bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Exergaming Promote Physical Fitness and Physical Activity?
Authors: Kari Tuomas
Published: March 2015

This systematic review of systematic reviews evaluates the effectiveness of exergaming on physical fitness and physical activity. A systematic literature search was conducted on 10 databases, and 1040 articles were identified. Sixty-eight articles were found potentially relevant and were selected for closer screening. Cross-referencing was conducted to find other potentially relevant articles. The quality of all relevant articles was evaluated using the AMSTAR tool. After all the duplicates were removed and inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were implemented, six articles remained for review. The results indicate that exergaming is generally enjoyed and can evoke some benefits for physical fitness and physical activity, but the current evidence does not support the ability of exergaming to increase physical fitness or physical activity levels sufficiently for significant health benefits. This systematic review also revealed several gaps in previous research. Additional high-quality research and systematic reviews concerning exergaming are needed.
Learning by Playing
Authors: San Millán Eduardo Díaz , Priego Rubén Gutiérrez
Published: March 2015

This chapter aims to introduce the reader into the concepts Gamification and Game-Based Learning (hereinafter, GBL) and to highlight their influence on the transmission of knowledge and development of competencies and skills in the Society of Knowledge. After a brief prior familiarization with the main features of learning and educational paradigms in the twenty-first century as well as with effective teaching strategies and pedagogical methodologies in such a context, it will move towards the clarification of the meaning of the aforementioned terms and other related concepts in what might be called the framework of playful learning. Straightaway, a detailed description of the main applicable strategies to develop an effective gamified proposal will be offered. These playful techniques have a significant ability to influence learners' motivation and strengthen their commitment to training projects while their participation, engagement, curiosity, fantasy and desire for adventures are stimulated and developed. They also have plenty of remarkable chances in the field of behavioral modeling, a topic also discussed in the chapter and whose applications within Education, and in any other economic or social area, are numerous and varied. The final level of this challenge is an exploration of the key game-based design elements (aesthetics, dynamics, mechanics and components) to close the overview of the landscape that is presented.
Toward a Feature-Driven Understanding of Students' Emotions during Interactions with Agent-Based Learning Environments
Authors: Harley Jason M. , Azevedo Roger
Published: March 2015

This selective review synthesizes and draws recommendations from the fields of affective computing, intelligent tutoring systems, and psychology to describe and discuss the emotions that learners report experiencing while interacting with agent-based learning environments (ABLEs). Theoretically driven explanations are provided that describe the relative effectiveness and ineffectiveness of different ABLE features to foster adaptive emotions (e.g., engagement, curiosity) vs. non-adaptive emotions (e.g., frustration, boredom) in six different environments. This review provides an analytical lens to evaluate and improve upon research with ABLEs by identifying specific system features and their relationship with learners' appraisals and emotions.
Towards a Mobile Learning Pedagogy
Authors: Hamm Scott E. , Drysdale Jason , Moore Diana
Published: March 2015

Mobile devices provide information access all the time and everywhere. The manner in which we access data has become a fulcrum of our social, vocational, and educational ethos. The developing mediums by which information is engaged are establishing themselves as a pervasive part of our ecology. People expect to be able to perform life tasks-work, study, and play-all the time and everywhere. This reality is transforming education and a 21st century pedagogy is emerging which necessitates a research-informed approach to the integration of theory and praxis. As mobility affords new and exciting ways to engender informal learning within the academy, we will explore an evidence-based pedagogy that augments, extends, and constructs learning as a result of mobility's affordances.
Perceived Best Practices for Faculty Training in Distance Education
Authors: McVey Michael G.
Published: March 2015

Student learning style differences have been widely researched in both traditional face-to-face and online learning environments (Irani, Scherler & Harrington, 2003; Steinbronn, 2007; Williamson & Watson, 2007; Ugur, Akkoyunlu & Kurbanoglu, 2001). After conducting a literature review of adult student learning styles and teaching method analysis, it became apparent that there was not a significant difference in academic performance for students with differing learning styles whether they attended face-to-face or online classroom environments. What was not clearly indicated though, from the review of the literature, was what were the perceived best practices for online teaching from the perspective of experienced distance educators and whether the instructors' perceived learning style was incorporated in training programs to assist faculty to teach online. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative pilot study is to determine the perceived best practices to train faculty to teach in an online environment and how individual instructors' perceived learning style can be incorporated within best practices to foster competence on an individual instructor level. This study also analyzes faculty resistance to distance education and how transformative learning theory may play a role in overcoming this resistance.
“I Want Them to Feel the Fear…”
Authors: Lee Clifford H. , Garcia Antero D.
Published: March 2015

By utilizing digital tools that are nearly ubiquitous in the lives of youth, writing teachers can leverage these practices for developing traditional English language arts instruction and skills proposed by state and federal standards. In this chapter, the authors propose how the development of computational literacies through multimodal writing and video game design can help guide critical and academic development in an inner-city Los Angeles public school. In a research project where high school youth designed and created (programmed) a video game about an issue significant in their lives, students demonstrated their critical computational literacies, a concept that blends the critical consciousness of critical literacy and the skills and concepts behind computational thinking. Critical computational literacy offers the ability to integrate two seemingly divergent fields. By using these new media tools, students developed a more expansive and sophisticated way to communicate their ideas. This has significant possibilities for the English Language Arts, where most K-12 state standards still relegate students' literacies to over-indulgence of traditional means of reading and writing of text. In an ever-evolving culture that increasingly places more significance on visual, auditory, and textual stimuli through multimodal media on computers and mobile devices (Hull & Nelson, 2005; Jenkins, 2006; Kress, 2010), schools must educate students to critically “read” messages in the media, and in turn become effective producers of these tools of communication (Alvermann, et al., 1999; Margolis, 2008; Morrell, 2008). This research shows students engaged in deep, reflective processes in the production of their multimodal texts.
The Technical Debt in Cloud Software Engineering
Authors: Skourletopoulos Georgios , Bahsoon Rami , Mavromoustakis Constandinos X. , Mastorakis George
Published: March 2015

Predicting and quantifying promptly the Technical Debt has turned into an issue of significant importance over recent years. In the cloud marketplace, where cloud services can be leased, the difficulty to identify the Technical Debt effectively can have a significant impact. In this chapter, the probability of introducing the Technical Debt due to budget and cloud service selection decisions is investigated. A cost estimation approach for implementing Software as a Service (SaaS) in the cloud is examined, indicating three scenarios for predicting the incurrence of Technical Debt in the future. The Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) is used in order to estimate the cost of the implementation and define a range of secureness by adopting a tolerance value for prediction. Furthermore, a Technical Debt quantification approach is researched for leasing a cloud Software as a Service (SaaS) in order to provide insights about the most appropriate cloud service to be selected.
Mobile Cloud Resource Management
Authors: Katzis Konstantinos
Published: March 2015

Providing mobile cloud services requires seamless integration between various platforms to offer mobile users optimum performance. To achieve this, many fundamental problems such as bandwidth availability and reliability, resource scarceness, and finite energy must be addressed before rolling out such services. This chapter aims to explore technological challenges for mobile cloud computing in the area of resource management focusing on both parts of the infrastructure: mobile devices and cloud networks. Starting with introducing mobile cloud computing, it then stresses the importance of resource management in the operation of mobile cloud services presenting various types of resources available for cloud computing. Furthermore, it examines the various types of resource management techniques available for mobile clouds. Finally, future directions in the field of resource management for mobile cloud computing environment are presented.
A Social-Oriented Mobile Cloud Scheme for Optimal Energy Conservation
Authors: Mavromoustakis Constandinos X. , Mastorakis George , Bourdena Athina , Pallis Evangelos , Stratakis Dimitrios , Perakakis Emmanouil , Kopanakis Ioannis , Papadakis Stelios , Zaharis Zaharias D. , Skeberis Christos , Xenos Thomas D.
Published: March 2015

This chapter elaborates on energy usage optimization issues by exploiting a resource offloading process based on a social-oriented mobile cloud scheme. The adoption of the proposed scheme enables for increasing the reliability in services provision to the mobile users by guaranteeing sufficient resources for the mobile application execution. More specifically, this chapter describes the process to improve the energy consumption of the mobile devices through the exploitation of a social-oriented model and a cooperative partial process offloading scheme. This research approach exploits social centrality, as the connectivity model for the resource offloading, among the interconnected mobile devices to increase the energy usage efficiency, the mobile nodes availability, as well as the process of execution reliability. The proposed scheme is thoroughly evaluated to define the validity and the efficiency for the energy conservation increase of future mobile computing devices.
Towards Ubiquitous and Adaptive Web-Based Multimedia Communications via the Cloud
Authors: Panagiotakis Spyros , Vakintis Ioannis , Andrioti Haroula , Stamoulias Andreas , Kapetanakis Kostas , Malamos Athanasios
Published: March 2015

This chapter at first surveys the Web technologies that can enable ubiquitous and pervasive multimedia communications over the Web and then reviews the challenges that are raised by their combination. In this context, the relevant HTML5 APIs and technologies provided for service adaptation are introduced and the MPEG-DASH, X3Dom, and WebRTC frameworks are discussed. What is envisaged for the future of mobile multimedia is that with the integration of these technologies one can shape a diversity of future pervasive and personalized cloud-based Web applications, where the client-server operations are obsolete. In particular, it is believed that in the future Web cloud-based Web applications will be able to communicate, stream, and transfer adaptive events and content to their clients, creating a fully collaborative and pervasive Web 3D environment.
The Board-Executive Imperative
Authors: Ghani Usman A.
Published: March 2015

This chapter provides a fresh outlook for supply chain optimization by advocating the involvement of boards and top-teams that are uniquely positioned to address a confluence of three strategic responsibilities of a firm: scope and significance; people and culture; and measures and metrics. It provides a holistic corporate context and grapples with tougher issues often deferred or stalled as other initiatives or crises grab corporate attention. This chapter introduces his frameworks and guidelines and selective examples of success and failure in implementation. This chapter assigns primary responsibility for supply chain strategy senior executives. It observes these areas as gradually becoming too operationalized, even commoditized, with local efficiencies emphasized at the cost of gradual overall ineffectiveness. It also dispels six myths that have taken root over time, highlighting their impact and substituting these with today's realities. To make this work more practical, this chapter shares first-hand examples of supply chain practices.
Virtual Organization of Supply Chains
Authors: Nedelko Zlatko , Potocan Vojko
Published: March 2015

The main purpose of this chapter is to present a possible alternative for optimization of supply chain management. The chapter discusses the virtual organization as an important tool for optimization of supply chain management. A simple model for discussing organization of supply chain is introduced, which serves as an important starting point for assessing the current organization of the supply chain. Issues regarding collaboration between supply chain members are often emphasized in small, emerging economies in Central Europe. In these economies, supply chain management practices are not in the forefront. This chapter addresses issues regarding the collaboration of supply chain members based on a proposed model that can help responsible peoples in organizations to assess the current state of collaboration and show possible further directions in optimizing supply chain management, based on an increasing amount of virtual collaboration. In terms of practical implications, usage of selected tools in the frame of the proposed model of virtual organization is discussed, where usage, benefits, and drawbacks are outlined.
Business Transformation
Authors: Muthusrinivasan Srinivasan
Published: March 2015

Imagine when enterprises could capture the true picture of market dynamics from the very point of the demand-origin based on the customer behavior in an omni-channel environment, and have the ability to react to those demand swings with a near-zero latency? The top-line and bottom-line impact would be so huge that it would be a no-brainer for supply chain leaders to make the needed investment. Over these years, globalized network strategies such as source-anywhere, make-anywhere, and sell-anywhere have become an implementable reality. At the same time, the efficiency (economic profitability) of that very design continues to see risks due to several geo-political and macro-economic factors. For want of a nail, manufacturing and distribution companies face the risk of losing the shoe. In this chapter, the author outlines a prescriptive approach to manage such risks through synchronous collaborative planning and proactive supply chain visibility that would help enterprises not only continue to be agile but also remain profitable.
Hybridizing Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm with Multi-Parent Crossover Operator
Authors: Abunaser Amal Mahmoud , Alshattnawi Sawsan
Published: March 2015

Artificial Bee Colony algorithm (ABC) is a new optimization algorithms used to solve several optimization problems. The algorithm is a swarm-based that simulates the intelligent behavior of honey bee swarm in searching for food sources. Several variations of ABC have been three existing solution vectors, the new solution vectors will replace the worst three vectors in the food source proposed to enhance its performance. This paper proposes a new variation of ABC that uses multi-parent crossover named multi parent crossover operator artificial bee colony (MPCO-ABC). In the proposed technique the crossover operator is used to generate three new parents based on memory (FSM). The proposed algorithm has been tested using a set of benchmark functions. The experimental results of the MPCO-ABC are compared with the original ABC, GABC. The results prove the efficiency of MPCO-ABC over ABC. Another comparison of MPCO-ABC results made with the other variants of ABC that use crossover and/or mutation operator. The MPCO-ABC almost always shows superiority on all test functions.
Bidder Selection in Public Procurement using a Fuzzy Decision Support System
Authors: Bobar Vjekoslav , Mandic Ksenija , Suknovic Milija
Published: March 2015

Bidder selection in public procurement is a decision making problem whose primary purpose is to achieve the cost effectiveness and efficiency in the expenditure of public money. This principle is also known as the principle of “value for money”. This selection is based on many alternatives and many quantitative and qualitative criteria where qualitative criteria are often expressed as linguistic uncertain variables. The theory of fuzzy sets is a tool suitable to model uncertainty when applied to a variety of problems in real life. However, many fuzzy methods require complex calculation and they are not appropriate for using in public procurement because they slow down this process. In this paper, in order to make a quick decision in public procurement, a Decision Support System based on the fuzzy extent analysis method is developed. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of this system, a real-life case scenario of public procurement is presented.
Strategic Investigation of the Jackpine Mine Expansion Dispute in the Alberta Oil Sands
Authors: Xiao Yi , Hipel Keith W. , Fang Liping
Published: March 2015

The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) methodology is employed to ascertain strategic insights into a serious conflict over environmental concerns connected to the expanded exploitation of oil sands at the Jackpine Mine Expansion project located in Alberta, Canada. In fact, the expansion of extracting bitumen from large tracts of oil sands in Alberta and its associated potential negative environmental impacts have received increasing attention at the global level. Accordingly, environmentally responsible extended mining of bitumen at the Jackpine site is urgently needed. Hence, the GMCR methodology and its associated decision support system GMCR II are utilized to systematically investigate the conflict of the Jackpine Mine Expansion project. The results imply that the Federal Government of Canada is more concerned about the economic benefits generated by the oil sands projects rather than environmental impacts. It is suggested that more effort should be devoted to the environment conservation by the government.
Branding Prince Edward County as a Gastronomic Niche Tourism Destination
Authors: Brisson Geneviève , Luppicini Rocci
Published: March 2015

Increasingly, gastronomy is playing a role in people's motivation for travel, and destinations are making food and beverages their main attraction. This study explored the growing field of gastronomic tourism, a type of niche tourism, through the theoretical framework of destination branding theory. Using a qualitative case study research design, this research examined the branding of the emergent region of Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada as a gastronomic niche tourism destination from the perspective of tourism industry players. Findings indicated that the region turned to gastronomic tourism due to its agricultural history and need for economic development. It was also found that tourism industry players utilized the processes of brand identity, product development, collaboration, support and communication to brand the region. This study contributes scholarly and practical knowledge to the areas of tourism and branding, by providing insight into the development, management and promotion of destination brands.
Green Tourism and the Ambiguities of Sustainability Discourse
Authors: Gotham Kevin Fox , Lewis Joshua A.
Published: March 2015

This paper uses a case study of the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood in New Orleans to examine the relationships between green tourism and sustainability discourse in shaping the post-Katrina rebuilding process. Specially, we draw on long-term ethnographic field observations to highlight the tensions between abstract and idealized conceptions of sustainability and the complicated realities of uneven rebuilding and neighborhood disinvestment. We focus on changes in the tourism sector since Hurricane Katrina, the promotion of green tourism through actor Brad Pitt's Make It Right (MIR) Foundation, and the ambiguities and paradoxes of sustainability discourse. Overall, our goal is to develop a critical understanding of niche tourism in a disaster-devastated neighborhood and highlight the ways in which unspoken norms about sustainability create political-economic blind-spots to the ways in which socio-spatial inequalities, disinvestment, and entrenched social problems structure life in the city and the Lower Ninth Ward.
Can Ecotourism in the Global South Develop the North?
Authors: McLane Daniel Newell
Published: March 2015

Ecotourism is often framed as a development tool in the traditional sense of bringing capital to developing countries in exchange for an exported good. Unlike most commodities however, tourism does not merely bring capital to the South, it brings people. While recognizing that the presence of Northern bodies has often been seen as a concrete example of power inequity between the North and South, in this paper I argue that the embodied nature of this exchange allows for the potential of a type of development that moves from South to North through the generation of what is termed biotic capital. Biotic capital refers to the size and coherence of 1) an environmental imaginary, 2) the individuals within that imaginary and 3) the biophysical. Biotic capital that promotes sustainability is created through the reinforcement of already existing environmental orientations as well as recruitment of tourists by messages perceived as apolitical.
QoS-Constrained Resource Allocation Scheduling for LTE Network
Authors: Jang Hung-Chin , Lee Yun-Jun
Published: March 2015

The goal of LTE (Long Term Evolution) is to provide high data transmission rate, scalable bandwidth, low latency, high-mobility, etc. LTE employs OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) and SC-FDMA (Single Carrier - Frequency Division Multiple Access) for downlink and uplink data transmission, respectively. As to SC-FDMA, there are two constraints in doing resource allocation. First, the allocated resource blocks (RBs) should be contiguous. Second, those of the allocated RBs are forced to use the same modulation technique. The aim of this research is to propose a QoS-constraint resource allocation scheduling to enhance data transmission for uplink SC-FDMA. The proposed scheduling is a three-stage approach. In the first stage, it uses a time domain scheduler to differentiate user equipment (UE) services according to their distinct QoS service requirements. In the second stage, it uses a frequency domain scheduler to prioritize UE services based on channel quality. In the third stage, it limits the number of times of modulation downgrade of RBs allocation in order to enhance system throughput. In the simulations, the proposed method is compared to fixed sub-carrier dynamic resource allocation method and adaptive dynamic sub-carrier resource allocation method. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the other two methods in terms of throughput, transmission delay, packet loss ratio, and RB utilization.
GAIA Bus
Authors: Kormentzas Georgios
Published: March 2015

There is a great need for research and innovation in order to make the food chain to fit and cover the needs and requirements of all stakeholders of the agro-food chain. ICT and especially cloud computing could play an important role at the sustainable agro-food chain. The paper discusses an innovative cloud-based technological bus where the inter-connected entities develop and share cloud services such as farm managing, e-commerce of agrifood products, automation tools for farmers' administrative procedures, e-learning for agriculture topics, information portal, social networking for farmers, traceability services and information tools for precision farming. The Greek version of GAIA bus went online almost one year ago and at the time of writing holds approximately 570.000 subscribers. It is anticipated that in the near future the GAIA bus business penetration is going to concern European and Brazilian agricultural market.
A Mobility-Based Routing Protocol for CR Enabled Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Sun Yan , Bai Jingwen , Zhang Hao , Sun Roujia , Phillips Chris
Published: March 2015

With the fast development of hardware and chipset functionality and capability, smart devices equipped with advanced technologies, such as Cognitive Radio (CR) will offer promising opportunities for mobile network. The authors in this work design a mobility based routing protocol (CRMBR) which operates in CR enabled Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs). The adopted cross layer structure transfers the cognitive sensing data, such as channel quality and available bandwidth, from Physical layer up to MAC/Network layers periodically. Network layer uses such information for executing route selection algorithm while MAC layer runs the sub-channel scheduling algorithm based on CR data before each transmission. CRMBR further employs an advanced acknowledgment scheme in MAC layer for sub-channel selection to reduce the control overhead while forwarding data in MANETs. The performance of CRMBR is investigated via simulations on OpNET platform and the results confirm its favorable operation within CR MANET environments compared to two classic routing protocols in Ad hot networks: AODV and DSR.
Network Management and Service Systems
Authors: Alt Rainer , Eckert Clemens , Puschmann Thomas
Published: March 2015

Service science views companies as service system entities that interact with other entities to create value. In today's networked value chains competition is no longer among companies, but among networks that may be regarded as service ecologies. Following service science each entity comprises a dynamic configuration of resources and structures, thus a variety of design aspects needs alignment within these ecologies. To manage service ecologies this article suggests to link insights from network management with service science. A multi-dimensional framework consistently describes the organizational aspects of network management among service system entities as well as the required processes to align activities between service system entities and the possible information systems to support network management. The framework emerged from a design-oriented research project based on eleven interviews with managers from financial service providers in Germany and Switzerland.
Determinants of Stillbirths in Katsina, Nigeria: A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Suleiman Bello M. , Ibrahim H.M. , Abdulkarim N.
Published: March 2015

Every year, about 3 million stillbirths occur globally, almost a third occurring during the intra-partum period. Almost all stillbirths (98%) occur in low and middle income countries, with Nigeria having the third largest burden. The aim of this study was to determine the stillbirth rate and its determinants in the Federal Medical Centre Katsina, located in north western Nigeria. This study was a retrospective review of all deliveries conducted between 1st March 2010 and 31st December 2012 in Federal Medical Centre Katsina. Data were extracted from labor room and theatre records, and patient folders. Cases were matched with controls by booking status. The privacy and confidentiality of information retrieved from cases and controls was also ensured by anonymizing the data retrieved. No conflict of interest was identified. The data was analyzed with SPSS 20. During the period under review, there were 6628 deliveries, out of which 331 of the products were stillborn. The stillbirth rate was 46.9±3.6 per 1000 deliveries. Determinants of stillbirths were antepartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, uterine rupture, low birth weight and congenital fetal malformations. The study highlighted the poor perinatal health in the study population.
Paternal Age, Paternal Presence and Children’s Health: An Observational Study
Authors: Gardiner Julian , Sutcliffe Alastair G. , Melhuish Edward , Barnes Jacqueline
Published: March 2015

In an observational study of 31,257 children we investigated the effects of paternal age at the time of the child’s birth, paternal absence and non-biological fathers on children’s health. Results are per 5 year change in paternal age. Older fathers were associated with lower rates of unintentional injuries, odds ratio (OR)=0.966, P=0.0027. There was a quadratic association between paternal age and risk of hospital admission, β=0.0121, P=0.0109, with minimum risk at paternal age 37.7. Absent fathers were associated with increased risk of hospital admission, OR=1.19, P<10-3, lower rates of complete immunizations to 9 months, OR=0.562, P<10-3, higher Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) difficulties scores: β=0.304, P=0.0024 (3 year olds), β>=0.697, P<10-3 (5 year olds). Non-biological fathers were associated with increased risk of unintentional injury, OR=1.16, P=0.0319 and hospital admission, OR=1.26, P=0.0166; lower rates of complete immunizations to 9 months, OR=0.343, P=0.0309 and higher SDQ difficulties scores: β=0.908, P<10-3.
Impact of Psychological Interventions on Reducing Anxiety, Fear and the Need for Sedation in Children Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Viggiano Maria Pia , Giganti Fiorenza , Rossi Arianna , Di Feo Daniele , Vagnoli Laura , Calcagno Giovanna , Defilippi Claudio
Published: March 2015

Children undergoing magnetic resonance imaging examination frequently experience anxiety and fear before and during the scanning. The aim of the present study was to assess: i) whether and to what extent psychological interventions might reduce anxiety and fear levels; ii) whether the intervention is related to a decrease in the need for sedation. The interventions consisted of three activities: a clown show, dog interaction and live music. The emotional status (anxiety and fear) of the children was evaluated before and after the activities through a rating scale questionnaire. The results showed that the activities had high effectiveness in reducing the level of anxiety and fear and decreased the need for sedation in the experimental group compared to the control group. This approach proved to be a positive patient experience, helping to alleviate children’s anxiety and fear, decreasing the need for sedation, and was cost-effective.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Associated with Tumor Lysis Syndrome in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Macaluso Alessandra , Genova Selene , Maringhini Silvio , Coffaro Giancarlo , Ziino Ottavio , D'Angelo Paolo
Published: March 2015

Tumor lysis syndrome is a serious and dangerous complication usually associated with antiblastic treatment in some malignancies characterized by high cell turn-over. Mild or severe electrolyte abnormalities including high serum levels of uric acid, potassium, phosphorus, creatinine, bun and reduction of calcium can be responsible for multi-organ failure, involving mostly kidneys, heart and central nervous system. Renal damage can be followed by acute renal failure, weight gain, progressive liver impairment, overproduction of cytokines, and subsequent maintenance of multi-organ damage. Life-threatening acute respiratory failure associated with tumor lysis syndrome is rare. We describe a child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who developed an unusually dramatic tumor lysis syndrome, after administration of the first low doses of steroid, that was rapidly associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Subsequent clinical course and treatment modalities that resulted in the gradual and full recovery of the child are also described.
Oral manifestations of Parry-Romberg syndrome: A review of literature
Authors: Al-Aizari Nader A , Azzeghaiby Saleh Nasser , Al-Shamiri Hashem Motahir , Darwish Shourouk , Tarakji Bassel
Published: March 2015

Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) or progressive facial hemiatrophy is a developmental craniofacial disorder of unknown etiology characterized by a slowly progressive unilateral facial atrophy. It is associated with different systemic manifestations particularly, maxillofacial, neurologic and ophthalmologic abnormalities. Dentists must be aware of PRS to identify this invalidating disorder. In this article, we review the etiology, clinical features (especially craniofacial and dental manifestations) and treatment of PRS. We searched in PubMed line using specific words such as PRS from 2008 to 2014 (August). We identify 14 papers have described oral manifestations of this syndrome. We excluded all the article papers that did not indicate to oral manifestations of PRS.
Assessment of drug-drug interactions in hypertensive patients at a superspeciality hospital
Authors: Sivva Divya , Mateti Uday Venkat , Neerati Venu Madhav , Thiruthopu Nimbagiri Swamy , Martha Srinivas
Published: March 2015

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the incidence and pattern of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in hypertensive patients by using Micromedex and Medscape databases.
Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out in a superspeciality hospital setting in South India for period of 9 months. Hypertensive patients who admitted into the hospital with the age more than 18 years, received more than 3 drugs per prescription and length of hospital stay for more than 24 hours were included in the study. An appropriate data was collected and assessed for DDIs with the help of Micromedex and Medscape databases.
Results: A total of 227 patients were enrolled during the study period. Among the 227 patients, 48 of them developed 53 clinically significant DDIs. Out of 48 patients, most of them were in the age-group of 50-60 years [18 (37.49%)]. The percentage of DDIs were higher in males [30 (62.5%)] compared to females [18 (37.5%)]. The most common drugs responsible for DDIs in the present study were Insulin [18 (33.96%)] followed by Metoprolol [10 (18.86%)], Torsemide [8 (15.09%)], and Hydrochlorothiazide [8 (15.09%)]. The most commonly interacting pairs were Ciprofloxacin-Insulin [6 (11.32%)], followed by Metoprolol-Insulin [4 (7.54%)] and Atenolol-Insulin [4 (7.54%)]. The most common consequences of interacting pairs were reduced serum potassium levels and hyperglycemia.
Conclusion: The overall incidence rate of DDIs was found to be 21.14% and the increasing number of co-morbidities ( P ≤ 0.003) and polypharmacy ( P ≤ 0.002) were the risk factor for the development of significant number of DDIs.
Online NARMAX model for electron fluxes at GEO
Authors: Boynton R. J. , Balikhin M. A. , Billings S. A.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Multi-input single-output (MISO) nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs (NARMAX) models have been derived to forecast the > 0.8 MeV and > 2 MeV electron fluxes at geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). The NARMAX algorithm is able to identify mathematical model for a wide class of nonlinear systems from input–output data. The models employ solar wind parameters as inputs to provide an estimate of the average electron flux for the following day, i.e. the 1-day forecast. The identified models are shown to provide a reliable forecast for both > 0.8 and > 2 MeV electron fluxes and are capable of providing real-time warnings of when the electron fluxes will be dangerously high for satellite systems. These models, named SNB3GEO > 0.8 and > 2 MeV electron flux models, have been implemented online at http://www.ssg.group.shef.ac.uk/USSW/UOSSW.html.
Terrestrial exospheric hydrogen density distributions under solar minimum and solar maximum conditions observed by the TWINS stereo mission
Authors: Zoennchen J. H. , Nass U. , Fahr H. J.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Circumterrestrial Lyman-α column brightness observations above 3 Earth radii (Re) have been used to derive separate 3-D neutral hydrogen density models of the Earth's exosphere for solar minimum (2008, 2010) and near-solar-maximum (2012) conditions. The data used were measured by Lyman-α detectors (LAD1/2) onboard each of the TWINS satellites from very different orbital positions with respect to the exosphere. Exospheric H atoms resonantly scatter the near-line-center solar Lyman-α flux at 121.6 nm. Assuming optically thin conditions above 3Re along a line of sight (LOS), the scattered LOS-column intensity is proportional to the LOS H-column density. We found significant differences in the density distribution of the terrestrial exosphere under different solar conditions. Under solar maximum conditions we found higher H densities and a larger spatial extension compared to solar minimum. After a continuous, 2-month decrease in (27 day averaged) solar activity, significantly lower densities were found. Differences in shape and orientation of the exosphere under different solar conditions exist. Above 3 Re, independent of solar activity, increased H densities appear on the Earth's nightside shifted towards dawn. With increasing distance (as measured at 8Re) this feature is shifted westward/duskward by between −4 and −5° with respect to midnight. Thus, at larger geocentric distance the exosphere seems to be aligned with the aberrated Earth–solar-wind line, defined by the solar wind velocity and the orbital velocity of the Earth. The results presented in this paper are valid for geocentric distances between 3 and 8Re.
An overview of the phenological observation network and the phenological database of Germany's national meteorological service (Deutscher Wetterdienst)
Authors: Kaspar F. , Zimmermann K. , Polte-Rudolf C.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. First phenological observations have been performed in Germany already in the 18th century. The onset dates of characteristic phases of plant development (phenological phases) are observed and recorded. Today, Germany's national meteorological service (Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD) maintains a dense phenological observation network and a database with phenological observations. The data are used in many applications, esp. for advisory activities to agriculture or pollen dispersion information.
Flux variations and vertical distributions of siliceous Rhizaria (Radiolaria and Phaeodaria) in the western Arctic Ocean: indices of environmental changes
Authors: Ikenoue T. , Bjørklund K. R. , Kruglikova S. B. , Onodera J. , Kimoto K. , Harada N.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. The vertical distribution of radiolarians was investigated using a vertical multiple plankton sampler (100–0, 250–100, 500–250, and 1000–500 m water depths, 62 μm mesh size) at the Northwind Abyssal Plain and southwestern Canada Basin in September 2013. To investigate seasonal variations in the flux of radiolarians in relation to sea ice and water masses, a time-series sediment trap system was moored at Station NAP (75°00´ N, 162°00´ W; bottom depth 1975 m) in the western Arctic Ocean during October 2010–September 2012. The radiolarian flux was comparable to that in the North Pacific Ocean. Amphimelissa setosa was dominant during the season with open water as well as at the beginning and end of the seasons with sea-ice cover. During the sea-ice-cover season, however, oligotrophic and cold-water-tolerant actinommids were dominant, productivity of Radiolaria was lower, and species diversity was greater. These suggest that the dynamics of sea ice are a major factor affecting the productivity, distribution, and composition of the radiolarian fauna.
Diminished greenhouse warming from Archean methane due to solar absorption lines
Authors: Byrne B. , Goldblatt C.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Previous research has shown that methane may have been sustained at high concentrations in the Archean atmosphere, helping to offset lower insolation and solve the faint young sun problem. However, recent updates to the HITRAN (High-Resolution Transmission) line database have significantly increased the shortwave absorption by CH4 in comparison to older versions of the database (e.g. HITRAN 2000). Here we investigate the climatological implications of strong shortwave CH4 absorption in an Archean atmosphere rich in CH4. We show that the surface warming at CH4 abundances >10-3 is diminished relative to the HITRAN 2000 line data. Strong shortwave absorption also results in a~warm stratosphere and lower tropopause. We discuss these results in the context of contemporary research on the Archean climate and how these results could affect the formation of stratospheric clouds and an organic haze.
The impact of Sahara desertification on Arctic cooling during the Holocene
Authors: Davies F. J. , Renssen H. , Blaschek M. , Muschitiello F.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Since the start of the Holocene, temperatures in the Arctic have steadily declined. This has been accredited to the orbitally forced decrease in summer insolation reconstructed over the same period. However, here we present climate modelling results from an Earth model of intermediate complexity (EMIC) that indicate that 17–40% of the cooling in the Arctic, over the period 9–0 ka, was a direct result of the desertification that occurred in the Sahara after the termination of the African Humid Period. We have performed a suite of sensitivity experiments to analyse the impact of different combinations of forcings, including various vegetation covers in the Sahara. Our simulations suggest that over the course of the Holocene, a strong increase in surface albedo in the Sahara as a result of desertification led to a regional increase in surface pressure, a weakening of the trade winds, the westerlies and the polar easterlies, which in turn reduced the meridional heat transported by the atmosphere to the Arctic. We conclude that during interglacials, the climate of the Northern Hemisphere is sensitive to changes in Sahara vegetation type.
Late Weichselian and Holocene palaeoceanography of Storfjordrenna, southern Svalbard
Authors: Łącka M. , Zajączkowski M. , Forwick M. , Szczuciński W.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Multiproxy analyses (including benthic and planktonic foraminifera, δ18O and δ13C records, grain-size distribution, ice-rafted debris, XRF geochemistry and magnetic susceptibility) were performed on a 14C-dated marine sediment core from Storfjordrenna, located off of southern Svalbard. The sediments in the core cover the termination of Bølling–Allerød, the Younger Dryas and the Holocene and reflect general changes in the oceanography/climate of the European Arctic after the last glaciation. Grounded ice of the last Svalbard–Barents Sea Ice Sheet retreated from the coring site ca. 13 950 cal yr BP. During the transition from the subglacial to glaciomarine setting, Arctic Waters dominated the hydrography in Storfjordrenna. However, the waters were not uniformly cold and experienced several warmer spells. A progressive warming and marked change in the nature of the hydrology occurred during the early Holocene. Relatively warm and saline Atlantic Water began to dominate the hydrography starting from approximately 9600 cal yr BP. Although the climate in eastern Svalbard was milder at that time than at present (smaller glaciers), two periods of slight cooling were observed in 9000–8000 and 6000–5500 cal yr BP. A change in the Storfjordrenna oceanography occurred at the beginning of the late Holocene (i.e. 3600 cal yr BP) synchronously with glacier growth on land and enhanced bottom current velocities. Although cooling was observed in the Surface Water, Atlantic Water remained present in the deeper portion of the water column of Storfjordrenna.
EDDA 1.0: integrated simulation of debris flow erosion, deposition and property changes
Authors: Chen H. X. , Zhang L. M.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. Debris flow material properties change during the initiation, transportation and deposition processes, which influences the runout characteristics of the debris flow. A quasi-three-dimensional depth-integrated numerical model, EDDA (Erosion–Deposition Debris flow Analysis), is presented in this paper to simulate debris flow erosion, deposition and induced material property changes. The model considers changes in debris flow density, yield stress and dynamic viscosity during the flow process. The yield stress of the debris flow mixture determined at limit equilibrium using the Mohr–Coulomb equation is applicable to clear water flow, hyper-concentrated flow and fully developed debris flow. To assure numerical stability and computational efficiency at the same time, an adaptive time stepping algorithm is developed to solve the governing differential equations. Four numerical tests are conducted to validate the model. The first two tests involve a one-dimensional debris flow with constant properties and a two-dimensional dam-break water flow. The last two tests involve erosion and deposition, and the movement of multi-directional debris flows. The changes in debris flow mass and properties due to either erosion or deposition are shown to affect the runout characteristics significantly. The model is also applied to simulate a large-scale debris flow in Xiaojiagou Ravine to test the performance of the model in catchment-scale simulations. The results suggest that the model estimates well the volume, inundated area, and runout distance of the debris flow. The model is intended for use as a module in a real-time debris flow warning system.
Study of the Jacobian of an extended Kalman filter for soil analysis in SURFEXv5
Authors: Duerinckx A. , Hamdi R. , Mahfouf J.-F. , Termonia P.
Published: March 2015

Abstract. An externalised surface scheme like SURFEX allows computationally cheap offline runs. This is a major advantage for surface assimilation techniques such as the extended Kalman filter (EKF), where the offline runs allow a cheaper numerical estimation of the observation operator Jacobian. In the recent past an EKF has been developed within SURFEX for the initialisation of soil water content and soil temperature based on screen-level temperature and relative humidity observations. In this paper we make a comparison of the Jacobian calculated with offline SURFEX runs and with runs coupled to the atmospheric ALARO model. Comparisons are made with respect to spatial structure and average value of the Jacobian, gain values and increments. We determine the optimal perturbation size of the Jacobian for the offline and coupled approaches and compare the linearity of the Jacobian for these cases. Results show that the offline Jacobian approach gives similar results to the coupled approach and that it allows for smaller perturbation sizes that better approximate this linearity assumption. We document a new case of non-linearities that can hamper this linearity assumption and cause spurious 2Δ t oscillations in small parts of the domain for the coupled as well as offline runs. While these oscillations do not have a detrimental effect on the model run, they can introduce some noise in the Jacobian at the affected locations. The oscillations influence both the surface fluxes and the screen-level variables. The oscillations occur in the late afternoon in summer when a stable boundary layer starts to form near the surface. We propose a filter to remove the oscillations and show that this filter works accordingly.