation. With this insight, the second part discusses how LRA refers to the Ten Commandments in ways that demonstrate that the very concept ‘Ten Commandments’ is stronger than the details of their content. This enables the LRA to form ‘new commandments’ fitting with their ideology and struggle.