bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Epidermal Growth Factor: Revisiting the Local Delivery Route for a Successful Outcome
Authors: Berlanga-Acosta Jorge , Fernández-Montequín José , Valdés-Pérez Calixto , Savigne-Gutiérrez William , Mendoza-Marí Yssel , García-Ojalvo Ariana , Falcón‐Cama Viviana , García del Barco-Herrera Diana , Fernández-Mayola Maday , Pérez-Saad Héctor , Pimentel-Vázquez Eulogio , Urquiza-Rodríguez Aleida , Kulikovsky Moshe , Guillén-Nieto Gerardo
Published: August 2017

Soon after epidermal growth factor (EGF) discovery, somein vivomodels appeared demonstrating its property to enhance cutaneous wound healing. EGF was the first growth factor (GF) introduced in the clinical arena as a healing enhancer, exerting its mitogenic effects on epithelial, fibroblastoid, and endothelial cells via a tyrosine kinase membrane receptor. Compelling evidences from the 90s documented that, for EGF, locally prolonged bioavailability and hourly interaction with the receptor were necessary for a successful tissue response. Eventually, the enthusiasm on the clinical use of EGF to steer the healing process was wiped out as the topical route to deliver proteins started to be questioned. The simultaneousin vivoexperiments, emphasizing the impact of the parenterally administered EGF on epithelial and nonepithelial organs in terms of mitogenesis and cytoprotection, rendered the theoretical fundamentals for the injectable use of EGF and shaped the hypothesis that locally infiltrating the diabetic ulcers would lead to an effective healing. Although the diabetic chronic wounds microenvironment is hostile for local GFs bioavailability, EGF local infiltration circumvented the limitations of its topical application, thus expanding its therapeutic prospect. Our clinical pharmacovigilance and basic studies attest the significance of the GF local infiltration for chronic wounds healing.
Transmission of Donor-Derived Trypanosoma cruzi and Subsequent Development of Chagas Disease in a Lung Transplant Recipient
Authors: Corey A. B. , Sonetti D. , Maloney J. D. , Montgomery S. P. , Rademacher B. L. , Taylor L. J. , Smith J. A. , Striker R.
Published: August 2017

Donor infection status should be considered when accepting an organ for transplant. Here we present a case of Chagas disease developing after a lung transplant where the donor was known to be Trypanosoma cruzi antibody positive. The recipient developed acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection with reactivation after treatment. Chagas disease-positive donors are likely to be encountered in the United States; donor targeted screening is needed to guide decisions regarding organ transplant and posttransplant monitoring.
A High-Level Synthesis Scheduling and Binding Heuristic for FPGA Fault Tolerance
Authors: Wilson David , Shastri Aniruddha , Stitt Greg
Published: August 2017

Computing systems with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) often achieve fault tolerance in high-energy radiation environments via triple-modular redundancy (TMR) and configuration scrubbing. Although effective, TMR suffers from a 3x area overhead, which can be prohibitive for many embedded usage scenarios. Furthermore, this overhead is often worsened because TMR often has to be applied to existing register-transfer-level (RTL) code that designers created without considering the triplicated resource requirements. Although a designer could redesign the RTL code to reduce resources, modifying RTL schedules and resource allocations is a time-consuming and error-prone process. In this paper, we present a more transparent high-level synthesis approach that uses scheduling and binding to provide attractive tradeoffs between area, performance, and redundancy, while focusing on FPGA implementation considerations, such as resource realization costs, to produce more efficient architectures. Compared to TMR applied to existing RTL, our approach shows resource savings up to 80% with average resource savings of 34% and an average clock degradation of 6%. Compared to the previous approach, our approach shows resource savings up to 74% with average resource savings of 19% and an average heuristic execution time improvement of 96x.
A Two-Factor RSA-Based Robust Authentication System for Multiserver Environments
Authors: Amin Ruhul , Islam SK Hafizul , Khan Muhammad Khurram , Karati Arijit , Giri Debasis , Kumari Saru
Published: August 2017

The concept of two-factor multiserver authentication protocol was developed to avoid multiple number of registrations using multiple smart-cards and passwords. Recently, a variety of two-factor multiserver authentication protocols have been developed. It is observed that the existing RSA-based multiserver authentication protocols are not suitable in terms of computation complexities and security attacks. To provide lower complexities and security resilience against known attacks, this article proposes a two-factor (password and smart-card) user authentication protocol with the RSA cryptosystem for multiserver environments. The comprehensive security discussion proved that the known security attacks are eliminated in our protocol. Besides, our protocol supports session key agreement and mutual authentication between the application server and the user. We analyze the proof of correctness of the mutual authentication and freshness of session key using the BAN logic model. The experimental outcomes obtained through simulation of the Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) S/W show that our protocol is secured. We consider the computation, communication, and storage costs and the comparative explanations show that our protocol is flexible and efficient compared with protocols. In addition, our protocol offers security resilience against known attacks and provides lower computation complexities than existing protocols. Additionally, the protocol offers password change facility to the authorized user.
Prevalence of Smear-Positive Tuberculosis among Patients Who Visited Saint Paul’s Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Nugussie Dinna Abera , Mohammed Getachew Ali , Tefera Anteneh Tesfaye
Published: August 2017

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a health problem in both developed and developing countries, including Ethiopia.Objective. In this study, the prevalence of smear-positive tuberculosis among presumptive TB cases who visited the hospital was assessed.Method. Acid fast bacilli (AFB) test was performed on samples collected from 200 presumptive TB cases. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools.Result.Among 200 presumptive TB cases, 10% (20 individuals) (60% were male and 40% were female) were found to be positive for the AFB. Of these AFB positive subjects, 11.2% and 6.3% were from urban and rural areas, respectively. Among 20 AFB positive cases, 45% (9), 45% (9), and 10% (2) were HIV positive, HIV negative, and with HIV status unknown, respectively. The highest AFB positive cases were found within age group between 25 and 44 years (70%) and followed by age above 40 years (30%). It was found out that 75% (15), 15% (3), 5% (1), and 5% (1) were unemployed, government employed, student, and nongovernment employed, accordingly.Conclusion.This study indicated higher level of AFB positive cases within age groups of 25–44 and 65–74 years and also exhibited higher prevalence of TB cases from urban areas.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Myeloid Malignancies: A Focus on Immune Escaping and Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Fracchiolla Nicola Stefano , Fattizzo Bruno , Cortelezzi Agostino
Published: August 2017

The importance of the bone marrow microenvironment forming the so-called niche in physiologic hemopoiesis is largely known, and recent evidences support the presence of stromal alterations from the molecular to the cytoarchitectural level in hematologic malignancies. Various alterations in cell adhesion, metabolism, cytokine signaling, autophagy, and methylation patterns of tumor-derived mesenchymal stem cells have been demonstrated, contributing to the genesis of a leukemic permissive niche. This niche allows both the ineffective haematopoiesis typical of myelodysplastic syndromes and the differentiation arrest, proliferation advantage, and clone selection which is the hallmark of acute myeloid leukemia. Furthermore, the immune system, both adaptive and innate, encompassing mesenchymal-derived cells, has been shown to take part to the leukemic niche. Here, we critically review the state of art about mesenchymal stem cell role in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia, focusing on immune escaping mechanisms as a target for available and future anticancer therapies.
The Effect of Aging on the Cracking Resistance of Recycled Asphalt
Authors: Mohammadafzali Mojtaba , Ali Hesham , Musselman James A. , Sholar Gregory A. , Massahi Aidin
Published: August 2017

Fatigue cracking is an important concern when a high percentage of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is used in an asphalt mixture. The aging of the asphalt binder reduces its ductility and makes the pavement more susceptible to cracking. Rejuvenators are often added to high-RAP mixtures to enhance their performance. The aging of a rejuvenated binder is different from virgin asphalt. Therefore, the effect of aging on a recycled asphalt mixture can be different from its effect on a new one. This study evaluated the cracking resistance of 100% recycled asphalt binders and mixtures and investigated the effect of aging on this performance parameter. The cracking resistance of the binder samples was tested by a Bending Beam Rheometer. An accelerated pavement weathering system was used to age the asphalt mixtures and their cracking resistance was evaluated by the Texas Overlay Test. The results from binder and mixture tests mutually indicated that rejuvenated asphalt has a significantly better cracking resistance than virgin asphalt. Rejuvenated mixtures generally aged more rapidly, and the rate of aging was different for different rejuvenators.
Chronic Pain Assessments in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review of the Selection, Administration, Interpretation, and Reporting of Unidimensional Pain Intensity Scales
Authors: Lee Rebecca Rachael , Rashid Amir , Ghio Daniela , Thomson Wendy , Cordingley Lis
Published: August 2017

Background. Advances in pain assessment approaches now indicate which measures should be used to capture chronic pain experiences in children and adolescents. However, there is little guidance on how these tools should best be administered and reported, such as which time frames to use or how pain scores are categorised as mild, moderate, or severe. Objective. To synthesise current evidence on unidimensional, single-item pain intensity scale selection, administration, interpretation, and reporting. Methods. Databases were searched (inception: 18 January 2016) for studies in which unidimensional pain intensity assessments were used with children and adolescents with chronic pain. Ten quality criteria were developed by modifying existing recommendations to evaluate the quality of administration of pain scales most commonly used with children. Results. Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The highest score achieved was 7 out of a possible 10 (median: 5; IQR: 4–6). Usage of scales varied markedly in administrator/completer, highest anchors, number of successive assessments, and time referent periods used. Conclusions. Findings suggest these scales are selected, administered, and interpreted inconsistently, even in studies of the same type. Furthermore, methods of administration are rarely reported or justified making it impossible to compare findings across studies. This article concludes by recommending criteria for the future reporting of paediatric chronic pain assessments in studies.
Surface Crack Detection in Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipes Using BOTDA Strain Sensors
Authors: Xu Zhigang , Feng Xin , Zhong Sheng , Wu Wenjing
Published: August 2017

Structural deterioration after a period of service can induce the failure of prestressed concrete cylinder pipes (PCCPs), with microcracks in the coating leading to the corrosion of the prestressed wires. In this paper, we propose the use of Brillouin optical time‐domain analysis (BOTDA) strain sensors for detecting the onset of microcracking in PCCP coating: the BOTDA strain sensors are mounted on the surface of the PCCP, and distributed strain measurements are employed to assess the cracks in the mortar coating and the structural state of the pipe. To validate the feasibility of the proposed approach, experimental investigations were conducted on a prototype PCCP segment, wherein the inner pressure was gradually increased to 1.6 MPa. Two types of BOTDA strain sensors—the steel wire packaged fiber optic sensor and the polyelastic packaged fiber optic sensor—were employed in the experiments. The experimental distributed measurements agreed well with the finite element computations, evidencing that the investigated strain sensors are sensitive to localized deterioration behaviors such as PCCP microcracking.
Neck Management with Total Laryngectomy and Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Larynx Cancer
Authors: Kennedy William R. , Amdur Robert J. , Boyce Brian J. , Dziegielewski Peter , Morris Christopher G. , Mendenhall William M.
Published: August 2017

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx who receive total laryngectomy (TL) benefit from elective neck dissection (END) before adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy (RT). Methods: A retrospective review of 36 patients who received TL and adjuvant postoperative RT for laryngeal SCC between 1988 and 2013 was carried out. Patients had either T3 (n = 7; 19%) or T4a (n = 29; 81%) primaries, and all had clinically node-negative disease. All patients underwent TL and adjuvant RT. Patients underwent either a planned unilateral END, a bilateral END, or no END. Results: Median follow-up was 3.3 years (range, 0.3-18.4 years). Occult nodal metastases were found in 9 (32%) of 28 patients receiving END. 5-year control and survival rates for all patients were: local-regional control, 92% (END 91% vs. no END 100%; p = 0.4922); cause-specific survival, 80%; distant metastasis-free survival, 88%; and overall survival, 52%. Local-regional control and survival were not influenced by END. 5 (14%) patients experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicities. Conclusion: In this patient population, those not receiving END at the time of TL had equivalent rates of local-regional control and survival as those receiving END, although our sample size not receiving END was relatively small.
The Future of Human Longevity: Time for a Reality Check
Authors: Le Bourg Eric , Vijg Jan
Published: August 2017

Gavrilov and colleagues disagree with our article in Gerontology [Vijg and Le Bourg: Gerontology 2017;63:432-434]. Here we address their arguments regarding human life-history strategies, maximal lifespan, and the proposal that one could live soon for 150 years.
Neutrophil Recovery in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Docetaxel-Containing Chemotherapy with and without Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Prophylaxis
Authors: Aarts Maureen J. , Vriens Birgit E. , de Boer Maaike , Peters Frank P. , Mandigers Caroline M. , Dercksen M. Wouter , Stouthard Jacqueline M. , Tol Jolien , van Warmerdam Laurence J. , van de Wouw Agnes J. , Jacobs Esther M. , van der Rijt Carin C.D. , Smilde Tineke J. , van der Velden Annette W. , Peer Nelly , Tjan-Heijnen Vivianne C.G.
Published: August 2017

Objective: The primary outcome of the current study is, whether there is a protective effect of prior chemotherapy or of prior granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the next cycle blood cell counts. Methods: Hematologic toxicity was evaluated, based on a randomized phase III study in breast cancer patients (n = 167) with >20% risk of febrile neutropenia. The primary endpoint was the nadir blood cell counts for patients treated with G-CSF given during all 6 chemotherapy cycles or limited to the first 2 chemotherapy cycles only. Results: For the present analyses, 47 patients were eligible. In the G-CSF 1-6 arm, the median white blood cell count (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) nadir slowly decreased from 10.8 × 109/L in cycle 1 to 7.5 × 109/L in cycle 6 and from 7.1 × 109/L to 5.5 × 109/L, respectively. The median WBC nadir in the G-CSF 1-2 arm decreased from 1.2 × 109/L in cycle 3 to 0.9 × 109/L in cycle 6 and the ANC nadir showed a grade 4 neutropenia of 0.1 × 109/L in cycles 3-6. All patients had ANC recovery to normal levels (≥1.5 × 109/L) without delay on day 1 of the next cycle. Conclusion: We conclude that there is no protective effect of prior G-CSF or prior chemotherapy use on nadir blood cell counts in subsequent cycles.
Germline Development of Genetically Female Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Reared under Different Temperature Regimes
Authors: Habibah Aulidya N. , Pfennig Frank , Wilting Joerg , Holtz Wolfgang , Hoerstgen-Schwark Gabriele , Wessels Stephan
Published: August 2017

In teleosts, elevated temperature during embryogenesis can act on germline cell development, which in turn plays a role for sexual fate. In Nile tilapia, a species with high-temperature-induced masculinization, little is known about the effects of increased temperature on gonadal development in non-masculinized females. The aim of the present work was to investigate persistent effects on the germline of genetically female (XX) Nile tilapia reared at normal (28°C) or elevated temperature (36°C) during the critical time of gonadal sex differentiation at 10 to 20 days post fertilization. Non-sex-reversed females were compared to control females to determine persistent effects of temperature on subsequent ovarian development using histological approaches. Germline stem cells were identified using the germline marker Vasa in combination with the proliferation marker PCNA. Vasa- and PCNA-positive germline stem cells were found in ovaries of both high-temperature-treated and control females. In both groups, ovarian germline stem cells were located at the germinal epithelium of the ovigerous lamellae. Although no detrimental effects of high temperature on gonadal development in female Nile tilapia were observed, implications on the reproductive fitness caused by elevated temperature need to be investigated in greater depth.
Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Improve Heart Failure Care and Outcomes
Authors: Chang Leslie L. , DeVore Adam D. , Granger Bradi B. , Eapen Zubin J. , Ariely Dan , Hernandez Adrian F.
Published: August 2017

Behavioral challenges are often present in human illness, so behavioral economics is increasingly being applied in healthcare settings to better understand why patients choose healthy or unhealthy behaviors. The application of behavioral economics to healthcare settings parallels recent shifts in policy and reimbursement structures that hold providers accountable for outcomes that are dependent on patient behaviors. Numerous studies have examined the application of behavioral economics principles to policy making and health behaviors, but there are limited data on applying these concepts to the management of chronic conditions, such as heart failure (HF). Given its increasing prevalence and high associated cost of care, HF is a paradigm case for studying novel approaches to improve health care; therefore, if we can better understand why patients with HF make the choices they do, then we may be more poised to help them manage their medications, influence daily behaviors, and encourage healthy decision making. In this article, we will give a brief explanation of the core behavioral economics concepts that apply to patients with HF. We will also examine how to craft these concepts into tools such as financial incentives and social networks that may improve the management of patients with HF. We believe that behavioral economics can help us understand barriers to change, encourage positive behaviors, and offer additional approaches to improving the outcomes of patients with HF.
Protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Lands and Exploitation of Natural Resources: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Safeguards
Authors: Fuentes Alejandro
Published: August 2017

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (I-ACtHR) has developed remarkable jurisprudence for the protection of the right to communal property of indigenous and tribal communities with respect to the ancestral lands that they possess and traditionally used-natural resources, in order to guarantee their cultural and economic survival in the Americas. This article critically analyses the legal regime applicable for the protection of the right to traditional communal property of indigenous and tribal peoples in the Americas, its connection with their right to cultural identity, and the right to a dignified life. In particular, it pays specific attention to the right to effective participation and consultation of the indigenous communities affected; the obligation to share reasonable benefits with these communities; and the elaboration of a prior environmental and social impact assessment of any development investments, exploration or extraction plans.
Morphological review of the order Neelipleona (Collembola) through the redescription of the type species of Acanthoneelidus, Neelides and Neelus
Authors: SCHNEIDER CLÉMENT
Published: August 2017

This work proposes a comprehensive review of the morphological features of the Neelipleona, with focus on chaetotaxy. The major contributions to the knowledge of Neelipleona are discussed and new data are presented, acquired from the redescription of Neelides folsomi, Acanthoneelidus pratensis and Neelus murinus. New elements of description are given for Neelus fimbriatus, Megalothorax granulosus, Megalothorax minimus, Megalothorax nigropunctatus, Megalothorax svalbardensis. Juvenile morphology is also taken in consideration with the description of the early instar of Neelides folsomi, Neelus murinus, Megalothorax minimus and Megalothorax nigropunctatus. A nomenclatural framework is proposed to illustrate the descriptions and the hypotheses of homology debated in the paper. Comparative tables are provided to summarize the morphological variations observed in the order. An identification key to the genera is also provided. A set of intriguing and unique characteristics of the Neelipleona were discovered or enlighten such as labral morphology, vibrating antennae in the genus Neelus, special chaetae associated to the secretion of wax rods and pattern of special τ-chaetae.Printed copy of this book is available from US$30.8 plus postage, Click here to order.
An Early Witness of Alfonsine Astronomy: The London Tables for 1336
Authors: Chabás José
Published: August 2017

In the 1320s, a group of astronomers in Paris recast the Alfonsine Tables composed in Toledo in about 1272 under the patronage of Alfonso X, king of Castile and León. The tables compiled in Paris by a first generation of Alfonsine astronomers, including John Vimond, John of Murs, and John of Lignères, reached England, and were disseminated all over Europe, progressively becoming the main tool in computational astronomy. In this paper, we focus on an anonymous set that seems to be the earliest evidence of the Parisian Alfonsine Tables in England.
More Light on the Flamsteed Numbers
Authors: Latußeck Arndt
Published: August 2017

John Flamsteed’s star catalogue, in the Historia Coelestis Britannica (1725), had already been in use for many decades, when in 1783 Jérôme de Lalande published a new edition, which introduced numbers for all the listed stars, a feature not found in Flamsteed’s own 1725 version of the catalogue. It is subject to debate, though, whether Lalande’s publication was indeed the first appearance of those “Flamsteed numbers.” In this paper, proof is given that the first excerpts of the new – and nowadays still used–numbering system of the Historia Coelestis Britannica occurred in print at least as early as 1765, in publications by Joseph-Nicolas Delisle and Charles Messier.
Effects of stitch classes on the electrical properties of conductive threads
Authors: Ruppert-Stroescu Mary , Balasubramanian Mahendran
Published: August 2017

Bio-physical signal measurement tools embedded in clothing are becoming a viable alternative in mobile health monitoring systems, particularly Wearable Electronic Textile-based Systems (WETS). To assure clinical viability, utilizing flexible and inconspicuous conductive media that can acquire and transmit reliable signals while assuring signal durability and biocompatibility are particularly important when developing WETS for medical applications. To accomplish this task, conductive threads are emerging as an appropriate electrical medium for health monitoring garments. However, little has been studied on the behavior of these conductive threads under various conditions. We report here the electrical conductive properties of specific conductive threads under two conditions: (i) as sewn configurations onto a textile substrate with different stitch types and (ii) as independent strands under controlled extension independent from a sewing machine. Statistical results showed that the stitch class and thread location significantly influenced the electrical resistance of the conductive thread, revealing the chain stitch to provide resistance even lower than the un-stitched conductive thread. In addition, under controlled extension all three of the conductive threads exhibited both a hysteresis and a stress-relaxation effect. These are important phenomena to examine when conductive threads are incorporated into WETS because the choice of stitch type will influence the strength of the signals received and transmitted, while the wearers’ body movements will cause the threads to encounter multi-axial stretch. Knowing the influence of stitch type, stretch, and relaxation on conductive thread resistance will inform objective design and manufacturing decisions for developing clinical-grade textile-based electrical circuits for medical applications.
Classical Theism and the Problem of Animal Suffering
Authors: Wiertel Derek Joseph
Published: August 2017

In the Western theological tradition, nonhuman suffering was not perceived as a “live” problem until the early modern period. Constrained by classical theism, the early modern figures of René Descartes, Anne Conway, and G.W. Leibniz developed three distinct approaches to animal theodicy based upon their unique reconceptualization(s) of the world. These three approaches, (1) denial of animal suffering (Descartes); (2) cosmic fall and vale of soul-making (Conway); and (3) necessary suffering of creation (Leibniz), remain the prevailing theodical options with respect to animal suffering in contemporary theological reflection. In light of the limitations of such theodicies, an engagement with the Christian theological narrative provides a framework for revisiting classical theism in relation to animal suffering.
Fully integrated content analysis in International Relations
Authors: Pashakhanlou Arash Heydarian
Published: August 2017

Content analysis has once again come to the forefront of discussions regarding methods in International Relations (IR). The first wave of content analysis in IR lasted from the 1940s to the 1960s and was marked by a commitment to quantitative and manual analyses. The second wave of content analysis appeared at the start of the third millennium and continues to pervade the discipline. As with the first wave, it proceeds in a predominantly quantitative manner but emphasizes computer-assisted analysis rather than manual analysis. Critics and advocates of the method alike have, highlighted numerous shortcomings with these approaches. In order to address these limitations, the present investigation argues for a fully integrated content analysis that has the potential to ameliorate the identified weaknesses that have hitherto plagued the method. It accomplishes this task by combining all facets of the method: quantitative, qualitative, manual, and computer-assisted content analyses within a single research project.
Adsorption of aquatic Cd2+ using a combination of bacteria and modified carbon fiber
Authors: Xue Chao , Qi Peishi , Liu Yunzhi
Published: August 2017

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the capacity and mechanisms for adsorbing Cd2+ from aqueous solutions by the composite material. The composite material was manufactured with Plesiomonas shigelloides strain H5 and modified polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber. Experimental results showed that the surface areas of modified polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber increased by 58.54% and pore width increased by 40.19% compared with unmodified polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber. Boehm’s titration results show the surface acid sites of composite material were increased by 712% compared with unmodified polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber. The field emission scanning electron microscope results show P. shigelloides H5 can be grown on the surface of modified polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber closely. The equilibrium removal rate and sorption quantity of composite material were 71.56% and 7.126 mg g−1, respectively. With the pH value of aqueous solution increased, the removal rate of Cd2+ ions was also increased, but the change of temperature and ionic strength had no significant effect on the removal rate. Furthermore, the results showed the whole sorption process was a good fit to Lagergren pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich isotherms model. Therefore, the results infer that there was a heterogeneous distribution of active sites, and then the sorption process was chemical adsorption and multilayer adsorption. In a word, microbial composite carbon fiber material can adsorb Cd2+ ions from aqueous solution effectively, which might be helpful in wastewater treatment in the future.
Differentiating between cold agglutinins and rouleaux: a case series of seven patients
Authors: Heath Michele , Walker Julie , Barbeito Atilio , Williams Adam , Welsby Ian , Maxwell Cory , Daneshmand Mani , Haney John , Hoffman Maureane
Published: August 2017

We present a case series of seven patients with suspected cold agglutinin antibodies, discovered after initiation of bypass. Laboratory analysis of blood samples intraoperatively determined the cause of the aggregation to be rouleaux formation in three of the patients and cold agglutinins in the other four.
Double exposure, infrastructure planning, and urban climate resilience in coastal megacities: A case study of Manila
Authors: Meerow Sara
Published: August 2017

Coastal megacities pose a particular challenge for climate change adaptation and resilience planning. These dense concentrations of population, economic activity, and consumption—the majority of which are in the Global South—are often extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts such as sea level rise and extreme weather. This paper unpacks these complexities through a case study of Metropolitan Manila, the capital of the Philippines, which represents an example of “double exposure” to climate change impacts and globalization. The city is experiencing tremendous population and economic growth, yet Manila is plagued by frequent natural disasters, congestion, inadequate infrastructure, poverty, and income inequality. The need for metro-wide planning and infrastructure transformations to address these problems is widely recognized, but governance challenges are a major barrier. Drawing on fieldwork, interviews, and other primary and secondary sources, I argue that climate change and globalization, in combination with Manila’s historical and physical context, critically shape metro-wide infrastructure planning. Focusing on electricity and green infrastructure, I find that the largely decentralized and privatized urban governance regime is perpetuating a fragmented and unequal city, which may undermine urban climate resilience. This study extends the double exposure framework to examine how global processes interact with contextual factors to critically shape urban infrastructure planning, and how the resulting system conforms to theorized characteristics of urban climate resilience. In doing so, I help to connect emerging literatures on double exposure, urban infrastructure planning, and urban climate resilience.
Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries
Authors: Gingerich Stefan B. , Seaverson Erin L. D. , Anderson David R.
Published: August 2017

Purpose:

To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity.

Design:

Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis.

Setting:

Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs.

Participants:

A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries.

Measures:

Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism.

Analysis:

Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism.

Results:

The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue.

Conclusion:

Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employee sleep habits that may be negatively impacting productivity.
Leak detection using cepstrum of cross-correlation of transient pressure wave signals
Authors: Motazedi Niloufar , Beck Stephen
Published: August 2017

A new leak detection method is proposed here which is based on the cepstrum of the cross-correlation of the pressure signals from two transducers. Computational simulations of leaks with different properties, size, position and shape, in a straight pipe and a T-Junction network were studied. The proposed method was successful in estimating leakages and the pipeline features with a high precision. For the results with a straight pipe, this method is considerably more accurate than using the cross-correlation leak detection method or the cepstrum method alone. However, the results obtained by cepstrum and cepstrum of cross-correlation for the T-Junction case were quite accurate, while cepstrum alone showed a slightly better precision.
The long-run relationships between energy efficiency and environmental performance: Global evidence
Authors: Niu Jing , Chang Chun-Ping , Yang Xiu-Yun , Wang Jun-Sheng
Published: August 2017

Owing to recent climate change concerns, the interaction between energy and environmental governance has received greater attention. Therefore, this study investigates the causal relationship between energy efficiency and environmental performance for 129 countries, using the panel cointegration and panel-based error correction models for the period 2002–2012. Our results corroborate that there exists a long-term equilibrium cointegrating relationship between energy efficiency and environmental performance, and that the panel fully modified ordinary least squares estimations present a positive relationship between variables. In accordance with the panel vector error correction model estimation, evidence confirms a bi-directional causal relationship among variables for the long term in the given sample of 129 countries. In addition, the sub-samples’ analyses present causalities running from energy efficiency to environmental performance in the long run, no matter for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) or non-OECD countries, but a short-run relationship is seen only in OECD members. Evidence also shows an absence of causal direction from environmental performance to energy efficiency in both groups of countries. The policy implication is that an improvement in environmental quality should be based on promoting energy efficiency. However, given that energy efficiency still has not achieved improvement under strong environmental performance, this is a big challenge that cannot be avoided for both developing and developed countries. We also offer several constructive suggestions for how to promote energy efficiency.
The Populist Theory of the State in Early American Political Thought
Authors: Peel Patrick
Published: August 2017

That the “state” and the “people” are antonyms of American political thought is a widely held assumption. This essay argues that it is a mistake—Americans early in their thinking about politics distinguished the state from government and defined the state as the people themselves. Building on a deep reservoir of political thought pioneered by seventeenth-century theorists, Americans believed that to raise questions about the state was to inquire about the legitimacy of governmental action. The essay has three parts. It begins by explicating Quentin Skinner’s recent research on the concept of the state, supplemented by the work of other scholars, to apply that research to the American context. The essay then turns to a discussion of the concept of “the people” in the American context to orient the final section of the paper. Finally, the paper explicates James Wilson and St. George Tucker’s influential and rival populist theories of the American state. The overall aim of the essay is to stretch our political imagination and thus help us begin to reimagine the concept of the democratic state in more fruitful ways.
Gender Differences in Adolescents’ Academic Achievement
Authors: Marcenaro–Gutierrez Oscar , Lopez–Agudo Luis Alejandro , Ropero-García Miguel Angel
Published: August 2017

Recent empirical literature has highlighted that adolescents show gender differences in academic performance. The present study intends to disentangle the contribution of some less well-known factors to that gender difference in the fourth year of secondary education. To this aim, we use recent methodological advances in decomposition techniques. We observe that girls are less likely to get low scores than boys. More interestingly, gender differences in the returns to expectations about the future have been found to explain most of this advantage for girls, while boys rely more on their initial learning skills to pass. Additionally, we found that boys are more prone to misbehaviour than girls, whereas boys’ academic results are more sensitive to changes in their family socio-economic status, which also explains a significant portion of the gender differences in academic achievement.
How to understand informal caregiving patterns in Europe? The role of formal long-term care provisions and family care norms
Authors: Verbakel Ellen
Published: August 2017

Aims: Motivated by ageing populations, healthcare policies increasingly emphasize the role of informal care. This study examines how prevalence rates of informal caregivers and intensive caregivers (i.e. those who provide informal care for at least 11 hours a week) vary between European countries, and to what extent informal caregiving and intensive caregiving relate to countries’ formal long-term care provisions and family care norms. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression analyses on data from the European Social Survey Round 7 ( n = 32,894 respondents in n = 19 countries) were used to test (a) contradicting hypotheses regarding the role of formal long-term care provisions based on crowding-out, crowding-in and specialization arguments and (b) the hypothesis that strong family care norms are positively related to (intensive) informal caregiving. Results: Prevalence rates of informal caregiving varied between European countries, from 20% to 44%. Intensive caregiving ranged from 4% to 11%. Opposite patterns regarding the role of formal long-term care provisions were revealed: generous long-term care provisions in a country were related to a higher likelihood of providing informal care, but a lower likelihood of providing intensive care. Moreover, intensive caregiving was more likely when family care norms in a country were strong. Conclusions: This study provided support for the specialization argument by showing that generous formal long-term care provisions crowded-out intensive caregiving, but also encouraged more people to provide (some) informal care. Because especially intensive caregiving is burdensome, low levels of formal long-term care provisions might bring risks to caregivers’ well-being and healthcare systems’ sustainability.
Cancer and depression: A comparison of cancer victims with the general population, findings from the European Social Survey 2014
Authors: Ringdal Gerd Inger , Ringdal Kristen
Published: August 2017

Aims: An increasing number of people in Europe are living with cancer, either as an active disease or as a past experience. Depressive symptoms may impair quality of life in cancer patients and may constitute increased risks for disability, as well as being a risk factor for increased mortality. Our study compared self-reported symptoms of depression in people who currently or previously have experienced cancer with self-reported symptoms of depression in the general population. Methods: Our study was based on data from the European Social Survey 2014, with representative samples from 19 countries. Depression was measured by an eight-item CES-D Scale, with a cut-point of a mean score of 2 to indicate depression. Multilevel modelling was used to examine the relationship between cancer status and depression. Results: Respondents who at the time of the interview reported to have cancer were more likely to report symptoms above the cut-point on the depression scale than people who never had experienced cancer (unadjusted odds ratio (ORunadjusted)=2.59; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.20–3.06; and ORadjusted=2.00; 95% CI 1.70–2.36). The difference was smaller comparing people who previously had experienced cancer to people who never had experienced cancer (ORunadjusted=1.46; 95% CI 1.19–1.79; and ORadjusted=1.28; 95% CI 1.05–1.55). The differences in depression by cancer status did not vary among the welfare state regimes. Conclusions: Respondents with a cancer disease showed a substantial elevated risk of depression after adjusting for a range of potential confounders. Respondents who had recovered also showed significantly higher adjusted risk of depression than respondents who had never experienced cancer.
This is not thick description: Conceptual art installation as ethnographic process
Authors: Hartblay Cassandra
Published: August 2017

What happens when an ethnographer takes up the idiom of contemporary art installation to explore an ethnographic problem? Building on performance ethnography as developed by Dwight Conquergood and D. Soyini Madison, in which the research process itself is cultural performance, this article describes a methodological innovation that encourages a rethinking of ethnographic outputs. Contemporary art installation is generative as well as representational, and challenges ethnographers to think by doing. This article describes one such project to show that while a minimalist installation aesthetic does not on the surface constitute ‘thick description’ in the Geertzian sense, it can be a generative part of a dialogic practice of ethnographic knowledge production. Integrating the interpretive tradition with feminist disability studies, my argument is that art installation offers a possible mode for ethnographers to work through ideas, solicit participation from academic audiences and research participants, create semiotic relationships, and come to know by doing.
Real-time capable simulation of diesel combustion processes for HiL applications
Authors: Neumann Daniel , Jörg Christian , Peschke Nils , Schaub Joschka , Schnorbus Thorsten
Published: August 2017

The complexity of the development processes for advanced diesel engines has significantly increased during the last decades. A further increase is to be expected, due to more restrictive emission legislations and new certification cycles. This trend leads to a higher time exposure at engine test benches, thus resulting in higher costs. To counter this problem, virtual engine development strategies are being increasingly used. To calibrate the complete powertrain and various driving situations, model in the loop and hardware in the loop concepts have become more important. The main effort in this context is the development of very accurate but also real-time capable engine models. Besides the correct modeling of ambient condition and driver behavior, the simulation of the combustion process is a major objective. The main challenge of modeling a diesel combustion process is the description of mixture formation, self-ignition and combustion as precisely as possible. For this purpose, this article introduces a novel combustion simulation approach that is capable of predicting various combustion properties of a diesel process. This includes the calculation of crank angle resolved combustion traces, such as heat release and other thermodynamic in-cylinder states. Furthermore, various combustion characteristics, such as combustion phasing, maximum gradients and engine-out temperature, are available as simulation output. All calculations are based on a physical zero-dimensional heat release model. The resulting reduction of the calibration effort and the improved model robustness are the major benefits in comparison to conventional data-driven combustion models. The calibration parameters directly refer to geometric and thermodynamic properties of a given engine configuration. Main input variables to the model are the fuel injection profile and air path–related states such as exhaust gas recirculation rate and boost pressure. Thus, multiple injection event strategies or novel air path control structures for future engine control concepts can be analyzed.
Characterizing user mobility using mobile sensing systems
Authors: Faye Sébastien , Bronzi Walter , Tahirou Ibrahim , Engel Thomas
Published: August 2017

Recent technological advances and the ever-greater developments in sensing and computing continue to provide new ways of understanding our daily mobility. Smart devices such as smartphones or smartwatches can, for instance, provide an enhanced user experience based on different sets of built-in sensors that follow every user action and identify its environment. Monitoring solutions such as these, which are becoming more and more common, allows us to assess human behavior and movement at different levels. In this article, extended from previous work, we focus on the concept of human mobility and explore how we can exploit a dataset collected opportunistically from multiple participants. In particular, we study how the different sensor groups present in most commercial smart devices can be used to deliver mobility information and patterns. In addition to traditional motion sensors that are obviously important in this field, we are also exploring data from physiological and environmental sensors, including new ways of displaying, understanding, and analyzing data. Furthermore, we detail the need to use methods that respect the privacy of users and investigate the possibilities offered by network traces, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication technologies. We finally offer a mobility assistant that can represent different user characteristics anonymously, based on a combination of Wi-Fi, activity data, and graph theory.