bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes and opinions of US neurosurgical residents toward research and scholarship: a national survey
Authors: Karsy Michael , Henderson Fraser , Tenny Steven , Guan Jian , Amps Jeremy W. , Friedman Allan H. , Spiotta Alejandro M. , Patel Sunil , Kestle John R. W. , Jensen Randy L. , Couldwell William T.
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

The analysis of resident research productivity in neurosurgery has gained significant recent interest. Resident scholarly output affects departmental productivity, recruitment of future residents, and likelihood of future research careers. To maintain and improve opportunities for resident research, the authors evaluated factors that affect resident attitudes toward neurosurgical research on a national level.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to all US neurosurgical residents. Questions assessed interest in research, perceived departmental support of research, and resident-perceived limitations in pursuing research. Residents were stratified based on number of publications above the median (AM; ≥ 14) or below the median (BM; < 14) for evaluation of factors influencing productivity.

RESULTS

A total of 278 resident responses from 82 US residency programs in 30 states were included (a 20% overall response rate). Residents predominantly desired future academic positions (53.2%), followed by private practice with some research (40.3%). Residents reported a mean ± SD of 11 ± 14 publications, which increased with postgraduate year level. The most common type of research involved retrospective cohort studies (24%) followed by laboratory/benchtop (19%) and case reports (18%). Residents as a group spent on average 14.1 ± 18.5 hours (median 7.0 hours) a week on research. Most residents (53.6%) had ≥ 12 months of protected research time. Mentorship (92.4%), research exposure (89.9%), and early interest in science (78.4%) had the greatest impact on interest in research while the most limiting factors were time (91.0%), call scheduling (47.1%), and funding/grants (37.1%). AM residents cited research exposure (p = 0.003), neurosurgery conference exposure (p = 0.02), formal research training prior to residency (p = 0.03), internal funding sources (p = 0.05), and software support (p = 0.02) as most important for their productivity. Moreover, more productive residents applied and received a higher number of < $10,000 and ≥ $10,000 grants (p < 0.05). A majority of residents (82.4%) agreed or strongly agreed with pursuing research throughout their professional careers. Overall, about half of residents (49.6%) were encouraged toward continued neurosurgical research, while the rest were neutral (36.7%) or discouraged (13.7%). Free-text responses helped to identify solutions on a departmental, regional, and national level that could increase interest in neurosurgical research.

CONCLUSIONS

This survey evaluates various factors affecting resident views toward research, which may also be seen in other specialties. Residents remain enthusiastic about neurosurgical research and offer several solutions to the ever-scarce commodities of time and funding within academic medicine.
Early postsurgical diffusivity metrics for prognostication of long-term pain relief after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Tohyama Sarasa , Shih-Ping Hung Peter , Zhong Jidan , Hodaie Mojgan
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is an important treatment modality for trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Current longitudinal assessment after GKRS relies primarily on clinical diagnostic measures, which are highly limited in the prediction of long-term clinical benefit. An objective, noninvasive, predictive tool would be of great utility to advance the clinical management of patients. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), the authors’ aim was to determine whether early (6 months post-GKRS) target diffusivity metrics can be used to prognosticate long-term pain relief in patients with TN.

METHODS

Thirty-seven patients with TN treated with GKRS underwent 3T MRI scans at 6 months posttreatment. Diffusivity metrics of fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and mean diffusivity were extracted bilaterally from the radiosurgical target of the affected trigeminal nerve and its contralateral, unaffected nerve. Early (6 months post-GKRS) diffusivity metrics were compared with long-term clinical outcome. Patients were identified as long-term responders if they achieved at least 75% reduction in preoperative pain for 12 months or longer following GKRS.

RESULTS

Trigeminal nerve diffusivity at 6 months post-GKRS was predictive of long-term clinical effectiveness, where long-term responders (n = 19) showed significantly lower fractional anisotropy at the radiosurgical target of their affected nerve compared to their contralateral, unaffected nerve and to nonresponders. Radial diffusivity and mean diffusivity, correlates of myelin alterations and inflammation, were also significantly higher in the affected nerve of long-term responders compared to their unaffected nerve. Nonresponders (n = 18) did not exhibit any characteristic diffusivity changes after GKRS.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors demonstrate that early postsurgical target diffusivity metrics have a translational, clinical value and permit prediction of long-term pain relief in patients with TN treated with GKRS. Importantly, an association was found between the footprint of radiation and clinical effectiveness, where a sufficient level of microstructural change at the radiosurgical target is necessary for long-lasting pain relief. DTI can provide prognostic information that supplements clinical measures, and thus may better guide the postoperative assessment and clinical decision-making for patients with TN.
ANALISIS DINDING PENAHAN UNTUK PERKUATAN KELONGSORAN LERENG DI JALAN BEDUGUL SINGARAJA
Authors: Ramia I Nyoman
Published: August 2018

Lereng adalah suatu permukaan tanah yang miring dan membentuk sudut tertentu terhadap suatu bidang horizontal. Pada tempat dimana terdapat dua permukaan tanah yang berbeda ketinggian, maka akan ada gaya yang bekerja mendorong sehingga tanah yang lebih tinggi kedudukannya cenderung bergerak ke arah bawah. Hal ini disebut dengan gaya potensial gravitasi yang menyebabkan terjadi kelongsoran. Kabupaten Tabanan memiliki beberapa ruas jalan yang melewati lereng, salah satunya adalah ruas Jalan Raya Bedugul. Ruas jalan ini merupakan ruas jalan penghubung antara Kabupaten Buleleng, Kabupaten Badung dan Kabupaten Tabanan. Telah terjadi kelongsoran pada lereng ini, tepatnya di KM 49 + 800 di Desa Candikuning, Kecamatan Baturiti, Kawasan Wisata Danau Beratan yaitu pada tanggal 21 Desember 2016 dan longsor susulan pada tanggal 10 Februari 2017. Untuk mencegah kemungkinan terjadinya longsor susulan yang sewaktu-waktu dapat terjadi lagi, maka perlu dilakukan langkah antisipasi dengan merencanakan perkuatan pada lereng tersebut. Pada studi ini dianalisis kekuatan geser tanah dengan perkuatan, untuk dapat mengetahui kemampuan perkuatan dalam menjaga kestabilan lereng. Juga dilakukan analisis kestabilan lereng di lokasi penelitian dengan tujuan dapat mengetahui kemampuan penggunaan perkuatan sebagai alternatif dalam mengatasi kelongsoran pada lereng tersebut. Berdasarkan analisis setelah dinding penahan diperkuat dengan barisan tiang bor diperoleh angka stabilitas terhadap guling dan geser lebih besar daripada 1,5 dan stabilitas terhadap daya dukungnya lebih kecil daripada daya dukung tanah yang diijinkan sehingga dinding penahan  aman terhadap bahaya kelongsoran.
PENGARUH LOKASI, PELAYANAN, DAN PROSEDUR PENCAIRAN PEMBIAYAAN TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN ANGGOTA KOPERASI MENGAMBIL PEMBIAYAAN
Authors: Septi Wulandari Al Haq Kamal
Published: August 2018

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hal-hal yang mempengaruhi keputusan anggota koperasi mengambil pembiayaan. Rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah pengaruh lokasi, pelayanan, dan prosedur pencairan pembiayaan secara parsial berpengaruh terhadap keputusan anggota koperasi mengambil pembiayaan di KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah. Dan juga pengaruh lokasi, pelayanan, dan prosedur pencairan pembiayaan secara simultan berpengaruh terhadap keputusan anggota koperasi mengambil pembiayaan di KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah.            Metodologi penelitian ini menggunakan kuantitatif. Metode yang digunakan ialah uji asumsi klasik dan analisis regresi berganda. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan dengan cara wawancara terhadap manajer KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah dan anggota koperasi sebagai responden dengan mengisi kuesioner. Responden dalam penelitian ini adalah anggota koperasi yang mengambil pembiayaan di KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah yang berjumlah 68 orang atau anggota dengan bantuan software SPSS untuk menganisis data dan pengujian hipotesis.            Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa faktor lokasi tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan anggota koperasi mengambil pembiayaan. Namun untuk faktor pelayanan dan prosedur pencairan pembiayaan mempunyai pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap keputusan anggota koperasi mengambil pembiayaan di KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah. Kata kunci:  pelayanan, prosedur pencairan pembiayaan, dan keputusan anggota. AbstractThis study aims to determine the things that affect the results of cooperatives. The problem formulation in this research is the influence of location, service, and process to develop in KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah. And also affect the location, service, and process to develop in KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah.This research methodology uses quantitative. The method used to test and multiple regression analysis. Data processing techniques used by interviewing KSPS manager KUM3 Al Istiqomah and members of the cooperative as respondents by filling out the questionnaire. Respondents in this study are members of KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah faced by 68 people or members with the help of SPSS software to analyze data and payment of hypothesis.The result of the research shows that the location factor has no significant effect on the member decision of the cooperative to take the financing. However, for the factors and the liquefaction process is one of the most influential on the results of KSPS KUM3 Al Istiqomah. Keywords: service, financing disbursement, and member decisions.
Investigation of maximum a posteriori probability expectation-maximization for image-based weighting spectral X-ray CT image reconstruction
Authors: Zhou Zhengdong , Xin Runchao , Guan Shaolin , Li Jianbo , Tu Jiali
Published: August 2018

Development of spectral X-ray computer tomography (CT) equipped with photon counting detector has been recently attracting great research interest. This work aims to improve the quality of spectral X-ray CT image. Maximum a posteriori (MAP) expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is applied for reconstructing image-based weighting spectral X-ray CT images. A spectral X-ray CT system based on the cadmium zinc telluride photon counting detector and a fat cylinder phantom were simulated. Comparing with the commonly used filtered back projection (FBP) method, the proposed method reduced noise in the final weighting images at 2, 4, 6 and 9 energy bins up to 85.2%, 87.5%, 86.7% and 85%, respectively. CNR improvement ranged from 6.53 to 7.77. Compared with the prior image constrained compressed sensing (PICCS) method, the proposed method could reduce noise in the final weighting images by 36.5%, 44.6%, 27.3% and 18% at 2, 4, 6 and 9 energy bins, respectively, and improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) by 1.17 to 1.81. The simulation study also showed that comparing with the FBP and PICCS algorithms, image-based weighting imaging using MAP-EM statistical algorithm yielded significant improvement of the CNR and reduced the noise of the final weighting image.
Toxicology in Medical Practice- Time for revolutionary change
Authors: Amin Md Robed , Islam Quazi Tarikul
Published: August 2018

Abstract not availableBangladesh J Medicine Jul 2018; 29(2) : 49-50
DRESS Syndrome- A Rare Condition
Authors: Hossain Homayra Tahseen , Islam Quazi Tarikul , Reza Ishrat Binte , Chowdhury Tasmina , Mazumder Md Maksudul , Ahasan HAM Nazmul
Published: August 2018

DRESS syndrome (Drug reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) is a rare but potentially life-threatening drug hypersensitivity reaction characterized by fever, exfoliative dermatitis and maculopapular rash, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, leucocytosis, and involvement of internal organs as liver, lung, heart, and kidney. The disorder starts within 2–8 weeks after taking an offending drug. Long latency between drug treatment and onset of symptoms along with variability of presentation make the diagnosis quite difficult. Here, we are presenting a case report of 58 year old male presented with short history of high grade fever with extensive skin rash. Investigations revealed leucocytosis with gross eosinophilia. He gave history of taking carbamazepine for more than last 3 months prescribed by his neurologist. According to the RegiSCAR scoring system, our case could be classified as definite DRESS syndrome. After withdrawal of the offending drug carbamazepine and starting high dose of systemic corticosteroid, he improved dramatically. As this syndrome is quite uncommon, so we are reporting this case.Bangladesh J Medicine Jul 2018; 29(2) : 91-93
Coal, Rail and Victorians in the South African Veld. The Convergence of Colonial Elites and Finance Capital in the Stormberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape, 1880–1910
Authors: Gibbs Pat
Published: August 2018

This article investigates an intermediary period in the Cape colony when the largely unknown convergence of British social and industrial capital around coal mining occurred in the Stormberg Mountains of the North Eastern Cape. Within the context of a triangular nexus of mining and its two major clients, the diamond mines at Kimberley and the newly arrived Cape Government Railway, a social coalescence of mainly British immigrants arose in the town of Molteno, exhibiting an distinctly British Victorian culture. This paper also shows how the town became a colonial enclave on the remote periphery of the Cape Colony, utilising a racialised class system, and the ways in which the singularity of Victorian society was emphasised by two surrounding cultures which were alien to the British. After the South African War ended, one of these cultures had begun to take root within the town. When the coal mines were brought to an end by the erratic orders of the Cape Government Railway and its access to superior and cheaper coal from Lewis and Marks at Viljoensdrift in the ZAR and the greater economic pull of the Rand gold mines which diverted labour to the north, this ‘colonial moment’ in the Stormberg was over.
Mapping Senegambia: Legacies of Ambition and the Failure of an Early Colonial Venture
Authors: Outram-Leman Sven
Published: August 2018

Britain's short-lived Province of Senegambia (1765–1783) was part of an expansion effort in the region driven by a desire to secure access to the gum trade of the Senegal river. Drawing on Britain's knowledge of France's dealings with the Upper-Senegal region it was complemented by the adoption of French cartography, edited to illustrate a new colonial identity. It is argued here that there was an additional motive of developing closer contact with the African interior. This pre-dates the establishment of the African Association in 1788 and its subsequent and better-known expeditions to the River Niger. In contrast to the French, however, the British struggled to engage with the region. This paper approaches the topic from a perspective of cartographic history. It highlights Thomas Jeffery's map of ‘Senegambia Proper’ (1768), copied from Jean Baptiste Bourguingnon d'Anville's ’Carte Particuliére de la Côte Occidentale de l'Afrique' (1751) and illustrative of several obstacles facing both British map-making and colonial expansion in mid-eighteenth century Africa. It is argued that the later enquiries and map-making activities of the African Association, which were hoped to lead to the colonisation of West Africa, built upon these experiences of failure in Senegambia.
Permutation Entropy Based on Non-Uniform Embedding
Authors: Tao Mei , Poskuviene Kristina , Alkayem Nizar Faisal , Cao Maosen , Ragulskis Minvydas
Published: August 2018

A novel visualization scheme for permutation entropy is presented in this paper. The proposed scheme is based on non-uniform attractor embedding of the investigated time series. A single digital image of permutation entropy is produced by averaging all possible plain projections of the permutation entropy measure in the multi-dimensional delay coordinate space. Computational experiments with artificially-generated and real-world time series are used to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed visualization scheme.
Combustion of Flax Shives, Beech Wood, Pure Woody Pseudo-Components and Their Chars: A Thermal and Kinetic Study
Authors: Boukaous Nourelhouda , Abdelouahed Lokmane , Chikhi Mustapha , Meniai Abdeslam-Hassen , Mohabeer Chetna , Bechara Taouk
Published: August 2018

Thermogravimetric analysis was employed to investigate the combustion characteristics of flax shives, beech wood, hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin, and their chars. The chars were prepared from raw materials in a fixed-bed reactor at 850 °C. In this study, the thermal behavior based on characteristic temperatures (ignition, maximum, and final temperatures), burnout time and maximum rate was investigated. The kinetic parameters for the combustion of different materials were determined based on the Coats-Redfern approach. The results of our study revealed that the combustion of pure pseudo-components behaved differently from that of biomass. Indeed, principal component analysis showed that the thermal behavior of both biomasses was generally similar to that of pure hemicellulose. However, pure cellulose and lignin showed different behaviors compared to flax shives, beech wood, and hemicellulose. Hemicellulose and cellulose chars had almost the same behaviors, while being different from biomass and lignin chars. Despite the difference between flax shives and beech wood, they showed almost the same thermal characteristics and apparent activation energies. Also, the combustion of the hemicellulose and cellulose chars showed that they have almost the same structure. Their overall thermal and kinetic behavior remained between that of biomass and lignin.
Reconfiguration of a Multilevel Inverter with Trapezoidal Pulse Width Modulation
Authors: Prabaharan Nataraj , Arun V. , Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban , Mihet-Popa Lucian , Blaabjerg Frede
Published: August 2018

This paper presents different multi-carrier unipolar trapezoidal pulse width modulation strategies for a reduced switch asymmetrical multilevel inverter. The different strategies are phase disposition, alternative phase opposition and disposition, and carrier overlapping and variable frequency that involve triangular waves as carriers with a unipolar trapezoidal wave as a reference. The reduced switch, asymmetrical multilevel inverter operation was examined for generating the seven-level output voltage using Matlab/Simulink 2009b and the results were verified with a real-time laboratory-based experimental setup using a field-programmable gate array. Different parameter analyses, such as total harmonic distortion, fundamental root mean square voltage, and distortion factor, were analyzed with different modulation indices to investigate the performance of the selected topology. Unipolar trapezoidal pulse width modulation provides a higher root mean square voltage value.
Environmental, Structural, and Disturbance Influences over Forest Floor Components in Interior Douglas-Fir Forests of the Intermountain West, USA
Authors: Giunta Andrew D. , Shaw John D.
Published: August 2018

Downed woody material (DWM) is a key component in forest ecosystems with age, structure, and disturbance described as primary factors that influence DWM dynamics. In particular, much emphasis is placed on large coarse woody debris (CWD). Fine woody debris (FWD) (less than 7.62 cm diameter), duff, and litter also contribute to carbon stocks, provide habitat, add to nutrient cycling, and are often the most available fuels for fire, yet are regularly overlooked in studies describing the forest floor. Throughout the middle montane zone within the Intermountain West region USA, interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Mirb. Franco) is a predominant forest type, yet little is known about the forest floor complex in these forests. We used a chronosequence approach to compare DWM patterns over the course of stand development among stands with different disturbance histories. Using classification and regression trees, we also evaluated an assemblage of environmental, structural, and disturbance variables to determine factors of most importance for estimating loading for DWM, duff, and litter. We found CWD resembled a U-shaped pattern of buildup while FWD components remained stable over the course of stand development regardless of disturbance history. Our results indicate that large DWM components are most closely associated with the amount of standing dead material in a stand, primarily the density and basal area of snags. Fine woody material was more aligned with live stand components, while duff and litter were more influenced by disturbance.
Academic Response to Storm-Related Natural Disasters—Lessons Learned
Authors: Hedges Jerris R. , Soliman Karam F. A. , D’Amour Gene , Liang Dong , Rodríguez-Díaz Carlos E. , Thompson Kenira , Romaguera Josefina , Rabionet Sabater Silvia E. , Yanagihara Richard
Published: August 2018

On 30 October 2017, selected faculty and administrators from Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) grantee institutions gathered to share first-hand accounts of the devastating impact of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which had interrupted academic activities, including research, education, and training in Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas. The presenters reviewed emergency response measures taken by their institutions to maintain community health care access and delivery, the storm-related impact on clinical and research infrastructure, and strategies to retain locally grown clinical expertise and translational science research talent in the aftermath of natural disasters. A longer-term perspective was provided through a comparative review of lessons learned by one New Orleans-based institution (now more than a decade post-storm) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Caring for the internal and external communities associated with each institution and addressing the health disparities exacerbated by storm-related events is one key strategy that will pay long-term dividends in the survival of the academic institutions and the communities they serve.
Short-Term Effects of Heat on Mortality and Effect Modification by Air Pollution in 25 Italian Cities
Authors: Scortichini Matteo , De Sario Manuela , De’Donato Francesca K. , Davoli Marina , Michelozzi Paola , Stafoggia Massimo
Published: August 2018

Evidence on the health effects of extreme temperatures and air pollution is copious. However few studies focused on their interaction. The aim of this study is to evaluate daily PM10 and ozone as potential effect modifiers of the relationship between temperature and natural mortality in 25 Italian cities. Time-series analysis was run for each city. To evaluate interaction, a tensor product between mean air temperature (lag 0–3) and either PM10 or ozone (both lag 0–5) was defined and temperature estimates were extrapolated at low, medium, and high levels of pollutants. Heat effects were estimated as percent change in mortality for increases in temperature between 75th and 99th percentiles. Results were pooled by geographical area. Differential temperature-mortality risks by air pollutants were found. For PM10, estimates ranged from 3.9% (low PM10) to 14.1% (high PM10) in the North, from 3.6% to 24.4% in the Center, and from 7.5% to 21.6% in the South. Temperature-related mortality was similarly modified by ozone in northern and central Italy, while no effect modification was observed in the South. This study underlines the synergistic effects of heat and air pollution on mortality. Considering the predicted increase in heat waves and stagnation events in the Mediterranean countries such as Italy, it is time to enclose air pollution within public health heat prevention plans.
Insight into Patients’ Experiences of Cancer Care in Taiwan: An Instrument Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation Study
Authors: Yu Tsung-Hsien , Chung Kuo-Piao , Tung Yu-Chi , Tsai Hsin-Yun
Published: August 2018

Background: Since Taiwan launched the Cancer Prevention Act in 2003, several prevention strategies and early detection programs have been implemented to reduce the incidence, morbidity and mortality rates of cancer. However, most of the programs have concentrated on healthcare providers. Evaluations from the patient’s perspective have been lacking. Thus, in this study a cancer patient experience questionnaire was developed in the Taiwanese context and a preliminary nationwide investigation was conducted on the status of cancer care from the patient’s perspective. Methods: An extensive literature review was first conducted to collect information on the existing instruments used to measure the cancer patient’s experience. Thereafter, a multidisciplinary expert panel was convened to select an optimal instrument based on the IOM’s six domains for evaluating patient-centered care. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) translation procedure was applied to the questionnaire for cross-cultural adaptation. A nationwide field test was then implemented at certificated cancer care hospitals. Results: Fifteen questionnaires were collected for the literature review. The expert panel selected the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey based on the IOM’s recommendations. After cross-cultural translation of the questionnaire, a total of 4000 questionnaires were administered in 19 certificated cancer care hospitals and two major cancer patient associations, with 1010 being returned (25.25% response rate). Most of the respondents were middle-aged, and 70% were female. The respondents reported they had a good experience with cancer care, except for “Home care and support” and “Finding out what was wrong with you”. Stratified analysis was conducted, with the results showing that the cancer patients’ experiences varied depending on their sociodemographic and cancer-related characteristics. Conclusions: A Taiwanese version of the cancer patient experience survey questionnaire was developed. Its results showed that the cancer patient’s experiences varied, depending on the patient’s age, cancer type, and cancer history. This study can be used as a basis to establish a patient-centered care model for cancer care in Taiwan.
Fabrication of Polymer Microstructures of Various Angles via Synchrotron X-Ray Lithography Using Simple Dimensional Transformation
Authors: Park Kyungjin , Kim Kanghyun , Lee Seung Chul , Lim Geunbae , Kim Jong Hyun
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we developed a method of fabricating polymer microstructures at various angles on a single substrate via synchrotron X-ray lithography coupled with simple dimensional transformations. Earlier efforts to create various three-dimensional (3D) features on flat substrates focused on the exposure technology, material properties, and light sources. A few research groups have sought to create microstructures on curved substrates. We created tilted microstructures of various angles by simply deforming the substrate from 3D to two-dimensional (2D). The microstructural inclination angles changed depending on the angles of the support at particular positions. We used convex, concave, and S-shaped supports to fabricate microstructures with high aspect ratios (1:11) and high inclination angles (to 79°). The method is simple and can be extended to various 3D microstructural applications; for example, the fabrication of microarrays for optical components, and tilted micro/nanochannels for biological applications.
Broadband Dual-Polarized Base Station Antenna for Fifth-Generation (5G) Applications
Authors: Tang Hua , Zong Xianzheng , Nie Zaiping
Published: August 2018

A broadband dual-polarized base station antenna with special designed feeding structures is investigated in this paper. The proposed antenna contains two pairs of crossed dipoles, two specially designed feeding connectors, two pieces of dielectric pads, a supporter (also a balun), and a reflector. To verify the designed antenna, a prototype is fabricated and measured. The antenna attains a bandwidth of around 46.5% operating over 3.14–5.04 GHz under reflection coefficient lower than −15 dB, and the port-to-port isolation is higher than 32.5 dB. It also achieves very stable radiation patterns with half power beam widths of 71.8° ± 2.5° in both the horizontal and vertical planes and gains of around 8 dBi over its operating band. Besides, the mechanism of the obtained good performances is clearly explained from the angle of current. All of the features ensure that the proposed antenna is suitable for the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications.
Multiscale Rotated Bounding Box-Based Deep Learning Method for Detecting Ship Targets in Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Li Shuxin , Zhang Zhilong , Li Biao , Li Chuwei
Published: August 2018

Since remote sensing images are captured from the top of the target, such as from a satellite or plane platform, ship targets can be presented at any orientation. When detecting ship targets using horizontal bounding boxes, there will be background clutter in the box. This clutter makes it harder to detect the ship and find its precise location, especially when the targets are in close proximity or staying close to the shore. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a deep learning algorithm using a multiscale rotated bounding box to detect the ship target in a complex background and obtain the location and orientation information of the ship. When labeling the oriented targets, we use the five-parameter method to ensure that the box shape is maintained rectangular. The algorithm uses a pretrained deep network to extract features and produces two divided flow paths to output the result. One flow path predicts the target class, while the other predicts the location and angle information. In the training stage, we match the prior multiscale rotated bounding boxes to the ground-truth bounding boxes to obtain the positive sample information and use it to train the deep learning model. When matching the rotated bounding boxes, we narrow down the selection scope to reduce the amount of calculation. In the testing stage, we use the trained model to predict and obtain the final result after comparing with the score threshold and nonmaximum suppression post-processing. Experiments conducted on a remote sensing dataset show that the algorithm is robust in detecting ship targets under complex conditions, such as wave clutter background, target in close proximity, ship close to the shore, and multiscale varieties. Compared to other algorithms, our algorithm not only exhibits better performance in ship detection but also obtains the precise location and orientation information of the ship.
Smart Data-Driven Optimization of Powered Prosthetic Ankles Using Surface Electromyography
Authors: Atri Roozbeh , Marquez J. Sebastian , Leung Connie , Siddiquee Masudur R. , Murphy Douglas P. , Gorgey Ashraf S. , Lovegreen William T. , Fei Ding-Yu , Bai Ou
Published: August 2018

The advent of powered prosthetic ankles provided more balance and optimal energy expenditure to lower amputee gait. However, these types of systems require an extensive setup where the parameters of the ankle, such as the amount of positive power and the stiffness of the ankle, need to be setup. Currently, calibrations are performed by experts, who base the inputs on subjective observations and experience. In this study, a novel evidence-based tuning method was presented using multi-channel electromyogram data from the residual limb, and a model for muscle activity was built. Tuning using this model requires an exhaustive search over all the possible combinations of parameters, leading to computationally inefficient system. Various data-driven optimization methods were investigated and a modified Nelder–Mead algorithm using a Latin Hypercube Sampling method was introduced to tune the powered prosthetic. The results of the modified Nelder–Mead optimization were compared to the Exhaustive search, Genetic Algorithm, and conventional Nelder–Mead method, and the results showed the feasibility of using the presented method, to objectively calibrate the parameters in a time-efficient way using biological evidence.
A Hybrid Motion Estimation for Video Stabilization Based on an IMU Sensor
Authors: Auysakul Jutamanee , Xu He , Pooneeth Vishwanath
Published: August 2018

Recorded video data must be clear for accuracy and faster analysis during post-processing, which often requires video stabilization systems to remove undesired motion. In this paper, we proposed a hybrid method to estimate the motion and to stabilize videos by the switching function. This method switched the estimated motion between a Kanade–Lucus–Tomasi (KLT) tracker and an IMU-aided motion estimator. It facilitated the best function to stabilize the video in real-time as those methods had numerous advantages in estimating the motion. To achieve this, we used a KLT tracker to correct the motion for low rotations and an IMU-aided motion estimator for high rotation, owing to the poor performance of the KLT tracker during larger movements. Furthermore, a Kalman filter was used to remove the undesired motion and hence smoothen the trajectory. To increase the frame rate, a multi-threaded approach was applied to execute the algorithm in the array. Irrespective of the situations exposed to the experimental results of the moving camera from five video sequences revealed that the proposed algorithm stabilized the video efficiently.
A 12-Gb/s Stacked Dual-Channel Interface for CMOS Image Sensor Systems
Authors: Kim Sang-Hoon , Shin Hoon , Jeong Youngkyun , Lee June-Hee , Choi Jaehyuk , Chun Jung-Hoon
Published: August 2018

We propose a dual-channel interface architecture that allocates high and low transition-density bit streams to two separate channels. The transmitter utilizes the stacked drivers with charge-recycling to reduce the power consumption. The direct current (DC)-coupled receiver front-end circuits manage the common-mode level variations and compensate for the channel loss. The tracked oversampling clock and data recovery (CDR), which realizes fast lock acquisition below 1 baud period and low logic latency, is shared by the two channels. Fabricated in a 65-nm low-power complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, the dual-channel transceiver achieves 12-Gb/s data rate while the transmitter consumes 20.43 mW from a 1.2-V power supply.
Evaluation of Ion-Exchange Characteristics of Cesium in Natural Japanese Rocks
Authors: Miura Takuya , Sasaki Atsushi , Endo Masatoshi
Published: August 2018

A large amount of soil was contaminated by radioactive cesium due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The adsorption behavior of cesium ions (Cs+) is strongly influenced by numerous factors, including the components, structure and weathering conditions of natural soil. The adsorption and ion exchange characteristics of Cs+ ions onto and from natural Japanese rocks with well-known components were studied. Cs+ adsorption onto volcanic rocks (0.9–5.3 mg/g) occurred more easily than that onto plutonic rocks (0.7–0.8 mg/g) due to differences in crystallinity. In addition, the adsorption quantity of cesium increased with increasing lattice water content and content of ion-exchangeable cations in the rock samples. The cesium adsorption ability of rock was inhibited by seawater and coexisting ions in the solution. Cesium adsorption quantities onto andosol, containing the corrosion products, increased approximately 2.7-fold with increasing pH from neutral to basic. Cesium desorption differed depending on the type of salt used, and the desorption rates were highest with ammonium salts. Cs+ desorption from regions such as the soil interlayer and the pores were inhibited by melting of the rock surface.
A Likely Supermassive Black Hole Revealed by Its Einstein Radius in Hubble Frontier Fields Images
Authors: Chen Mandy C. , Broadhurst Tom , Lim Jeremy , Diego Jose M. , Ohyama Youichi , Ford Holland , Benítez Narciso
Published: August 2018

At cosmological distances, gravitational lensing can in principle provide direct mass measurements of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Here, we directly estimate the mass of a SMBH in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of MACS J1149.5+2223 at z = 0.54 using one of the multiply lensed images of a background spiral galaxy at z = 1.49 projected close to the BCG. A lensed arc is curved toward the BCG center, corresponding to an intrinsically compact region in one of the spiral arms. This arc has a radius of curvature of only ∼0.″6, betraying the presence of a local compact deflector. Its curvature is most simply reproduced by a point-like object with a mass of

, similar to SMBH masses in local elliptical galaxies having comparable luminosities. The SMBH is noticeably offset by 4.4 ± 0.3 kpc from the BCG light center, which is plausibly the result of a kick imparted ∼2.0 × 107 years ago during the merger of two SMBHs, placing it just beyond the stellar core. A similar curvature can be produced by replacing the offset SMBH with a compact galaxy having a mass of ∼2 × 1010
M
⊙ within a cutoff radius of <4 kpc, and an unusually large

to make it undetectable in the deep Hubble Frontiers Fields image, at or close to the cluster redshift. However, such a lensing galaxy perturbs the adjacent lensed images in an undesirable way.
Searching for the Lowest-metallicity Galaxies in the Local Universe
Authors: Hsyu Tiffany , Cooke Ryan J. , Prochaska J. Xavier , Bolte Michael
Published: August 2018

We report a method of identifying candidate low-metallicity blue compact dwarf galaxies (BCDs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) imaging data, and present 3 m Lick Observatory and 10 m W.M. Keck Observatory optical spectroscopic observations of 94 new systems that have been discovered with this method. The candidate BCDs are selected from Data Release 12 (DR12) of SDSS on the basis of their photometric colors and morphologies. Using the Kast spectrometer on the 3 m telescope, we confirm that the candidate low-metallicity BCDs are emission-line galaxies, and we make metallicity estimates using the empirical R and S calibration methods. Follow-up observations on a subset of the lowest-metallicity systems are made at Keck using the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, which allow for a direct measurement of the oxygen abundance. We determine that 45 of the reported BCDs are low-metallicity candidates with 12 + log(O/H) ≤ 7.65, including six systems which are either confirmed or projected to be among the lowest-metallicity galaxies known, at 1/30 of the solar oxygen abundance, or 12 + log(O/H) ∼ 7.20.
ZFOURGE: Using Composite Spectral Energy Distributions to Characterize Galaxy Populations at 1 < z < 4∗
Authors: Forrest Ben , Tran Kim-Vy H. , Broussard Adam , Cohn Jonathan H. , Kennicutt, Jr. Robert C. , Papovich Casey , Allen Rebecca , Cowley Michael , Glazebrook Karl , Kacprzak Glenn G. , Kawinwanichakij Lalitwadee , Nanayakkara Themiya , Salmon Brett , Spitler Lee R. , Straatman Caroline M. S.
Published: August 2018

We investigate the properties of galaxies as they shut off star formation over the 4 billion years surrounding peak cosmic star formation. To do this, we categorize ∼7000 galaxies from 1 < z < 4 into 90 groups based on the shape of their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and build composite SEDs with R ∼ 50 resolution. These composite SEDs show a variety of spectral shapes and also show trends in parameters such as color, mass, star formation rate, and emission-line equivalent width. Using emission-line equivalent widths and strength of the 4000 Å break,

, we categorize the composite SEDs into five classes: extreme emission line, star-forming, transitioning, post-starburst, and quiescent galaxies. The transitioning population of galaxies shows modest Hα emission (EWREST ∼ 40 Å) compared to more typical star-forming composite SEDs at log10(M/M
⊙) ∼ 10.5 (EWREST ∼ 80 Å). Together with their smaller sizes (3 kpc vs. 4 kpc) and higher Sérsic indices (2.7 vs. 1.5), this indicates that morphological changes initiate before the cessation of star formation. The transitional group shows a strong increase of over 1 dex in number density from z ∼ 3 to z ∼ 1, similar to the growth in the quiescent population, while post-starburst galaxies become rarer at z ≲ 1.5. We calculate average quenching timescales of 1.6 Gyr at z ∼ 1.5 and 0.9 Gyr at z ∼ 2.5 and conclude that a fast-quenching mechanism producing post-starbursts dominated the quenching of galaxies at early times, while a slower process has become more common since z ∼ 2.
Progenitor Mass Distribution of Core-collapse Supernova Remnants in Our Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds Based on Elemental Abundances
Authors: Katsuda Satoru , Takiwaki Tomoya , Tominaga Nozomu , Moriya Takashi J. , Nakamura Ko
Published: August 2018

We investigate a progenitor mass distribution of core-collapse supernova remnants (CCSNRs) in our Galaxy and Large and Small Magellanic Clouds for the first time. We count the number of CCSNRs in three mass ranges divided by the zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) mass, M
ZAMS; A: M
ZAMS < 15 M
⊙, B: 15 M
⊙ < M
ZAMS < 22.5 M
⊙, C: M
ZAMS > 22.5 M
⊙. A simple compilation of progenitor masses in the literature yields a progenitor mass distribution of f
A : f
B : f
C = 0.27:0.27:0.46, where f is the number fraction of the progenitors. The distribution is inconsistent with any standard initial mass functions (IMFs). We notice, however, that previous mass estimates are subject to large systematic uncertainties because most of the relative abundances (X/Si) are not good probes for the progenitor masses. Instead, we rely only on the Fe/Si ratio, which is sensitive to the CO core mass (M
COcore) and M
ZAMS. Comparing Fe/Si ratios in SN remnants in the literature with the newest theoretical model, we estimate 33 M
COcore and M
ZAMS, leading to a revised progenitor mass distribution of f
A : f
B : f
C = 0.47:0.32:0.21. This is consistent with the standard Salpeter IMF. However, the relation between M
COcore and M
ZAMS could be affected by binary evolution, which is not taken into account in this study and should be considered in future work to derive a better progenitor mass distribution estimate.
A Study of the c-C3HD/c-C3H2 Ratio in Low-mass Star-forming Regions*
Authors: Chantzos J. , Spezzano S. , Caselli P. , Chacón-Tanarro A. , Bizzocchi L. , Sipilä O. , Giuliano B. M.
Published: August 2018

We use the deuteration of c-C3H2 to probe the physical parameters of starless and protostellar cores, related to their evolutionary states, and compare it to the N2H+-deuteration in order to study possible differences between the deuteration of C- and N-bearing species. We observed the main species c-C3H2, the singly and doubly deuterated species c-C3HD and c-C3D2, as well as the isotopologue c-H13CC2H toward 10 starless cores and five protostars in the Taurus and Perseus complexes. We examined the correlation between the N(c-C3HD)/N(c-C3H2) ratio and the dust temperature along with the H2 column density and the CO depletion factor. The resulting N(c-C3HD)/N(c-C3H2) ratio is, within error bars, consistent with 10% in all starless cores with detected c-C3HD. This also accounts for the protostars except for the source HH211, where we measure a high deuteration level of 23%. The deuteration of N2H+ follows the same trend but is considerably higher in the dynamically evolved core L1544. We find no significant correlation between the deuteration of c-C3H2 and the CO depletion factor among the starless and protostellar cores. Toward the latter the coolest objects show the largest deuterium fraction in c-C3H2. We show that the deuteration of c-C3H2 can trace the early phases of star formation and is comparable to that of N2H+. However, the largest c-C3H2 deuteration level is found toward protostellar cores, suggesting that while c-C3H2 is mainly frozen onto dust grains in the central regions of starless cores, active deuteration is taking place on ice.
Quand le consommateur partage son avis en ligne : une approche comparative en hôtellerie et restauration. Le cas des seniors
Authors: Clauzel Amélie , Riché Caroline
Published: August 2018

Le poids des seniors en économie touristique est grandissant. S’appuyant sur 923 avis en ligne de seniors à l’égard d’hôtels et restaurants, la recherche permet de souligner leurs critères prioritaires d’évaluation à l’égard d’un service : offre centrale, atmosphère de l’expérience et personnel en contact. Des effets d’âge apparaissent quant à la valence des commentaires, les plus jeunes seniors critiquant davantage le rapport qualité-prix et la propreté du lieu. Les plus âgés sont moins satisfaits à l’égard de l’emplacement, de l’ambiance et du personnel en contact. De nombreux enjeux managériaux émergent en matière de prestation de service notamment.
Interagir avec le consommateur responsable
Authors: Makaoui Naouel , Taphanel Ludovic
Published: August 2018

Cette recherche questionne les tensions identitaires et les stratégies de résolution des consommateurs responsables lorsqu’ils sont confrontés à leur comportement réel d’achat. Elle participe d’une reconceptualisation du traditionnel décalage entre attitudes et comportements de ces consommateurs en mobilisant la théorie de l’asymétrie identitaire. Une expérimentation au travers d’entretiens qualitatifs individuels a été menée auprès de 25 individus. Cette étude permet de dégager quatre stratégies identitaires individuelles. Une première stratégie consiste à défendre son identité de consommateur responsable quitte à mettre à distance une partie de son entourage. Une seconde stratégie relève de l’acceptation coupable du statut de consommateur non-responsable. Une troisième stratégie vise à nier l’existence de toute consommation responsable. Enfin, la dernière stratégie identifiée vise à rejeter finalement l’identité de consommateur responsable en rationnalisant ce choix au travers de l’existence d’obstacles externes. Ce faisant, cette étude participe d’une meilleure compréhension du consommateur responsable et de ses dynamiques internes.
L’influence du fondateur et celle des descendants sur les performances des entreprises familiales au Proche-Orient
Authors: Mercier-Suissa Catherine , Salloum Laura , Salloum Charbel
Published: August 2018

Cet article analyse l’impact de la présence du fondateur et des descendants/héritiers sur la performance des entreprises familiales au Proche-Orient Méditerranéen. Sur un échantillon de 300 entreprises provenant de cinq États (Chypre, Egypte, Jordanie, Liban, Turquie), les résultats de cette étude vont partiellement à l’encontre de la théorie de l’agence. Nous avons trouvé que la taille du conseil a un impact positif sur les entreprises familiales dont le dirigeant n’est pas le fondateur. En revanche, ladite relation est négative et significative dans le cadre des entreprises familiales dirigées par leur fondateur. La présence d’administrateurs externes a un effet positif sur la performance des entreprises dirigées par le fondateur. Cependant, si l’entreprise est dirigée par les descendants, la présence d’administrateurs externes affecte négativement la performance. Bien que la fréquence des réunions du conseil ait un effet positif, cette corrélation est bien plus faible quand l’entreprise familiale est dirigée par son fondateur que lorsqu’elle l’est par les descendants. Finalement, la dualité du dirigeant améliore les performances si les dirigeants sont les descendants, mais n’a aucun effet sur l’entreprise dirigée par son fondateur.