bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ISMICS Consensus Conference and Statements of Randomized Controlled Trials of Off-Pump versus Conventional Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Puskas John D. , Martin Janet , Cheng Davy C. H. , Benussi Stefano , Bonatti Johannes O. , Diegeler Anno , Ferdinand Francis D. , Kieser Teresa M. , Lamy André , Mack Michael J. , Patel Nirav C. , Ruel Marc , Sabik Joseph F. , Yanagawa Bobby , Zamvar Vipin
Published: September 2015

Objective

At this consensus conference, we developed evidence-informed consensus statements and recommendations on the practice of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) by systematically reviewing and performing meta-analysis of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing OPCAB and conventional coronary artery bypass (CCAB).

Methods

All RCTs of OPCAB versus CCAB through April 2013 were screened, and 102 relevant RCTs (19,101 patients) were included in a systematic review and meta-analysis (15 RCTs of 9551 high-risk patients; and 87 RCTs of 9550 low-risk patients) in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology. Consensus statements for the risks and benefits of OPCAB surgery in mortality, morbidity, and resource use were developed based on best available evidence.

Results

Compared to CCAB, it is reasonable to perform OPCAB to reduce risks of stroke [class IIa, level of evidence (LOE) A], renal dysfunction/failure (class IIa, LOE A), blood transfusion (class I, LOE A), respiratory failure (class I, LOE A), atrial fibrillation (class I, LOE A), wound infection (class I, LOE A), ventilation time, and ICU and hospital length of stay (class I, LOE A). However, OPCAB may be associated with a reduced number of grafts performed (class I, LOE A) and with diminished graft patency (class IIa, LOE A, with increased coronary reintervention at 1 year and beyond (class IIa, LOE A), as well as increased mortality at a median follow-up of 5 years (class IIb, LOE A).

Conclusions

OPCAB compared with CCAB may improve outcomes in the short-term (stroke, renal dysfunction, blood transfusion, respiratory failure, atrial fibrillation, wound infection, ventilation time, and length of stay). However, over the longer-term, OPCAB may be associated with reduced graft patency, and increased risk of cardiac re-intervention and death.
Single-Center Experience with Adjustable Annuloplasty Ring in Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Czesla Markus , Götte Julia , Voth Vladimir , Doll Nicolas
Published: September 2015

Objective

Owing to the complex anatomy of the mitral valve, successful surgical repair of degenerative regurgitation remains a challenging procedure in cardiac surgery.

Methods

This paper aimed to report on our single-center experience with 20 patients who received an adjustable annuloplasty ring (Cardinal ring, ValtechCardio Ltd, Or Yehuda, Israel) as part of their mitral valve repair procedure. The device allows for intraoperative echocardiography-guided ring size adjustments under beating-heart conditions.

Results

All of the 20 patients left the operating room without any residual mitral regurgitation. There was no risk of systolic anterior movement (SAM) because of image-guided fine tuning of the ring before weaning the patient from bypass.

Conclusions

Further multicenter data are required to prove the concept of adjustable annuloplasty devices.
Diagnosis of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Keratin OSCAR Versus Other Cytokeratins
Authors: Galera Pallavi , Khan Ashraf , Kandil Dina
Published: September 2015

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a heterogenous group of tumors that diverge from conventional glandular differentiation. The metaplastic component can be focal or may be present purely posing diagnostic challenges. Since MBC may show focal immunostaining or may even be negative for some cytokeratins (CK), different CKs are often needed to prove their epithelial origin. OSCAR is a relatively new broad-spectrum anti-CK antibody. Thirty MBC cases diagnosed at our institution were retrieved, including 7 spindle cell carcinomas. Representative slides were immunostained for CK-OSCAR, CK-AE1/AE3, CAM5.2, CK-903, and CK5/6. Nineteen spindle cell lesions were used as controls, including 6 malignant and 10 borderline phyllodes tumor, 1 inflammatory pseudotumor, 1 solitary fibrous tumor, and 1 nodular fasciitis case. All 30 cases (100%) of metaplastic carcinomas were positive for CK-OSCAR, compared with 27/30 (90%, P=0.076) for CK-AE1/AE3, 21/30 (70%, P≤0.01) for CK-903, 19/30 (63.3%, P≤0.01) for CAM5.2, and 15/30 (50%, P≤0.01) for CK5/6. All control cases were negative for CK-OSCAR. All 7 spindle cell carcinomas were also positive for CK-OSCAR (100%) compared with 6/7 (85.7%) for CK-AE1/AE3, 4/7 (57%) for CK-903, 3/7 (42.8%) for CAM5.2, and 2/7 (28.5%) for CK5/6. Our data show that CK-OSCAR is more sensitive than other individual CKs in diagnosing MBC. Coupled with high specificity, CK-OSCAR may potentially be used in lieu of a panel of CKs to identify the epithelial origin of these tumors, especially in spindle cell tumors. This is particularly useful in limited core biopsy specimens, to help guide treatment and simultaneously lower testing costs.
Arcanobacterium pinnipediorum sp. nov., isolated from a harbour seal
Authors: Sammra Osama , Balbutskaya Anna , Ülbegi-Mohyla Hivda , Nagib Samy , Lämmler Christoph , Kämpfer Peter , Glaeser Stefanie P. , Golke Jan , Busse Hans-Jürgen , Prenger-Berninghoff Ellen , Siebert Ursula , Abdulmawjood Amir , Klein Günter
Published: September 2015

A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed on an unidentified Arcanobacterium-like, Gram-stain-positive bacterium, strain 2710T, isolated from a harbour seal. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that this bacterial strain belonged to the genus Arcanobacterium and was related most closely to the type strains of Arcanobacterium phocae (98.4 % similarity) and Arcanobacterium phocisimile (97.5 %). 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to the type strains of other Arcanobacterium species were between 95.3 and 96.9 %. DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain 2710T and A. phocae DSM 10002T and A. phocisimile LMG 27073T were 4.7 % (reciprocal 56 %) and 23 % (reciprocal 7.7 %), respectively. The presence of the major menaquinone MK-9(H4) and a polar lipid profile with the major compounds diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside supported the affiliation of strain 2710T to the genus Arcanobacterium. The major fatty acids were C16:0, C18:1ω9c, C18:0 and C18:2ω6,9c/anteiso-C18:0. The peptidoglycan structure was of cross-linkage type A5α (l-Lys–l-Lys–d-Glu). Physiological and biochemical tests clearly distinguished the isolate from other members of the genus Arcanobacterium. Based on these tests, it is proposed that this unknown bacterium should be classified as a novel species of the genus Arcanobacterium, with the name Arcanobacterium pinnipediorum sp. nov. The type strain is 2710T ( = DSM 28752T = LMG 28298T).
Bacillus endolithicus sp. nov., isolated from pebbles
Authors: Parag B. , Sasikala Ch. , Ramana Ch. V.
Published: September 2015

Strain JC267Twas isolated from pebbles collected from Pingleshwar beach, Gujarat, India. Cells are Gram-stain-positive, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile rods forming sub-terminal endospores in swollen ellipsoidal to oval sporangia. Strain JC267Tcontains anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C14 : 0, iso-C16 : 0,C16 : 0and anteiso-C17 : 0as major (>5 %) cellular fatty acids. Polar lipids include phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipids (PL1–3), glycolipids (GL1–2) and an unidentified lipid. Cell-wall amino acids are composed of diagnosticmeso-diaminopimelic acid,dl-alanine and a small amount ofd-glutamic acid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain JC267Tis 45.5 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain JC267Tshowed highest sequence similarities of < 98.41 % with all species of the genusBacilluswhen subjected to EzTaxon-eblastanalysis. The reassociation values based on DNA–DNA hybridization of strain JC267TwithBacillus halosaccharovoransIBRC-M 10095TandBacillus niabensisJCM 16399Twere 26 ± 1 % and 34 ± 3 %, respectively. Based on taxonomic data obtained using a polyphasic approach, strain JC267Trepresents a novel species of the genusBacillus,for which the nameBacillus endolithicussp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JC267T( = IBRC-M 10914T = KCTC 33579T).
Genetic structure of the stingless beeTetragonisca angustula
Authors: Francisco Flávio O. , Santiago Leandro R. , Mizusawa Yuri M. , Oldroyd Benjamin P. , Arias Maria C.
Published: September 2015

The stingless beeTetragonisca angustulaLatreille 1811 is distributed from Mexico to Argentina and is one of the most widespread bee species in the Neotropics. However, this wide distribution contrasts with the short distance traveled by females to build new nests. Here we evaluate the genetic structure of several populations ofT. angustulausing mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites. These markers can help us to detect differences in the migratory behavior of males and females. Our results show that the populations are highly differentiated suggesting that both females and males have low dispersal distance. Therefore, its continental distribution probably consists of several cryptic species.
Inference of multiple-wave population admixture by modeling decay of linkage disequilibrium with multiple exponential functions
Authors: Zhou Ying , Yuan Kai , Yu Yaoliang , Ni Xumin , Xie Pengtao , Xing Eric P. , Xu Shuhua
Published: September 2015

Admixture-introduced linkage disequilibrium (LD) has recently been introduced into the inference of the histories of complex admixtures. However, the influence of ancestral source populations on the LD pattern in admixed populations is not properly taken into consideration by currently available methods, which affects the estimation of several gene flow parameters from empirical data. We first illustrated the dynamic changes of LD in admixed populations and mathematically formulated the LD under a generalized admixture model with finite population size. We next developed a new method, MALDmef, by fitting LD with multiple exponential functions for inferring and dating multiple-wave admixtures. MALDmef takes into account the effects of source populations which substantially affect modeling LD in admixed population, which renders it capable of efficiently detecting and dating multiple-wave admixture events. The performance of MALDmef was evaluated by simulation and it was shown to be more accurate than MALDER, a state-of-the-art method that was recently developed for similar purposes, under various admixture models. We further applied MALDmef to analyzing genome-wide data from the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) and the HapMap Project. Interestingly, we were able to identify more than one admixture events in several populations, which have yet to be reported. For example, two major admixture events were identified in the Xinjiang Uyghur, occurring around 27–30 generations ago and 182–195 generations ago, respectively. In an African population (MKK), three recent major admixtures occurring 13–16, 50–67, and 107–139 generations ago were detected. Our method is a considerable improvement over other current methods and further facilitates the inference of the histories of complex population admixtures.
Integrative Approaches to Enhance Understanding of Plant Metabolic Pathway Structure and Regulation
Authors: Tohge Takayuki , Scossa Federico , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: September 2015

Huge insight into molecular mechanisms and biological network coordination have been achieved following the application of various profiling technologies. Our knowledge of how the different molecular entities of the cell interact with one another suggests that, nevertheless, integration of data from different techniques could drive a more comprehensive understanding of the data emanating from different techniques. Here, we provide an overview of how such data integration is being used to aid the understanding of metabolic pathway structure and regulation. We choose to focus on the pairwise integration of large-scale metabolite data with that of the transcriptomic, proteomics, whole-genome sequence, growth- and yield-associated phenotypes, and archival functional genomic data sets. In doing so, we attempt to provide an update on approaches that integrate data obtained at different levels to reach a better understanding of either single gene function or metabolic pathway structure and regulation within the context of a broader biological process.
U.S. wine consumer preferences for bottle characteristics, back label extrinsic cues and wine composition
Authors: Kelley Kathleen , Hyde Jeffrey , Bruwer Johan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine what factors and assortment of factors on wine back labels, representative of those found in the US market, appealed to consumers. Moreover, what changes to wine bottle characteristics and standard wine composition appealed and could affect their purchasing decision.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected through an online survey of 910 wine consumers who resided in Metropolitan Philadelphia and New York City.

Findings

– Based on conjoint analysis, averaged importance for food-wine-pairing information on wine bottle back labels was greater than both how to contact and connect with the winery and winery background information. Within the pairing information factor, description of food-wine-pairings and symbols of food-wine-pairings received positive utility values, indicating consumers preferred these options more than having no pairing information present. Consumers who purchased wine at least once a week were more positively impacted by the alternatives presented, with influence decreasing as purchasing frequency declined. Wine purchasing frequency is related to the number of wine drinkers living in a household and wine consumption within a household is most often a shared consumption activity. More females drink wine but the consumption frequency of males is higher.

Practical implications

– Producers considering changing either the wine composition or a bottle characteristic should note that, based on frequency of wine purchasing, changes that may invoke a positive response are: decreased calorie content, wine made from “sustainably farmed” or “naturally farmed” grapes, and producing USDA Certified Organic wine.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to investigate what changes to extrinsic cues in the form of wine bottle and back label characteristics and to the wine composition (taste) intrinsic cue appeal to consumers in the US market and might influence their purchase decisions.
Student voice and quality enhancement in higher education
Authors: Garwe Evelyn Chiyevo
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the student voice in enhancement of the quality of educational provision in universities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used the longitudinal approach, carried out as two separate surveys covering a period of three years. An initial survey to determine the issues affecting teaching and learning quality in eight public and five private universities was made from June 2011 to May 2012. In 2013, a follow-up survey targeting three state and three private universities was done to check whether the issues of concern raised by students had been addressed. The study used triangulation of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were collected using observation, document analysis, semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with students and academic staff.

Findings

– The findings showed that the major issues affecting quality of teaching and learning were inadequate assignments, absentee lecturers, poorly qualified lecturers, sexual harassment and the lack of public address systems for mass lectures. During the second survey, results showed that all universities had addressed the students’ concerns but new challenges caused by the ever increasing enrolments had emerged.

Practical implications

– The study pointed to the need to continuously engage the student voice as a way of improving the quality of the teaching and learning environment.

Originality/value

– The study adds to the body of knowledge on utilising the student voice to improve the quality of educational provision in institutions of higher learning
Graduates’ expectation gap: the role of employers and Higher Learning Institutes
Authors: Islam Talat , Ahmed Ishfaq , Khalifah Zainab , Sadiq Misbah , Faheem Muhammad Asim
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the difference between fresh graduates’ expectations and actual experiences regarding work environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire-based survey was employed on 170 Malaysian fresh graduates. They were evaluated on the basis of their expectations and actual experiences which enabled the researcher to determine gaps.

Findings

– Using paired samplet-test it was found that there exist gaps regarding what fresh graduates expect and their actual experience regarding work environment. Leadership communication and decision making were found to be significantly related with job satisfaction whereas leadership was found to be related with organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

– The study used a selected sample from Malaysian graduates, the results might be different if samples are taken from a geographically different area.

Practical implications

– The study has implications for fresh graduates, employers and higher learning organization.

Originality/value

– Limited studies have examined fresh graduates regarding what they were expecting and actually experienced in the workplace. Moreover, the study also identifies how these gaps influence graduates’ job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Outcomes of an interprofessional simulation curriculum
Authors: DeMarco Lisa , Panzarella Karen , Ferro Heather , Pownall Lynn , Case Andrew , Nowakowski Patricia , Stewart Maxine , Duszkiewicz Alice , Verni Christine , Kennedy Mary  Catherine , Cieri Nicole , Dowd Colleen , Dunford Denise
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Interprofessional education (IPE) is a method to create an environment that fosters interprofessional communication, understanding the roles and responsibilities of each profession, learning the skills to organize and communicate information for patients, families and members of the health care team. Providing IPE to health professional students can prepare them in the workforce to have the necessary skills to function in a collaborative practice ready environment. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the methods used in developing IPE curriculum, faculty training as debriefers/facilitators, identify learning objectives and outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The faculty and student surveys utilized a Likert scale. Learning objectives for the student survey assessed learning objective including communication of roles and responsibilities, communication and organization of information, engagement of other health professions (HP) in shared patient-centered problem solving, interprofessional assessment of patient status, and preparation of patients from transition of care to home. The faculty survey assessed faculty experience levels in IPE, role as facilitator/debriefer, and future needs for sustainability of the program.

Findings

– Student evaluation of IPE simulation experience revealed students believed they improved their interprofessional communication skills and had a better understanding of health professional roles and responsibilities. Faculty feedback indicated that HP students achieved learning objectives and their continued commitment to IPE however additional training and development were identified as areas of need.

Practical implications

– This paper can assist other educational institutions in developing IPE and structuring IPE assessment particularly in the HPs.

Social implications

– The public health care will be impacted positively by having health care providers specifically trained to work in teams and understand collaborative care. Student graduates in the HPs will be better prepared to function as a team in real clinical care following their participation in interprofessional simulation.

Originality/value

– This interprofessional simulation curriculum involves student learners from eight different HPs and participation of over 30 faculty from differing professions. This curriculum is unique in its bread and depth of collaboration and true teamwork across disciplines.
Knowledge at the boundary between science and society: a review of the use of farmers’ knowledge in agricultural development
Authors: Girard Nathalie
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to build a review of the various management processes of this knowledge in this domain, with the aim of identifying research topics and perspectives for knowledge management (KM) within the boundaries between science and society. At the boundary between science and society, the development of agricultural systems is grounded in various innovation processes that are currently being challenged by sustainability issues. In particular, farmers’ knowledge is emphasized today in various reports and scientific studies as a way of designing more sustainable agricultural systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature analysis was performed on a database built from the Web of Science and 273 scientific article abstracts were qualitatively analyzed.

Findings

– Four KM strategies on the basis of the objectives of these papers, the arguments used to justify the study of farmers’ knowledge (FK) and the position of the authors in relation to this knowledge were built. These strategies can be broken down as follows: assessing FK to improve it; documenting FK to capitalize or legitimize it in development processes; using FK as a resource for innovation; and facilitating the sharing of various sources of knowledge to increase the efficiency of development projects.

Research limitations/implications

– Because the four KM strategies show a relative genericity, research perspectives for each of them, some of which were related to the KM community and some of which extended the focus on political, legal or sociological aspects of knowledge production processes at the boundary between science and society, were drawn.

Practical implications

– The four categories of KM strategies revealed the importance of legitimization processes of practitioners’ knowledge when dealing with innovation at science–society boundaries, whereas such processes are often neglected by classical KM methodologies.

Social implications

– This work questions the category of “practitioners’ knowledge”, stressing the need to go beyond the dichotomy between scientific and empirical knowledge and to recognize the hybrid nature of knowledge. It also shatters the myth that local knowledge is more sustainable than science-driven innovations, arguing for more KM efforts at the boundary between science and society.

Originality/value

– Even if farmers’ knowledge has been used since the 1970s to promote more endogenous innovation processes as opposed to classical science-driven innovation processes, no review has yet been done of the use of farmers’ knowledge in the development of agricultural systems.
Solicitation of experts in an undetermined environment: the case of a polar exploration
Authors: Bootz Jean-Philippe , Lievre Pascal , Schenk Eric
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand the solicitation of outside experts in the upstream phase of innovation projects, which fall within the scope of the exploration and which take place within a context of radical uncertainty: how are these experts identified, selected and mobilised? While companies are compelled to manage exploration projects, the processes underlying the expansion of knowledge in these projects are not well known.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the literature, this paper first presents a conceptual view of the notion of expert. Then, the research question is analyzed by means of a case study of a polar expedition. The project leader seeks a knowledgeable person who has never been identified as an expert, but whose knowledge is essential.

Findings

– The expert appears both in his cognitive and social dimensions. Moreover, he emerges out of the situation, on the basis of neither strong nor weak signals. The rationality of expert solicitation falls within a pragmatic logic where the acquired knowledge must reduce the uncertainty so that the project can progress. The learning process enables to increase gradually the knowledge of the actor but also to build the legitimacy required in order to have access to the expert.

Practical implications

– Findings can be translated in more general situations. Indeed, polar expeditions projects and exploratory innovation projects (Garel and Lièvre, 2010) possess some common characteristics: lack of knowledge concerning, timing issues, need to implement a pragmatic, enquiry-based learning. These projects strongly rely on external expert knowledge. This case study suggests that, while it may be useful, planning should not strictly define the course of action. A central competence of the project leader is to manage the duality between planning and adaptation. This implies the ability to adapt, to detect and to assess human resources and knowledge flows rapidly, as well as to weave social links inside and outside the organisation.

Originality/value

– The existing literature offers a comprehensive view of experts in an organisation. However, the questions of expert selection and identification remain open. This paper fills a gap in the literature concerning the way experts are identified and selected. The case study shows that identifying experts does not solely depend on weak signals (reputation) or on strong signals (the expert’s social status). Rather, the expert emerges in the situation, in an unexpected way. The expert’s social dimension is not sufficient and one must look to the cognitive roots of the expertise. On the other hand, the fact is emphasised that the expert is a social construct which emerges from the solicitation process.
Terrain classification for terrain parameter estimation based on a dynamic testing system
Authors: Yang Fan , Lin Guoyu , Zhang Weigong
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to gain the real-time terrain parameters of the battlefield for the evaluation of military vehicle trafficability. In military missions, improvements in vehicle mobility have the potential to greatly increase the military operational capacity, in which vehicle trafficability plays a significant role.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this framework, an online terrain parameter estimation method based on the Gauss-Newton algorithm is proposed to estimate the primary terrain mechanical parameters. Good estimation results are indicated, unless the initial values involved are properly selected. Correspondingly, a method of terrain classification is then presented to contribute to the selection of the initial values. This method uses the wavelet packet transform technique for feature extraction and adopts the support vector machine algorithm for terrain classification. Once the terrain type is identified, advices can be given on the initial value selection referring to the empirical terrain parameters.

Findings

– On the basis of a dynamic testing system suitable for real military vehicles, the proposed algorithms are validated. High estimation accuracy of the terrain parameters is indicated on sandy loam, and good classification performance is demonstrated on four tested terrains.

Originality/value

– The presented algorithm outperforms the existing methods, which not only realizes the online terrain parameter estimation but also develops the estimation accuracy. Moreover, its effectiveness is confirmed by real vehicle tests in practice.
Piezoelectric energy harvesting: application to data center monitoring
Authors: Garcia Ricardo , Combette Philippe , Poulin Youri , Foucaran Alain , Podlecki Jean , Hassen Saniya Ben , Grilli Marie Angele , Hess Olivier , Briant François
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report the study of vibration energy harvesting from a data center (DC) mainframe computer to power nodes of a wireless sensors network (WSN are used to improve the energy efficiency of a DC).

Design/methodology/approach

– The piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (VEH) has been designed using an electromechanical analytical model. The VEH is composed of a three-layer cantilever beam with a tip mass. A vibration map (amplitude and acceleration) is presented and the authors show that the optimum frequency is around 90 Hz with maximum amplitude of 1 μm and maximum acceleration of 0.6 m/s2. Modeling results and experimental measurements using an electromagnetic shaker to apply vibrations concord.

Findings

– The VEH delivers a maximum power of 31 μW on a DC mainframe computer and 2.3 mW at 1g on a test rack. It allows us to use a storage capacitance to successfully power a wireless sensor node for measuring temperature. This paper has been carried out in cooperation with IBM Montpellier and within the framework of the RIDER project financed by the French government and the European Union.

Originality/value

– A vibration map (amplitude and acceleration) is presented and the authors show that the optimal frequency is around 90 Hz with maximum amplitude of 1 μm and maximum acceleration of 0.6 m/s2. The VEH delivers a maximum power of 31 μW on DC mainframe computer and 2.3 mW at 1 g on test mounted the shaker. It allows us with a storage capacitance to successfully power a wireless sensor node for measuring temperature.
Application of orthogonal design to optimize flow pattern transition conditions
Authors: Hou Hailing , Yue Shihong , Huang Xiaoguang , Wang Huaxiang
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss flow pattern transition (FPT) as an important factor in multiple-phase flow measurements. Several methods have been proposed to control FPT, but those methods fail to address the many issues in complex flow conditions that can affect flow patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, a non-intrusive sensor instrumentation is applied to extract measurable data under different flow conditions. Using these data, a simple theoretical–mathematical method along with an orthogonal design is applied to FPT optimization. Orthogonal experiments are designed and carried out according to theoretical guidelines. Three selected process parameters – phase fraction, gas pressure in the initial independent process and liquid speed – are optimized for FPT results to produce a minimum FPT time.

Findings

– The following results are obtained: the phase fraction in the initial independent process can lead to significant reductions in FPT time, gas pressure plays an important role and liquid speed has no apparent effect on FPT results. Under optimized conditions, FPT time can be shortened to 0.3-0.6 times by controlling the above three parameters compared with normal conditions.

Originality/value

– The proposed method is simple, rapid and efficient for evaluating an FPT process and lays the foundation for further FPT applications.
Nanomaterials for new and emerging physical sensing applications: a review of recent developments
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to provide details of recently reported work on the use of nanomaterials in sensors for physical variables.

Design/methodology/approach

– Following a short introduction, this paper first discusses research involving the use of a range of nanomaterials for strain sensing. It then considers the applications of these materials to sensors for pressure, force, touch and allied variables. It concludes with a brief discussion and 33 references.

Findings

– This paper shows that nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metallic nanoparticles and nanowires are being studied extensively in the physical-sensing context. All manner of sensors have been developed, based on a diversity of principles and technologies, and many offer excellent performance and unique capabilities, making them particularly well-suited to emerging applications such as wearable sensing devices.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a detailed and timely review of the rapidly growing body of research into the use of nanomaterials for sensing physical quantities.
A new tactile array sensor for viscoelastic tissues with time-dependent behavior
Authors: Hassanbeiglou Alireza , Kalantari Masoud , Mozaffari Elaheh , Dargahi Javad , Kövecses József
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new tactile array sensor into the medical field to enhance current robotic minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) procedures that are still limited in scope and versatility. In this paper, a novel idea is proposed in which a tactile sensor array can measure rate of displacement in addition to force and displacement of any viscoelastic material during the course of a single touch. To verify this new array sensor, several experiments were conducted on a diversity of tissues from which it was concluded that this newly developed sensory offers definite and significant enhancements.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed array sensor is capable of extracting force, displacement and displacement rate in the course of a single touch on tissues. Several experiments have been conducted on different tissues and the array sensor to verify the concept and to verify the output of the sensor.

Findings

– It is shown that this new generation of sensors are required to distinguish the difference in hardness degrees of materials with viscoelastic behavior.

Originality/value

– In this paper, a new generation of tactile sensors is proposed that is capable of measuring indentation time in addition to force and displacement. This idea is completely unique and has not been submitted to any conference or journal.
Hospitals Known for Nursing Excellence Associated with Better Hospital Experience for Patients
Authors: Stimpfel Amy Witkoski , Sloane Douglas M. , McHugh Matthew D. , Aiken Linda H.
Published: September 2015

Objective

To examine the relationship between Magnet recognition, an indicator of nursing excellence, and patients' experience with their hospitalization reported in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.

Data Sources

This secondary analysis includes cross‐sectional data from the 2010 HCAHPS survey, the American Hospital Association, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Study Design

We conducted a retrospective observational study.

Data Collection

Using common hospital identifiers, we created a matched set of 212 Magnet hospitals and 212 non‐Magnet hospitals.

Principal Findings

Patients in Magnet hospitals gave their hospitals higher overall ratings, were more likely to recommend their hospital, and reported more positive care experiences with nurse communication.

Conclusions

Magnet recognition is associated with better patient care experiences, which may positively enhance reimbursement for hospitals.
Institutional Pressures to Provide Social Benefits and the Earnings Management Behavior of Nonprofits: Evidence from the U.S. Hospital Industry
Authors: Vansant Brian
Published: September 2015

This study examines the relationship between institutional pressures to provide social benefits and the discretionary accrual behavior of nonprofit firms. I examine this issue within the context of U.S. nonprofit hospitals, an economically significant and politically rich setting where firms face considerable institutional pressure to provide an important social benefit: charity care. I argue that institutional pressures on nonprofits to provide higher levels of social benefits imply that lower profits should be reported. I develop theory and provide evidence which suggests that, due to competing private incentives to report higher profits, nonprofit managers strategically use discretionary accruals to increase accounting earnings when the social benefits their firms have provided in the current period exceed external stakeholders' normative expectations. The findings from this study inform the ongoing political debate regarding the appropriateness of tax exemptions for U.S. nonprofit hospitals and should therefore be of interest to both regulators and policymakers. In addition, this study provides timely insights for researchers regarding how institutional pressures can affect managers' reporting behaviors in other settings where similar competing reporting incentives exist between managers' private benefits and stakeholder expectations related to social benefits.
Reduced heart rate variability in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder compared to healthy controls
Authors: Quintana D. S. , Westlye L. T. , Kaufmann T. , Rustan Ø. G. , Brandt C. L. , Haatveit B. , Steen N. E. , Andreassen O. A.
Published: September 2015

Objective

Despite current diagnostic systems distinguishing schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) as separate diseases, emerging evidence suggests they share a number of clinical and epidemiological features, such as increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It is not well understood if poor cardiac autonomic nervous system regulation, which can be indexed non‐invasively by the calculation of heart rate variability (HRV), contributes to these common CVD risk factors in both diseases.

Method

We calculated HRV in 47 patients with SZ, 33 patients with BD and 212 healthy controls. Measures of symptom severity were also collected from the patient groups.

Results

Heart rate variability was significantly reduced in both these disorders in comparison with the healthy participants; however, there were no HRV differences between disorders. Importantly, these reductions were independent of the medication, age or body mass index effects. There was also preliminary evidence that patients with reduced HRV had increased overall and negative psychosis symptom severity regardless of SZ or BD diagnosis.

Conclusion

We suggest that HRV may provide a possible biomarker of CVD risk and symptom severity in severe mental illness. Thus, our results highlight the importance of cardiometabolic screening across SZ and bipolar spectrum disorders.
Cultural worldviews and climate change: A view from China
Authors: Xue Wen , Hine Donald W. , Marks Anthony D. G. , Phillips Wendy J. , Zhao Shouying
Published: September 2015

We investigated the association between cultural worldviews and climate change risk perceptions, support for climate friendly policies and climate change mitigation behaviours in a large Chinese sample. Items from Dake's cultural theory scales and Kahan's cultural cognition scale were presented to a Qualtrics online panel consisting of 515 Mandarin‐speaking residents of Beijing. A series of factor analyses revealed that the combined item sets were best represented by four‐dimensions: hierarchism, individualism, egalitarianism and fatalism. Mediation analysis revealed that respondents with egalitarian and non‐fatalist worldviews perceived greater risk associated with climate change, which in turn predicted greater support for policies to manage climate change and increased mitigation behaviour. In addition, respondents who scored high on individualism were less likely to support climate change policies, but this effect was not mediated by risk perceptions. Overall, our results suggest cultural worldviews may influence policy support both directly and indirectly through risk perceptions.
Oztag: high risk for hand injuries?
Authors: Raymond Andrew , Harish Varun , Merten Steve
Published: September 2015

Background

Oztag is an Australian tag rugby code in which opponents are ‘tackled’ by removing Velcro tabs from their shorts. It is assumed to be safer than other higher‐contact rugby codes.

Methods

Oztag‐related hand injuries were identified by a word search of the electronic emergency department records of Concord Repatriation General Hospital from January 2011 to October 2013. Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

Twenty‐eight presentations were identified. Mean age of patients was 24 years (range 13–38). Injuries included fractures, dislocations and ligamentous injuries, in isolation or combination. The most common injuries were middle phalangeal fractures (six), all of which required operative fixation. No tendon avulsions were identified. The most common mechanism of injury was attempted tackle, which was much more likely to require operative management than any other mechanism (70% versus 14%, P = 0.010).

Conclusions

While the prevalence of Oztag‐related hand injuries may be low, the occurrence of potentially debilitating injuries in a young, working population raises concern. The ‘tag’ tackle, which involves players running at speed with outstretched fingers, is particularly high risk. Prospective audit of injuries is required and players and organizers should be made aware of the dangers of this ‘low‐contact’ sport.
Influence of implant neck design on facial bone crest dimensions in the esthetic zone analyzed by cone beamCT: a comparative study with a 5‐to‐9‐year follow‐up
Authors: Chappuis Vivianne , Bornstein Michael M. , Buser Daniel , Belser Urs
Published: September 2015

Aim

To examine the influence of two different neck designs on facial bone crest dimensions in esthetic single implant sites after a 5‐to‐9‐year follow‐up analyzed by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Materials and methods

Sixty‐one patients with an implant‐borne single crown following early implant placement in the esthetic zone were enrolled. The test group consisted of a bone level (BL) neck design exhibiting a hydrophilic micro‐rough surface combined with a platform‐switching interface (PS) (n = 20). The control group comprised a soft tissue level (STL) neck design exhibiting a hydrophobic machined surface with a matching butt‐joint interface (n = 41). Standardized clinical, radiologic, and esthetic parameters were applied. The facial bone crest dimensions were assessed byCBCT.

Results

Soft tissue parameters and pink esthetic scores yielded no significant differences between the two designs. Major differences were only observed at the implant shoulder level. The height of the facial bone crest for theBLdesign was located 0.2 mm above the implant shoulder level, whereas for theSTLdesign, its location was 1.6 mm below. The width of the peri‐implant saucer‐like bone defect was reduced by 40% for theBLimplant design. No differences were observed 2 mm below the shoulder level.

Conclusions

The results of this comparative study suggest better crestal bone stability on the facial aspect of single implant sites in the esthetic zone for aBLdesign with a platform‐switching concept when compared withSTLimplants with a butt‐joint interface.
Progress in the ecology and conservation of giant pandas
Authors: Wei Fuwen , Swaisgood Ronald , Hu Yibo , Nie Yonggang , Yan Li , Zhang Zejun , Qi Dunwu , Zhu Lifeng
Published: September 2015

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) conservation is a possible success story in the making. If extinction of this iconic endangered species can be avoided, the species will become a showcase program for the Chinese government and its collaborators. We reviewed the major advancements in ecological science for the giant panda, examining how these advancements have contributed to panda conservation. Pandas’ morphological and behavioral adaptations to a diet of bamboo, which bear strong influence on movement ecology, have been well studied, providing knowledge to guide management actions ranging from reserve design to climate change mitigation. Foraging ecology has also provided essential information used in the creation of landscape models of panda habitat. Because habitat loss and fragmentation are major drivers of the panda population decline, efforts have been made to help identify core habitat areas, establish where habitat corridors are needed, and prioritize areas for protection and restoration. Thus, habitat models have provided guidance for the Chinese governments’ creation of 67 protected areas. Behavioral research has revealed a complex and efficient communication system and documented the need for protection of habitat that serves as a communication platform for bringing the sexes together for mating. Further research shows that den sites in old‐growth forests may be a limiting resource, indicating potential value in providing alternative den sites for rearing offspring. Advancements in molecular ecology have been revolutionary and have been applied to population census, determining population structure and genetic diversity, evaluating connectivity following habitat fragmentation, and understanding dispersal patterns. These advancements form a foundation for increasing the application of adaptive management approaches to move panda conservation forward more rapidly. Although the Chinese government has made great progress in setting aside protected areas, future emphasis will be improved management of pandas and their habitat.
Viable contribution of Tibetan sacred mountains in southwestern China to forest conservation
Authors: Shen Xiaoli , Li Sheng , Wang Dajun , Lu Zhi
Published: September 2015

The Tibetan sacred mountains (TSMs) cover a large area and may represent a landscape‐scale conservation opportunity. We compared the conservation value of forests in these mountains with the conservation value of government‐established nature reserves and unmanaged open‐access areas in Danba County, southwestern China. We used Landsat satellite images to map forest cover and to estimate forest loss in 1974–1989, 1989–1999, and 1999–2013. The TSMs (n = 41) and nature reserves (n = 4) accounted for 21.6% and 29.7% of the county's land area, respectively. Remaining land was open‐access areas (i.e., areas without any restrictions on resource use) (56.2%) and farmlands (2.2%). Within the elevation range suitable for forests, forest cover did not differ significantly between nature reserves (58.8%) and open‐access areas (58.4%), but was significantly higher in TSMs (65.5%) after controlling for environmental factors such as aspect, slope, and elevation. The TSMs of great cultural importance had higher forest cover, but patrols by monastery staff were not necessarily associated with increased forest cover. The annual deforestation rate in nonsacred areas almost tripled in 1989–1999 (111.4 ha/year) relative to 1974–1989 (40.4 ha/year), whereas the rate in TSMs decreased in the later period (19.7 ha/year vs. 17.2 ha/year). The reduced forest loss in TSMs in 1989–1999 was possibly due to the renaissance of TSM worship and strengthened management by the local Buddhist community since late 1980s. The annual deforestation rate in Danba decreased dramatically to 4.4 ha/year in 1999–2013, which coincided with the implementation of a national ban on logging in 1998. As the only form of protected area across the Tibetan region during much of its history, TSMs have positively contributed to conserving forest at a landscape scale. Conservation of TSM forests largely relied on the strength of local religious institutions. Integrating community‐based conservation of TSMs within the government conservation network would benefit the conservation of the Tibetan region.