bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ANU: an ultra lightweight cipher design for security in IoT
Authors: Bansod Gaurav , Patil Abhijit , Sutar Swapnil , Pisharoty Narayan
Published: October 2016

This paper proposes an ultra lightweight cipher ANU. ANU is a balanced Feistel‐based network. ANU supports 64 bit plaintext and 128/80 bit key length, and it has total 25 rounds. It needs only 1015 gate equivalents for 128 bit key length that is less as compared with all existing lightweight ciphers. Its memory size is minimal, and power consumption is very less. It needs only 22 mW of dynamic power, while PRESENT cipher consumes 39 mW of power. This paper furnishes the complete security analysis of the ANU cipher design. Our security analysis shows that ANU can attain ample security level against linear and differential cryptanalysis, biclique attack, zero‐correlation attack, and algebraic attack. Biclique cryptanalysis provides maximal data complexity of 264. ANU cipher not only needs less gate equivalents but also it consumes very less power and has less memory requirement. ANU cipher is best suited for applications like Internet of Things. The design of ANU cipher will have a positive impact in the field of lightweight cryptography. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CEO political ideologies and pay egalitarianism within top management teams
Authors: Chin M. K. , Semadeni Matthew
Published: October 2016

Research summary: We examine the influence of CEO and compensation committee liberalism on top management teams (TMT) pay arrangements. Given that politically liberal individuals tend to value egalitarianism, we test whether firms with liberal CEOs tend to (1) reduce pay dispersion among non‐CEO executives; and (2) reduce pay gaps between CEO and non‐CEO executives, and whether compensation committee liberalism moderates these relationships. We find some evidence of a direct effect of CEO liberalism on TMT pay arrangements as well as some interaction between CEO and compensation committee liberalism on the pay arrangements. This study provides a better understanding of the antecedents of TMT pay arrangements and empirical evidence showing the influence of values at the top of organization.

Managerial summary: Do the values of the CEO and compensation committee influence the pay of other top managers? Our study provides evidence that political ideology affects top manager pay. We examine whether CEO liberalism produces more egalitarian pay arrangements among top managers, and whether the liberalism of the compensation committee affects that relationship. We find that CEO liberalism reduces differences in the total pay among top managers, but does not influence the difference between CEO total pay and the total pay of top managers. We also find that compensation committee liberalism strengthens the negative influence of CEO liberalism on differences in total pay among top managers. Finally, we find that CEO liberalism reduces the difference between CEO bonus pay and the bonus pay of other top managers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Stillbirth and intrauterine fetal death: role of routine histopathological placental findings to determine cause of death
Authors: Man J. , Hutchinson J. C. , Heazell A. E. , Ashworth M. , Jeffrey I. , Sebire N. J.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Placental abnormalities are a common cause of death in stillbirth, ranking second only to unexplained deaths, though there is wide variation in the proportion attributed to placental disease. In clinical practice, interpretation of the significance of placental findings is difficult, since many placental features in stillbirths overlap with those in live births. Our aim was to examine objectively classified placental findings from a series of > 1000 autopsies following intrauterine death in order to evaluate the role of placental histological examination in determining the cause of death.

Methods

As part of a larger study evaluating several aspects of autopsy findings in intrauterine death, a dedicated database was used to collate antenatal and postmortem examination details for all cases examined between 2005 and 2013 at two tertiary specialist centers in London, UK. Histological findings for placentas were evaluated in relation to the final cause of death.

Results

Among 1064 intrauterine deaths, 946 (89%) cases had the placenta submitted for examination as part of the autopsy. Of these, 307 (32%) cases had the cause of death assigned to abnormalities of the placenta, cord or membranes. Around one third of stillbirths (≥ 24 weeks) had some isolated placental histological abnormality identified, many of uncertain significance, a significantly greater proportion than in cases of second‐trimester intrauterine fetal demise (P < 0.0001). The cause of death was ascending infection in 176/946 (19%) cases, peaking at 22 weeks' gestation, with significantly more black mothers having ascending infection compared with other ethnicities (P < 0.0001). Maternal vascular malperfusion was the largest category of placental abnormalities in stillbirth, with peak prevalence in the early third trimester. There were 18 (2%) cases with specific histological abnormalities, including chronic histiocytic intervillositis and massive perivillous fibrin deposition.

Conclusions

Placental pathologies represent the largest category of cause of intrauterine death. Placental histological examination is the single most useful component of the autopsy process in this clinical setting. A minority of cases are associated with specific placental pathologies, often with high recurrence rates, that can be diagnosed only on microscopic examination of the placenta. Many deaths remain unexplained, although placental histological lesions may be present which are of uncertain significance. A rigorous, systematic approach to placental pathology research and classification may yield better understanding of the significance of placental findings and reduce the rate of unexplained intrauterine deaths. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Stillbirth and intrauterine fetal death: role of routine histological organ sampling to determine cause of death
Authors: Man J. , Hutchinson J. C. , Ashworth M. , Judge‐Kronis L. , Levine S. , Sebire N. J.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Guidelines for the investigation of intrauterine death and sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) recommend, based on expert opinion, autopsy procedures and tissue sampling strategies for histological analysis. Although stillbirth is much more common than SUDI, there have been no large‐scale studies published which evaluate the usefulness of histological evaluation of specific organs in stillbirth for determining cause of death. Our aim was to evaluate the use of macroscopic and microscopic assessment of internal organs to determine cause of intrauterine death.

Methods

As part of a larger study evaluating several aspects of autopsy findings in intrauterine death, a dedicated database was used to collate antenatal and postmortem examination details for cases of intrauterine death examined between 2005 and 2013 at two tertiary specialist centers in London, UK. Histological findings for all organs were examined in relation to the final cause of death, as determined by objective criteria.

Results

Among 1064 intrauterine deaths, the majority (> 80%) of cases had internal organs that were normal on both macroscopic and microscopic examination. There was no case in which histological cardiac examination provided the cause of death when the macroscopic appearance of the heart was normal. Microscopic examination of lung tissue revealed 13 (1%) cases with histological abnormalities that provided the cause of death when the macroscopic appearance was normal, but there was only one (0.1%) case in which the diagnosis would not have been apparent on placental examination: a case of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. There was no case in which microscopic examination of macroscopically normal liver, kidneys, adrenals, spleen, thymus, intestines, pancreas, brain or thyroid provided the cause of death.

Conclusion

In this large series of autopsies in cases of intrauterine death, only around 1% of cases demonstrated histological abnormalities which provided the cause of death when the internal organs appeared normal macroscopically. There was no case in which routine histological examination of most tissues provided diagnostically useful information that was not apparent from other examinations, such as placental pathology. There is little benefit, purely in terms of determining cause of death, in obtaining tissue from most macroscopically normal organs for routine histological examination. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Trends and Hospital Variations in Surgical Outcomes for Cholangiocarcinoma in New York State
Authors: Liu Han , Cen Xi , Suo Tao , Cai Xueya , Yuan Xuewen , Shen Sheng , Liu Houbao , Li Yue
Published: October 2016

Background

This population‐based study examined surgical outcomes and hospital and post‐acute care resource use after operations of cholangiocarcinoma during 2005–2012.

Study design

Using New York State hospital claims, we identified subjects with intrahepatic tumor who underwent hepatectomy only (n = 2089), subjects with perihilar tumor who underwent hepatectomy and biliary‐enteric anastomosis (BEA; n = 389) or BEA only (n = 3721), and subjects with distal cholangiocarcinoma undergoing pancreatectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy (n = 228). We performed trend analyses for each group and calculated overall risk‐adjusted mortality, complication, and 30‐day readmission rates for hospitals using multivariable logistic regressions.

Results

Mortality rate was roughly 12 % over years for perihilar cases undergoing hepatectomy and BEA, significantly higher than the rates of other 3 groups (p = 0.000). The overall complication rate was 40 % for subjects undergoing both hepatectomy and BEA, more than doubling the rate for subjects undergoing hepatectomy or BEA alone (p = 0.000). Average LOS declined markedly for perihilar cases undergoing hepatectomy and BEA (from 21 days in 2005 to 16 days in 2012) and subjects with distal cholangiocarcinoma (from 22 days in 2005 to 16 days in 2012), but other outcomes did not change dramatically. Risk‐adjusted hospital outcome rates varied substantially.

Conclusions

Surgical patients with cholangiocarcinoma incur considerable mortality, postoperative complications, and resource uses, especially among those undergoing hepatectomy and BEA for perihilar tumors.
Service Block Time Allocation in the US Army Medical Command
Authors: Welder Matthew D. , Warhurst Keith A. , Anderson Wesley J.L. , Salazar Frank D. , Kertes Steven S. , Baxter Andrew C. , Stoddard Douglas R.
Published: October 2016

Service block time allocation is a critical requirement for the optimization of patient throughput and access to care in the Surgical Services Service Line of the US Army Medical Command. The procedure complexity, volume, and diversity across 25 facilities create significant variation in service block time. This variation requires the involvement of both the informatics and leadership teams for block time allocation to be effective. This article describes our use of the Army's Surgery Scheduling System, which includes service block time as an embedded function, to develop a standardized process that helps ensure service block time is optimized. We also present guidelines for block time allocation and offer case studies that demonstrate the application of these guidelines.
Physician as a Conscious Leader
Authors: Nabili Vishad
Published: October 2016

Surgical practice requires the mastery of modern leadership principles and skills in addition to the acquisition of medical knowledge and technical skills. Previously, there was no formal leadership training in graduate medical education at the David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, and resident physicians identified a lack of leadership skills training as an area of weakness. Leadership education for surgeons can improve the perioperative atmosphere and positively affect interpersonal collaboration with perioperative nurse colleagues. Physicians are leaders in daily patient care, and they need leadership training with an emphasis on consciousness to be successful leaders. This article reviews a leadership program that I instituted at the David Geffen School of Medicine, which teaches leadership skills and techniques that emphasize consciousness as a physician leader. This patient‐based leadership program demonstrates the tools, methods, and techniques that physicians need to be successful as conscious leaders.
Pulling Harder than the Hamate Tolerates: Evaluation of Hamate Injuries in Rock Climbing and Bouldering
Authors: Lutter Christoph , Schweizer Andreas , Hochholzer Thomas , Bayer Thomas , Schöffl Volker
Published: October 2016

Objective

Hamate hook fractures are rare injuries, comprising 2% to 4% of all carpal fractures. Climbing athletes seem to be affected more frequently than others, as they strain the passive and active anatomical structures of their hands and fingers to maximum capacity during training or competing. This stress is transmitted to the hook of the hamate by tightened flexor tendons, which creates high contact pressure to the ulnar margin of the carpal tunnel. Injuries of the hamate hook, caused by contact pressure of the anatomical structures, are rare and occur nearly exclusively during climbing.

Methods

We diagnosed 12 athletes with hamate hook fractures who presented with diffuse pain in the wrist joint, which occurred either during or after climbing. Radiographs or computed tomography revealed fractures in the hamate bones in most of the patients; therapy consisted of consequent stress reduction.

Results

Follow-up investigations found that all athletes were free of symptoms after 10.7 ± 5.1 (6–24) (mean ± standard deviation with range) weeks. Resection of the hamate hook was necessary in 3 patients. All patients regained their preinjury climbing level.

Conclusion

Climbers with an unspecific, diffuse pain in the wrist need to be examined by radiograph and, if radiograph is unclear, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to detect or exclude the diagnosis of hamate fracture in order to avoid severe complications.
SGEM Hot Off the Press: ultrasound during critical care simulation: a randomized crossover study
Authors: McKenna Paul , Thoma Brent , Milne Ken , Bond Chris
Published: October 2016

As part of the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine’s (CJEM) developing social media strategy,1 we are collaborating with the Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine (SGEM) to summarize and critically appraise the current emergency medicine (EM) literature using evidence-based medicine principles. In the “Hot Off the Press” series, we select original research manuscripts published in CJEM to be featured on the SGEM website/podcast2 and discussed by the study authors and the online EM community. A similar collaboration is underway between the SGEM and Academic Emergency Medicine. What follows is a summary of the selected article the immediate post-publication synthesis from the SGEM podcast, commentary by the first author, and the subsequent discussion from the SGEM blog and other social media. Through this series, we hope to enhance the value, accessibility, and application of important, clinically relevant EM research. In this, the third SGEM HOP hosted collaboratively with CJEM, we discuss Olszynski et al.’s randomized crossover study evaluating the use of ultrasound simulator devices during critical care simulation.3
How to Work with Complex Families in Regional Tasmania: Putting Theory into Practice
Authors: Best Priscilla E. , Lambie Ebony J.
Published: October 2016

This paper explores the complexities of how to get our families who are often in a chaotic state of surviving (emotionally, psychologically, and physiologically) to the point where they can process psychoeducation, develop parenting skills, and implement strategies to care for children in enduring ways and to feel successful in their everyday lives. This exploration led us to ponder two questions:

1.

What are “good” working relationships?

2.

How do these relationships benefit the families we work with?

To explore these questions further, we turn to a fuller body of research on Attachment Theory and Polyvagal Theory that gives a better understanding and comprehension of incorporating these theories into practice. This paper attempts to illustrate how the workers in the North-West Early Start Therapeutic Support programme delivered by Anglicare Tasmania develop good working relationships with families and how this translates to providing enduring care for their children.
Association of Airborne Microorganisms in the Operating Room With Implant Infections: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Darouiche Rabih O. , Green David M. , Harrington Melvyn A. , Ehni Bruce L. , Kougias Panagiotis , Bechara Carlos F. , O’Connor Daniel P.
Published: October 2016

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of airborne colony-forming units (CFU) at incision sites during implantation of prostheses with the incidence of either incisional or prosthesis-related surgical site infections.

DESIGN

Randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING

Primary, public institution.

PATIENTS

Three hundred patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, instrumented spinal procedures, or vascular bypass graft implantation.

METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group or the control group. A novel device (Air Barrier System), previously shown to reduce airborne CFU at incision sites, was utilized in the intervention group. Procedures assigned to the control group were performed without the device, under routine operating room atmospheric conditions. Patients were followed up for 12 months to determine whether airborne CFU levels at the incision sites predicted the incidence of incisional or prosthesis-related infection.

RESULTS

Data were available for 294 patients, 148 in the intervention group and 146 in the control group. CFU density at the incision site was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (P<.001). The density of airborne CFU at the incision site during the procedures was significantly related to the incidence of implant infection (P=.021). Airborne CFU densities were 4 times greater in procedures with implant infection versus no implant infection. All 4 of the observed prosthesis infections occurred in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Reduction of airborne CFU specifically at the incision site during operations may be an effective strategy to reduce prosthesis-related infections. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01610271

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–8
High-fidelity simulation of a standing-wave thermoacoustic–piezoelectric engine
Authors: Lin Jeffrey , Scalo Carlo , Hesselink Lambertus
Published: October 2016

We have carried out wall-resolved unstructured fully compressible Navier–Stokes simulations of a complete standing-wave thermoacoustic–piezoelectric engine model inspired by the experimental work of Smoker et al. (J. Appl. Phys., vol. 111 (10), 2012, 104901). The model is axisymmetric and comprises a 51 cm long resonator divided into two sections: a small-diameter section enclosing a thermoacoustic stack and a larger-diameter section capped by a piezoelectric diaphragm tuned to the thermoacoustically amplified mode (388 Hz). The diaphragm is modelled with multi-oscillator broadband time-domain impedance boundary conditions (TDIBCs), providing higher fidelity over single-oscillator approximations. Simulations are first carried out to the limit cycle without energy extraction. The observed growth rates are shown to be grid convergent and are verified against a numerical dynamical model based on Rott’s theory. The latter is based on a staggered grid approach and allows jump conditions in the derivatives of pressure and velocity in sections of abrupt area change and the inclusion of linearized minor losses. The stack geometry maximizing the growth rate is also found. At the limit cycle, thermoacoustic heat leakage and frequency shifts are observed, consistent with experiments. Upon activation of the piezoelectric diaphragm, steady acoustic energy extraction and a reduced pressure amplitude limit cycle are obtained. A heuristic closure of the limit cycle acoustic energy budget is presented, supported by the linear dynamical model and the nonlinear simulations. The developed high-fidelity simulation framework provides accurate predictions of thermal-to-acoustic and acoustic-to-mechanical energy conversion (via TDIBCs), enabling a new paradigm for the design and optimization of advanced thermoacoustic engines.
Subcritical convection of liquid metals in a rotating sphere using a quasi-geostrophic model
Authors: Guervilly Céline , Cardin Philippe
Published: October 2016

We study nonlinear convection in a rapidly rotating sphere with internal heating for values of the Prandtl number relevant for liquid metals ($Pr\in [10^{-2},10^{-1}]$). We use a numerical model based on the quasi-geostrophic approximation, in which variations of the axial vorticity along the rotation axis are neglected, whereas the temperature field is fully three-dimensional. We identify two separate branches of convection close to onset: (i) a well-known weak branch for Ekman numbers greater than $10^{-6}$, which is continuous at the onset (supercritical bifurcation) and consists of thermal Rossby waves and (ii) a novel strong branch at lower Ekman numbers, which is discontinuous at the onset. The strong branch becomes subcritical for Ekman numbers of the order of $10^{-8}$. On the strong branch, the Reynolds number of the flow is greater than $10^{3}$, and a strong zonal flow with multiple jets develops, even close to the nonlinear onset of convection. We find that the subcriticality is amplified by decreasing the Prandtl number. The two branches can co-exist for intermediate Ekman numbers, leading to hysteresis ($Ek=10^{-6}$, $Pr=10^{-2}$). Nonlinear oscillations are observed near the onset of convection for $Ek=10^{-7}$ and $Pr=10^{-1}$.
Research Note: “Negative” Personalization: Party Leaders and Party Strategy
Authors: Pruysers Scott , Cross William
Published: October 2016

While the negative campaigning literature has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years, the precise targets of campaign negativity have not been fully explored, as candidates and their parties are largely treated as the same target. Likewise, although scholars are increasingly writing about the personalization of politics, this literature has not considered whether parties can “personalize” their opponents by focusing their messaging and attacks more on individual leaders than the parties they lead. In an attempt to bridge the gap between these two literatures, we develop the concept of negative personalization. Negative personalization, as we define it, is an emphasis on opposing party leaders in campaign communication more so than on the parties that they lead. Exploring recent election campaigns in Canada's largest province, we document the extent to which parties engage in negative personalization and suggest hypotheses for the factors leading to increased negative personalization.
THE SADNESS OF EPARCHIUS AVITUS (SIDONIUS,CARM. 7.519-21)
Authors: Green Roger
Published: October 2016

In his panegyric of Avitus, his father-in-law, the poet Sidonius gives a vivid and often detailed picture of the career of the future emperor from his boyhood until he gained the supreme power in the West in the year 455, which he owed to his ability and accomplishments in warfare, diplomacy and administration. He also enjoyed strong support from both Goths and Gauls, and his repeated success in managing the volatility and the aspirations of the Goths is a major theme. This short note seeks to contribute to the understanding of his emergence as Augustus by proposing a new interpretation of a pivotal passage (lines 519–24), quoted below. The context can be briefly given. Sidonius has painted a graphic picture of the reaction among the Goths to the news of the Vandal capture of Rome in the year 455 (lines 441–57). In the ensuing assembly of Gothic elders Avitus (who happens to be with them at Toulouse at this moment) gives a speech that vigorously praises peace (lines 458–86), and this is favourably received. There follows a speech from the Gothic king, Theoderic II, in which he puts his own strong case for an agreement between Goths and Gauls, and seeks to persuade Avitus to fill the vacuum in Rome and Italy caused by the recent death of the emperor Petronius Maximus and take the name of Augustus (lines 489–518).
THE ATTAINMENT OF EVERY VIRTUE: A PINDARIC ALLUSION IN GRATTIUS’ CYNEGETICA
Authors: Whitlatch Lisa
Published: October 2016

Scholarship on Grattius’ Cynegetica, a minor Augustan didactic poem on hunting, has done a laudable job of finding allusions in the text or other ancient passages that elaborate the sometimes-obscure information that Grattius provides. Such scholarship has not led to a floruit for Grattian research, although the June 2015 conference ‘Grattius in context(s): Hunting an Augustan Poet’ indicates that there is more to the poem than meets the eye, for those who are willing to spend time with the text. One area particularly open to research is the influence of Greek authors, a subject not addressed even in the aforementioned conference. To demonstrate what work can be done, as well as to speculate on the underlying themes of Grattius’ Cynegetica, I wish to discuss one unnoticed allusion to the Greek epinician poet Pindar. These two authors are not often or obviously read in conjunction to one another, but there are moments of contact: a recognized reference occurs at Grat. 527, cantatus Graiis Acragas. One unrecognized moment of contact is when Grattius quotes Olympian 1.13 when discussing dog-breeding (Grat. 198). The allusion highlights that there is still literary work to be done on the Cynegetica to appreciate fully Grattius’ poetic agenda and how he establishes his authority—not to mention the idea that Grattius has an agenda at all. To discuss this reference, I will first focus on the technical aspects of the translation before discussing interpretations of the line and the allusion.
Adaptive tracking control of multi-link robots actuated by pneumatic muscles with additive disturbances
Authors: Karnjanaparichat Tarapong , Pongvuthithum Radom
Published: October 2016

In this paper, we study the problem of adaptive position tracking for a multi-link robot driven by two opposing pneumatic muscle groups with additive disturbances. In contrast to widely used sliding mode control methods, the proposed controller is continuous and able to prevent chattering. All physical parameters of the robot and the pneumatic muscles, including pneumatic muscle coefficients, link lengths and moments of inertia are unknown and can be time-varying and the unknown additive disturbances can be discontinuous. Under these conditions, we prove that closed-loop trajectories of all of the joint positions can track any C1 joint reference signal. The joint errors will be within a prescribed error bound in a finite time. The adaptive controller only uses the reference signal, not its derivative. The continuous adaptive gain is one-dimensional. Simulations including a two-link robot arm with friction and realistic muscle models are presented to demonstrate the robustness of the adaptive control under severe changes of the system parameters. In all simulations, the joint positions can track C1 trajectories and all errors are within the prescribed error bound in the same time frame, even though the muscle parameters are vastly different.
Restricted, Distorted but Alive: The Memory of the “Lost Generation” of Chinese Educated Youth
Authors: Bonnin Michel
Published: October 2016

During the 1980s, the immediate memory of the Maoist rustication movement expressed itself almost exclusively through the vector of literature, but since 1990, for reasons worth reflecting upon, a wide range of memorial activities have developed, involving a large number of the former educated youth (zhiqing). In the 2000s, this field benefited from the generalization of the internet and is still very much alive today. At each stage, this mainly popular or unofficial (minjian) memory had to negotiate a breathing space with a party-state still intent on controlling history and collective memory, especially concerning any topic directly linked with the Cultural Revolution. Thus, if memories of an important event are always varied because of the different personal experiences of the past and different individual situations and aspirations in the present, the spectrum of thezhiqingmemories has also been complicated by political considerations. This paper does not try to present an exhaustive picture of this large memorial field; instead, through different examples, it attempts to reflect upon the meaning of the strong memorial aspirations of thezhiqing. It argues that only a genuine respect for history (as shown in the remarkable endeavours of some formerzhiqing) will help this generation to transcend the conflict of memories to find meaning in its own fate.
Mummifying the Working Class: The Cultural Revolution and the Fates of the Political Parties of the 20th Century
Authors: Russo Alessandro
Published: October 2016

A number of prolonged political experiments in Chinese factories during the Cultural Revolution proved that, despite any alleged “historical” connection between the Communist Party and the “working class,” the role of the workers, lacking a deep political reinvention, was framed by a regime of subordination that was ultimately not dissimilar from that under capitalist command. This paper argues that one key point of Deng Xiaoping's reforms derived from taking these experimental results into account accurately but redirecting them towards the opposite aim, an even more stringent disciplining of wage labour. The outcome so far is a governmental discourse which plays an important role in upholding the term “working class” among the emblems of power, while at the same time nailing the workers to an unconditional obedience. The paper discusses the assumption that, while this stratagem is one factor behind the stabilization of the Chinese Communist Party, it has nonetheless affected the decline of the party systems inherited from the 20th century.
Mechanisms for floor surfaces or environmental ground contamination to cause human infection: a systematic review
Authors: RASHID T. , VONVILLE H. , HASAN I. , GAREY K. W.
Published: October 2016

Shoe soles have been shown to transfer infectious microorganisms to floor and ground surfaces. However, the possible modes of transmission of infectious agents from floors or ground surfaces to human contact for infection have not been systematically reviewed. A systematic review was performed on articles indexed in medical databases (Medline, EMBASE, PubMed) using a pre-defined search strategy and MeSH terms (date of last search: 15 March 2016). Only primary research studies in English that investigated the transmission dynamics of infectious microorganisms from floor or ground surfaces to human infection were included. Extraction of articles was performed two independent reviewers using pre-defined data fields in an Excel sheet. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria. Almost all hospital-associated microorganisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile, and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative species were identified on floor or ground surfaces. Several modes of transmission dynamics, most commonly direct contact or aerosolization, were identified. In conclusion, interventions such as efficient cleaning of floor surfaces and vectors that transfer infectious organisms to floors such as shoe soles could be an effective infection control strategy to prevent human disease.
A population-based longitudinal study of Clostridium difficile infection-related hospitalization in mid-age and older Australians
Authors: CHEN Y. , GLASS K. , LIU B. , RILEY T.V. , KORDA R. , KIRK M.D.
Published: October 2016

Clostridium difficile is the principal cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitalized patients. We investigated the incidence and risk factors for hospitalization due to C. difficile infection (CDI) in older Australians. We linked data from a population-based prospective cohort study (the 45 and Up Study) of 266 922 adults aged ⩾45 years recruited in New South Wales, Australia to hospitalization and death records for 2006–2012. We estimated the incidence of CDI hospitalization and calculated days in hospital and costs per hospitalization. We also estimated hazard ratios (HR) for CDI hospitalization using Cox regression with age as the underlying time variable. Over a total follow-up of 1 126 708 person-years, 187 adults had an incident CDI hospitalization. The crude incidence of CDI hospitalization was 16·6/100 000 person-years, with a median hospital stay of 6 days, and a median cost of AUD 6102 per admission. Incidence increased with age and year of follow-up, with a threefold increase for 2009–2012. After adjustment, CDI hospitalization rates were significantly lower in males than females (adjusted HR 0·6, 95% confidence interval 0·4–0·7). CDI hospitalization rates increased significantly over 2009–2012. There is a need to better understand the increasing risk of CDI hospitalization in women.
Risk assessment and laboratory investigation of respiratory illness in travellers returning to Singapore 2012–2015: experience from the MERS-CoV Surveillance Programme
Authors: WIN M. K. , CHOW A. , HO H. J. , TAY S. Y. , LEO Y. S.
Published: October 2016

Since the emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Singapore has enhanced its national surveillance system to detect the potential importation of this novel pathogen. Using the guidelines from the Singapore Ministry of Health, a suspect case was defined as a person with clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of pneumonia or severe respiratory infection with breathlessness, and with an epidemiological link to countries where MERS-CoV cases had been reported within the preceding 14 days. This report describes a retrospective review of 851 suspected MERS-CoV cases assessed at the adult tertiary-care hospital in Singapore between September 2012 and December 2015. In total, 262 patients (31%) were hospitalized. All had MERS-CoV infection ruled out by RT–PCR or clinical assessment. Two hundred and thirty (88%) of the hospitalized patients were also investigated for influenza virus by RT–PCR. Of these, 62 (27%) tested positive for seasonal influenza. None of the patients with positive influenza results had been vaccinated in the year prior to hospital admission. Ninety-three (36%) out of the 262 hospitalized patients had clinical and/or radiological evidence of pneumonia. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of pre-travel vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease.
Group C rotavirus infection in patients with acute gastroenteritis in outbreaks in western India between 2006 and 2014
Authors: JOSHI M. S. , JARE V. M. , GOPALKRISHNA V.
Published: October 2016

Faecal specimens collected from outbreak (n = 253) and sporadic (n = 147) cases of acute gastroenteritis that occurred in western India between 2006 and 2014 were tested for group C rotavirus (GCR) using partial VP6 gene-based RT–PCR. All specimens were tested previously for the presence of other viral and bacterial aetiological agents by conventional methods. The rate of GCR detection was 8·6% and 0·7% in outbreak and sporadic cases, respectively. GCR infections prevailed in outbreaks reported from rural areas (10·9%) compared to urban areas (1·6%). Clinical severity score of the patients with GCR infection (n = 23) indicated severe disease in the majority (70%) of cases. The age distribution analysis indicated 52·1% of GCR infections in children aged <10 years. The male:female ratio in GCR-positive patients was 2·3:1. Of the 23 GCR-positive cases, 17 (73·9%) had a sole GCR infection and six had mixed infections with other viral and/or bacterial agents. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences classified GCR strains of the study in to I2 genotype of the VP6 gene. This is the first study to show the occurrence of GCR in gastroenteritis outbreaks in India.
Meiotic arrest as an alternative to increase the production of bovine embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors: Caixeta F.M.C. , Sousa R.V. , Guimarães A.L. , Leme L.O. , Sprícigo J.F.W. , Netto S.B. Senna , Pivato I. , Dode M.A.N.
Published: October 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of meiotic arrest using phosphodiesterase type 3A (PDE 3A) inhibitors, cilostamide and C-type natriuretic peptide (NPPC), on pre-maturation (PM) of oocytes to be used in the production of cloned embryos. Nuclear maturation, in vitro embryo production (IVP), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and parthenogenetic activation (PA), and total cells number of cloned embryos were evaluated. The results were analysed by chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis test with a P-value <0.05 considered to be significant. Approximately 87.8% of the oocytes remained at germinal vesicle stage (GV) after 6 h of PM with 5 μM of cilostamide, confirming the meiotic block. Embryo development in IVP was similar (P > 0.05) between control and PM, both for cleavage (78.2% and 76.9%) and blastocyst (35.5% and 29.3%) rates. After SCNT, cleavage rate was also similar (P > 0.05) between control and PM (66% and 51.9%) however, blastocyst rate was lower (P < 0.05) in the PM group than in the control group (7.4% and 30.2%). After 6 h of PM with 100 nM of NPPC, approximately 84.9% of the oocytes remained at GV. No difference was found between control and PM in cleavage (69.2% and 76.1%) and blastocyst rates (37,4% and 35%) after IVP. Similarly, no differences between PM and control groups were observed for cleavage (69.2% and 68.4%) and blastocyst (24.4% and 21.5%) rates. SCNT and PA embryos from control or PM oocytes had similar total cell number. It can be concluded that PM for 6 h with 100 nM NPPC is feasible for cloned embryo production without affecting embryo outcome.
Contributions of nonlinguistic task-shifting to language control in bilingual children
Authors: GROSS MEGAN , KAUSHANSKAYA MARGARITA
Published: October 2016

Language control, bilinguals’ ability to regulate which language is used, has been posited to recruit domain-general cognitive control. However, studies relating language control and cognitive control have yielded mixed results in adults and have not been undertaken in children. The current study examined the contributions of nonlinguistic task-shifting to language control in Spanish–English bilingual children (ages 5–7) during a cued-switch picture-naming task. Language control was assessed at two levels: (1) cross-language errors, which indexed the success of language selection, and (2) naming speed, which indexed the efficiency of lexical selection. Nonlinguistic task-shifting was a robust predictor of children's cross-language errors, reflecting a role for domain-general cognitive control during language selection. However, task-shifting predicted naming speed only in children's non-dominant language, suggesting a more nuanced role for cognitive control in the efficiency of selecting a particular lexical target.
Electron Probe Microanalysis of Ni Silicides Using Ni-L X-Ray Lines
Authors: Llovet Xavier , Pinard Philippe T. , Heikinheimo Erkki , Louhenkilpi Seppo , Richter Silvia
Published: October 2016

We report electron probe microanalysis measurements on nickel silicides, Ni5Si2, Ni2Si, Ni3Si2, and NiSi, which were done in order to investigate anomalies that affect the analysis of such materials by using the Ni L3-M4,5line (Lα). Possible sources of systematic discrepancies between experimental data and theoretical predictions of Ni L3-M4,5k-ratios are examined, and special attention is paid to dependence of the Ni L3-M4,5k-ratios on mass-attenuation coefficients and partial fluorescence yields. Self-absorption X-ray spectra and empirical mass-attenuation coefficients were obtained for the considered materials from X-ray emission spectra and relative X-ray intensity measurements, respectively. It is shown that calculatedk-ratios with empirical mass attenuation coefficients and modified partial fluorescence yields give better agreement with experimental data, except at very low accelerating voltages. Alternatively, satisfactory agreement is also achieved by using the Ni L3-M1line (Lℓ) instead of the Ni L3-M4,5line.
SCHOOL GARDENS IN THE CITY
Authors: Ray Rashawn , Fisher Dana R. , Fisher-Maltese Carley
Published: October 2016

W. E. B. Du Bois’s perspective on education was that the social and physical environments outside of schools matter to the learning that takes place inside schools. Existing research shows that due to environmental disparities in school and neighborhood contexts, Black and low-income children spend less time in activities that promote physical, cognitive, and social capabilities. These outside environmental factors influence the academic achievement gap. School gardens are noted as resources that capture the fluid environments between schools and neighborhoods. Little research, however, has quantitatively examined whether school gardens actually help to attenuate race and class inequality in academic achievement. We aim to determine how school gardens serve as gateways to help close the achievement gap. We analyze quantitative data on fifth graders’ math, reading, and science standardized test scores in Washington, DC with two main aims: (1) To compare differences between traditional schools and garden-based learning schools to determine whether students who have a school garden perform academically better than their counterparts; and (2) to examine whether the presence of a school garden plays a role in reducing race and social class disparities in academic achievement. We find that the presence of a school garden is associated with higher test scores and persists even when controlling for the race and class composition of students for reading and science. We conclude by discussing how school gardens can be used as a policy tool to create more environmental equity in urban areas.
Zhan Receives 2016 Keiiti Aki Young Scientist Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: October 2016

Zhongwen Zhan will receive the 2016 Keiiti Aki Young Scientist Award at the 2016 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, to be held 12–16 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes the scientific accomplishments of a young scientist who makes outstanding contributions to the advancement of seismology.
Permanent ferroelectric retention of BiFeO3 mesocrystal
Authors: Hsieh Ying-Hui , Xue Fei , Yang Tiannan , Liu Heng-Jui , Zhu Yuanmin , Chen Yi-Chun , Zhan Qian , Duan Chun-Gang , Chen Long-Qing , He Qing , Chu Ying-Hao
Published: October 2016

Non-volatile electronic devices based on magnetoelectric multiferroics have triggered new possibilities of outperforming conventional devices for applications. However, ferroelectric reliability issues, such as imprint, retention and fatigue, must be solved before the realization of practical devices. In this study, everlasting ferroelectric retention in the heteroepitaxially constrained multiferroic mesocrystal is reported, suggesting a new approach to overcome the failure of ferroelectric retention. Studied by scanning probe microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and supported via the phase-field simulations, the key to the success of ferroelectric retention is to prevent the crystal from ferroelastic deformation during the relaxation of the spontaneous polarization in a ferroelectric nanocrystal.
Domestication and ontogeny effects on the stress response in young chickens (Gallus gallus)
Authors: Ericsson Maria , Jensen Per
Published: October 2016

Domestication is thought to increase stress tolerance. The connection between stressor exposure, glucocorticoids and behavioural responses has been studied in adults, where domestication effects are evident. Early stress exposure may induce detrimental effects both in short-and long term. Previous research has reported a lack of glucocorticoid response in newly hatched chickens (Gallus gallus), whereas others have found opposite results. Hence it remains unclear whether the HPA-axis is functional from hatch, and if domestication has affected the early post-hatch ontogeny of the stress response. Our aims were to investigate the early ontogeny of the HPA-axis and characterize behavioural and hormonal stress responses in ancestral Red Junglefowl and in two domestic layer strains. Plasma corticosteone and behavioural responses before and after physical restraint was measured on day one, nine, 16 and 23 post hatch. The results showed significant increases of corticosterone after stress in all three breeds at all the different ages. The HPA-response decreased with age and was lower in Red Junglefowl. Behavioural responses also decreased with age, and tended to be stronger in Red Junglefowl. In summary, the HPA-axis is reactive from day one, and domestication may have affected its development and reactivity, alongside with related behaviour responses.
Structural elucidation of estrus urinary lipocalin protein (EULP) and evaluating binding affinity with pheromones using molecular docking and fluorescence study
Authors: Rajesh Durairaj , Muthukumar Subramanian , Saibaba Ganesan , Siva Durairaj , Akbarsha Mohammad Abdulkader , Gulyás Balázs , Padmanabhan Parasuraman , Archunan Govindaraju
Published: October 2016

Transportation of pheromones bound with carrier proteins belonging to lipocalin superfamily is known to prolong chemo-signal communication between individuals belonging to the same species. Members of lipocalin family (MLF) proteins have three structurally conserved motifs for delivery of hydrophobic molecules to the specific recognizer. However, computational analyses are critically required to validate and emphasize the sequence and structural annotation of MLF. This study focused to elucidate the evolution, structural documentation, stability and binding efficiency of estrus urinary lipocalin protein (EULP) with endogenous pheromones adopting in-silico and fluorescence study. The results revealed that: (i) EULP perhaps originated from fatty acid binding protein (FABP) revealed in evolutionary analysis; (ii) Dynamic simulation study shows that EULP is highly stable at below 0.45 Å of root mean square deviation (RMSD); (iii) Docking evaluation shows that EULP has higher binding energy with farnesol and 2-iso-butyl-3-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) than 2-naphthol; and (iv) Competitive binding and quenching assay revealed that purified EULP has good binding interaction with farnesol. Both, In-silico and experimental studies showed that EULP is an efficient binding partner to pheromones. The present study provides impetus to create a point mutation for increasing longevity of EULP to develop pheromone trap for rodent pest management.