bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chlorophyll content and its relation to productivity of crops and weeds in a tropical agroecosystem at Gujar lake margin
Authors: Singh Mayank , Singh Mahendra Pratap
Published: September 2016

The paper deals with evaluation of magnitude of changes in chlorophyll concentration, chlorophyll density and relationship of chlorophyll density with net primary productivity of mixed winter crop (wheat and mustard) community at Gujar lake margin in the district Jaunpur (U.P.). The chlorophyll concentration of each component of crops, dominant weed Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers. and ‘other weeds’ have shown increasing trend in the beginning and reached their peak values at around 75-90 days. Thereafter, values declined sharply. Maximum chlorophyll density value of total crop (wheat and mustard) was 2015.77 mg m-2 and for total weeds was 810.08 mg m-2, both at the age of 90 days of crop. There was a significant positive correlation between productivity and chlorophyll density of total crop and total weeds.ECOPRINT 22: 1-6, 2015
Status of antioxidant defense system for detoxification of arsenic in Brassica juncea (L.)
Authors: Ansari Mohd. Kafeel Ahmed , Zia Munir Hussain , Ahmad Altaf , Aref Ibrahim Mohammed , Fatma Tasneem , Iqbal Muhammad , Owens Gary
Published: September 2016

The content of arsenic (As), a naturally occurring toxic element found in soils worldwide, has gone substantially high in agricultural soils due to various anthropogenic activities. The responses of seed germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic pigments and the components of the ascorbateglutathione (AsA-GSH) pathway were analyzed in Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] cultivar Pusa Jai Kisan, treated with 0, 5, 10, 25 and 50 μM As concentrations in a hydroponic system. While a significant increment in lipid peroxidation and H2O2 generation was observed at higher concentrations after 2 and 5 days of stress imposition. Significant increases were also observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities under the influence of 25 and 50 μM As concentrations after 2 and 5 d stress impositions. There was a steep increase in the ascorbic acid (AsA) content between 2 and 5 d after As treatment, while glutathione (GSH) content increased significantly after 5-d-exposure. Accumulation of As was more in shoot than in root. This study clearly demonstrated that high concentration (50 μM) of As inhibited growth and caused oxidative stress and that the AsA-GSH pathway has an important role in cellular defense against As in Brassica juncea (L.).ECOPRINT 22: 7-19, 2015
Growth performance of Ceriops decandra (Griff.) Ding Hou propagules as influenced by PGR – a conservation effort
Authors: Gomathinayagam M. , Arunprasath A.
Published: September 2016

Vegetative propagation could be an important advantage and also envisioned to be the best alternative for planting stock production in the absence or lack of seeds. In the Pichavaram mangrove forest Ceriops decandra (Rhizophoraceae) is one of the most endangered species and IUCN also declared this species as near threatened. Propagation of Ceriops decandra, by propagule cuttings, treated with Plant growth regulators is feasible and it was possible to produce three saplings from one propagule. The effect of plant growth regulators like IBA, NAA, GA3 on optimum growth medium and period of nursery care for mangrove saplings of Ceriops decandra were studied and the results revealed that best growth performance was recorded when the cuttings were treated with GA3 alone up to 2000 ppm. Combination of NAA and IBA increased the rooting and leaf formation. Among the treatments GA3 enhanced the number of leaves and roots, Shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of roots increased to larger extent. All the plants are transferred to field in the mangrove forest of Pichavaram, Tamilnadu, India.ECOPRINT 22: 21-28, 2015
Tree regeneration in sacred groves of Kathmandu valley, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha L.J. , Devkota M.P. , Sharma B.K.
Published: September 2016

Population structure and regeneration status of tree species were studied in two sacred groves of Kathmandu valley, Pashupati (PSG) and Bajrabarahi (BSG) by sampling in concentric circular plots of 20 m radius. The dominant tree species of PSG are Schima wallichii, Pyrus pashia, Myrsine capitellata, Persea odoratissima and Quercus glauca, where as those in BSG are Neolitsea cuipala, Castanopsis indica,, Choerospondias axillaris, Schima wallichii and, Myrsine capitellata. On the basis of biomass removal, tree cutting, livestock and wildlife grazing and other anthropogenic activities, disturbance levels were classified as undisturbed, least disturbed, moderately disturbed and highly disturbed. The highest number of seedlings, saplings and adults were found in the least disturbed areas of the studied groves showing good to fair regeneration of tree species. In this study Pyrus pashia, Myrsine capitellata, Castanopsis indica, Neolitsea cuipala are found in good and fair state of regeneration. Management authority should address the prevalent factors affecting natural regeneration of the tree species.ECOPRINT 22: 29-38, 2015
Reticulated python Malayopython reticulatus (Schneider, 1801): rescue, recovery and recent sightings from Great Nicobar Island-a conservation approach
Authors: Rajeshkumar S. , Raghunathan C , Chandra Kailash
Published: September 2016

Previously the Reticulated python was recorded by few researchers from Nicobar Islands In 2006, four individuals were observed, but there was no more information added in their literature about sightings in Great Nicobar Island. Pythons were considered as an uncommon and rare encountered species in India also to the Nicobar Islands. Pythons considered relatively rare appearance to have declined due to frequent eradication by habitat destruction On 25th August 2013, first individual of reticulated python was caught by the local people at Govind Nagar (Lat: 07° 00.074' N, Long: 093° 54.128' E, Altitude at 49.4 meter) in Great Nicobar Island The second one was rescued on 31st August 2013 in the same area by the local people. Both the recovered individuals were appeared as juvenile. Investigations on population census of this threatened species and their habitat have been felt from the present incidences.ECOPRINT 22: 50-55, 2015
A Historical Analysis of the Environmental Footprint of Peanut Production in the United States from 1980 to 2014
Authors: McCarty J.A. , Ramsey S. , Sandefur H.N.
Published: September 2016

The last half century has seen a significant shift in agricultural practices, affecting productivity, resource use, and ultimately, environmental impacts. These increases have been the result of several developments, including increases in irrigation, the expanded application of fertilizers and pesticides, improved plant genetics, and the development of mechanized operations. Changes in production practices are highlighted here for peanut crops for the years 1980 to 2014. This study uses a resource efficiency methodology from cradle-to-farm gate to examine land use, energy efficiency, soil erosion (water and wind), irrigation water usage, and environmental/greenhouse gas emissions. During the historical period, yields increased from under 2000 kg/ha in the Southwest and an average of 3000 kg/ha in the Southeast and Virginia-Carolina regions to over 4000 kg/ha across all regions. Most of this increase occurred after the year 2000. Overall trends of nitrogen fertilizer applications per planted hectare were increasing; however, chemical protections, fuel use and electricity associated with cultivation, harvest, and drying declined. Energy utilization per hectare and kg of peanut showed steady declines over the last 40 years, particularly in the Southeast and Virginia-Carolina production regions. Results indicated that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been on the decline across all production regions, from greater than 1 kg CO2e/kg peanut in the early 1980s to less than 0.6 kg CO2e/kg peanuts in 2013, a 40% decrease in GHG production.
Tart Cherry Extracts Reduce Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Signaling in Microglial Cells
Authors: Shukitt-Hale Barbara , Kelly Megan , Bielinski Donna , Fisher Derek
Published: September 2016

Tart cherries contain an array of polyphenols that can decrease inflammation and oxidative stress (OS), which contribute to cognitive declines seen in aging populations. Previous studies have shown that polyphenols from dark-colored fruits can reduce stress-mediated signaling in BV-2 mouse microglial cells, leading to decreases in nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Thus, the present study sought to determine if tart cherries—which improved cognitive behavior in aged rats—would be efficacious in reducing inflammatory and OS signaling in HAPI rat microglial cells. Cells were pretreated with different concentrations (0–1.0 mg/mL) of Montmorency tart cherry powder for 1–4 h, then treated with 0 or 100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) overnight. LPS application increased extracellular levels of NO and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and intracellular levels of iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Pretreatment with tart cherry decreased levels of NO, TNF-α, and COX-2 in a dose- and time-dependent manner versus those without pretreatment; the optimal combination was between 0.125 and 0.25 mg/mL tart cherry for 2 h. Higher concentrations of tart cherry powder and longer exposure times negatively affected cell viability. Therefore, tart cherries (like other dark-colored fruits), may be effective in reducing inflammatory and OS-mediated signals.
Analysis and Evaluation of Performance Gains and Tradeoffs for Massive MIMO Systems
Authors: Jabbar Saba , Li Yu
Published: September 2016

Massive MIMO technique offers significant performance gains for the future of wireless communications via improving the spectral efficiency, energy efficiency and the channel quality with simple linear processing such as maximum-ratio transmission (MRT) or zero-forcing (ZF) by providing each user a large degree of freedom. In this paper, the system performance gains are studied in a multi-cell downlink massive MIMO system under the main considerations such as perfect channel estimation, imperfect channel estimation and the effect of interference among cells due to pilot sequences contamination. Then, mathematical expressions are derived for these gains i.e., spatial multiplexing gain, array gain and spatial diversity gain. After that, essential tradeoffs among these gains are considered under the effect of non-orthogonal interference, these tradeoffs are: spatial diversity gain vs. spatial multiplexing gain and array gain vs. spatial multiplexing gain. Simulation results show that the unbounded number of base station antennas boosts the array gain through concentrating the energy to spatial directions where users are sited, hence diminishing loss in array gain due to pilot contamination. The simulation results reveal also that massive MIMO strengthens the spatial multiplexing gain through increasing the number of served users via the same system resources in spite the effect of inter-cell interference. Finally, the spatial diversity gain is measured in term of outage probability and the simulation results show that raising the number of antennas will improve the outage probability. Meanwhile increasing the number of served users will lead to degrade the outage probability per user due to non-orthogonal interference from other cells.
Testing of High Thermal Cycling Stability of Low Strength Concrete as a Thermal Energy Storage Material
Authors: Wu Chao , Pan Jianwen , Zhong Wen , Jin Feng
Published: September 2016

Concrete has the potential to become a solution for thermal energy storage (TES) integrated in concentrating solar power (CSP) systems due to its good thermal and mechanical properties and low cost of material. In this study, a low strength concrete (C20) is tested at high temperatures up to 600 °C. Specimens are thermally cycled at temperatures in the range of 400–300 °C, 500–300 °C, and 600–300 °C, which TES can reach in operation. For comparison, specimens also cycled at temperature in the range of 400–25 °C (room temperature), 500–25 °C, and 600–25 °C. It is found from the test results that cracks are not observed on the surfaces of concrete specimens until the temperature is elevated up to 500 °C. There is mechanical deterioration of concrete after exposure to high temperature, especially to high thermal cycles. The residual compressive strength of concrete after 10 thermal cycles between 600 °C and 300 °C is about 58.3%, but the specimens remain stable without spalling, indicating possible use of low strength concrete as a TES material.
Optimal Signal Quality Index for Photoplethysmogram Signals
Authors: Elgendi Mohamed
Published: September 2016

A photoplethysmogram (PPG) is a noninvasive circulatory signal related to the pulsatile volume of blood in tissue and is typically collected by pulse oximeters. PPG signals collected via mobile devices are prone to artifacts that negatively impact measurement accuracy, which can lead to a significant number of misleading diagnoses. Given the rapidly increased use of mobile devices to collect PPG signals, developing an optimal signal quality index (SQI) is essential to classify the signal quality from these devices. Eight SQIs were developed and tested based on: perfusion, kurtosis, skewness, relative power, non-stationarity, zero crossing, entropy, and the matching of systolic wave detectors. Two independent annotators annotated all PPG data (106 recordings, 60 s each) and a third expert conducted the adjudication of differences. The independent annotators labeled each PPG signal with one of the following labels: excellent, acceptable or unfit for diagnosis. All indices were compared using Mahalanobis distance, linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, and support vector machine with leave-one-out cross-validation. The skewness index outperformed the other seven indices in differentiating between excellent PPG and acceptable, acceptable combined with unfit, and unfit recordings, with overall F 1 scores of 86.0%, 87.2%, and 79.1%, respectively.
Application of Information Theory for an Entropic Gradient of Ecological Sites
Authors: Özkan Kürşad
Published: September 2016

The present study was carried out to compute the straightforward formulations of information entropy for ecological sites and to arrange their locations along the ordination axes using the values of those entropic measures. The data of plant communities taken from six sites found in the Dedegül Mountain sub-district and the Sultan Mountain sub-district located in the Beyşehir Watershed was examined in the present study. Firstly entropic measures (i.e., marginal entropy, joint entropy, conditional entropy and mutual entropy) were computed for each of the sites. Next principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the data composed of the values of those entropic measures. As a result of the first axis of the applied PCA, the arrangement of the sites was found meaningful from an ecological point of view because the sites were located along with the first component axis of the PCA by illustrating the climatic differences between the sub-districts.
Effect of 12-Week Vitamin D Supplementation on 25[OH]D Status and Performance in Athletes with a Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Flueck Joelle , Schlaepfer Max , Perret Claudio
Published: September 2016

(1) Background: studies with able-bodied athletes showed that performance might possibly be influenced by vitamin D status. Vitamin D seems to have a direct impact on neuromuscular function by docking on vitamin D receptors in the muscle tissue. Additionally, a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was shown not only in infants and in the elderly but also in healthy adults and spinal cord injured individuals. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate whether a vitamin D dose of 6000 IU daily over 12 weeks would be sufficient to increase vitamin D status in indoor wheelchair athletes to a normal or optimal vitamin D level and whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with an impairment in muscle performance in these individuals; (2) Methods: vitamin D status was assessed in indoor elite wheelchair athletes in order to have a baseline measurement. If vitamin D status was below 75 nmol/L, athletes were supplemented with 6000 IU of vitamin D daily over 12 weeks. A vitamin D status over 75 nmol/L was supplemented with a placebo supplement. Vitamin D status, as well as a Wingate test and an isokinetic dynamometer test, were performed at baseline and after six and 12 weeks; (3) Results: 20 indoor elite wheelchair athletes participated in this double-blind study. All of these athletes showed an insufficient vitamin D status at baseline and were, therefore, supplemented with vitamin D. All athletes increased vitamin D status significantly over 12 weeks and reached an optimal level. Wingate performance was not significantly increased. Isokinetic dynamometer strength was significantly increased but only in the non-dominant arm in isometric and concentric elbow flexion; (4) Conclusion: a dose of 6000 IU of vitamin D daily over a duration of 12 weeks seems to be sufficient to increase vitamin D status to an optimal level in indoor wheelchair athletes. It remains unclear, whether upper body performance or muscle strength and vitamin D status are associated with each other.
The Influence of Proactive Green Innovation and Reactive Green Innovation on Green Product Development Performance: The Mediation Role of Green Creativity
Authors: Chen Yu-Shan , Chang Tai-Wei , Lin Chun-Yu , Lai Pi-Yu , Wang Kuan-Hung
Published: September 2016

This study fills the research gap in the exploration of the relationships between both proactive and reactive green innovations and green product development performance, and examines the mediating effect of green creativity. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is utilized to test the hypotheses. From the sample of 146 valid respondents, the results show that proactive green innovation positively affects green creativity and green product development performance, and green creativity positively affects green product development performance. In addition, our findings also indicate that the relationship between proactive green innovation and green product development performance is partially mediated by green creativity. Accordingly, green creativity plays a critical role for companies to achieve a great green product development performance. However, reactive green innovation does not significantly influence green creativity and green product development performance. Companies should develop proactive green innovation rather than reactive green innovation in order to enhance their green creativity and increase their product development performance.
Food Tourism in Indigenous Settings as a Strategy of Sustainable Development: The Case of Ilex guayusa Loes. in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Authors: Sidali Katia , Morocho Pascual , Garrido-Pérez Edgardo
Published: September 2016

This paper seeks to contribute to the discussion on how to enhance food tourism in emerging, tropical countries characterized by a large number of indigenous groups and a high biodiversity. A sacred plant for the Kichwa indigenous communities labelled Ilex guayusa Loes. (Aquifoliceae) is used as a case study. Twelve recorded interviews with different stakeholders of the Amazon region of Napo in Ecuador were analysed. The results of this qualitative research show that the Western-based theory on niche tourism based on experiential and intimacy theory is compatible with four principles which are related to the cosmovision (worldview) of Kichwa indigenous groups, namely: mutual learning, empowerment, regulated access to intellectual property and community legislation. The framework proposed seems suitable to understand food tourism in an indigenous setting. Furthermore, the integration of Western-based food tourism with an indigenous cosmovision might contribute to a more sustainable land use and more equitable social development.
Shewanella algae Peritonitis in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
Authors: Shanmuganathan Malini , Goh Bak Leong , Lim Christopher , NorFadhlina Zakaria , Fairol Ibrahim
Published: September 2016

Patients with peritonitis present with abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and turbid peritoneal dialysis (PD) fluid. Shewanella algae peritonitis has not yet been reported in PD patients in the literature. We present the first 2 cases of Shewanella algae peritonitis in PD patients. Mupirocin cream is applied on the exit site as prophylactic antibiotic therapy.
USING PIXEL-BASED AND OBJECT-BASED METHODS TO CLASSIFY URBAN HYPERSPECTRAL FEATURES
Authors: Hadavand Ahmad , Mokhtarzadeh Mehdi , Zoej Mohammad Javad Valadan , Homayouni Saeid , Saadatseresht Mohammad
Published: September 2016

Object-based image analysis methods have been developed recently. They have since become a very active research topic in the remote sensing community. This is mainly because the researchers have begun to study the spatial structures within the data. In contrast, pixel-based methods only use the spectral content of data. To evaluate the applicability of object-based image analysis methods for land-cover information extraction from hyperspectral data, a comprehensive comparative analysis was performed. In this study, six supervised classification methods were selected from pixel-based category, including the maximum likelihood (ML), fisher linear likelihood (FLL), support vector machine (SVM), binary encoding (BE), spectral angle mapper (SAM) and spectral information divergence (SID). The classifiers were conducted on several features extracted from original spectral bands in order to avoid the problem of the Hughes phenomenon, and obtain a sufficient number of training samples. Three supervised and four unsupervised feature extraction methods were used. Pixel based classification was conducted in the first step of the proposed algorithm. The effective feature number (EFN) was then obtained. Image objects were thereafter created using the fractal net evolution approach (FNEA), the segmentation method implemented in eCognition software. Several experiments have been carried out to find the best segmentation parameters. The classification accuracy of these objects was compared with the accuracy of the pixel-based methods. In these experiments, the Pavia University Campus hyperspectral dataset was used. This dataset was collected by the ROSIS sensor over an urban area in Italy. The results reveal that when using any combination of feature extraction and classification methods, the performance of object-based methods was better than pixel-based ones. Furthermore the statistical analysis of results shows that on average, there is almost an 8 percent improvement in classification accuracy when we use the object-based methods.
PRODUCTION OF LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE FROM WASTE TIRE RUBBER CRUMB
Authors: Akinyele Joseph Olawale , Salim Ramhadhan Wanjala , Kupolati Williams Kehinde
Published: September 2016

A lot of research has proposed the use of alternative materials in concrete, one of such material that has gained a lot of attention is the waste tire rubber. In this research, rubber crumb was used to partially replace fine aggregate in concrete at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16% and represented as M0, M4, M8, M12, and M16, respectively. Sieve analysis was carried out on the rubber crumb and sand, while slump, compressive and tensile test were carried out on the concrete samples. The sieve analysis revealed that both the fine aggregate and rubber crumb are poorly graded. The slump test showed that the concrete losses it consistency as more rubber crumb was added. The 28 days compressive strength showed that there was a general reduction in strength. The work concluded that rubber crumb can be used to replace fine aggregate up to 16%, in lightweight concrete.
GOING THE DISTANCE: MAPPING HOST GALAXIES OF LIGO AND VIRGO SOURCES IN THREE DIMENSIONS USING LOCAL COSMOGRAPHY AND TARGETED FOLLOW-UP
Authors: Singer Leo P. , Chen Hsin-Yu , Holz Daniel E. , Farr Will M. , Price Larry R. , Raymond Vivien , Cenko S. Bradley , Gehrels Neil , Cannizzo John , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Nissanke Samaya , Coughlin Michael , Farr Ben , Urban Alex L. , Vitale Salvatore , Veitch John , Graff Philip , Berry Christopher P. L. , Mohapatra Satya , Mandel Ilya
Published: September 2016

The Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) discovered gravitational waves (GWs) from a binary black hole merger in 2015 September and may soon observe signals from neutron star mergers. There is considerable interest in searching for their faint and rapidly fading electromagnetic (EM) counterparts, though GW position uncertainties are as coarse as hundreds of square degrees. Because LIGO’s sensitivity to binary neutron stars is limited to the local universe, the area on the sky that must be searched could be reduced by weighting positions by mass, luminosity, or star formation in nearby galaxies. Since GW observations provide information about luminosity distance, combining the reconstructed volume with positions and redshifts of galaxies could reduce the area even more dramatically. A key missing ingredient has been a rapid GW parameter estimation algorithm that reconstructs the full distribution of sky location and distance. We demonstrate the first such algorithm, which takes under a minute, fast enough to enable immediate EM follow-up. By combining the three-dimensional posterior with a galaxy catalog, we can reduce the number of galaxies that could conceivably host the event by a factor of 1.4, the total exposure time for the Swift X-ray Telescope by a factor of 2, the total exposure time for a synoptic optical survey by a factor of 2, and the total exposure time for a narrow-field optical telescope by a factor of 3. This encourages us to suggest a new role for small field of view optical instruments in performing targeted searches of the most massive galaxies within the reconstructed volumes.
As concepções sobre Ser Vivo/Célula dos Estudantes do 3º semestre do Curso de Engenharia de Pesca do Campus XXIV- Xique-Xique-BA
Authors: Castro Darcy Ribeiro , Guerra Jacqueline De Araujo , Santos Keisyara Bonfim dos , Dos Santos Nadjara Pereira , Dos Santos Samara Rocha Mendes , Amorim Taliany Santos de
Published: September 2016

Este trabalho trata da formação de conceitos científicos no Ensino Superior do Curso de Engenharia de Pesca da Universidade do Estado da Bahia (UNEB), Campus XXIV- Xique-Xique-BA mediante conhecimentos adquiridos pelos alunos em disciplinas afins com as ciências biológicas. Envolveu 8 estudantes do 3º semestre do ciclo básico. Teve como base as concepções espontâneas e científicas de estudantes sobre ser vivo/célula apoiada nas fases do desenvolvimento estudadas por Vygotsky (pensamento abstrato). Objetivamos analisar os conhecimentos dos alunos sobre célula, diferenciação celular, crescimento, respiração, reprodução, nutrição, herança e unidade. Utilizamos a pesquisa qualitativa veiculada a entrevista estruturada (questionário) e semiestruturada. Os dados foram analisados, segundo a orientação do método dialético, sendo as respostas dos alunos agrupadas em categorias conceituais, comparadas e discutidas de acordo com os referenciais apresentados. Evidenciamos os mecanismos envolvidos na assimilação dos conceitos espontâneos o e científicos pelos alunos, destacando suas potencialidades e dificuldades de compreensão.
Transformações e Moldagem Recíproca na Produção Matemática On-line com Software
Authors: Souto Daise Lago Pereira
Published: September 2016

O presente artigo apresenta uma discussão a respeito do papel de um software nas possíveis transformações e no processo de moldagem recíproca que podem ocorrer durante a produção de conhecimento. Especificamente aborda a ocorrência de ambos durante a produção matemática de professores que utilizam o software dinâmico GeoGebra para estudar as cônicas em um ambiente on-line. A fundamentação teórica está pautada no conceito de Transformação Expansiva advindo da Teoria da Atividade e no construto teórico seres-humanos-com-mídias que discute a noção de moldagem recíproca. A análise dos dados é de cunho qualitativo e está baseada no exame de dados empíricos produzidos em um curso de extensão on-line ofertado por uma universidade pública brasileira a professores de matemática do Brasil e do exterior. Os resultados indicaram que as transformações na produção matemática dos sujeitos estão inextricavelmente relacionadas ao processo de moldagem recíproca e aos distintos papéis que o software desempenhou.
Defining current facial fracture patterns in a quaternary institution following high-velocity blunt trauma
Authors: Magagula Senzwesihle C. , Hardcastle Timothy
Published: September 2016

Background: In the early 20th century, René Le Fort studied facial fractures resulting from blunt trauma and devised a classification system still in common use today. This classification, however, was based on low-velocity trauma. In modern practice, in a quaternary-level referral hospital, patients are often admitted following high-velocity injuries that mostly result from motor vehicle collisions.Objectives: A retrospective study to define facial bone fractures occurring subsequent to highvelocity trauma.Method: A retrospective study comprising the review of CT scans of 52 patients with highvelocity facial fractures was performed between April 2007 and March 2013. Injuries were classified using the Le Fort classification system. Deviations from the true Le Fort types, which are often depicted in the literature as occurring bilaterally and symmetrically, were documented; these included unilaterality, occurrence of several Le Fort fractures on one side of the face, occurrence of several Le Fort fractures on different levels and on different sides of the face, and occurrence of other fractures in addition to Le Fort fractures.Results: Of the 52 cases, 12 (23%) had Le Fort injuries, with true Le Fort fractures occurring in only 1, and 11 deviating from the classic description. Nine patients had Le Fort fractures and additional fractures. Mandibular and zygomatic bone fractures were found to be common associations with Le Fort injuries, occurring in 58% and 33% of the cases respectively.Conclusion: Fractures occurring in modern practice often deviate from the traditional Le Fort classification. Precise recognition of these deviations and recognition of additional associated fractures is pivotal in their management, assisting the surgeon in determining the treatment plan, such as the surgical approach and the order in which to fix the various fractured components.
Adequacy of ultrasound reports in patients presenting with obstructive jaundice at a tertiary hospital radiology department
Authors: Dlamini Nondumiso , Goodier Matthew
Published: September 2016

Background: Patients with obstructive jaundice require a stepwise approach to investigation and management. Ultrasound (US) is the initial screening modality of choice and has been shown to be accurate in demonstrating the presence of dilated bile ducts, as well as the level and cause of obstruction. For adequate radiological communication to the clinician, degree of bile duct dilatation, level of obstruction, appearance of the transition zone and cause of obstruction must be reported. However, without a structured reporting method, much of this information may be omitted.Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the adequacy of US findings in patients with obstructive jaundice, as documented, without standardised reporting.Methods: A retrospective chart review of 130 US reports of adult patients presenting at Grey’s Hospital US Department with a clinical assessment of obstructive jaundice was conducted. Data for the period January to December 2013, were analysed. US reports of patients with dilated bile ducts were assessed for report adequacy by looking at four important clinical factors, that is, the degree of bile duct dilatation, the level of obstruction, the appearance of the transition zone and the cause of the obstruction.Results: A report adequacy score was assessed in 79 patients with dilated bile ducts; however, two reports were excluded because of obscuration by gas. There was a high level of report inadequacy (38%) without the use of a structured reporting template. The level of obstruction was the most common component missing from the reports (25%), followed by the appearance of the transition zone (18%) and cause of obstruction (12%).Conclusion: We propose the use of an US report template for obstructive jaundice patients in order to ensure comprehensive reporting. Structured radiological reporting will improve the method of communication between clinicians and radiologists, thus improving the quality of patient care.
Computed tomography stroke findings and population demographics at Pelonomi Hospital, Bloemfontein
Authors: Daffue Kevin , Joubert Gina , Otto Susan
Published: September 2016

Background: Stroke remains the highest cause of death in patients more than 50 years old in South Africa, and the fourth highest cause of death overall. There is a paucity of information regarding this disease in the Free State Province.Objectives: To assess the stroke profile of patients referred for computed tomography (CT) imaging to our institution along with evaluating factors that could improve stroke management.Method: The demographic information, stroke risk factors, stroke types and time to imaging were evaluated for all patients who presented for CT stroke imaging from July 2014 until July 2015. Information was gathered prospectively from the hospital and radiology information systems.Results: The study included 174 patients (53.5% female, 46.5% male). Their mean age was 59 years (standard deviation (SD) 14.6). The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (83.7%), smoking (20.5%) and diabetes (15.0%). The population group consisted of 67.8% ischaemic (n = 118) and 32.2% (n = 56) haemorrhagic strokes. The majority of patients with a known time of symptom onset (n = 102) presented after 8 hours (82.4%). The median order to report time (ORT) was 61 min (range 18 min–1361 min). The median arrival to report time (ART) was 32 min (range 4 min–893 min).Conclusion: Our stroke population did not differ significantly from others in South Africa and Africa overall. Pre- and in-hospital delays significantly influenced patient numbers qualifying for thrombolysis.
Some psychoanalytical meanings of the skin in Leviticus 13�14
Authors: Van der Zwan Pieter
Published: September 2016

�Psychoanalysing� the different forms of �scale disease� dealt with in Leviticus 13�14 can shed some light on the way the skin can be interpreted in this context. The eight psychic functions of the skin identified by Anzieu reveal how individuals meet collective anxieties on the surface of the skin where unconscious conflicts about identity boundaries are projected and inscribed.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Traditionally there has been a tension between psychology and religion, due to the Freudian critique of religion. This research intends to show that a deeper understanding of religion leading hopefully to an even deeper religiosity can be achieved by studying bodily features portrayed in a (religious) text from a psychoanalytic perspective.
Role of Occupational Therapy in Combating Human Trafficking
Authors: Gorman Kathleen W. , Hatkevich Beth Ann
Published: September 2016

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery that includes sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and trafficking of children. It is estimated that 35.8 million people are enslaved around the world. Because of the traumatic experiences that victims of human trafficking encounter, the needs of victims are extensive and require the services of several providers, including health care providers, for victims to transform into survivors and thrivers. Currently, the role of occupational therapy is minimal and unexplored. The profession of occupational therapy has the capacity of having a profound role in both providing client-centered care services to victims and survivors of human trafficking and partaking in preventive advocacy efforts to combat human trafficking. Further advocacy efforts are required to promote the profession of occupational therapy in combating human trafficking.
Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy: Increasing Engagement for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Llambias Cecilia , Magill-Evans Joyce , Smith Veronica , Warren Sharon
Published: September 2016

Engagement in meaningful activities is essential to development and is often reduced in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have limited engagement in activities or relationships. A multiple-baseline design was used with 7 children with ASD ages 4–8 yr to assess the effect of including a horse in occupational therapy intervention on task engagement. The children showed improvements in engagement. Including horses in occupational therapy sessions may be a valuable addition to conventional treatments to increase task engagement of children with ASD. Factors related to the environment, therapeutic strategies, and individual participation need to be considered in understanding why this intervention may be effective and developing a theoretical basis for implementation.
Automatic processing of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 mole fractions at
the ICOS Atmosphere Thematic Centre
Authors: Hazan Lynn , Tarniewicz Jérôme , Ramonet Michel , Laurent Olivier , Abbaris Amara
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The Integrated Carbon Observation System Atmosphere Thematic Centre (ICOS ATC) automatically processes atmospheric greenhouse gases mole fractions of data coming from sites of the ICOS network. Daily transferred raw data files are automatically processed and archived. Data are stored in the ICOS atmospheric database, the backbone of the system, which has been developed with an emphasis on the traceability of the data processing. Many data products, updated daily, explore the data through different angles to support the quality control of the dataset performed by the principal operators in charge of the instruments. The automatic processing includes calibration and water vapor corrections as described in the paper. The mole fractions calculated in near-real time (NRT) are automatically revaluated as soon as a new instrument calibration is processed or when the station supervisors perform quality control. By analyzing data from 11 sites, we determined that the average calibration corrections are equal to 1.7 ± 0.3 µmol mol−1 for CO2 and 2.8 ± 3 nmol mol−1 for CH4. These biases are important to correct to avoid artificial gradients between stations that could lead to error in flux estimates when using atmospheric inversion techniques. We also calculated that the average drift between two successive calibrations separated by 15 days amounts to ±0.05 µmol mol−1 and ±0.7 nmol mol−1 for CO2 and CH4, respectively. Outliers are generally due to errors in the instrument configuration and can be readily detected thanks to the data products provided by the ATC. Several developments are still ongoing to improve the processing, including automated spike detection and calculation of time-varying uncertainties.
Assessment of the Impact of Pro-Poor Growth on Poverty in Developing Countries
Authors: Zorgui Ilhem , Ayed Houda , Jaouadi Said
Published: September 2016

The paper aims at determining the impact of pro-poor growth on poverty in developing countries. The abundant literature regarding the issue of beneficial effects of the raise of national wealth on poor classes provided conflicted findings. In the addition of the theoretical review regarding the surveys attempting to find out the role of growth on poverty, the present paper relies on providing a new framework of analysis to find out the real impact of economic growth on the living conditions of the poor. The empirical analysis stands for the conduct of an empirical research made up of an econometric model applied on a panel of some developing countries.The empirical research revealed that growth could have a harmful impact on poverty in developing countries. The last finding remains limited because the coefficient is not statistically significant. The illustration of the outcome focuses on the lack of data about ineffective income redistribution, or regarding the contribution of some specific economic field as agriculture.
Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Employee Retention among Healthcare Professionals in the United States
Authors: Sow Mouhamadou , Ntamon Ambroise , Osuoha Rosa
Published: September 2016

With the endemic health care professional shortage seen both in the United States as well as globally, retaining staff is a high priority. Much like other organizations who rely on human capital, health care professionals are the most important resource for improving patient outcomes, and for achieving organizational performance. Leaders must effectively manage their employees in order to retain top talent and meet organizational goals. One reason for high turnover rates among healthcare professionals is the lack of recognition they are given by their leaders. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between transformational leadership components and turnover intentions of health care professionals. One hundred and twenty-seven healthcare professionals from the United States participated in the survey. Participants were recruited through a LinkedIn group of healthcare professionals. More than 100 healthcare professionals from the United States responded to an online survey that contained the Global Transformational Leadership Scale, The Turnover Intention Scale, and demographic questions to describe the sample. A correlational analysis was conducted to determine the type of relationship between the health care professional’s perceptions of their supervisors’ transformational leadership and their intent to turnover. The results of this study support the theory of transformational leadership. The health care professionals’ turnover intentions were negatively correlated with the transformational leadership components, which indicate that as their turnover intentions increased their positive rating of their supervisors’ transformational leadership behaviors decreased.
The Impact of Interactivity on Advertising Effectiveness of Corporate Websites: A Mediated Moderation Model
Authors: Fahmy May M. , Ghoneim Ahmed I.
Published: September 2016

Interactivity is identified as a key component in the new media; however, the complex relationship between interactivity and advertising effectiveness measures has yielded inconclusive results. The purpose of this study is to perform a systematic investigation of the underlying mechanisms between the actual interactivity and the advertising effectiveness measures.

This paper proposes a model that empirically examines the role of the perceived interactivity in mediating the impact of actual interactivity on advertising effects; moreover, it studies the moderating role of individual differences on perceived interactivity. The empirical evidence indicates that perceived interactivity mediates the relationship between actual interactivity and purchase intention, the attitude towards the brand, and the attitude towards the website; additionally, it reveals that age plays a significant moderating role between actual and perceived interactivity. Thus, the mediated moderation model is supported. Furthermore, this paper tackles the implications of the interactivity theory building in the practice of marketing communications and interactive advertising.
Determinants Impacting Consumers’ Purchase Intention: The Case of Fast Food in Vietnam
Authors: Phan The Anh , Mai Phuong Hoang
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this case study is to explore and study the determinants impacting Vietnamese students’ food choice and the pattern of consumption of fast food in university students. The objective set for this research was conduct with the following objectives respectively getting an insight of fast food market in Vietnam and explore the attributes that Vietnamese students in perceive to be important in the selection of fast food restaurants and the study results provide a better understanding about the industry and consumer food choice variables The model and the design of the questionnaire content in this study was based on the measures of previous related research and literatures and several constructs were measured by single item scale, E-S-QUAL scale (Parasuraman et al., 2005) that has been developed and used in the present study has been shown to be a valid instrument for the measurement with four main factors (Health Consciousness, Value Perceived, Food Safety and Price) toward with Purchase Intention. In this regard, other questions were also applied in the survey to get an insight about demographic information and consumption habits of students in this research. Moreover, we found significant positive relationship between the purchase intentions and food safety, subsequently price and value perceived with similar positive relationships. Hence we can say that managers have to keep these factors in mind to perform better.
24-letni pacjent z chorobą zarostową żył płucnych—Opis przypadku
Authors: Ćwiek Edyta , Przemęcka Marcelina , Marczak Jerzy , Kuś Jan , Langfort Renata , Górski Paweł
Published: September 2016

Choroba zarostowa żył płucnych (PVOD) jest bardzo rzadką przyczyną nadciśnienia płucnego o ciężkim przebiegu i złym rokowaniu. W pracy zaprezentowano przypadek 24-letniego pacjenta, u którego pierwszymi symptomami choroby były narastająca duszność i pogorszenie tolerancji wysiłku. Pacjent, do czasu postawienia właściwej diagnozy na podstawie wyniku badania histopatologicznego wycinka z biopsji płuca, był leczony antagonistami wapnia i glikokortykosteroidami na podstawie wstępnej diagnozy nadciśnienia płucnego i choroby śródmiąższowej płuc. Przypadek ten ukazuje, że PVOD to jednostka trudna diagnostycznie i oporna na wszelkie leczenie zachowawcze, co jest szczególnie niekorzystnym czynnikiem rokowniczym dla pacjentów. Wobec braku skutecznego leczenia farmakologicznego i wysokiej śmiertelności pacjentów chorujących na PVOD, zrozumienie patogenezy choroby zarostowej żył płucnych, a także różnicowanie jej z tętniczym nadciśnieniem płucnym oraz poszukiwanie nowych metod terapeutycznych pozostają ważnymi wyzwaniami dla współczesnej medycyny.
Lung Abscess Due to Streptococcus pneumoniae: A Case Series and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Nicolini Antonello , Cilloniz Catia , Senarega Renata , Ferraioli Gianluca , Barlascini Cornelius
Published: September 2016

Anaerobes used to be the most common cause of community-acquired lung abscess, and Streptococcus species used to be the second most common cause. In recent years, this has been changing. Klebsiella pneumoniae is now an increasing cause of community-acquired lung abscess, but Streptococcus species continue to be major pathogens. Necrotizing pneumonia has generally been regarded as a rare complication of pneumococcal infection in adults. Type 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae was the single most common type implicated in necrosis; however, many other serotypes were implicated. This entity predominately infects children, but is present also in adults. Lung abscess in adults due to Streptococcus pneumoniae is not common. In this regard we present a case series of pulmonary cavitation due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and discuss the possible pathogenic mechanism of the disease.