bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nurses' Professional Commitment and Its Effect on Patient Safety
Authors: Al-Hamdan Zaid M. , Dalky Heyam , Al-Ramadneh Jehan 
Published: December 2017

AIMS & OBJECTIVES: The project was designed to assess the level of professional commitment among Jordanian Registered Nurses and examine how professional commitment among nurses relates to patients' safety.BACKGROUND: Professional commitment has received a great deal of interest worldwide. Nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare professionals that spend a majority of their time at the bedside in direct patient care. Nurses have an important role in improving patient safety and providing quality of care.DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design was used to answer the research questions.METHODS: A convenience sampling of 180 nurses selected from three accredited hospitals (governmental, private and university-affiliated teaching hospitals) completed two questionnaires; Professional Commitment Questionnaire (PCQ) and a Patient Safety Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation coefficient, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA test were used in data analysis. RESULT: Nurses' professional commitment was significantly and positively correlated with patient safety. Registered nurses perceived that their level of commitment was medium (M=3.47; SD=1.58 of a 7 point scale), with the highest mean recorded for nurses working in governmental hospitals (M=3.88; SD=1.53). The level of perception of issues related to patient safety was slightly higher than the midpoint (M=5.94; SD=1.38 of a 9 point scale). Nurses' professional commitment was influenced by gender t (158 =-2.33; p =.02), nursing experience in current hospitals (r=- 0.193; p=0.01), current hospital sector (F=4.334, p=0.01), and monthly salary (F=12.327, p=0.000). Patient safety was influenced by nurses' educational level (F=3.306, p=0.03).CONCLUSION: This study provides a preliminary understanding of how professional commitment of registered nurses can enhance patient safety. Managerial support was deemed necessary to enhance nurses' professional commitment, which, in turn, improves healthcare outcomes.
Geomorphic Response of a Low‐Gradient Channel to Modern, Progressive Base‐Level Lowering: Nahal HaArava, the Dead Sea
Authors: Dente Elad , Lensky Nadav G. , Morin Efrat , Grodek Tamir , Sheffer Nathan A. , Enzel Yehouda 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe geomorphic response of channels to base‐level fall is an important factor in landscape evolution. To better understand the complex interactions between the factors controlling channel evolution in an emerging continental shelf setting, we use an extensive data set (high‐resolution digital elevation models, aerial photographs, and Landsat imagery) of a newly incising, perennial segment of Nahal (Wadi) HaArava, Israel. This channel responds to the rapid and progressive lowering of its base‐level, the Dead Sea (>30 m in ~35 years; ~0.5–1.3 m yr−1). Progressively evolving longitudinal profiles, channel width, sinuosity, and knickpoint retreat during the last few decades were documented or reconstructed. The results indicate that even under fast base‐level fall, rapid delta progradation on top of the shelf and shelf edge can moderate channel mouth slopes and, therefore, largely inhibit channel incision and knickpoint propagation. This channel elongation stage ends when the delta reaches an extended accommodation within the receiving basin and fails to keep the channel mouth slopes as low as the channel bed slopes. Then, processes of incision, narrowing, and meandering begin to shape the channel and expand upstream. When the down‐cutting channel encounters a more resistant stratum within the channel substrate, these processes are restricted to a downstream reach by formation of a retreating vertical knickpoint. When the knickpoint and the channel incise to a level below this stratum, a spatially continuous, diffusion‐like evolution characterizes the channel's response and source‐to‐sink transport can be implemented. These results emphasize the mouth slope and channel substrate resistance as the governing factors over long‐term channel evolution, whereas flash floods have only local and short‐lived impacts in a confined, continuously incising channel. The documented channel response applies to eustatic base‐level fall under steepening basin bathymetry, rapid delta progradation, and lithologic variations in the channel substrate.
Selective Hydrogenolysis of Furfural Derivative 2‐Methyltetrahydrofuran into Pentanediol Acetate and Pentanol Acetate over Pd/C and Sc(OTf)3 Cocatalytic System
Authors: Zhang Kun , Li Xing‐Long , Chen Shi‐Yan , Xu Hua‐Jian , Deng Jin , Fu Yao 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIt is of great significance to convert platform molecules and their derivatives into high value‐added alcohols, which have multitudinous applications. This study concerns systematic conversion of 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), which is obtained from furfural, into 1‐pentanol acetate (PA) and 1,4‐pentanediol acetate (PDA). Reaction parameters, such as the Lewis acid species, reaction temperature, and hydrogen pressure, were investigated in detail. 1H NMR spectroscopy and reaction dynamics study were also conducted to help clarify the reaction mechanism. Results suggested that cleavage of the primary alcohol acetate was less facile than that of the secondary alcohol acetate, with the main product being PA. A PA yield of 91.8 % (150 °C, 3 MPa H2, 30 min) was achieved by using Pd/C and Sc(OTf)3 as a cocatalytic system and an 82 % yield of PDA was achieved (150 °C, 30 min) by using Sc(OTf)3 catalyst. Simultaneously, the efficient conversion of acetic esters into alcohols by simple saponification was carried out and led to a good yield.
Nature versus nurture? Consequences of short captivity in early stages
Authors: Horreo Jose L. , Valiente America G. , Ardura Alba , Blanco Aida , Garcia‐Gonzalez Claudia , Garcia‐Vazquez Eva 
Published: December 2017

AbstractBiological changes occurring as a consequence of domestication and/or captivity are not still deeply known. In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), endangered (Southern Europe) populations are enhanced by supportive breeding, which involves only 6 months of captive rearing following artificial spawning of wild‐collected adults. In this work, we assess whether several fitness‐correlated life‐history traits (migratory behavior, straying rate, age at maturity, and growth) are affected by early exposure to the captive environment within a generation, before reproduction thus before genetic selection. Results showed significant differences in growth and migratory behavior (including straying), associated with this very short period of captivity in natural fish populations, changing even genetic variability (decreased in hatchery‐reared adults) and the native population structure within and between rivers of the species. These changes appeared within a single generation, suggesting very short time of captivity is enough for initiating changes normally attributed to domestication. These results may have potential implications for the long‐term population stability/viability of species subjected to restoration and enhancement processes and could be also considered for the management of zoo populations.
Gap formation and dynamics after long‐term steady state in an old‐growth Picea abies stand in Norway: Above‐ and belowground interactions
Authors: Nygaard Per Holm , Strand Line Tau , Stuanes Arne Oddvar 
Published: December 2017

AbstractStand dynamics and the gap initiation prior to gap formation are not well‐understood because of its long‐term nature and the scarcity of late‐successional stands. Reconstruction of such disturbance is normally based on historical records and dendroecological methods. We investigated gap initiation and formation at the fine‐scale stand level in the old‐growth reserve of Karlshaugen in Norway. Given its long‐term conservation history, and thorough mapping in permanent marked plots with spatially referenced trees, it provides an opportunity to present stand development before, during, and after gap formation. Late‐successional decline in biomass was recorded after more than 50 years of close to steady state. Gaps in the canopy were mainly created by large old trees that had been killed by spruce bark beetles. Snapping by wind was the main reason for treefall. Long‐term dominance of Norway spruce excluded downy birch and Scots pine from the stand. Comparisons of the forest floor soil properties between the gap and nongap area showed significantly higher concentrations of plant available Ca within the gap area. Plant root simulator (PRS™) probes showed significantly higher supply rates for Ca and Mg, but significantly lower K for the gap compared to the nongap area. Soil water from the gap area had significantly higher C:N ratios compared to the nongap area. Fine‐scale variation with increasing distance to logs indicated that CWD is important for leaking of DOC and Ca. Our long‐term study from Karlshaugen documents gap dynamics after more than 50 years of steady state and a multiscale disturbance regime in an old‐growth forest. The observed disturbance dynamic caused higher aboveground and belowground heterogeneity in plots, coarse woody debris, and nutrients. Our study of the nutrient levels of the forest floor suggest that natural gaps of old‐growth forest provide a long‐lasting biogeochemical feedback system particularly with respect to Ca and probably also N. Norway spruce trees near the gap edge responded with high plasticity to reduced competition, showing the importance of the edge zone as hot spots for establishing heterogeneity, but also the potential for carbon sequestration in old‐growth forest.
Habitat formation prevails over predation in influencing fouling communities
Authors: Leclerc Jean‐Charles , Viard Frédérique 
Published: December 2017

AbstractCoastal human‐made structures, such as marinas and harbors, are expanding worldwide. Species assemblages described from these artificial habitats are novel relative to natural reefs, particularly in terms of the abundance of nonindigenous species (NIS). Although these fouling assemblages are clearly distinctive, the ecosystem functioning and species interactions taking place there are little understood. For instance, large predators may influence the fouling community development either directly (feeding on sessile fauna) or indirectly (feeding on small predators associated with these assemblages). In addition, by providing refuges, habitat complexity may modify the outcome of species interactions and the extent of biotic resistance (e.g., by increasing the abundance of niche‐specific competitors and predators of NIS). Using experimental settlement panels deployed in the field for 2.5 months, we tested the influence of predation (i.e., caging experiment), artificial structural complexity (i.e., mimics of turf‐forming species), and their interactions (i.e., refuge effects) on the development of sessile and mobile fauna in two marinas. In addition, we tested the role of biotic complexity—arising from the habitat‐forming species that grew on the panels during the trial—on the richness and abundance of mobile fauna. The effect of predation and artificial habitat complexity was negligible, regardless of assemblage status (i.e., native, cryptogenic, and nonindigenous). Conversely, habitat‐forming species and associated epibionts, responsible for biotic complexity, had a significant effect on mobile invertebrates (richness, abundance, and community structure). In particular, the richness and abundance of mobile NIS were positively affected by biotic complexity, with site‐dependent relationships. Altogether, our results indicate that biotic complexity prevails over artificial habitat complexity in determining the distribution of mobile species under low predation pressure. Facilitation of native and non‐native species thus seems to act upon diversity and community development: This process deserves further consideration in models of biotic resistance to invasion in urban marine habitats.
Using expert knowledge to incorporate uncertainty in cause‐of‐death assignments for modeling of cause‐specific mortality
Authors: Walsh Daniel P. , Norton Andrew S. , Storm Daniel J. , Van Deelen Timothy R. , Heisey Dennis M. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractImplicit and explicit use of expert knowledge to inform ecological analyses is becoming increasingly common because it often represents the sole source of information in many circumstances. Thus, there is a need to develop statistical methods that explicitly incorporate expert knowledge, and can successfully leverage this information while properly accounting for associated uncertainty during analysis. Studies of cause‐specific mortality provide an example of implicit use of expert knowledge when causes‐of‐death are uncertain and assigned based on the observer's knowledge of the most likely cause. To explicitly incorporate this use of expert knowledge and the associated uncertainty, we developed a statistical model for estimating cause‐specific mortality using a data augmentation approach within a Bayesian hierarchical framework. Specifically, for each mortality event, we elicited the observer's belief of cause‐of‐death by having them specify the probability that the death was due to each potential cause. These probabilities were then used as prior predictive values within our framework. This hierarchical framework permitted a simple and rigorous estimation method that was easily modified to include covariate effects and regularizing terms. Although applied to survival analysis, this method can be extended to any event‐time analysis with multiple event types, for which there is uncertainty regarding the true outcome. We conducted simulations to determine how our framework compared to traditional approaches that use expert knowledge implicitly and assume that cause‐of‐death is specified accurately. Simulation results supported the inclusion of observer uncertainty in cause‐of‐death assignment in modeling of cause‐specific mortality to improve model performance and inference. Finally, we applied the statistical model we developed and a traditional method to cause‐specific survival data for white‐tailed deer, and compared results. We demonstrate that model selection results changed between the two approaches, and incorporating observer knowledge in cause‐of‐death increased the variability associated with parameter estimates when compared to the traditional approach. These differences between the two approaches can impact reported results, and therefore, it is critical to explicitly incorporate expert knowledge in statistical methods to ensure rigorous inference.
Smoke propagation in the region of cross‐passages in long railway tunnels – Results from full scale tests
Authors: Thaller Thomas , Sturm Peter , Rodler Johannes 
Published: December 2017

AbstractResearch on rail tunnel smoke dispersion was carried out on a completed section (KAT 1) of the Koralmtunnel in Austria. Field tests were performed on a scale of 1:1, covering fires with a maximum heat release rate of up to 22 MW. Smoke dispersion as well as the related temperature distributions in various sections of the tunnel were monitored using video cameras. The focus of the investigation was placed on smoke dispersion in the region of the cross‐passages, i.e. on those sites where passenger evacuation normally takes place. The tests were intended to provide information on which type of escape door (swing door or sliding door) is most suited for passenger evacuation via the cross‐passages. In order to provide sufficiently safe conditions during the self‐evacuation phase, it is highly desirable that smoke does not impair escape. The tests aimed at investigating the interconnections between fire load, smoke production rate, and escape possibilities, as a function of the installed ventilation system and the related parameters.
The significance of the southern line on an European, national and regional scale – The strengthening of the corridor in the ÖBB target network 2025+ and beyond
Authors: Plank Viktor , Poimer Bernhard 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIntegration of national railway systems into a European network is a prerequisite for a sustainable competitive edge of the railway sector. With its current extensive project portfolio and its role in the European Baltic‐Adriatic Corridor, the southern line in Austria is positioned to successfully face future requirements. Furthermore, the establishment of new railway infrastructure is not only geared towards international transport operations in passenger and freight service, but also towards satisfying national and regional needs. The expansion of the southern line correlates with projects in the partner countries along the corridor and is in line with economic trends, both domestically and in greater Europe. Once a neglected line in the railway expansion program of recent decades, the southern line is now benefiting from considerable developments, including the on‐going commissioning of several major projects in a 10 to 12‐year period. Currently, the expansion strategy is based on the Transport Forecast Austria and the Target Network 2025+. Additional expansions for sections such as towards the Slovenian border as well as concepts for the existing southern line are subject to on‐going evaluation with regard to actual traffic developments and will be developed in line with respective needs.
Geochemical characterization of geothermal systems in western Anatolia (Turkey): implications for CO2 trapping mechanisms in prospective CO2‐EGS sites
Authors: Elidemir Sanem , Güleç Nilgün 
Published: December 2017

AbstractGeological storage of CO2 is currently regarded as one of the major strategies to mitigate the increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere due to anthropogenic emissions from large‐scale point sources. Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) are a novel concept in which CO2 is used as a working fluid to increase energy recovery, combined with its subsurface storage. In this study, the geothermal systems of western Anatolia are considered as potential sites for EGS, and the published hydrogeochemical data relevant to these systems are compiled and evaluated in terms of potential water/CO2/rock interaction processes. The evaluation is performed with geochemical approaches including speciation‐solubility calculations, and inverse and dedolomitization modelling. The results lead to the recognition of two different groups with respect to the effective processes: carbonate precipitation, and carbonate precipitation plus dissolution. In high‐enthalpy fields, carbonate precipitation seems to be the major mechanism, while others show the effects of both precipitation and dissolution; dedolomitization is also identified as a potential mechanism for one of the fields. These processes are examined with regard to CO2‐fixation; carbonate precipitation may lead to mineral trapping while carbonate dissolution provides additional cations to the system to react with CO2. Being relevant to CO2 storage in geothermal fields, the conclusions from this study point to the importance of temperature control for CO2 stabilization, as high temperatures seem to promote mineral trapping. The success of a CO2‐EGS project depends on complete geochemical characterization of reservoir processes with further kinetic modelling accompanying the thermodynamic modelling exemplified by this study. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of bacterial growth rate on bacteriophage population growth rate
Authors: Nabergoj Dominik , Modic Petra , Podgornik Aleš 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIt is important to understand how physiological state of the host influence propagation of bacteriophages (phages), due to the potential higher phage production needs in the future. In our study, we tried to elucidate the effect of bacterial growth rate on adsorption constant (δ), latent period (L), burst size (b), and bacteriophage population growth rate (λ). As a model system, a well‐studied phage T4 and Escherichia coli K‐12 as a host was used. Bacteria were grown in a continuous culture operating at dilution rates in the range between 0.06 and 0.98 hr−1. It was found that the burst size increases linearly from 8 PFU·cell−1 to 89 PFU·cell−1 with increase in bacteria growth rate. On the other hand, adsorption constant and latent period were both decreasing from 2.6∙10‐9 ml·min−1 and 80 min to reach limiting values of 0.5 × 10‐9 ml·min−1 and 27 min at higher growth rates, respectively. Both trends were mathematically described with Michaelis–Menten based type of equation and reasons for such form are discussed. By applying selected equations, a mathematical equation for prediction of bacteriophage population growth rate as a function of dilution rate was derived, reaching values around 8 hr−1 at highest dilution rate. Interestingly, almost identical description can be obtained using much simpler Monod type equation and possible reasons for this finding are discussed.
Metal‐Organic Frameworks‐Derived Porous In2O3 Hollow Nanorod for High‐Performance Ethanol Gas Sensor
Authors: Tao Kai , Han Xue , Yin Qing , Wang Ding , Han Lei , Chen Liang 
Published: December 2017

AbstractDesigning hollow micro/nano structures for gas sensing materials is highly desirable for boosting gas sensing properties and still remains challenging, especially through a simple and economic way. Herein, porous In2O3 hollow nanorod (In2O3‐HNR), which was successfully fabricated by thermal decomposition of an In–MOF (CPP‐3) precursor, was applied as gas sensing materials. The pristine CPP‐3 and obtained In2O3‐HNR were systematically characterized by various techniques, such as XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA‐DTA, XPS, Raman and N2 physisorption. Characterization results indicated that the hexagonal rod‐like shape of original CPP‐3 was maintained after calcination, whereas the surface became rough and concave. In addition, the obtained In2O3‐HNR displayed a hollow interior with porous shell composed by In2O3 nanoparticles (9 nm). Taking advantage of this unique porous nanostructure, In2O3‐HNR exhibited a response as high as 6.2 to 5 ppm ethanol at operating temperature of 200 °C, fast response and recovery (3 and 4 s, respectively), and good selectivity to ethanol. The excellent ethanol‐sensing properties endow this In–MOF templated In2O3‐HNR material with a promising application in practical detection of ethanol gas. This method could be extended to the fabrication of other micro/nano structures with well‐defined morphology and composition for high‐performance gas sensing considering diversity of MOFs family.