bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Confidence guides spontaneous cognitive offloading
Authors: Boldt Annika , Gilbert Sam J.
Published: December 2019

Background

Cognitive offloading is the use of physical action to reduce the cognitive demands of a task. Everyday memory relies heavily on this practice; for example, when we write down to-be-remembered information or use diaries, alerts, and reminders to trigger delayed intentions. A key goal of recent research has been to investigate the processes that trigger cognitive offloading. This research has demonstrated that individuals decide whether or not to offload based on a potentially erroneous metacognitive evaluation of their mental abilities. Therefore, improving the accuracy of metacognitive evaluations may help to optimise offloading behaviour. However, previous studies typically measure participants’ use of an explicitly instructed offloading strategy, in contrast to everyday life where offloading strategies must often be generated spontaneously.

Results

We administered a computer-based task requiring participants to remember delayed intentions. One group of participants was explicitly instructed on a method for setting external reminders; another was not. The latter group spontaneously set reminders but did so less often than the instructed group. Offloading improved performance in both groups. Crucially, metacognition (confidence in unaided memory ability) guided both instructed and spontaneous offloading: Participants in both groups set more reminders when they were less confident (regardless of actual memory ability).

Conclusions

These results show that the link between metacognition and cognitive offloading holds even when offloading strategies need to be spontaneously generated. Thus, metacognitive interventions are potentially able to alter offloading behaviour, without requiring offloading strategies to be explicitly instructed.
Long noncoding RNAs in renal diseases
Authors: Liu Minghui , Ren Jie
Published: December 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in eukaryotic gene regulation and diseases, rather than being merely transcriptional “noise”. Over the past decade, the study of lncRNAs has emerged as a burgeoning field of research and expanded our knowledge of their functions and underlining mechanisms in both normal and malignant cells. However, lncRNAs are still one of the least understood groups of transcripts. Here, we review the classifications and functions of lncRNAs and their roles in renal diseases. This review will provide insights into the roles of lncRNAs in pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutics of renal diseases and indications of lncRNAs as potential targets for the treatment of kidney diseases.
Assessment of growth and productivity of five peanut cultivars and genetic diversity using RAPD markers
Authors: Samaha Ghada M. , Ahmed M. A. , Abd El-Hameid Asmaa R.
Published: December 2019

Background

This study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of five peanut cultivars grown under field conditions. A field experiment was conducted using five peanut cultivars (Giza-5, Giza-6, Ismailia-1, Gregory, and R92) in a randomized complete block design with five replications during two following seasons to estimate the performance of five peanut cultivars for vegetative growth, yield, and yield component traits as well as seed quality traits. Twenty RAPD primers were used to identify a unique fingerprint for each of five cultivars.

Results

Giza-6 cultivar surpassed all the tested peanut cultivars in the most vegetative growth traits and yield and its components traits, while the lowest values were observed in Giza-5 cultivar. The dendrogram constructed from RAPD analysis showed that Gregory and Giza-5 were the most distant among five peanut cultivars.

Conclusions

RAPD markers are useful in the detection of genetic diversity of peanut. The availability of genetic diversity is important for the genetic improvement of peanut.
Dual functional β-peptide polymer-modified resin beads for bacterial killing and endotoxin adsorption
Authors: Qian Yuxin , Shen Yue , Deng Shuai , Liu Tingyan , Qi Fan , Lu Ziyi , Liu Longqiang , Shao Ning , Xie Jiayang , Ding Feng , Liu Runhui
Published: December 2019

Background

Bacterial infections and endotoxin contaminations are serious problems in the production/manufacture of food, water, drinks, and injections. The development of effective materials to kill bacteria and adsorb endotoxins, particularly those caused by gram-negative bacteria, represents a major step toward improved safety. As synthetic mimic of host defense peptides, β-peptide polymers are not susceptible to bacterial resistance and exhibit potent bacteria-killing abilities upon antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study investigated the potential of synthetic β-peptide polymer-modified polyacrylate (PA) beads to kill bacteria and remove endotoxin, i.e. lipopolysaccharide (LPS), produced by these bacteria.

Results

Synthetic β-peptide polymer-modified PA beads displayed strong antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, as well as excellent biocompatibility. In addition, these β-peptide polymer-modified beads removed around 90% of the endotoxins, even at 200 EU/mL of LPS, a very high concentration of LPS.

Conclusions

β-peptide polymer-modified PA beads are efficient in bacterial killing and endotoxin adsorption. Hence, these modified beads demonstrate the potential application in the production/manufacture of food, water, drinks, and injections.
President's Page
Authors: Carstens Gustavo
Published: December 2019

Not all of our members understand properly what the SEG Council is and why we have it. The SEG Bylaws describe the purpose of the Council in this way:
Histological Characterization of Aldosterone-producing Adrenocortical Adenomas with Different Somatic Mutations
Authors: Ono Yoshikiyo , Yamazaki Yuto , Omata Kei , Else Tobias , Tomlins Scott A , Rhayem Yara , Williams Tracy Ann , Reincke Martin , Carling Tobias , Monticone Silvia , Mulatero Paolo , Beuschlein Felix , Ito Sadayoshi , Satoh Fumitoshi , Rainey William E , Sasano Hironobu
Published: December 2019

Context

Aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenomas (APAs) are mainly composed of clear (lipid rich) and compact (eosinophilic) tumor cells. The detailed association between these histological features and somatic mutations (KCNJ5, ATP1A1, ATP2B3, and CACNA1D) in APAs is unknown.

Objective

To examine the association between histological features and individual genotypes in APAs.

Methods

Examination of 39 APAs subjected to targeted next-generation sequencing (11 KCNJ5, 10 ATP1A1, 10 ATP2B3, and 8 CACNA1D) and quantitative morphological and immunohistochemical (CYP11B2 and CYP17A1) analyses using digital imaging software.

Results

KCNJ5- and ATP2B3-mutated APAs had clear cell dominant features (KCNJ5: clear 59.8% [54.4–64.6%] vs compact 40.2% (35.4–45.6%), P = .0022; ATP2B3: clear 54.3% [48.2–62.4 %] vs compact 45.7% (37.6–51.8 %), P = .0696). ATP1A1- and CACNA1D-mutated APAs presented with marked intratumoral heterogeneity. A significantly positive correlation of immunoreactivity was detected between CYP11B2 and CYP17A1 in tumor cells of KCNJ5-mutated APAs (P = .0112; ρ = 0.7237), in contrast, significantly inverse correlation was detected in ATP1A1-mutated APAs (P = .0025; ρ = −0.8667).

Conclusion

KCNJ5-mutated APAs, coexpressing CYP11B2 and CYP17A1, were more deviated in terms of zonation-specific differentiation of adrenocortical cells than ATP1A1- and ATP2B3-mutated APAs.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection of Human Thyrocytes: Metabolic, Hormonal, and Immunological Implications
Authors: Hammerstad Sara Salehi , Blackard Jason T , Lombardi Angela , Owen Randall P , Concepcion Erlinda , Yi Zhengzi , Zhang Weijia , Tomer Yaron
Published: December 2019

Context

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a prevalent disease worldwide. Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most common extrahepatic manifestations of HCV infection. We hypothesized that HCV can directly infect human thyrocytes thereby causing thyroid dysfunction.

Setting

Human thyrocytes in primary cell culture, ML-1 human thyroid cell line, and Huh7.5 human hepatocyte cell line were infected with HCV using the Huh7.5JFH1 cell line that releases infectious HCV virions. After infection, the release of new virions, production of proinflammatory cytokines, and expression of miR-122 were evaluated. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) extracted from HCV-infected cells and mock-infected cells was subjected to RNA sequencing and transcriptomic analysis. Ingenuity pathway analysis was used to detect up- and down-regulated pathways.

Results

Human thyrocytes express major HCV entry factors including CD81, occludin, claudin-1, and scavenger receptor class B1. Viral infection of thyroid cells was confirmed by detection of HCV core protein in supernatants and negative-sense HCV RNA in cell lysates. HCV infection of thyrocytes induced the production of the chemokine CXCL-8 and the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and significantly increased the expression of miR-122. Moreover, HCV infection of thyrocytes decreased expression of the thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin genes and increased expression of the deiodinase 2 gene. The top upregulated pathways in HCV-infected thyrocytes were immune pathways and metabolic pathways, while infected hepatocytes upregulated lipid and glucose metabolism pathways as previously reported.

Conclusions

HCV infection may induce thyroid dysfunction by different mechanisms including direct infection of thyrocytes leading to activation of inflammatory pathways and upregulation of miR-122. These findings support a general mechanism for viral induction of autoimmunity through direct infection of target tissues.
Influence of Aging and Menstrual Status on Subcutaneous Fat Cell Lipolysis
Authors: Rydén Mikael , Gao Hui , Arner Peter
Published: December 2019

Context

Aging is accompanied by inhibited fat cell mobilization of fatty acids through lipolysis, which may contribute to decreased energy expenditure in elderly subjects. However, the influence of menstrual status is unknown.

Objective

To investigate the role of menstrual status on changes in lipolysis induced by aging.

Design

A longitudinal investigation with a mean 13-year interval.

Setting

Ambulatory study at a clinical academic unit.

Participants

Eighty-two continuously recruited women between 24 and 62 years of age and with body mass index 21 to 48 kg/m2 at first examination. Twenty-nine women continued to have normal menstruation, 42 developed irregular menstruation/menopause, and 11 had a perimenstrual/menopausal phenotype already at the first examination.

Main outcome measure

Lipolysis measured as glycerol release from isolated subcutaneous fat cells incubated in vitro.

Results

On average, body weight/body fat mass levels did not change over time. In all 3 groups, aging was associated with a similar decrease in spontaneous (basal) and catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis. The latter was due to decreased signal transduction through stimulatory beta adrenoceptors and increased alpha-2-adrenoceptor–mediated antilipolytic effects. Gene microarray data from adipose tissue at baseline and follow-up (n = 53) showed that a limited set of lipolysis-linked genes, including phosphodiesterase-3B, were altered over time, but this was independent of menstrual status. Fat cell size also decreased during aging, but this could not explain the decrease in lipolysis.

Conclusions

In women, the rate of fat cell lipolysis decreases during aging due to multiple alterations in spontaneous (basal) and catecholamine-induced lipolysis. This is independent of changes in menstrual status or fat cell size.
Neuraxial Anesthesia and Lower Extremity Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Ankle Surgery in a Patient With Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy: A Case Report
Authors: Wells Ashley V. , Akerman Michael , Weinberg Roniel Y.
Published: December 2019

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare autoimmune disease that targets the peripheral nervous system. The literature on the use of regional anesthesia in CIDP is limited. We report a patient with CIDP who received a combined spinal-epidural (CSE) and saphenous and popliteal peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) for ankle surgery. The CSE and PNBs resolved without incident. On approximately the fourth postoperative day, the patient reported a worsening of baseline CIDP symptoms in all extremities. Given the diffuse presentation, the CIDP exacerbation was attributed to the perioperative stress response. The exacerbation improved by 4 months postoperatively.
Use of Pilot Balloon to Fish Out Fractured Tracheostomy Tube: A Case Report
Authors: BD Vaishnavi , Kothari Nikhil
Published: December 2019

Tracheostomy is a weaning technique in patients requiring prolonged ventilation. During this period, complications like tube blockage, fracture of the tracheostomy tube, or cuff rupture can occur. Fracture of the tracheostomy tube can result in the distal end of the tube being dislodged further down the trachea, leading to airway obstruction and hypoxia. We report fracture of a tracheostomy tube in which the distal end was removed, using the inflation line of the pilot balloon to pull out the broken end of the tracheostomy tube.
Introduction
Authors: Ghosh Sahana
Published: December 2019

This introduction offers a critical survey of existing scholarship on security and surveillance, especially post-9/11. Presenting the five essays of this special section, it illustrates the new directions they provide for the study of civil-military relations and surveillance, animated by critical regional histories.
Introduction
Authors: Telliel Yunus Doğan
Published: December 2019

This essay introduces a special section on Islam and evidence with contributions by Ana Maria Vinea, Junaid Quadri, and Yunus Doğan Telliel, and an afterword by Alireza Doostdar. The contributors examine evidential inquiries in Islamic law, healing practices, and scriptural interpretation. This special section shows that discourses of evidence not only are at the center of major debates concerning Islam's authoritative sources (e.g., how to derive injunctions from the Quran, the prophet's practice, fiqh canons, etc.), but also shape knowledge practices at the intersection of Islam and modern science.
Afterword
Authors: Doostdar Alireza
Published: December 2019

This afterword comments on the three articles in the special section titled “Islam and Regimes of Evidence.” Drawing on the Bakhtin circle's theory of speech genres, Doostdar examines Islamic evidentiary utterances as forms of speech with distinctive internal and external orientations.
Crime, Corruption, and Political Order in Nigeria and India
Authors: Kale Sunila S.
Published: December 2019

The subjects of crime and corruption remain perennially important for social scientists concerned with the nature of power, authority, and order. Steven Pierce's Moral Economies of Corruption: State Formation and Political Culture in Nigeria and Milan Vaishnav's When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics present two very different approaches to the study of crime and corruption, both rich, complex, and lucidly conveyed. As a scholar of South Asia, Kale's approach in the essay is to use insights from Pierce to reflect on the methodological and theoretical choices in Vaishnav's account of India's criminal politicians. In discussing each author's contributions, rather than providing a comprehensive account, Kale focuses on the parts of their arguments that are useful for comparative discussion.
ER-associated degradation in health and disease – from substrate to organism
Authors: Bhattacharya Asmita , Qi Ling
Published: December 2019

The recent literature has revolutionized our view on the vital importance of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) in health and disease. Suppressor/enhancer of Lin-12-like (Sel1L)–HMG-coA reductase degradation protein 1 (Hrd1)-mediated ERAD has emerged as a crucial determinant of normal physiology and as a sentinel against disease pathogenesis in the body, in a largely substrate- and cell type-specific manner. In this Review, we highlight three features of ERAD, constitutive versus inducible ERAD, quality versus quantity control of ERAD and ERAD-mediated regulation of nuclear gene transcription, through which ERAD exerts a profound impact on a number of physiological processes.
The Impact of Primary Tumor Location in Synchronous Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Differences in Metastatic Sites and Survival
Authors: Brouwer Nelleke P. M. , van der Kruijssen Dave E. W. , Hugen Niek , de Hingh Ignace H. J. T. , Nagtegaal Iris D. , Verhoeven Rob H. A. , Koopman Miriam , de Wilt Johannes H. W.
Published: December 2019

Purpose

We explored differences in survival between primary tumor locations, hereby focusing on the role of metastatic sites in synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Methods

Data for patients diagnosed with synchronous mCRC between 1989 and 2014 were retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer registry. Relative survival and relative excess risks (RER) were analyzed by primary tumor location (right colon (RCC), left colon (LCC), and rectum). Metastatic sites were reported per primary tumor location. Survival was analyzed for metastatic sites combined and for single metastatic sites.

Results

In total, 36,297 patients were included in this study. Metastatic sites differed significantly between primary tumor locations, with liver-only metastases in 43%, 54%, and 52% of RCC, LCC, and rectal cancer patients respectively (p < 0.001). Peritoneal metastases were most prevalent in RCC patients (33%), and lung metastases were most prevalent in rectal cancer patients (28%). Regardless of the location of metastases, patients with RCC had a worse survival compared with LCC (RER 0.81, 95% CI 0.78–0.83) and rectal cancer (RER 0.73, 95% CI 0.71–0.76). The survival disadvantage for RCC remained present, even in cases with metastasectomy for liver-only disease (LCC: RER 0.66, 95% CI 0.57–0.76; rectal cancer: RER 0.84, 95% CI 0.66–1.06).

Conclusions

This study showed significant differences in relative survival between primary tumor locations in synchronous mCRC, which can only be partially explained by distinct metastatic sites. Our findings support the concept that RCC, LCC and rectal cancer should be considered distinct entities in synchronous mCRC.
Peak expiratory flow rate and chronic respiratory symptoms among restaurant workers: a cross-sectional study from Thailand
Authors: Juntarawijit Chudchawal
Published: December 2019

Background: Cooking fumes are a major source of indoor air pollution affecting millions of people worldwide. To date, there has been no epidemiological study to show the variation in health effects resulting from work at different kinds of restaurants in Thailand. This study determines lung function and chronic respiratory symptoms of workers in four types of eateries commonly found in Thailand.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 321 people working in four common types of restaurants in Thailand: ‘tamsang’ restaurants (from the Thai word ร้านอาหารตามสั่ง, a restaurant that makes a variety of foods to order) (170 people), papaya salad restaurants (51 people), noodle restaurants (50 people), and barbecue stalls (50 people).  The restaurant workers’ demographic data as well as information on their working conditions was collected using a questionnaire administered in a face to face interview. Each worker’s peak expiratory flow rate was measured using a portable peak flow meter.

Results: This study found that compared to the other three types of restaurants, working in a ‘tamsang’ restaurant has more adverse health effects. Participants from ‘tamsang’ restaurant were at greater  of poor lung function (OR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.33–5.06) and  moderate dyspnea symptoms (OR = 3.79, 95% CI 1.63–8.79) compared to participants  from papaya salad restaurant. The study also found that each of the following were associated with poor lung function and/or chronic respiratory symptoms: cooking with palm oil, having irritated teary eyes while cooking, cooking without a ventilation hood, long past experience working at restaurants, and working in a small cooking area (1–6 m 2).

Conclusions: Work in different kinds of restaurants with variations in cooking methods and work conditions produces diverse effects on airway and lung function. Regulatory organizations should pay careful attention to protecting the health of restaurant workers, especially those working in ‘tamsang’ restaurants.
Study of interaction energies between residues of the active site of Hsp90 and geldanamycin analogues using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods
Authors: Vivas-Reyes Ricardo , Morales-Bayuelo Alejando , Gueto Carlos , Drosos Juan C. , Márquez Lázaro Johana , Baldiris Rosa , Ahumedo Maicol , Vivas-Gomez Catalina , Aparicio Dilia
Published: December 2019

Background:Heat shock protein (Hsp90KDa) is a molecular chaperone involved in the process of cellular oncogenesis, hence its importance as a therapeutic target in clinical trials. Geldanamycin is an inhibitor of Hsp90 chaperone activity, which binds to the ATP binding site in the N-terminal domain of Hsp90. However, geldanamycin has shown hepatotoxic damage in clinical trials; for this reason, its use is not recommended. Taking advantage that geldanamycin binds successfully to Hsp90, many efforts have focused on the search for similar analogues, which have the same or better biological response and reduce the side effects of its predecessor; 17-AAG and 17-DMAG are examples of these analogues.

Methods:In order to know the chemical factors influencing the growth or decay of the biological activity of geldanamycin analogues, different computational techniques such as docking, 3DQSAR and quantum similarity were used.  Moreover, the study quantified the interaction energy between amino acids residues of active side and geldanamycin analogues, through hybrid methodologies and density functional theory (DFT) indexes.

Results:The evaluation of interaction energies showed that the interaction with Lys58 residue is essential for the union of the analogues to the active site of Hsp90, and improves its biological activity. This union is formed through a substituent on C-11 of the geldanamycin macrocycle. A small and attractor group was found as the main steric and electrostatic characteristic that substituents on C11 need in order to interact with Lys 58; behavior was observed with hydroxy and methoxy series of geldanamycin analogues, under study.

Conclusion:These outcomes were supported with quantum similarity and reactivity indices calculations using DFT in order to understand the non-covalent stabilization in the active site of these compounds.
Cardiovascular risk prediction in India: Comparison of the original and recalibrated Framingham prognostic models in urban populations.
Authors: Gupta Priti , Prieto-Merino David , Ajay Vamadevan S. , Singh Kalpana , Roy Ambuj , Krishnan Anand , Narayan K.M. Venkat , Ali Mohammed K. , Tandon Nikhil , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Perel Pablo
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in India. The CVD risk approach is a cost-effective way to identify those at high risk, especially in a low resource setting. As there is no validated prognostic model for an Indian urban population, we have re-calibrated the original Framingham model using data from two urban Indian studies.

Methods: We have estimated three risk score equations using three different models. The first model was based on Framingham original model; the second and third are the recalibrated models using risk factor prevalence from CARRS (Centre for cArdiometabolic Risk Reduction in South-Asia) and ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) studies, and estimated survival from WHO 2012 data for India. We applied these three risk scores to the CARRS and ICMR participants and estimated the proportion of those at high-risk (>30% 10 years CVD risk) who would be eligible to receive preventive treatment such as statins.

Results: In the CARRS study, the proportion of men with 10 years CVD risk > 30% (and therefore eligible for statin treatment) was 13.3%, 21%, and 13.6% using Framingham, CARRS and ICMR risk models, respectively. The corresponding proportions of women were 3.5%, 16.4%, and 11.6%. In the ICMR study the corresponding proportions of men were 16.3%, 24.2%, and 16.5% and for women, these were 5.6%, 20.5%, and 15.3%.

Conclusion: Although the recalibrated model based on local population can improve the validity of CVD risk scores our study exemplifies the variation between recalibrated models using different data from the same country. Considering the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases in India, and the impact that the risk approach has on influencing cardiovascular prevention treatment, such as statins, it is essential to develop high quality and well powered local cohorts (with outcome data) to develop local prognostic models.
Malaria Data by District: An open-source web application for increasing access to malaria information
Authors: Tomlinson Sean , South Andy , Longbottom Joshua
Published: December 2019

Preventable diseases still cause huge mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Research in spatial epidemiology and earth observation is helping academics to understand and prioritise how mortality could be reduced and generates spatial data that are used at a global and national level, to inform disease control policy. These data could also inform operational decision making at a more local level, for example to help officials target efforts at a local/regional level. To be usable for local decision-making, data needs to be presented in a way that is relevant to and understandable by local decision makers. We demonstrate an approach and prototype web application to make spatial outputs from disease modelling more useful for local decision making. Key to our approach is: (1) we focus on a handful of important data layers to maintain simplicity; (2) data are summarised at scales relevant to decision making (administrative units); (3) the application has the ability to rank and compare administrative units; (4) open-source code that can be modified and re-used by others, to target specific user-needs. Our prototype application allows visualisation of a handful of key layers from the Malaria Atlas Project. Data can be summarised by administrative unit for any malaria endemic African country, ranked and compared; e.g. to answer questions such as, ‘does the district with the highest malaria prevalence also have the lowest coverage of insecticide treated nets?’. The application is developed in R and the code is open-source. It would be relatively easy for others to change the source code to incorporate different data layers, administrative boundaries or other data visualisations. We suggest such open-source web application development can facilitate the use of data for public health decision making in low resource settings.
Technology of wood products
Authors: Барташевич Александр , Bartashevich Aleksandr , Игнатович Людмила , Ignatovich Lyudmila , Шетько Сергей , Shet'ko Sergey , Онегин Владимир , Onegin Vladimir
Published: December 2019

The manual systematized used in the production of wood products equipment, technological regimes and organization of various processes. The appendices contain new materials, technological processes and modes of their application developed at the Belarusian state technological University together with the Institute of heat and mass transfer named after A. V. Lykov of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
For students and teachers, as well as all those interested in the production of wood products.
RESULTS OF RESEARCH OF RECTIFIER DIODES ON RESISTANCE
Authors: Яньков А. , Yankov A. , Зольников Константин , Zolnikov Konstantin , Кулай А. , Kulay A. , Савченко Андрей , Savchenko Andrey , Струков И. , Strukov I. , Евдокимова Светлана , Evdokimova Svetlana , Скворцова Татьяна , Skvortsova Tatyana , Ягодкин А. , Yagodkin A. , Квасов Олег , Kvasov Oleg , Панова Н. , Panova N. , Фесикова Оксана , Fesikova Oksana
Published: December 2019

The article describes the study of rectifier diodes for resistance to special factors. The direct reverse current Iobr and the forward voltage of the diode Uobr were considered as a criterion for the performance of diodes. Based on the results of the calculation and experimental evaluation of the resistance of rectifier diodes to special factors, graphical dependences of the reverse current and direct voltage on the value of the special factor are constructed.
One Method to Identify the Real Options in the Investment Project
Authors: Nadrus Inas , Anshin Valery , Demkin Igor
Published: December 2019

The present article describes a research that examines the sources of flexibility in the investment projects in the oil and gas industry using multiple case studies of several oil and gas projects. More precisely, the study is concerned with revealing uncertainties that give rise to real options. Ultimately, the methodology for real options identification in the exploration & development type of investment projects of the oil and gas industry is proposed. It is anticipated that the results might help to bring certain improvements into the existing managerial conception of using real options for investment project evaluation considering the specific nature of investment projects in the oil and gas industry.
Group Creative Problem Solving: The Role of Creative Personality, Process and Creative Ability
Authors: Burch Gerald F. , Burch Jana J. , Batchelor John H.
Published: December 2019

Purpose: Team creativity is an important factor in developing new ideas for organisations. In spite of years of creativity research, little is known about various team aspects and their affect on team creativity. This study looks at the incremental explanatory value that team creative personality and divergent thinking skill processes have on team creativity.Methodology/Approach: Individual personality, creative personality, and divergent thinking skills were collected from 349 students at a large public university in the southeast US. These students were then randomly assigned to 105 teams where they developed a novel product. Individual attributes were averaged to create team attributes that were used to determine correlations with the product creativity. Hierarchical regression was used to evaluate incremental explanatory values for each of the independent variables.Findings: Group creative personality adds approximately 36 percent more explanatory power than cognitive ability and traditional personality measures in predicting team creativity. Creative processes, like team divergent thinking ability, further increased the R2 of our model from 0.54 to 0.65 demonstrating that team processes affect team creativity.Research Limitation/implication: The task used in this study was not as complex as problems being considered by organizations. However, the results are expected to be indicative of the process used for more complex problems. It is also difficult to assign causality since correlations were used to verify some of our hypothesis.Originality/Value of paper: This research expands the findings of team creativity by identifying factors that increase team creativity.
Service-Led Model for the Activation of Smart TV: Case Study in Korea
Authors: Cho Insu , Lee Jong H. , Kwak Young H.
Published: December 2019

Purpose: This study explores the characteristics of STV service to empirically examine effects of the services on adoption and usage of STV to lead sustained growth of the STV industry.Methodology/Approach: This study employs structural equation modeling as a quantitative approach, to examine causal relationships between service characteristics and user intentions. The survey collects 212 data only from actual users of STV, who have experienced STV functions or services, in South Korea.Findings: The results of service-oriented model based on extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) indicate that ‘interactivity’, ‘content quality’, and ‘simplicity’ as service characteristics influence intention to use STV.Research Limitation/implication: First, the STV industry should establish a distribution structure that generates sufficient profits for content providers as done in Smartphone market. Second, Services of STV should be provided to allow two-way communication and to allow users to engage in active interactions with other users.Originality/Value of paper: This study makes contributions to research on both new products and service adoption by providing richer explanations of the mechanisms acting on the actual use of STV. Given that STV is considered a key appliance for the next generation of social media and smart appliance, our findings offer new directions on how to realize high quality services in the STV industry.
The Efficiency of Training a Teacher at Higher Education Institutions of Different Profiles
Authors: Vykhrushch Vira O. , Romanyshyna Liudmyla M. , Pehota Olena M. , Shorobura Inna M. , Kravets Ruslan A.
Published: December 2019

The article reveals the problem of empirical research of training higher education institutions teachers in the context of the master’s degree programme. This study specifies and adapts the methods of diagnostics, criteria for conducting teacher training which are reasonable, psychologically and pedagogically approved and could be implemented in the institutions of higher education of different profiles. It was found out that the training of a teacher within the boundaries of the master’s degree programme of institutions of higher education is an actual task of three-level training of a specialist in Ukraine and requires a differentiated approach for institutions of higher education of various profiles. The components of the programme, based on their comparative characteristics, the status of teacher training in higher education institutions of different profiles with the application of certain criteria, indicators and levels were determined. Comparative analysis of the results of determining the levels of activity empathy and pedagogical reflection formation at the final stage of the study showed objective differences in teacher training in the context of the master’s degree programme of institutions of higher education of different profiles. The perspective directions of the problem under consideration are the study of the didactic conditions of effective teacher training for the master's degree in higher education and the development of the Concept of master’s training in higher education institutions on this basis, the analysis of the influence of the main factors on the formation of a teacher of a higher educational institution in the context of a master’s degree programme, in the profile professional training.
A surprising rediscovery and description of a new species of Soyedina Ricker, 1952 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

Authors: GRUBBS SCOTT A , KONDRATIEFF BORIS C , BAUMANN RICHARD W
Published: December 2019

Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) is described from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. This species was recognized as new over 15 years ago by the junior authors but had yet to be formally described until now. Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. appears closely-related only to S. sheldoni Grubbs & Baumann, 2019 due to shared characteristics of the scle­rotized inner member of the epiproct. Soyedina parkeri sp. nov. can be readily separated from all other nine species of eastern Nearctic Soyedina by the broadly rounded apical portion of the outer paraproct lobe.Key words: Plecoptera, Nemouridae, Soyedina, new species, Nearctic, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Is the Femoro-Epiphyseal Acetabular Roof (FEAR) index on MRI a relevant predictive factor of instability in a borderline dysplastic hip?
Authors: Batailler Cécile , Weidner Jan , Wyatt Michael , Pfluger Dominik , Beck Martin
Published: December 2019

Aims

A borderline dysplastic hip can behave as either stable or unstable and this makes surgical decision making challenging. While an unstable hip may be best treated by acetabular reorientation, stable hips can be treated arthroscopically. Several imaging parameters can help to identify the appropriate treatment, including the Femoro-Epiphyseal Acetabular Roof (FEAR) index, measured on plain radiographs. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and the sensitivity of FEAR index on MRI compared with its radiological measurement.

Patients and Methods

The technique of measuring the FEAR index on MRI was defined and its reliability validated. A retrospective study assessed three groups of 20 patients: an unstable group of ‘borderline dysplastic hips’ with lateral centre edge angle (LCEA) less than 25° treated successfully by periacetabular osteotomy; a stable group of ‘borderline dysplastic hips’ with LCEA less than 25° treated successfully by impingement surgery; and an asymptomatic control group with LCEA between 25° and 35°. The following measurements were performed on both standardized radiographs and on MRI: LCEA, acetabular index, femoral anteversion, and FEAR index.

Results

The FEAR index showed excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability on both MRI and radiographs. The FEAR index was more reliable on radiographs than on MRI. The FEAR index on MRI was lower in the stable borderline group (mean -4.2° (sd 9.1°)) compared with the unstable borderline group (mean 7.9° (sd 6.8°)). With a FEAR index cut-off value of 2°, 90% of patients were correctly identified as stable or unstable using the radiological FEAR index, compared with 82.5% using the FEAR index on MRI. The FEAR index was a better predictor of instability on plain radiographs than on MRI.

Conclusion

The FEAR index measured on MRI is less reliable and less sensitive than the FEAR index measured on radiographs. The cut-off value of 2° for radiological FEAR index predicted hip stability with 90% probability. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1578–1584
Prognostic factors for unfavourable outcomes of patients with spinal tuberculosis in a country with an intermediate tuberculosis burden
Authors: Kim Jung Ho , Ahn Jin Young , Jeong Su Jin , Ku Nam Su , Choi Jun Yong , Kim Young Keun , Yeom Joon-Sup , Song Young Goo
Published: December 2019

Aims

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) remains an important concern. Although spinal TB often has sequelae such as myelopathy after treatment, the predictive factors affecting such unfavourable outcomes are not yet established. We investigated the clinical manifestations and predictors of unfavourable treatment outcomes in patients with spinal TB.

Patients and Methods

We performed a multicentre retrospective cohort study of patients with spinal TB. Unfavourable outcome was defined according to previous studies. The prognostic factors for unfavourable outcomes as the primary outcome were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis and a linear mixed model was used to compare time course of inflammatory markers during treatment. A total of 185 patients were included, of whom 59 patients had unfavourable outcomes.

Results

In multivariate regression analysis, the factors associated with unfavourable outcome were old age (odds ratio (OR) 2.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 5.86; p = 0.034), acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear positivity in specimens obtained through biopsy (OR 3.05; 95% CI 1.06 to 8.80; p = 0.039), and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) at the end of treatment (OR 3.85; 95% CI 1.62 to 9.13; p = 0.002). Patients with unfavourable outcomes had a significant trend toward higher ESR during treatment compared with patients with favourable outcome (p = 0.009). Duration of anti-TB and surgical treatment did not affect prognosis.

Conclusion

Elevated ESR at the end of treatment could be used as a marker to identify spinal TB patients with a poor prognosis. Patients whose ESR is not normalized during treatment, as well as those with old age and AFB smear positivity, should be aware of unfavourable outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1542–1549
Lucutan Plasma Pijar Korona dengan Variasi Tegangan untuk Degradasi Metilen Biru
Authors: Kusumandari Kusumandari , Saraswati Teguh Endah , Saputri Nor Shalina
Published: December 2019

Teknologi plasma merupakan metode pengolahan limbah yang cukup menjanjikan. Dalam penelitian ini, lucutan plasma dihasilkan dari dua buah elektroda jarum stainless steel yang dipasang paralel dan dihubungkan dengan tegangan tinggi bolak-balik (AC) sebesar 8.5 – 11.5 kV. Metilen biru digunakan sebagai larutan model. Elektroda berada sekitar 2 mm di atas larutan yang diletakkan pada magnetic stirrer dengan kecepatan 6 rpm. Waktu perlakuan yang digunakan adalah 2, 4, 6, 8, dan 10 menit untuk setiap tegangan. Karakteristik larutan meliputi absorbansi, pH dan suhu diukur sebelum dan sesudah perlakuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh tegangan dan lama waktu perlakuan plasma. Hasil yang didapat, absorbansi dan pH turun seiring kenaikan tegangan dan lama waktu perlakuan, sedangkan suhu akan semakin naik.
The Meaning of Social Inclusion to Players With and Without Intellectual Disability in Unified Sports Teams
Authors: McConkey Roy , Peng Cheryl , Merritt Marie , Shellard Amy
Published: December 2019

Sport can be a means for promoting social inclusion but to date, the perspectives of participants have been rarely sought. Focus groups interviews were held with 6 Special Olympic, Unified Sports teams in the United States as well as one each in Germany and India. In all, 49 athletes with intellectual disability and 39 team-mates without disability participated. From a thematic content analysis, a core concept of togetherness emerged, with five subthemes of equality, friendships, participation, connections, and assistance. Four main feelings were associated with togetherness: happy, relaxed, confident, and cared for. The players gave specific examples of how these outcomes were realised in sport and community settings. Their insights could guide future attempts to promote social inclusion in sports and the wider community.
Ultraviolet-transparent low-index layers for antireflective coatings
Authors: Schulz Ulrike , Gratzke Nancy , Wolleb Sabrina , Scheinpflug Florian , Rickelt Friedrich , Seifert Tina , Munzert Peter
Published: December 2019

Nanostructured low-index layers are useful as the last layers of antireflective (AR) coatings because they can broaden their spectral ranges and improve the performance for oblique light incidence. Structuring of evaporated organic layers by plasma opens a route to produce inorganic interference stacks and low-index layers in the same vacuum process. The organic material uracil has been investigated as a template material for AR nanostructures. An additional plasma-treatment step was added to the manufacturing process, which decreases the organic fraction of the coating substantially. As a result, a better environmental stability and higher transmission in the ultraviolet range was achieved.
Photonic spin Hall effect based on broadband high-efficiency reflective metasurfaces
Authors: Zhang Zhanyi , Liang Haigang , He Tao , Wang Zhanshan , Cheng Xinbin
Published: December 2019

Through the introduction of a broadband (

∼

1

µ

m

) high-efficiency (average above 90%) half-wave plate in the near-infrared (NIR) region, reflective Pancharatnam–Berry metasurfaces that can generate high-intensity (above 90%) left-circular polarization (LCP) and right-circular polarization (RCP) light for broadband (

∼

900

n
m

) are designed. It provides a method to generate broadband high-efficiency circularly polarized (CP) light, which is a rare complex process in traditional chiroptical spectroscopy. To further show the broadband high-efficiency function of the meta-atom, a broadband high-efficiency reflective vortex beam generator based on metasurfaces is designed for RCP light in the NIR region. Moreover, with the appropriate arrangement, the metasurfaces are able to focus the vortex beam into a point to increase the intensity of the generated vortex beam.
Continuous phase-shifting holography
Authors: Kalenkov Sergey G. , Kalenkov Georgy S. , Shtanko Alexander E.
Published: December 2019

A scanning full-field interferometer is a key device in the optical scheme of digital hyperspectral hologram registration. Behind the theory of hyperspectral holography is Fourier transform spectroscopy, wherein the set of spectrally resolved complex amplitudes of the object’s hyperspectral field is obtained via the Fourier transform of a series of interferograms registered in incoherent radiation. Several established approaches in digital holography, based on discrete phase-shifting techniques as well as continuous phase modulation of the reference signal by a scanning mirror, are special cases of Fourier transform spectroscopy, where a coherent light source is used for hologram registration. The proposed algorithm was found to apply to processing holograms registered by various phase-shifting techniques and can give a greater signal-to-noise ratio.
Generating macroscopic quantum superposition and a phonon laser in a hybrid optomechanical system
Authors: Yang Zhen , Chao Shi-Lei , Zhou Ling
Published: December 2019

The generation of a superposition state of a single-mode or two-mode coherent state is always an attractive topic. We propose schemes to generate the Schrödinger cat state and entangled coherent state of a mechanical oscillator in a hybrid optomechanical system. By introducing time-dependent coupling between the atom and photon, an effective Hamiltonian is deduced, where a tripartite interaction with time-dependent coupling is achieved. The effect of relatively high free energy can be cancelled so that we can obtain a relatively large average phonon number. Including dissipation, we derive an analytic solution of the system and further discuss the decoherence and disentanglement. In addition, a steady phonon laser can be reached.
Flexible random lasers in dye-doped bio-degradable cellulose nanocrystalline needles
Authors: Germano Gleice C. M. , Machado Yan D. R. , Martinho Lucas , Fernandes Susete N. , Costa Antonio Mario L. M. , Pecoraro Edison , Gomes Anderson S. L. , Carvalho Isabel C. S.
Published: December 2019

In this work, we developed and investigated a random laser based on
rhodamine6G (Rh6G) in ethylene glycol (EG) solution with varying
cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC) needles as scatterers in the lasing
media. Besides the suspension-in-cuvette scheme, an alternative
configuration was also employed: a dye-CNC flexible self-supported
thick-film (70 µm) random laser made by drop casting of the

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cellulose suspension. In relation to
conventional scatterers, the biodegradable cellulose nanocompounds
showed a comparable reduction in both the spectral full width at
half-maximum and the energy threshold values, with an optimal
concentration of 5 mg [CNC]/ml[EG] in suspension. Its performance was
also compared with other cellulose-based random lasers, presenting
advantages for some parameters. The flexible film configuration showed
similar results, but contained 10% less Rh6G than the suspension.
Metal-dielectric nanoantenna for radiation control of a single-photon emitter
Authors: Sun Yali , Yaroshenko Vitaly , Chebykin Alexander , Ageev Eduard , Makarov Sergey , Zuev Dmitry
Published: December 2019

The control of fluorescent properties of single-photon sources in solid-state host systems via optically resonant nanostructures is a key issue in quantum nanophotonics. Here we propose a design of a resonant metal-dielectric nanoantenna for the Purcell factor and radiation pattern control of a quantum emitter placed in the gap between metal and dielectric components of the nanostructure. We demonstrate that large Purcell factor, considerable field enhancement in the gap as well as high directivity can be achieved. The developed nanosystem can be utilized for different solid-state host systems from nanocrystals to 2D materials.