bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory Study on the Influencers of the Perceived Relevance of CIO's Activities and Skills
Authors: Varajão João , Trigo António , Soto-Acosta Pedro
Published: February 2017

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study developed to identify the current CIO's main activities, to verify whether CIO's demographics and CIO's business context influence the perception of the importance of CIO activities and to identify CIO's main skills. The results show that managing projects, interacting with top management teams, optimizing business processes and making strategic decisions are main CIO's activities; and that the importance recognized to these activities is influenced by characteristics such as the CIO's age or the hierarchical structure of the organization. Regarding CIO's skills, understanding business processes and operations, and strategic thinking and planning, are the ones CIOs identified as being the most important.
Collaborative 3D Modeling
Authors: Hajji Rafika , Billen Roland
Published: February 2017

The need of 3D city models increases day by day. However, 3D modeling still faces some impediments to be generalized. Therefore, new solutions such as collaboration should be investigated. The paper presents a new vision of collaboration applied on 3D modeling through the definition of the concept of a 3D collaborative model. The paper highlights basic questions to be considered for the definition and the development of that model then argues the importance of reuse of 2D data as a promising solution to reconstruct 3D data and to upgrade to integrated 3D solutions in the future. This idea is supported by a case study, to demonstrate how 2D/2.5D data collected from different providers in Walloon region in Belgium can be integrated and reengineered to match the specifications of a 3D building model compatible with the CityGML standard.
KPI-Based Decision Evaluation System to Enhance QMSs for Higher Educational Institutes
Authors: Rezgui Abdelkerim , Gómez Jorge Marx , Ben Maaouia Raji
Published: February 2017

Innovation has always been the engine of economic growth. Nowadays, billions are disbursed on research and universities are working increasingly closely with industries to help them developing new products and processes. In order, to maintain this important role and be more competitive, higher education institutions (HEIs) are trying to assure a high level of quality by following standards and using a sophisticated quality management system (QMS). The use of decisions support systems as enabler for QMS is an approved concept. However, it is not well introduced in the field of education despite its proven results within other domains. Here, we aimed to enhance the decision-making act in the application HEIs through the presentation of a novel concept called decision evaluation system. This system enables stakeholders to track, evaluate, recommend and comment decisions. It meets the recommendations of ISO 9001:2015 and specially the quality management principle 6: “make decisions based on evidence.” In this work the global process and the reference architecture will be presented. In conclusion, our work shows that HEIs take advantages from historical decisions and increases the ability to review, challenge and change opinions based on experience and knowledge sharing.
Adaptation and Evolution Frameworks for Service Based Inter-Organizational Workflows
Authors: Boukhedouma Saida , Alimazighi Zaia , Oussalah Mourad
Published: February 2017

This paper describes pattern-based frameworks for adaptation and evolution of service-based workflow process models meeting specific cooperation patterns widely recognized in the B2B area. In the authors' previous works, they focused on restructuring and interconnecting workflows using the SOA paradigm so as to deal with more flexible inter-organizational workflow (IOWF) models. The main issue of this paper is the question of flexibility of IOWF process models where the authors distinguish two main aspects: adaptability and evolutivity affecting different levels of the IOWF process. For that, they define three categories of adptation called functional, behavioral and interactional adaptations and two categories of evolution called functional evolution and organizational evolution; then, they conceptualize some adaptation and evolution patterns which can be applied on the IOWF process models. The authors' adaptation and evolution frameworks are developed according to the MVC pattern and operate on process models specified with BPEL. Thanks to their high modularity, the frameworks are easily extensible and allow the reusing of patterns to implement other ones.
Do E-Athletes Move?
Authors: Kari Tuomas , Karhulahti Veli-Matti
Published: February 2017

This article offers possibly the first peer-reviewed study on the training routines of elite e-athletes with special focus on the subjects' physical exercise routines. The study is based on a sample of 115 elite e-athletes. According to the responses, e-athletes train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year on the elite level. Approximately 1.08 hours of that training is physical exercise. More than half (55.6%) of the elite e-athletes believe that integrating physical exercise in their training programs has a positive effect on esport performance; however, no less than 47.0% of the elite e-athletes do their physical exercise chiefly to maintain overall health. Accordingly, the study indicates that elite e-athletes are active athletes as well, those of age 18 and older exercising physically more than three times the daily 21-minute activity recommendation given by World Health Organization.
Self-Adaptive Ontology based Focused Crawler for Social Bookmarking Sites
Authors: Khan Aamir , Sharma Dilip Kumar
Published: February 2017

It is not possible for one person to explore or surf all the relevant websites pre-training to his/her topic. A user might not be able to get the results that he/she expects from the search engine but another user might have some knowledge about some website containing the information about the first user's topical query. Users share their information on a common sharing platform known as SBS (Social Bookmarking Sites). In SBS a user posts a question seeking some knowledge about a certain topic, and then the people who have some knowledge about any website related to the query topic post the URLs of the website. This paper presents a novel method to verify the authenticity and validity of the URL posted in the SBS. The performance of our method is further increased by using a dictionary based learning methodology that finds the contextually similar words that are added to the Ontology.
A Collaboration-Based Spiral Model for Curriculum Development of Older Adult Education
Authors: Cai Jinfang , Kosaka Michitaka
Published: February 2017

Older Adult Education (OAE), which is considered as an effective way of dealing with social problems caused by aging society, has been widely adopted in many countries. One of the most challenging problem in OAE is curriculum development due to the unique features of OAE, such as the variety of requirements and background of older learners and multiplicity of the objectives of education providers. Fewer studies have been conducted on curriculum development for OAE, compared with those for regular school education. In this paper, we propose a collaboration-based curriculum development model, inspired by value co-creation model in service science. In the proposed model, the role of older learner is emphasized in that education providers collaborate with older learners in curriculum development, as business service providers collaborate with customers for value creation from service science perspective. We study the curriculum development in two representative OAE universities in China to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Investigation of Human Monitoring Capabilities for Multiple Watch Windows
Authors: Eziolisa Osita , Evans Dakota C , Fendley Mary E
Published: February 2017

Due to an abundance of data and dynamic nature of tasks, challenges with information retrieval in surveillance and target identification tasks have risen in today's Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) community. In this study, two variables, Area of Coverage and Amount of Activity (AOC/ACT), are manipulated to study their effects on the number of Watch Windows an observer can monitor. This research describes the analyst's task model, and explains how the level of AOC/ACT and number of Watch Windows affects the analyst's cognitive load. Results showed a significant difference in performance and physiological indicators of workload between high AOC/ACT conditions and low AOC/ACT conditions. A linear correlation was exhibited between the number of Watch Windows and the number of fixations. The results show that these variables can be manipulated in tasking to maintain appropriate levels of cognitive workload.
Markovian Analysis of a Push-Pull Merge System with Two Suppliers, An Intermediate Buffer, and Two Retailers
Authors: Diamantidis Alexandros , Koukoumialos Stylianos , Vidalis Michael
Published: February 2017

This paper examines a push-pull merge system with two suppliers, two retailers and an intermediate buffer (distribution centre). Two reliable non identical suppliers performing merge operations feed a buffer that is located immediately upstream of two non-identical reliable retailers. External customers arrive to each retailer with non-identical inter-arrival times that are exponentially distributed. The amount ordered from each retailer by a customer is exactly one unit. The material flows between upstream stages (suppliers) is push type, while between downstream stages (retailers) it is driven by continuous review, reorder point/order quantity inventory control policy (s,S). Both suppliers and retailers have exponential service rates. The considered system is modelled as a continuous time Markov process with discrete states. An algorithm that generates the transition matrix for any value of the parameters of the system is developed. Once the transition matrix is known the stationary probabilities can be computed and therefore the performance measures of the model under consideration can be easily evaluated.
Towards the Implementation of Optimal Train Loading Plan in the Athens-Thessaloniki Freight Services
Authors: Ballis Athanasios , Karapetis Fillipos , Ballis Theocharis
Published: February 2017

The main goal of train loading optimization is the proper assignment of loading units onto the wagons, taking under consideration numerous factors like the maximum axle load restrictions, the condition of the railway infrastructure, the operating conditions, safety regulations etc. The typical expression of the problem is usually formulated under one of the two following assumptions: (a) the commodity load is predefined or (b) the number and type of wagons is fixed. The current work describes the steps that were followed and enabled the analysis, optimization and integration of the train loading plan into the information system that supports the new railway service of TRAINOSE for containers transport on the Athens - Thessaloniki line. This new service, named iCS, was launched in December 2013 and ever since operates on a daily basis. The work includes a literature review, a mention of the pragmatic aspects that influence container transport and train loading plan, the presentation of the heuristic which is implemented in the information system of iCS service, a validation process against a mixed integer optimization model and finally concludes with the proposed solution for the iCS wagon loading problem.
An Empirical Study of Technological Factors Affecting Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Adoption
Authors: Kinuthia Njenga , Chung Sock
Published: February 2017

The adoption of cloud enterprise resource planning (CERP) systems deserves serious attention from both the practitioner and academic communities. This study empirically investigated the relationships for organizations that adopted CERP systems and for average organizations which are interested in CERP system adoption based on three technological and one benefit factors: The study identified the relevant technological factors as relative advantage, compatibility and security concern over the system adoption. This study indicated that the three technological and one perceived benefit factors are significant predictors of CERP systems adoption. The findings of the study provide evidence that organizations with CERP systems have a higher level of the three technological factors and perceived benefits than the mean of each relevant factor for all organizations that are merely interested in adopting the systems. The study discusses practical and theoretical implications of the results, and provides a guide for CERP systems adoption and a basis for further research.
Surgical management of chronic hyperplastic candidiasis refractory to systemic antifungal treatment
Authors: Shah Neha , Ray Jay Gopal , Kundu Sanchita , Sardana Divesh
Published: February 2017

Chronic hyperplastic candidiasis (CHC), earlier known as candidal leukoplakia, is a variant of oral candidiasis that classically presents as a white patch on the commissures of the oral mucosa and it is mostly caused by Candida albicans. Clinically, the lesions are usually asymptomatic and regress after appropriate antifungal therapy and correction of the underlying cause. If the lesions are untreated, a small portion may develop dysplasia and later progress into carcinoma. The purpose of this article is to report a case of CHC in a 57-year-old male patient with a significant smoking habit, who presented with a thick, nonscrapable, brownish-white coating on the dorsum of the tongue for 9 years. This case is of particular importance and concern because of the high risk for malignant transformation in CHC. The role of biopsy and histopathology is also stressed through this case report in arriving at a definitive diagnosis and treatment planning. Further, this case is interesting because it was refractory to local and systemic antifungal treatment and so, surgery was chosen as an alternative treatment modality considering the side effects of the prolonged use of antifungal drugs.
Comparison of micro column technology with conventional tube methods for antibody detection
Authors: Garg Sachin , Saini Nishant , Bedi Ravneet Kaur , Basu Sabita
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Conventional tube technique (CTT) has been the mainstay for antibody detection in pretransfusion testing. There have been rapid technological advances in blood banking and methodology of crossmatch has been modified to improve the sensitivity of these tests and to enable automation. This study was done to compare the efficacy of three crossmatch techniques: CTT, tube low-ionic-strength-saline indirect antiglobulin test (tube LISS-IAT), and micro column technology (MCT) used in the blood bank serology laboratory.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 150 samples from patients who had received two or more transfusions on two different occasions (with at least 72 h between two transfusions) were subjected to cross match by three different techniques – CTT, LISS-IAT, and MCT.

RESULTS: A total of 16 cases with antibodies were identified in 150 patients. Out of 16 cases, 14 were clinically significant (anti-c = 5, anti-K = 4, anti-E = 2, anti-S = 2, anti-Jka = 1) and 2 nonclinically significant antibody cases (anti-Lea). MCT detected all the 14 clinically significant antibody cases and no case of nonclinically significant antibody. Tube LISS-IAT detected 14 antibody cases including 2 cases of non-clinically significant antibody but failed to detect 1 case of anti-c and the only case of anti-Jka. CTT detected only 10 antibody cases including 2 cases of non-clinically significant antibody and but failed to detect 3 cases of anti-c, 1 case of anti-K, 1 case of anti-E, and the only case of anti-Jka.

CONCLUSION: MCT was found to be most efficacious when compared to CTT and tube LISS-IAT in detecting clinically significant red cell antibodies; although MCT missed 2 cases of Lea antibody which were detected by CTT and LISS-IAT.
Role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction in diagnosing tubercular meningitis
Authors: Berwal Anupam , Chawla Kiran , Vishwanath Shashidhar , Shenoy Vishnu Prasad
Published: February 2017

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is one of the most serious manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Timely and accurate diagnosis provides a favorable prognosis in patients with TBM. The study evaluated the use of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of TBM. A study was conducted on 74 patients clinically suspected with TBM. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were processed for smear microscopy, middle brook 7H9 culture, and multiplex PCR using primers directed against IS6110 gene and 38 kD protein for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The results were analyzed to assess the role of multiplex PCR in the diagnosis of TBM. A total of 26 (35.1%) patients were diagnosed with TBM. Microscopy was negative in all while culture was positive in two cases only. Comparing with clinical diagnosis and CSF adenosine deaminase levels of ≥ 10 U/L, multiplex PCR showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 71.4%, 89.6%, 83.3%, and 81.2%, respectively, in the diagnosis of TBM.
Blood transfusion practices in a tertiary care center in Northern India
Authors: Kumari Sonam
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion plays vital roles in the medical and surgical practice. To achieve optimum use of blood, transfusion has to be appropriate and judicious consuming minimal resources and manpower.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pattern of blood transfusion requests and utilization with the aim of determining transfusion practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood request forms and cross-match worksheets at the blood bank were analyzed over a 6-month period. Numbers of requisitions, blood units cross-matched, issued out, transfused, and nontransfused were calculated. Nonusage probability (NUP) and the cross-match to transfusion ratio (CTR) for each clinical unit were computed.

RESULTS: Two thousand two hundred and sixty-eight units of blood were cross-matched for 1487 patient’s transfusion requests, out of which only 1455 (64.2%) were transfused giving a total CTR of 1.6 for the hospital. The CTR for the various clinical units were: Obstetrics and gynecology (O and G) 2.7, surgery 2.1, orthopedics 1.9, medicine 1.1, pediatrics 1, and oncology 1.

CONCLUSIONS: The overall CTR (1.6) of the hospital was within the optimal range except for the O and G and surgery department which were having very high NUP and CTR indicating their suboptimal transfusion practices. Introducing revised transfusion guidelines, maximum surgical blood ordering schedule and type, screen, save, and abbreviated cross-match method can help toward adequate requisition and utilization of blood thereby reducing wastage of resources, time, and manpower.
Biofilm colonization in chronic treatment refractory infections presenting with discharging sinuses: A study in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India
Authors: De Asmita , Raj Hirak Jyoti , Haldar Jayeeta , Mukherjee Poulami , Maiti Prasanta Kumar
Published: February 2017

INTRODUCTION: Treatment refractory chronic recurrent infections mean those chronic infections which recur by same causal agents with similar drug responsiveness after apparent relief following full course of recommended antimicrobial management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty different samples were collected from patients with chronic surgical site infections, laparoscopic port site infections, anal fistula, mesh hernioplasty, chronic dacryocystitis, chronic osteomyelitis, and chronic burn wounds. Samples were processed for culture, identification, antibiotic sensitivity testing using standard microbiological techniques. Biofilm (BF) forming capacity for aerobic organisms were tested by tissue culture plate method. Those for anaerobes and atypical mycobacteria were studied by a novel method using atomic force microscopy (AFM). In vivo BF colonization in lacrimal mucosae of chronic dacryocystitis, patients were studied from histopathological sections by Gram staining, H and E, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

RESULTS: Out of fifty different samples, sixty-three isolates were obtained in pure culture as follows: Staphylococcus aureus (25.39%), Escherichia coli (14.28%), Klebsiella pneumonia (14.28%), Mycobacterium abscessus (12.69%), Citrobacter spp. (9.52%), Bacteroides fragilis (6.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.7%), Proteus spp. (4.7%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (3.1%), Enterobacter spp. (1.5%), Morganella morganii (1.5%), and Peptostreptococcus spp. (1.5%). Among the isolates, 74% were found to be BF producers in the following frequency: P. aeruginosa 100%, S. epidermidis 100%, B. fragilis 100%, Klebsiella spp. 88.88%, S. aureus 81.25%, M. abscessus 75%, Citrobacter spp. 83.33%, Proteus spp. 66.66%, E. coli spp. 33.33%, and Enterobacter spp. 0%.

CONCLUSION: AFM has been proven to be a useful method for detection of in vitro grown BF including those for anaerobes and atypical Mycobacteria. In vivo BF detection becomes possible by FISH. S. aureus was the most common isolate. Among the aerobic isolates, P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis were found to be the most common BF producers. Atypical mycobacteria were also found to be BF producers. Diagnosis of BF s in chronic infections significantly changes the management strategy as these infections can no longer be dealt simply with antibiotics alone but require mechanical removal of the foci along with antibiotic coverage for complete cure.
The Renormalization Group
Authors: De Roeck Wojciech , Disertori Margherita , Salmhofer Manfred
Published: February 2017

The renormalization group was originally introduced as a multiscale approach to quantum field theory and the theory of critical phenomena, explaining in particular the universality observed e.g. in critical exponents. Since then it has become a hugely important tool in statistical mechanics, condensed matter and high energy physics. More recently, renormalization has also played a decisive role in mathematics as a method of proof, applicable in quantum field theory, differential equations, probability, and other fields. The workshop has focused on new developments along the lines of these two traditions. Besides discussing methodical progress and current applications, we have explored new challenges and problems that may in the future be tackled with the help of the renormalization group.
Nonlinear Evolution Problems
Authors: Ecker Klaus , Shatah Jalal , Staffilani Gigliola , Struwe Michael
Published: February 2017

The main themes of this workshop were geometric evolution equations and dispersive equations, including nonlinear wave and Schrödinger equations. Altogether there were 21 talks, presented by leading specialists from all over the world.
Classical Algebraic Geometry
Authors: Debarre Olivier , Eisenbud David , Farkas Gavril , Vakil Ravi
Published: February 2017

Progress in algebraic geometry often comes through the introduction of new tools and ideas to tackle the classical problems the development of the field. Examples include new invariants that capture some aspect of geometry in a novel way, such as the derived category, and the extension of the class of geometric objects considered to allow constructions not previously possible, such as the transition from varieties to schemes or from schemes to stacks. Many famous old problems and outstanding conjectures have been resolved in this way over the last 50 years. While the new theories are sometimes studied for their own sake, they are in the end best understood in the context of the classical questions they illuminate. The goal of the workshop was to study new developments in algebraic geometry, with a view toward their application to the classical problems.
The Landau-Zener Transition and the Surface Hopping Method for the 2D Dirac Equation for Graphene
Authors: Faraj Ali , Jin Shi
Published: February 2017

A Lagrangian surface hopping algorithm is implemented to study the two dimensional massless Dirac equation for Graphene with an electrostatic potential, in the semiclassical regime. In this problem, the crossing of the energy levels of the system at Dirac points requires a particular treatment in the algorithm in order to describe the quantum transition—characterized by the Landau-Zener probability— between different energy levels. We first derive the Landau-Zener probability for the underlying problem, then incorporate it into the surface hopping algorithm. We also show that different asymptotic models for this problem derived in [O. Morandi, F. Schurrer, J. Phys. A:Math. Theor. 44 (2011) 265301]may give different transition probabilities. We conduct numerical experiments to compare the solutions to the Dirac equation, the surface hopping algorithm, and the asymptotic models of [O. Morandi, F. Schurrer, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 44 (2011) 265301].
An Implicitly Consistent Formulation of a Dual-Mesh Hybrid LES/RANS Method
Authors: Xiao Heng , Wang Jian-Xun , Jenny Patrick
Published: February 2017

A consistent dual-mesh hybrid LES/RANS framework for turbulence modeling has been proposed recently (H. Xiao, P. Jenny, A consistent dual-mesh framework for hybrid LES/RANS modeling, J. Comput. Phys. 231 (4) (2012)). To better enforce componentwise Reynolds stress consistency between the LES and the RANS simulations, in the present work the original hybrid framework is modified to better exploit the advantage of more advanced RANS turbulence models. In the new formulation, the turbulent stresses in the filtered equations in the under-resolved regions are directly corrected based on the Reynolds stresses provided by the RANS simulation. More precisely, the new strategy leads to implicit LES/RANS consistency, where the velocity consistency is achieved indirectly via imposing consistency on the Reynolds stresses. This is in contrast to the explicit consistency enforcement in the original formulation, where forcing terms are added to the filtered momentum equations to achieve directly the desired average velocity and velocity fluctuations. The new formulation keeps the averaging procedure for the filtered quantities and at the same time preserves the ability of the original formulation to conform with the physical differences between LES and RANS quantities. The modified formulation is presented, analyzed, and then evaluated for plane channel flow and flow over periodic hills. Improved predictions are obtained compared with the results obtained using the original formulation.
Hamiltonian Analysis and Dual Vector Spectral Elements for 2D Maxwell Eigenproblems
Authors: Yang Hongwei , Zhu Bao , Chen Jiefu
Published: February 2017

The 2D Maxwell eigenproblems are studied from a new point of view. An electromagnetic problem is cast from the Lagrangian system with single variable into the Hamiltonian system with dual variables. The electric and magnetic components transverse to the wave propagation direction are treated as dual variables to each other. Higher order curl-conforming and divergence-conforming vector basis functions are used to construct dual vector spectral elements. Numerical examples demonstrate some unique advantages of the proposed method.
Two and Three Dimensional Image Registration Based on B-Spline Composition and Level Sets
Authors: Chan Chiu Ling , Anitescu Cosmin , Zhang Yongjie , Rabczuk Timon
Published: February 2017

Amethod for non-rigid image registration that is suitable for large deformations is presented. Conventional registration methods embed the image in a B-spline object, and the image is evolved by deforming the B-spline object. In this work, we represent the image using B-spline and deform the image using a composition approach. We also derive a computationally efficient algorithm for calculating the B-spline coefficients and gradients of the image by adopting ideas from signal processing using image filters. We demonstrate the application of our method on several different types of 2D and 3D images and compare it with existing methods.
Fast Evaluation of the Caputo Fractional Derivative and its Applications to Fractional Diffusion Equations
Authors: Jiang Shidong , Zhang Jiwei , Zhang Qian , Zhang Zhimin
Published: February 2017

The computational work and storage of numerically solving the time fractional PDEs are generally huge for the traditional direct methods since they require totalmemory andwork, whereNTandNSrepresent the total number of time steps and grid points in space, respectively. To overcome this difficulty, we present an efficient algorithm for the evaluation of the Caputo fractional derivativeof orderα∈(0,1). The algorithm is based on an efficient sum-of-exponentials (SOE) approximation for the kernelt–1–αon the interval [Δt,T] with a uniform absolute errorε. We give the theoretical analysis to show that the number of exponentialsNexpneeded is of orderforT≫1 orforTH1 for fixed accuracyε. The resulting algorithm requires onlystorage andwork when numerically solving the time fractional PDEs. Furthermore, we also give the stability and error analysis of the new scheme, and present several numerical examples to demonstrate the performance of our scheme.
At Home with Mastomys and Rattus: Human-Rodent Interactions and Potential for Primary Transmission of Lassa Virus in Domestic Spaces
Authors: Bonwitt Jesse , Sáez Almudena Mari , Lamin Joseph , Ansumana Rashid , Dawson Michael , Buanie Jacob , Lamin Joyce , Sondufu Diana , Borchert Matthias , Sahr Foday , Fichet-Calvet Elisabeth , Brown Hannah
Published: February 2017

The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). Zoonotic transmission occurs when humans are directly or indirectly exposed to fluids of the multimammate mouse, such as urine, saliva, and blood. Housing characteristics and domestic organization affect rodent density in and around households and villages, and are likely to be a risk factor for Lassa fever in humans where the reservoir exists. We use semi-structured interviews (N = 51), a quantitative survey (N = 429), direct observations, and a rodent ecology study to provide new insights into how the organization of domestic spaces brings together humans and rodents and creates pathways for infection in rural settlements in Bo District, Sierra Leone. Rodents were frequently reported inside houses (92.4% of respondents), in which we predominantly trapped M. natalensis (57% of trapped rodents) and Rattus rattus (38% of trapped rodents). Building design and materials provide hiding and nesting places for rodents and lead to close proximity with humans. Patterns of contact are both unintentional and intentional and research participants reported high levels of contact with rodents (34.2% of respondents) and rodent fluids (52.8% of respondents). Rodents are also perceived as a serious threat to food security. These results present detailed knowledge about how humans live with and come into contact with rodents, including the LASV reservoir. Our results argue for further collaborative research in housing and environmental modification such as ceiling construction, food storage, and sanitation as prevention against zoonotic LASV transmission.
Trypanosoma cruzi (Agent of Chagas Disease) in Sympatric Human and Dog Populations in “Colonias” of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas
Authors: Curtis-Robles Rachel , Zecca Italo B. , Roman-Cruz Valery , Carbajal Ester S. , Auckland Lisa D. , Flores Isidore , Millard Ann V. , Hamer Sarah A.
Published: February 2017

The zoonotic, vector-borne parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease throughout the Americas, but human and veterinary health burdens in the United States are unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional prevalence study in indigent, medically underserved human and cohabiting canine populations of seven south Texas border communities, known as colonias. Defining positivity as those samples that were positive on two or more independent tests, we found 1.3% seroprevalence in 233 humans, including one child born in the United States with only short-duration travel to Mexico. Additionally, a single child with no travel outside south Texas was positive on only a single test. Among 209 dogs, seroprevalence was 19.6%, but adjusted to 31.6% when including those dogs positive on only one test and extrapolating potential false negatives. Parasite DNA was detected in five dogs, indicating potential parasitemia. Seropositive dogs lived in all sampled colonias with no difference in odds of positivity across age, sex, or breed. Colonia residents collected two adult Triatoma gerstaeckeri and one nymph triatomine from around their homes; one of three bugs was infected with T. cruzi, and blood meal hosts were molecularly determined to include dog, human, and raccoon. Dogs and the infected vector all harbored T. cruzi discrete typing unit I, which has previously been implicated in human disease in the United States. Colonias harbor active T. cruzi transmission cycles and should be a priority in outreach and vector control initiatives.
Schistosomiasis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Men in Tanzania
Authors: Downs Jennifer A. , de Dood Claudia J. , Dee Hannah E. , McGeehan Megan , Khan Hijab , Marenga Abena , Adel Patrick E. , Faustine Edward , Issarow Benson , Kisanga Emmanuel F. , Kisigo Godfrey Alfred , Ngahyolerwa Salvius , Zahoro Frank , Miyaye Donald , Magawa Ruth Gideon , Mngara Julius , Lee Myung Hee , Corstjens Paul L. A. M. , van Dam Govert J. , Fitzgerald Daniel W.
Published: February 2017

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic worm infection that affects over 260 million individuals worldwide. Women with schistosome infections have been demonstrated to have a 4-fold increase in the odds of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection compared with women without schistosome infections. A relationship between schistosome and HIV infections has not been clearly defined in men. Among 674 men aged 18–50 years living in rural Tanzania, we identified 429 (63.6%) who had a schistosome infection as defined by serum positivity for schistosome circulating anodic antigen, visualization of parasite eggs in urine or stool, or both. HIV infection was identified in 38 (5.6%). The odds of HIV infection was 1.3 [95% confidence interval = 0.6–2.5] (P = 0.53) among men with any schistosome infection (Schistosoma haematobium or Schistosoma mansoni), and it was 1.4 [0.6–3.3] (P = 0.43) among men with S. haematobium infection. Men with S. haematobium infection were significantly more likely to report the symptom of hemospermia than men without S. haematobium infection. We conclude that schistosome infections appear to have little to no association with HIV infection in men.
Preoperative Practice Paired With Instructor Feedback May Not Improve Obstetrics-Gynecology Residents' Operative Performance
Authors: Kroft Jamie , Ordon Michael , Po Leslie , Zwingerman Nora , Waters Katie , Lee Jason Y. , Pittini Richard
Published: February 2017

Background

There is evidence that preoperative practice prior to surgery can improve trainee performance, but the optimal approach has not been studied.

Objective

We sought to determine if preoperative practice by surgical trainees paired with instructor feedback improved surgical technique, compared to preoperative practice or feedback alone.

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of obstetrics-gynecology trainees, stratified on a simulator-assessed surgical skill. Participants were randomized to preoperative practice on a simulator with instructor feedback (PPF), preoperative practice alone (PP), or feedback alone (F). Trainees then completed a laparoscopic salpingectomy, and the operative performance was evaluated using an assessment tool.

Results

A total of 18 residents were randomized and completed the study, 6 in each arm. The mean baseline score on the simulator was comparable in each group (67% for PPF, 68% for PP, and 70% for F). While the median score on the assessment tool for laparoscopic salpingectomy in the PPF group was the highest, there was no statistically significant difference in assessment scores for the PPF group (32.75; range, 15–36) compared to the PP group (14.5; range, 10–34) and the F group (21.25; range, 10.5–32). The interrater correlation between the video reviewers was 0.87 (95% confidence interval 0.70–0.95) using the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Conclusions

This study suggests that a surgical preoperative practice with instructor feedback may not improve operative technique compared to either preoperative practice or feedback alone.
Psychiatry Residents' Perceptions and Reported Practices in Providing Primary Care
Authors: Wehr Lisa M. , Vanderlip Erik R. , Gibbons Patrick H. , Fiedorowicz Jess G.
Published: February 2017

Background

Patients with psychiatric disorders have higher rates of chronic medical conditions and decreased life expectancy. Integrating medical and psychiatric care is likely to improve health outcomes for these patients.

Objective

This study examined what proportion of psychiatry residents viewed psychiatry as a primary care specialty, how important they felt it was to provide primary care to patients, and how this perception altered self-reported comfort and practice patterns in providing screening and treatment for select general medical conditions.

Methods

An online survey was sent to current psychiatry residents of US residency programs.

Results

A total of 268 residents from 40 programs completed the survey (25% response rate), with 55% (147 of 265) of respondents considering psychiatry to be a primary care specialty. Residents who held this opinion gave higher ratings for the importance of providing preventive counseling and reported counseling a higher percentage of patients on a variety of topics. They also reported screening more patients for several medical conditions. Residents who considered psychiatry to be primary care did not report greater comfort with treating these conditions, with the exception of dyslipidemia. The most commonly cited barrier to integrating primary care services was lack of time.

Conclusions

Residents' perceptions of psychiatry as a primary care field appears to be associated with a higher reported likelihood of counseling about, and screening for, medical conditions in their patients.
Cortina de hormigón
Authors: MEMUX architectural design Arquitectos
Published: February 2017

El empleo inusual de hormigón en este objeto, apto para el uso diario, presta su extraordinaria presencia. El contraste aparente entre la materialidad y la variabilidad se ha traducido en una obra de arquitectura textil. El color y la forma de los cojines de hormigón se pueden adaptar a la función respectiva. La cortina de hormigón se puede instalar en interiores y exteriores. Sirve como parasol, parabrisas, pantalla de privacidad, elemento de fachada, o como acumulador de calor.
Casa 63.02' en Nogata, Nakano. Tokyo
Authors: Jo Nagasaka y Schemata Architecture Office Arquitectos
Published: February 2017

63.02’ construida en una densa área residencial en Nakano, Tokyo. Se trata de un pequeño edifi cio SOHO y un apartamento para alquilar. 
Ampliación de una vivienda existente en Vandoeuvres, Ginebra. Suiza
Authors: Charles Pictet Architecte FAS / SIA Arquitecto
Published: February 2017

La vivienda preexistente fue construida a principios de los años 70 en un estilo tradicional. El proyecto no se concibe como una prolongación de un edificio existente. Se trata de un volumen abstracto. Nos podemos preguntar si su función se encuentra relacionada al jardín (piscina o escultura), a la vivienda o a una función puramente técnica (estación de transformación, central de ventilación o reserva). 
Scale dependence of cirrus heterogeneity effects. Part I: MODIS thermal infrared channels
Authors: Fauchez Thomas , Platnick Steven , Meyer Kerry , Cornet Céline , Szczap Frédéric , Várnai Tamás
Published: February 2017

Abstract. This paper presents a study on the impact of cirrus cloud heterogeneities on MODIS simulated thermal infrared (TIR) brightness temperatures (BT) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) as a function of spatial resolution from 50 m to 10 km. A realistic 3-D cirrus field is generated by the 3DCLOUD model, and 3-D thermal infrared radiative transfer (RT) is simulated with the 3DMCPOL code. According to previous studies, differences between 3-D BT computed from a heterogeneous pixel and 1-D RT computed from a homogeneous pixel are considered dependent, at nadir, on two effects: (i) the optical thickness horizontal heterogeneity leading to the homogeneous plane parallel bias (PPHB) and the (ii) horizontal radiative transport (HRT) leading to the independent pixel approximation error (IPAE). A unique but realistic cirrus case is simulated and, as expected, the PPHB impacts mainly the low spatial resolution results (above 250 m) with averaged values up to 5–7 K while the IPAE impacts mainly the high spatial resolution results (below 250 m) with average values up to 1–2 K. A sensitivity study has been performed in order to extend these results to various cirrus optical thicknesses and heterogeneities by sampling the cirrus in several ranges of parameters. For four optical thickness classes and four optical heterogeneity classes, we have found that, for nadir observations, the spatial resolution where the combination of PPHB and HRT effects is the smallest, falls between 100 m and 250 m. These spatial resolutions appear thus to be the best choice to retrieve cirrus optical properties with the smallest cloud heterogeneity related total bias in the thermal infrared. For off-nadir observations, the average total effect is increased and the minimum is shifted to coarser spatial resolutions.
Describing rainfall in northern Australia using multiple climate indices
Authors: Rogers Cassandra Denise Wilks , Beringer Jason
Published: February 2017

Abstract. Savanna landscapes are globally extensive and highly sensitive to climate change, yet the physical processes and climate phenomena which affect them remain poorly understood and therefore poorly represented in climate models. Both human populations and natural ecosystems are highly susceptible to precipitation variation in these regions due to the effects on water and food availability and atmosphere–biosphere energy fluxes. Here we quantify the relationship between climate phenomena and historical rainfall variability in Australian savannas and, in particular, how these relationships changed across a strong rainfall gradient, namely the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT). Climate phenomena were described by 16 relevant climate indices and correlated against precipitation from 1900 to 2010 to determine the relative importance of each climate index on seasonal, annual and decadal timescales. Precipitation trends, climate index trends and wet season characteristics have also been investigated using linear statistical methods. In general, climate index–rainfall correlations were stronger in the north of the NATT where annual rainfall variability was lower and a high proportion of rainfall fell during the wet season. This is consistent with a decreased influence of the Indian–Australian monsoon from the north to the south. Seasonal variation was most strongly correlated with the Australian Monsoon Index, whereas yearly variability was related to a greater number of climate indices, predominately the Tasman Sea and Indonesian sea surface temperature indices (both of which experienced a linear increase over the duration of the study) and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation indices. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the climatic processes driving variability and, subsequently, the importance of understanding the relationships between rainfall and climatic phenomena in the Northern Territory in order to project future rainfall patterns in the region.
Emission metrics for quantifying regional climate impacts of aviation
Authors: Lund Marianne T. , Aamaas Borgar , Berntsen Terje , Bock Lisa , Burkhardt Ulrike , Fuglestvedt Jan S. , Shine Keith P.
Published: February 2017

Abstract. This study examines the impacts of emissions from aviation in six source regions on global and regional temperature. We consider the NOx-induced impacts on ozone and methane, aerosols and contrail-cirrus formation, and calculate the global and regional climate metrics Global Warming Potential (GWP), Global Temperature change Potential (GTP) and Absolute Regional Temperature change Potential (ARTP). GWPs and GTPs vary by a factor 2–4 between source regions. We find the highest aviation aerosol metric values for South Asian emissions, while contrail-cirrus metrics are higher for Europe and North America, where contrail formation is prevalent, and South America plus Africa, where the optical depth is large once contrails form. The ARTP illustrate important differences in the latitudinal patterns of radiative forcing (RF) and temperature response: The temperature response in a given latitude band can be considerably stronger than suggested by the RF in that band, also emphasizing the importance of large-scale circulation impacts. To place our metrics in context, we quantify the temperature response in the four broad latitude bands following a one-year pulse emission from present-day aviation, including CO2. Aviation over North America and Europe cause the largest net warming impact in all latitude bands, reflecting the higher air traffic activity here. For all regions, the largest single warming contribution is from contrail-cirrus 20 years after the emissions, while CO2 becomes dominant at 100 years, although contrail-cirrus remain important in several regions also on this time scale. Our emission metrics can be further used to estimate regional temperature impact under alternative aviation emission scenarios. A first evaluation of the ARTP in the context of aviation suggests that further work to account for vertical sensitivities in the relationship between RF and temperature response would be valuable for further use of the concept.