bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of control measures of Mikania micrantha on grassland: a case study from grassland in Sauraha area of Chitwan National Park
Authors: Aryal U. , Wagle B. H. , Lamichhane B. , Parajuli A. , Thapa P.
Published: July 2018

The spread of Mikania micrantha is causing a serious threat to native ecosystem in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of Nepal. The main objective of the study was to analyse the effectiveness of different control measures applied in the grasslands of Chitwan National Park (CNP) by comparing number and coverage of M. micrantha and native grass species. The three experimental sites were grassland of the CNP. These sites were delineated from Etrex 30, Global Positioning System (GPS) and GIS 10.3.2 in April, 2013. A block with size of 100 m x 100 m was separated by fire line on all sides for each treatment in each site. Systematic sampling with random start was used to establish sample plots within each block. Six sample plots were established in each block. The size of each plot was 2 m x 0.4 m (0.8 m2). The distance between one sample plot to another sample plot was 40 m. Three treatments applied in three blocks of each site were controlled fire, manual cutting and control (no treatment).Seedlings of M. micrantha and native grasses were counted and their coverage assessed in each plot. The coverage and number of native grass species were higher in controlled fire plot than in manual cutting and control plots. The study concludes that controlled fire is better than manual cutting and control treatments for the management of grassland. This study will help to different stakeholders to control its outreach, make polices, proper management of grasslands that are being affected by the invasion of M. micrantha. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page: 144-149
Special rights within universal welfare
Authors: Brunovskis Anette
Published: July 2018

Over the past two decades, several measures have been developed to provide assistance to persons defined as victims of trafficking. This article describes and discusses the organization of barriers and access to assistance (such as housing, medical assistance and subsistence support) for this group in Norway, taking as its starting point the daily practice of social workers and using an institutional ethnographic approach. Of great significance to access to assistance are the different administrative statuses that trafficking victims are assigned and move between, thus having rights granted or taken away. The negotiation of these administrative categories and navigation of conflicting legislation become a central aspect of social workers’ daily practice. Persons defined as ‘trafficking victims’ are eligible for a special residence permit, while assistance in Norway in practice is provided through the universal welfare system.  ‘Human trafficking’ and ‘trafficking victim’ are operational categories in criminal law and immigration legislation, but they are not administrative categories for welfare provision. Instead, being defined as a trafficking victim functions as an inroad to assignation of other administrative categories (also dependent on residence and registration statuses) that determine what assistance is or is not available. Gaps and inconsistencies between institutional and legal complexes arise when one small group of people are awarded special measure rights within a universal system, creating a bureaucratically complicated and ‘messy’ path to assistance. This ‘messiness’ does not mean that it does not always work. However, it appears to work best for those who fit well with the modern Norwegian bureaucracy, e.g. in terms of being able to document identity and stay within one administrative status, and worst for those who do not. Hence, the system for victim assistance appears to be the least accessible for some of the least privileged members of the group it is intended for.
Making sense, discovering what works…
Authors: Firbank Oscar E. , Breimo Janne Iren Paulsen , Sandvin Johans Tveit
Published: July 2018

This paper addresses the enabling and constraining factors that underpin inter-organizational collaboration in Child Welfare and Protection services in Norway and Quebec. Characterized by different regulatory systems, but with a common drive to hierarchically promote cross-agency collaboration, these jurisdictions provide the basis for two instructive and contrasting case studies on the subject. The paper builds on meta-ethnography as a means to synthesize and translate results from separate qualitative research undertakings carried out in each place. It argues that although a core set of properties may be identified as necessary for collaboratives to operate in a successful, sustainable manner; greater attention should be paid to how these properties interact with one another on the ground, given schemes’ particular scope and scale of objectives. Moreover, regulatory provisions aimed at stimulating or mandating cross-agency networks may align with collaborative capacity in various ways, occasionally in a mutually reinforcing, but sometimes antagonistic manner. The conclusions drawn have implications for both research and policy.
Studi Sumber Stek Daun Dengan Pemberian Rootone – F Dan Benzil Amino Purin (BAP) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Tunas Stek Daun Kakao (Theobroma cacao)
Authors: Zuheri Pulungan Ahmad
Published: July 2018

Rendahnya produktivitas kakao di Indonesia disebabkan oleh teknologi budidaya tanaman kakao yang masih sederhana, serta penggunaan bahan tanam kakao yang mutunya kurang baik. Sehingga perlu dilakukan penelitian untuk penggunan bibit unggul yang relatif mudah dan praktis yaitu dengan cara stek daun. Penelitian tentang “Studi Sumber Stek Daun Dengan Pemberian Rooton-F dan Benzil Amino Purin (BAP) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Tunas Stek Daun Kakao (Theobroma Cacao)” telah dilaksanakan dikebun percobaan Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Medan Area, Jalan Kolam No. 1 Medan Estate, mulai bulan Mei sampai Juli 2014. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah: 1. Meningkatkan persentase pertumbuhan stek daun kakao. 2. Mengetahui pengaruh hasil ZPT Rotoone-F dan Benzil Amino Purin (BAP) terhadap keberhasilan stek daun kakao. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) faktorial, 3 x 3 dengan 3 ulangan sehingga diperoleh sembilan kombinasi perlakuan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pertumbuhan stek daun kakao dengan penggunaan ZPT pada berbagai konsentrasi tidak memberikan pengaruh yang nyata terhadap pertumbuhan stek daun. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa:1. Stek daun kakao mempunyai potensi untuk dikembangkan sebagai alternatif cara perbanyakan tanaman. Pemberian ZPT Rootone-F pada perlakuan R1B3 dapat memberikan persentase hidup tertinggi mencapai 56,67%. 2. Pemberian ZPT Rootone-F dan Benzil Amino Purin (BAP) menunjukkan pengaruh yang tidak nyata pada pertumbuhan kalus terhadap semua perlakuan stek daun kakao.
Peningkatan Pertumbuhan Bibit Pisang Barangan dengan Aplikasi Fungi Mikoriza Arbuskular
Authors: Khafiz Khafiz , Suswati Suswati , Indrawati Asmah
Published: July 2018

Tanaman pisang Barangan adalah komoditi penting yang sangat berperanan mendukung diversifikasi sumber pangan, ekonomi dan aktifitas budaya di Sumatera Utara dalam pengusahaannya penyakit Darah Bakteri yang disebabkan oleh Blood Disease Bacterium (BDB) Phylotipe IV dan Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense (Foc) menjadi penyebab utama turunnya produksi pisang Barangan ini dan menyebabkan terkontaminasinya lahan tanam oleh propagul patogen.Untuk itu telah dilakukan  penelitian tentang peningkatan pertumbuhan bibit pisang Barangan dengan Fungi Mikoriza Arbuskular. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menggali informasi tentang kemampuan FMA dalam meningkatkan pertumbuhan bibit pisang Barangan yang diperbanyak secara in-vitro. Rancangan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan 4 perlakuan dan 5 ulangan yaitu 1= Kontrol ( tanpa FMA ), 2 = Glomus tipe-1, 3= Acauluspora tipe-4, 4= Multispora. Parameter pengamatan: Persentese kolonisasi akar, Efektifitas simbiosis, Kepadatan Spora FMA, tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun.Hasil Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa semua dosis FMA yang digunakan sangat baik untuk membantu pertumbuhan dan tinggi tanaman pisang, Pengaplikasian FMA Glomus tipe-1, Acauluspora tipe-4, Multispora sangat berpengaruh nyata untuk parameter tinggi tanaman, jumlah daun dan berat  basah tanaman pisang dan berpengaruh nyata untuk parameter berat shoot tanaman dan tidak berpengaruh nyata untuk berat basah root
Hubungan Atribut Produk Dengan Keputusan Membeli Kosmetik Oriflame Pada Mahasiswa Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Medan Area
Authors: Harfiah Hafiah , Syafrizaldi Syafrizaldi
Published: July 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara kepribadian extraversion dengan minat berwirausaha. Hipotesis yang diajukan dalam penelitian ini adalah adanya hubungan positif antara kepribadian extraversion dengan minat berwirausaha, dengan asumsi semakin extraversion kepribadian yang dimiliki individu, maka semakin tinggi minat berwirausaha, dan sebaliknya semakin lemah kepribadian extraversion yang dimiliki individu, maka semakin rendah minat berwirausaha. Subjek penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa-mahasiswi Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Dharmawangsa Medan sebanyak 125 orang yang dipilih dengan metode purposive sampling. Data diperoleh dari skala untuk mengukur kepribadian extraversion dan minat berwirausaha. Perhitungan dilakukan dengan melakukan uji prasyarat analisis (uji asumsi) yang terdiri dari uji normalitas dan uji linearitas. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah menggunakan korelasi Product Moment melalui bantuan SPSS 15 for Windows. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,535 (p < 0.05). Ini menunjukkan ada hubungan positif antara kepribadian extraversion dengan minat berwirausaha. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa sumbangan yang diberikan variabel kepribadian extraversion terhadap minat berwirausaha adalah sebesar 28,6 persen, selebihnya 72,4 persen dipengaruhi oleh faktor lain seperti self efficacy, locus of control, lingkungan keluarga, pengetahuan kewirausahaan, dan motivasi berprestasi. Dari hasil penelitian ini dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa hipotesis penelitian ada hubungan positif antara kepribadian extraversion dengan minat berwirausaha dapat diterima.
Hubungan Lingkungan Kerja Non Fisik dengan Kepuasan Kerja pada Perawat RSJ Prof.Dr.Muhammad Ildrem Sumatera Utara
Authors: Nasution Najmah Medina Sari , DR Maqhfirah
Published: July 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji hubungan lingkungan kerja non fisik dengan kepuasan kerja pada perawat di Rumah Sakit Jiwa Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ildrem Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Lingkungan Kerja Non Fisik adalah  lingkungan kerja yang tidak dapat ditangkap dengan panca indera manusia tetapi dapat dirasakan oleh para pekerja melalui hubungan-hubungan sesama pekerja maupun dengan atasan.Kepuasan Kerja merupakan suatu sikap, persepsi atau emosi yang dimiliki seseorang terhadap pekerjaannya.Subjek penelitian adalah perawat di RS. Jiwa Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ildrem Provinsi Sumatera Utara sejumlah 150 perawat. Pendekatan yang dipergunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kuantitatif. Pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini dengan total sampling. Berdasarkan hasil perhitungan Analisis Korelasi Product Moment, dapat diketahui bahwa terdapat hubungan positif yang sangat signifikan antara lingkungan kerja non fisik dengan kepuasan kerja. Hasil ini dibuktikan dengan koefisien korelasi rxy =  rxy =  0,510 ; sig 0,000. Dengan demikian maka hipotesis yang diajukan, dinyatakan diterima. Lingkungan kerja non fisik memberikan pengaruh  terhadap kepuasan kerja sebesar 26%. Dari hasil ini berarti diketahui bahwa masih terdapat 74% pengaruh dari faktor lain.
PENGARUH AKTUALISASI DIRI DAN DUKUNGAN SOSIAL TERHADAP KETAKUTAN AKAN SUKSES PADA WANITA KARIR
Authors: Putri Lingga Pramana
Published: July 2018

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan secara empiris apakah terdapat pengaruh aktualisasi diri dan dukungan sosial terhadap ketakutan akan sukses. Terdapat tiga variabel yang akan diselidiki dalam penelitian ini , yaitu : 1) Aktualisasi Diri terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses ; 2) Dukungan Sosial terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses ; 3) Aktualisasi Diri dan Dukungan Sosial terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses. Penelitian dikenakan kepada 60 wanita karir. Pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis regresi berganda. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan ada pengaruh Aktualisasi Diri (X1) terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses (Y) dengan nilai p < 0,05 dan nilai p = 0,007. Ada pengaruh Dukungan Sosial (X2) terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses (Y) dengan nilai p < 0,05 dan nilai p = 0,002. Kemudian terdapat pengaruh Aktualisasi diri (X1) dan Dukungan Sosial (X2) terhadap Ketakutan Akan Sukses (Y) dengan nilai p < 0,05 dan nilai p = 0,000, F = 10,046.
LATAR BELAKANG PENYEBAB TAWURAN PADA REMAJA
Authors: Imawati Diana
Published: July 2018

Tujuan peneliti ini adalah ingin mengetahui penyebab mengapa remaja suka melakukan tawuran. Hasil dari penelitian adalah (1). Terdapat remaja atau anak-anak muda Kayutangi dalam pengelompokan atau gank dan mereka mudah terpancing emosi, (2) . Remaja membawa pisau dan sejenisnya. Ketika polisi tahu mereka pergi ke lokasi yang bersangkutan untuk mengamankan situasi dengan menangkap mereka. Saran-sarannya adalah (1). Untuk menganjurkan keamanan lokal untuk dijaga, (2). Orangtua harus membimbing anak-anak mereka dengan baik dengan memberikan perhatian, nasehat, kontrol, mendampingi dan mencintai mereka, (3). Polisi membuat peta lokasi, (4). Sekolah mengajarkan sikap yang baik (5).Pemerintah membawa keluar kegiatan positif untuk remaja.
Addressing hepatitis C in the foreign-born population: A key to hepatitis C virus elimination in Canada
Authors: Greenaway Christina , Makarenko Iuliia , Tanveer Fozia , Janjua Naveed Z
Published: July 2018

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of death from infectious disease in Canada. Immigrants are an important group who are at increased risk for HCV; they account for a disproportionate number of all HCV cases in Canada (~30%) and have approximately a twofold higher prevalence of HCV (~2%) than those born in Canada. HCV-infected immigrants are more likely to develop cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and are more likely to have a liver-related death during a hospitalization than HCV-infected non-immigrants. Several factors, including lack of routine HCV screening programs in Canada for immigrants before or after arrival, lack of awareness on the part of health practitioners that immigrants are at increased risk of HCV and could benefit from screening, and several patient- and health system–level barriers that affect access to health care and treatment likely contribute to delayed diagnosis and treatment uptake. HCV screening and engagement in care among immigrants can be improved through reminders in electronic medical records that prompt practitioners to screen for HCV during clinical visits and implementation of decentralized community-based screening strategies that address cultural and language barriers. In conclusion, early screening and linkage to care for immigrants from countries with an intermediate or high prevalence of HCV would not only improve the health of this population but will be key to achieving HCV elimination in Canada. This article describes the unique barriers encountered by the foreign-born population in accessing HCV care and approaches to overcoming these barriers.
Remaining clinical issues in hepatitis C treatment
Authors: Wong Alexander , Tsien Cynthia , Mansour Sarah , Cooper Curtis
Published: July 2018

Key advances in the evaluation and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have positively transformed the management and outcomes of those living with this chronic viral infection. Previously difficult-to-cure populations, including those coinfected with HIV infection, now enjoy similarly high success rates with interferon-free, orally administered direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies. Nonetheless, relevant unresolved clinical questions remain. The role and impact of viral resistance testing on treatment selection and outcome remain to be fully determined. The consequences of developing resistance while on DAA treatments that ultimately prove unsuccessful requires further evaluation. Optimal HCV management strategies in decompensated liver disease are unclear, and the role for ribavirin in DAA treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients is uncertain. A chief concern for those with cirrhosis relates to the risk for de novo and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma among DAA recipients. In this article, we present and interpret current data and consider pragmatic, clinically useful options.
Reversing immune dysfunction and liver damage after direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C
Authors: Mazouz Sabrina , Boisvert Maude , Shoukry Naglaa H , Lamarre Daniel
Published: July 2018

The introduction of small molecules targeting viral functions has caused a paradigm shift in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. Administration of these direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) achieves a complete cure in almost all treated patients with short-duration therapy and minimal side effects. Although this is a major improvement over the previous pegylated interferon plus ribavirin (PEG-IFNα/RBV) standard-of-care treatment for HCV, remaining questions address several aspects of the long-term benefits of DAA therapy. Interferon (IFN)-based treatment with successful outcome was associated with substantial reduction in liver disease–related mortality. However, emerging data suggest a complex picture and several confounding factors that influence the effect of both IFN-based and DAA therapies on immune restoration and limiting liver disease progression. We review current knowledge of restoration of innate and HCV-specific immune responses in DAA-mediated viral elimination in chronic HCV infection, and we identify future research directions to achieve long-term benefits in all cured patients and reduce HCV-related liver disease morbidity and mortality.
Changes in Energy Metabolism from Prepregnancy to Postpartum: A Case Report
Authors: Pereira Leticia C.R. , Elliott Sarah A. , McCargar Linda J. , Bell Rhonda C. , Prado Carla M.
Published: July 2018

Purpose: Energy metabolism is at the core of maintaining healthy body weights. Likewise, the assessment of energy needs is essential for providing adequate dietary advice. We explored differences in energy metabolism of a primigravid woman (age: 30 years) at 1 month prepregnancy (“baseline”), during pregnancy (33 weeks), and at 3 and 9 months postpartum. Measured versus estimated energy expenditure were compared using equations commonly used in clinical practice.

Methods: Energy metabolism was measured using a state-of-the-art whole body calorimetry unit (WBCU). Body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), energy intake (3-day food records), physical activity (Baecke questionnaire), and breastmilk volume/breastfeeding energy expenditure (24-hours of infant test–retest weighing) were assessed.

Results: This case report is the first to assess energy expenditure in 3 different stages of a woman’s life (prepregnancy, pregnancy, and postpartum) using WBCU. We noticed that weight and energy needs returned to prepregnancy values at 9 months postpartum, although a pattern of altered body composition emerged (higher fat/lean ratio) without changes in physical activity and energy intake. For this woman, current recommendations for energy overestimated actual needs by 350 kcal/day (9 months postpartum).

Conclusion: It is likely that more accurate approaches are needed to estimate energy needs during and postpregnancy, with targeted interventions to optimize body composition.
Dietetic Staffing and Workforce Capacity Planning in Primary Health Care
Authors: MacDonald Werstuck Michele , Buccino Jennifer
Published: July 2018

The addition of Registered Dietitians (RD) to primary health care (PHC) teams has been shown to be effective in improving health and economic outcomes with reported savings of $5 to $99 New Zealand dollars for every $1 spent on nutrition interventions. Despite proven benefits, very few Canadians have access to dietitians in PHC. This paper summarizes the literature on dietetic staffing ratios in PHC in Canada and other countries with similar PHC systems. Examples are shared to demonstrate how dietitians and others can utilize published staffing ratios to review dietitian services within their settings, identify gaps, and advocate for additional positions to meet population needs. The majority of published dietetic staffing ratios describe ranges of 1 RD: 15 000–18 500 patients, 1 RD for every 4–14 family physicians, or 1 RD for every 300–500 patients with diabetes. These staffing ratios may be inadequate as surveys report ongoing issues of limited access to dietetic counseling, under-serviced populations, and a shortage of dietitians to meet current population needs in PHC. Newer projection models based on specific population needs and ongoing workforce data are required to identify professional practice issues and accurately estimate dietetic staffing requirements in PHC.
Accuracy of two Generic Prediction Equations and One Population-Specific Equation for Resting Energy Expenditure in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Andersen Ross E. , Sweet Shane N. , Reid Ryan E.R. , Sydney Florence , Plourde Hugues
Published: July 2018

Purpose: The primary aim was to assess the accuracy of common prediction equations, the Harris-Benedict (HB) and the Mifflin St. Jeor (MSJ) equations, for estimating resting energy expenditure (REE) among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) against actual REE measurements. The secondary aim was to cross-validate the Buchholz et al. energy prediction equation created for people with SCI.

Methods: A metabolic cart with canopy was used to measure the actual REE. The HB, MSJ, and the Buchholz et al. equations were used for the prediction of REE.

Results: Thirty-nine participants (31 males and 8 females) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The REEs significantly differed from one another, F(1.52, 57.68) = 52.04, P < 0.001, where both the HB (M = 1703.06, SD = 265.1) and the MSJ (M = 1628.92, SD = 233.8) energy predictions were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the measured REE (M = 1394.05, SD = 298.7). In contrast, the Buchholz et al. equation did not differ from the measured REE.

Conclusions: Our data show that the HB and MSJ equations do not accurately predict the energy needs of this community. Using a SCI-specific equation would improve estimates of REE, such as the Buchholz et al. equation. More research into energy equations for this population may help health care professionals better tailor dietary requirements for weight management.
Extracting patterns from Global Terrorist Dataset (GTD) Using Co-Clustering approach
Authors:   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi Pakistan, Adnan Muhammad , Rafi Muhammad ,   National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences NU-FAST Karachi, Pakistan
Published: July 2018

Global Terrorist Dataset (GTD) is a vast collection of terrorist activities reported around the globe. The terrorism database incorporates more than 27,000 terrorism incidents from 1968 to 2014. Every record has spatial data, a period stamp, and a few different fields (e.g. strategies, weapon sorts, targets and wounds). There were few earlier studies to find interesting patterns from this textual gamut of data. The author believes that GTD has numerous interesting patterns still hidden and the full potential of this resource is still to be divulged. In this Independent Study, the author tries to investigate the GTD through co-clustering method for pattern discovery. Author has extracted textual data from GTD as per motivation to cluster the data in space and time simultaneously, through co-clustering. Co-clustering has become an important and powerful tool for data mining. By using co-clustering, bilateral data can be analysed by describing the connections between two different entities. There are many applications in the real world that can extensively benefits from this approach of co-clustering, such as market basket analysis and recommendation system. In this study, the effectiveness of co[1]clustering model will be described by performing experiment on database of global terrorist events.
Probabilistic Vs. Soft Computing for Classifying Credit Card Transactions. A Case Study of Pakistani's Credit Card Data
Authors:   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi Pakistan, Amjad Ali Amjad Ali , Muhammad Rafi Muhammad Rafi ,   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi Pakistan
Published: July 2018

Credit cards are now widely used by consumers for purchasing various goods and services due to widespread use of internet and consequential growth of E-commerce over the past few decades. This enhanced use of credit cards has increased the associated risks such as fraudulent use of credit cards that can cause financial loss to the card holders as well as to financial institutions. It is an ethical issue and has legal implications in various countries where laws and regulations forces financial intuitions and credit card companies to employ various techniques to detect and prevent the credit card frauds. Although the changes in technological systems also change the nature of frauds but data mining techniques such as classification, regression and clustering are very useful and are widely used to prevent and detect the frauds associated with credit cards. The credit card fraud prevention and detection functionality is a type of classification problem for the new customer as well for existing customers. There are multiple data mining techniques that can be employed for classification of customers and each has its own pros and cons. This study will compare four classification techniques namely Naïve Bayes, Bayesian network, Artificial Neural Network and Artificial Immune Systems for credit card transactions classification on a dataset obtained from a commercial bank in Pakistan. The major contribution of this study is use of real data on which extensive experiments have been performed and various results have been analysed with conclusion of best technique.
Performance Analysis of Table Driven and Event Driven Protocols for Voice and Video Services in MANET
Authors:   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan, Nawaz Haque , Ali Husnain Mansoor ,   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Published: July 2018

This research paper encompasses the performance analysis of table driven and event driven routing protocols by using voice and video traffic in mobile Adhoc network (MANET). Particularly, OLSR (table driven) and DSR (Event driven) protocol are considered. The nodes of MANET establish the connections with each other energetically and can move freely in any direction. In mobile Adhoc network, environment event driven and table driven protocols have significant subject matter of study. There is a mobility issue which matters the service performance due to breakage and renewal of links of mobile nodes. Protocols performance has significance on overall performance of MANET. The aim of this study is to present the performance analysis of selected routing protocols by varying the node densities and WLAN physical characteristics. The voice and video traffic applications are configured discretely by using OLSR and DSR in scenarios. Moreover, for the performance observation the parameters are jitter, traffic received, traffic sent, end-to-end delay, traffic load, and throughput. The simulations have been carried out through OPNET 14.5 modeller tool and results has been analysed.
An Investigation on Topic Maps Based Document Classification with Unbalance Classes
Authors:   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan, Baloch Maher , Rafi Muhammad ,   Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan
Published: July 2018

Classification of imbalanced data has become a widespread problem due to the fact that the most real world datasets are imbalanced. In a classification task, one of the challenges is to learn the feature-space of classification under class-imbalance setting. The majority classes generally have good representation of features in the learned classification function and the minority classes lack this representation; subsequently, the classification for these classes failed more often. In this paper, authors investigate the task of document classification with topic map based representation of documents under class imbalance setting. In order to measure of topic-map based representation for classification under imbalance data, authors compare three representations: Bag-of-Words, Phrases and Topic terms for three approaches (i) under-sampling, (ii) cost-adjusting, and (iii) cluster based sampling. A series of experiments are carried out and results are reported.
Delivering Sexual and Reproductive Health Education to Girls
Authors: Njagi Joan
Published: July 2018

The use of helplines to deliver sexual and reproductive health (SRH)
education to girls seeking such information and services can break down barriers
created by low access and top-down approaches. However, it is important to interrogate
their effectiveness in addressing the SRH needs of girls, particularly in contexts
in which hierarchical social relations prevail and conservative religious and
cultural norms dictate appropriate expressions and experiences of sexuality for
girls and young women. In this article I use data drawn from a qualitative case
study of a children’s helpline in Kenya to interrogate the interplay of power and
culture in the delivery of SRH information to girls. The findings reveal that while
this particular communication technology presents, potentially, a revolution in
such delivery, power dynamics and cultural norms still pose barriers.
“Stumbling Upon Feminism”
Authors: Kim Crystal , Ringrose Jessica
Published: July 2018

In this article, we discuss a case study of a feminist society in a girls’
secondary school in England, highlighting how teenage girls use social media to
combat sexism. Considering the recent growth of feminist societies in UK schools,
there is still a lack of research documenting how young feminists use social media’s
feminist content and connections. Addressing this gap, we draw on interviews and
social media analyses to examine how girls navigate feminisms online and in
school. Despite their multifaceted use of social media, the girls in our research
undervalued digital feminism as valid or valued, in large part because of dismissive
teacher and peer responses. We conclude by suggesting that schools need to cultivate
social media as a legitimate pedagogical space by developing informed adult
support for youth engagement with social justice-oriented online content.
The nature of regional bias in Heisman voting
Authors: Kopkin Nolan
Published: July 2018

This study explores regional bias in Heisman voting from 1990–2016 using a negative binomial regression model with player-year fixed effects. Analysis confirms finalists receive higher vote tallies in home regions, on average. Additionally, results show regional vote tallies are decreasing in the fraction of other finalists in-region. Furthermore, evidence reveals finalists receive higher vote tallies for each game played against in-region teams and lower vote tallies for each game played by other finalists against in-region teams. Analysis is augmented by showing the recent increase in national television coverage of college football has been accompanied by a decline in regional bias.
Green tea extract attenuates non alcoholic fatty liver disease by decreasing hyperlipidemia and enhancing Superoxide dismutase activity in cholesterol-fed rats
Authors: Labdi Aicha , Amiali Malek , Bachir Yacine Nait , Merouane Abdelaziz , Dahman-Zouambi Amina , Koceir Elhadj Ahmed , Bitam Arezki
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND/AIM: Health benefits of green tea for a wide variety of ailments, including the cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, were reported. It is believed to have beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, one of which is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study inspects the protective effect of green tea against atherosclerosis and NAFLD in comparative approach between curative and preventive models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four of Wistar rats were studied for 150 days. After 15 days of adaptation period, rats were divided into four groups including normal Group (NG), control Hypercholesterolemic diet Group (CHDG), preventive Group (PG) and curative Group (CG) that followed respectively the following regimens: 1 mL/kg of sunflower oil for 150 days, 1 mL/kg of cholesterol solution prepared at 1.5% (w/v) in sunflower oil span 150 days, 1 ml/kg of cholesterol solution at 1.5% (w/v) in sunflower oil with 3 mL/kg GTLE for 60 days and 1 mL/kg of cholesterol solution at 1.5% (w/v) in sunflower oil for 30 days followed by 3 mL/kg of GTLE for 30 days. These both PG and CG groups were ingested with cholesterol 1.5% (w/v) during remaining period. RESULTS: The results showed significant increase, except for NG, during the 30 first days (p≤0.001) in lipid serum profiles including Total Cholesterol (TC), Triacylglycerol (TG) and Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). However, the High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) profile decreased during the treatment (p≤0.001). The ingestion of GTLE in treated groups (CG and PG) declined significantly (p≤0.001) in blood lipid concentrations (TC: 67%, TG: 23%, LDL-c: 81.12%) except for the HDL-c that increased up to 15%. The Atherogenic Index (AI) also decreased significantly (p≤0.001) up to 48%, in CG and PG. PG and NG marked same SOD activity values (130.91±7.66 versus 141.31±8.21 U/mL), while CG showed the lowest level. Liver sections were well protected in protective model than curative one.
Kinesiology taping for breast lymphoedema after breast cancer treatment: A feasibility randomised controlled trial
Authors: Collins Siobhán , Bradley Nora , Fitzgibbon Sarah , McVeigh Joseph G.
Published: July 2018

PURPOSE:

The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of kinesiology tape (KT) and usual care versus usual care alone in the treatment of breast lymphoedema (BLE).

METHODS:

Fourteen participants with BLE were randomly assigned to either the KT and usual care group or usual care alone group. Both groups received three sessions of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) once per week for three weeks, with the KT group additionally wearing the KT for two seven-day periods in between MLD sessions. Safety and acceptability of the KT were assessed by recording adverse events, skin changes and compliance with KT. Outcomes included were: ease of recruitment, attrition and acceptability of KT, percentage breast tissue water, patient-reported breast heaviness/fullness, breast discomfort and breast redness.

RESULTS:

Recruitment for this study was an average of 2.8 participants per month. There were no dropouts from either group. No adverse events or major skin side effects were recorded in either group. Minor skin redness was the most common dermal change ( n = 5). Compliance with KT was excellent. Percentage tissue water in the worst affected breast quadrant reduced, on average, by 15.14% and 10.43% in both the KT group and the usual care group respectively.

CONCLUSION:

This feasibility RCT into the use of KT in BLE has shown that recruitment to a larger scale RCT is feasible. It has been demonstrated that KT is a safe and acceptable intervention with no adverse events and minor dermal changes. A large, multi-centred RCT is now necessary to accurately assess the effect of KT in BLE.
Establishing Legal Title for Non-Accessioned Collections: All Collections Matter
Authors: Roberts Katherine , Nakano Jessica , Falquero Kelsey
Published: July 2018

The Education and Outreach (E&O) Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) contains around 125,000 specimens and objects representing all seven of NMNH’s research departments: Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Invertebrate Zoology, Mineral Sciences, Paleobiology, and Vertebrate Zoology. The primary source of the E&O Collection is the NMNH’s former Naturalist Center (NC) that began in 1976 and closed in 2011. Almost a year after the NC’s closure, the Collection was repurposed as the core of the E&O Collection for the new science learning center, Q?rius, at NMNH. The E&O Collection was designated a collecting unit that needed to meet the Smithsonian Institution’s standards of care, holding non-accessioned collections to the same principles as accessioned collections.

For museums to claim full legal title, all acquired collections require proof of offer from the donor, acceptance by the museum, and physical custody of the objects. Title status is necessary to comply with the exceptions and regulations surrounding intellectual property rights and to fulfill legal and ethical obligations. E&O collection items derived from several different sources, including donations, purchases, exchanges, collecting trips, and most commonly from former NC docents who routinely deposited items into the Collection.

At the start of 2013, the E&O Collection’s team along with graduate-level interns from The George Washington University began the legal title project for the E&O Collection. In order to ensure that NMNH holds full title to the E&O Collection, interns research original acquisition records and federal and international regulations on cultural and biological materials. In 2016, through the Collections Care Preservation Fund, a contractor was hired to: 1) create a comprehensive digital and paper record to re-enforce the integrity of the non-accessioned collections and their future actions for exhibition, loan, or disposal, and 2) conduct thorough research and review of collection items’ acquisition histories to record that NMNH has done its due diligence to understand what is in the E&O Collection and how it arrived there.

Over the past five years, we have investigated legal title for over 9,000 collection lots and worked with over 44 interns. We have digitized over 1,097 transaction records and have linked over 20,090 catalog records to a transaction. Ultimately, the E&O legal title research process ensures collection items have full legal title, mitigates risk of losing collection data by digitizing acquisition records and legal title research, and promotes best practices for acquired but not accessioned education collections.
Plants and People: How Plant Collections can Connect Artefacts and Culture
Authors: Smith Catherine , Lowe Bronwyn
Published: July 2018

The identification of plant materials used to make artefacts is often problematic due to the changes made to them during processing into textiles, such as retting, dying and stripping. However, the ability to identify these plant materials can provide essential provenance information, as well as information about the lifeways and inter-relationships (such as trade and plant procurement methods) among groups of people. In a New Zealand context, the ability to identify plants used to make Māori textiles reveals the diversity of plants used, the importance of plants in pre-European society, and the creativity of textile makers.

This paper will discuss the methods developed at the University of Otago, Dunedin to enable the identification of plant materials in Māori artefacts, as well as how access to collections of plant materials held at herbaria have contributed to this project. Over a 15 year period researchers at the Centre for Materials Science and Technology, University of Otago, have explored numerous methods of plant materials identification in artefacts (development of Atlas of Plant Materials and Fibres in New Zealand and Pacific He Rārangi Whakaaturanga o Ngā Taonga Rākau; micro computed tomography; Polarised Light Microscopy, PLM) with different levels of success. We will provide an overview of the development of a PLM identification method that has had the greatest success in application to plant identification in artefacts, and the kinds of connections this has brought about between founder cultures and their objects in museums collections. In doing so we will discuss how herbarium collections have contributed to the development of these methods, and what kinds of plant materials and botany collections have value for connecting people to their artefacts in cultural institutions.
Collections in an Uncertain World: The Impact of Earthquakes on Canterbury Museum
Authors: Wright Anthony
Published: July 2018

Since 2010, the Canterbury region on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island has experienced more than 14,000 earthquakes. This presentation begins by considering the immediate impact of these seismic events on Canterbury Museum; how were its buildings, its collections, its team and its communities affected? Within the first weeks and months, what processes were put in place to manage the collections and to what extent was the Museum’s team able to undertake work to ensure the institution remained relevant during a national disaster? With a distance of almost eight years since the first major earthquake, this presentation reflects on some of the lessons learnt about the realities of planning for, and responding to, disaster and the impact of a continuing series of earthquakes on the concept of ‘business as usual’.
Occurrence of ergot and its alkaloids in winter rye harvested in Poland
Authors: Bryła M. , Ksieniewicz-Woźniak E. , Podolska G. , Waśkiewicz A. , Szymczyk K. , Jędrzejczak R.
Published: July 2018

Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is a fungal pathogen that infects various grass and small grain cereal species, most often open-pollinated grasses, including rye and triticale. We tested 122 samples of rye grains harvested in three different regions of Poland in 2016 and 2017 for ergot and its alkaloids. Ergot sclerotia were found in all samples. The mean content of ergot sclerotia in grain ranged between 0.74 and 1.06 g/kg, and the mean concentration of ergot alkaloids in grain ranged between 270.1 and 580. 4 μg/kg, depending on the region of cultivation. 37% of the samples were infected with ergot below the 0.5 g/kg level set by the European Commission as the maximum permissible level for ergot, and in those samples the mean ergot alkaloids concentration was 155.8 μg/kg (range 4.7-667.9 μg/kg). A statistically significant correlation (R2=0.6941) between ergot content and concentration of ergot alkaloids was found. Ergot alkaloids concentration in grain was re-calculated into ergot alkaloids concentration in sclerotia, and was found to vary widely from 114 to 3,167 mg/kg. Ergot alkaloids profiles were most frequently dominated by R-configured ergopeptides, such as ergocryptine, ergocornine and ergocristine (31, 29 and 16% of the samples, respectively).
Location planning of urban distribution center under uncertainty: A case study of Yogyakarta Special Region Province, Indonesia
Authors: Sopha Bertha Maya , Asih Anna Maria Sri , Nursitasari Putri Dewi
Published: July 2018

Purpose: The paper aims at proposing a framework and demonstrating application of the framework to evaluate and select the appropriate location for Urban Distribution Center (UDC) in Yogyakarta Special Region Province, Indonesia.Design/methodology/approach: The proposed framework consists two steps of analysis. First, spatial analysis to generate alternative locations using weighted Geographical Information System (GIS) data; second, multi-criteria decision-making to select of the best location. Multi-criteria decision-making method based on fuzzy logic was applied to deal with uncertainty. Accessibility, security, connectivity of multi-modal transport, costs, environmental impact, proximity to customers, proximity to suppliers, resource availability, expansion possibility, service quality, are taken as the decision criteria.Findings: The proposed framework has been able to explain the unsuitability of Jogja Inland Port. Results further indicate that Jogja Inland Port appears to be the worst alternative, whereas the best location for UDC is located in Berbah (Sleman district) where a joint warehouse managed by a group of private companies has existed.Research limitations/implications: As the study has involved the government, experts, and practitioners, future research could engage local residents as decision makers to refine the results, as various stakeholders may have different preferences.Practical implications: From a practical point of view, the present study provides insights to the government to the application of combined approach in determining UDC location as well as evaluation toward the acceptability of Jogja Inland Port.Social implications: The unsuccessful establishment of Jogja Inland Port implies that associated stakeholders, i.e., government, practitioners, residents, should be taken into consideration when planning Urban Distribution Center (UDC) establishment.Originality/value: The research proposes a framework to evaluate and select the appropriate location for Urban Distribution Center (UDC) through combined approach of spatial analysis and multi-criteria decision-making which involves relevant stakeholders.
Verifying dynamic Kano’s model to support new product/service development
Authors: Borgianni Yuri
Published: July 2018

Purpose: Although firms try to shorten time-to-market, the duration of product development projects might anyway jeopardize the assumptions made at the beginning of the design process. This includes the definition of product attributes for ensuring customer satisfaction, thus forecasting techniques could be worthwhile. Within Kano’s method, trajectories of quality attributes have been identified and they can be potentially useful to the scope, but they have not been carefully verified.Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes on the above verification challenge by exploring studies of customer satisfaction conducted by means of Kano’s model regarding manifold industrial fields. The paper focuses on changes in the relevance of customer requirements reported in different contributions and analyses data statistically.Findings: The dynamic trajectories outlined in Kano’s model are partially confirmed and they are valuable in the mid-term to predict changes in customer preferences. The use of quantitative indicators portraying the extent of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction leads to more reliable predictions.Research limitations/implications: In order to use as many data as possible, information has been used from different industrial fields, which can exhibit different paces in changes of customer preferences.Practical implications: The results benefit firms willing to have a clearer picture of customer main drivers for customer satisfaction at the time of market launch, although customer surveys are conducted at the beginning of product development projects.Originality/value: The paper puts into question previous assumptions about modifications of customer preferences, which, however are just empirically supported and assesses how these can be exploited in a reliable way.