bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frecuencia del síndrome de Burnout y niveles de sus dimensiones en el personal de salud del servicio de emergencia de pediatría del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia en el año 2014. Lima, Perú.
Authors: Vásquez-Manrique Jim F. , Maruy-Saito Aldo , Verne-Martin Eduardo
Published: February 2016

El personal de salud que atiende población pediátrica está en continuo riesgo de presentar Síndrome de Burnout (SBO). Objetivos: Determinar la frecuencia del SBO y los niveles de sus dimensiones en los trabajadores del Servicio de Emergencia Pediátrica del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal, en todos los trabajadores del Servicio de Emergencia de Pediatría del Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia durante los meses de febrero y marzo del año 2014. Se utilizó el instrumento Maslach Burnout Inventory-HS traducido y validado al español. Resultados: Participaron 54 trabajadores entre médicos (25), enfermeras (16) y técnicos de enfermería (13). La frecuencia de SBO fue de 3,76% (n = 2), el 12,97% (n = 7) de los participantes presentó un nivel alto de cansancio emocional, el 11,12% (n = 6) presentó un nivel alto de despersonalización, y el 14,81% (n = 8) presentó un bajo nivel de realización personal. Conclusiones: La falta de trabajo de la cónyuge, sexo, condición laboral y tiempo de trabajo tuvieron relación estadísticamente significativa con las dimensiones de este síndrome.
Autolesión no suicida en adolescentes peruanas: Una aproximación diagnóstica y psicopatológica.
Authors: Castro Morales Jorge
Published: February 2016

Una aproximación diagnóstica y psicopatológica a la autolesión no suicida es planteada a partir de la recolección de datos de un grupo de diez adolescentes peruanas que sufrían esta patología. Se revisan las aproximaciones del DSM 5 a este diagnóstico, las que dan lugar a su configuración como una entidad que requiere mayor estudio para ser considerada como independiente de la sintomatología del trastorno límite de personalidad. Se formulan algunas tesis acerca de su psicopatología y las características que la singularizan frente a ese trastorno y la llamada conducta suicida. A partir de una formulación cognitivo-conductual, se examina el papel de esta sintomatología autolesiva como refuerzo automático y social, tanto en su vertiente positiva como la negativa. Ulteriormente se toman en cuenta las once creencias irracionales de Ellis como un instrumento para dilucidar la adaptación a la realidad de las pacientes que conformaron el grupo explorado. Finalmente se esbozan algunos alcances en torno a la terapia dialéctico-conductual de Linehan, mentalizing de Bateman y el uso del aripiprazol y los inhibidores selectivos de recaptación de serotonina (ISRS) en estos casos.
Cefalea en trombocitosis esencial: reporte de un caso juvenil.
Authors: Torres Ramírez Luis , Cosentino Esquerre Carlos , Centeno-Arispe José J. , Suarez Reyes Rafael , Núñez Coronado Yesenia
Published: February 2016

La trombocitosis esencial (TE), es una hemopatía caracterizada por un elevado número de plaquetas (>450x109L) e hiperplasia megacariocítica de la médula ósea, poco frecuente en menores de 30 años. La cefalea se encuentra en 45% de los casos, con características similares a la migraña, planteando dificultades diagnósticas. El número de plaquetas es relevante para el pronóstico (mayor riesgo de hemorragias o eventos isquémicos) y el tratamiento sintomático de la cefalea (contraindicación de ácido acetilsalicílico en pacientes con recuento plaquetario mayor a 1 500x109L). Se reporta el caso de una mujer de 20 años de edad, que inicia hace 3 años con episodios de cefalea y conteo de plaquetas en 2195x109L, hospitalizada por reagudización de cefalea, con un recuento plaquetario de 4640x109L. Mejora con hidroxicarbamida y analgésicos parenterales remitiendo los síntomas neurológicos.
Crisis epilépticas en la demencia de la enfermedad de Alzheimer
Authors: Castro-Suarez Sheila , Guevara-Silva Erik , Lira David , Mar Marcela , Herrera-Pérez Eder , Núñez del Prado Liza , Montesinos Rosa , Custodio Nilton
Published: February 2016

La enfermedad de Alzheimer y la epilepsia no solo comparten la edad avanzada como un factor de riesgo, si no también compartirían mecanismos subyacentes en su etiología. Las crisis epilépticas generalmente fueron reportadas en estadios tardíos de la enfermedad de Alzheimer; sin embargo los pacientes con enfermedad de Alzheimer familiar con mutaciones en la PSEN1, PSEN2 y proteína precursora del amiloide tienen mayor riesgo de desarrollar crisis epilépticas aún en estadios tempranos de la enfermedad. Por otro lado la epilepsia del lóbulo temporal podría generar per sé compromiso de memoria y la esclerosis hipocampal generar reorganización de redes neuronales excitatorias e inhibitorias que daría como resultado una actividad epiléptica. Es importante reconocer e iniciar tratamiento temprano en pacientes con Enfermedad de Alzheimer y epilepsia para evitar mayor deterioro cognitivo y mejorar la calidad de vida de estos pacientes
Alzheimer’s disease: Toward the rational design of an effective vaccine.
Authors: Marciani Dante J.
Published: February 2016

The promising clinical results with the human monoclonal antibodies aducanumab and solanezumab targeting β-amyloidin Alzheimer’s disease treatment, confirm both the amyloid cascade hypothesis and protective natural immunity, while strengthening the immunotherapeutic approach. That aducanumab recognizes a conformational epitope formed by oligomers emphasizes the need for whole β-amyloid, not just its B-cell epitopes as have been the norm to avoid pro-inflammatory Th1-reactions. That truncated β-amyloid having N-terminal pyroglutamate is present only in diseased brain simplies a new useful vaccine antigen. Another relevant antigen is the tau protein, which shows a close association and cooperativity with β-amyloid in exacerbating this disease. Hence, effective vaccines may be polyvalent, presenting to the immune system a number of antigens relevant to induce an immune response to prevent or slowdown the onset of this disease. The presence of both B and T cell epitopes in the antigens, require a sole Th2 immunity to avert brain inflammation; a task that cannot be attain with adjuvants that under any conditions induce Th1and/or Th17immunities.Hence, new vaccine adjuvants are need to safely induce Th2 while inhibiting Th1 immunity, an objective that can be achieved with certain fucosylated glycans or triterpene glycosides, which apparently bind to the DC-SIGN lectin on dendritic cells polarizing the immune response toward Th2 immunity. Because the triterpene glycosides have the pharmacophore needed to co-stimulate T cells, they may ameliorate the T-cell anergy associated with immunosenescence and responsible for poor vaccine efficacy in theelderly population, a critical issue for an Alzheimer’s vaccine.
Enfermedad de Moyamoya: reporte de un caso.
Authors: Ramírez-Quiñones Jorge A. , Barrientos-Imán Danny M. , Calle-La Rosa Pilar , Ecos-Quispe Rosa L. , Novoa-Mosquera María E. , Valencia-Chávez Ana M. , Abanto-Argomedo Carlos
Published: February 2016

La enfermedad de Moyamoya es una patología caracterizada por la estenosis progresiva de la arteria carótida interna y sus ramas principales. Es de etiología desconocida, tiene como forma de presentación a la enfermedad cerebrovascular isquémica o hemorrágica, siendo la primera más frecuente, y afecta en mayor proporción a niños y adultos jóvenes constituyendo un reto diagnóstico. Su presencia se confirma mediante la angiografía por sustracción digital (ASD) y el manejo es médico y/o quirúrgico, siendo el último el que se asocia a un mejor pronóstico. Comunicamos el caso de un paciente peruano de ascendencia japonesa, sin factores de riesgo, con una hemorragia intracraneal cuyo diagnóstico final fue enfermedad de Moyamoya.
Estructura de la sintomatología depresiva en una muestra de mujeres con menos de un año postparto.
Authors: Vega-Dienstmaier Johann M.
Published: February 2016

Objetivos: Explorar la estructura de la sintomatología depresiva en mujeres postparto. Material y Métodos: En 321 mujeres que acudieron a un hospital general con menos de 1 año postparto, se exploró, mediante correlaciones tetracóricas y regresiones logísticas, la vinculación entre diversos síntomas depresivos, y entre éstos y el diagnóstico de depresión mayor. Resultados: Los síntomas que tuvieron mayor vinculación entre sí y también con el diagnósticode depresión mayor fueron: fatiga, tristeza, anhedonia, tendencias suicidas, hiporexia, dificultades de concentración, retardo psicomotor, sentimientos de culpa, agitación psicomotriz y pesadez de extremidades. Por otro lado, la hipersomnia y el apetito elevado no se relacionaron con el resto de sintomatología depresiva. Conclusiones: Los resultados del estudio sugieren que, en esta muestra de mujeres postparto, la hipersomnia y la elevación del apetito no forman parte del síndrome depresivo; y que los síntomas centrales de la depresión son: fatiga, tristeza y anhedonia, los cuales coinciden con los tres síntomas que la CIE-10 considera fundamentales para el diagnóstico de depresión.
Identifying Quantitative Trait Loci for Economic Traits in an Elite Soft Red Winter Wheat Population
Authors: Hoffstetter Amber , Cabrera Antonio , Sneller Clay
Published: February 2016

Genotyping‐by‐sequencing (GBS), reduces genotyping costs and allows breeders to genotype large populations with thousands of markers. Genome‐wide association studies with GBS markers can be used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for important traits in elite populations of soft red winter wheat (SRWW; Triticum aestivum L.). Our objective was to identify potential QTL for grain yield (GY), Fusarium head blight resistance (FHB), flour yield (FY), and softness equivalence (SE) in a set of 470 elite SWRR wheat lines that were genotyped with 33,169 GBS markers and phenotyped in multiple environments. For all traits, we found lines that were phenotypically superior to the elite checks. We identified four FHB QTL, nine QTL for quality, and 14 QTL for with R2 values ranging from 1.6 to 3.5%. The QTL with the largest effect for FHB resistance reduced disease by 1.76%. For quality, the largest‐effect QTL increased FY and SE by 0.37 and 0.67%, respectively. For GY the QTL with the largest effect in Wooster, OH, increased GY by 129.6 kg ha−1, for northwest Ohio, the largest‐effect QTL increased GY by 67.2 kg ha−1, and the largest‐effect QTL for GY over all environments increased GY by 48.8 kg ha−1. While marker‐assisted selection (MAS) for these QTL could be used to improve these traits, the preponderance of genetic variation appeared to be controlled by genes with small effect, suggesting that MAS should be used as a supplement to genomic selection.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service Land Resource Hierarchy and Ecological Sites
Authors: Salley Shawn W. , Talbot Curtis J , Brown Joel R.
Published: February 2016

Core Ideas

Propose the creation of Land Resource Areas through landscape ecology principles of subdivision.

Integrate nested hierarchical relationships into the NRCS Land Resource Hierarchy.

Place Ecological Sites as a nested resource area scale in the NRCS Land Resource Hierarchy.

Resource areas of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have long been important to soil geography. At both regional and landscape scales, resource areas are used to stratify programs and practices based on geographical areas where resource concerns, problems, or treatment needs are similar. However, the inability to quantifiably delineate and classify resource area boundaries hinders communication across the NRCS and federal agencies. Without strong standards delineating geography and concepts, resource areas become less scientifically defensible and inconsistent in addressing similar resource management issues. Furthermore, with continued development of ecological site (ES) concepts, there is a renewed interest in understanding the relationships between resource areas and ESs. In this paper we: (i) review the concepts and history of landscape classifications leading to the predominant regional classification systems used by federal agencies in the USA, (ii) propose strengthening the NRCS's Land Resource Hierarchy (LRH) by building resource area concepts on nesting principles of subdivision instead of aggregation, and (iii) place ecological site concepts as a nested resource area within the LRH.
A Measurement Method for Rill and Ephemeral Gully Erosion Assessments
Authors: Wells Robert R. , Momm Henrique G. , Bennett Sean J. , Gesch Karl R. , Dabney Seth M. , Cruse Richard , Wilson Glenn V.
Published: February 2016

Core Ideas

Photogrammetric techniques for spatiotemporal measure of topographic data

Physical data for validation and development of soil erosion modeling technology

Automated analysis presentation package

Rill and ephemeral gully monitoring at high spatial and temporal resolution

When flowing water concentrates on hillslopes, the erosivity of the water may only be limited by the erodibility of the soil. Over time, concentrated flow paths may become permanent drainage channels, and such rills and ephemeral gullies often have negative impacts on crop yield and downstream sedimentation. Spatiotemporal topographic assessments of rill and gully dimensions compliment hydraulic erosion estimates, and they can elucidate soil erosion processes and provide data for model validation. Accurate and detailed topographic assessments, however, can be cost prohibitive. The objectives of this study are to describe and evaluate a topographic assessment method with relatively high spatial and temporal resolution, to discuss its costs and limitations, and to provide an assessment procedure for erosion characterization and data optimization. Three locations are evaluated that are pertinent to soil erosion research on the field, plot, and laboratory scale. In each setting, the sites are monumented and monitored using photogrammetric techniques. Photogrammetry is a simple, robust means to track landscape evolution and morphodynamic changes in rills and ephemeral gullies. The assessment procedure describes study site attributes at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, it is cost‐effective, workforce empowering, and reliable, and the analysis and presentation can be automated. Capturing this type of information is critical to an improved understanding of the fundamental principles necessary to enhance modeling technology to estimate erosion potential at various scales and to assess the efficacy of conservation practices.
Whole grain phenolics and antioxidant activity of Triticum cultivars and wild accessions
Authors: Malencic Djordje , Kiprovski Biljana , Bursic Vojislava , Vukovic Gorica , Hristov Nikola , Kondic-Spika Ankica
Published: February 2016

Soluble free phenolics (SP), PVPP-bound tannins (PVPP-P), flavonoids (TF) and
proanthocyanidins (PA) content, as well as the DPPH-radical scavenging
capability of the whole grain of 17 different Triticum spp. accessions were
analyzed. The content of SP ranged from 976 to 2927 ?g CE/g, while PVPP-P
ranged from 335 to 1412 ?g CE/g and TF from 0.16 to 1.12 ?g RE/g of dry whole
grain. The presence of PA in the whole grains has not been established. The
values for DPPH-radical scavenging activity were rather moderate, under 40 %
of neutralized radicals. A positive correlation between DPPH-activity and
analyzed phenolics was recorded in twelve of seventeen genotypes
(r=0.73-0.99). Trans-cinnamic acid was the major compound among phenolic
acids and quercetin among flavonoids found in wheat varieties. The data
obtained should enable the selection of the accessions rich in biologically
active compounds that could further be processed into functional food with
possible health benefits associated with higher antioxidant properties.
The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model for Law Enforcement: Creative Considerations for Enhancing University Campus Police Response to Mental Health Crisis
Authors: Segal Emily
Published: February 2016

Purpose of the article American university and college campus law enforcement, like their peers in American munipal law enforcement agencies, find themselves interacting frequently with civilians experiencing mental health disturbances. An innovative model for law enforcement, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, has been developed to address the difficulties law enforcement professionals and civilians in mental health crisis face during encounters. (Margolis & Shtull, 2012) This article explores how CIT can enhance police response to mental health crisis on the college campus.

Methodology/methods Methods of applied research were conducted, borrowing from a benchmarking model and including interviews with multiple key informants representing law enforcement and mental health. Informants were affiliated with three universities and multiple municipal jurisdictions in Virginia, USA.

Scientific goal The goal was to assess the relevance of CIT on the college campus and explore creative approaches to enhancing campus police response to mental health crisis.

Findings The results supported the scholarly literature regarding the efficacy of the CIT model. Creative adaptations to the CIT model for campus possibly can be implemented to address concerns of mental health crisis on campus.

Conclusions CIT is a highly innovative model requiring extensive collaboration between law enforcement, mental health agencies, and mental health advocates. As standard qualitative research was not conducted, the sample size of key informants may not have reached saturation. However, findings from the interviews support the body of literature on CIT. The implementation of CIT on the college campus could possibly help to alleviate difficulties on campus arising from mental health crisis, including reducing inappropriate arrest or disciplinary action, improving campus safety, addressing concerns related to threat assessment and management, and enhancing collaborative efforts on campus and with resources in the broader community.
Cityness and Informativeness of the Emerging Informational Cities in Japan
Authors: Fietkiewicz Kaja J. , Stock Wolfgang G.
Published: February 2016

Based on the concept of Informational Cities, which are the highly developed prototypical cities of the 21st century, we conducted a regional comparison of four Japanese cities in terms of their “cityness” and “informativeness”. The purpose of our articles is to specify the theoretical framework for measuring the informativeness and cityness level of any desired city, to quantify the chosen indicators in order to compare the investigated cities, and finally, to conclude what is their advancement level in terms of a modern city of the knowledge society. Our methodology is based on a new approach to measure the position of a city in a national or a global scale, originating from information science and its indicators of the knowledge society. It includes such procedures as desktop research and bibliometrics, ethnographic field study, or grounded theory method. The investigated aspects under the notion of the informativeness level are the distinct labour market and mix of companies located in the city (concerned with creative, knowledge and information economy), as well as the progressive e-governance and advanced e-government. The notion of cityness level oscillates around the concept of space of flows in the city, including the flow of money, power, information, and human capital. In order to make our model practical and grounded on available evidence, we have chosen four Japanese cities to undergo the process. Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Kyoto are big and economically significant Japanese metropolises. However, our results show that they differ from each other regarding many important aspects. We were able to quantify their performances and create a ranking. The limitation of our approach appears to be the strict quantification method that makes the cityness and informativeness levels of the cities dependent on other cities’ performances, and that does not precisely reflect the actual dimension of the differences between them. Hence, in the future work we will develop a more flexible and independent approach, enabling us to make more accurate statements on cities’ advancement unregarded the advancement level of the other metropolises.
Global Imbalances
Authors: Sinproh Chalotorn , Sipko Juraj
Published: February 2016

Purpose of the article The aim of the paper is to analyze the global economic imbalances and factors that contributed to their deterioration in developed and emerging countries, primarily in the United States and China. The article assesses the main inevitable factors of the global economic imbalances that have driven the recent evolution of current account balances. In addition, the paper describes the theoretical framework of global imbalances and the relevant fundamental theories for better understanding in theoretical aspect of international economics and finance. Furthermore, provides overview of the fundamental causes and drivers of global imbalances, namely current account.

Methodology/methods In relation to the subject and purpose of this paper have been used the logical methods of examination which mainly include analysis, correlation and regression analysis, abstraction, synthesis, induction and deduction, the methods of descriptive and mathematical statistics, comparative and empirical methods and the selected forecasting methods (causal prognosis methods).

Scientific aim The global imbalances are considered as the most disputable and well known of the global current economic problem, which possibly explain the causes of the global financial crisis. The global financial imbalances were quite massive even before the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008. Therefore, the main scientific goal of this paper to analyse what is behind the current account imbalances in both countries, e.i. the USA and China.

Findings The persistent current account imbalances reflected the imbalances in the world investment and savings ratios. Whereas the U.S. national savings rate kept falling, the Chinese savings rate rose. Current account imbalances will keep on growing due to a problem of insufficient global saving.

Conclusions (limits, implications etc)The size of global imbalances has become narrow compared to the prior crisis’s level, but it did not vanish due to the implementation of global rebalancing process. Putting the current account imbalance to cooperation of all participating countries is strongly necessary. The policy response will need to involve many more countries, even G20 process, and coordinating this response will require considerable efforts of every party members.
Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine: Addressing the Vexing Problem of Persistent Muscle Atrophy in the Chronically Torn Human Rotator Cuff
Authors: Meyer Gretchen A. , Ward Samuel R.
Published: February 2016

Persistent muscle atrophy in the chronically torn rotator cuff is a significant obstacle for treatment and recovery. Large atrophic changes are predictive of poor surgical and nonsurgical outcomes and frequently fail to resolve even following functional restoration of loading and rehabilitation. New insights into the processes of muscle atrophy and recovery gained through studies in developmental biology combined with the novel tools and strategies emerging in regenerative medicine provide new avenues to combat the vexing problem of muscle atrophy in the rotator cuff. Moving these treatment strategies forward likely will involve the combination of surgery, biologic/cellular agents, and physical interventions, as increasing experimental evidence points to the beneficial interaction between biologic therapies and physiologic stresses. Thus, the physical therapy profession is poised to play a significant role in defining the success of these combinatorial therapies. This perspective article will provide an overview of the developmental biology and regenerative medicine strategies currently under investigation to combat muscle atrophy and how they may integrate into the current and future practice of physical therapy.
Systematic review on tuberculosis transmission on aircraft and update of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control risk assessment guidelines for tuberculosis transmitted on aircraft (RAGIDA-TB)
Authors: Kotila Saara M. , Payne Hallström Lara , Jansen Niesje , Helbling Peter , Abubakar Ibrahim
Published: February 2016

As a setting for potential tuberculosis (TB) transmission and contact tracing, aircraft pose specific challenges. Evidence-based guidelines are needed to support the related-risk assessment and contact-tracing efforts. In this study evidence of TB transmission on aircraft was identified to update the Risk Assessment Guidelines for TB Transmitted on Aircraft (RAGIDA-TB) of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Electronic searches were undertaken from Medline (Pubmed), Embase and Cochrane Library until 19 July 2013. Eligible records were identified by a two-stage screening process and data on flight and index case characteristics as well as contact tracing strategies extracted. The systematic literature review retrieved 21 records. Ten of these records were available only after the previous version of the RAGIDA guidelines (2009) and World Health Organization guidelines on TB and air travel (2008) were published. Seven of the 21 records presented some evidence of possible in-flight transmission, but only one record provided substantial evidence of TB transmission on an aircraft. The data indicate that overall risk of TB transmission on aircraft is very low. The updated ECDC guidelines for TB transmission on aircraft have global implications due to inevitable need for international collaboration in contract tracing and risk assessment.
Measuring Health Outcome and Economic Cost associated with Childhood Acute Respiratory Infections: Case of Squatter Settlements in Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Pathak Arjun Bahadur , Adhikari Naveen
Published: February 2016

Among the groups of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs), pneumonia accounts as the second cause of annual childhood deaths after diarrhea and this is even more serious among poor households and slum areas of Nepal. This study provides an estimate of the household cost associated with ARIs illness and burden of diseases in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). The data for the analysis have been collected from the households of 15 squatter settlements in Kathmandu Valley. Relevant illness related information with recall period of one month and six months along with socio-economic characteristics of household and family members was collected from the survey. The findings suggest that among the households with affected children within the recall period, 71.66 percent tried some kind of treatment either at home or at health care providers’. The cost composition shows that 92.27 percent indirect costs, 4.77 percent direct cost and 2.96 percent averting cost to households due to childhood ARIs and when "Loss of earning due to premature death" component is not accounted, cost structure is 12.05 percent, 54.27 percent and 33.08 percent respectively. Total discounted years of 70.87 equivalent have been found lost with disability (time lived with sickness or time lost due to death) for under–five children in squatter settlements and yearly 100.05 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) have been gained due to various treatments-seeking behavior of households in the squatter settlements. Based on the study finding, it is recommended that to minimize total cost of childhood ARIs, households need to offer better averting activities and increase care-seeking behavior to their children.Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 17 & 18 No. 1-2 (2014) Combined Issue, Page: 1-18
Contribution of Leasehold Forests in Reducing Income Inequality
Authors: Sharma Bishnu Prasad
Published: February 2016

Structural transformation in the economy and institutional innovations bring changes in the socio--economic dynamics in the society. This leads to changes in the pattern of income distribution, poverty and income inequality. Environmental resources such as forest still make significant contribution in rural household economy. The leasehold forestry program for the poor introduced in the last decade of 2000 with the purpose of forest regeneration and raising household income in Nepal has completed more than two decades. Using micro data collected at household level from two districts in Nepal in 2008, this paper examined the contribution of leasehold forest and other sources in household economy. The study finding revealed that all biomass income sources including agriculture and wage work had income inequality reducing effects measured in terms of Gini-coefficient. In contrast, remittance and salary and business income had inequality raising effects. As leasehold forest contributed less than 5 percent of the household income even after 10 years of investment, there is a strong need to improve its performance by integrating it with income generating activities such as livestock and agroforestry. The inequality raising effect ranging from 3 to 6 percent from various biomass sources needs to be better utilized.Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 17 & 18 No. 1-2 (2014) Combined Issue, Page: 29-28
Has Generalized System of Preferences Scheme Influenced Nepalese Exports to the United States? An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bhandari Ganga Ram
Published: February 2016

This paper attempts to evaluate the impact of generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme on exports of Nepal to the United States (US). Nepal-US trade is very crucial because the US is still the second largest export destination of Nepal. Thus, it is pertinent to study exports of Nepal to the US under GSP scheme. Empirical results show that impact of GSP scheme is very minimal and negative. Other factors than liberal policy viz. GSP determines exports of Nepal to the US. Weakening exports capacity and declining trade transaction of Nepal to the US is of major concern. In this regard, to sustain the export of existing but declining exportable items like garment, carpet, pashmina and handicrafts and development and promotion of GSP eligible new products and services will only be the resolution of this obstruction.Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 17 & 18 No. 1-2 (2014) Combined Issue, Page: 29-39
Possible Decision Rules to Allocate Quotas and Reservations to Ensure Equity for Nepalese Poor
Authors: Shakya Shishir , Lama Nabraj
Published: February 2016

Government of Nepal provides quotas and reservations for women, indigenous nationalities, Madhesi, untouchables, disables and people of backward areas. These statuses are not homogenous in economic sense. We proposed few other decision trees (rules) that can predict household poverty in Nepal based on 14,907 household observations employing classification and regression tree (CART) approach. These decision rules were based on few practically answerable questions (for respondents) and can be cross checked easily by the enumerators. We modeled 5 different scenarios that respondents were likely to answer the asked questions. These decision rules were 94% to in worst-case scenario 70% accurate in out-of-sample dataset. These proposed meaningful decision rules can be helpful on policy making and implementation that relate to positively discriminate (quota and reservation) for those who lie below poverty line.Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 17 & 18 No. 1-2 (2014) Combined Issue, Page: 149-162 This research was completed when both authors were pursuing Masters of Arts in Economics in Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University
Economic Growth of Nepal and Its Neighboring Countries
Authors: Bajracharya Sovit Lal
Published: February 2016

Economic growth and poverty are interrelated. Generally, economic development is believed to reduce poverty. In Nepal, over the last fifteen years, poverty has remarkably come down in spite of lower economic growth meaning that reducing poverty would be much easier if economic growth rate could be increased. Higher economic growth can never be attained unless production and productivity rise. Regarding economic growth of South Asian Countries, Afghanistan accorded first place followed by 10.2 percent, Bhutan second 9.7 percent, China third 7.8 percent. Nepal Sixth 4.6 percent and Maldives occupies last followed by 3.5 percent for the year 2012.Economic Journal of Development Issues Vol. 17 & 18 No. 1-2 (2014) Combined Issue, Page: 163-174
What Role Do Precrash Driver Actions Play in Work Zone Crashes?:Application of Hierarchical Models to Crash Data
Authors: Liu Jun , Khattak Asad , Zhang Meng
Published: February 2016

Highway infrastructure requires periodic maintenance, reconstruction, and rehabilitation. As a result, highway users have to deal with work zone activities such as lane closures and lane shifts or crossovers, and they must be aware of changes in road conditions to drive safely through work zones. A large-scale statewide crash database from the Virginia Department of Transportation was used in this study to examine correlations between precrash actions and the severity of the injuries of drivers involved in crashes. An innovative aspect of this study is that it accounts for the injury severity of each vehicle driver involved in a crash by estimating hierarchical models. The correlates of the severity of a driver’s injury are nested in crashes. Modeling revealed that for work zone crashes the chances of driver injury are 9.9% to 10.3% higher than for the base behavior (i.e., no improper actions by the driver) if the driver intentionally commits an improper action or a violation. For non–work zone crashes, the chances of injury are higher by only 1.7% to 5.7% compared with the base behavior. Such actions and violations are mainly the following: ( a) speeding, ( b) following too closely, and ( c) disregarding officers, flaggers, signals, and signs. The correlations between precrash actions and injury severity provide insights into safety improvements (e.g., effective speed enforcement and traffic regulations) that could reduce the risk of injury in work zones. Hierarchies embedded in highway crash data were explored in this study to make methodological and empirical contributions to the understanding of work zone safety and to improve understanding of behaviors that lead to injuries and fatalities in work zone crashes.
Traffic Control at Access Points Within Alternating One-Way Operations
Authors: Finley Melisa D.
Published: February 2016

Quite often when maintenance activities require a lane closure on a two-lane, two-way roadway, there are low-volume access points, such as residential driveways, within the temporary one-lane section. While these access points should be monitored, existing methods are not always feasible depending on conditions, such as work duration, traffic volume, time of day, and cost of the method. Texas A&M Transportation Institute researchers were asked to identify and evaluate alternative methods to control traffic entering from low-volume access points. Using a review of the state of the practice and discussions with Texas Department of Transportation personnel, researchers developed conceptual designs of two innovative access control devices (a modified hybrid device and blank-out signs). Researchers used laptop-based surveys to conduct an initial assessment of motorist understanding. Researchers then conducted controlled and noncontrolled field studies to assess the operational and safety effectiveness of the two prototype devices. Overall, the study findings suggested that the modified hybrid device was not as well understood as the blank-out sign device. However, researchers acknowledge that the blank-out sign device is the more expensive alternative and it cannot be manufactured from readily available products. Additional research is needed to further investigate motorist understanding of these devices, potential changes that could improve motorist understanding, and several operational issues identified in the field studies.
Soil–Cement Laboratory Mixture Design That Interfaces with Pavement Design and Construction Quality Control
Authors: Howard Isaac L. , Sullivan W. Griffin , Anderson Brennan K.
Published: February 2016

A growing need among agencies is the ability to interface soil–cement pavement layer thickness design, laboratory mixture design, and field quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) operations. This need has existed for some time, but in recent years implementation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) has reinforced the need for a more unified system for materials, design, and construction. As part of a Mississippi Department of Transportation (DOT) study, equipment referred to as the plastic mold (PM) device was developed to help meet this need. This paper’s objective is to present alternative soil–cement laboratory mixture design concepts that use the PM device to bring continuity between pavement layer thickness design, laboratory mixture design, and construction QC/QA. More than 1,100 soil–cement specimens were tested to evaluate unconfined compressive strength (UCS) development over time, wheel-tracking performance, and variability. Data presented confirmed the design cement content levels being used by the Mississippi DOT are reasonable and that the most needed advancement is interconnection of mix design with other soil–cement activities. UCS variability results revealed that the PM device and Proctor specimens have approximately the same amount of variability, and increasing the number of replicates could benefit the design procedure by increasing design reliability. Overall, the PM device has been shown to be as effective in selecting an optimum cement content as standard Proctor equipment, but the PM device has added advantages relative to interfacing with MEPDG input needs and QC/QA activities. The Mississippi DOT is evaluating the proposed mix design procedures for implementation.
Informing Roadway Sustainability Practices by Using Greenroads Certified Project Data
Authors: Lew James B. , Anderson Jeralee L. , Muench Stephen T.
Published: February 2016

The rapid growth in popularity of sustainable roadway certification systems suggests that a holistic evaluation of rating systems and a retrospective examination of sustainable roadway practices are warranted. Regardless of underlying sustainability definitions guiding any transportation project rating system, literature reveals that there is little consensus on how rating systems should ultimately weigh human, environmental, and economic needs relative to each other. This research is the first effort to use documented project certification data, a unique data set consisting of 28 Greenroads certified projects, to investigate the state of practice of sustainability rating systems and sustainable construction practices. By using quantitative and qualitative analyses, this study identifies and explores common strategies used by project teams to achieve sustainability under the Greenroads rating system. This study argues that sustainable projects make a quantifiable difference in performance compared with typical projects. However, projects that pursue independent third-party sustainability certification should strategize their expectations and manage performance expectations accordingly because this research shows that self-evaluations overestimate final scores by an average of 15%. Although the Greenroads framework allows for many combinations of scores, certified projects exhibit score breakdowns similar to both the rating system and other certified projects. Because the majority of points awarded by Greenroads is limited to a subset of core credits, this study proposes that sustainable practices revolve around current standards of practice, perceived practicality, or economic benefits. Future research should focus on identifying similar patterns in other roadway sustainability rating systems to explore the gap between sustainable knowledge and practice.
Influence of Pavement Condition Data Variability on Network-Level Maintenance Decision
Authors: Jia Xiaoyang , Huang Baoshan , Dong Qiao , Zhu Di , Maxwell James
Published: February 2016

This study evaluated the impacts of data variability on pavement performance evaluation and maintenance planning. Three methods were used to quantify the variability of data. For pavement roughness and rut depth, the ratio of the difference between two wheelpaths over the sum value was used to quantify the data variation. For distress data, Monte Carlo simulation was used to quantify the error in distress extent, and the transition matrices were used to quantify the error in distress severity classification. An evaluation framework was proposed to investigate the influence of data variability on maintenance planning. The analysis results indicate that roughness for state routes exhibited a larger variation than that for Interstates. Pavement surface on the left wheelpath generally was smoother than that on the right path, regardless of route type. In regard to distress severity, the accuracy of distress extent at a low severity level had little influence on the overall distress index, while the accuracy of distress extent at moderate and high severity levels significantly influenced the overall distress index. The accuracy of distress severity at a moderate level had the most significant influence on the pavement distress index. For the current pavement management system used in Tennessee, the variability of roughness and distress severity level were the dominant influencing factors for maintenance planning, whereas the variability of distress extent had a slight influence on maintenance planning. There was no significant influence of variability of rut depth on maintenance planning.
Convection-enhanced delivery improves MRI visualization of basal ganglia for stereotactic surgery
Authors: Bond Aaron E. , Dallapiazza Robert F. , Lopes M. Beatriz , Elias W. Jeffrey
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Stereotactic deep brain stimulation surgery is most commonly performed while patients are awake. This allows for intraoperative clinical assessment and electrophysiological target verification, thereby promoting favorable outcomes with few side effects. Intraoperative CT and MRI have challenged this concept of clinical treatment validation. Image-guided surgery is capable of delivering electrodes precisely to a planned, stereotactic target; however, these methods can be limited by low anatomical resolution even with sophisticated MRI modalities. The authors are developing a novel method using convection-enhanced delivery to safely manipulate the extracellular space surrounding common anatomical targets for surgery. By altering the extracellular content of deep subcortical structures and their associated white matter tracts, the MRI visualization of the basal ganglia can be improved to better define the anatomy. This technique could greatly improve the accuracy and success of stereotactic surgery, potentially eliminating the reliance on awake surgery.

METHODS

Observations were made in the clinical setting where vasogenic and cytotoxic edema improved the MRI visualization of the basal ganglia. These findings were replicated in the experimental setting using an FDA-approved intracerebral catheter that was stereotactically inserted into the thalamus or basal ganglia of 7 swine. Five swine were infused with normal saline, and 2 were infused with autologous CSF. Flow rates varied between 1 μl/min to 6 μl/min to achieve convective distributions. Concurrent MRI was performed at 15-minute intervals to monitor the volume of infusion and observe the imaging changes of the deep subcortical structures. The animals were then clinically observed, and necropsy was performed within 48 hours, 1 week, or 1 month for histological analysis.

RESULTS

In all animals, the white matter tracts became hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging as compared with basal ganglia nuclei, enabling better definition of the deep brain anatomy. The volume of distribution and infusion (Vd/Vi ratio) ranged from 2.5 to 4.5. There were no observed clinical effects from the infusions. Histological analysis demonstrated mild neuronal effects from saline infusions but no effects from CSF infusions.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provides the initial foundation for a novel approach to improve the visualization of deep brain anatomy during MRI-guided, stereotactic procedures. Convective infusions of CSF alter the extracellular fluid content of the brain for improved MRI without evidence of clinical or toxic effects.
Brain mapping: a novel intraoperative neuropsychological approach
Authors: Skrap Miran , Marin Dario , Ius Tamara , Fabbro Franco , Tomasino Barbara
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Awake surgery and mapping are performed in patients with low-grade tumors infiltrating functional brain areas for which the greater the resection, the longer the patient survival. However, the extent of resection is subject to preservation of cognitive functions, and in the absence of proper feedback during mapping, the surgeon may be less prone to perform an extensive resection. The object of this study was to perform real-time continuous assessment of cognitive function during the resection of tumor tissue that could infiltrate eloquent tissue.

METHODS

The authors evaluated the use of new, complex real-time neuropsychological testing (RTNT) in a series of 92 patients. They reported normal scoring and decrements in patient performance as well as reversible intraoperative neuropsychological dysfunctions in tasks (for example, naming) associated with different cognitive abilities.

RESULTS

RTNT allowed one to obtain a more defined neuropsychological picture of the impact of surgery. The influence of this monitoring on surgical strategy was expressed as the mean extent of resection: 95% (range 73%–100%). At 1 week postsurgery, the neuropsychological scores were very similar to those detected with RTNT, revealing the validity of the RTNT technique as a predictive tool. At the follow-up, the majority of neuropsychological scores were still > 70%, indicating a decrease of < 30%.

CONCLUSIONS

RTNT enables continuous enriched intraoperative feedback, allowing the surgeon to increase the extent of resection. In sharp contrast to classic mapping techniques, RTNT allows testing of several cognitive functions for one brain area under surgery.