bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Systemic Toxicity: Oral, Dermal and Inhalation Exposures
Authors: Andrew David J.
Published: October 2013

Contemporary regulatory test guidelines offer reduction and refinement approaches to the in vivo testing of acute oral, dermal and inhalation toxicity. It is also clear that further reduction in the numbers of animals used in acute toxicity studies may be obtained through the use of more intelligent testing strategies, fully utilising the available data or by questioning the absolute requirement for a study. Assays of basal cytotoxicity have also been shown to have good predictivity for acute systemic toxicity for the majority of chemicals and may therefore be incorporated into a tiered testing strategy, enabling further reduction of animal numbers by informing the choice of starting dose level in studies in vivo. The future total replacement of in vivo studies requires the continuing development of a testing battery incorporating in vitro assays of basal cytotoxicity, cell-specific cytotoxicity and assays of cell-specific function in common targets of toxicity together with assessment of structural alerts and the role of toxicokinetic parameters including metabolism in the expression of toxicity. Such a test battery may eventually prove sufficiently predictive of acute systemic toxicity to replace animal studies entirely.
Stability in a rhomboidal 5-body problem with generalized central forces
Authors: Marchesin Marcelo , Vidal Claudio
Published: October 2013

We consider a system of five mass points r1, r2, r3, and r4 with masses m1 = m2 = m and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$m_3= m_4= \tilde{m}$\end{document}m3=m4=m̃ moving about a single massive body r0 with mass m0 at its center which is assumed to be the origin of the coordinates system. We assume that the central body r0 makes a generalized force on the four mass points and that such a force is generated by a Manev's type potential, i.e., characterized by a potential of the form \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\frac{1}{r}+\frac{\epsilon }{r^2}$\end{document}1r+εr2, on the other hand is assumed that the attraction between the bodies r1, r2, r3, and r4 is of the Newtonian type. This model represents several cases, for instance, when the central body is a spheroid or a radiating source. First, we prove the existence of three different relative rhomboidal solutions, and its (central) configuration is as follows: (1) the rhombus is a square and all primaries have equal masses; (2) the rhombus is not a square but all masses are equal; and (3) the rhombus is not a square and the pairs of primaries have different masses. The first two cases present two parameters: ε, the radiation or the oblateness coefficient and m = μ the common mass of the primaries. In the third case, the only parameter to be considered is ε since it can be shown that in this case both m and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\tilde{m}$\end{document}m̃ depend on ε. Second, we study the stability of these solutions. We determine the values of the parameters (ε, μ) for which the square solution is spectrally stable and we prove that the rhomboidal solutions are unstable in the Lyapunov sense in the other two situations.
Vibrational dynamics of a non-degenerate ultrafast rotor: The (C12,C13)-oxalate ion
Authors: Kuroda Daniel G. , Abdo Mohannad , Chuntonov Lev , Smith Amos B. , Hochstrasser Robin M.
Published: October 2013

Molecular ions undergoing ultrafast conformational changes on the same time scale of water motions are of significant importance in condensed phase dynamics. However, the characterization of systems with fast molecular motions has proven to be both experimentally and theoretically challenging. Here, we report the vibrational dynamics of the non-degenerate (C12,C13)-oxalate anion, an ultrafast rotor, in aqueous solution. The infrared absorption spectrum of the (C12,C13)-oxalate ion in solution reveals two vibrational transitions separated by approximately 40 cm−1 in the 1500–1600 cm−1 region. These two transitions are assigned to vibrational modes mainly localized in each of the carboxylate asymmetric stretch of the ion. Two-dimensional infrared spectra reveal the presence and growth of cross-peaks between these two transitions which are indicative of coupling and population transfer, respectively. A characteristic time of sub-picosecond cross-peaks growth is observed. Ultrafast pump-probe anisotropy studies reveal essentially the same characteristic time for the dipole reorientation. All the experimental data are well modeled in terms of a system undergoing ultrafast population transfer between localized states. Comparison of the experimental observations with simulations reveal a reasonable agreement, although a mechanism including only the fluctuations of the coupling caused by the changes in the dihedral angle of the rotor, is not sufficient to explain the observed ultrafast population transfer.
A first generation compact microbeam radiation therapy system based on carbon nanotube X-ray technology
Authors: Hadsell M. , Zhang J. , Laganis P. , Sprenger F. , Shan J. , Zhang L. , Burk L. , Yuan H. , Chang S. , Lu J. , Zhou O.
Published: October 2013

We have developed a compact microbeam radiation therapy device using carbon nanotube cathodes to create a linear array of narrow focal line segments on a tungsten anode and a custom collimator assembly to select a slice of the resulting wedge-shaped radiation pattern. Effective focal line width was measured to be 131 μm, resulting in a microbeam width of ∼300 μm. The instantaneous dose rate was projected to be 2 Gy/s at full-power. Peak to valley dose ratio was measured to be >17 when a 1.4 mm microbeam separation was employed. Finally, multiple microbeams were delivered to a mouse with beam paths verified through histology.
Electromagnetically induced transparency and fluorescence in blockaded Rydberg atomic system
Authors: Li Cheng , Zheng Huaibin , Zhang Zhaoyang , Yao Xin , Zhang Yunzhe , Zhang Yiqi , Zhang Yanpeng
Published: October 2013

We investigate the interaction between dark states and Rydberg excitation blockade by using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), fluorescence, and four-wave mixing (FWM) signals both theoretically and experimentally. By scanning the frequency detunings of the probe and dressing fields, respectively, we first observe these signals (three coexisting EIT windows, two fluorescence signals, and two FWM signals) under Rydberg excitation blockade. Next, frequency detuning dependences of these signals are obtained, in which the modulated results are well explained by introducing the dressing effects (leading to the dark states) with the corrected factor of the Rydberg excitation blockade. In addition, the variations by changing the principal quantum number n of Rydberg state shown some interesting phenomena resulting from Rydberg blockade are observed. The unique nature of such blockaded signals can have potential application in the demonstration of quantum computing.
Effect of light soaking on the electro- and photoluminescence of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells
Authors: Müller T. C. M. , Tran T. M. H. , Pieters B. E. , Gerber A. , Carius R. , Rau U.
Published: October 2013

ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells are investigated by spectrally resolved electroluminescence and electro-modulated photoluminescence. The results agree well with the reciprocity relation between luminescence emission and photovoltaic quantum efficiency. In contrast, the superposition of photoluminescence and electroluminescence emission is warranted only in a limited injection range. At higher injection levels, we observe a characteristic discrepancy between electroluminescence and electro-modulated photoluminescence which is reduced by light soaking. We attribute this anomaly to a potential barrier close to the CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 interface. Hole injection into the space charge region during light soaking reduces this barrier and enhances the luminescence efficiency by a factor of 2.5.
Global sound modes in mirror traps with anisotropic pressure
Authors: Skovorodin D. I. , Zaytsev K. V. , Beklemishev A. D.
Published: October 2013

Global oscillations of inhomogeneous plasma with frequencies close to the bounce frequency of ions in mirror traps have been studied. It has been shown that, in some cases, the sound can be reflected from the axial plasma inhomogeneity. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model with Chew-Goldberger-Low approximation has been utilized to determine conditions of existence of the standing waves in the mirror-confined plasma. Linearized wave equation for the longitudinal plasma oscillations in thin anisotropic inhomogeneous plasma with finite β has been derived. The wave equation has been treated numerically. The oscillations are studied for the case of the trap with partially filled loss-cone and the trap with sloshing ions. It has been shown that in cells of the multiple-mirror trap standing waves can exist. The frequency of the wave is of the order of the mean bounce-frequency of ions. In the trap with sloshing ions, the mode supported by the pressure of fast ions could exist. The results of oscillations observation in the experiment on the Gas Dynamic Trap have been presented.
Enhanced dielectric properties from barium strontium titanate films with strontium titanate buffer layers
Authors: Cole M. W. , Ngo E. , Hubbard C. , Hirsch S. G. , Ivill M. , Sarney W. L. , Zhang J. , Alpay S. P.
Published: October 2013

In order to enhance the permittivity and tunability of the dielectric component, a thin film dielectric composite consisting of a radio frequency sputtered SrTiO3 (STO) buffer layer and metalorganic solution deposited Mg-doped BaxSr1−xTiO3 (Mg-BST) thin film overgrowth was developed using affordable industry standard processes and materials. The effect of the STO buffer layer thickness on the dielectric response of the heterostructure was investigated. Our results demonstrate that the composite film heterostructure, evaluated in the metal-insulator-metal configuration Pt/STO/Mg-BST/Pt on sapphire substrate, with the thinner (9–17 nm) STO buffer layers possessed enhanced permittivity (εr ∼ 491) with respect to the thicker 41 nm buffer layer (εr ∼ 360) and that of a control Mg-BST film without a STO buffer layer (εr ∼ 380). Additionally, the composite film with the thinner buffer layers were shown to have low losses (tan δ ∼ 0.02), low leakage characteristics (J = 7.0 × 10−9 A/cm2), high breakdown voltage (VBR > 10 V), a large grain microstructure (∼125 nm), and smooth pin-hole free surfaces. The enhanced permittivity of the composite dielectric film resulted from three major factors: (i) the template-effect of the thin STO buffer layer on the thicker Mg-BST over-layer film to achieve a large grain microstructure, (ii) the low viscosity of the metallo-organic solution deposition (MOSD) solution, which ensured heterogeneous nucleation of the Mg-BST overgrowth film on the surface of the STO buffer layer, and (iii) minimization of the low permittivity grain boundary phase (TiO2−x phase). The dielectric response of the BST can be explained using a thermodynamic model taking into account interlayer electrostatic and electromechanical interactions. Additionally, Mg doping of the BST enabled low loss and low leakage characteristics of the heterostructure. The large permittivity, low loss, low leakage characteristics, and defect free surfaces of the composite dielectric heterostructure promote tunable device miniaturization and hold the potential to enable enhanced electromagnetic coupling in ferromagnetic/high permittivity dielectric heterostructures, which in turn would facilitate the realization of integrated charge mediated voltage controlled magnetic radio frequency/microwave communication devices.
Free-standing semipolar III-nitride quantum well structures grown on chemical vapor deposited graphene layers
Authors: Gupta Priti , Rahman A. A. , Hatui Nirupam , Parmar Jayesh B. , Chalke Bhagyashree A. , Bapat Rudheer D. , Purandare S. C. , Deshmukh Mandar M. , Bhattacharya Arnab
Published: October 2013

We report the synthesis and optical characterization of semipolar-oriented III-nitride quantum well (QW) structures obtained by growth on chemical vapor deposited graphene layers using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Various multi-quantum well stacks of GaN(QW)/AlGaN(barrier) and InGaN (QW)/GaN (barrier) were grown. Growth on graphene not only helps achieve a semipolar orientation but also allows facile transfer of the QW multilayer stack to other cheap, flexible substrates. We demonstrate room-temperature photoluminescence from layers transferred to flexible Kapton films.
Amorphous thermal stability of Al-doped Sb2Te3 films for phase-change memory application
Authors: Wei Fenfen , Wang Long , Kong Tao , Shi Lin , Huang Rong , Zhang Jie , Cheng Guosheng
Published: October 2013

Amorphous thermal stability of Al-doped Sb2Te3 films was investigated by high-temperature X-ray diffraction from room temperature to 350 °C, showing the structural evolution step by step from amorphous to crystalline phases. The films' crystallization temperatures were elevated from 124 °C to 244 °C with increasing Al concentrations, resulting in significant improvement of their thermal stability. Formations of Al-Sb and Al-Te bonds in doped films were revealed and further re-validated by ab initio calculation, indicating that Al atoms bonded to Sb and Te atoms to suppress the phase transformation from amorphous to crystalline states.
Dispersion tomography of an organic photonic-wire microcavity
Authors: Mischok A. , Lemke F. , Reinhardt C. , Brückner R. , Zakhidov A. A. , Hintschich S. I. , Fröb H. , Lyssenko V. G. , Leo K.
Published: October 2013

We investigate the complex mode structure in microcavities with multidimensional optical confinement. Our active material is composed of the organic blend Alq3:DCM, embedded into a microcavity containing arrays of photonic wires, facilitating strong lateral confinement. We directly record the energy dispersion for one k→ vector component while the second lateral k→ component is scanned. Thereby, we obtain a detailed dispersion tomogram of the cavity resonances, showing excellent agreement with our optical model. We are able to exceed the lasing threshold and observe stimulated emission not only from the bottom of the cavity parabola, but also from higher order modes.
Metal-induced molecular diffusion in [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester poly(3-hexylthiophene) based bulk-heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Tseng Wei-Hsuan , Lo Hung , Chang Jan-Kai , Liu I-Hsiu , Chen Mei-Hsin , Wu Chih-I
Published: October 2013

We demonstrate the direct evidence of metal-induced molecular diffusion in bulk-heterojunction solar cells and its correlations to the device performance are investigated via ultraviolet and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (UPS and XPS). Both UPS and XPS results indicate that the post-anneal after cathode deposition induces the out-diffusion of [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester toward the cathode, which can provide better hetero-structures and thus improved device performance. However, with aluminum and calcium deposition onto the active layers, the highest occupied molecular orbital of poly(3-hexylthiophene) exhibits opposite shifts after annealing, resulting in different device enhancements of solar cells.
Vacancy dependent structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of zigzag silicene nanoribbons:Co
Authors: Lan Mu , Xiang Gang , Zhang Chenhui , Zhang Xi
Published: October 2013

We study the structure and properties of perfect and defect zigzag silicene nanoribbons (SiNRs) with cobalt (Co) atom adsorbed on different sites of SiNRs using density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. A variety of electronic and magnetic behaviors have been demonstrated, which are found to be strongly dependent on both vacancy configurations and Co atom sites in the system. Detailed analysis reveals that vacancy configurations dramatically influence the structure and electronic band dispersions, and Co atom plays a key role in magnetic properties of the system by raising the magnetic moment of its neighbor Si atoms and suppressing the magnetism of its nearer ribbon-edge. Our results suggest potential applications of doped SiNRs in silicon-based nanodevices.
Two new subterranean ameirids (Crustacea : Copepoda : Harpacticoida) expose weaknesses in the conservation of short-range endemics threatened by mining developments in Western Australia
Authors: Karanovic Tomislav , Eberhard Stefan M. , Perina Giulia , Callan Shae
Published: October 2013

The discovery of two new non-marine ameirids from the southern Yilgarn region significantly extends the geographic range for this group in Australia and exposes weaknesses in the conservation and environmental impact assessment (EIA) of subterranean species potentially threatened by mining developments. Megastygonitocrella embe, sp. nov. differs from seven previously described Australian congeners by the armature of the second leg endopod and absence of spinules on the somites. A key to world species of Megastygonitocrella is presented. Phylogenetic analysis based on 57 morphological characters and 30 species belonging to the Stygonitocrella s.l. group suggests that Antistygonitocrella pardalotos, gen. et sp. nov. has no close relatives anywhere in the world. Superficial similarities between the two new species are either plesiomorphies or homoplasies. The habitats of these new short-range endemic species are fractured-rock aquifers developed in Archaean greenstone, where the groundwater is characterised by acid conditions, high salinity and low dissolved oxygen. The population of A. pardalotos is threatened by a mining development. Despite the advanced level of environmental protection policy in Western Australia, our taxonomic study highlights limitations in EIA practices and discusses potential improvements which have global relevance in regions where short-range endemics coincide with extraction of mineral resources.
Phylogenetics of scolopendromorph centipedes: can denser taxon sampling improve an artificial classification?
Authors: Vahtera Varpu , Edgecombe Gregory D. , Giribet Gonzalo
Published: October 2013

Previous phylogenetic analyses of the centipede order Scolopendromorpha indicated a fundamental division into blind and ocellate clades. These analyses corroborated the monophyly of most families and tribes but suggested that several species-rich, cosmopolitan genera in traditional and current classifications are polyphyletic. Denser taxon sampling is applied to a dataset of 122 morphological characters and sequences for four nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Phylogenetic analyses including 98 species and subspecies of Scolopendromorpha employ parsimony under dynamic and static homology schemes as well as maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference of multiple sequence alignments. The monotypic Australian genera Notiasemus and Kanparka nest within Cormocephalus and Scolopendra, respectively, and the New Caledonian Campylostigmus is likewise a clade within Cormocephalus. New World Scolopendra are more closely related to Hemiscolopendra and Arthrorhabdus than to Scolopendra s.s., which is instead closely allied to Asanada; the tribe Asanadini nests within Scolopendrini for molecular and combined datasets. The generic classification of Otostigmini has a poor fit to phylogenetic relationships, although nodal support within this tribe is weak. New synonymies are proposed for Ectonocryptopinae Shelley & Mercurio, 2005 (= Newportiinae Pocock, 1896), Asanadini Verhoeff, 1907 (= Scolopendrini Leach, 1814), and Kanparka Waldock & Edgecombe, 2012 (= Scolopendra Linnaeus, 1758). Scolopendrid systematics largely depicts incongruence between phylogeny and classification rather than between morphology and molecules.
Highly expressed loci are vulnerable to misleading ChIP localization of multiple unrelated proteins
Authors: Teytelman Leonid , Thurtle Deborah M. , Rine Jasper , van Oudenaarden Alexander
Published: October 2013

Significance

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is a gold standard technique for genomic protein localization. We have discovered an artifact in ChIP that leads to reproducible but biologically meaningless enrichment of proteins at highly expressed genes, caused by high levels of polymerase II and polymerase III transcription. These findings call into question reports of unexpected localization of transcription factors, repressors, and cytosolic proteins to highly expressed genes. We suggest caution when interpreting ChIP enrichment at highly expressed genes and suggest a heterologous protein control in ChIP experiments to discern biologically meaningful from artifactual enrichment.
Purcell and the Reception of Lully's ‘Scocca pur’ (LWV 76/3) in England
Authors: Woolley Andrew
Published: October 2013

This article examines the English reception of an Italian song by Lully, ‘Scocca pur tutti tuoi strali’ (LWV 76/3), and its importance for English music of the late seventeenth century. In English sources, this song exists in arrangements for keyboard, and for two violins and bass. It was also the source of a five-bar bass formula used variously in the 1680s. Purcell, for example, clearly used the bass, or an adapted version of it, as an ostinato pattern in three instances. ‘Scocca pur’ is the clearest example of a model composition in Italian style that was known to English musicians in the late seventeenth century. By implication, Italian-style compositional practice was developed from a limited number of models, which were adapted freely, disseminated aurally, and modified to suit native tastes and practices.
The Brauer semigroup of a groupoid and a symmetric imprimitivity theorem
Authors: Brown Jonathan , Goehle Geoff
Published: October 2013

In this paper we define a monoid called the Brauer semigroup for a locally compact Hausdorff groupoid

E
E

whose elements consist of Morita equivalence classes of

E
E

-dynamical systems. This construction generalizes both the equivariant Brauer semigroup for transformation groups and the Brauer group for a groupoid. We show that groupoid equivalence induces an isomorphism of Brauer semigroups and that this isomorphism preserves the Morita equivalence classes of the respective crossed products, thus generalizing Raeburn’s symmetric imprimitivity theorem.
NEAT1 long noncoding RNA regulates transcription via protein sequestration within subnuclear bodies
Authors: Hirose Tetsuro , Virnicchi Giorgio , Tanigawa Akie , Naganuma Takao , Li Ruohan , Kimura Hiroshi , Yokoi Takahide , Nakagawa Shinichi , Bénard Marianne , Fox Archa H. , Pierron Gérard
Published: October 2013

Paraspeckles are subnuclear structures formed around nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1)/MENε/β long noncoding RNA (lncRNA). Here we show that paraspeckles become dramatically enlarged after proteasome inhibition. This enlargement is mainly caused by NEAT1 transcriptional up-regulation rather than accumulation of undegraded paraspeckle proteins. Of interest, however, using immuno–electron microscopy, we find that key paraspeckle proteins become effectively depleted from the nucleoplasm by 50% when paraspeckle assembly is enhanced, suggesting a sequestration mechanism. We also perform microarrays from NEAT1-knockdown cells and find that NEAT1 represses transcription of several genes, including the RNA-specific adenosine deaminase B2 (ADARB2) gene. In contrast, the NEAT1-binding paraspeckle protein splicing factor proline/glutamine-rich (SFPQ) is required for ADARB2 transcription. This leads us to hypothesize that ADARB2 expression is controlled by NEAT1-dependent sequestration of SFPQ. Accordingly, we find that ADARB2 expression is strongly reduced upon enhanced SFPQ sequestration by proteasome inhibition, with concomitant reduction in SFPQ binding to the ADARB2 promoter. Finally, NEAT1−/− fibroblasts are more sensitive to proteasome inhibition, which triggers cell death, suggesting that paraspeckles/NEAT1 attenuates the cell death pathway. These data further confirm that paraspeckles are stress-responsive nuclear bodies and provide a model in which induced NEAT1 controls target gene transcription by protein sequestration into paraspeckles.
snoStrip: a snoRNA annotation pipeline
Authors: Bartschat Sebastian , Kehr Stephanie , Tafer Hakim , Stadler Peter F. , Hertel Jana
Published: October 2013

Motivation: Although small nucleolar RNAs form an important class of non-coding RNAs, no comprehensive annotation efforts have been undertaken, presumably because the task is complicated by both the large number of distinct small nucleolar RNA families and their relatively rapid pace of sequence evolution.

Results: With snoStrip we present an automatic annotation pipeline developed specifically for comparative genomics of small nucleolar RNAs. It makes use of sequence conservation, canonical box motifs as well as secondary structure and predicts putative targets.

Availability and implementation: The snoStrip web service and the download version is available at http://snostrip.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de/

Contact:  sebastian@bioinf.uni-leipzig.de
SN2012ca: a stripped envelope core-collapse SN interacting with dense circumstellar medium
Authors: Inserra C. , Smartt S. J. , Scalzo R. , Fraser M. , Pastorello A. , Childress M. , Pignata G. , Jerkstrand A. , Kotak R. , Benetti S. , Della Valle M. , Gal-Yam A. , Mazzali P. , Smith K. , Sullivan M. , Valenti S. , Yaron O. , Young D. , Reichart D.
Published: October 2013

We report optical and near-infrared observations of SN2012ca with the Public ESO Spectroscopy Survey of Transient Objects (PESSTO), spread over one year since discovery. The supernova (SN) bears many similarities to SN1997cy and to other events classified as Type IIn but which have been suggested to have a thermonuclear origin with narrow hydrogen lines produced when the ejecta impact a hydrogen-rich circumstellar medium (CSM). Our analysis, especially in the nebular phase, reveals the presence of oxygen, magnesium and carbon features. This suggests a core-collapse explanation for SN2012ca, in contrast to the thermonuclear interpretation proposed for some members of this group. We suggest that the data can be explained with a hydrogen- and helium-deficient SN ejecta (Type I) interacting with a hydrogen-rich CSM, but that the explosion was more likely a Type Ic core-collapse explosion than a Type Ia thermonuclear one. This suggests that two channels (both thermonuclear and stripped envelope core-collapse) may be responsible for these SN 1997cy-like events.
Functional transcriptomics in the post-ENCODE era
Authors: Mudge Jonathan M. , Frankish Adam , Harrow Jennifer
Published: October 2013

The last decade has seen tremendous effort committed to the annotation of the human genome sequence, most notably perhaps in the form of the ENCODE project. One of the major findings of ENCODE, and other genome analysis projects, is that the human transcriptome is far larger and more complex than previously thought. This complexity manifests, for example, as alternative splicing within protein-coding genes, as well as in the discovery of thousands of long noncoding RNAs. It is also possible that significant numbers of human transcripts have not yet been described by annotation projects, while existing transcript models are frequently incomplete. The question as to what proportion of this complexity is truly functional remains open, however, and this ambiguity presents a serious challenge to genome scientists. In this article, we will discuss the current state of human transcriptome annotation, drawing on our experience gained in generating the GENCODE gene annotation set. We highlight the gaps in our knowledge of transcript functionality that remain, and consider the potential computational and experimental strategies that can be used to help close them. We propose that an understanding of the true overlap between transcriptional complexity and functionality will not be gained in the short term. However, significant steps toward obtaining this knowledge can now be taken by using an integrated strategy, combining all of the experimental resources at our disposal.
The place of medication for challenging behaviour: a whole system perspective
Authors: Bamidele Kunle , Hall Ian
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the place of medication in the management of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disability by considering it in the context of the whole system around the person and by considering the challenges of implementing best practice guidance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper identify factors that are barriers to implementing appropriate best clinical practice guidelines (such as “Challenging behaviour: a unified approach”) in relation to medication intervention. The paper explores current policy and recommendations on how to improve services for people with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour and make suggestions about how to ensure better compliance with existing guidelines and improve service delivery.

Findings

– Better integration of services, access to specialist interventions including applied behavioural analysis and understanding communication are all essential to reducing the use of medication, as is the need for reactive, personalised and skilled social care provision.

Originality/value

– The paper will help professionals and those involved in the provision of service to people with challenging behaviour to focus on areas of improvement and ensure that available resources are maximised to deliver the best outcome for them.
Self-adaptation evaluation method in real time dynamics decision-making system based on grey close relationship
Authors: Zhu Jianjun
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The evaluation scores of each criterion and the integration are given by decision makers, respectively. Owing to the heavy time-pressure in real time decision-making, decision makers may have different judgment abilities, which reflects the instability and inconsistent weight of criteria and scores. It will lead to the unreliable results. To rank alternatives more rational, the consistency of decision makers is considered. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the weight estimation model of the criteria is developed to find the dynamic change and the inconsistency of decision makers, which is based on the objects of weight stability and the consistency measured by the distance between scores of each criterion and the integration. Following that, scores of alternatives given by each decision maker are modified according to the requirement of stability and consistency of the decision-making. In addition, the weight of decision makers is deduced based on the self-consistency and group's similarity that measured by grey close relationship. In the last, the score of alternatives can be modified according to the weight of the decision maker and criteria, and then, alternatives can be ranked via the final score.

Findings

– The self-adaptation evaluation method is suggested in real time decision-making environment.

Originality/value

– Its application step and feasibility is showed via a real decision-making problem.
Model GM(1,1,β) and its applicable region
Authors: Li Xican , Tao Yu , Zheng Yuan
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The paper aims to analyze some properties of GM(1,1,β) model based on the principle that the grey GM(1,1) model parameters are grey and adjustable.

Design/methodology/approach

– At first, according to the principle that grey GM(1,1) model parameters are grey and adjustable, and the GM(1,1,β) model with parameter packet is put forward. Second, some properties of the GM(1,1,β) model are discussed, and the applicable region of the GM(1,1,β) model is given based on the grey differential equation of the GM(1,1,β) model. At last, the background value coefficient's calculation formula and optimization algorithm of the GM(1,1,β) model are also given. A numeric example is also computed in the last part of the paper.

Findings

– The result of the study shows that the application scope of the GM(1,1,β) model is (−8,+8).

Practical implications

– The GM(1,1,β) model provides the theoretical basis for the GM(1,1) model's optimization and can hence forecast its precision.

Originality/value

– The paper succeeds in realizing the GM(1,1) model's application scope (−2,+2) is broadened to (−8,+8).
GM(1, 1) in bankruptcy forecasting
Authors: Delcea Camelia , Bradea Ioana , Maracine Virginia , Scarlat Emil , Cotfas Liviu-Adrian
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The present paper tries to give a new vision on the firm's future evolution forecasting. By taking into account some of the current values of its symptoms and applying one of the most used models in the grey systems theory, namely the GM(1,1), the predictions related to its future symptoms' values can be determined. Having these projected values and the grey economic-financial matrix, K, the future diseases that can hit a company can be depicted along with their causes. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Forecasting the future development of a firm is always an important issue in firm's survival in nowadays economy. Most of all, it is extremely important to be aware all the time about the inner and outer factors than can make a difference between a successful and a bankrupt firm. For this, here the authors have used three GM(1,1) models for forecasting the future symptoms (expressed through financial indicators) and performance indicator of a firm. Each time, based on the determined accuracy rate, a specific GM model has been chosen for every indicator's forecasting.

Findings

– Considering some previous researches and findings in bankruptcy modelling and diagnosis, this paper enlarges their applicability by adding the possibility to make future predictions on the indicators' evolution and to observe and to better manage their causes. As it was expected, the GM(1,1) models used for the forecasting of the various time series variables taken into account were different from one case to another, choosing the best-specific model for each variable case conducted to more accurate data-fit, with direct results in the causes hierarchy.

Practical implications

– By knowing the main causes that determine a certain state in firms' development and understanding them, the manager can action upon them in a manner that can make the difference between a bankrupt and a real successful firm.

Originality/value

– The paper succeeds in enlarging the view regarding bankruptcy forecasting by adding a dynamic view over the considered variables. If, in most of the cases when facing with financial forecasting, a single model is used for predictions, here the best GM model has been chosen for each variable based on the obtained accuracy rate. The results are concluding.
Evaluating industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development level by grey target theory
Authors: Huang Xinhuan , Wang Wenping
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to construct evaluation index system of industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development based on “driving-force-pressure-state-impact-response” conceptual model. Grey target theory is introduced to evaluate industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development level and identify its key influencing factors. On that basis, the countermeasures are proposed to improve industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development in China.

Design/methodology/approach

– Bull's-eye degree of grey target theory is introduced to evaluate industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development level of 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China. The contribution degree of influence factors is analyzed by contribution degree theory.

Findings

– The results show that first, the overall level of industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development in China is not high, there is a big gap of coordinated development level between provinces, municipalities and autonomous region, and there is still a large room to improve the status quo. Second, the major factors affecting industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development are gross industrial output value (GIOV) share of investment completed in the treatment of industrial pollution, common industrial solid wastes produced per GIOV, sulphur dioxide emission per GIOV, energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of gross regional product.

Originality/value

– This paper constructs evaluation index system of industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development and applies grey target theory to evaluate industrial economy-ecology-coordinated development level and identify its key influencing factors.
Considering game theory to improve leadership in partnership working within the UK public services
Authors: Meaklim Timothy
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective on one of the key complexities of collaboration and co-operative working in the public service within the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper focuses the attention on the difficulty of partnership working at a time when leading collaboration is a necessity for all leaders in the public sector. It explores one area of this complexity, namely game theory in order to offer an explanation why departments or organisations find it difficult to co-operate as they should.

Findings

– The paper allows leaders to understand the complexities of co-operation and the reason why there is often a tendency for individuals to act in a selfish manner on behalf of their organisation. Being aware of this behaviour will provide leaders with a greater ability to build trust and develop joint strategies which will provide positive outcomes.

Originality/value

– The paper will highlight how greater understanding of game theory including the prisoner dilemma and the stag hunt can help improve leadership, relationships and outcomes within partnerships.
Productivity, wages, and the returns to firm-provided training: fair shared capitalism?
Authors: Sofia Lopes Ana , Teixeira Paulino
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the productivity gains associated with workplace training are shared by both the firms concerned and their workers. The approach is both theoretical and empirical as an explicit formula for the internal rate of return for firms and workers is derived; and production and cost functions are estimated in conjunction with wage and productivity equations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a unique linked employer-employee longitudinal dataset with detailed information on firm formal training and run regression models to obtain the determinants of the internal rate of return to firm-sponsored training. Analysis of training costs is also provided as well as the econometric framework required to control for firm heterogeneity.

Findings

– The results obtained from the model specifications indicate that an additional hour of training per worker results in an increase of 0.12 per cent in productivity and 0.04 per cent in wages, or an increase of 0.16 and 0.08 per cent, respectively, if one uses firm training as a stock variable. It is also found that 82 per cent of the gains in productivity are captured by firms and 18 per cent by workers. Given the training costs, it is obtained an IRR of 13 per cent for firms and 33 per cent for workers at sample means.

Practical implications

– Training investments are good otherwise they would not even be considered by firms. However, knowing with greater accuracy the gains captured by firms (and workers) is critical for policy makers in their decision-making process. The estimates found in the paper shows that firm training is a genuinely worthwhile investment for all participants.

Originality/value

– The authors derive an explicit formula for the internal rate of return to firm-sponsored training and provide workers’ and firms’ shares of the productivity gains using firm-level data. Another original contribution is that the gains enjoyed by firms are computed as net gains, that is, net of the training costs on the one hand, and net of all the gains accruing to workers through higher wages on the other.
High-level geospatial information discovery and fusion for geocoded multimedia
Authors: Ennis Andrew , Chen Liming , D. Nugent Chris , Ioannidis George , Stan Alexandru
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Improvements and portability of technologies and smart devices have enabled a rapid growth in the amount of user-generated media such as photographs and videos. Whilst various media generation and management systems exist, it still remains a challenge to discover the right information, for the right purpose. This paper aims to propose an approach to reverse geocoding by cross-referencing multiple geospatial data sources to enable the enrichment of media and therefore enable better organisation and searching of the media to create an overall picture about places.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents a system architecture that incorporates the proposed approach to aggregate several geospatial databases to enrich geo-tagged media with human readable information, which will further enable the goal of creating an overall picture about places. The approach enables the semantic information relating to point of interest.

Findings

– Implementation of the proposed approach shows that a single geospatial data source does not contain enough information to accurately describe the high-level geospatial information for geocoded multimedia. However, fusing several geospatial data sources together enables richer, more accurate high-level geospatial information to be tagged to the geocoded multimedia.

Originality/value

– The contribution in this paper shows that high-level geospatial information can be retrieved from many data sources and fused together to enrich geocoded multimedia which can facilitate better searching and retrieval of the multimedia.
Approaches to “mental health” in low-income countries: a case study of Uganda
Authors: Shaw Ian , Middleton Hugh
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which “mental health” difficulties are approached in low-income countries, using a case study of Uganda focus down upon the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study involved two phases. The first was the collection and analysis of documentary evidence and interviews with policy makers in Uganda. The second involved interviews with health staff, traditional healers and the public in the Buganda Kingdom of Uganda. Interviews were conducted in English or Luganda and translated as necessary. No external sources of funding to declare.

Findings

– There are differing perceptions of mental health and illness in Uganda and there exists culturally accepted sources of support for distress. This highlights the important role of traditional healers and the paper argues that they should be recognised for their work in mental health care.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper is a small-scale study of one area of Uganda (Buganda Kingdom), the extent to which it can be generalised is therefore very limited. However, the research is sufficient to indicate the benefits of traditional healers in mental health care and supports an argument towards a public mental health model.

Practical implications

– The paper argues for a move in priority away from a focus upon a biomedical model of mental health support towards a public health model and the meaningful engagement of traditional healers. This would also necessitate a refocus of spending in the wider society.

Originality/value

– The paper poses a challenge to the Global Public Health movement and questions the relevance of expanding biomedical psychiatry in low-income countries. The paper also adds weight to emerging literature on the value of a public health approach to mental health and illness, especially in the developing world.
Overconfidence, overreaction and personality
Authors: Durand Robert , Newby Rick , Tant Kevin , Trepongkaruna Sirimon
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to systematically profile investors’ personality traits to examine if, and how, those traits are associated with phenomena observed in financial markets. In particular, the paper looks at overconfidence and overreaction in an experimental foreign exchange market.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper measures the personality of the subjects using the short form of the NEO-PIR instrument, the NEO-FFI developed by Costa and McRae (1992) which is based on Norman's (1963) “Big Five” personality constructs of negative emotion, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness. The paper measures psychological gender using questions developed by Bem (1994). Preference for innovation and risk-taking propensity are measured using instruments developed by Jackson (1976). The paper then examines the behavior of the subject who traded interactively in “real time” in an interactive-simulated foreign exchange market where “price discovery” was instantaneous and pricing decisions were made instantaneously as items of news, determined by the researchers, were released.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates that personality traits are associated with overconfidence and overreaction in financial markets. The paper presents meta-analysis which facilitates the development of a posteriori theories of how particular traits affect investment; there are important roles for risk-taking propensity, negative emotion, extraversion, masculinity, preference for innovation and conscientiousness.

Originality/value

– A typical behavioral finance paper might find an empirical regularity in prices and, on the basis of such patterns, infer the underlying psychology motivating the behavior of investors. The approach differs from this caricature of the “typical” behavioral finance paper. The paper does not infer the underlying psychology of investors from patterns in prices. Rather, the paper learns about investors by systematically profiling their personality traits. The paper then demonstrates how those traits are associated with the prices generated by the investors the authors study. In focussing on the role of individual personality, the paper refocusses behavioral finance on the individuals who set prices.
Process parameters investigation of a laser-generated single clad for minimum size using design of experiments
Authors: Ermurat Mehmet , Ali Arslan Mehmet , Erzincanli Fehmi , Uzman Ibrahim
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the effect of four important process parameters (i.e. laser focal distance, travel speed, feeding gas flow rate and standoff distance) on the size of single clad geometry created by coaxial nozzle-based powder deposition by high power laser.

Design/methodology/approach

– Design of experiments (DOE) and statistical analysis methods were both used to find optimum parameter combinations to get minimum sized clad, i.e. clad width and clad height. Factorial experiment arrays were used to design parameter combinations for creating experimental runs. Taguchi optimization methodology was used to find out optimum parameter levels to get minimum sized clad geometry. Response surface method was used to investigate the nonlinearity among parameters and variance analysis was used to assess the effectiveness level of each problem parameters.

Findings

– The overall results show that wisely selected four problem parameters have the most prominent effects on the final clad geometry. Generally, minimum clad size was achieved at higher levels of gas flow rate, travel speed and standoff distance and at minimum spot size level of the laser focal distance.

Originality/value

– This study presents considerable contributions in assessing the importance level of problems parameters on the optimum single clad geometry created laser-assisted direct metal part fabrication method. This procedure is somewhat complicated in understanding the effects of the selected problem parameters on the outcome. Therefore, DOE methodologies are utilized so that this operation can be better modeled/understood and automated for real life applications. The study also gives future direction for research based on the presented results.