bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-component coupling of aryl iodides, allenes, and aldehydes catalyzed by a Co/Cr-hybrid catalyst
Authors: Komeyama Kimihiro , Sakiyama Shunsuke , Iwashita Kento , Osaka Itaru , Takaki Ken
Published: June 2018

The cobalt/chromium-catalyzed three-component coupling of aryl iodides, allenes, and aldehydes has been developed to afford multi-substituted homoallylic alcohols in a diastereoselective manner. Control experiments for understanding the reaction mechanism reveal that the cobalt catalyst is involved in the oxidative addition and carbometalation steps in the reaction, whereas the chromium salt generates highly nucleophilic allylchromium intermediates from allylcobalt species, without the loss of stereochemical information, to allow the addition to aldehydes.
INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON ACCURACY OF HEIGHT CONNECTION MEASUREMENT
Authors: Mučkova Jitka , Dandoš Rostislav , Jadviščok Petr , Konečny Miroslav
Published: June 2018

The purpose of depth measurement is to bring the altitude from the surface to the connected horizon (level) by means of a vertical mine. Points, for which the height is determined in this way, are part of the fundamental mining vertical control, and their height should therefore be determined as accurately as possible. There are several ways of this measurement and the temperature has influence on accuracy of each of them. The paper is dedicated to evaluation of influence of temperature, applying results of height connection measurement carried out at Karvina mine. Two measurements were performed in ČSA 2 shaft and the other in shaft Mir 5 of Darkov mine in Ostrava-Karvina Coal District, CZE. Height connection measurement by a vertical mining work was done in two ways: using the depth tape and using the electro-optical distance meter.
Two Procedures to Flag Radio Frequency Interference in the UV Plane
Authors: Sekhar Srikrishna , Athreya Ramana
Published: June 2018

We present two algorithms to identify and flag radio frequency interference (RFI) in radio interferometric imaging data. The first algorithm utilizes the redundancy of visibilities inside a UV cell in the visibility plane to identify corrupted data, while varying the detection threshold in accordance with the observed reduction in noise with radial UV distance. In the second algorithm, we propose a scheme to detect faint RFI in the visibility time-channel (TC) plane of baselines. The efficacy of identifying RFI in the residual visibilities is reduced by the presence of ripples due to inaccurate subtraction of the strongest sources. This can be due to several reasons including primary beam asymmetries and other direction-dependent calibration errors. We eliminated these ripples by clipping the corresponding peaks in the associated Fourier plane. RFI was detected in the ripple-free TC plane but was flagged in the original visibilities. Application of these two algorithms to five different 150 MHz data sets from the GMRT resulted in a reduction in image noise of 20%–50% throughout the field along with a reduction in systematics and a corresponding increase in the number of detected sources. However, in comparing the mean flux densities before and after flagging RFI, we find a differential change with the fainter sources (25σ < S < 100 mJy) showing a change of −6% to +1% relative to the stronger sources (S > 100 mJy). We are unable to explain this effect, but it could be related to the CLEAN bias known for interferometers.
MIKiS: The Multi-instrument Kinematic Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters. I. Velocity Dispersion Profiles and Rotation Signals of 11 Globular Clusters*
Authors: Ferraro F. R. , Mucciarelli A. , Lanzoni B. , Pallanca C. , Lapenna E. , Origlia L. , Dalessandro E. , Valenti E. , Beccari G. , Bellazzini M. , Vesperini E. , Varri A. , Sollima A.
Published: June 2018

We present the first results of the Multi-Instrument Kinematic Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters (GGCs), a project aimed at exploring the internal kinematics of a representative sample of GGCs from the radial velocity of individual stars, covering the entire radial extension of each system. This is achieved by exploiting the formidable combination of multi-object and integral field unit spectroscopic facilities of the ESO Very Large Telescope. As a first step, here we discuss the results obtained for 11 clusters from high and medium resolution spectra acquired through a combination of FLAMES and KMOS observations. We provide the first kinematical characterization of NGC 1261 and NGC 6496. In all the surveyed systems, the velocity dispersion profile declines at increasing radii, in agreement with the expectation from the King model that best fits the density/luminosity profile. In the majority of the surveyed systems, we find evidence of rotation within a few half-mass radii from the center. These results are in general overall agreement with the predictions of recent theoretical studies, suggesting that the detected signals could be the relic of significant internal rotation set at the epoch of the cluster’s formation.
Optical High-resolution Spectroscopy of 14 Young α-rich Stars∗
Authors: Matsuno Tadafumi , Yong David , Aoki Wako , Ishigaki Miho N.
Published: June 2018

We report chemical abundances of 14 young α-rich stars including neutron-capture elements based on high-quality optical spectra from HIRES/Keck I and differential line-by-line analysis. From a comparison of the abundance patterns of young α-rich stars to those of nearby bright red giants with a similar metallicity range (−0.7 < [Fe/H] < −0.2), we confirm their high α-element abundances reported by previous studies based on near-infrared spectroscopy. We reveal for the first time low abundances of s-process elements and high abundances of r-process elements. All the abundances are consistent with those seen in the typical α-rich population of the Galactic disk, and no abundance anomalies are found except for Li-enhancement in one object previously reported and mild enhancement of Na in two stars. In particular, the lack of s-process enhancement excludes the hypothesis that mass transfer from asymptotic giant branch stars plays an important role in the formation of young α-rich stars. The high frequency of radial velocity variation (more than 50%) is also confirmed. We argue that mass transfer from low-mass red giants is the likely dominant formation mechanism for young α-rich stars.
Ionized Gas Motions and the Structure of Feedback near a Forming Globular Cluster in NGC 5253
Authors: Cohen Daniel P. , Turner Jean L. , Consiglio S. Michelle , Martin Emily C. , Beck Sara C.
Published: June 2018

We observed Brackett α 4.05 μm emission toward the supernebula in NGC 5253 with NIRSPEC on Keck II in adaptive optics mode, NIRSPAO, to probe feedback from its exciting embedded super star cluster (SSC). NIRSPEC's Slit-viewing Camera was simultaneously used to image the K-band continuum at ∼0.″1 resolution. We register the IR continuum with HST imaging, and find that the visible clusters are offset from the K-band peak, which coincides with the Brα peak of the supernebula and its associated molecular cloud. The spectra of the supernebula exhibit Brα emission with a strong, narrow core. The linewidths are 65–76 km s−1, FWHM, comparable to those around individual ultra-compact H ii regions within our Galaxy. A weak, broad (FWHM ≃ 150–175 km s−1) component is detected on the base of the line, which could trace a population of sources with high-velocity winds. The core velocity of Brα emission shifts by +13 km s−1 from NE to SW across the supernebula, possibly indicating a bipolar outflow from an embedded object or a link to a foreground redshifted gas filament. The results can be explained if the supernebula comprises thousands of ionized wind regions around individual massive stars, stalled in their expansion due to critical radiative cooling and unable to merge to drive a coherent cluster wind. Based on the absence of an outflow with large mass loss, we conclude that feedback is currently ineffective at dispersing gas, and the SSC retains enriched material out of which it may continue to form stars.
Generation of Optical Vortices by Nonlinear Inverse Thomson Scattering at Arbitrary Angle Interactions
Authors: Taira Yoshitaka , Katoh Masahiro
Published: June 2018

We theoretically verify that optical vortices carrying orbital angular momentum are generated in various astrophysical situations via nonlinear inverse Thomson scattering. Arbitrary angle collisions between relativistic electrons and circularly polarized strong electromagnetic waves are treated. We reveal that the higher harmonic components of scattered photons carry well-defined orbital angular momentum under a specific condition that the Lorentz factor of the electron is much larger than the field strength parameter of the electromagnetic wave. Our study indicates that optical vortices in a wide frequency range from radio waves to gamma-rays are naturally generated in environments where high-energy electrons interact with circularly polarized strong electromagnetic waves at various interaction angles. Optical vortices should be a new multi-messenger member carrying information concerning the physical circumstances of their sources, e.g., the magnetic and radiation fields. Moreover, their interactions with matter via their orbital angular momenta may play an important role in the evolution of matter in the universe.
Gamma-Ray Burst Optical Afterglows with Two-component Jets: Polarization Evolution Revisited
Authors: Lan Mi-Xiang , Wu Xue-Feng , Dai Zi-Gao
Published: June 2018

Gamma-ray bursts have been widely argued to originate from binary compact object mergers or core collapse of massive stars. Jets from these systems may have two components: an inner, narrow sub-jet and an outer, wider sub-jet. Such a jet subsequently interacts with its ambient gas, leading to a reverse shock (RS) and a forward shock. The magnetic field in the narrow sub-jet is very likely to be mixed by an ordered component and a random component during the afterglow phase. In this paper, we calculate light curves and polarization evolution of optical afterglows with this mixed magnetic field in the RS region of the narrow sub-jet in a two-component jet model. The resultant light curve has two peaks: an early peak arising from the narrow sub-jet and a late-time rebrightening due to the wider sub-jet. We find the polarization degree (PD) evolution under such a mixed magnetic field confined in the shock plane is very similar to that under the purely ordered magnetic field condition. The two-dimensional “mixed” magnetic fields confined in the shock plane are essentially the ordered magnetic fields only with different configurations. The position angle (PA) of the two-component jet can change gradually or abruptly by 90°. In particular, an abrupt 90° change of the PA occurs when the PD changes from its decline phase to the rise phase.
BANYAN. XII. New Members of Nearby Young Associations from GAIA–Tycho Data
Authors: Gagné Jonathan , Roy-Loubier Olivier , Faherty Jacqueline K. , Doyon René , Malo Lison
Published: June 2018

We present a search for stellar members of young associations within 150 pc of the Sun, based on TGAS and an updated version of the BANYAN Σ software to determine Bayesian membership probabilities that includes Gaia–2MASS color-magnitude diagrams. We identify 32 new F0–M3-type bona fide members of the 10–200 Myr old Sco-Cen, Carina, Tucana-Horologium, Columba, and Octans associations and the AB Doradus, β Pictoris, and Carina-Near moving groups. These new bona fide members have measurements of their full kinematics and literature data consistent with a young age. We also confirm the membership of 66 previously known candidate members using their Gaia–Tycho trigonometric distances or new literature radial velocities, and identify 219 additional new candidate members, most of which do not yet have a radial velocity measurement. This work is the first step toward a completeness-corrected survey of young association members based on Gaia DR2 in the near future.
Spinup and Disruption of Interstellar Asteroids by Mechanical Torques, and Implications for 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua)
Authors: Hoang Thiem , Loeb Abraham , Lazarian A. , Cho Jungyeon
Published: June 2018

The discovery of the first interstellar asteroid, 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua), has opened a new era for research on interstellar objects. In this paper, we study the rotational dynamics of interstellar asteroids (ISAs) of irregular shapes moving through the interstellar gas. We find that regular mechanical torques resulting from the bombardment of gas flow on the irregular body could be important for the dynamics and destruction of ISAs. Mechanical torques can spin up the ISA, resulting in the breakup of the original ISA into small binary asteroids when the rotation rate exceeds the critical frequency. We find that the breakup timescale is short for ISAs of highly irregular shapes and low tensile strength. We apply our results to the first observed ISA, ‘Oumuamua, and suggest that its extreme elongated shape may originate from a reassembly of the binary fragments, due to gravity along its journey in the interstellar medium. The tumbling of ‘Oumuamua could have been induced by rotational disruption due to mechanical torques. Finally, we discuss the survival possibility of high-velocity asteroids presumably formed by tidal disruption of planetary systems by the black hole at the Galactic center.
The Spectral and Environment Properties of z ∼ 2.0–2.5 Quasar Pairs
Authors: Lusso Elisabeta , Fumagalli Michele , Rafelski Marc , Neeleman Marcel , Prochaska Jason X. , Hennawi Joseph F. , O’Meara John M. , Theuns Tom
Published: June 2018

We present the first results from our survey of intervening and proximate Lyman limit systems (LLSs) at z ∼ 2.0–2.5 using the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope. The quasars in our sample are projected pairs with proper transverse separations R
⊥ ≤ 150 kpc and line-of-sight velocity separations ≲11,000 km s−1. We construct a stacked ultraviolet (rest-frame wavelengths 700–2000 Å) spectrum of pairs corrected for the intervening Lyman forest and Lyman continuum absorption. The observed spectral composite presents a moderate flux excess for the most prominent broad emission lines, a ∼30% decrease in flux at λ = 800–900 Å compared to a stack of brighter quasars not in pairs at similar redshifts, and lower values of the mean free path of the H i ionizing radiation for pairs (

 = 140.7 ± 20.2

Mpc) compared to single quasars (

 = 213.8 ± 28

Mpc) at the average redshift z ≃ 2.44. From the modeling of LLS absorption in these pairs, we find a higher (∼20%) incidence of proximate LLSs with log

 ≥ 17.2 at δv < 5000 km s−1 compared to single quasars (∼6%). These two rates are different at the 5σ level. Moreover, we find that optically thick absorbers are equally shared between foreground and background quasars. Based on these pieces of evidence, we conclude that there is a moderate excess of gas-absorbing Lyman continuum photons in our closely projected quasar pairs compared to single quasars. We argue that this gas arises mostly within large-scale structures or partially neutral regions inside the dark matter halos where these close pairs reside.
Isothermal PCR for Feasible Molecular Diagnosis of Primary Toxoplasmosis in Women Recently Experienced Spontaneous Abortion
Authors: Abd El Aal Amany A. , Nahnoush Reham K. , Elmallawany Marwa A. , El-Sherbiny Walid S. , Badr Mohamed S. , Nasr Ghada M.
Published: June 2018

AIM: The current study aimed to assess the practicability of a simple loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) about real-time quantitative PCR to diagnose primary toxoplasmosis among high-risk pregnant women.METHODS: Cloned Toxoplasma samples were used to calculate the analytical sensitivity while specificity was assessed using pooled DNA samples extracted from other parasitic stages.RESULTS: Both techniques showed 100% sensitivity and specificity and then applied to detect recent Toxoplasma infection in peripheral blood of 77 IgG negative women out of a total 139 women lately experienced spontaneous abortion. The 2 techniques obtained positive results in 8 samples confirming primary toxoplasmosis.CONCLUSION: Generally, LAMP assay is a simple, cost-effective molecular technique can be completed in less than half an hour to diagnose primary Toxoplasma infection. The technique can be applied in a minimally equipped laboratory by ordinary workers to screen the vulnerable groups. Further analysis using larger samples with the quantitative approach is recommended to confirm the sensitivity of this emergent molecular technique.
Associations between Diet, Dietary and Oral Hygiene Habits with Caries Occurrence and Severity in Children with Autism at Dammam City, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Kotha Sunil Babu , AlFaraj Norah Saud Mohammed , Ramdan Tasneem Hassan , Alsalam Maymoonah Abdullah , Al Ameer Maryam Jawad , Almuzin Zainab Mohammed
Published: June 2018

AIM: The purpose of the study is to achieve the baseline information of the autistic child’s oral health status about the diet, dietary and hygiene habits. The association of these factors with dental caries were assessed.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey was composed of self-administered questionnaires to parents about their children's’ demographic data followed by questions related to diet, dietary and hygiene habits. This is later followed by oral examination for estimating the decayed, missing and filled [dmft] scores as per WHO norms. The variables are analysed using t-tests and ANOVA. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated for each of the independent variables to examine for autocorrelation.RESULTS: The mean age for the present study is 5.8 years with more predilections of caries in females. The autistic children prefer soft diet and pouch it in oral cavity resulting in increased caries though not significant. Other foods like nuts and pulses confectioneries and soft drinks resulted in increased caries, and our study shows significant relation. Consumption of sugars between meals and increased quantity of sugar per day also increased dental caries with highly significant results in our study. Hygiene habits also made a difference in the occurrence of caries though, in our study, it’s not significant.CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that the oral health education programs should be conducted for the parents, caregivers and the teachers about the diet, dietary and the hygiene habits and the role they play in maintaining the oral hygiene.
Consumer acceptance of foods containing edible insects in Belgium two years after their introduction to the market
Authors: Van Thielen L. , Vermuyten S. , Storms B. , Rumpold B. , Van Campenhout L.
Published: June 2018

As the Belgian market and legislation on insect-based foods have evolved the past years, this study aimed at generating an updated and representative insight into the consumer acceptance of these foods. Data were collected via a telephone survey. The distribution of the 388 respondents across regions, gender and age matched that of the Belgian population. Of those surveyed, 79% were aware of the fact that foods with insects can be bought; 11.2% had already eaten foods with processed insects; 31.8% had no experience but were willing to try, and 57% had no experience or interest in tasting such products. Potential consumers accepted invisible processed mealworms in energy shakes (60.7%), energy bars (59.6%), burgers (59.3%), soup (56.8%), sandwich spreads (56.2%), unfried snacks (56.2%) and fried snacks (52.7%). Consumers indicated that the presence of insects should be clearly declared on the package and that they wanted to be able to buy these products primarily in the supermarket.
Breathing-Related Sleep Disorders in the Elderly
Authors: Sadaf Murrium I. , Johnson Anne , Daw Jonathan M. , Hashmi Ali , Khawaja Imran S.
Published: June 2018

Breathing-related sleep disorders (BRSD) include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, and sleep-related hypoventilation. The prevalence of BRSD increases with age and contributes to morbidity in the elderly. OSA, the most common BRSD, is characterized by an intermittent decrease in or cessation of airflow during sleep due to a collapsed airway. Clinical features of OSA include loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, choking spells, and documented episodes of hypopnea/apnea on polysomnography. OSA is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and cognitive problems. This review provides an overview of OSA in the elderly and its relationship with other medical disorders.

[
Psychiatr Ann.
2018;48(6):287–291.]
Insomnia in Older Adults
Authors: Cherukuri Chandra M. , Kaplish Neeraj , Malepati Deepthi C. , Khawaja Imran S. , Bhatia Shashi K. , Bhatia Subhash C.
Published: June 2018

Insomnia disorder in older adults is associated with dissatisfaction with quality or quantity of sleep and is also associated with difficulty falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or early morning awakening. It is frequently associated with an age-related decrease in restorative stage 3 of nonrapid eye movement sleep as well as advance phase shift leading to early morning awakening. Sleep disturbances in older adults, as in younger patients, have a bidirectional relationship with many medical and psychiatric disorders as well as polypharmacy. The health consequences of insomnia in the elderly may also include manifestation or magnification of cognitive deficits. Diagnosis of insomnia is based on history from the patient, the bed partner, self-administered questionnaire or sleep diary, comprehensive evaluation for comorbid medical/psychiatric disorders, and comprehensive medication history. Both nonpharmacological and pharmacological strategies are effective in the management of insomnia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) should be considered as an initial intervention for chronic insomnia. Pharmacological treatment with short-acting hypnotics is a valuable adjunct to CBT-I for acute insomnia for a brief period followed by a slow taper. Any treatment intervention should be in collaboration with the patient and/or family and include a discussion of the risks, benefits, and costs.

[
Psychiatr Ann.
2018;48(6):279–286.]
Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in Nursing Home Patients: Practical Management Strategies
Authors: Reinstatler Kristina M. , Woolf Brittany
Published: June 2018

Sleep disorders are a significant issue in the nursing home population, with prevalence rates from 6% to 65%. They can lead to several deleterious effects, such as increasing malaise, falls, and cognitive decline. There are a variety of treatment options, with nonpharmacologic interventions being first line. If nonpharmacologic measures fail, pharmacotherapy can be considered. Melatonin agonists, select antidepressants, suvorexant, and magnesium supplements have data to support their use in the elderly patient with minimal side effects. Medications with safety profiles that indicate the risks may outweigh the benefits should be avoided. These include benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics, antihistamines, antipsychotics, and most tricyclic antidepressants. Additionally, the lowest effective dose of any medication is recommended to minimize adverse effects.

[
Psychiatr Ann.
2018;48(6):271–278.]
Re-engineering the Hong Kong Quality of Life Questionnaire to Assess Cataract Surgery Outcomes
Authors: Khadka Jyoti , Gao Rongrong , Chen Haisi , Zhang Sifang , Wang Qinmei , Huang Jinhai , Pesudovs Konrad
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE:

To assess psychometric properties of the Hong Kong Quality of Life Questionnaire (HKQ) using Rasch analysis and use it to assess cataract surgery outcomes.

METHODS:

The HKQ was interviewer administered to participants at baseline (preoperative) and 12 months of follow-up (postoperative). Rasch analysis was used to assess and improve psychometric properties of the HKQ using the preoperative data. The responsiveness of the HKQ was assessed on the stacked preoperative and postoperative data, reported with the effect size.

RESULTS:

One hundred ninety-nine participants (median age: 72 years; interquartile range: 65 to 78 years) with cataract completed the HKQ at the preoperative assessment. There were more women (58%) and most of the participants had bilateral cataract (83.9%). Nearly half of the participants had undergone surgery in one eye (45.2%) followed by bilateral surgery (38.7%). Psychometric assessment guided by Rasch analysis resulted into a 15-item HKQ with promising psychometric properties including adequate measurement precision (2.09), no misfitting items, near perfect targeting (−0.05), unidimensionality, and with no evidence of item bias. For those who completed the HKQ (n = 82, 41.2%) at the 12-month follow-up visit, all groups demonstrated statistically significant gains in the HKQ scores, with the highest gain in participants who had undergone bilateral surgery (effect size: 2.61).

CONCLUSIONS:

The 15-item HKQ was valid and psychometrically sound and might be a highly responsive instrument to measure cataract surgery outcomes in China. This study demonstrated that cataract surgery significantly improves quality of life in the Chinese population.

[J Refract Surg.2018;34(6):413–418.]
Long-term Results of Corneal Cross-linking for Terrien's Marginal Degeneration
Authors: Lamarca José , Salvador-Culla Borja , Fernández-Vega Carlos , Barraquer Rafael I.
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE:

To report the long-term clinical outcomes of a patient with Terrien's marginal degeneration who underwent successful peripheral corneal cross-linking (CXL) to arrest progression.

METHODS:

Clinical assessment included uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), corneal topography, anterior segment optical coherence tomography, ultrasonic pachymetry, corneal hysteresis, and corneal resistance factor. Eccentric epithelium-off CXL was performed in both eyes after limbal conjunctival resection. Following the Dresden protocol, fluence irradiation was set at 5.4 J/cm
2
, using 3 mW/cm
2
for a total exposure time of 30 minutes.

RESULTS:

Nine years of postoperative follow-up showed significant bilateral improvement in visual acuity, refraction, and corneal topography with no signs of progression of Terrien's marginal degeneration. In the right eye, UDVA improved from 0.05 to 0.3 decimal and CDVA from 0.8 to 1.2 decimal, cylinder was reduced from −14.00 to −3.00 diopters (D), simulated keratometry improved from 10.50 to 3.70 D, and the thinnest point on pachymetry remained almost unchanged (from 483 to 469
μ
m). In the left eye, UDVA improved from 0.1 to 0.2 decimal and CDVA remained unchanged at 1.2 decimal, cylinder was reduced from −6.00 to −2.75 D, simulated keratometry improved from 5.60 to 3.30 D, and the thinnest point on pachymetry remained stable at 486
μ
m.

CONCLUSIONS:

Eccentric peripheral CXL can be a safe, noninvasive alternative therapeutic approach for the management of Terrien's marginal degeneration with peripheral thinning.

[
J Refract Surg.
2018;34(6):424–429.]
Health Literacy and Health Service Use in Germany
Authors: Berens Eva-Maria , Vogt Dominique , Ganahl Kristin , Weishaar Heide , Pelikan Jürgen , Schaeffer Doris
Published: June 2018

Background:

Health literacy (HL) is defined as the ability to process health-related information to make decisions to maintain health and improve quality of life. A growing number of studies demonstrate that people with lower HL are less likely to use preventive services but more likely to use curative, emergency, or hospital care.

Objective:

This study investigated the relationship between HL and the use of different types of health services in a sample of the general German population, as we expected that the effect of HL on the frequency of use differs by type of health service.

Methods:

A nationally representative sample of 2,000 people in Germany was interviewed in person in 2014. Analyses of the data included frequencies of contacts with doctors, other health professionals, hospitals, and emergency services. Analysis also included a HL measure (European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire), as well as sociodemographic and health status indicators. To test whether and how HL is related to the frequency of use of the different types of curative health services, regression analyses were performed.

Key Results:

Respondents with lower HL scores reported more frequent use of all four included types of curative health services. Although multiple regression analysis showed a direct significant effect of HL only on doctor (β = −.066) and other health professionals visits (β = −.103), no significant direct effect of HL on hospital and emergency services use was found when sociodemographic and health-related factors were controlled for.

Conclusions:

Health professionals should be aware that their patients are likely to have difficulties in understanding and processing health-related information. Interventions to strengthen HL should aim at improving health care literacy and, moreover, not only address individuals but also consider demands related to the health care system and health professionals' communication skills.

Plain Language Summary:

This study investigates the relationship between health literacy and health service use in Germany. The results show that health services are used more often by individuals with low health literacy. Thus, health professionals need to take low health literacy into account in their communication with patients.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice.
2018;2(2):e115–e122.]
Health Literacy Estimation of English and Spanish Language Caregivers
Authors: Cooper Michael , Blucker Ryan , Thompson David , Griffeth Elaine , Grassi Michael , Damron Kelsey , Parrish Colleen , Gillaspy Stephen , Dunlap Marianne
Published: June 2018

Background:

Provider ability to estimate caregiver health literacy (HL) in English-speaking caregivers has been shown to be poor, but estimation of HL in Spanish-speaking caregivers by physicians and staff has yet to be studied. Linguistic differences can further hinder communication in medical care.

Objective:

This study evaluated how well pediatric providers and staff predict caregiver HL as measured by two HL tools in a bilingual (English/Spanish) population.

Method:

For this study, we obtained a convenience sample of caregivers, evaluating one group with the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) and the second group with the Short Assessment of Health Literacy (SAHL). Physicians/nurse practitioners (NPs), and medical assistants (MAs) estimated caregiver scores for each tool. We dichotomized estimated and actual scores for each tool using published standards. We used McNemar's test and Cohen's Kappa to evaluate agreement between dichotomized predicted and actual scores. We used log binomial regression to examine how caregiver's language affected agreement between dichotomized caregiver scores and provider estimates. All physicians/NPs were native English speakers only and all MAs were native bilingual English/Spanish speakers. Physicians/NPs used interpretation services when appropriate.

Key Results:

Fifty caregivers were evaluated using the NVS and 50 using the SAHL. There was no overall association between dichotomized physician/NP or MA estimation and caregiver score for either tool. However, providers' estimates were less likely to match caregiver scores when the caregiver's language was Spanish (NVS: relative risk [RR] = 0.57 [95% CI 0.37, 0.87], SAHL: RR = 0.37 [95% CI 0.23,0.6]).

Conclusion:

Physician/NP and MA ability to estimate caregiver HL in English proficient and limited English proficiency caregivers is poor. The physician/NP group was less likely to estimate HL correctly if the caregivers spoke Spanish. Providers must use additional caution when providing cross-language care.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2018;2(2):e107–e114.]

Plain Language Summary:

This study examined estimation of health literacy of English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers by pediatric providers and medical assistants. We found that both providers and staff estimate caregiver health literacy poorly, and that primary language discordance may be a factor. The results support the institution of universal health literacy precautions for all caregivers of pediatric patients.
A High Performance Model for Task Allocation in Distributed Computing System Using K-Means Clustering Technique
Authors: Kumar Harendra , Chauhan Nutan Kumari , Yadav Pradeep Kumar
Published: June 2018

Tasks allocation is an important step for obtaining high performance in distributed computing system (DCS). This article attempts to develop a mathematical model for allocating the tasks to the processors in order to achieve optimal cost and optimal reliability of the system. The proposed model has been divided into two stages. Stage-I, makes the ‘n' clusters of set of ‘m' tasks by using k-means clustering technique. To use the k-means clustering techniques, the inter-task communication costs have been modified in such a way that highly communicated tasks are clustered together to minimize the communication costs between tasks. Stage-II, allocates the ‘n' clusters of tasks onto ‘n' processors to minimize the system cost. To design the mathematical model, executions costs and inter tasks communication costs have been taken in the form of matrices. To test the performance of the proposed model, many examples are considered from different research papers and results of examples have compared with some existing models.
Factors Influencing Mobile Search Engine Users' Continuance Behavior Under the Context of Service Harm Crisis Event
Authors: Zhang Min , Tang Guoqing , Zhang Yan
Published: June 2018

Post-adoption behavior has become one of the research hotspots in recent years. The purpose of this article is to research mobile search engine user's usage behaviour under the context of service harm crisis. Hypotheses and theoretical model are proposed by integrating expectation confirmation model of IS continuance, technology acceptance model, perceived risk theory, attribution theory and habit theory. The results indicated that continuance intention along with satisfaction and habit are important determinants of continuance behaviour. Perceived usefulness, perceived risk and continuance attitude have significant effect on continuance intention while attitude has the strongest effect. Confirmation promotes perceived usefulness, satisfaction and perceived ease of use which has an indirectly significant influence on satisfaction via perceived usefulness. Attribution of responsibilities has been found to have positive effect on perceived risk. Implications and contributions are provided.
Editorial
Authors: Marambe Buddhi
Published: June 2018

No abstract available
Phosphate-solubilizing fungi for efficient soil phosphorus management
Authors: Kumari P. D. S. U. , Nanayakkara C. M.
Published: June 2018

Rhizosphere soil extracts obtained from eight cinnamon species and three pepper species cultivated organically were inoculated initially on Pikovskaya (PVK) medium. The twelve fungal isolates that solubilized the insoluble phosphates were further tested on the same medium added with both insoluble tricalcium phosphate and soluble dipotassium hydrogen phosphate to detect the expression of the trait in the presence of soluble phosphates in soil, for which all twelve qualified. The efficiencies of phosphate solubilization were investigated in two liquid media: PVK medium to represent soil phosphate pool and a rock phosphate (RP) medium, by determining the available phosphorus concentration in the liquid media at the end of the 24 h and 72 h incubation periods, respectively. The pH reduction in the medium was measured to ascertain the organic acid production by fungal isolates as a mechanism of solubilization. Three fungal isolates showing the highest efficiencies in phosphate solubilization were taxonomically identified based on the micromorphological characteristics and molecular techniques. Two isolates were identified as Penicillium oxalicum and Trichorderma virens and the other was belonging to the genus Aspergillus. A possible synergism between the three fungal species towards phosphate dissolution was detected using the broth culture procedure. Aspergillus sp. in combination with P. oxalicum dissolved both Ca3(PO4)2 and RP recording the highest significant dissolved phosphate levels of 893.43 (±56.768) mg P/L and 309.42 (±42.52) mg P/L, respectively, within 72 h post inoculation, making them prospective candidates for increased phosphate availability of soil phosphate pool and rock phosphates.
Consumer preferences for selected exotic flowering pot plants: A market assessment study
Authors: Prasadini W. M. T. , Rosairo H. S. R.
Published: June 2018

The factors affecting consumer perception on up-country flowering pot plants were analyzed. Simple random samples of 100 end-users and 100 traders; wholesalers and retailers, who purchased flowering pot plants from nurseries in Badulla and Ratnapura districts were selected as interviewees to collect data using a researcher-administered structured questionnaire. Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonil Bolus ex Hook f.), Petunia (Petunia hybrida) and Rose (Rosa hybrida L) were the three flowering pot plant species considered in this study as they are among the most popular exotic flowering pot plant species in the market at present. A half of the respondents was in the age category of 25 to 44 years, in the income category of Sri Lanka Rs. 15,000 to 30,000 (approx. USD 95-190) per month and had a formal education up to General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level). The key intentions of purchasing flowering potted plants were for outdoor decoration or for planting in the home garden (78%). Other uses included indoor decorations (19%) and for gifting (3%). There were relationships (p<0.05) between the plant variety with stage of blooming and flower colour at buying. However, there was no relationship (p>0.05) between plant variety and petal type; single, double and multi-petal. Most flowering pot plants were purchased from large nurseries by intermediaries to be sold as wholesale and/or retail. Results showed that the price, but not the variety, affected the purchasing decision. A seasonal effect was observed in purchasing flowering pot plants i.e. sales peaks were observed during February to April and June to September, due to special days such as Valentine’s Day. The less requirement for care was an important consideration when purchasing these plants. Majority of the customers got to know about the nurseries through word of mouth. Lack of new varieties such as spider gerbera, dwarf gerbera and spray roses, which were in demand, is one of the major constraints in purchasing flowering pot plants. Promotional campaigns including exhibitions, open fairs and home deliveries are suggested as suitable promotional strategies for nurseries. The results of this study could benefit the companies to gain a competitive advantage while expanding their market share in this important industry.
The Christian faith and evolution: An evolving, unresolved debate
Authors: Conradie Ernst M.
Published: June 2018

This article sketches how the debate on Christian faith and evolution has evolved. Seven challenges are identified and described in the debate, namely, regarding a recognition of deep (geological) time (challenging the historicity of the biblical creation narratives), understanding the role of chance in natural selection (posing questions about the nature of divine action, e.g., providence), human descent (challenging presumed human distinctiveness), a recognition of natural suffering (challenging the benevolence of the Creator), identifying the evolutionary roots of evil (challenging Christian views on the fall of humanity), a recognition of natural disselection (challenging notions of divine election) and, finally, evolutionary explanations of the emergence of morality and of religion (reiterating the challenge of atheism). It is argued that with each of these challenges, some of the underlying problems were provisionally resolved, only to reappear later in an even more challenging form.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The contribution describes shifts in Christian discourse on evolution and challenges the tacit assumption that any one aspect of the debate has been fully resolved by articulating some of the questions that have been resolved and others that remain unresolved.
Convergence of marked point processes of excesses for dynamical systems
Authors: Freitas Ana Cristina Moreira , Freitas Jorge Milhazes , Magalhães Mário
Published: June 2018

We consider stochastic processes arising from dynamical systems simply by evaluating an observable function along the orbits of the system and study marked point processes associated to extremal observations of such time series corresponding to exceedances of high thresholds. Each exceedance is marked by a quantity intended to measure the severity of the exceedance. In particular, we consider marked point processes measuring the aggregate damage by adding all the excesses over the threshold that mark each exceedance (AOT) or simply by adding the largest excesses in a cluster of exceedances (POT). We provide conditions for the convergence of such marked point processes to a compound Poisson process, for whose multiplicity distribution we give an explicit formula. These conditions are shown to follow from a strong form of decay of correlations of the system. Moreover, we prove that the convergence of the marked point processes for a ‘nice’ first return induced map can be carried over to the original system. The systems considered include nonuniformly expanding maps (in one or higher dimensions) and maps with intermittent fixed points or non-recurrent critical points. For a general class of examples, the compound Poisson limit process is computed explicitly, and in particular in the POT case we obtain a generalised Pareto multiplicity distribution.
Origin of the power-law exponent in the landslide frequency-size distribution
Authors: Jafarimanesh Ahoura , Mignan Arnaud , Danciu Laurentiu
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Landslide statistics is characterized by a power-law frequency-size distribution (FSD) with power exponent α centered on 2.2–2.4, independently of the landslide trigger. So far, the origin of the α-value, critical to probabilistic hazard assessment, remains hypothetical. We present a generic landslide cellular automaton (LSgCA) based on the rules of Self Organized Criticality and on the Factor of Safety (FS) concept. We show that it reproduces the power-law FSD for realistic parameter ranges (i.e. cohesion, soil unit weight, soil thickness, angle of friction, slope angle, pore water pressure) with LSgCA simulations yielding α = 2.17±0.49, which is in agreement with α = 2.21±0.53 obtained from an updated meta-analysis of the landslide literature. The parameter α remains stable despite changes in the landslide triggering process, with the trigger only influencing the spatial extent of the landslide initiation phase defined from an FS contour. Furthermore, different FS formulations do not significantly alter the results. We find that α is constrained during the initiation phase of the landslide by the fractal properties of the topography, as we observed a positive correlation between fractal dimension and α while α did not change during the propagation phase of the LSgCA. Our results thus suggest that α can be estimated directly from the FS map for probabilistic landslide hazard assessment. However full modeling (including the propagation phase) would be required to combine the spatial distributions of landslide and exposure in probabilistic risk analysis.
Numerical study of hydrodynamic and salinity transport processes in the Pink Beach wetlands of the Liao River estuary, China
Authors: Qiao Huiting , Zhang Mingliang , Jiang Hengzhi , Xu Tianping , Zhang Hongxing
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Interaction studies of vegetation within flow environments are essential for
the determination of bank protection, morphological characteristics and
ecological conditions for wetlands. This paper uses the MIKE 21 hydrodynamic
and salinity model to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics and salinity
transport processes in the Pink Beach wetlands of the Liao River estuary. The
effect of wetland plants on tidal flow in wetland areas is represented by a
varying Manning coefficient in the bottom friction term. Acquisition of the
vegetation distribution is based on Landsat TM satellites by remote sensing
techniques. Detailed comparisons between field observation and simulated
results of water depth, salinity and tidal currents are presented in the
vegetated domain of the Pink Beach wetlands. Satisfactory results were
obtained from simulations of both flow characteristics and salinity
concentration, with or without vegetation. A numerical experiment was
conducted based on variations in vegetation density, and compared with the
tidal currents in non-vegetated areas; the computed current speed decreased
remarkably with an increase in vegetation density. The impact of vegetation
on water depth and salinity was simulated, and the findings revealed that
wetland vegetation has an insignificant effect on the water depth and
salinity in this wetland domain. Several stations (from upstream to
downstream) in the Pink Beach wetlands were selected to estimate the
longitudinal variation of salinity under different river runoff conditions;
the results showed that salinity
concentration decreases with an increase in river runoff. This study can
consequently help increase the understanding of favourable salinity
conditions for particular vegetation growth in the Pink Beach wetlands of the
Liao River estuary. The results also provide crucial guidance for related
interaction studies of vegetation, flow and salinity in other wetland
systems.
Publicaciones seriadas y científicas de acceso abierto sobre estudios multimedia. Guía de recursos
Authors: Paz Enrique Luis Ernesto , Ruiz Herrera Darianna , Hernández Alfonso Eduardo Alejandro
Published: June 2018

Los estudios sobre la temática multimedia en los últimos años han tenido un crecimiento sostenido a partir del desarrollo de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones. Existen pocas revistas especializadas para socializar la investigación sobre la temática multimedia. Se planteó como objetivo del estudio: identificar las publicaciones seriadas y científicas que abordan los estudios multimedia en habla hispana y caracterizarlas de acuerdo a aspectos editoriales. La sistematización de las publicaciones favorecerá que los investigadores que abordan la temática multimedia, identifiquen aquellas revistas a las que pueden enviar sus contribuciones. Para la obtención de resultados se emplearon métodos en los niveles teórico y empírico, fundamentalmente el análisis documental. Se realizó un directorio de revistas científicas que abordan la temática multimedia y se organizaron a partir de indicadores editoriales como fuentes de indización, área temática, país, dirección electrónica, institución de procedencia y frecuencia de publicación.