bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF LANDSAT-DERIVED CONTINUOUS FIELDS OF TREE COVER PRODUCTS USING AIRBORNE LIDAR DATA IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES
Authors: Song X. P. , Tang H.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Knowing the detailed error structure of a land cover map is crucial for area estimation. Facilitated by the opening of the Landsat archive, global land cover mapping at 30-m resolution has become possible in recent years. Two global Landsat-based continuous fields of tree cover maps have been generated by Sexton et al. (2013) and Hansen et al. (2013) but the accuracy of which have not been comprehensively evaluated. Here we used canopy cover derived from airborne small-footprint Lidar data as a reference to evaluate the accuracy of these two datasets as well as the National Land Cover Database 2001 canopy cover layer (Homer et al. 2004) in two entire counties in Maryland, United States. Our results showed that all three Landsat datasets captured well the spatial variations of tree cover in the study area with an r2 ranging between 0.54 and 0.58, a mean bias error ranging between -15% and 5% tree cover, and a root mean square error ranging between 27% and 29% tree cover. When the continuous tree cover maps were converted to binary forest/nonforest maps, all three products were proved to have an overall accuracy >= 80% but with significant differences in producer’s accuracy and user’s accuracy. Data users are thus suggested to beware of these accuracy patterns when selecting the most appropriate dataset for their specific applications.
Probabilistic hurricane-induced storm surge hazard assessment in Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles
Authors: Krien Y. , Dudon B. , Roger J. , Zahibo N.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Current storm surge hazard maps in the French West Indies are essentially based on simple statistical methods using limited historical data and early low-resolution models which do not take the effect of waves into account. In this paper, we infer new 100-year and 1000-year surge levels in Guadeloupe from the numerical modelling of storm surges induced by a large set of synthetic events that are in statistical agreement with features of historical hurricanes in the North Atlantic Basin between 1980 and 2011. Computations are performed using the wave-current coupled model ADCIRC–SWAN with high grid resolutions (up to 40–60 m) in the coastal and wave dissipation areas. This model is validated against observations during past events such as hurricane HUGO (1989). Results are generally found to be in reasonable agreement with past studies in areas where surge is essentially wind-driven, but found to differ significantly in coastal regions where the transfer of momentum from waves to the water column constitutes a non-negligible part of the total surge. The methodology, which can be applied to other islands in the Lesser Antilles, allows storm surge level maps to be obtained that can be of major interest for coastal planners and decision makers in terms of risk management.
Investigation of model capability in capturing vertical hydrodynamic coastal processes: a case study in the North Adriatic Sea
Authors: McKiver W. J. , Sannino G. , Braga F. , Bellafiore D.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. In this work we consider a numerical study of hydrodynamics in the coastal zone using two different models, SHYFEM and MITgcm, to assess their capability to capture the main processes. We focus on the North Adriatic Sea during a strong dense water event that occurred at the beginning of 2012. This serves as an interesting test case to examine both the models strengths and weaknesses, while giving an opportunity to understand how these events affect coastal processes, like upwelling and downwelling, and how they interact with estuarine dynamics. Using the models we examine the impact of setup, surface and lateral boundary treatment, resolution and mixing schemes, as well as assessing the importance of nonhydrostatic dynamics in coastal processes. Both models are able to capture the dense water event, though each displays biases in different regions. The models show large differences in the reproduction of surface patterns, identifying the choice of suitable bulk formulas as a central point for the correct simulation of the thermohaline structure of the coastal zone. Moreover, the different approaches in treating lateral freshwater sources affect the vertical coastal stratification. The results indicate the importance of having high horizontal resolution in the coastal zone, specifically in close proximity to river inputs, in order to reproduce the effect of the complex coastal morphology on the hydrodynamics. A lower resolution offshore is acceptable for the reproduction of the dense water event, even if specific vortical structures are missed. Finally, it is found that nonhydrostatic processes are of little importance for the reproduction of dense water formation in the shelf of the North Adriatic Sea.
Utilisation of CryoSat-2 SAR altimeter in operational ice charting
Authors: Rinne E. , Similä M.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. We present methods to utilise Cryosat-2 (CS-2) Synthetic Aperture (SAR) mode data in operational ice charting. We compare CS-2 data qualitatively to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mosaics over Barents and Kara seas. Furthermore, we compare the CS-2 to archived operational ice charts. We present distributions of four CS-2 waveform parameters for different ice types as presented in the ice charts. We go on to present an automatic classification method for CS-2 data which, after training with operational ice charts, is capable of determining open water from ice with a hit rate of > 90 %. The training data is dynamically updated every five days using the most recent 15 days CS-2 data and operative ice charts. This helps the adaption of the classifier to the evolving ice/snow conditions throughout winter. The classifier is also capable of detecting three different ice classes (thin and thick first year ice as well as old ice) with success rates good enough for the output to be usable to support operational ice charting. Finally, we present a near real time CS-2 product just plotting the waveform characteristics and conclude that even such a simple product is usable for some of the needs of ice charting.
"We Never Did Return": Migration, Materiality and Time in Penny Siopis' Post-Apartheid Art
Authors: Young Allison K.
Published: August 2015

This article explores “migration” as both theme and operation in two works by the South African artist Penny Siopis, each created in the year 1997: the artist’s first film, My Lovely Day, and a related object installation entitled Reconnaissance (1900-1997). In each work, Siopis traces the course of her grandmother’s emigration from Europe to Africa through a variety of found, collected, or inherited components that bore witness to the longue durée of imperialism and Apartheid. Mediating between national, cultural, and familial narratives, these works are inherently archaeological in nature, and allowed viewers at the time to reflect on the multiple entangled histories that comprised the post-Apartheid condition. The late nineties in South Africa were defined by the conclusion of Apartheid, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and two major biennale exhibitions of contemporary art. The decade thusly saw a stream of collective efforts to both unearth the past and envision the future, marking a time of great cultural, artistic, political, and discursive transition. Mapping questions of medium-specificity and affect over this larger context, I investigate Siopis’ use and manipulation of historical traces as well as notions of contemporaneity and temporality in her art.
Spinifex People as Cold War Moderns
Authors: Castillo Greg
Published: August 2015

Aboriginal Australian contemporary artists create works that express indigenous traditions as well as the unprecedented conditions of global modernity. This is especially true for the founders of the Spinifex Arts Project, a collective established in 1997 to create so-called “government paintings”: the large-scale canvases produced as documents of land tenure used in negotiations with the government of Western Australia to reclaim expropriated desert homelands. British and Australian nuclear testing in the 1950s displaced the Anangu juta pila nguru, now known to us as the Spinifex people, from their nomadic lifeworld. Exodus and the subsequent struggle to regain lost homelands through paintings created as corroborating evidence for native title claims make Spinifex canvases not simply expressions of Tjukurpa, or “Dreamings,” but also artifacts of the atomic age and its impact on a culture seemingly far from the front lines of cold war conflict.
Network Ambivalence
Authors: Jagoda Patrick
Published: August 2015

The language of networks now describes everything from the Internet to the economy to terrorist organizations. In distinction to a common view of networks as a universal, originary, or necessary form that promises to explain everything from neural structures to online traffic, this essay emphasizes the contingency of the network imaginary. Network form, in its role as our current cultural dominant, makes scarcely imaginable the possibility of an alternative or an outside uninflected by networks. If so many things and relationships are figured as networks, however, then what is not a network? If a network points towards particular logics and qualities of relation in our historical present, what others might we envision in the future? In  many ways, these questions are unanswerable from within the contemporary moment. Instead of seeking an avant-garde approach (to move beyond networks) or opting out of networks (in some cases, to recover elements of pre-networked existence), this essay proposes a third orientation: one of ambivalence that operates as a mode of extreme presence. I propose the concept of "network aesthetics," which can be tracked across artistic media and cultural forms, as a model, style, and pedagogy for approaching interconnection in the twenty-first century. The following essay is excerpted from Network Ambivalence (Forthcoming from University of Chicago Press).
Thoughts & Things 01 形象思维
Authors: Eschenburg Madeline , Larson Ellen
Published: August 2015

The following is a month-long email exchange in which the editors of Open Ground Blog outlined their thoughts and goals for the website.
The Round Table 02 圆桌: A Conversation with the No Name Painting Group
Authors: Minglu Gao , Eschenburg Madeline , Larson Ellen , Li Hui Dong
Published: August 2015

The following is a transcript of a conversation between three members of the No Name Painting Group, as well as Gao Minglu, Madeline Eschenburg, Ellen Larson, and Dong Li Hui. This interview was originally conducted in Chinese and has been edited for clarity.
"Enlivening and - Dividing": An Aporia of Illumination
Authors: Hönes Hans Christian
Published: August 2015

In 1798, Karl August Böttiger paid a nocturnal visit to the Gallery of Antiques in Dresden, illuminating the statues with a torch. At first glance, this seems to be yet another example of a popular practice for visiting galleries c.1800. Illuminating the sculptures by torchlight was a popular means of enlivening the objects, set in motion by the light flickering on their surfaces. The collections were thus meant to become a place where cold, white stone comes to life, and where the beholder becomes part of a revived antiquity.This was precisely what Böttiger intended, too. But to him, the effect of the torchlight appeared to be, as he wrote, “enlivening and – dividing!” The torchlight highlighted not only the beauty of the sculptures but also their modern restorations. Böttiger apparently failed to experience the living presence of the antique celebrated by many of his contemporaries (e.g. Goethe, Moritz).This essay focuses on the consequence of such a perception of sculptures as historically multi-layered objects. Böttiger’s experience resulted in a problematic situation. In trying to view the sculptures as contemporaries, he hoped to become ancient himself. But this operation failed in the moment when the sculptures themselves appeared to be anachronistic, impure palimpsests. In consequence, galleries may not only be the place were art history as chronological Stilgeschichte was born. They may also be the site where this perception changed into the experience of a more chaotic shape of time.
El deber de lealtad y sus concreciones en la legislación cooperativa
Authors: Villafañez Pérez Itziar
Published: August 2015

Entre los deberes de los miembros de los órganos de gobierno de las diferentes entidades, vinculados al buen gobierno de éstas, destaca el deber de lealtad, derivado del deber de buena fe, y consistente en la obligación de actuar en interés de la entidad en caso de conflicto de intereses con ésta, subordinando los propios a favor de aquélla, salvo que se autorice tal situación. Se trata de un deber predicable tanto respecto de los miembros del órgano de administración, que deben gestionar el interés de la sociedad, como de los socios, tomando en consideración el fin común que deriva del contrato de sociedad. Este deber, al mismo tiempo se concreta en una serie de normas más precisas, relativas a la transparencia, la remuneración, la prohibición de competencia, la autocontratación, etc. Partiendo de lo anterior, este estudio recoge una comparativa de la regulación del deber de lealtad y sus distintas concreciones en las Leyes de cooperativas en España, tanto en relación con los administradores sociales, como de los socios en general, comparando ésta al mismo tiempo con la regulación de estos aspectos en el Derecho de sociedades en general, y en la Ley de Sociedades en General en particular, con el objetivo de obtener una visión general de la cuestión, base necesaria para poder profundizar en ella, planteando una serie de conclusiones o valoraciones preliminares.
Modern Retailing and its Implications for Developing Countries: Insights from Retail Managers
Authors: Phambuka-Nsimbi Catherine , Makgosa Rina , Themba Godfrey , Iyanda Olukunle
Published: August 2015

This paper provides insights into modern retailing, its challenges and implications for retail management in developing countries. On average 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with retail managers in food, furniture and clothing sectors in thirteen locations across the country. Interviews were followed by two focus groups consisting of retail managers and stakeholders from relevant government departments and support institutions. Findings reveal that influx of large foreign retailers in developing countries has made it difficult for both foreign and indigenous retailers to enjoy competitive advantage. Consumer sophistication also makes it challenging for retailers to meet consumer demands. The lack of local sources of supply, unskilled labour, small population, high rental charges, poor infrastructure, inflation and fluctuating currency increase retailers’ costs in an attempt to stay competitive. Finally, product quality declines, bureaucracy in decision-making, poor store image and pressure to meet sales targets, were perceived as common challenges by retailers.

 

This study underscores the dilemma that retailers in developing countries face because of modernization. However, for a more comprehensive assessment, future research could extend to other sub-sectors like electronics, hair salons, auto repairs and the informal sector. A retail association working closely with government to explore means for overcoming retail challenges needs to be established. This study makes a unique contribution by assessing perceptions of retail managers from diverse sectors such as food, clothing and furniture, whereas other studies have concentrated on food retail. This study also focuses on implications of modern retailing in a developing country that has recently experienced substantial transformations that attracted large foreign retailers.
Impact of training and development function on enhancing competitiveness capacity (An Empirical study of Jordanian industrial companies from managers perspective)
Authors: A. Jaradat Salih
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of training and development function on enhancing competitiveness capacity for Jordanian industrial companies. The variables of this study consisted of independent variable ( Training and development function) and dependent variable ( enhancing competitiveness capacity) .

The study employed the statistical analytical descriptive approach based on the literature review approach and field work to test the study hypotheses. The population of this study consisted of Jordanian industrial companies. A sample consisted of (30) general managers and department managers as a respondents of this study, the researcher targeted industrial companies which was selecting randomly . The study used questionnaire as a tool to collect data to measure study sample individuals attitudes toward the impact of training and development function on enhancing competitiveness capacity for Jordanian industrial companies.

The findings of the study indicates that there is high correlation relationship between independent variable and it's dimensions with dependent variable, and there is positive impact of training and development function on enhancing competitiveness capacity for Jordanian industrial companies.
The study recommends to apply this study on the other sectors by researchers in the future, establish professional training unit in every medium and large industrial company, and deduct a reasonable ratio from it's annual profits for training.
The Relationship between Cognition, Personality and Feeling, with Customer Purchase Intention in E-Commerce Marketing
Authors: Barzegar Somayeh Baadab , Sadeghian Mohammad Reza Hoshyar , Hassanzadeh Roghayeh
Published: August 2015

E-commerce, has distinguished today's world from the past strictly, But the organizations with knowing its usage can apply it very well. The purpose of this study is investigation of the effect of the cognition, feelings and personality variables on customer purchase intention from online stores in e-commerce. To test the hypothesis of research, Pearson correlation test, linear regression and path analysis model were used. The results of this research has showed that online stores’ managers, according to personality, emotional and cognitive traits of customers, will allocate a larger share of virtual market of e-commerce to themselves.
Phonetic Training Significantly Mitigates the Stress ‘Deafness’ of French Speakers
Authors: Carpenter Angela C.
Published: August 2015

Stress ‘deafness’ refers to the inconsistent perception and/or processing of phonological stress by speakers of fixed stress languages such as French. This paper briefly reports on the results of a study in which French and English participants performed an ABX word stress task, similar to Dupoux et al.’s (1997) Experiment 1. One group of French and a group of English speakers received phonetic training designed to improve perception while two other groups of French and English speakers received no training. The training was an adaptation of the perceptual fading technique, which exposes listeners to stressed syllables that exaggerate the durational correlate of stress, then gradually reduces the durations of subsequent stressed syllables to increase participants’ overall ability to accurately perceive stressed syllables. The trained French group performed significantly better than the untrained group with fewer errors and lower response times. As expected there was no difference in accuracy between the trained and untrained English groups. We argue that by exaggerating the duration cue for stress, the phonetic training led to increased overall perception, perhaps even beginning to build an abstract phonological representation of stress that was then carried into the ABX task. Although trained on artificially manipulated stimuli, participants were able to perform well on naturally-produced novel stimuli.
A Cognitive Approach to Light Verb Constructions: Backstage Issues
Authors: Sharif Babak , Amouzadeh Mohammad
Published: August 2015

Persian Light Verb Constructions (LVCs) have been studied by many scholars. Yet, little attention has been paid to the process of LVC formation. This paper aims to situate the components of Persian light verb constructions in contexts that can be justifiably invoked as a motivation for LVC formation. We will investigate the issue by arguing that Persian LVCs can be analyzed in terms of incorporation process. This process, explained from a cognitive viewpoint, involves LVCs originating from complete clauses, then passing through a compositional path (Langacker 1987, 2008) where a nonverbal and a verbal element are selected out of a kernel clause and end up in a complex predicate (CPr). The investigation will be primarily focused on the LVCs constructed with LV kardan ‘do, make’, as the most frequently used light verb in Persian. The paper will also explore how different paths could be associated with certain particular ‘light’ meanings of kardan. The resulting LVCs may further yield constructional schemas upon which other LVCs formed with a given LV can be formed.

Keywords: Light verb construction, Complex predicate, Incorporation, Persian
Conversation and Genre Analysis of a Political News Debate
Authors: Sample Mark Graham
Published: August 2015

The author uses spoken discourse taken from a live television political news debate to reveal the techniques and strategies used by three interlocutors as they attempt to achieve their goals and agendas. Frameworks from the fields of conversation analysis (henceforth CA) and genre analysis are used to analyse the data. The data show how the interaction starts within the constraints of a television news interview before becoming combative as the interlocutors jostle to achieve their personal goals and agendas. The paper also notes audience involvement and who the interlocutors are addressing during their turns.
Feedback Environment and Creativity in Education Organizations
Authors: Ling Ying-Leh , Ismail Fairuz , Abdullah Abdul Ghani Kanesan
Published: August 2015

This study aims to examine the relationship between feedback environment practices and creativity in the educational organizations. This study is a quantitative study. A total of 40 polytechnic students from Polytechnic Kuching Sarawak are randomly selected to participate in this study. Data were obtained using a set of questionnaire consisting of three parts. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Inferential analysis involves t test and Pearson correlation. The findings have shown that the level of feedback environment based on students' perception is high. Simultaneously, the level of creativity among the students is also high. The findings indicated that there is no significant difference in feedback environment between genders. Furthermore, the study also showed a significant and positive relationship between feedback environment and students’ creativity. The results of this study have several implications directly to the formation of high-quality students as feedback environment and students’ creativity are interrelated and inseparable in educational organizations.
Variability in Levels of Heavy Metals in Water and Fish (Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus) tissues from Badagry Creek, Nigeria
Authors: Ajani E. K , Balogun K. J
Published: August 2015

The occurrence of metals viz., lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) in water and fish ( Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus) samples collected bi-monthly from nine stations (water) and 3 designated landing sites (fish) of Badagry creek were investigated using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) method. With an exception of cadmium, metals concentration was lower in the water samples and higher in the fish tissues, indicating a bioaccumulation tendency of fish. Concentration levels in water were found in decreasing order of magnitude Cr > Pb > Fe > Zn > Cu > Cd. However, metals investigated except Cu (highest concentration in the liver) had highest concentrations in the fish gills, which could be related to the uptake pathway. The relatively lower wet season Cu, Pb, Cr and Cd in water could be attributed to a dilution effect of rainfall. Although, presently the mean concentrations of all the heavy metals except Pb in this study were moderate and within the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) permissible standard limit for aquatic life , the elevation of metal concentrations in this creek is inevitable under the prevailing conditions of increasing urbanization, industrialization and other forms of modernization in Badagry and environs. Nevertheless, it is imperative to ensure regular monitoring of heavy metal loading in this creek and other water bodies with a view to safeguard public health.
Conservation of Plant Species Diversity Based on Richness and Evenness Criteria in the Coastal Forests of Tanzania
Authors: Mligo Cosmas
Published: August 2015

Coastal forests of Tanzania are diverse in plant species that make them included as part of the 34 world biodiversity hotspots. It was’kaimed at determining plant species diversity, richness, and evenness and to identify the parameter that best defines plant species diversity of the coastal forests. Transect method was used for data collection; analysis of variance and multiple regression were used to analyze the vegetation data. The plant species diversity ranged from 2.26 to 2.77 in Kazimzumbwi, 2.31 to 2.46 in Pande, and 1.76 to 2.48 in the Zaraninge Forest that was significantly lower than those from other forests. Regardless of high species diversity in Kazimzumbwi it was recorded the lowest plant species evenness (0.485 to 0.490) and the difference of values among forests was not significant. The diversity was strongly positive correlated with both evenness and richness whereas perfect positive correlation (r =1) was observed with evenness and strong positively correlation existed with species richness in Zaraninge (r = 0.88), Pande (r = 0.91) and Kazimzumbwi forest (r =0.79). This implies that richness and evenness portrays different ecological interpretation and cannot be used interchangeably to describe the biodiversity value of the coastal forest ecosystem. Regression models showed that evenness significantly influenced the plant species diversity, whereas richness had insignificant influence. It can be concluded that the regression model is suitable to predict the trend of change in plant species diversity and evenness is the best predictor and an adequate measure of the coastal forests’ conservation value than richness.
Influence of Corporate Governance on the Extent of Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Reporting
Authors: Benomran Naser Abdusalam , Che Haat Mohd Hassan , Hashim Hafiza Binti , Mohamad Nor Raihan Binti
Published: August 2015

This study examines the influence of corporate governance on the extent of corporate social responsibility and environmental reporting (CSER) in Libyan companies according to legitimacy theory, using quantitative and qualitative methods. The variables used in this study are government ownership, chief executive officer duality, board independence, and board size. The study was conducted in Libya because this country has a unique political and economic system. Moreover, the regime in Libya has influenced the nature of CSER, as has Islamic factor. The quantitative data consist of 162 annual reports derived from 42 Libyan companies. The qualitative data are obtained from 31 financial and information managers from the largest Libyan companies, who expressed their perceptions regarding the influence of the study variables on the extent of CSER. Results confirm that corporate governance generally has no influence on the extent of CSER in Libyan companies, with the exception of board size.
Structure and Alpha Biodiversity of Major Plant Communities in Chile, a Distant Gondwanan Relation
Authors: L. Specht Raymond , Montenegro Gloria , E. Dettmann Mary
Published: August 2015

The structure, growth and biodiversity of Chilean vegetation are explored from the arid north, through the Mediterranean-climate zone of Central Chile to the evergreen and semi-deciduous Nothofagus vegetation in the south and into the treeless wet-heath vegetation of the Magellanic islands. The northern Desert Zone has four to six genera of plants that have been recorded in Australia, while the southern vegetation reveals many relationships with the cool temperate vegetation of Australia with which Chile was conjoined in the Gondwanan assembly during the Late Mesozoic. As the physico-chemical processes that determine the structure, growth and biodiversity of plant communities on median-nutrient soils are similar in the temperate climates of Chile and Australia, similar values of Foliage Projective Cover, Leaf Area, Leaf Specific Weight and Alpha Biodiversity result.
Comparison of Nutritional Status of School Children with and Without Mid Day Meal Programme
Authors: Byadagi Savitri , Sharan Sunanda , Nayak, C. Madhusudan
Published: August 2015

This cross sectional study was carried out to compare nutritional status amongst children of 14- 16 years age of three different sets of schools. Study was conducted at Private High School Campus (PHSC) without mid day meal programme, Govt. High School Hebbal (GHSH) with ISCKON mid day meal programme and Govt. High School Bashettahalli (GHSB) Doddaballapur, with Govt. mid day meal. Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured. When height and weight of the study subjects compared with 50th percentile values of IAP standards, majority of the subjects with no midday meal programme were found to have better height (18.5%) compared to with MDM subjects. Whereas, majority of the subjects in PHSC (without MDM) and GHSH (with ISCKON MDM) were found to have on par results for weight at 18.75 and 19.18 per cent respectively. Comparison of BMI with 50th percentile values of WHO standards projected that majority of the PHSC (no MDM) subjects (56.2%) had normal BMI as compared to with MDM subjects as compared to other two school
Effect of Nurse-Led Telephone Follow ups (Tele-Nursing) on Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kargar Jahromi Marzieh , Javadpour Shohreh , Taheri Leila , Poorgholami Farzad
Published: August 2015

INTRODUCTION: Depressive and anxious patients on hemodialysis have a higher risk of death and hospitalizations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nurse-led telephone follow ups (tele-nursing) on depression, anxiety and stress in hemodialysis patients.

METHOD & MATERIAL: The subjects of the study who were selected based on double blind randomized clinical trial consisted of 60 patients with advanced chronic renal disease treated with hemodialysis. The patients were placed in two groups of 30 individuals. Before the intervention, a questionnaire was completed by patients.  There was no telephone follow up in the control group and the patients received only routine care in the hospital. The participants allocated to the intervention group received telephone follow-up 30 days after dialysis shift, in addition to conventional treatment. Every session lasted 30 minutes, as possible. Then the DASS scale was filled out by the patients after completion of study by two groups.

RESULT: Significant differences were observed between the two groups in the posttest regarding the dimensions scores of DASS scale.

CONCLUSION: The result of this trial is expected to provide new knowledge to support the effective follow-up for hemodialysis patient in order to improve their emotional and health status.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Nurses about Standard Precautions for Hospital-Acquired Infection in Teaching Hospitals Affiliated to Zabol University of Medical Sciences (2014)
Authors: Sarani Hamed , Balouchi Abbas , Masinaeinezhad Nosratollah , Ebrahimitabas Ebrahim
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is one of the common problems and difficulties faced by hospitals in all countries around the world. Since nurses are part of the healthcare team that plays a unique role in the control of hospital infection, this study is conducted to analyze the knowledge and practice of healthcare personnel about standard precautions for hospital infection.

MATERIALS & METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted on 170 nurses worked in medical surgical wards, pediatric wards, dialysis units of two teaching hospitals in Zabol city, Iran, in 2014. The sample population was selected through simple random sampling. The data collection instrument is composed of a researcher-made questionnaire titled “Hospital-acquired infection Control” based on precautions posited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data were fed into the SPSS software v.20 and were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS: The results show that 43% of the participants in this study had poor knowledge, 42% had average practice, and 37% had a moderate attitude about hospital infection. There was a significant relationship between knowledge and gender (r = 00.8 p = 0.02). However, the variables of age, marital status, employment, work experience, education, and place of work did not establish a significant relationship with the independent variables (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: As the results indicate a low level of awareness among the personnel about hospital infection, it is suggested to provide training sessions on the prevention and control of HAI to increase the awareness of personnel and hold practical courses for practicing these principles.
Quality of Life for Elderly Residents in Nursing Homes
Authors: Farzianpour Fereshteh , Foroushani Abbas Rahimi , Badakhshan Abbas , Gholipour Mahin , Roknabadi Esmaeil Hosseinzadeh
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: More than 8% of Iran’s populations are elderly. The greatest challenge in this generation is improvement of health and QoL.The main goal of this study was QoL for elderly residents in nursing homes over 65 years in Golestan Province - Iran.

METHODS: This research was an analytical cross study. The population society includes the elderly over 65 years in Golestan Province - Iran. The sample size was calculated based on the correlation of 193 elderly men and women. Therefore, if the correlation is 2.0 or greater is statistically significant at 80% and 0.95 confidence.

The needed data collected from two questionnaires Consumer product Safety Commission (CPSC) to assess the QOL of nursing homes and the SF-36 for health QOL the elderly indicators through interviews and observation. The reliability of the CPSC questionnaire was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha with a coefficient of 0.838. The SF-36 questionnaire was validated with Cronbach’s alpha with a coefficient of 0.95. To analyze data, ANOVA one-way test was used that after investigating homogenization of variances with Levin statistic, if homogenization reported P is rejected, the independent T-test was used to interpret it.

RESULTS: Among QOL dimensions only General Health (GH) status showed a significant association with supporting organizations covering status (P = 0.01). The relationship between QOL with marital status in both genders was observed that the General Health (GH) (P = 0.001), Physical Functioning (PF) P = (0.007) Mobility Restricts (MR) P = (0.002), Emotional Problems (EP) (P = 0.001), vitality (V) (P = 0.001), Mental Health (MH) (P = 0.001) were significantly related.

CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant relationship between the Physical Functioning (PF) mean and the mean of other QOL indicators in two groups of male and female (P = 0.007), also the safety of nursing homes just related respectively with residence variable (P = 0.01) and their employment (P = 0.031).
Scores of Brunei Lower Secondary School Students on Emotional Intelligence Variables: Exploring the Differences
Authors: Masri Norfaezah
Published: August 2015

The survey compared the emotional intelligence of 254 (128 females) randomly selected Year 11 Brunei Cambridge General Certificate of Education (BCGCE) Ordinary Level students using the six subscales of the BarOn Emotional intelligence scale – youth version. Females scored significantly higher on the intrapersonal variable than males. However, males sored much higher on the positive impression subscale. In addition, students aged 16 scored significantly higher on the interpersonal scale than all others. However, the 15-year olds scored highest on the adaptability and positive impression scales than their peers. Furthermore, participants who reported that they were not so much satisfied with their personal life scored significantly higher on the interpersonal scale than their counterparts. Moreover, participants who consult friends when faced with problems scored significantly higher on the interpersonal variable while those who search the internet for solutions to problems scored higher than others on the adaptability scale. No significant differences were obtained on any subscale when participants were compared on the basis of their parents’ marital status as well as the type of guardian they stayed / lived with. Implications of the findings are discussed and mixed-methods research was recommended.
The Study of Prescribing Errors Among General Dentists
Authors: Araghi Solmaz , Sharifi Rohollah , Ahmadi Goran , Esfehani Mahsa , Rezaei Fatemeh
Published: August 2015

INTRODUCTION: In dentistry, medicine often prescribed to relieve pain and remove infections .Therefore, wrong prescription can lead to a range of problems including lack of pain, antimicrobial treatment failure and the development of resistance to antibiotics.

MATERIALS & METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the aim was to evaluate the common errors in written prescriptions by general dentists in Kermanshah in 2014. Dentists received a questionnaire describing five hypothetical patient and the appropriate prescription for the patient in question was asked. Information about age, gender, work experience and the admission in university was collected. The frequency of errors in prescriptions was determined. Data by SPSS 20statistical software and using statistical t-test, chi-square and Pearson correlation were analyzed (0.05> P).

RESULTS: A total of 180 dentists (62.6% male and 37.4% female) with a mean age of 8.23 ± 39.199 participated in this study. Prescription errors include the wrong in pharmaceutical form (11%), not having to write therapeutic dose (13%), writing wrong dose (14%), typos (15%), error prescription (23%) and writing wrong number of drugs (24%).The most frequent errors in the administration of antiviral drugs (31%) and later stages of antifungal drugs (30%), analgesics (23%) and antibiotics (16%) was observed. Males dentists compared with females dentists showed more frequent errors (P=0.046). Error frequency among dentists with a long work history (P>0.001) and the acceptance in the university except for the entrance examination (P=0.041) had a statistically significant relationship.

CONCLUSION: This study showed that the written prescription by general dentists examined contained significant errors and improve prescribing through continuing education of dentists is essential.
A Review on Noma: A Recent Update
Authors: Ashok Nipun , Tarakji Bassel , Darwish Shourouk , Rodrigues Jean C. , Altamimi Mohammad A.
Published: August 2015

Noma is a gangrenous infection primarily affecting under developed countries. The aim of this paper was to review all recent articles on noma from January 2003 to August 2014 and briefly update the latest information related to the topic. A literature search was done on PUBMED using the keywords “noma / cancrum oris”. Noma is commonly seen in malnourished children. There has been an increased incidence of noma in HIV patients. Apart from these, noma has also been reported in association with cyclic neutropenia, herpetic stomatitis, leukemia, Down’s syndrome and Burkett’s disease. Treatment of acute noma includes transfusion of blood and intravenous fluids, administration of antibiotics, putting the patient on a high protein diet and debridement of necrotic areas. Surgical phase is usually initiated 6 to 18 months after a period of quiescence. Although, the mortality rate associated with noma has reduced significantly with the advent of modern generation antibiotics, the functional, cosmetic and psychological challenges associated with the destruction of soft or hard tissues still remains a huge challenge. Adequate steps must be implemented by the government or medical professionals to prevent the disease and provide an early intervention.
Evaluation of Total Antioxidant Capacity of Saliva in High School Students
Authors: Rahmani Mahmoud , Ghorchi Vahideh , Rezaei Fatemeh , Vaisi-Raygani Asad
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Imbalance between oxidative stress and saliva antioxidants plays a major role in initiation and spread of dental caries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of saliva in dental caries.

METHODS: In this case-control study which employed high school students (14-18 years), the un-stimulated saliva samples of 60 students without dental caries (control group) and 60 students with dental caries (with at least 5 teeth levels of dental caries) were gathered. Each group comprised of males (half of cases) and females (half of cases). TAC of saliva was measured by Zellbio® (Netherlands) in terms of micmol/L. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software (ver. 17.0) and t-test with considering significance level at 0.05.

RESULTS: TAC of saliva was significantly lower in cases with dental caries (0.256±0.106) compared to those without dental caries (0.396±0.077); P< 0.001. There was no statistically significant difference of TAC of saliva between males (0.319±0.119) and females (0.333±0.113) irrespective of dental caries (P=0.507).

CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicated that there was a reverse association between dental caries and TAC of saliva.
The benign online disinhibition effect: Could situational factors induce self-disclosure and prosocial behaviors?
Authors: Lapidot-Lefler Noam , Barak Azy
Published: August 2015

The current study, which focuses on the benign effects of disinhibition, was designed as a continuation of an earlier study conducted on the toxic effects of online disinhibition (Lapidot-Lefler & Barak, 2012). Using a factorial design, the study examined the effects of three online situational factors—anonymity, invisibility, and lack of eye contact—on inducing self-disclosure and prosocial behaviors as expressions of benign online disinhibition. Random pairs of adult strangers (n = 144) discussed a dilemma and were required to reach a joint solution using online chat. Self-disclosure and prosocial behavior effects were measured using participants’ self-reports, expert judges’ ratings of chat transcripts, and textual analyses of the conversations. Results suggested that the interaction between anonymity and invisibility had a significant effect on the revealing of emotions. Lack of eye contact, the interaction between anonymity and invisibility and the interaction between lack of eye contact and invisibility had a significant effect on the inducement of first-person words. The interaction between anonymity, invisibility and lack of eye contact had significant effects on the total self-disclosure score, yet no significant effects were found for prosocial behaviors. A discussion of the findings with regard to previous research on toxic online disinhibition suggests that different factors play a role in the inducement of benign vs. toxic online disinhibition effects. More research is required to substantiate current findings and determine the nature of the contribution of each situational factor.
Identité, culture et représentations de la santé et des maladies
Authors: Levesque Annabel
Published: August 2015

La santé et les maladies représentent des concepts subjectifs qui varient en fonction de nombreux facteurs, notamment la culture d’appartenance. Étant donné le contexte multiculturel canadien, il importe de considérer le contact interculturel lorsqu’on s’interroge au sujet des représentations de la santé et des maladies chez les groupes minoritaires puisque ces derniers sont soumis à l’influence d’autres cultures, dont la culture du groupe dominant. Ainsi, le degré d’identification à la culture d’origine et à la culture dominante détermine les représentations auxquelles souscrivent les individus issus d’un groupe minoritaire. Chez ceux qui s’identifient à leur culture d’origine, on note un lien entre leur état de santé et la vitalité culturelle et linguistique de leur communauté. Les efforts visant à promouvoir la santé et le bien-être de ces individus devraient donc être axés sur le maintien de leur héritage culturel et linguistique. Les professionnels de la santé, pour leur part, devraient engager le dialogue avec leurs patients au sujet de leurs représentations culturelles de la santé et des maladies, et ce, dans un climat empreint de respect. Cette pratique pourrait contribuer à la satisfaction des patients avec les soins reçus et, par le fait même, à l’adoption de comportements sains.
Species-wide whole genome sequencing reveals historical global spread and recent local persistence in Shigella flexneri
Authors: Connor Thomas R , Barker Clare R , Baker Kate S , Weill François-Xavier , Talukder Kaisar Ali , Smith Anthony M , Baker Stephen , Gouali Malika , Pham Thanh Duy , Jahan Azmi Ishrat , Dias da Silveira Wanderley , Semmler Torsten , Wieler Lothar H , Jenkins Claire , Cravioto Alejandro , Faruque Shah M , Parkhill Julian , Wook Kim Dong , Keddy Karen H , Thomson Nicholas R
Published: August 2015

Shigella flexneri is the most common cause of bacterial dysentery in low-income countries. Despite this, S. flexneri remains largely unexplored from a genomic standpoint and is still described using a vocabulary based on serotyping reactions developed over half-a-century ago. Here we combine whole genome sequencing with geographical and temporal data to examine the natural history of the species. Our analysis subdivides S. flexneri into seven phylogenetic groups (PGs); each containing two-or-more serotypes and characterised by distinct virulence gene complement and geographic range. Within the S. flexneri PGs we identify geographically restricted sub-lineages that appear to have persistently colonised regions for many decades to over 100 years. Although we found abundant evidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinant acquisition, our dataset shows no evidence of subsequent intercontinental spread of antimicrobial resistant strains. The pattern of colonisation and AMR gene acquisition suggest that S. flexneri has a distinct life-cycle involving local persistence.
A putative ATPase mediates RNA transcription and capping in a dsRNA virus
Authors: Yu Xuekui , Jiang Jiansen , Sun Jingchen , Zhou Z Hong
Published: August 2015

mRNA transcription in dsRNA viruses is a highly regulated process but the mechanism of this regulation is not known. Here, by nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase) assay and comparisons of six high-resolution (2.9–3.1 Å) cryo-electron microscopy structures of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus with bound ligands, we show that the large sub-domain of the guanylyltransferase (GTase) domain of the turret protein (TP) also has an ATP-binding site and is likely an ATPase. S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) acts as a signal and binds the methylase-2 domain of TP to induce conformational change of the viral capsid, which in turn activates the putative ATPase. ATP binding/hydrolysis leads to an enlarged capsid for efficient mRNA synthesis, an open GTase domain for His217-mediated guanylyl transfer, and an open methylase-1 domain for SAM binding and methyl transfer. Taken together, our data support a role of the putative ATPase in mediating the activation of mRNA transcription and capping within the confines of the virus.
Indigofera schrirei, a new name for Indigofera torulosa Hook. & Arn. (Leguminosae)
Authors: Kottaimuthu Ramalingam , Vasudevan Natarajan
Published: August 2015

Indigofera schrirei is proposed as a replacement name for I. torulosa Hook. & Arn. because the latter is a later homonym of I. torulosa E. Mey.