bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetric sound transmission in a passive non-blocking structure with multiple ports
Authors: Zhu Yi-Fan , Gu Zhong-Ming , Liang Bin , Yang Jing , Yang Jun , Yin Lei-lei , Cheng Jian-Chun
Published: September 2016

We present the mechanism for breaking the symmetry in sound transmission between any two neighboring ports in a passive multi-port system. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements verify that by using judiciously designed metastructures to provide an extra wavevector without blocking the sound path, the propagating wave will travel along a preset direction at each port instead of splitting to both directions. We have also demonstrated the flexibility of this scheme to adjust the location of each port. Our design advances further the concept of one-way manipulation in passive two-port systems and may enable novel sound-steering devices for more versatile applications.
Experimental validation of systematically designed acoustic hyperbolic meta material slab exhibiting negative refraction
Authors: Christiansen Rasmus E. , Sigmund Ole
Published: September 2016

This Letter reports on the experimental validation of a two-dimensional acoustic hyperbolic metamaterial slab optimized to exhibit negative refractive behavior. The slab was designed using a topology optimization based systematic design method allowing for tailoring the refractive behavior. The experimental results confirm the predicted refractive capability as well as the predicted transmission at an interface. The study simultaneously provides an estimate of the attenuation inside the slab stemming from the boundary layer effects—insight which can be utilized in the further design of the metamaterial slabs. The capability of tailoring the refractive behavior opens possibilities for different applications. For instance, a slab exhibiting zero refraction across a wide angular range is capable of funneling acoustic energy through it, while a material exhibiting the negative refractive behavior across a wide angular range provides lensing and collimating capabilities.
Plasma dynamics of a laser filamentation-guided spark
Authors: Point Guillaume , Arantchouk Leonid , Carbonnel Jérôme , Mysyrowicz André , Houard Aurélien
Published: September 2016

We investigate experimentally the plasma dynamics of a centimeter-scale, laser filamentation-guided spark discharge. Using electrical and optical diagnostics to study monopolar discharges with varying current pulses, we show that plasma decay is dominated by free electron recombination if the current decay time is shorter than the recombination characteristic time. In the opposite case, the plasma electron density closely follows the current evolution. We demonstrate that this criterion holds true in the case of damped alternating current sparks, and that alternative current is the best option to achieve a long plasma lifetime for a given peak current.
Dual-wavelength polymer laser based on an active/inactive/active sandwich-like structure
Authors: Zhai Tianrui , Wu Xiaofeng , Wang Meng , Tong Fei , Li Songtao , Ma Yanbin , Deng Jinxiang , Zhang Xinping
Published: September 2016

Dual-wavelength laser emission is achieved by using an active/inactive/active sandwich-like structure, which can be conveniently fabricated using spin coating technique. Poly [(9, 9-dioctylfluorenyl-2, 7-diyl)-alt-co-(1, 4-benzo-(2, 1′, 3) -thiadiazole)] and polyvinyl alcohol are employed as the active and the inactive materials, respectively. Two laser wavelengths are simultaneously observed, which are attributed to the difference of the surrounding refractive index of two active waveguides in the sandwich-like structure. Each wavelength is controlled by the respective waveguide structure, meaning that multi-wavelength laser can be designed by stacking the active/inactive layer pair. These results provide more flexibility to design compact laser sources.
Fast and accurate determination of 3D temperature distribution using fraction-step semi-implicit method
Authors: Cen Wei , Hoppe Ralph , Gu Ning
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we proposed a method to numerically determinate 3-dimensional thermal response due to electromagnetic exposure quickly and accurately. Due to the stability criterion the explicit finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method works fast only if the spatial step is not set very small. In this paper, the semi-implicit Crank-Nicholson method for time domain discretization with unconditional time stability is proposed, where the idea of fractional steps method was utilized in 3-dimension so that an efficient numerical implementation is obtained. Compared with the explicit FDTD, with similar numerical precision, the proposed method takes less than 1/200 of the execution time.
A stepped-impedance bandstop filter with extended upper passbands and improved pass-band reflections
Authors: Zuo Xiaoying , Yu Jianguo
Published: September 2016

A high-performance planar bandstop filter with extended upper passbands and improved pass-band return loss is proposed in this article. In this proposed bandstop filter, a novel three-section stepped-impedance structure is suggested to improve the pass-band reflections without affecting the desired band-stop and extended upper passband performances. The analysis and design considerations of this filter are provided while the proposed design approach is verified by full-wave simulation, microstrip implementation and accurate measurement of a typical fabricated filter operating at 1 GHz(fo). Compared to the conventional one, the proposed bandstop filter has main and obvious advantages of simple single-layer structure, perfect band-stop filtering performance (Suppression of better than 20 dB), excellent low/high pass-band return loss (Reflection of lower than -17 dB) in the extended upper passbands(Larger than 5.96 fo), and flat group-delay transmission (Variations of smaller than 0.22 ns).
Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from an unexpected site
Authors: Pendle Stella , Barnes Timothy
Published: September 2016

We describe a case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from a nipple piercing wound in a homosexual man with pharyngeal gonococcal carriage.
Pericyte–fibroblast transition promotes tumor growth and metastasis
Authors: Hosaka Kayoko , Yang Yunlong , Seki Takahiro , Fischer Carina , Dubey Olivier , Fredlund Erik , Hartman Johan , Religa Piotr , Morikawa Hiromasa , Ishii Yoko , Sasahara Masakiyo , Larsson Ola , Cossu Giulio , Cao Renhai , Lim Sharon , Cao Yihai
Published: September 2016

Significance

We show that vascular pericytes significantly contribute to cancer invasion and metastasis by the mechanism of the pericyte–fibroblast transition (PFT). This study proposes this concept and indicates the vascular pericyte’s role. Vascular pericytes were considered to remodel tumor vessels toward a mature phenotype. However, once dissociated from tumor vessels their functions within the tumor tissue are not known. In the present study, we show that pericytes, once detached from tumor microvasculatures, underwent differentiation to become stromal fibroblasts, which are known to contribute to tumor invasion and metastasis. Our results show that vascular pericytes are the important source of stromal fibroblasts and targeting PFT may offer a new treatment option in cancer metastasis.
Important role of pedestal ion temperature in the ELM mitigation by supersonic molecular beam injection
Authors: Ma Q. , Yu D.L. , Chen C.Y. , Wei Y.L. , Zhong W.L. , Zou X.L. , Zuo H.Y. , Du J.L. , Liu L. , Dong C.F. , Shi Z.B. , Zhao K.J. , Feng B.B. , Zhou Y. , Wang Z.H. , Xu M. , Liu Yi , Yan L.W. , Yang Q.W. , Yao L.H. , Ding X.T. , Dong J.Q. , Duan X.R. , Liu Yong
Published: September 2016

Edge localized mode (ELM) is successfully mitigated by helium and deuterium supersonic molecular beam injections (SMBIs) on HL-2A. During the ELM mitigation by SMBIs, gradients of ion temperature (T
i) and electron density are softened in the pedestal. It has been observed that the averaged gradient of the T
i decreases around 44% and the well depth of radial electric field (E
r) is reduced by the SMBI during ELM mitigation. Furthermore, at least 20% decrements of T
i have to be attained to achieve a noticeable increase (decrease) of the ELM frequency (amplitude). In addition, the duration of ELM mitigation with helium SMBI is much longer than that with deuterium, likely due to the higher level of recycling neutral gas compared to that of deuterium; in the case of ELM mitigation by helium SMBI, the recovery duration of the density gradient is much shorter (10–20 ms) than that of T
i (up to 40 ms or longer), indicating the importance of the T
i in the ELM mitigation by SMBI. Finally, it has been observed that the T
i is reduced before the beginning of the ELM mitigation, suggesting that the mechanism of the ELM mitigation by SMBI is closely related to the cooling effect.
Conference Report on the 4rd International Symposium on Lithium Applications
Authors: Tabares F.L. , Hirooka Y. , Maingi R. , Mazzitelli G. , Mirnov V. , Nygren R. , Ono M. , Ruzic D.N.
Published: September 2016

The fourth International Symposium on Liquid Metal Application for Fusion Devices (ISLA-2015) was held on 28–30 September 2015 at Granada, Spain, with growing participation and interest from the community working on general aspects of liquid metal research for fusion energy development. The ISLA symposia remain the largest, and arguably, the most important meetings dedicated to liquid metal application for the magnetic fusion research. Overall, 43 presentations plus 7 posters were given, representing 28 institutions from 12 countries. The latest experimental results from 9 magnetic fusion devices were given in 17 presentations from NSTX and LTX (PPPL, USA), FTU (ENEA, Italy), T-11M (Trinity, RF), T-10 (Kurchatov Institute, RF), TJ-II (CIEMAT, Spain), EAST (ASIPP, China), HT-7 (ASIPP, China), DIII-D (GA, USA), ISTTOK (IPFN, Portugal) and KTM (NNC RK, Kazakhstan).

Sessions were devoted to the following: (I) liquid metals (LM) in magnetic confinement experiments (facility overviews), (II) LM in magnetic confinement experiments (topical issues), (III) laboratory experiments, (IV) LM tests in linear plasma devices, (V) LM theory/modeling (VI) LM technology and (VII) a special session on lithium-safety and lithium handling. There were contributions from fusion technology communities including IFMIF and TBM, which provided productive exchanges with physics-oriented magnetic confinement liquid metal research groups. This international workshop will continue on a biennial basis (alternating with the Plasma–Surface Interactions (PSI) Conference), with the next workshop scheduled for Moscow, Russian Federation, in 2017.
Cell density and actomyosin contractility control the organization of migrating collectives within an epithelium
Authors: Loza Andrew J. , Koride Sarita , Schimizzi Gregory V. , Li Bo , Sun Sean X. , Longmore Gregory D.
Published: September 2016

The mechanisms underlying collective migration are important for understanding development, wound healing, and tumor invasion. Here we focus on cell density to determine its role in collective migration. Our findings show that increasing cell density, as might be seen in cancer, transforms groups from broad collectives to small, narrow streams. Conversely, diminishing cell density, as might occur at a wound front, leads to large, broad collectives with a distinct leader–follower structure. Simulations identify force-sensitive contractility as a mediator of how density affects collectives, and guided by this prediction, we find that the baseline state of contractility can enhance or reduce organization. Finally, we test predictions from these data in an in vivo epithelium by using genetic manipulations to drive collective motion between predicted migratory phases. This work demonstrates how commonly altered cellular properties can prime groups of cells to adopt migration patterns that may be harnessed in health or exploited in disease.
OntoBrowser: a collaborative tool for curation of ontologies by subject matter experts
Authors: Ravagli Carlo , Pognan Francois , Marc Philippe
Published: September 2016

The lack of controlled terminology and ontology usage leads to incomplete search results and poor interoperability between databases. One of the major underlying challenges of data integration is curating data to adhere to controlled terminologies and/or ontologies. Finding subject matter experts with the time and skills required to perform data curation is often problematic. In addition, existing tools are not designed for continuous data integration and collaborative curation. This results in time-consuming curation workflows that often become unsustainable. The primary objective of OntoBrowser is to provide an easy-to-use online collaborative solution for subject matter experts to map reported terms to preferred ontology (or code list) terms and facilitate ontology evolution. Additional features include web service access to data, visualization of ontologies in hierarchical/graph format and a peer review/approval workflow with alerting.

Availability and implementation

The source code is freely available under the Apache v2.0 license. Source code and installation instructions are available at http://opensource.nibr.com. This software is designed to run on a Java EE application server and store data in a relational database.
tHapMix: simulating tumour samples through haplotype mixtures
Authors: Ivakhno Sergii , Colombo Camilla , Tanner Stephen , Tedder Philip , Berri Stefano , Cox Anthony J
Published: September 2016

Motivation

Large-scale rearrangements and copy number changes combined with different modes of clonal evolution create extensive somatic genome diversity, making it difficult to develop versatile and scalable variant calling tools and create well-calibrated benchmarks.

Results

We developed a new simulation framework tHapMix that enables the creation of tumour samples with different ploidy, purity and polyclonality features. It easily scales to simulation of hundreds of somatic genomes, while re-use of real read data preserves noise and biases present in sequencing platforms. We further demonstrate tHapMix utility by creating a simulated set of 140 somatic genomes and showing how it can be used in training and testing of somatic copy number variant calling tools.

Availability and implementation

tHapMix is distributed under an open source license and can be downloaded from https://github.com/Illumina/tHapMix.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Vitamin D as Adjunctive Host-Directed Therapy in Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wallis Robert S. , Zumla Alimuddin
Published: September 2016

Vitamin D plays an important role in innate defenses against intracellular pathogens. Seasonal vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) due to reduced sun exposure far from the equator increases tuberculosis risk. Eight randomized controlled trials examined vitamin D as adjunctive therapy during tuberculosis treatment. The studies varied substantially regarding patient genetic backgrounds, the extent of baseline VDI, the administered dose, the study endpoints, and the quality of the reported data. One carefully performed study in which moderately large vitamin D doses were given to markedly VDI patients found a benefit sufficient to support shortening treatment from 6 to 4 months, although other similar studies did not. Vitamin D is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects. However, 2 studies reported 3 vitamin D recipients with severe paradoxical inflammatory reactions. Future studies of vitamin D in tuberculosis in patients with specific genetic backgrounds must monitor these events closely to determine their risks and underlying mechanisms.
Blueberry fruit drop-associated virus: A New Member of the Family Caulimoviridae Isolated From Blueberry Exhibiting Fruit-Drop Symptoms
Authors: Diaz-Lara Alfredo , Martin Robert R.
Published: September 2016

This study describes the nucleotide sequence and genome organization of a new DNA virus isolated from ‘Bluecrop’ blueberry plants exhibiting fruit-drop symptoms and named Blueberry fruit drop-associated virus (BFDaV). Blueberry fruit drop disease was first detected in blueberry plants in British Columbia, Canada in the late 1990s, and in a single field in northern Washington state in the United States in 2012. Infected bushes abort nearly 100% of their fruit about three weeks prior to harvest, when the berries are about 3 to 5 mm in diameter. At harvest, the affected plants appear taller than healthy ones as there is no fruit weighing down the branches. The virus was amplified from diseased material using rolling circle amplification, followed by enzyme digestion, cloning, and sequencing. The full genome of BFDaV is 9,850 bp in length and contains a single open reading frame, encoding for a polyprotein, and a large noncoding region. Based on the genome size and organization and phylogenetics, BFDaV is proposed as a new and the largest member of family Caulimoviridae. Finally, in mapping part of a field with fruit-drop symptoms, there was a nearly perfect correlation between the presence of the virus and fruit-drop symptoms.
Quality Indicators and Parental Satisfaction With Perinatal Palliative Care in the Intrapartum Setting After Diagnosis of a Life-Limiting Fetal Condition
Authors: Wool Charlotte , Black Beth Perry , Woods Anne B. (Nancy)
Published: September 2016

Measurement of quality indicators (QIs) in perinatal palliative care has not been addressed. Parents who chose to continue pregnancy after a diagnosis of a life-limiting fetal condition described perceptions of quality care and their satisfaction with care. This research identified which QIs explained parental satisfaction. High QI scores are associated with parental satisfaction. Parents who were satisfied reported 2.9 times the odds that their baby was treated with dignity and respect and 3.4 times the odds their medical care was addressed. This research is a first step in developing a robust measure of QIs in perinatal palliative care.
Clinical experiences of focal periphyseal edema zones in adolescent knees: case reports
Authors: Ueyama Hideki , Kitano Toshio , Nakagawa Keisuke , Aono Masanari
Published: September 2016

Focal periphyseal edema (FOPE) zones were first described in 2011. The aim of this report was to investigate the clinical course of patients with FOPE zones. Three adolescent patients with a FOPE zone in the knee were treated and observed for a maximum of 2 years. No symptoms or leg-length discrepancy developed at the final follow-up after conservative therapies. This is the first report on the follow-up of FOPE zones with a maximum of 2 years. The results suggest that observation of FOPE zones may be sufficient without invasive examinations and treatment.
Activity-related energy expenditure during lower limb cast immobilization in children
Authors: Maggio Albane B. , Martin Xavier E. , Ceroni Dimitri
Published: September 2016

Physical inactivity, which may result from immobilization, is recognized as a risk factor for the development of obesity. We aimed to quantify the decrease in activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) because of lower limb cast immobilization. We carried out a longitudinal matched case–control study: 34 adolescents with a first episode of lower limb fracture and 34 healthy cases. Physical activity was assessed during cast immobilization by an accelerometer from which we calculated the decrease in AEE. AEE in adolescents with lower limb fractures was estimated to be 16.0% lower than healthy controls. When converted into kcal per mean participants’ weight, the difference in AEE amounted to 125 kcal/day, which corresponds to 5.2 h of slow walking. A significant reduction of AEE in adolescents with lower limb fractures may lead to a significantly positive energy balance as there is usually no compensatory reduction of energy intake. An increase of walking seems unrealistic in this situation and patients should be advised at the emergency unit to reduce their energy intake during the immobilization period. Level of Evidence: Level III, prospective case–control study.
Epidemiological Characteristics of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Guangdong, China
Authors: Yang Rui , Guo Lan , Huang Lin , Wang Peng , Tang Yong , Ye Jichao , Chen Keng , Hu Xuming , Cai Zhaopeng , Lu Ciyong , Wu Yanfeng , Shen Huiyong
Published: September 2016

Study Design.

A hospital-based retrospective epidemiological study.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to examine the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in Guangdong to help health-related institutions develop measures to determine the best allocation of medical resources.

Summary of Background Data.

TSCI is a highly disabling and deadly injury. Currently, there is little information regarding the epidemiological characteristics for TSCI in Guangdong.

Methods.

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of partial second-grade class-A hospitals (mainly capturing general city and county hospitals and some large-scale affiliated hospitals) in Guangdong province according to the International Classification of Disease Version 10 (ICD-10) and diagnostic code of TSCI.

Results.

The study included the medical records of 1340 patients with TSCI, and the annual number of TSCI admissions increased during the 2003 to 2011 period. The male-to-female ratio was approximately 3.5:1. The major causes of spinal cord injuries were high falls (41.0%) and traffic accidents (37.8%). The most common injury among patients with TSCI was cervical injury (818 cases). In addition, 62.9% of the patients had spinal fractures, 24.0% had other fractures, and 13.7% had brain injuries. Furthermore, 25.1% (337/1340) of the patients experienced clinical complications. The differences in the number of patients with and without complete injury who accepted surgery and hyperbaric oxygen therapy were statistically significant (P < 0.05), and the difference in total medical cost was significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion.

There are specific epidemiological characteristics of TSCI patients in Guangdong, and preventive measures are suggested to focus on high-risk populations, such as adult men.

Level of Evidence: 3
Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study on the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Women With Female Androgenetic Alopecia
Authors: Puig Carlos J. , Reese Robert , Peters Michelle
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been suggested as a therapeutic intervention for female androgenetic alopecia.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a pilot study on the effect of PRP scalp injections in women with female androgenetic alopecia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study compared the effect of PRP with that of saline placebo as scalp injection. The endpoints were hair count and hair mass index (HMI), along with patient-opinion survey responses. Platelet-rich plasma was manufactured from patients' blood using the Angel PRP system.

RESULTS

Hair mass index or hair count did not statistically significantly differ between the study and placebo groups. However, 13.3% of the treatment subjects (vs 0% of the placebo subjects) experienced substantial improvement in hair loss, rate of hair loss, hair thickness, and ease of managing/styling hair, and 26.7% (vs 18.2% of the placebo group) reported that their hair felt coarser or heavier after the treatment.

CONCLUSION

Platelet-rich plasma failed to demonstrate any statistically significant improvement in HMI or hair count in women with congenital female pattern hair loss. The patient survey results suggest a therapeutic advantage of PRP as perceived by patients but not according to hair count or HMI.
Puerarin Suppresses Na+-K+-ATPase–Mediated Systemic Inflammation and CD36 Expression, and Alleviates Cardiac Lipotoxicity In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Qin Hua , Zhang Yan , Wang Ru , Du Xiaoyan , Li Liping , Du Haiwei
Published: September 2016

Puerarin, a type of isoflavone, was shown to have multiple protective effects on myocardial injury. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of puerarin in the progression of lipotoxic cardiomyopathy. Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from FATP1 transgenic (Tg) mice with lipotoxic cardiomyopathy, and various concentrations of puerarin were used to incubate with the cardiomyocytes. Our results showed low-dose puerarin (≤20 μM) treatment increased the cell viability and decreased the accumulation of free fatty acid (FFA). The data on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that 15 μM puerarin treatment greatly increased Na+-K+-ATPase activity and decreased C-reactive protein secretion, thus suppressing the expression of CD36, a key contributor to the FFA accumulation. Additionally, low-dose puerarin (≤100 mg/kg body weight) administration improved Na+-K+-ATPase activity. Our data on serum analysis and histological detection in vivo indicated that systemic inflammation, CD36-induced lipid infiltration, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were markedly alleviated in Tg mice injected with 90 mg/kg dose of puerarin. Finally, the uptake rates of 3H-palmitate and 14C-glucose were monitored on ex vivo working hearts that were obtained from wild-type (WT), Tg-control, and Tg-puerarin mice. Compared with WT hearts, Tg hearts displayed a significant decrease in Na+/K+-ATPase activity and glucose consumption rate and an increase in palmitate uptake rate and FFA accumulation. In Tg-puerarin hearts, Na+/K+-ATPase activity and glucose consumption rate were significantly rescued, and palmitate uptake and FFA accumulation were sharply suppressed. In conclusion, low-dose puerarin suppressed Na+-K+-ATPase–mediated CD36 expression and systemic inflammation and alleviated cardiac lipotoxicity in vitro and in vivo.
Medial Femoral Condyle Free Flap for Nasal Reconstruction: New Technique for Full-Thickness Nasal Defects
Authors: Cherubino Mario , Battaglia Paolo , Turri-Zenoni Mario , Tamborini Federico , Giudice Marco , Sallam Davide , Corno Martina , Pietrobon Giacomo , Valdatta Luigi , Castelnuovo Paolo
Published: September 2016

The nose is a functionally complex organ implicated in breathing, olfaction, and phonation, with a critical role also in the aesthetic appearance of a person. This latter aspect should be carefully considered whenever a total or subtotal rhinectomy is performed for resection of locally advanced nasal cancer. To reconstruct large nasal defects, several techniques were described, including the use of cartilaginous grafts, bony grafts, local flaps, and free flaps. In cases of extensive full-thickness resections, free flaps probably represent the most adequate option. The aim of this report is to present the functional and aesthetical outcomes of a reconstruction of the nose after rhinectomy, using the medial femoral condyle free flap associated with the forehead flap.
Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents With β-Thalassemia Major on Different Iron Chelators in Basra, Iraq
Authors: Abdul-Zahra Hadeel A.-I. , Hassan Mea’ad K. , Ahmed Bahaa A.A.H.
Published: September 2016

Few studies have investigated the quality of life of children with thalassemia in the Middle East or Mediterranean region, especially Iraq. Therefore, this study was performed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with β-thalassemia major compared with healthy children and adolescents in the same age group and to evaluate the effects of different iron chelators on HRQoL measurements. A case-control study was performed on patients with β-thalassemia major registered at the Center for Hereditary Blood Diseases in Basra from February 2012 through July 2013. The group included children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 years old. HRQoL was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Generic Core Scale questionnaire, version 4.0, for children 2 to 12 years old and the Short Form-36 health survey questionnaire, version 2 (SF-36v2), for children and adolescents aged 13 to 17 years old. A total of 209 age-matched and sex-matched children and adolescents were included in the control group. The study did not find a significant difference in PedsQL scores among different age groups or different iron chelators, whereas there were significant differences in all of the SF-36v2 domains, with the best quality of life observed in the deferasirox group, followed by the deferoxamine group and the combined therapy group (P<0.05). The use of deferasirox among patients aged 13 to 17 years old was associated with higher SF-36v2 scores than in the other groups (P<0.05). However, for younger patients, the PedsQL scores were not significantly different for different iron chelators. The use of oral deferasirox significantly improved the quality of life of adolescents with β-thalassemia major. However, this effect was less prominent among patients aged 2 to 12 years old.
Effect of a Nurse-Managed Telemetry Discontinuation Protocol on Monitoring Duration, Alarm Frequency, and Adverse Patient Events
Authors: Perrin Keisha , Ernst Neysa , Nelson Terry , Sawyer Melinda , Pfoh Elizabeth , Cvach Maria
Published: September 2016

Telemetry monitoring is a limited resource. This quality improvement project describes a nurse-managed telemetry discontinuation protocol aimed at stopping telemetry monitoring when it is no longer indicated. After implementing the protocol, data were collected for 6 months and compared with a preintervention time frame. There was a mean decrease in telemetry monitor usage and a decreased likelihood of remaining on a telemetry monitor until discharge. A nurse-managed telemetry discontinuation protocol was effective in decreasing overmonitoring and ensuring telemetry availability.
Changes in the quality characteristics and chemical compounds of garlic shoots for blanching
Authors: Sim Hye-Jin , Kang Min-Jung , Shin Jung-Hye
Published: September 2016

This study was performed to investigate changes in the quality characteristics and chemical compounds in garlic shoots by blanching for different time (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 min). The color (L, a, and b values), texture profile (hardness, springiness, chewiness, gumminess, and cohesiveness), total vitamin C, total sugar, total polyphenol and flavonoid, chlorophyll a and b contents, total pyruvate and thiosulfinate contents of the blanched garlic shoots were examined. As the blanching time increased, the L and b values decreased, while the a value increased. Hardness, chewiness, springiness and gumminess of the blanched shoots were significantly lowered with the increasing blanching time. Vitamin C content of raw garlic shoot was 1.62 mg/100 g while that of the blanched garlic shoots was 0.16~0.24 mg/100 g, implying vitamin C loss into blanching water and destruction by heat. The total sugar and polyphenol contents were fluctuated during blanching, but over 75% of their initial levels were retained under all blanching conditions. The total flavonoid contents increased as the blanching time increased. The chlorophyll a content did not show significant change with blanching time, but the chlorophyll b content significantly decreased. These results suggest that blanching for 2 min could be the best for retaining beneficial compounds and desirable quality of garlic shoot.
Production of fermented Omija (Schizandra chinensis) beverage fortified with high content of gamma-amino butyric acid using Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Lee Hyo-Seon , Kwon Soon-Young , Lee Syng-Ook , Lee Sam-Pin
Published: September 2016

Omija (Schizandra chinensis) extract (OE) was fermented by using Lactobacillus plantarum EJ2014 to produce a beverage fortified with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). After 2 days of fermentation in the presence of 2% monosodium glutamate (MSG) and 0.5% yeast extract (YE), the four-fold-diluted OE showed a higher viable cell count (2.2×109 CFU/mL) and lower acidity (1.2%) than that of the unfermented OE. In particular, addition of MSG as a precursor resulted in a small increase in the initial pH. MSG (2%) was completely converted to GABA (0.92%) during lactic acid bacteria fermentation for 3 days. Furthermore, the acidity of the fermented OE decreased from 1.74% to 0.56%. In addition, the original red color of the OE disappeared during LAB fermentation. However, when the fermented OE was mixed with 50% of the original OE, the original red color was recovered, with 19.56 and 13.92 for Hunter L and a values, respectively. The mixture of 50% original OE and 50% fermented OE showed the highest sensory score including the highest overall preference. In conclusion, the OE fortified with GABA and probiotics was produced by fermentation with a static culture, L. plantarum EJ2014.
Investigation of quality characteristics and alcohol content in commercial Korean fermented sources
Authors: Gil Na-Young , Kim So-Young , Choi Hye-Sun , Park Shin-Young , Kim Jae-Hyun
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate alcohol content of commercial Korean fermented sources and to analyze the quality parameters such as titratable acidity, pH, salinity, reducing sugar, alcohol and yeast cell count. Eighty-seven samples of Doenjang, 68 samples of Kanjang and 57 samples of Kochujang were collected and divided into conventional and improved products depending on manufacturing method. As a result, the titratable acidities of conventional Doenjang, Kanjang and Kochujang were 1.72, 1.23 and 1.25%, and those of the improved products were 1.87, 1.80, and 1.00%, respectively. The pH values of conventional Doenjang and Kochujang were lower than those of the corresponding improved products and the pH of conventional Kanjang was higher than improved products. The salinities of the conventional products were higher than the improved products, and an the reducing sugar and alcohol content of the conventional products were lower than the improved products. The detection rate of alcohol (above 1%) in conventional Doenjang, Kanjang, and Kochujang were 6, 10 and 39%, respectively while the corresponding improved products showed much higher rates of 100, 76 and 100%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the yeast cell count between the alcohol-containing products and the alcohol-free products. Accordingly, further study is necessary to develop a manufacturing method using non-degradable sugar and salt control to reduce the production of alcohol in Korean source.
Draft genomes of clinicalBacillus cereusisolates AH725 and B06.009 closely related to reference strains ATCC 14579 and ATCC 10987
Authors: Haverkamp Thomas H. A. , Tourasse Nicolas J. , Nederbragt Alexander J. , Jakobsen Kjetill S. , Kolstø Anne-Brit , Økstad Ole Andreas
Published: September 2016

Bacillus cereusstrains B06.009 and AH725 were isolated from human cerebrospinal fluid and eye infection, respectively. Here we present their annotated draft genome sequences, which are highly similar to environmentalB. cereusreference strains ATCC 10987 and ATCC 14579, underlining the opportunistic nature ofB. cereusinfections.
A Bayesian method for reducing bias in neural representational similarity analysis
Authors: Cai Ming Bo , Schuck Nicolas W. , Pillow Jonathan , Niv Yael
Published: September 2016

1In neuroscience, the similarity matrix of neural activity patterns in response to different sensory stimuli or under different cognitive states reflects the structure of neural representational space. Existing methods derive point estimations of neural activity patterns from noisy neural imaging data, and the similarity is calculated from these point estimations. We show that this approach translates structured noise from estimated patterns into spurious bias structure in the resulting similarity matrix, which is especially severe when signal-to-noise ratio is low and experimental conditions cannot be fully randomized in a cognitive task. We propose an alternative Bayesian framework for computing representational similarity in which we treat the covariance structure of neural activity patterns as a hyper-parameter in a generative model of the neural data, and directly estimate this covariance structure from imaging data while marginalizing over the unknown activity patterns. Converting the estimated covariance structure into a correlation matrix offers an unbiased estimate of neural representational similarity. Our method can also simultaneously estimate a signal-to-noise map that informs where the learned representational structure is supported more strongly, and the learned covariance matrix can be used as a structured prior to constrain Bayesian estimation of neural activity patterns.
Position information encoded by population activity in hierarchical visual areas
Authors: Majima Kei , Sukhanov Paul , Horikawa Tomoyasu , Kamitani Yukiyasu
Published: September 2016

Neurons in high-level visual areas respond to more complex visual features with broader receptive fields (RFs) compared to those in low-level visual areas. Thus, high-level visual areas are generally considered to carry less information regarding the position of seen objects in the visual field. However, larger RFs may not imply loss of position information at the population level. Here, we evaluated how accurately the position of a seen object could be predicted (decoded) from activity patterns in each of six representative visual areas with different RF sizes (V1–V4, LOC, and FFA). We collected fMRI responses while human subjects viewed a ball randomly moving in a two-dimensional field. To estimate population RF sizes of individual fMRI voxels, RF models were fitted for individual voxels in each brain area. The voxels in higher visual areas showed larger estimated RFs than those in lower visual areas. Then, the ball’s position in a separate session was predicted by maximum likelihood regression (support vector regression, SVR) to predict the position. We found that regardless of the difference in RF size, all visual areas showed similar prediction accuracies, especially on the horizontal dimension. Higher areas showed slightly lower accuracies on the vertical dimension, which appears to be attributed to the narrower spatial distributions of the RFs centers. The results suggest that much of position information is preserved in population activity through the hierarchical visual pathway regardless of RF sizes, and is potentially available in later processing for recognition and behavior.

Significance statement

High-level ventral visual areas are thought to achieve position invariance with larger receptive fields at the cost of the loss of precise position information. However, larger receptive fields may not imply loss of position information at the population level. Here, multivoxel fMRI decoding reveals that high-level visual areas are predictive of an object’s position with similar accuracies to low-level visual areas, especially on the horizontal dimension, preserving the information potentially available for later processing.
Visualization and analysis of SCImago Journal & Country Rank structure via journal clustering
Authors: Gómez-Núñez Antonio J. , Vargas-Quesada Benjamin , Chinchilla-Rodríguez Zaida , Batagelj Vladimir , Moya-Anegón Félix
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to visualize the structure of SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR) coverage of the extensive citation network of Scopus journals, examining this bibliometric portal through an alternative approach, applying clustering and visualization techniques to a combination of citation-based links.

Design/methodology/approach

Three SJR journal-journal networks containing direct citation, co-citation and bibliographic coupling links are built. The three networks were then combined into a new one by summing up their values, which were later normalized through geo-normalization measure. Finally, the VOS clustering algorithm was executed and the journal clusters obtained were labeled using original SJR category tags and significant words from journal titles.

Findings

The resultant scientogram displays the SJR structure through a set of communities equivalent to SJR categories that represent the subject contents of the journals they cover. A higher level of aggregation by areas provides a broad view of the SJR structure, facilitating its analysis and visualization at the same time.

Originality/value

This is the first study using Persson’s combination of most popular citation-based links (direct citation, co-citation and bibliographic coupling) in order to develop a scientogram based on Scopus journals from SJR. The integration of the three measures along with performance of the VOS community detection algorithm gave a balanced set of clusters. The resulting scientogram is useful for assessing and validating previous classifications as well as for information retrieval and domain analysis.
LV Prasad eye institute: managing corporate social responsibility partnerships
Authors: Jammulamadaka Nimruji
Published: September 2016

Subject area

Corporate social responsibility, specifically nonprofit business collaborations from a nonprofit’s perspective.

Study level/applicability

Graduate level programs in nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility and development management; it can also be used for executive education.

Case overview

Social enterprises and nonprofits at present increasingly look to corporate firms for grant funds to finance their activities and assets. This case features the experiences of one of the largest nonprofit eye care providers in India, LV Prasad Eye Institute based in Hyderabad in accessing corporate financial support in the form of corporate social responsibility funding. The case deals with the organization challenges, stresses and strains that arise in a nonprofit–corporate partnership. Specifically, it focuses on the strategic and operational challenges that emerge from the partnerships. The partnerships reviewed in the case pertain to rehabilitation.

Expected learning outcomes

After solving the case, the participants will be able to understand the stages in developing collaborations between nonprofits and businesses for corporate social responsibility. They will also be able to understand the internal implications for nonprofits operations and strategy from such collaborations.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS11: Strategy.
A case study on shopping malls attributes for young consumers
Authors: Can Gülin Feryal , Kurtulmusoglu Feride Bahar , Atalay Kumru Didem
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to determine the mall criteria that are the most crucial for the youth market by determining the winning brand in comparison to other offerings to understand what is required to gain a competitive advantage and to differentiate a mall from its rivals.

Design/methodology/approach

This study chose the Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis-2 method to evaluate the mall preferences of young people. By using this method, the various criteria were evaluated for more than one alternative to find the best solution. JSMA program was used to analyze the data. The survey was administered using the mall intercept method to reduce sample bias.

Findings

The study identifies that the criteria that have the highest impact on the mall preferences of young people are the mall campaigns for loyal customers; the traffic in the mall locality and the mall’s parking facilities; the mall’s facilities for disabled people; the quality of the mall locality; and the quality of the people visiting the mall. The study reveals that a mall’s physical features, its facilities and the criteria related to employees have a very low impact on the mall choices of young people. The study further finds that the youth market has very low satisfaction levels for all of the identified criteria. This study reveals that this macro accessibility criterion is less relevant for the youth market than for the general population.

Originality/value

Despite the importance of this market, there is insufficient research on the shopping behavior of young people. They have a considerable impact on the purchasing decisions of their families, significant disposable income and constitute the future market for the sector. This study uniquely enables the sequential ordering of customers’ decision-making criteria and determines the effectiveness or impact of these criteria in the mall sector.
Vascular network tightly enclosing lesions of molluscum contagiosum: Basket‐like capillaries of molluscum
Authors: Horiguchi Yuji , Horiguchi Junshi , Maeno Ken‐ichiro
Published: September 2016

Immunohistochemical studies of one typical and two atypical cases of molluscum contagiosum with anti‐CD34 monoclonal antibodies showed a tightly enclosing fine vasculature around the lesional masses of the disease. The thin interstitial septa between the lobules of the molluscum lesions also contained abundant endothelium. An electron microscopic study of a pinched‐off lesion of common molluscum contagiosum demonstrated that the tightly enclosing blood vessels lacked muscle layers, suggesting that they were capillaries, being a distance of several hundred nanometers from the basal cells of the molluscum mass. A 3D constructed image of the vasculature confirmed a network of the vessels. These tightly enclosing vascular networks around the lesions of molluscum contagiosum support the rapid growth of this disease.
Enhanced decomposition and nitrogen mineralization sustain rapid growth of Eucalyptus regnans after wildfire
Authors: Dijkstra Feike A. , Jenkins Meaghan , de Rémy de Courcelles Vivien , Keitel Claudia , Barbour Margaret M. , Kayler Zachary E. , Adams Mark A.
Published: September 2016

Eucalyptus regnans grows rapidly from seed after wildfires, out‐competing other species, thereby forming pure stands of mature forests that rank amongst the world's most carbon dense. By global standards, these forests grow on infertile soils. It is unclear how E. regnans is able to obtain large amounts nitrogen (N) from these infertile soils to support its rapid growth after fire.

We measured carbon (C) and N stored in plant biomass and photosynthetic rates of E. regnans 2 years after a wildfire and examined whether E. regnans stimulated its own N supply through root‐induced increases in microbial decomposition and N mineralization. We compared microbial biomass, gross N mineralization rates and soil C in trenched and rooted plots.

Photosynthetic rates of E. regnans seedlings were high and comparable to photosynthetic rates observed in fertilized crops. Presence of roots of E. regnans and allied microflora enhanced gross N mineralization more than fivefold compared to soil without roots present. Soil microbial biomass was more than doubled by root presence. The soil N pulse caused by the fire and N mineralization rates in the absence of roots were too small to account for the large amount of N stored in E. regnans 2 years after the fire.

Our results suggest that E. regnans facilitated its rapid growth by enhancing microbial activity and N mineralization. This enhanced microbial activity also contributed to a substantial loss of soil C (˜62% of carbon gained in plant biomass was concurrently lost from soil).

Synthesis. At the ecosystem scale, the synergistic effects of plant growth and soil N mineralization need to be carefully assessed against costs to soil C for forests regenerating after disturbance.