bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Band to band tunneling in III-V semiconductors: Implications of complex band structure, strain, orientation, and off-zone center contribution
Authors: Majumdar Kausik
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we use a tight binding Hamiltonian with spin orbit coupling to study the real and complex band structures of relaxed and strained GaAs. A simple d orbital on-site energy shift coupled with appropriate scaling of the off-diagonal terms is found to correctly reproduce the band-edge shifts with strain. Four different ⟨100⟩ strain combinations, namely, uniaxial compressive, uniaxial tensile, biaxial compressive, and biaxial tensile strain are studied, revealing rich valence band structure and strong relative orientation dependent tunneling. It is found that complex bands are unable to provide unambiguous tunneling paths away from the Brillouin zone center. Tunneling current density distribution over the Brillouin zone is computed using non-equilibrium Green's function approach elucidating a physical picture of band to band tunneling.
Anomalous thickness-dependent strain states and strain-tunable magnetization in Zn-doped ferrite epitaxial films
Authors: Yang Y. J. , Yang M. M. , Luo Z. L. , Hu C. S. , Bao J. , Huang H. L. , Zhang S. , Wang J. W. , Li P. S. , Liu Y. , Zhao Y. G. , Chen X. C. , Pan G. Q. , Jiang T. , Liu Y. K. , Li X. G. , Gao C.
Published: May 2014

A series of ZnxFe3−xO4 (ZFO, x = 0.4) thin films were epitaxially deposited on single-crystal (001)-SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The anomalous thickness-dependent strain states of ZFO films were found, i.e., a tensile in-plane strain exists in the thinner ZFO film and which monotonously turns into compressive in the thicker films. Considering the lattice constant of bulk ZFO is bigger than that of STO, this strain state cannot be explained in the conventional framework of lattice-mismatch-induced strain in the hetero-epitaxial system. This unusual phenomenon is proposed to be closely related to the Volmer-Weber film growth mode in the thinner films and incorporation of the interstitial atoms into the island's boundaries during subsequent epitaxial growth of the thicker films. The ZFO/STO epitaxial film is found in the nature of magnetic semiconductor by transport measurements. The in-plane magnetization of the ZFO/STO films is found to increase as the in-plane compressive strain develops, which is further proved in the (001)-ZFO/PMN-PT film where the film strain state can be in situ controlled with applied electric field. This compressive-strain-enhanced magnetization can be attributed to the strain-mediated electric-field-induced in-plane magnetic anisotropy field enhancement. The above results indicate that strain engineering on magnetic oxide semiconductor ZFO films is promising for novel oxide-electronic devices.
Bandwidth-controlled metal-insulator transition in epitaxial PrNiO3 ultrathin films induced by dimensional crossover
Authors: Sakai Enju , Yoshimatsu Kohei , Tamamitsu Masatomo , Horiba Koji , Fujimori Atsushi , Oshima Masaharu , Kumigashira Hiroshi
Published: May 2014

The authors have investigated the thickness-dependent physical properties of PrNiO3 ultrathin films epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 substrates. The strained PrNiO3 films exhibit metallic behavior and do not show any indication of temperature-driven metal-insulator transition (MIT) in bulk form, whereas an insulating ground state is realized in a thin limit. In situ photoemission measurements reveal that the observed thickness-dependent MIT is caused by the reduction in bandwidth due to the dimensional control of the films. These results strongly suggest that the MIT in PrNiO3 films can be controlled by changing the dimensionality under epitaxial constraint.
First-principles study of the phase stability and the mechanical properties of W-Ta and W-Re alloys
Authors: Wei Ning , Jia Ting , Zhang Xiaoli , Liu Ting , Zeng Z. , Yang XiaoYu
Published: May 2014

The phase stability and mechanical properties of binary W1−xTax and W1−xRex alloys were investigated using the full-potential augmented plane-wave method. The special quasirandom structures(SQSs) of these alloys are mechanically stable due to all of the positive elastic constants and negative binding energies. The binding energies of both the W1−xTax and W1−xRex alloys also exhibit energy favorable asymmetry toward the W-rich side. In addition, the bulk modulus of the W1−xTax alloys decrease gradually with the increase of the Ta concentration, while those of the W1−xRex alloys increase gradually with the increase of the Re concentration. Consequently, the bulk modulus of W metal can be improved by doping with Re, implying that the resistance to deformation is enhanced. Based on the mechanical characteristic G/B and Poisson's ratio ν, both the W1−xTax and W1−xRex alloys are regarded as being ductile materials, the ductility of which improves with the increase of Ta or Re.
Unravelling the evolutionary history of Eucalyptus cordata (Myrtaceae) using molecular markers
Authors: Harrison Peter A. , Jones Rebecca C. , Vaillancourt René E. , Wiltshire Robert J. E. , Potts Brad M.
Published: May 2014

We studied the evolutionary processes shaping the genetic diversity in the naturally fragmented Eucalyptus cordata, a rare homoblastic tree endemic to the island of Tasmania. A genome-wide scan showed that E. cordata and the endangered heteroblastic E. morrisbyi were closely related, suggesting a neotenous origin of E. cordata from an endemic heteroblastic ancestor. Bayesian cluster analysis based on nuclear microsatellites assayed in 567 E. cordata and E. morrisbyi individuals revealed five genetic clusters. Two clusters comprised populations that correspond to putative ancestral gene pools linking E. cordata and E. morrisbyi. Another cluster included populations that transgressed the drowned Derwent River valley, suggestive of a wider glacial distribution. However, the majority of individuals occurred in the two genetic clusters distributed in the south-west and north-east of the range of E. cordata. The elevated genetic diversity in populations comprising these clusters suggests that they represent two recently fragmented cores of the distribution. Genetic evidence suggests that the newly described, localised E. cordata subspecies quadrangulosa has been recently selected from within the morphologically diverse, south-western cluster. We argue that multiple phases of isolation and drift have led to the contemporary pattern of molecular variation and the scattering of relictual and more recently derived populations across the species distribution.
John Barratt Moore 1941–2013
Authors: Anderson Brian D. O.
Published: May 2014

John Moore was born in Lungling, China on 3 April 1941 and died in Canberra on 19 January 2013. He was an electrical engineer who spent most of his distinguished career at the University of Newcastle and the Australian National University following industrial experience and graduate education in Silicon Valley, California. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, achieving all honours at a comparatively early age, and was recognized principally for his contributions to the field of control systems.
Vitamin A and Australian Fish Liver Oils
Authors: Rae Ian D.
Published: May 2014

Research by an organic chemist at the University of Melbourne and support from Australia's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research provided the basis for a wartime industry when Australia was unable to maintain access to traditional supplies of cod liver oil from Britain and Norway in the 1940s. Two major pharmaceutical companies gathered oil from the livers of sharks in southern Australia that was rich in vitamin A, and so met domestic and military needs for this nutritional supplement. Other companies joined in and by the end of the war Australia had a flourishing industry that derived synergy from the marketing of shark flesh for human consumption. South Africa was a leader among countries that expanded fish-oil production in the late 1940s, as a result of which Australian producers suffered from import competition. A Tariff Board hearing found that the Australian industry was unable to meet local needs and so did not recommend increased tariffs. The industry struggled for years until the perceived nutritional benefits of other components of the fish oils helped to revive markets.
Keith David Cole 1929–2010
Authors: Dyson Peter L. , Cole David J.
Published: May 2014

Keith Cole grew up in Cairns, attended the local high school, and became the first in his family to attend university. Trained in physics and mathematics, he taught in secondary schools before joining the 1956 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Macquarie Island as Auroral Physicist. This was the start of his lifelong career in space physics, exploring primarily the space environment of the Earth. He had a remarkable ability to identify the important physical processes underlying many phenomena, often when only limited data or observations were available. Thus early in his career he correctly explained several puzzling phenomena, particularly in the ionosphere and thermosphere, and quickly established himself as a leader in space physics, a position he maintained throughout his career. He also made very significant contributions as an educator (he was a Foundation Professor of Physics at La Trobe University) and through leadership positions in national and international science organizations.
The movements of the economy
Authors: Chow Mei Yung Vanliza
Published: May 2014

Metaphors are ubiquitous in our daily lives and discourse, and as cognitive linguists and sociolinguists argue, language, culture and cognition are inseparable: embodied experience is not the only basis of meaning construction. Economic discourse, the focus of this paper, is a prime example of metaphors at work. Although there have been studies comparing conceptual metaphors such as the economy is a living organism in different languages, so far very little work has been done on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the bodily movement metaphors which manifest in this overarching metaphor in economic discourse. This paper therefore examines two corpora consisting of economic news articles in “The Guardian” (UK) and the “Hong Kong Economic Journal” from the year 2006, in order to compare and contrast the way that these bodily movement metaphors constitute and reflect the attitudes and values of the people using the metaphor in these two locations. In so doing, the contrastive study demonstrates that many ‘universal’ conceptual metaphors, such as the metaphor studied in this paper, are indeed different, since the formation of embodied experience needs to be understood in its socio-cultural context. This paper compares collocations and syntactic structures of bodily movement metaphors. Although many primary metaphors, such as down is bad and forward is good, are shared across these two corpora, the findings reveal that the conceptualization of the economy in the two corpora differs mainly in three ways. Firstly, construal of the economy in the UKGC appears to be more dynamic. Secondly, the metaphorical extension of bodily movements is found to be different in the two corpora. Finally, ‘kinship’ metaphors conceptualizing economic relationships in the UKGC are more likely to trigger marriage imagery. In short, these subtle differences reveal that cognition is situated within a wide cultural context, resulting in culture-specific metaphors.
Urban violence in Brazil and the role of the media
Authors: Pelosi Ana Cristina , de Moraes Feltes Heloísa Pedroso , Cameron Lynne
Published: May 2014

This paper reports on analyses of data gathered from discourse interactions of two focus groups of Brazilian university students (n = 11) as they talk about urban violence in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. The analytical procedure follows Cameron et al.’s (2009) metaphor-led discourse analysis which focuses on the role metaphor vehicles play in the emergence of systematic metaphors in discourse. The findings highlight the trivialization of violence in Brazil by the media/TV, evidenced by the emergence in the talk of three related systematic metaphors: violence is a product manufactured by the media, violence is a spreading contagious disease and fear as a response to violence is a form of imprisonment.
Spatial localization of recent ancestors for admixed individuals
Authors: Yang Wen-Yun , Platt Alexander , Chiang Charleston Wen-Kai , Eskin Eleazar , Novembre John , Pasaniuc Bogdan
Published: May 2014

Ancestry analysis from genetic data plays a critical role in studies of human disease and evolution. Recent work has introduced explicit models for the geographic distribution of genetic variation and has shown that such explicit models yield superior accuracy in ancestry inference over non-model-based methods. Here we extend such work to introduce a method that models admixture between ancestors from multiple sources across a geographic continuum. We devise efficient algorithms based on hidden Markov models to localize on a map the recent ancestors (e.g. grandparents) of admixed individuals, joint with assigning ancestry at each locus in the genome. We validate our methods using empirical data from individuals with mixed European ancestry from the POPRES study and show that our approach is able to localize their recent ancestors within an average of 470Km of the reported locations of their grandparents. Furthermore, simulations from real POPRES genotype data show that our method attains high accuracy in localizing recent ancestors of admixed individuals in Europe (an average of 550Km from their true location for localization of 2 ancestries in Europe, 4 generations ago). We explore the limits of ancestry localization under our approach and find that performance decreases as the number of distinct ancestries and generations since admixture increases. Finally, we build a map of expected localization accuracy across admixed individuals according to the location of origin within Europe of their ancestors.
Fungal lysis by a soil bacterium fermenting cellulose
Authors: Tolonen Andrew C. , Cerisy Tristan , El‐Sayyed Hafez , Boutard Magali , Salanoubat Marcel , Church George M.
Published: May 2014

Recycling of plant biomass by a community of bacteria and fungi is fundamental to carbon flow in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we report how the plant fermenting, soil bacterium Clostridium phytofermentans enhances growth on cellulose by simultaneously lysing and consuming model fungi from soil. We investigate the mechanism of fungal lysis to show that among the dozens of different glycoside hydrolases C. phytofermentans secretes on cellulose, the most highly expressed enzymes degrade fungi rather than plant substrates. These enzymes, the GH18 Cphy1799 and Cphy1800, synergize to hydrolyse chitin, a main component of the fungal cell wall. Purified enzymes inhibit fungal growth and mutants lacking either GH18 grow normally on cellulose and other plant substrates, but have a reduced ability to hydrolyse chitinous substrates and fungal hyphae. Thus, C. phytofermentans boosts growth on cellulose by lysing fungi with its most highly expressed hydrolases, highlighting the importance of fungal interactions to the ecology of cellulolytic bacteria.
The idea of philosophical sociology
Authors: Chernilo Daniel
Published: May 2014

This article introduces the idea of philosophical sociology as an enquiry into the relationships between implicit notions of human nature and explicit conceptualizations of social life within sociology. Philosophical sociology is also an invitation to reflect on the role of the normative in social life by looking at it sociologically and philosophically at the same: normative self‐reflection is a fundamental aspect of sociology's scientific tasks because key sociological questions are, in the last instance, also philosophical ones. For the normative to emerge, we need to move away from the reductionism of hedonistic, essentialist or cynical conceptions of human nature and be able to grasp the conceptions of the good life, justice, democracy or freedom whose normative contents depend on more or less articulated conceptions of our shared humanity. The idea of philosophical sociology is then sustained on three main pillars and I use them to structure this article: (1) a revalorization of the relationships between sociology and philosophy; (2) a universalistic principle of humanity that works as a major regulative idea of sociological research, and; (3) an argument on the social (immanent) and pre‐social (transcendental) sources of the normative in social life. As invitations to embrace posthuman cyborgs, non‐human actants and material cultures proliferate, philosophical sociology offers the reminder that we still have to understand more fully who are the human beings that populate the social world.
Apolipoprotein B as an independent predictor of arterial stiffness in systemic lupus erythematosus patients
Authors: Kwankaew Jirateep , Leelawattana Rattana , Saignam Anchalee , Siripaitoon Boonjing , Uea‐areewongsa Parichat , Juthong Siriporn
Published: May 2014

Aim

To determine the relationship of apolipoprotein B (Apo‐B) and arterial stiffness determined by brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) subjects.

Methods

Eighty‐seven Thai SLE subjects with inactive disease activity were studied. Fasting blood was collected for creatinine, glucose, lipid profiles, Apo‐B and Apo‐A1. Pearson correlation and stepwise‐linear regression were used for the analysis.

Results

The mean age of the subjects was 36.69 ± 10.85 years; 6.90% of them had stage 3 or more severe chronic kidney disease, 49.40% took anti‐hypertensive drugs and 4.60% had abnormal glucose metabolism. The mean value for baPWV was 1332 ± 274.12 cm/s. Thirty‐six percent of the subjects had increased arterial stiffness with mean Apo‐B levels of 1.05 ± 0.31 g/L compared to 0.94 ± 0.24 in normal arterial stiffness. There were correlations of baPWV with age, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP and creatinine clearance. Apo‐B tended to be associated with baPWV (P = 0.06) whereas low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol did not (P = 0.2). By multiple regression analysis, systolic BP, age and Apo‐B were the significant predictors of baPWV.

Conclusion

Apo‐B was independently associated with arterial stiffness in SLE subjects.
Good response to infliximab in rheumatoid arthritis following failure of interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist
Authors: Bao Jun , Yue Tao , Li Ting , He Dong‐Yi , Bao Yi‐Xiao
Published: May 2014

Aim

To evaluate the efficacy of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were disease‐resistant to recombinant human interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra).

Methods

A total of 104 patients with active RA despite methotrexate (MTX) treatment were enrolled in the open trial. Among them, 27 IL‐1Ra nonresponders ‘Switchers’ and 51 biologic‐naive patients ‘Naivers’ received an infusion of 3 mg/kg infliximab at weeks 0, 2, 6 and 14, combined with concurrent MTX therapy, while the other 26 patients who had never received any biologics ‘Controls’ continued MTX monotherapy. Clinical outcomes and safety were assessed at weeks 0, 2 and every 4 weeks thereafter for 18 weeks with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) core set criteria, the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, and records of adverse events (AEs) and abnormal laboratory findings.

Results

At week 18, an ACR20 response was achieved in 56% of Switchers and 61% of Naivers, compared with 23% of Controls (P = 0.0013 and 0.0126, respectively). Compared with Controls, both Switchers and Naivers achieved a significant improvement in tender‐joint count, swollen‐joint count, patient's assessment of pain, patient's and physician's global assessment of disease activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C‐reactive protein. Switchers even achieved a greater benefit from health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) scores than Naivers. Infliximab was well tolerated, with a similar incidence of AEs across all study groups.

Conclusion

Switching from IL‐1Ra to infliximab is effective in improving disease activity and maintaining joint function.
Evaluation of hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 and Ki‐67 with core needle biopsy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy effects in breast cancer patients
Authors: Ge Wen‐kai , Yang Ben , Zuo Wen‐shu , Zheng Gang , Dai Ying‐qi , Han Chao , Yang Li , Zheng Mei‐zhu
Published: May 2014

Background

We investigated the reliability of core needle biopsy (CNB) in evaluating the status of hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)‐2, and Ki‐67 status, and the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on the expression of these immunohistochemical markers.

Methods

Among 177 patients with breast adenocarcinoma, 95 patients underwent NAC and the remaining 82 patients made up the control group. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to evaluate the expression status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER‐2, and Ki‐67 in the specimens obtained by surgical excision or CNB.

Results

In the control group, the expression of ER, PR, HER‐2, and Ki‐67 was highly consistent between samples from surgical excision or CNB (all r > 0.8, P < 0.05). In the NAC group, the proportions of samples with changes in ER, PR, HER‐2, and Ki‐67 expression were 12.7%, 24.1%, 5.1%, and 38.0%, respectively; the figures in the control group were 2.4%, 4.9%, 2.4%, and 7.3%, respectively, which significantly differed in ER, PR, and Ki‐67 (P < 0.05), but not HER‐2 (P > 0.05). In the NAC group, pre‐ and post‐treatment ER+ rates did not significantly differ (P > 0.05), although PR+ and high Ki‐67 expression rates did significantly differ (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Neither CNB nor surgical excision samples gave highly consistent results in HR, HER‐2, and Ki‐67 status. NAC can alter HR and Ki‐67 status in breast adenocarcinoma patients. NAC decreased PR+ rate and Ki‐67 expression. The mean ER+ rate exhibited a decreasing, but insignificant trend after NAC treatment. NAC had no significant effect on HER‐2 expression.
The comparison of energy metabolism and meat quality among three pig breeds
Authors: Shen Linyuan , Lei Huaigang , Zhang Shunhua , Li Xuewei , Li Mingzhou , Jiang Xiaobing , Zhu Kangping , Zhu Li
Published: May 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of muscle‐fibre types and hormones on glycolytic potential and meat quality traits and their association with glycolytic‐related gene expression in three different altitude pig breeds. The pig breeds studied were the Tibetan pig (TP, high altitude), the Liang‐Shan pig (LSP, middle altitude) and the Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) cross (DLY, flatland). The results indicated that TP and LSP had better meat quality than DLY (P < 0.01). The glycolytic potential (GP) increased in the order of TP < LSP < DLY and decreased with time post mortem. DLY had higher glucagon and epinephrine contents than LSP and TP (P < 0.01). The proportions of myosin heavy chain muscle fibers type I in the Longissimus dorsi increased in the order of DLY < TP < LSP, whereas the proportion of type IIb increased in the order of TP < LSP < DLY. The expression of gene PKM2 played an important role in the glycolysis rate of the different genotypes. Compared with the other two pig breeds, the high‐altitude breeds had better meat quality attributes, which may be due to the slow rate of glycolysis metabolism.
Adapting Creative Problem Solving to an Organizational Context: A Study of its Effectiveness with a Student Population
Authors: Sousa Fernando C. , Monteiro Ileana P. , Walton Andre P. , Pissarra Joao
Published: May 2014

Owing to company time restrictions and concentration on project development, we began to reduce the duration of creative problem solving (CPS) sessions, and to give more emphasis to the action planning stage. Several changes in our CPS protocol, as well as in its duration, begged the question as to whether these changes were jeopardizing efficacy. To examine this question, six groups of ten university students, working under two different CPS protocols (a five‐step method and a four‐step method), and three control groups (using no CPS method), were given the same objective and similar conditions. This exploratory experiment compared group performance by change in team commitment, divergent thinking preferences, productivity and the participants' evaluation of the different methods. Results show that the CPS methods were both effective in changing participants' perspectives regarding divergent thinking and team commitment. In the control groups, however, there were no changes as a consequence of the sessions. Results also suggest that the same problem‐solving effectiveness can be attained in a shorter time than that traditionally used, and without prior training in CPS. These findings open the door to developing new problem‐solving techniques and team work processes, and to more efficient organizational creativity and innovation methodologies.
Why the (dis)agreement? Family context and child–parent perspectives on health‐related quality of life and psychological problems in paediatric asthma
Authors: Silva N. , Crespo C. , Carona C. , Bullinger M. , Canavarro M. C.
Published: May 2014

Background

Children's health‐related quality of life (HrQoL) and psychological problems are important outcomes to consider in clinical decision making in paediatric asthma. However, children's and parents' reports often differ. The present study aimed to examine the levels of agreement/disagreement between children's and parents' reports of HrQoL and psychological problems and to identify socio‐demographic, clinical and family variables associated with the extent and direction of (dis)agreement.

Methods

The sample comprised 279 dyads of Portuguese children with asthma who were between 8 and 18 years of age (M = 12.13; SD = 2.56) and one of their parents. The participants completed self‐ and proxy‐reported questionnaires on paediatric generic HrQoL (KIDSCREEN‐10), chronic‐generic HrQoL (DISABKIDS‐37) and psychological problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Children's and parents' perceptions of family relationships were measured with the Family Environment Scale and the caregiving burden was assessed using the Revised Burden Measure.

Results

The child–parent agreement on reported HrQoL and psychological problems was poor to moderate (intraclass correlation coefficients between 0.32 and 0.47). The rates of child–parent discrepancies ranged between 52.7% (psychological problems) and 68.8% (generic HrQoL), with 50.5% and 31.5% of the parents reporting worse generic and chronic‐generic HrQoL, respectively, and 33.3% reporting more psychological problems than their children. The extent and direction of disagreement were better explained by family factors than by socio‐demographic and clinical variables: a greater caregiving burden was associated with increased discrepancies in both directions and children's and parents' perceptions of less positive family relationships were associated with discrepancies in different directions.

Conclusions

Routine assessment of paediatric HrQoL and psychological problems in healthcare and research contexts should include self‐ and parent‐reported data as complementary sources of information, and also consider the family context. The additional cost of conducting a more in‐depth assessment of paediatric adaptation outcomes can be offset through more efficient allocation of health resources.
We're GRAND: a qualitative design and development pilot project addressing the needs and strengths of grandparents raising grandchildren
Authors: Lee Youjung , Blitz Lisa V.
Published: May 2014

Custodial grandparents play a significant role in sustaining healthy families, but the caregiving is demanding. A social research design and development process informed a school district‐university partnership project responding to the needs of a group of custodial grandparents. Three phases of the project are described: (i) needs assessment; (ii) design and implementation of a psychoeducational group facilitated by social work faculty and a school district administrator; and (iii) evaluation of programme impact. Major themes from the needs assessment and evaluation are presented. Discussion highlights the need for school and family engagement, recognition of the significant changes in family role required for grandparents, and viewing custodial grandparents as leaders and engaged caregivers. The meaning of diversity in group intervention for this population is also explored.
Comparing UK and Other Western Countries' Health Expenditure, Relative Poverty and Child Mortality: Are British Children Doubly Disadvantaged?
Authors: Pritchard Colin , Wallace Mark S
Published: May 2014

We examined the UK's effectiveness in reducing Child Mortality with 20 other Western countries, in the context of their national health expenditures, and, relative poverty — measured by ‘Income Inequality’ the gap between top and bottom 20 per cent of income. W.H.O. Child (0–14) Mortality Rates (CMR) and GDP Expenditure on Health (% GDPHE) were examined and a cost‐effectiveness ratio calculated, which is the reduced CMR over the period divided by average GDPHE. The highest average % GDPHE was USA at 13.2 per cent; the UK's 7.3 per cent was equal lowest. The widest Income Inequality was USA 8.5 times; the UK at 7.2 was third widest. The highest CMR was the USA 2436 per million (pm), the UK's 1630 pm, although representing a fall of 62 per cent was fourth highest. However, UK cost‐effectiveness ratio (1: 350) was eighth best of 21 countries. Only Income Inequality correlated significantly with CMR. UK CMR fell significantly more than five countries but ten others declined more. If UK deaths had been at the average of the 17 countries with lower CMR, there would have been 1827 fewer deaths. British children's poverty and health expenditure means they and their services are doubly disadvantaged although the NHS relatively achieved more with comparatively less.
Transition and Justice: An Introduction
Authors: Anders Gerhard , Zenker Olaf
Published: May 2014

Since the end of the Cold War, political new beginnings have increasingly been linked to questions of transitional justice. The contributions to this collection examine a series of cases from across the African continent where peaceful ‘new beginnings’ have been declared after periods of violence and where transitional justice institutions played a role in defining justice and the new socio‐political order. Three issues seem to be crucial to the understanding of transitional justice in the context of wider social debates on justice and political change: the problem of ‘new beginnings’, of finding a foundation for that which explicitly breaks with the past; the discrepancies between lofty promises and the messy realities of transitional justice in action; and the dialectic between logics of the exception and the ordinary, employed to legitimize or resist transitional justice mechanisms. These are the particular focus of this Introduction.
Increasing capacity to deliver diabetes self‐management education: results of the DESMOND lay educator non‐randomized controlled equivalence trial
Authors: Carey M. E. , Mandalia P. K. , Daly H. , Gray L. J. , Hale R. , Martin Stacey L. , Taub N. , Skinner T. C. , Stone M. , Heller S. , Khunti K. , Davies M. J.
Published: May 2014

Aim

To develop and test a format of delivery of diabetes self‐management education by paired professional and lay educators.

Methods

We conducted an equivalence trial with non‐randomized participant allocation to a Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed Type 2 diabetes (DESMOND) course, delivered in the standard format by two trained healthcare professional educators (to the control group) or by one trained lay educator and one professional educator (to the intervention group). A total of 260 people with Type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous 12 months were referred for self‐management education as part of routine care and attended either a control or intervention format DESMOND course. The primary outcome measure was change in illness coherence score (derived from the Diabetes Illness Perception Questionnaire‐Revised) between baseline and 4 months after attending education sessions. Secondary outcome measures included change in HbA1c level. The trial was conducted in four primary care organizations across England and Scotland.

Results

The 95% CI for the between‐group difference in positive change in coherence scores was within the pre‐set limits of equivalence (difference = 0.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.52). Equivalent changes related to secondary outcome measures were also observed, including equivalent reductions in HbA1c levels.

Conclusion

Diabetes education delivered jointly by a trained lay person and a healthcare professional educator with the same educator role can provide equivalent patient benefits. This could provide a method that increases capacity, maintains quality and is cost‐effective, while increasing access to self‐management education.
High prevalences of hepatitis B and C virus infections among adults living in Binh Thuan province, Vietnam
Authors: Do Son Huy , Yamada Hiroko , Fujimoto Mayumi , Ohisa Masayuki , Matsuo Junko , Akita Tomoyuki , Katayama Keiko , Van Nguyen Nhon , Miyakawa Yuzo , Tanaka Junko
Published: May 2014

Aim

Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest mortality from liver cancer, which is mostly attributed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. For planning preventive strategies against these infections, we investigated prevalences of HBV and HCV infections among adults living in Binh Thuan, Vietnam.

Methods

Our study consisted of a serological survey for HBV and HCV infections and a questionnaire survey on their risk factors. The sample size was calculated based on anticipated rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Subjects were randomly sampled using a multistage method. Confirmation and family‐tree surveys were conducted to examine persistent HBV infection and intrafamilial HBV transmission, respectively.

Results

A total of 509 adults, comprised of 230 men (45.2%) and 279 women (54.8%), were enrolled. Prevalences of HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antibody and hepatitis B core antibody were 15.3%, 60.3% and 71.7%, respectively. Most HBV DNA positive sera were classified as genotype B (75.3%) and C (11.7%). Of HBsAg positive subjects, 96.7% were persistently infected and one acutely HBV infected person was identified. Family‐tree surveys suggested that horizontal extrafamilial HBV transmission might have been frequent. Prevalences of anti‐HCV and HCV RNA were 3.3% and 1.8%, respectively. HCV genotype 6a was prominent (55.6%).

Conclusion

In Binh Thuan, prevalences of HBV and HCV infections are high, HBV genotype B and HCV genotype 6a are predominant, and horizontal HBV transmission may still occur. Therefore, raising the coverage of a universal HBV vaccination program may be an effective liver cancer control in Vietnam.
Comparison of the Role of MgO and CaO Additives on the Microstructures of Reaction‐Sintered Zirconia–Mullite Composite
Authors: Chandra Debasis , Das Gopes , Maitra Saikat
Published: May 2014

Isostatically pressed dense reaction‐sintered zirconia–mullite composites were prepared from zircon flour and reactive alumina with different proportions of MgO and CaO additives. The pressed compacts were sintered at elevated temperatures with variable soaking times. Development of different phases and microstructures of the sintered compacts were analyzed to assess the relative influence of the additives on the formation of the zirconia–mullite.
Cerebral Microbleeds as a Predictor of Macrobleeds: What is the Evidence?
Authors: Charidimou Andreas , Werring David J.
Published: May 2014

Cerebral microbleeds on blood-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging sequences have emerged as a common and important marker of small vessel disease. Cerebral microbleeds differ from other imaging manifestations of small vessel disease (e.g. lacunes and leukoaraiosis), as they seem to provide more direct evidence of microvascular leakiness from bleeding-prone arteriopathies, namely hypertensive arteriopathy and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, the two leading causes of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. Thus, cerebral microbleeds in specific sub-populations might provide evidence of an ongoing active small vessel arteriopathy with increased future risk of symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage (‘macrobleeding’). If this hypothesis is correct, it raises clinical dilemmas especially regarding the safety of antithrombotic drug use. Although data so far are limited, the relationship of microbleeds to future macrobleeding (and cerebral ischemia) seems to critically depend on the specific patient population and cerebral microbleeds location and burden, which may reflect the nature and severity of the underlying arteriopathies.
Larval settlement of the nemertean egg predator Carcinonemertes errans on the Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister
Authors: Dunn Paul H. , Young Craig M.
Published: May 2014

Due to their habitat specificity, marine parasites present excellent systems for studying the processes and patterns of larval settlement. Settlement of Carcinonermertes errans, an egg predator of the Dungeness crab, is described here for the first time. Upon contact with a host individual, competent larvae of C. errans settled on the crab's exoskeleton and migrated under the abdominal flap within 24 h. When removed from the host, recently settled worms retained their larval characteristics. After 48 h on the host, however, metamorphosis proceeded and larvae became juvenile worms. Additional field studies showed that competent larvae were present in the waters of the Coos Bay Estuary during the months of August through early November, could infect crab hosts directly from the water column, and exhibited density‐dependent gregarious settlement.
Adverse events in hospitalized paediatric patients: a systematic review and a meta‐regression analysis
Authors: Berchialla Paola , Scaioli Giacomo , Passi Stefano , Gianino Maria M.
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

To gain insight into the incidence of paediatric adverse events (AEs); to assess if there are significant differences among study results and to what extent methodological issues can explain them.

Methods

From November 2012 to January 2013, systematic literature searches were conducted on PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. We selected studies from 1970 onwards that evaluated the incidence of AEs in hospitalized paediatric patients and included a minimum of 1000 patient records with the same definition of AE. Studies that reported only specific AEs or only a specific ward were not considered. Data were extracted on the method of data collection, study design, type of hospital, and the timing of the AE in relation to its discovery and the index admission (time frame). AE incidence and preventability were considered.

Results

The pooled incidence of AEs was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.3–3.0%). Five methodological differences among studies were taken into account. Only the time frame of detected events had a statistically significant effect on the incidence of AEs (P < 0.0001). The pooled incidence of preventable AEs was 46.2% (95% CI: 35.3–57.5%) with a high variability among studies.

Conclusions

Our meta‐analysis confirms that AEs are a major public health issue. Although studies use the same definition of AE, the reported incidence of AEs and preventable AEs varied considerably. To direct prevention efforts properly, studies methodologically more homogeneous and more detailed about the standard of health care provided and the health system organization are needed.
Dynamics of violence
Authors: Katerndahl David , Burge Sandra , Ferrer Robert , Becho Johanna , Wood Robert
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

Three behavioural models suggest different dynamic patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, few studies permit assessment of IPV dynamics. The purpose of this study was to estimate the degree of non‐linearity in daily violence between partners over a 3‐month period, identify their specific dynamic patterns and determine whether measures of violence severity and dynamics are interrelated.

Methods

From six primary care clinics, we enrolled 200 adult women who experienced violence in the previous month and asked them to complete daily telephone assessments of household environment, marital relationship and violence using Interactive Verbal Response. To assess non‐linearity of violence, algorithmic complexity was measured by LZ complexity and lack of regularity was measured by approximate entropy. Lyapunov exponents and correlation dimension saturation were used to approximate dynamic patterns.

Results

Of the 9618 daily reports, women reported experiencing abuse on 39% of days, while perpetrating violence themselves on 23% of days. Most (59%) displayed random dynamics, 30% showed chaotic and 12% showed periodic dynamics. All three measures of non‐linearity consistently demonstrated non‐linear patterns of violence. Using multivariate analysis of variance, neither episode severity for men or women showed significant differences across dynamic types, but chaotic dynamics had the lowest frequencies of violence in men and women while random dynamics had the highest frequencies. Approximate entropy was positively correlated with violence frequency and burden in men and women, but Lyapunov exponent was inversely related to violence. LZ complexity correlated positively with wife‐perpetrated violence only.

Conclusions

IPV is rarely a predictable, periodic phenomenon; no behavioural model describes the violence dynamics for all violent relationships. Yet, the measures of non‐linearity and specific dynamic patterns correlate with different violent features of these relationships.
Assessing neurosurgical non‐technical skills: an exploratory study of a new behavioural marker system
Authors: Michinov Estelle , Jamet Eric , Dodeler Virginie , Haegelen Claire , Jannin Pierre
Published: May 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

The management of non‐technical skills is a major factor affecting teamwork quality and patient safety. This article presents a behavioural marker system for assessing neurosurgical non‐technical skills (BMS‐NNTS). We tested the BMS during deep brain stimulation surgery.

Method

We developed the BMS in three stages. First, we drew up a provisional assessment tool based on the literature and observation tools developed for other surgical specialties. We then analysed videos made in an operating room (OR) during deep brain stimulation operations in order to ensure there were no significant omissions from the skills list. Finally, we used five videos of operations to identify the behavioural markers of non‐technical skills in verbal communications.

Results

Analyses of more than six hours of observations revealed 3515 behaviours from which we determined the neurosurgeon's non‐technical skills behaviour pattern. The neurosurgeon frequently engaged in explicit coordination, situation awareness and leadership behaviours. In addition, the neurosurgeon's behaviours differed according to the stage of the operation and the OR staff members with whom she was communicating.

Conclusions

Our behavioural marker system provides a structured approach to assessing non‐technical skills in the field of neurosurgery. It can also be transferred to other surgical specialties and used in surgeon training curricula.
Long‐Term Effects of Gestures on Memory for Foreign Language Words Trained in the Classroom
Authors: Macedonia Manuela , Klimesch Wolfgang
Published: May 2014

Language and gesture are viewed as highly interdependent systems. Besides supporting communication, gestures also have an impact on memory for verbal information compared to pure verbal encoding in native but also in foreign language learning. This article presents a within‐subject longitudinal study lasting 14 months that tested the use of gestures in the classroom, with the experimenter presenting the items to be acquired. Participants learned 36 words distributed across two training conditions: In the audio‐visual condition subjects read, heard, and spoke the words; in the gestural condition subjects additionally accompanied the words with symbolic gestures. Memory performance was assessed through cued native‐to‐foreign translation tests at five time points. The results show that gestures significantly enhance vocabulary learning in quantity and over time. The findings are discussed in terms of Klimesch's connectivity model (CM) of information processing. Thereafter, a code, a word, is better integrated into long‐term memory if it is deep, that is, if it is comprised of many interconnected components.
Identifying determinants of effective complementary feeding behaviour change interventions in developing countries
Authors: Fabrizio Cecilia S. , van Liere Marti , Pelto Gretel
Published: May 2014

As stunting moves to the forefront of the global agenda, there is substantial evidence that behaviour change interventions (BCI) can improve infant feeding practices and growth. However, this evidence has not been translated into improved outcomes on a national level because we do not know enough about what makes these interventions work, for whom, when, why, at what cost and for how long. Our objective was to examine the design and implementation of complementary feeding BCI, from the peer‐reviewed literature, to identify generalisable key determinants. We identified 29 studies that evaluated BCI efficacy or effectiveness, were conducted in developing countries, and reported outcomes on infant and young children aged 6–24 months. Two potential determinants emerged: (1) effective studies used formative research to identify cultural barriers and enablers to optimal feeding practices, to shape the intervention strategy, and to formulate appropriate messages and mediums for delivery; (2) effective studies delineated the programme impact pathway to the target behaviour change and assessed intermediary behaviour changes to learn what worked. We found that BCI that used these developmental and implementation processes could be effective despite heterogeneous approaches and design components. Our analysis was constrained, however, by the limited published data on how design and implementation were carried out, perhaps because of publishing space limits. Information on cost‐effectiveness, sustainability and scalability was also very limited. We suggest a more comprehensive reporting process and a more strategic research agenda to enable generalisable evidence to accumulate.
Pharmacotherapeutic agents used in temporomandibular disorders
Authors: Bal Kucuk B , Tolunay Kaya S , Karagoz Motro P , Oral K
Published: May 2014

Depending on the source and character, pharmacotherapy is one of the most commonly used methods to treat temporomandibular disorders in addition to the use of appliances, physiotherapy, behavioral therapy, and surgical interventions. To decide on the appropriate treatment approach for the treatment of temporomandibular disorders, pharmacotherapeutics should be understood in great detail. As for other pain treatments, pharmacotherapy can be used as a monotherapy or combined with other treatment options in temporomandibular disorders. The aim of the present review is to overview the primary analgesics and myorelaxants used in temporomandibular disorders.