bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth pattern and changes in abundance of the endangered bat star Asterina stellifera
Authors: Meretta Pablo E. , Farias Nahuel E. , Cledón Maximiliano , Ventura Carlos Renato Rezende
Published: December 2016

The sea star Asterina stellifera has declined during the last decade and is currently abundant only in the southern limit of its former range. We surveyed this population over 5 years to model individual growth and explore the relationship of changes in local abundance with variation in environmental factors and the reproductive status of individuals. Our results show that A. stellifera is a species with slow growth and a relatively long lifespan. Contrary to expectations for temperate species, growth rates were fairly constant through the year and therefore models including seasonal oscillations were inappropriate. The abundance of this species increased significantly from early spring to early summer, likely due to augmented activity and small‐scale aggregation during the reproductive season that affected our estimates of abundance. No significant recruitment occurred during the 5 years studied. The lack of recruitment during long periods and the slow individual growth rates make A. stellifera particularly vulnerable to local extinction. This study was performed prior to the arrival in the study area of the invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida and side‐gilled sea slug Pleurobranchaea maculata, species that threaten the community structure where A. stellifera lives. Therefore, the information reported here will be essential to assessing the impacts of these exotic species on this sea star population.
Changes in life cycle of the Ponto‐Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides at in the northernmost part of its range
Authors: Berezina Nadezhda A.
Published: December 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of abundance, population structure and reproductive variables of the invasive Ponto‐Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides in its northernmost population, located in the Baltic Sea. Pontogammarus robustoides population variables were studied every month from May to October over 7 years (2002–2008) at two locations in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, one site in the north and one in the south. Observations of macrozoobenthos were also conducted once per year in July at 12 sites in this gulf during 2002–2014. This was to monitor the distribution area of P. robustoides and its abundance/biomass in different parts of the Gulf. The results showed that P. robustoides is a widely spread species in the Gulf, preferring to colonize stone‐sandy, vegetated and littoral habitats, from the shore to a depth of 5 m, with water salinity of 0.2–3 ppt. This species co‐exists with other amphipods, such as the Baikalian Gmelinoides fasciatus, the North Atlantic Gammarus tigrinus and the native Gammarus spp. The abundance of P. robustoides varied between the two study sites and among years (2002–2008), reaching a maximum level of 1000 ind.·m−2 for adults and 3000 ind.·m−2 for juveniles. The temperature‐dependent duration of egg development (embryogenesis) in the amphipod and the annual number of generations in P. robustoides populations varied among years. Three generations were recorded in most years and two generations in the coldest years. Clutch size (or fecundity) was dependent on the body length of female and averaged between 33 and 43 eggs per clutch for females ranging in body length from 11.2 to 12.2 mm. A maximum of 75 eggs were observed in a female with a body length of 16 mm. This paper concludes that life‐cycle variables change when P. robustoides spreads from the southern (Ponto‐Caspian region) to northern (Baltic Sea) range areas. In the studied northernmost location, the fecundity and number of generations of this amphipod were 1.5–2‐fold lower compared with the more southern locations. In addition, these variables and P. robustoides abundance were different between the coldest and warmest years at study sites that testify about their distinct dependence on local environmental conditions; further changes in life cycle of this species may be expected together with current climate warming.
Photolyase: Dynamics and Mechanisms of Repair of Sun‐Induced DNA Damage
Authors: Zhang Meng , Wang Lijuan , Zhong Dongping
Published: December 2016

Photolyase, a photomachine discovered half a century ago for repair of sun‐induced DNA damage of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6‐4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6‐4PPs), has been characterized extensively in biochemistry (function), structure and dynamics since 1980s. The molecular mechanism and repair photocycle have been revealed at the most fundamental level. Using femtosecond spectroscopy, we have mapped out the entire dynamical evolution and determined all actual timescales of the catalytic processes. Here, we review our recent efforts in studies of the dynamics of DNA repair by photolyases. The repair of CPDs in three life kingdoms includes seven electron transfer (ET) reactions among 10 elementary steps through initial bifurcating ET pathways, a direct tunneling route and a two‐step hopping path both through an intervening adenine from the cofactor to CPD, with a conserved folded structure at the active site. The repair of 6‐4PPs is challenging and requires similar ET reactions and a new cyclic proton transfer with a conserved histidine residue at the active site of (6‐4) photolyases. Finally, we also summarize our efforts on multiple intraprotein ET of photolyases in different redox states and such mechanistic studies are critical to the functional mechanism of homologous cryptochromes of blue‐light photoreceptors.
Political and Institutional Prerequisites for Monetary Union: Assessing Progress in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Authors: Aideyan Osaore
Published: December 2016

In this article, I analyze why it has been difficult to achieve the proposed common currency, the “ECO” by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), using a constructivist approach that emphasizes the importance of institutions. I argue that a common currency has not been implemented due to the absence of an intense and institutionalized set of political and economic relationships among member states. The analysis places emphasis on how historical, social, and cultural factors structure the operation of a common currency to ground the behavior of actors in widely shared experiences and institutionalized principles.

Related Articles

Asongu, Simplice A. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 97‐134. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12148/full

Cerami, Alfio. 2011. “.” Politics & Policy 39 (): 345‐372. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00294.x/full

Hazakis, Konstantinos J. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 822‐854. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12141/full
The Dictator's Digital Toolkit: Explaining Variation in Internet Filtering in Authoritarian Regimes
Authors: Hellmeier Sebastian
Published: December 2016

Following its global diffusion during the last decade, the Internet was expected to become a liberation technology and a threat for autocratic regimes by facilitating collective action. Recently, however, autocratic regimes took control of the Internet and filter online content. Building on the literature concerning the political economy of repression, this article argues that regime characteristics, economic conditions, and conflict in bordering states account for variation in Internet filtering levels among autocratic regimes. Using OLS‐regression, the article analyzes the determinants of Internet filtering as measured by the Open Net Initiative in 34 autocratic regimes. The results show that monarchies, regimes with higher levels of social unrest, regime changes in neighboring countries, and less oppositional competition in the political arena are more likely to filter the Internet. The article calls for a systematic data collection to analyze the causal mechanisms and the temporal dynamics of Internet filtering.

Related Articles

Glen, Carol M. 2014. “” Politics & Policy 42 (): 635‐657. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12093/abstract

Reynolds, Peter W. 2003. “.” Politics & Policy 31 (): 512‐529. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2003.tb00160.x/abstract

Fisher, Bonnie,
Michael Margolis, and
David Resnick. 1996. “.” Southeastern Political Review 24 (): 399‐429. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.1996.tb00088.x/abstract

Related Media

. 2009. “Dr. Ronald Deibert, Director of the Citizen Lab at Toronto University and the Open Net Initiative Presents a Recently Completed Global Survey of more than 45 countries that Censor Online.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v = BWMn7RzdIX0

Websites: Website of the Open Net Initiative including the data used in this paper, country reports and online access to further material. https://opennet.net
Competition for attentional resources between low spatial frequency content of emotional images and a foreground task in early visual cortex
Authors: Müller Matthias M. , Gundlach Christopher
Published: December 2016

Low spatial frequency (LSF) image content has been proposed to play a superior functional role in emotional content extraction via the magnocellular pathway biasing attentional resources toward emotional content in visual cortex. We investigated whether emotionally unpleasant complex images that were presented either unfiltered or with LSF content only in the background while subjects performed a foreground task will withdraw more attentional resources from the task compared to unemotional, neutral images (distraction paradigm). We measured steady‐state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) driven by flickering stimuli of a foreground task. Unfiltered unpleasant images resulted in a significant reduction of SSVEP amplitude compared to neutral images. No statistically significant differences were found with LSF background images. In a behavioral control experiment, we found no significant differences for complexity ratings between unfiltered and LSF pictures. Content identification was possible for unfiltered and LSF picture (correct responses > 74%). An additional EEG study examined typical emotion‐related components for complex images presented either as unfiltered, LSF, or high spatial frequency (HSF, as an additional control) filtered, unpleasant, and neutral images. We found a significant main effect of emotional valence in the early posterior negativity. Late positive potential differences were only found for unfiltered and HSF images. Results suggest that, while LSF content is sufficient to allow for content and emotional cue extraction when images were presented alone, LSF content is not salient enough to serve as emotional distractor that withdraws attentional resources from a foreground task in early visual cortex.
Determinants of morbidity associated with infant male circumcision: community‐level population‐based study in rural Ghana
Authors: Gyan Thomas , McAuley Kimberley , Strobel Natalie A. , Shannon Caitlin , Newton Sam , Tawiah‐Agyemang Charlotte , Amenga‐Etego Seeba , Owusu‐Agyei Seth , Kirkwood Betty , Edmond Karen M.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Male circumcision services have expanded throughout Africa as part of a long‐term HIV prevention strategy. We assessed the effect of type of service provider (formal and informal) and hygiene practices on circumcision‐related morbidities in rural Ghana.

Methods

Population‐based, cross‐sectional study conducted between May and December 2012 involving 2850 circumcised infant males aged under 12 weeks. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for maternal age, maternal education, income, birthweight and site of circumcision.

Results

A total of 2850 (90.7%) infant males were circumcised. Overall, the risk of experiencing a morbidity (defined as complications occurring during or after the circumcision procedure as reported by the primary caregiver) was 8.1% (230). Risk was not significantly increased if the circumcision was performed by informal providers (121, 7.2%) vs. formal health service providers (109, 9.8%) [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.11, 95% CI 0.80–1.47, P = 0.456]. Poor hygiene practices were associated with significantly increased risk of morbidity: no handwashing [148 (11.7%)] (aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.27–2.52, P = 0.001); not cleaning circumcision instruments [174 (10.6%)] (aOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.27–2.54, P = 0.001); and uncleaned penile area [190 (10.0%)] (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.25–2.70, P = 0.002).

Conclusion

The risk of morbidity after infant male circumcision in rural Ghana is high, chiefly due to poor hygiene practices. Governmental and non‐governmental organisations need to improve training of circumcision providers in hygiene practices in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Anemia tolerance during normo‐, hypo‐, and hypervolemia
Authors: Krömker Malte , Lauscher Patrick , Kertscho Harry , Zacharowski Kai , Rosenberger Peter , Meier Jens
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUND

Restrictive intraoperative fluid management has been demonstrated to improve outcome of visceral and lung surgery in several studies. However, subsequent hypovolemia (HOV) may be accompanied by a decrease of anemia tolerance, resulting in increased transfusion needs. We therefore investigated the effect of volume status on anemia tolerance.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Eighteen domestic pigs of either sex (mean weight, 23.5 ± 4.8 kg) were anesthetized, ventilated, and randomized into three experimental groups: normovolemia (no intervention), HOV (blood loss of 40% of blood volume), and hypervolemia (HEV; volume infusion of 40% of blood volume). The animals were then hemodiluted until their individual critical hemoglobin concentrations (Hbcrit) were reached by the exchange of whole blood for hydroxyethyl starch (HES; 130:0.4). Subsequently, organ‐specific hypoxia was assessed using pimonidazole tissue staining in relevant organs. Hemodynamic and metabolic variables were also investigated.

RESULTS

Despite significant differences in exchangeable blood volume, Hbcrit was the same in all groups (2.3 g/dL, NS). During HOV, tissue hypoxia was aggravated in the myocardium, brain, and kidneys, whereas tissue oxygenation of the liver and intestine was not influenced by volume status. HEV increased tissue hypoxia in the lungs, but did not impact tissue oxygenation of other organs.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of hemorrhagic HOV with subsequent anemia leads to accentuated tissue hypoxia, revealed by a significant increase in pimonidazole binding at Hbcrit, in heart, lungs, brain, and kidney. The lungs were the only organ that showed increased tissue hypoxia after pretreatment of HES infusion and subsequent anemia by normovolemic hemodilution.
Femoral head ostectomy for the treatment of acetabular fracture and coxofemoral joint luxation in a Potbelly pig
Authors: Smith Joe S. , Chigerwe Munashe , Kanipe Carly , Gray Sarah
Published: December 2016

Objective

To report the successful surgical treatment of a comminuted left acetabular fracture, a dorsally luxated left femoral head, and avulsion of the ligament of the femoral head by femoral head ostectomy (FHO) and physical therapy in a companion Potbelly pig.

Study Design

Case report.

Animals

A 1‐year‐old, 13 kg, castrated male, companion Potbelly pig.

Methods

The pig presented with a nonweight bearing left pelvic limb lameness of 3 weeks' duration that was noticed shortly after the pig got caught under a fence. Under general anesthesia a lateral approach was made to the fractured limb. A FHO was performed as described for dogs. Following surgery, a period of physical therapy was initiated based on protocols described for dogs.

Results

The canine surgical procedure with the approach modified for pigs was successfully performed in our pig. Following surgery, the pig was comfortable and weight bearing. A physical therapy regimen of supervised activity, stairs, and water therapy was used to rehabilitate the leg, as well as a weight management protocol to maintain ideal body condition. The owner was highly satisfied with the outcome. Telephone follow‐up with the owner at 12 months after surgery revealed no impairment to movement, and the pig was maintaining normal ambulation without lameness. No complications were observed with this case.

Conclusion

FHO, as described for dogs, provided a favorable outcome for hip luxation caused by acetabular fracture, luxation, and avulsion of the femoral head ligament in this small size Potbelly pig.
PANDANGAN ULAMA TERHADAP KONTRAK HIBRID DAN PELAKSANAANNYA DALAM PRODUK PEMBIAYAAN PERUMAHAN AFFIN HOME INVEST-I
Authors: Yunus Mohd Hashim , Zakaria Zamzuri
Published: December 2016

AbstractHybrid contract is a contract that combines various contract principles in a product or an activity. There are various Islamic scholars’views on permissibility of practicing the hybrid contracts. The concept of combination of various contracts are applied in Islamic funding institutions in Malaysia through the principle of Musharakah Mutanaqisah (Diminishing Partnership). The Affin Home Invest-i practices Musharakah Mutanaqisah. The objective of this research is to identify the Islamic scholars’ views on hybrid contracts and study on its enforcement in housing finance based on the prinsiple of Musharakah Mutanaqisah in the Affin Home Invest-i at Affin Islamic Bank Berhad. This is a qualitative research with content analysis approach and semi-structure interviews. Results of this research indicates that arguments of the Islamic scholars who permit the combination contract is in high demand and consistent with current needs. This research also found that Affin Islamic Bank Berhad applies the housing finance based on the principle of Musharakah Mutanaqisah by combining the contract of shirkah (partnership), ijarah (renting), and purchase. AbstrakKontrak hibrid ialah penggabungan antara beberapa akad iaitu dalam satu aktiviti atau produk. Musharakah mutanaqisah merupakan antara satu contoh kontrak muamalah yang bersifat hibrid. Musharakah mutanaqisah terdiri daripada kontrak musharakah, al-bayc dan ijarah. Namun begitu, apakah pandangan ulama terhadap kontrak hibrid. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengenalpasti pandangan ulama silam dan masa kini mengenai kontrak hibrid. Seterusnya mengkaji pelaksanaan pembiayaan perumahan musharakah muatanaqisah dalam produk Affin Home Invest-I di Affin Islamic Bank berhad. Dalam kajian ini, maklumat diperoleh melalui metod kepustakaan untuk memaparkan pendapat para ulama dalam isu-isu yang dibincangkan dengan membawa dalil-dalil yang menjadi sandaran kepada pandangan mereka. Juga temubual dengan pengurus produk bank. (Amirol Abdullah, Pengurus Bahagian Produk di AIBB)   Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa ulama yang mengharuskan penggabungan akad adalah menjadi pilihan dan diikuti dalam produk pembiayaan perumahan berbanding dengan pendapat ulama yang mengharamkannya. Kajian ini juga mendapati bahawa Affin Islamic Bank Berhad (AIBB) melaksanakan produk pembiayaan perumahan yang berasaskan musharakah mutanaqisah yang berpandukan asas perundangan Islam yang menepati syariah dan pendapat ulama yang mengharuskan produk pembiayaan perumahan.
Implantable Sensors for Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Klosterhoff Brett S. , Tsang Melissa , She Didi , Ong Keat Ghee , Allen Mark G. , Willett Nick J. , Guldberg Robert E.
Published: December 2016

The translation of many tissue engineering/regenerative medicine (TE/RM) therapies that demonstrate promise in vitro are delayed or abandoned due to reduced and inconsistent efficacy when implemented in more complex and clinically relevant preclinical in vivo models. Determining mechanistic reasons for impaired treatment efficacy is challenging after a regenerative therapy is implanted due to technical limitations in longitudinally measuring the progression of key environmental cues in vivo. The ability to acquire real-time measurements of environmental parameters of interest including strain, pressure, pH, temperature, oxygen tension, and specific biomarkers within the regenerative niche in situ would significantly enhance the information available to tissue engineers to monitor and evaluate mechanisms of functional healing or lack thereof. Continued advancements in material and fabrication technologies utilized by microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and the unique physical characteristics of passive magnetoelastic sensor platforms have created an opportunity to implant small, flexible, low-power sensors into preclinical in vivo models, and quantitatively measure environmental cues throughout healing. In this perspective article, we discuss the need for longitudinal measurements in TE/RM research, technical progress in MEMS and magnetoelastic approaches to implantable sensors, the potential application of implantable sensors to benefit preclinical TE/RM research, and the future directions of collaborative efforts at the intersection of these two important fields.
Rational Damping Arrangement Design for Transmission Lines Vibrations: Analytical and Experimental Analysis
Authors: Barry O. , Long R. , Oguamanam D. C. D.
Published: December 2016

The control of overhead transmission lines vibrations is achieved by Stockbridge dampers. However, the effectiveness of the damper is significantly dependent on its location on the conductor. This paper studies the arrangement of Stockbridge dampers on power lines vibrations using both analytical and experimental approaches. An explicit expression of the loop length is presented for the first time. This expression is used to determine the optimal damper location based on a rational approach. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated numerically and experimentally. The results show very good agreement and indicate that Stockbridge dampers are more effective for asymmetrical damping arrangement with the bigger counterweight oriented toward the tower.
Performance Comparison Between Fast Fourier Transform-Based Segmentation, Feature Selection, and Fault Identification Algorithm and Neural Network for the Condition Monitoring of Centrifugal Equipment
Authors: Gowid Samer , Dixon Roger , Ghani Saud
Published: December 2016

This paper compares and evaluates the performance of two major feature selection and fault identification methods utilized for the condition monitoring (CM) of centrifugal equipment, namely fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based segmentation, feature selection, and fault identification (FS2FI) algorithm and neural network (NN). Multilayer perceptron (MLP) is the most commonly used NN model for fault pattern recognition. Feature selection and trending play an important role in pattern recognition and hence affect the performance of CM systems. The technical and developmental challenges of both methods were investigated experimentally on a Paxton industrial centrifugal air blower system with a rotational speed of 15,650 RPMs. Five different machine conditions were experimentally emulated in the laboratory. A low training-to-testing ratio of 50% was utilized to evaluate the performance of both methods. In order to maximize fault identification accuracy and minimize computing time and cost, a near-optimal NN configuration was identified. The results showed that both techniques operated with a fault identification accuracy of 100%. However, the FS2FI algorithm showed a number of advantages over NN. These advantages include the ease of implementation and a reduction of cost and time in development and computing, as it processed the data from the first trial in less than 6.2% of the time taken by the NN.
Nonlinear Energy Sinks With Nontraditional Kinds of Nonlinear Restoring Forces
Authors: AL-Shudeifat Mohammad A.
Published: December 2016

The nonlinear energy sink (NES) is usually coupled with a linear oscillator (LO) to rapidly transfer and immediately dissipate a significant portion of the initial shock energy induced into the LO. This passive energy transfer and dissipation are usually achieved through strong resonance captures between the NES and the LO responses. Here, a nontraditional set of nonlinear coupling restoring forces is numerically investigated to introduce enhanced versions of the NESs. In this new set of nonlinear coupling restoring forces, one has a varying nonlinear stiffness that includes both of hardening and softening stiffness components during the oscillation, which appear in closed-loops under the effect of the damping. The obtained results by the numerical simulation have shown that employing this kind of the nonlinear restoring forces for passive targeted energy transfer (TET) is promising for shock mitigation.
A Simulation of Domain Decomposition Method for Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics
Authors: Park Taehyo , Li Shengjie , Lee Mina , Tak Moonho
Published: December 2016

Nowadays, the numerical method has become a very important approach for solving complex problems in engineering and science. Some grid-based methods such as the finite difference method (FDM) and finite element method (FEM) have already been widely applied to various areas; however, they still suffer from inherent difficulties which limit their applications to many problems. Therefore, a strong interest is focused on the meshfree methods such as smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) to simulate fluid flow recently due to the advantages in dealing with some complicated problems. In the SPH method, a great number of particles will be used because the whole domain is represented by a set of arbitrarily distributed particles. To improve the numerical efficiency, parallelization using message-passing interface (MPI) is applied to the problems with the large computational domain. In parallel computing, the whole domain is decomposed by the parallel method for continuity of subdomain boundary under the single instruction multiple data (SIMD) and also based on the procedure of the SPH computations. In this work, a new scheme of parallel computing is employed into the SPH method to analyze SPH particle fluid. In this scheme, the whole domain is decomposed into subdomains under the SIMD process and it composes the boundary conditions to the interface particles which will improve the detection of neighbor particles near the boundary. With the method of parallel computing, the SPH method is to be more flexible and perform better.
Delamination-Based Measurement and Prediction of the Adhesion Energy of Thin Film/Substrate Interfaces
Authors: Zhu Liangliang , Chen Xi
Published: December 2016

With the rapid emerging of two-dimensional (2D) micro/nanomaterials and their applications in flexible electronics and microfabrication, adhesion between thin film and varying substrates is of great significance for fabrication and performance of micro devices and for the understanding of the buckle delamination mechanics. However, the adhesion energy remains to be difficult to be measured, especially for compliant substrates. We propose a simple methodology to deduce the adhesion energy between a thin film and soft substrate based on the successive or simultaneous emergence of wrinkles and delamination. The new metrology does not explicitly require the knowledge of the Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and thickness of the 2D material, the accurate measurement of which could be a challenge in many cases. Therefore, the uncertainty of the results of the current method is notably reduced. Besides, for cases where the delamination width is close to the critical wrinkle wavelength of the thin film/substrate system, the procedure can be further simplified. The simple and experimentally easy methodology developed here is promising for determining/estimating the interface adhesion energy of a variety of thin film/soft substrate systems.
Crashworthiness Analysis of Electric Vehicle With Energy-Absorbing Battery Modules
Authors: Hao Feng , Lu Xiao , Qiao Yu , Chen Xi
Published: December 2016

As a clean energy technology, the development of electric vehicles (EVs) is challenged by lightweight design, battery safety, and range. In this study, our simulations indicate that using a flexible structure of battery module has the potential to overcome the limitations in battery-powered EVs, contributing to a new design. Specifically, we focus on optimizing the structure of vehicle battery packs, aiming to improve the crashworthiness of EVs through frontal crash simulations. In addition, by considering battery packs as energy-absorption components, it is found that occupant compartment acceleration (OCA) is greatly reduced at an optimal working pressure of 4 MPa for battery module.
A Passive and Remote Heat Transfer Solution for Avionics Thermal Management
Authors: Cai Steve Q. , Bhunia Avijit , Asfia Julie F.
Published: December 2016

A heat pipe utilizes liquid–vapor phase change mechanism to efficiently transfer heat. Among different heat pipes, loop heat pipe (LHP) and pulsating heat pipe (PHP) are known to be capable of high heat flux/high load heat transfer. In this article, LHP and PHP heat transfer systems are combined to achieve passive, reliable, and remote/long-distance heat transfer for thermal management of modern avionics systems. Aiming at this goal, a 2 m long LHP is developed to transport heat from the avionics chassis to the remote heat rejection site. To reduce inner saturation pressure and ensure structural safety at high operating temperature, water is used as the operating fluid in LHP. Within the avionics chassis, conduction heat transfer is enhanced by sandwiching a PHP with two printed circuit boards (PCBs) and solder-bonding them. Each PHP/PCB assembly is 20 cm long and 12.5 cm wide, with electrical heaters mounted on both sides to mimic electronic heat dissipation. Heat transfer demonstration of the LHP and PHP combo system is conducted in a lab environment with input power varying from 100 to 400 W. For all the three PHP/PCB assemblies set in the avionic chassis, heat source temperature is maintained below the required 150 °C even when heat dissipation is twice as high as the state-of-the-art (and coolant temperature is 50 °C). This combo heat transfer system reduces power consumption and increases reliability, enabling the avionic system operation in harsh environments.
Doppler ultrasonography combined with transient elastography improves the non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases
Authors: Alempijevic Tamara , Zec Simon , Nikolic Vladimir , Veljkovic Aleksandar , Stojanovic Zoran , Matovic Vera , Milosavljevic Tomica
Published: December 2016

Aims: Accurate clinical assessment of liver fibrosis is essential and the aim of our study was to compare and combine hemodynamic Doppler ultrasonography, liver stiffness by transient elastography, and non-invasive serum biomarkers with the degree of fibrosis confirmed by liver biopsy, and thereby to determine the value of combining non-invasive method in the prediction significant liver fibrosis. Material and methods: We included 102 patients with chronic liver disease of various etiology. Each patient was evaluated using Doppler ultrasonography measurements of the velocity and flow pattern at portal trunk, hepatic and splenic artery, serum fibrosis biomarkers, and transient elastography. These parameters were then input into a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network with two hidden layers, and used to create models for predicting significant fibrosis. Results: According to METAVIR score, clinically significant fibrosis (≥F2) was detected in 57.8% of patients. A model based only on Doppler parameters (hepatic artery diameter, hepatic artery systolic and diastolic velocity, splenic artery systolic velocity and splenic artery Resistance Index), predicted significant liver fibrosis with a sensitivity and specificity of75.0% and 60.0%. The addition of unrelated non-invasive tests improved the diagnostic accuracy of Doppler examination. The best model for prediction of significant fibrosis was obtained by combining Doppler parameters, non-invasive markers (APRI, ASPRI, and FIB-4) and transient elastography, with a sensitivity and specificity of 88.9% and 100%. Conclusion: Doppler parameters alone predict the presence of ≥F2 fibrosis with fair accuracy. Better prediction rates are achieved by combining Doppler variables with non-invasive markers and liver stiffness by transient elastography.
Ultrasound and MRI comprehensive approach in prenatal diagnosis of fetal osteochondrodysplasias. Cases series.
Authors: Berceanu Costin , Gheonea Ioana Andreea , Vlădăreanu Simona , Cîrstoiu Monica Mihaela , Vlădăreanu Radu , Mehedinţu Claudia , Berceanu Sabina , Ciortea Răzvan , Brătilă Elvira
Published: December 2016

Aim: To present the systematic ultrasonographic assessment in fetal osteochondrodysplasias and to evaluate the fetal MRI intake, as a complementary exploration to US, in the prenatal diagnosis and perinatal prognosis of fetal nonlethal osteochondrodysplasias. Material and methods: In this tertiary multicentre study were included 37 cases diagnosed prenatally with various entities in the category of nonlethal fetal osteochondrodysplasias. The initial diagnosis was carried out by the routine or detailed ultrasound examination. Fetal MRI was accomplished for selected cases. Results: Nonlethal skeletal dysplasia was suspected and then diagnosed after 17 gestational weeks. The suspicion of osteochondrodysplasia as a reference diagnosis element has required systematic and thorough ultrasound examination. Fetal MRI is a valuable exploration, complementary to prenatal ultrasound bringing in very useful details for the diagnosis of osteochondrodysplasias. The global diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia depends to a great extent on the genetic or biochemical abnormality that causes them. Conclusions: US is always the fundamental screening exploration for fetal assessment in nonlethal osteochondrodysplasias. The details brought by the fetal MRI are useful, and the exploration is harmless for the fetus and the mother. Certain diagnosis cannot be accurate and complete without the contribution of genetics, maternal and fetal medicine, obstetrics or radiology.
Imagistic and histopathological description of a cystic nephroma during early second trimester of gestation. Case report.
Authors: Staicu Adelina , Popa-Stanilă Roxana , Gheban Dan , Chiriac Liviu , Turcu Flaviu RV , Caracostea Gabriela , Stamatian Florin
Published: December 2016

Cystic nephroma is a rare and benign renal tumour of unknown origin, usually diagnosed in the first years of childhood or during adult life. To our knowledge, there are no records in the literature of this particular tumour being descried prenatally. We present a case of a fetus diagnosed with cystic nephroma on 16 weeks of gestation. The renal tumour was evaluated by prenatal ultrasound, post mortem with 7T magnetic resonance imaging, and conventional autopsy.
Metamorphic growth of relaxed single crystalline aluminum on silicon (111)
Authors: McSkimming Brian M. , Alexander Ashish , Samuels Margaret H. , Arey Bruce , Arslan Ilke , Richardson Christopher J. K.
Published: December 2016

Structural characteristics of aluminum thin films have been grown on the 1 × 1, 7 × 7, and √3 × √3 reconstructed Si (111) surfaces by molecular beam epitaxy demonstrating a connection between the nucleation kinetics and grown-in defects of metamorphic epitaxial thin films. High resolution x-ray diffraction symmetric scans and (111) pole figures show that growth on the 1 × 1 reconstructed Si surface produces polycrystalline Al with (100) and (111) diffraction peaks and a large degree of growth twin as determined by a sixfold symmetric pole figure. Growth on the 7 × 7 reconstructed Si surface results in a twinned crystal exhibiting only Al (111) peaks with a sixfold symmetric pole figure. Growth of Al on the √3 × √3 reconstructed surface realizes nearly twin-free single crystal Al (111) film. Atomic force microscopy demonstrates that the Al film roughness improves with crystal quality. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) shows the twins originate at the substrate/film interface and extend to the film surface indicating that they are growth defects that form during the first few layers of aluminum growth. In addition, STEM indicates that the misfit strain is relaxed within a few monolayers of the interface through a periodic array of misfit dislocations.
Deposition temperature dependence and long-term stability of the conductivity of undoped ZnO grown by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Beh Holger , Hiller Daniel , Laube Jan , Gutsch Sebastian , Zacharias Margit
Published: December 2016

Understanding the stability and deposition parameter dependence of intrinsically conductive undoped ZnO prepared by thermal atomic layer deposition is mandatory for future applications. The authors investigate the conductivity of ZnO films deposited at temperatures between 100 and 200 °C as well as its evolution over a period of 160 days under different storing conditions. Most importantly, the conductivity increases by about 1 order of magnitude when the deposition temperature is increased from 100 to 150 °C. Highest conductivities of up to 170 S/cm are reached for ≥175 °C, and these samples do not show any aging effects of the conductivity under ambient storing conditions. In contrast, for deposition temperatures ≤150 °C, accelerated aging led to a significant decrease in conductivity. The best trade-off between the low deposition temperature and good long-term stable conductivity is found to be at 175 °C. A correlation between the intensity of the well-known defect photoluminescence peak (∼1.9 eV) and the conductivity was observed, which indicates that both are related to the same physical origin.
Differential Effects of 2 Rehabilitation Programs Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Setuain Igor , Izquierdo Mikel , Idoate Fernando , Bikandi Eder , Gorostiaga Esteban M. , Aagaard Per , Cadore Eduardo L. , Alfaro-Adrián Jesús
Published: December 2016

Context:

The muscular function restoration related to the type of physical rehabilitation followed after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using autologous hamstring tendon graft in terms of strength and cross-sectional area (CSA) remain controversial.

Objective:

To analyze the CSA and force output of quadriceps and hamstring muscles in subjects following either an Objective Criteria-Based Rehabilitation (OCBR) algorithm or the usual care (UCR) for ACL rehabilitation in Spain, before and 1 year after undergoing an ACLR.

Design:

Longitudinal clinical double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Sports-medicine research center.

Patients:

40 recreational athletes (30 male, 10 female [24 ± 6.9 y, 176.55 ± 6.6 cm, 73.58 ± 12.3 kg]).

Intervention:

Both groups conducted differentiated rehabilitation procedures after ACLR. Those belonging to OCBR group were guided in their recovery according to the current evidence-based principles. UCR group followed the national conventional approach for ACL rehabilitation.

Main Outcome Measures:

Concentric isokinetic knee joint flexor-extension torque assessments at 180°/s and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) evaluations were performed before and 12 months after ACLR. Anatomical muscle CSA (mm2) was assessed, in Quadriceps, Biceps femoris, Semitendinous, Semimembranosus, and Gracilis muscles at 50% and 70% femur length.

Results:

Reduced muscle CSA was observed in both treatment groups for Semitendinosus and Gracilis 1 year after ACLR. At 1-year follow-up, subjects allocated to the OCBR demonstrated greater knee flexor and extensor peak torque values in their reconstructed limbs in comparison with patients treated by UCR.

Conclusions:

Objective atrophy of Semitendinosus and Gracilis muscles related to surgical ACLR was found to persist in both rehabilitation groups. However, OCBR after ACLR lead to substantial gains on maximal knee flexor strength and ensured more symmetrical anterior-posterior laxity levels at the knee joint.
Athletes’ Perception of Athletic Trainer Empathy: How Important Is It?
Authors: David Shannon , Larson Mary
Published: December 2016

Context:Health care practitioners face increasing expectations to provide patient-centered care. Communication skills, specifically empathy, are critical in the provision of patient-centered care. Past work correlates empathy with improved patient satisfaction, compliance, and treatment outcomes. In particular, a predictive relationship exists between clients’ ratings of their clinician’s empathy and treatment outcomes. There is a dearth of studies examining empathy using qualitative methodology and factors of empathy in athletic training.Objective:To gain an understanding of athletes’ perceptions of empathy in the patient–clinician relationship.Design:Qualitative interviews were completed using grounded-theory techniques.Setting:A quiet office.Participants:A typical, purposeful sample of 15 college-age Division I student-athletes (8 female, 7 male; 19.3 ± 1.2 y) from a variety of sports (football, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, etc) participated.Data Collection and Analysis:Researchers utilized an interview protocol designed to understand the factors of empathy related to athletic training. The interview protocol established a concept of empathy to help facilitate discussion of ideas. Data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes and patterns using grounded-theory techniques. Trustworthiness of the data was ensured using an external auditor, member checks, and methods triangulation.Results:Five themes described empathy: advocacy, communication, approachability, access, and competence. Advocacy was described as the athletic trainer (AT) representing the patient. Communication was the ability to listen reflectively; approachability emerged as the comfort and personal connection the patient felt with the AT. Access and technical competence were bridges required for the development of empathy.Conclusions:Providing patient-centered care facilitated by developing good patient–clinician relationships is critical in enabling the best treatment outcomes. ATs portray empathy through advocacy, communication, and approachability. Empathy improves the patient–clinician relationship and is critical for patient-centered care delivered by ATs.
The Gap and the origin of the fundamental forces
Authors: Zichichi Antonino
Published: December 2016

The energy level where the best values of the three fundamental gauge couplings [Formula: see text] converge is at least two orders of magnitude below the Planck energy level. The existence of this Gap could imply that the gravitational force ‘comes into being’ before QED, QFD and QCD. The most interesting consequence of the Gap would then be the existence of matter whose charge is only the gravitational charge. If this is so, events should be detected where only gravitational waves are produced. Primordial black holes (PBHs) would be produced much more frequently than the standard black holes (SBHs) since SBHs would be ‘derivative’ effects produced later, after matter made with protons, electrons, neutrons, and stars can exist. Collisions between PBHs generating only gravitational waves should be more frequent than SBHs collisions.
Isgur–Wise function and a new approach to potential model
Authors: Das Tapashi , Choudhury D. K. , Pathak K. K.
Published: December 2016

Considering the Cornell potential [Formula: see text], we have revisited the Dalgarno’s method of perturbation by incorporating two scales [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as integration limit so that the perturbative procedure can be improved in a potential model. With the improved version of the wave function the ground state masses of the heavy–light mesons [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are computed. The slopes and curvatures of the form factors of semileptonic decays of heavy–light mesons in both HQET limit and finite mass limit are calculated and compared with the available data.
A TWO-STRAIN EPIDEMIC MODEL ON COMPLEX NETWORKS WITH DEMOGRAPHICS
Authors: YAO YANRU , ZHANG JUPING
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we develop a two-strain SIS model on heterogeneous networks with demographics for disease transmission. We calculate the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] of infection for the model. We prove that if [Formula: see text], the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. If [Formula: see text], the conditions of the existence and global asymptotical stability of two boundary equilibria and the existence of endemic equilibria are established, respectively. Numerical simulations illustrate that the degree distribution of population varies with time before it reaches the stationary state. What is more, the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] does not depend on the degree distribution like in the static network but depend on the demographic factors.
Reflecting on SEA’s Usefulness: A Case Study on Italy
Authors: Gazzola Paola , Rinaldi Alessandro
Published: December 2016

According to the published literature, for Strategic environment assessment (SEA) to make a meaningful difference, it should be integrated into planning processes. Yet, in situations and contexts where the two processes appear to be disjointed, SEA could be applied upon conclusion of the plan-making process justifying decisions already made, or just before a decision can be made to comply with existing legal requirements. Where this is the case, then what is SEA really for? This paper aims to reflect on the usefulness of SEA, and explore whether a shift of focus from actual effectiveness to perceived effectiveness could help further legitimise the need for SEA. This is done by looking at SEA practice in Italy as a case study, as the country’s diverse regional setup presents situations in which SEA may appear to be avoided because being perceived as not very useful or where SEA may appear to be functioning and actually effective.
Differential Fault Attack on ITUbee Block Cipher
Authors: Fu Shan , Xu Guoai , Pan Juan , Wang Zongyue , Wang An
Published: December 2016

Differential Fault Attack
(DFA) is a powerful cryptanalytic technique to retrieve secret keys by exploiting the faulty ciphertexts generated during encryption procedure. This article proposes a novel DFA attack that is effective on ITUbee, a software-oriented block cipher for resource-constrained devices. Different from other DFA, our attack makes use of not only faulty values, but also differences between fault-free intermediate values corresponding to 2 plaintexts, which combine traditional differential analysis with DFA. The possible injection positions with different number of faults are discussed. The most efficient attack takes 2
25
round function operations with 4 faults, which is achieved in a few seconds on a PC.
Enabling Sensor Network to Smartphone Interaction Using Software Radios
Authors: Park Yongtae , Ha Jihun , Kim Hyogon , Ko Jeonggil
Published: December 2016

Recent advances in smartphone processing power have opened the possibilities for them to act as the processing component of software-defined radios (SDRs). For low-power sensor network systems using various communication protocols, this means that smartphones, when equipped with an SDR, can be their system management end-devices, (potentially) without the need for external communication modules. Nevertheless, the high processor and energy usage overhead of SDRs remains a major technical barrier that blocks the practical adoption of smartphone-based SDRs. In this work, we show that implementation flexibility at the software can relax this overhead. Specifically, we show, using an implementation of the low-power listening (LPL) Medium Access Control (MAC), that software improvements have the potential to significantly reduce the operational overhead of SDRs. Moreover, we show that implementing packet reception filters can help further reduce the performance overhead without sacrificing application-level message exchange qualities. Empirical results with a smartphone-based SDR suggest that by combining LPL with packet reception filters, the processing and energy overhead can be reduced by two to three orders of magnitude. We not only see this as a chance to practically realize smartphones as a wireless sensing system controller but also believe that the experiences with practical smartphone-based SDRs can provide guidelines for future wireless protocol and low-power radio designs that are suitable for mobile computing environments.