bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Wage Elasticity of Informal Care Supply: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Nizalova Olena
Published: September 2012

This article focuses on the wage elasticity of informal care supply to elderly parents employing an instrumental variable approach to account for the fact that the wage rate is likely to be correlated with omitted variables. Using the 1998 wave of the ), the wage elasticity of informal care supply is estimated to be negative and larger in magnitude than found previously. The lower bound of this elasticity is estimated to be −1.8 for males and −3.6 for females. Additional findings suggest that this wage elasticity differs by the type of care provided to elderly parents and that it is larger in magnitude among individuals with siblings and those with independently living parents. Overall the reductions in the informal care constitute about 18% of the labor supply response for men and about 56% of the labor supply response for women, which are not compensated by monetary transfers.
Certainty of Punishment versus Severity of Punishment: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Friesen Lana
Published: September 2012

Compliance with laws and regulations depends on the expected penalty facing violators. The expected penalty depends on both the probability of punishment and the severity of the punishment if caught. A key question in the economics of crime literature is whether increasing the probability of punishment is a more effective deterrent than increasing the severity of punishment. This article uses laboratory experiments to investigate this issue and finds that increasing the severity of punishment is a more effective deterrent than an equivalent increase in the probability of punishment. This result contrasts with the findings of the empirical crime literature.
Are Gay Men and Lesbians Discriminated against in the Hiring Process?
Authors: Ahmed Ali M. , Andersson Lina , Hammarstedt Mats
Published: September 2012

This article presents the first field experiment on sexual orientation discrimination in the hiring process in the Swedish labor market. Job applications were sent to about 4000 employers in 10 different occupations in Sweden. Gender and sexual orientation were randomly assigned to applications. The results show that sexual orientation discrimination exists in the Swedish labor market. The discrimination against the gay male applicant and the lesbian applicant varied across different occupations and appears to be concentrated in the private sector. The results also show that the gay male applicant was discriminated against in typical male‐dominated occupations, whereas the lesbian applicant was discriminated against in typical female‐dominated occupations. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Initial implementation and evaluation of a Hepatitis C treatment clinical decision support system (CDSS)
Authors: Meek J. , Fathauer L.
Published: September 2012

Background: Clinician compliance with clinical guidelines in the treatment of patients with Hepatitis C (HCV) has been reported to be as low as 18.5%. Treatment is complex and patient compliance is often inconsistent thus, active clinician surveillance and support is essential to successful outcomes. A clinical decision support system (CDSS) embedded within an electronic health record can provide reminders, summarize key data, and facilitate coordination of care. To date, the literature is bereft of information describing the implementation and evaluation of a CDSS to support HCV treatment.

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to describe the design, implementation, and initial evaluation of an HCV-specific CDSS while piloting data collection metrics and methods to be used in a larger study across multiple practices.

Methods: The case report describes the design and implementation processes with preliminary reporting on impact of the CDSS on quality indicator completion by comparing the pre-CDSS group to the post-CDSS group.

Results: The CDSS was successfully designed and implemented using an iterative, collaborative process. Pilot testing of the clinical outcomes of the CDSS revealed high rates of quality indicator completion in both the pre- and post-CDSS; although the post-CDSS group received a higher frequency of reminders (4.25 per patient) than the pre-CDSS group (.25 per patient).

Conclusions: This case report documents the processes used to successfully design and implement an HCV CDSS. While the small sample size precludes generalizability of findings, results did positively demonstrate the feasibility of comparing quality indicator completion rates pre-CDSS and post-CDSS. It is recommended that future studies include a larger sample size across multiple providers with expanded outcomes measures related to patient outcomes, staff satisfaction with the CDSS, and time studies to evaluate efficiency and cost effectiveness of the CDSS.
Validation of a New Scoring System for the Detection of Early Forme of Keratoconus
Authors: Saad Alain
Published: September 2012

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of a new objective method for the detection of ectasia susceptible eyes.

Methods

One hundred and eighty-three elevation and placido topographies were retrospectively evaluated by one experimented refractive surgeon and classified as ‘normal’ or ‘at risk for LASIK’. An objective automated system built on the combination of topography and tomography data in a discriminant function was also used to classify the corneas. The concordance between the objective and the subjective classification was evaluated and the usefulness of the objective scoring system was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

The mean age of the studied group was 37 ± 8 years old. One hundred and fifty-nine eyes were subjectively classified as ‘normal’ and 24 as ‘At risk for LASIK’. The scoring system correctly classified 153 eyes as ‘normal’ and 22 eyes as ‘at risk for LASIK’. Six eyes were wrongly detected as ‘at risk’ by the automated system (false-positive) and two eyes were wrongly classified as ‘normal’ (false-negative). The sensitivity and specificity of the automated system were 92 and 96% respectively.

Conclusion

An automated system built on the combination of topography and tomography parameters can help in creating a sensitive and specific artificial intelligence for the detection of corneas at risk for refractive surgery.

How to cite this article

Saad A, Gatinel D. Validation of a New Scoring System for the Detection of Early Forme of Keratoconus. Int J Kerat Ect Cor Dis 2012;1(2):100-108.
Combined Intacs SK and Corneal Collagen Cross-linking for the Treatment of Keratoconus
Authors: Garzozi Hanna
Published: September 2012

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of the combined treatment of Intacs SK (Severe keratoconus) and corneal collagen cross- linking in the management of advanced keratoconus (KC).

Setting

Private laser center, Haifa, Israel. Affiliated to Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem.

Methods

This is a retrospective study. Intacs SK were implanted using manual technique in eyes with moderate-to- severe keratoconus followed by collagen corneal cross-linking (CXL). Evaluation included uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), manifest refraction, slit-lamp examination and corneal topography. Ocular response analyzer (ORA) was used to assess the corneal hysteresis (CH) and the corneal resistance factor (CRF).

Results

We report on improvement of the UCVA, BSCVA, decrease in myopia, astigmatism and keratometry readings. No significant change in CRF or CH was noted.

Conclusion

The combined treatment of Intacs SK and corneal CXL for the treatment of advanced keratoconus is safe and effective. The combined treatment resulted in improved UCVA, BSCVA, keratometry readings and regularization of the topography but no significant change in CRF and HS.

How to cite this article

Barbara R, Garzozi H, Barbara A. Combined Intacs SK and Corneal Collagen Cross-linking for the Treatment of Keratoconus. Int J Kerat Ect Cor Dis 2012;1(2):109-116.
Cyber-physical networking for wireless mesh infrastructures
Authors: Mannweiler C. , Lottermann C. , Klein A. , Schneider J. , Schotten H. D.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. This paper presents a novel approach for cyber-physical network control. "Cyber-physical" refers to the inclusion of different parameters and information sources, ranging from physical sensors (e.g. energy, temperature, light) to conventional network information (bandwidth, delay, jitter, etc.) to logical data providers (inference systems, user profiles, spectrum usage databases). For a consistent processing, collected data is represented in a uniform way, analyzed, and provided to dedicated network management functions and network services, both internally and, through an according API, to third party services. Specifically, in this work, we outline the design of sophisticated energy management functionalities for a hybrid wireless mesh network (WLAN for both backhaul traffic and access, GSM for access only), disposing of autonomous energy supply, in this case solar power. Energy consumption is optimized under the presumption of fluctuating power availability and considerable storage constraints, thus influencing, among others, handover and routing decisions. Moreover, advanced situation-aware auto-configuration and self-adaptation mechanisms are introduced for an autonomous operation of the network. The overall objective is to deploy a robust wireless access and backbone infrastructure with minimal operational cost and effective, cyber-physical control mechanisms, especially dedicated for rural or developing regions.
Localization of passive UHF RFID Labels with Kalman Filter
Authors: Nick T. , Götze J.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Localization via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is frequently used in different applications nowadays. It has the advantage that next to its ostensible purpose of identifying objects via their unique IDs it can simultaneously be used for the localization of these objects. In this work it is shown how Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements at different antennae of a passive UHF RFID label can be combined for localization. The localization is only done based on the RSSI measurements and a Kalman Filter (KF). Because of non-linearities in the measurement function it is necessary to incorporate an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) or an Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) where simulations have shown that the UKF performs better than the EKF. Additionally to the selection of the filter there are different possibilities to increase the localization accuracy of the UKF: The advantages of using Reference Tags (RT) or more than one tag per trolley (relative positioning) in combination with an Unscented Kalman Filter are discussed and simulations results show that the localization error can be decreased significantly via these methods. Another possibility to increase the localization accuracy and in addition to achieve a more realistic simulation is the consideration of the angle between reader antenna and tag. Simulation results with the incorporation of different numbers of fixed antennae lead to the conclusion that this is a useful surplus in the localization.
Broadband transitions for membrane-based coplanar waveguides on highly-conductive silicon substrates
Authors: Rohland M. , Arz U. , Kuhlmann K. , Büttgenbach S.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. We present a transition from a contact structure built on highly-conductive silicon to a coplanar waveguide (CPW) fabricated in membrane technology. Test structures were fabricated and measured. The silicon-to-membrane transition is suitable for on-wafer probing and provides less than −10 dB measured reflection in the frequency range from 1 to 110 GHz. Measured and calculated values of the propagation constant of the membrane CPW agree well in the entire frequency range.
Design space exploration of high throughput finite field multipliers for channel coding on Xilinx FPGAs
Authors: de Schryver C. , Weithoffer S. , Wasenmüller U. , Wehn N.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Channel coding is a standard technique in all wireless communication systems. In addition to the typically employed methods like convolutional coding, turbo coding or low density parity check (LDPC) coding, algebraic codes are used in many cases. For example, outer BCH coding is applied in the DVB-S2 standard for satellite TV broadcasting. A key operation for BCH and the related Reed-Solomon codes are multiplications in finite fields (Galois Fields), where extension fields of prime fields are used. A lot of architectures for multiplications in finite fields have been published over the last decades. This paper examines four different multiplier architectures in detail that offer the potential for very high throughputs. We investigate the implementation performance of these multipliers on FPGA technology in the context of channel coding. We study the efficiency of the multipliers with respect to area, frequency and throughput, as well as configurability and scalability. The implementation data of the fully verified circuits are provided for a Xilinx Virtex-4 device after place and route.
Comparison of in-situ delay monitors for use in Adaptive Voltage Scaling
Authors: Pour Aryan N. , Heiß L. , Schmitt-Landsiedel D. , Georgakos G. , Wirnshofer M.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. In Adaptive Voltage Scaling (AVS) the supply voltage of digital circuits is tuned according to the circuit's actual operating condition, which enables dynamic compensation to PVTA variations. By exploiting the excessive safety margins added in state-of-the-art worst-case designs considerable power saving is achieved. In our approach, the operating condition of the circuit is monitored by in-situ delay monitors. This paper presents different designs to implement the in-situ delay monitors capable of detecting late but still non-erroneous transitions, called Pre-Errors. The developed Pre-Error monitors are integrated in a 16 bit multiplier test circuit and the resulting Pre-Error AVS system is modeled by a Markov chain in order to determine the power saving potential of each Pre-Error detection approach.
Statistical multipole formulations for shielding problems
Authors: Körber K. , Klinkenbusch L.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. A multipole-based method is presented for modelling an electromagnetic field with small statistical variations inside an arbitrary enclosure. The accurate computation of the statistics of the field components from the statistical moments of the multipole amplitudes is demonstrated for two- and three-dimensional examples. To obtain the statistics of quantities which depend non-linearly on the field components, higher-order statistical moments of the latter are required.
Horizontally resolved structures of radar backscatter from polar mesospheric layers
Authors: Latteck R. , Singer W. , Rapp M. , Renkwitz T. , Stober G.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. The Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn, Germany (IAP) installed a new powerful VHF radar on the North-Norwegian island Andøya (69.30° N, 16.04° E) from 2009 to 2011. The new Middle Atmosphere Alomar Radar System (MAARSY) replaces the existing ALWIN radar which has been in continuous operation on Andøya for more than 10 yr. MAARSY is a monostatic radar operated at 53.5 MHz with an active phased array antenna consisting of 433 Yagi antennas each connected to its own transceiver with independent control of frequency, phase and power of the transmitted signal. This arrangement provides a very high flexibility of beam forming and beam steering. It allows classical beam swinging operation as well as experiments with simultaneous multiple beams and the use of modern interferometric applications for improved studies of the Arctic atmosphere from the troposphere up to the lower thermosphere with high spatial-temporal resolution. The installation of the antenna was completed in August 2009. An initial expansion stage of 196 transceiver modules was installed in spring 2010, upgraded to 343 transceiver modules in December 2010 and the installation of the radar was completed in spring 2011. Beside standard observations of tropospheric winds and Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes, multi-beam experiments using up to 91 beams quasi-simultaneously in the mesosphere have been carried out using the different expansion stages of the system during campaigns in 2010 and 2011. These results provided a first insight into the horizontal variability of Polar Mesosphere Summer and Winter Echoes in an area of about 80 km by 80 km with time resolutions between 3 and 9 min.
MAARSY – the new MST radar on Andøya: first results of spaced antenna and Doppler measurements of atmospheric winds in the troposphere and mesosphere using a partial array
Authors: Stober G. , Latteck R. , Rapp M. , Singer W. , Zecha M.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. MST radars have been used to study the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere over decades. These radars have proven to be a valuable tool to investigate atmospheric dynamics. MAARSY, the new MST radar at the island of Andøya uses a phased array antenna and is able to perform spaced antenna and Doppler measurements at the same time with high temporal and spatial resolution. Here we present first wind observations using the initial expansion stage during summer 2010. The tropospheric spaced antenna and Doppler beam swinging experiments are compared to radiosonde measurements, which were launched at the nearby Andøya Rocket Range (ARR). The mesospheric wind observations are evaluated versus common volume meteor radar wind measurements. The beam steering capabilities of MAARSY are demonstrated by performing systematic scans of polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) using 25 and 91 beam directions. These wind observations permit to evaluate the new radar against independent measurements from radiosondes and meteor radar measurements to demonstrate its capabilities to provide reliable wind data from the troposphere up to the mesosphere.
Impact of system parameter selection on radar sensor performance in automotive applications
Authors: Blöecher H.-L. , Andres M. , Fischer C. , Sailer A. , Goppelt M. , Dickmann J.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. The paper deals with the investigation of relevant boundary conditions to be considered in order to operate 77/79 GHz narrow and ultra wide band automotive radar sensors in the automotive platform and the automotive environment.
Ray tracing with multi-radiation transmitters
Authors: Brem R. , Eibert T. F.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. A restriction in using electromagnetic ray tracing for field prediction is given by the far-field condition: the results are only valid in the far-field region of the radiator. In this paper, it will be shown how ray tracing for accurate field computation can also be applied in the near-field regions of transmitters. The reduction of required large distances between transmitter and receiver is achieved by subdividing the transmitter in smaller subtransmitters. Even for complex transmitters, e.g. antennas with objects in close proximity such as metallic carrier platforms, subtransmitter models can be very efficiently generated by using the Multilevel Fast Multipole Method (MLFMM). This well-known integral equation solving technique makes very large problems in computational electromagnetics manageable. The subtransmitters can be directly generated based on this algorithm. A simulation example will show the improved modeling accuracy and options for simplification and refinement will also be discussed.
A comparison of minimum norm and MUSIC for a combined MEG/EEG sensor array
Authors: Ahrens H. , Argin F. , Klinkenbusch L.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Many different algorithms for imaging neuronal activity with magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG) have been developed so far. We validate the result of other authors that a combined MEG/EEG sensor array provides smaller source localisation errors than a single MEG or single EEG sensor array for the same total number of sensors. We show that Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) provides smaller localisation errors than an unweighted minimum norm method for activity located in the cortical sulcus regions. This is important for many medical applications, e.g. the localisation of the origin of epileptic seizures (focal epilepsy) that can be located very deep in the cortical sulcus.
Simulating the vegetation response to abrupt climate changes under glacial conditions with the ORCHIDEE/IPSL models
Authors: Woillez M.-N. , Kageyama M. , Combourieu-Nebout N. , Krinner G.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. The last glacial period has been punctuated by two types of abrupt climatic events, the Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) and Heinrich (HE) events. These events, recorded in Greenland ice and in marine sediments, involved changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and led to major changes in the terrestrial biosphere. Here we use the dynamical global vegetation model ORCHIDEE to simulate the response of vegetation to abrupt changes in the AMOC strength. To do so, we force ORCHIDEE off-line with outputs from the IPSL_CM4 general circulation model, in which we have forced the AMOC to change by adding freshwater fluxes in the North Atlantic. We investigate the impact of a collapse and recovery of the AMOC, at different rates, and focus on Western Europe, where many pollen records are available to compare with. The impact of an AMOC collapse on the European mean temperatures and precipitations simulated by the GCM is relatively small but sufficient to drive an important regression of forests and expansion of grasses in ORCHIDEE, in qualitative agreement with pollen data for an HE event. On the contrary, a run with a rapid shift of the AMOC to an hyperactive state of 30 Sv, mimicking the warming phase of a DO event, does not exhibit a strong impact on the European vegetation compared to the glacial control state. For our model, simulating the impact of an HE event thus appears easier than simulating the abrupt transition towards the interstadial phase of a DO. For both a collapse or a recovery of the AMOC the vegetation starts to respond to climatic changes immediately but reaches equilibrium about 200 yr after the climate equilibrates, suggesting a possible bias in the climatic reconstructions based on pollen records, which assume equilibrium between climate and vegetation. However, our study does not take into account vegetation feedbacks on the atmosphere.
DOC-dynamics in a small headwater catchment as driven by redox fluctuations and hydrological flow paths – are DOC exports mediated by iron reduction/oxidation cycles?
Authors: Knorr K.-H.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exports from many catchments in Europe and North-America are steadily increasing. Several studies have sought to explain this observation. As possible causes, a decrease in acid rain or sulfate deposition, concomitant reductions in ionic strength and increasing temperatures were identified. DOC often originates from riparian wetlands; but here, despite higher DOC concentrations, ionic strength in pore waters usually exceeds that in surface waters. In the catchment under study, DOC concentrations were synchronous with dissolved iron concentrations in pore and stream water. This study aims at testing the hypothesis that DOC exports are mediated by iron reduction/oxidation cycles. Following the observed hydrographs, δ18O of water, and DOC fluorescence, the wetlands were identified as main source of DOC. Antecedent biogeochemical conditions, i.e. water table levels in the wetlands, influenced the discharge patterns of nitrate, iron, and DOC during an event. The correlation of DOC with pH was positive in pore waters but negative in surface waters; it was negative for DOC with sulfate in pore waters but only weak in surface waters. The positive correlation of DOC with iron was universal for pore and surface water, though. The decline of DOC and iron concentrations in transition from anoxic wetland pore water to oxic stream water suggests a flocculation of DOC with oxidizing iron, leading to a drop in pH in the stream during high DOC fluxes. The pore water did not per se differ in pH. There is thus a need to more thoroughly consider processes of DOC mobilization in wetlands when interpreting DOC exports from catchments. The coupling of DOC with iron fluxes suggested that increased DOC exports could at least in part be caused by increasing activities in iron reduction, possibly due to increases in temperature or wetness of riparian wetlands.
Technical Note: A mobile sea-going mesocosm system – new opportunities for ocean change research
Authors: Riebesell U. , Czerny J. , von Bröckel K. , Boxhammer T. , Büdenbender J. , Deckelnick M. , Fischer M. , Hoffmann D. , Krug S. A. , Lentz U. , Ludwig A. , Muche R. , Schulz K. G.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. One of the great challenges in ocean change research is to understand and forecast the effects of environmental changes on pelagic communities and the associated impacts on biogeochemical cycling. Mesocosms, experimental enclosures designed to approximate natural conditions, and in which environmental factors can be manipulated and closely monitored, provide a powerful tool to close the gap between single species laboratory experiments and observational and correlative approaches applied in field surveys. Existing pelagic mesocosm systems are stationary and/or restricted to well-protected waters. To allow mesocosm experimentation in a range of hydrographic conditions and in areas considered most sensitive to ocean change, we developed a mobile, sea-going mesocosm facility, the Kiel Off-Shore Mesocosms for Future Ocean Simulations (KOSMOS). The KOSMOS platform, which can be transported and deployed by mid-sized research vessels, is designed for operation in moored and free-floating mode under low to moderate wave conditions (up to 2.5 m wave heights). It encloses a water column 2 m in diameter and 15 to 25 m deep (~50–75 m3 in volume) without disrupting the vertical structure or disturbing the enclosed plankton community. Several new developments in mesocosm design and operation were implemented to (i) minimize differences in starting conditions between mesocosms, (ii) allow for extended experimental duration, (iii) precisely determine the mesocosm volume, (iv) determine air–sea gas exchange, and (v) perform mass balance calculations. After multiple test runs in the Baltic Sea, which resulted in continuous improvement of the design and handling, the KOSMOS platform successfully completed its first full-scale experiment in the high Arctic off Svalbard (78° 56.2′ N, 11° 53.6′ E) in June/July 2010. The study, which was conducted in the framework of the European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA), focused on the effects of ocean acidification on a natural plankton community and its impacts on biogeochemical cycling and air/sea exchange of climate relevant gases. This manuscript describes the mesocosm hardware, its deployment and handling, CO2 manipulation, sampling and cleaning, including some further modifications conducted based on the experiences gained during this study.
Long-term meteorological and hydrological dryness and wetness conditions in the Zhujiang River Basin, South China
Authors: Fischer T. , Gemmer M. , Su B. , Scholten T.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. Floods and droughts are frequently causing large economic losses in China. These conditions vary in space, time, and magnitude. In this study, long-term meteorological and hydrological dryness and wetness conditions are analyzed for the Xijiang River Basin which is the largest tributary of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River. A very similar inter-annual course of precipitation and discharge can be observed. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) is used to show dryness and wetness pattern in the six sub-basins of the Xijiang River. The SPI-24 correlates high with the standardized discharge index (SDI-24) for Gaoyao hydrological station at the mouth of Xijiang River. Distinct long-term dryness and wetness sequences are found in the time series for the SPI-24 and SDI-24. The principal component analysis reveals many spatial interdependencies in dryness and wetness conditions for the sub-basins and explains some spatio-temporal disparities. Moderate dryness conditions have a larger spatial impact than moderate wetness conditions in the sub-basins. The loading pattern of the first principal component shows that the correlation with the entire Xijiang River Basin is highest in the eastern and lowest in the western sub-basins. Further spatial dipole conditions explain the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of dryness and wetness conditions. Accordingly, the precipitation in the eastern sub-basins contributes more to the hydrological wetness conditions than in the western sub-basins, which mainly contribute to dryness patterns. The spectral analysis for the SPI-24 (entire Xijiang River Basin) and SDI-24 shows similar peaks for periods of 11–14.7 yr, 2.8 yr, 3.4–3.7 yr, and 6.3–7.3 yr. The same periods can be found for the SPI-24 of Xijiang River's six sub-basins with some variability in the magnitude. The wavelet analysis shows that the most significant periods are stable over time since the 1980s. The extrapolations of the reconstructed time series do not suggest any spatial or temporal changes in the occurrence of dryness and wetness conditions in the next two decades but a continuation of the observed cycles at given magnitude. It can be concluded that long-term hydrological dryness and wetness conditions are directly caused by periodic cycles of meteorological conditions (i.e. precipitation). The applied methodologies prove to be able to identify spatial interdependencies and corresponding regional disparities, and to detect significant periodicities in long-term dryness and wetness conditions in the Xijiang River Basin.
Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Vitreoretinal Complications of Behçet Uveitis
Authors: Mesquida Marina , Pelegrín Laura , Llorenç Victor , Espinosa Gerard , Ríos José , Dick Andrew D. , Adán Alfredo
Published: September 2012

Purpose.

To evaluate the role of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the treatment of vitreoretinal complications of ocular Behçet disease (BD).

Methods.

Retrospective review of the medical records of all patients who underwent PPV for vitreoretinal complications of Behçet uveitis in the Ophthalmology Department of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, from January 1994 until December 2011. Preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA), ocular findings, treatments, surgical indications, and outcomes were evaluated in all patients.

Results.

Twelve patients (14 eyes) were included in the study. Indications for PPV were the following: vitreous hemorrhage in 4 eyes (28.5%), persistent vitreous opacities in 3 eyes (21.4%), rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 2 eyes (14.3%), macular hole in 2 eyes (14.3%), persistent cystoid macular edema in 2 eyes (14.3%), and combined tractional and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 1 eye (7.1%). At last examination (median follow-up 105 months, range 6–209 months), BCVA increased 3 Snellen lines or more in 6 eyes (42.9%). Immunosuppressive treatment could be reduced in 5 patients (41.6%). No serious ocular inflammatory episodes presented during the follow-up in those operated patients.

Conclusions.

In this retrospective series with long-term follow-up, PPV can treat secondary vitreoretinal complications of Behçet uveitis, restoring or stabilizing vision without major adverse events.
A New Method for Shape and Texture Classification of Orthopedic Wear Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Dongning , Page Janet R. , Kavanaugh Aaron E. , Billi Fabrizio
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Detailed morphologic analysis of particles produced during wear of orthopedic implants is important in determining a correlation among material, wear, and biological effects. However, the use of simple shape descriptors is insufficient to categorize the data and to compare the nature of wear particles generated by different implants. An approach based on Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is presented for describing particle shape and surface texture.

Method

Four metal-on-metal bearing couples were tested in an orbital wear simulator under standard and adverse (steep-angled cups) wear simulator conditions. Digitized Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of the wear particles were imported into MATLAB to carry out Fourier descriptor calculations via a specifically developed algorithm. The descriptors were then used for studying particle characteristics (shape and texture) as well as for cluster classification.

Results and Conclusions

Analysis of the particles demonstrated the validity of the proposed model by showing that steep-angle Co-Cr wear particles were more asymmetric, compressed, extended, triangular, square, and roughened at 3 Mc than after 0.25 Mc. In contrast, particles from standard angle samples were only more compressed and extended after 3 Mc compared to 0.25 Mc. Cluster analysis revealed that the 0.25 Mc steep-angle particle distribution was a subset of the 3 Mc distribution.
Effect of Proximal Femoral Bone Support on the Fixation of a Press-Fit Noncemented Total Hip Replacement Femoral Component
Authors: Sangiorgio Sophia N. , Ebramzadeh Edward , Borkowski Sean L. , Oakes Daniel A. , Reid Jeremy J. , Bengs Benjamin C.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Proximal femoral bone loss is a common challenge in revision hip arthroplasty. In this study, in vitro fixation of a non-cemented, rectangular, dual-tapered, press-fit femoral component designed to achieve metadiaphyseal fixation was analyzed using an accelerated proximal femoral bone loss model to assess the potential use in revision cases.

Methods

The press-fit Alloclassic™ femoral stem was implanted in ten cadaveric femurs and tested under cyclic biomechanical loading in an intact state, and then again after sequential proximal femoral bone resections, simulating increasing amounts of bone deficiency. Anterior-posterior and medial-lateral interface motions were measured at the distal stem tip throughout loading.

Results

Three specimens remained stable throughout testing, with initial and peak per-cycle motions of less than 50 μm. Six specimens were destabilized under loading with higher per-cycle motions, specifically at the distal stem tip during peak loading in the anterior-posterior direction, with motions of 78±69 μm, compared to 12±9 μm in the stable specimens (P<.05). Total migration of the destabilized specimens was also significantly higher, specifically at the proximal stem tip in the medial-lateral direction, with migrations of 101±34 μm (P<.05) and at the distal stem tip in the anterior-posterior direction, with migrations of 155±179 μm (P<.05), compared to 33±12 μm and 13±11 μm for the stable specimens.

Conclusion

The results indicate that when strong initial fixation is achieved, long-term success is possible given substantial proximal femoral bone loss.
Breathing Azimuthons in Nonlocal Nonlinear Media
Authors: Lai Xian-Jing , Cai Xiao-Ou , Nia Xiao-Jing
Published: September 2012

Two-dimensional self-similar azimuthons are introduced and investigated analytically and numerically in nonlocal nonlinear media with space-dependent diffractive, gain (attenuation) coefficient based on the similarity transformation and variational approach.We demonstrate that the azimuthons of critical power in the strongly nonlocal limit are more stable than the ones with lower nonlocality. Remarkably, these self-similar azimuthons have the azimuthal angle modulated by the distributed diffractive coefficient, apart from the beam width and intensity changing self-similarly.
Radiation and Porosity Effects on the Magnetohydrodynamic Flow Past an Oscillating Vertical Plate with Uniform Heat Flux
Authors: Fetecau Constantin , Samiulhaq  , Khan Ilyas , Ali Farhad , Shafie Sharidan
Published: September 2012

Magnetohydrodynamic free convection flow of an incompressible viscous fluid past an infinite vertical oscillating plate with uniform heat flux in a porous medium is studied. Exact dimensionless solutions of momentum and energy equations, under Boussinesq approximation, are obtained using Laplace transforms. They satisfy all imposed initial and boundary conditions and reduce to known solutions from the literature as special cases. Finally, the influence of different parameters like thermal radiation parameter, Grashof number, Prandtl number, and time on velocity, temperature, and skin friction is shown by graphs.
La réception juridique de la peur : quand effrayer rime avec tuer
Authors: Santerre Christine
Published: September 2012

En droit pénal canadien, deux formes d’homicide entraînent la condamnation de celui qui crée une vive émotion de peur chez autrui, engendrant incidemment son décès. D’abord, l’homicide provoqué par la peur mentionné à l’article 222 (5) (c) du Code criminel incrimine celui qui cause la mort d’une autre personne en portant cette dernière, par des menaces ou la crainte de quelque violence, à faire quelque chose qui entraîne son décès. Ensuite, l’homicide par influence sur l’esprit mentionné à l’article 222 (5) (d) rend coupable celui qui cause la mort d’un être humain, précisément d’un enfant ou d’une personne malade, en l’effrayant volontairement. La spécificité de tels crimes suscite plusieurs questionnements. Faut-il tenir responsable celui qui apeure lorsque la mort résulte d’une réaction démesurée de la victime devant la peur ? Est-il pertinent de condamner celui qui apeure une autre personne lorsqu’une telle conduite engendre des conséquences tragiques qui ne sont ni voulues ni même envisagées ? Dans quelle mesure convient-il de considérer les caractéristiques personnelles de la victime lorsque celles-ci témoignent d’une particulière vulnérabilité quant à la peur ?

L’auteure tente de répondre à de telles interrogations dans l’article qui suit. La première partie aborde l’actus reus de l’homicide, soit la suffisance du lien de causalité lorsqu’une vive émotion de peur engendre la mort. La seconde partie est consacrée à la mens rea d’un tel crime, c’est-à-dire à l’intentionnalité exigée chez l’instigateur de la peur afin que sa responsabilité criminelle soit retenue. Inspirée par une jurisprudence canadienne, anglaise et australienne, l’auteure conclut en formulant une triple proposition afin de garantir une meilleure répression juridique de la peur en matière d’homicide.
Effect of Mentally Retarded Children on their Non Retarded Female Siblings (12-18 years)
Authors: Inam Attiya , Zehra Andleeb
Published: September 2012

This study was an effort to find out the effect of mentally retarded children on their non retarded female siblings (12-18 yrs. Of age) in terms of their relationship with parents, social adjustment and future concerns. Study was carried out at Amin Maktab i.e. institute for special children. Sample of 30 female siblings (12-18 yrs. of age) of 30 mild to moderate mentally retarded children was selected and interview schedule was prepared for themthat consisted of thirty six statements and responses were collected on five point Likert scale. Its reliability was calculated as 0.825, indicating good internal consistency for this scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as percentage, mean and standard deviation while independent samples t-test, ANOVA and Pearson Correlation were also applied to compare the mean scores. Results reveal that female siblings face problems regarding their relationship with parents and social adjustment and have more future concerns due to the presence of mentally retarded child in the family. Younger siblings of mentally retarded children were found to be having more problems in their social adjustment than the elder siblings of mentally retarded children. Positive relationship was found between social adjustment and future concerns of the respondents.   Keywords - mentally retarded children, siblings, social adjustment, future concerns, relationship with parents
Socio-Economic Employment Status of Filipino Migrants in Australia: Implications to Philippine College Education
Authors: Del Mundo Galicano V.
Published: September 2012

The study aimed to describe the socio-economic and employment status of Filipino migrants in Australia and its implications to college education. It utilized qualitative descriptive method of research involving 114 Filipino migrants in Australia as selected respondents through purposive sampling technique. The Filipino migrant workers were basically in their prime to meet the challenge of professional life and employment demands of the Australian labor market; they were into every kind of jobs – be it professional type of job or white collar jobs, or plain blue collar work. Computer literacy is one important job requirement in Australia. Those who migrated to Australia had realized their aspiration for a better life in that country. Foreigners who look for jobs in Australia would not encounter problem or difficulty as they are assured of job placements before they leave the country of origin. Australia is the land of promise for most Filipino migrants who migrated to the country in search for better job opportunities. College degree from the Philippines is not a guarantee of a better job in Australia as its standard of quality education starts from the basic education level.   Keywords - socio-economic, employment, migrants
Demand for Social Services of City Government Units Using the Linear Expenditure System: The Case of the Philippines
Authors: Estrada Ronald D.
Published: September 2012

The main objective of the study is to construct demand system of the basic social services provided by the city governments in the Philippines using the Linear Expenditure System. It seeks to establish the income and expenditure pattern of city governments of the Philippines in 2008. Results revealed that cities with higher incomes are dependent to locally-generated income while cities with lower incomes are dependent on IRA funds. Expenditure share is highest in the education sector while lowest in the social welfare. Subsistence expenditure level of each service sector was found statistically significant except health and nutrition. Some identified cost variables of respective service sectors were found significant predictors of subsistence expenditure level of each service sectors. Marginal discretionary income shares were found statistically significant across the service sectors except for education. Elasticity results revealed that all basic social services were found to be normal goods and demands for these services tend to be inelastic with respect to government income. Keywords - demand system, discretionary income, IRA, LES, marginal discretionary income, NSUR, simultaneous equation and subsistence expenditure.
Visible‐light‐active photocatalytic thin film by RF sputtering for hydrogen generation
Authors: Liao Chi‐Hung , Huang Chao‐Wei , Wu Jeffrey Chi‐Sheng
Published: September 2012

Visible‐light absorbing TiO2 (vis‐TiO2) and WO3 (vis‐WO3) photocatalytic thin films were prepared by radio‐frequency magnetron sputtering. The effect of heat treatment on thin film properties was investigated. Instrumental analyses such as X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectrometry were performed to reveal the crystallinity, surface morphology, chemical composition, and light absorption of the prepared thin films. To further enhance the photoactivity of the prepared thin films, a dual‐layer photoelectrode (DLP) that consists of both vis‐TiO2 and vis‐WO3 was fabricated. Moreover, photoactivities of the prepared single and dual‐layer photoelectrodes under both ultraviolet and visible‐light irradiations were evaluated by conducting photovoltammetry as well as water‐splitting reaction in an H‐type reactor. It was demonstrated that the H2 and O2 yields obtained from water‐splitting reaction are consistent with the photocurrent results, showing that DLP is more photoactive than single‐layer photoelectrode. The enhanced performance of DLP is mainly attributed to the improved charge separation of the dual‐layer structure. © 2012 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust Bumpless Transfer Design Using Adaptive Sliding Mode Approach
Authors: Qi Yiwen , Bao Wen
Published: September 2012

This study proposes a robust bumpless transfer scheme for controller switched systems with parametric uncertainty and external disturbances. It is based on an additional compensator, which is activated at and before the switching time, for reducing the control discontinuities. The designed bumpless transfer compensator is given based on model reference and adaptive sliding mode control. Conditions to guarantee the stability of a model matching closed‐loop system are provided using a Lyapunov function. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Psycholegal Abilities and Restoration of Competence to Stand Trial
Authors: Morris Douglas R. , DeYoung Nathaniel J.
Published: September 2012

Criminal defendants adjudicated incompetent to stand trial are typically hospitalized for competence restoration in state institutions. Prolonged restoration hospitalizations involve civil rights concerns and increasing financial costs, and there remains interest in determining which individuals are likely to be successfully restored. We retrospectively reviewed hospital records of 455 male defendants admitted to a forensic treatment center for competence restoration in an effort to determine whether psychiatric diagnoses, demographic factors, or psycholegal abilities were predictive of successful or failed restoration. At varying stages of restoration efforts, psychotic disorder, mental retardation, and previous state hospitalization predicted unsuccessful restoration, while substance use and personality disorders were predictive of successful restoration. Psycholegal abilities were predictive of successful restoration and appeared to form a continuum, with basic behavior and outlook, factual legal understanding, and rational attorney assistance factors demonstrating progressively increased importance in successful restoration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ADM1‐Based Robust Interval Observer for Anaerobic Digestion Processes
Authors: Montiel‐Escobar José Luis , Alcaraz‐González Víctor , Méndez‐Acosta Hugo Oscar , González‐Álvarez Victor
Published: September 2012

A robust state estimation scheme is proposed for anaerobic digestion (AD) processes to estimate key variables under the most uncertain scenarios (namely, uncertainties on the process inputs and unknown reaction and specific growth rates). This scheme combines the use of the IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1), the interval observer theory and a minimum number of measurements to reconstruct the unmeasured process variables within guaranteed lower and upper bounds in which they evolve. The performance of this robust estimation scheme is evaluated via numerical simulations that are carried out under actual operating conditions. It is shown that under some structural and operational conditions, the proposed robust interval observer (RIO) has the property of remaining stable in the face of uncertain process inputs, badly known kinetics and load disturbances. It is also shown that the RIO is indeed a powerful tool for the estimation of biomass (composed of seven different species) from a minimum number of measurements in a system with a total of 32 variables from which 24 correspond to state variables.