bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delivery of radiation therapy in resource‐limited settings: A pilot quality assessment study
Authors: Power‐Hays Alexandra , Friedrich Paola , Fernandez Gretchen , Cruz Naly A. , Marcus Karen , Rodriguez‐Galindo Carlos , Collado Luisa
Published: February 2017

Progress has been made in resource‐limited countries in treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but advances in solid malignancies have been slower. Multidisciplinary care coordination is challenging, assessing adherence to guidelines through quality improvement initiatives is essential. We characterized deviations from guidelines in the delivery of radiation in a middle‐income country program as a pilot for evaluating adequacy of local control and as surrogate for integration of multidisciplinary care. One‐third of patients for whom it was indicated did not receive radiation. Of the patients who received radiation, 95% had a deviation. This study underscores the importance of quality assessment in resource‐limited settings.
Amphiphilic block copolymer poly(lactic acid)‐block‐(glycidylazide polymer)‐block‐polystyrene: synthesis and self‐assembly
Authors: Li Guoping , Dong Haoxue , Liu Menghui , Xia Min , Chai Chunpeng , Luo Yunjun
Published: February 2017

The triblock energetic copolymer poly(lactic acid)‐block‐(glycidylazide polymer)‐block‐polystyrene (PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS) was synthesized successfully through atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene and ring‐opening polymerization of d,l‐lactide. The energetic macroinitiator GAP‐Br, which was made from reacting equimolar GAP with α‐bromoisobutyryl bromide, firstly triggered the ATRP of styrene with its bromide group, and then the hydroxyl group on the GAP end of the resulting diblock copolymer participated in the polymerization of lactide in the presence of stannous octoate. The triblock copolymer PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS had a narrow distribution of molecular weight. In the copolymer, the PS block was solvophilic in toluene and improved the stability of the structure, the PLA block was solvophobic in toluene and served as the sacrificial component for the preparation of porous materials, and GAP was the basic and energetic material. The three blocks of the copolymer were fundamentally thermodynamically immiscible, which led to the self‐assembly of the block copolymer in solution. Further studies showed that the concentration and solubility of the copolymer and the polarity of the solvent affected the morphology and size of the micelles generated from the self‐assembly of PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS. The micelles generated in organic solvents at 10 mg mL−1 copolymer concentration were spherical but became irregular when water was used as a co‐solvent. The spherical micelles self‐assembled in toluene had three distinct layers, with the diameter of the micelles increasing from 60 to 250 nm as the concentration of the copolymer increased from 5 to 15 mg L−1. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Concise Review: Innate and Adaptive Immune Recognition of Allogeneic and Xenogeneic Cell Transplants in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Hoornaert Chloé J. , Le Blon Debbie , Quarta Alessandra , Daans Jasmijn , Goossens Herman , Berneman Zwi , Ponsaerts Peter
Published: February 2017

Over the last 30 years, numerous allogeneic and xenogeneic cell grafts have been transplanted into the central nervous system (CNS) of mice and men in an attempt to cure neurological diseases. In the early studies, human or porcine embryonic neural cells were grafted in the striatum of animals or patients in an attempt to replace lost neurons. Although the immune-privileged status of the brain as a recipient organ was widely accepted, it rapidly became evident that CNS-grafted allogeneic and xenogeneic cells could be recognized and rejected by the immune system, resulting in poor neural graft survival and limited functional recovery. Since then, the CNS transplantation field has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of studies in which allogeneic and xenogeneic neural or mesenchymal stem cells (NSCs or MSCs, respectively) are transplanted, predominantly aiming at providing trophic stimulation and promoting endogenous repair of the brain. Interestingly, in many recent NSC and MSC-based publications functional improvement was used as the principal measure to evaluate the success of cell transplantation, while the fate of transplanted cells remained largely unreported. In this review, we first attempt to understand why primary neural cell isolates were largely substituted for NSCs and MSCs in cell grafting studies. Next, we review the current knowledge on the immune mechanisms involved in the recognition and rejection of allogeneic and xenogeneic cellular grafts in the CNS. Finally, we propose strategies to reduce graft immunogenicity and to improve graft survival in order to design improved cell-based CNS therapies.
The Habsburg Monarchy, 1490-1848
Authors: Fichtner Paula Sutter
Published: February 2017

The Habsburg monarchy was a singular experiment in diversity within the European continent. By the eighteenth century it stretched from the Austrian Netherlands to the Balkans and southern Poland, and south into Italy. Its subjects spoke a number of languages, and while the social and institutional structure of these lands shared common features, there were also substantial differences among them. Was the Habsburg monarchy therefore an empire like those of Great Britain, France or Spain?

Drawing upon modern theoretical perspectives on European expansion to answer this question, Paula Sutter Fichtner argues that the Habsburg holdings did indeed constitute a form of European imperialism, and that they are best understood in such terms.
A Conversation: Historiographic Issues in American Higher Education
Authors: Eisenmann Linda , Hutcheson Philo A. , Nidiffer Jana
Published: February 2017

Many of us who teach the history of American higher education likely experience an uncomfortable moment at the beginning of each collegiate term when we order for our classes a book first published in 1962: Frederick Rudolph's classic The American College and University: A History. Of course, we are somewhat heartened by choosing the 1990 republished version with its fine new introduction by John Thelin, as well as by requiring Lester Goodchild and Harold Wechsler's recently revised compendium of articles, The History of Higher Education. Nonetheless, choosing a textbook as old as Rudolph's for a basic overview of the field feels awkward to historians who are witnessing a surge of work in the history of American higher education.
Incidental nodal metastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in neck dissection specimens from head and neck cancer patients
Authors: Lenzi R , Marchetti M , Muscatello L
Published: February 2017

Background:

Occult differentiated thyroid carcinomas are not uncommon. The initial presentation of a thyroid carcinoma is often detection of a metastatic cervical lymph node.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of 304 patients who underwent neck dissection between 1996 and 2008 for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Results:

Ten patients (3.3 per cent) had nodal metastasis originating from papillary thyroid cancer. All of these patients underwent thyroidectomy and post-operative 131iodine radiometabolic therapy. No patient developed a thyroid tumour after surgery.

Conclusion:

Despite its metastatic spread, thyroid cancer does not affect the overall prognosis of patients who are already being treated for a more aggressive malignancy. However, in otherwise healthy patients, it is worth treating this second malignancy to avoid potential complications related to local disease or metastatic thyroid cancer.
Single CD28 stimulation induces stable and polyclonal expansion of human regulatory T cells
Authors: He Xuehui , Smeets Ruben L. , van Rijssen Esther , Boots Annemieke M. H. , Joosten Irma , Koenen Hans J. P. M.
Published: February 2017

CD4+FOXP3+ Treg are essential for immune tolerance. Phase-1 clinical trials of Treg-therapy to treat graft-versus-host-disease reported safety and potential therapeutic efficacy. Treg-based trials have started in organ-transplant patients. However, efficientex vivoexpansion of a stable Treg population remains a challenge and exploring novel ways for Treg expansion is a pre-requisite for successful immunotherapy. Based on the recent finding that CD28-signaling is crucial for survival and proliferation of mouse Treg, we studied single-CD28 stimulation of human Treg, without T cell receptor stimulation. Single-CD28 stimulation of human Treg in the presence of recombinant human IL-2(rhIL-2), as compared to CD3/CD28/rhIL-2 stimulation, led to higher expression levels of FOXP3. Although the single-CD28 expanded Treg population was equally suppressive to CD3/CD28 expanded Treg, pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-17A/IFNγ) production was strongly inhibited, indicating that single-CD28 stimulation promotes Treg stability. As single-CD28 stimulation led to limited expansion rates, we examined a CD28-superagonist antibody and demonstrate a significant increased Treg expansion that was more efficient than standard anti-CD3/CD28-bead stimulation. CD28-superagonist stimulation drove both naïve and memory Treg proliferation. CD28-superagonist induction of stable Treg appeared both PI3K and mTOR dependent. Regarding efficient and stable expansion of Treg for adoptive Treg-based immunotherapy, application of CD28-superagonist stimulation is of interest.
Photoinduced Oxidative Cross-Coupling for O–S Bond Formation: A Facile Synthesis of Alkyl Benzenesulfonates
Authors: Lei Aiwen , Singh Atul , Yi Hong , Zhang Guoting , Bian Changliang , Pei Pengkun
Published: February 2017

We have developed a photoinduced oxidative cross-coupling of thiophenols with alcohols for O–S bond formation. The protocol uses visible light, a metal-free photocatalyst, and oxygen as the oxidant for the selective synthesis of alkyl benzenesulfonates; no ligand co-additive is necessary. Mechanistic studies suggested that the disulfide and alkyl benzenesulfinate are involved as intermediates and that the transformation proceeds by a radical pathway.
Nasal Reconstruction Involving Multiple Subunit Defects
Authors: Fort Matthew , Cox Artemus
Published: February 2017

The challenges of nasal reconstruction are readily apparent to any surgeon who has undertaken this task. Defects involving multiple subunits of the nose usually require adjacent tissue transferred to the wound typically in the form of a forehead flap or other local flaps. Herein, we describe current thought on the subunit principle and the application of local flaps and grafts in reconstructing larger superficial defects of the nose. Primary attention is paid to analysis and patient counseling.
Sequential activation of the three protomers in the Moloney murine leukemia virus Env
Authors: Sjöberg Mathilda , Löving Robin , Lindqvist Birgitta , Garoff Henrik
Published: February 2017

Significance

The biosynthesis of class I viral membrane fusion proteins as trimers provides the possibility of forming a stable coiled coil core from its transmembrane subunits, on which an effective fusion machinery can be built. Although the coiled coil must engage all three protomers simultaneously, it has remained unclear whether this is also the case with the other steps of their activation pathways. We studied this question with the Moloney murine leukemia virus Env, for which activation can be followed by surface (SU)-transmembrane (TM) intersubunit disulfide isomerization and subsequent SU release. We found that this early activation step occurred sequentially in one protomer after the other, forming asymmetric oligomer intermediates.
Adolescent Brain Development
Authors: Black Jessica M.
Published: February 2017

Although it was once widely held that development through toddlerhood was the only significant time of tremendous brain growth, findings from neuroscience have identified adolescence as a second significant period of brain-based changes. Profound modification of brain structure, function, and connectivity, paired with heightened sensitivity to environment, places adolescence both as a heightened period of risk and importantly as a time of tremendous opportunity. These findings are of key relevance for social-work policy and practice, for they speak to the ways in which the adolescent brain both is vulnerable to adverse conditions and remains responsive to positive environmental input such as interventions that support recovery and resilience.
Advance Care Planning
Authors: Stensland Meredith , Sanders Sara , Berg-Weger Marla
Published: February 2017

Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of determining and documenting desired wishes for the end of one’s life. Referred to by such terms as end-of-life planning, advance (health) directives, and living wills, ACP is a relatively new concept within our society, having emerged as a social, political, and ethical issue in the United States only since the 1960s. Researchers and legislators have been challenged in their efforts to examine healthcare decision-making and design appropriate policy to guide practice. This article will define ACP, provide an overview of the history and evolution of the process and the associated legal and ethical issues, and describe the process with three specific populations. In addition, it examines the role of the social work profession in working with individuals and families on planning for the end of one’s life.
Mental Health Research
Authors: Eack Shaun M.
Published: February 2017

Mental health research is the study of the causes and correlates of mental health and illness, approaches to improve mental well-being, and the delivery of effective mental health services to those in need. Social workers have been leading researchers in each of these areas of inquiry, and this article provides an overview of the broad field of mental health research, with particular emphasis on the contributions of social work. A biopsychosocial review of research on the correlates of mental health and illness is provided, followed by a synthesis of studies examining pharmacological and psychosocial approaches to improving mental health. Research on mental health services is then presented, with a focus on studies seeking to improve access to quality care and reduce service disparities. Key directions for future mental health research include identifying specific causal predictors of mental illness, improving existing treatments, and disseminating advances to the community.
Enhanced Aortic Reflected Wave Magnitude Accounts for the Impact of Female Gender on Aortic Pressure Augmentation in a Group of African Ancestry
Authors: Tade Grace , Norton Gavin R. , Booysen Hendrik L. , Sibiya Moekanyi J. , Ballim Imraan , Sareli Pinhas , Woodiwiss Angela J.
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Aortic reflected wave magnitude (RM) may not account for sex-specific differences in aortic pressure augmentation in Caucasians. However, aortic reflected waves are greater in groups of African descent than other ethnic groups. We determined whether RM or alternative factors explain the impact of sex on aortic augmented pressure (Pa) in participants of African ancestry.

METHODS

We assessed aortic function (radial applanation tonometry, SphygmoCor) in 1,197 randomly recruited community participants of African ancestry (age ≥ 16 years). Aortic forward (Pf) and backward (Pb) wave separation was performed assuming an aortic triangular flow wave validated against aortic velocity measurements.

RESULTS

Across the adult lifespan, women had greater multivariate-adjusted augmentation index (AIx) and Pa. This was associated with multivariate-adjusted age-related increases in Pb, RM (Pb/Pf), and time to the peak of Pf and decreases in backward wave foot time; but not increases in Pf. With adjustors, Pa was associated with female gender (β-coefficient = 3.81 ± 0.34), a relationship which was markedly attenuated by adjustments for RM (β-coefficient = 1.78 ± 0.31, P < 0.0001 vs. without adjustments for RM), and Pb (β-coefficient = 2.05 ± 0.19, P < 0.0001 vs. without adjustments for Pb), but not by adjustments for Pf, time to the peak of Pf, or backward wave foot time. Similarly, AIx was associated with female gender, a relationship which was markedly attenuated by adjustments for RM, Pb, and backward wave foot time, but not alternative factors.

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to reports in alternative populations, the relationship between aortic pressure augmentation and female gender in participants of African descent is accounted for mainly by increases in RM.
Greek and Latin Biography
Authors: Zadorojnyi Alexei V.
Published: February 2017

The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations spawned and recycled many stories about heroes, tyrants, sages, and other (predominantly male) celebrities. Yet, a holistic reading of Greco-Roman biography is tricky. The common denominator of Greek and Latin texts that must or may be considered biographical is narrative focused on the life of a noteworthy historical or quasi-historical individual. So the boundaries of the evidence base are blurred and negotiable, even around the core of the best-known mainstream authors such as Plutarch and Suetonius. Alongside the extant or attested works that present full-scale accounts of lives of statesmen and intellectuals, the ancient biographical outlook can be gauged from historiography, apophthegmatic anecdotes, encomia and lampoons, novelized history, and so on. Since no theory of life writing was developed in Greco-Roman criticism as far as we can tell, it is fair to think of ancient biography as an “inductive genre”: that is, a pattern suggested by the available material itself but also generating further interpretative configurations. Biography is thus a heuristic concept for unlocking a layered meshwork of political, sociocultural, and ethical values through a significant—or, better, a significantly “emplotted” and potentially paradigmatic—life story that acts out those values before the insiders of the Greek, Roman, and Greco-Roman ideological and literary landscapes. Scholarship is now used to appreciating ancient biography on its own, however fuzzy, terms rather than treating it as a lighter and implicitly inferior form of historiography. While the questions of source criticism and historicity continue to be vital, there is an ever-growing flow of studies focusing on the specific writerly and readerly aspects of ancient biography, with its propensity toward ethopoetic moralism and anecdotal montage. Similarly, autobiographical texts should be regarded both as historical documents and as textual artifacts of self-legitimization and authority.
Implicit Attitudes in Public Opinion
Authors: Pérez Efrén O.
Published: February 2017

Implicit attitudes are automatic evaluations of objects: political candidates and parties, racial and ethnic groups, national symbols and consumer products, and so on. These responses are spontaneously triggered and hard to control, and can operate subconsciously. Implicit attitudes stand in contradistinction to their explicit variety: self-reported attitudes that people actively direct, control, and are conscious of. Public-opinion scholars have overwhelmingly centered on explicit attitudes, painting a portrait of mass opinion formation as slow, deliberative, and often dispassionate. But psychological research since the late 1970s has agglomerated into the view that much of people’s thinking is fast, automatic, and affectively charged—in a word, implicit. Heaped onto all this is the critical insight that implicit attitudes precede, and many times structure, their explicit counterparts. The implications for the study of public opinion are manifold. This article brings some order to all this by familiarizing readers with the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of implicit attitudes in American public opinion.
Neogeography
Authors: Wilson Matthew W.
Published: February 2017

The use of the term “neogeography” serves as a shorthand for a range of technical practices and attitudes that embrace ludic and everyday uses of geospatial technologies, amid their general proliferation. While the origins of the early-21st-century use of the term is often attributed to a post on the website Platial by Di-Ann Eisnor in 2006, neogeography has a more extended, if punctuated, provenance. This article will take up this more recent emergence to overview the conditions through which neogeography becomes a response to variants of academic and industrial mapmaking. Neogeography, as a more recent attitude or response, operates at a different rhythm than that of academic publication, and, as such, an overview of the efforts nominally considered neogeographic requires a broader understanding of the modes of production—academic and industrial—as these ideas proliferate. As part of this broadened understanding, this article places neogeography within a continuity of discussions that gained traction in the mid-1990s, under the umbrella subfield of GIS and society. This includes specific debates around participation and democracy, privacy and pervasiveness, and commodification and connectivity. Those promoting the idea of neogeography tend to do so in absence of the history of the industries and academic fields that led to its early-21st-century provenance. This overview article is meant to establish some foundations for such departures.
A discrete choice experiment to explore carer preferences
Authors: Chester Helen , Clarkson Paul , Davies Linda , Sutcliffe Caroline , Roe Brenda , Hughes Jane , Challis David
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a case study to test the applicability of the discrete choice experiment (DCE) method to assess the preferences of carers of people with dementia. The focus of enquiry was home care provision.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-method approach was adopted for this pilot study. A literature review identified key characteristics of home care for dementia. This informed consultations with lay representatives. Key attributes of home care for the DCE were identified and formed the basis for the schedule. In all, 28 carers were recruited by two voluntary organisations to complete the DCE. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyse the data.

Findings

Seven attributes of home care for people with dementia were identified from the consultation. The use of the DCE approach permitted the identification of those most important to carers. Despite the modest sample, statistically significant findings were reported in relation to five of the attributes indicating their relevance. A lay involvement in the identification of attributes contributed to the ease of administration of the schedule and relevance of the findings.

Originality/value

This study demonstrated the utility of a DCE to capture the preferences of carers of people with dementia and thereby gather information from carers to inform policy, practice and service development. Their involvement in the design of the schedule was critical to this process.
How purchasing managers can benefit from new opportunities
Authors: Bérard Stéphanie , Stien Cédric
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to intend to provide managers with some ideas and reflections about how to promote a favorable environment for creativity and risk taking and how to instill a new management style. It proposes some thoughts on diminishing hierarchical levels, fostering cross-functional exchanges, diversifying team profiles and being a mindful manager.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a general review.

Findings

This study is a general review.

Originality/value

This paper intends to promote emotional intelligence and mindfulness for purchasing managers, to foster opportunities and creativity within their teams.
Integrated major haemorrhage management in the retrieval setting: Damage control resuscitation from referral to receiving facility
Authors: Wijesuriya Julian D , Keogh Sean
Published: February 2017

Major haemorrhage is a leading cause of death in critically ill or injured patients requiring medical retrieval and presents significant clinical and logistic challenges irrespective of patient location, primary pathophysiology or mode of transport. It is essential that all care providers involved in the retrieval patient pathway, including referring hospitals, ambulance services, retrieval teams and tertiary receiving centres, adopt a common approach to the management of this complex patient group through the use of retrieval‐specific, integrated protocols. These should incorporate the latest clinical evidence base, recognise the differences between primary and inter‐facility missions and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the retrieval clinical coordinator. By unifying the response across services, the aim is to facilitate seamless transition of care with ongoing damage control resuscitation from point of referral, during transfer and on arrival at the receiving centre.
Design‐Driven Innovation in Retailing: An Empirical Examination of New Services in Car Dealership
Authors: Bellini Emilio , Dell'Era Claudio , Frattini Federico , Verganti Roberto
Published: February 2017

The paper focuses on innovation in the automotive retail industry. Innovation in service has been acknowledged as a critical source of competitive advantage and retail firms are looking for innovations that can increase their competitiveness. This notwithstanding, there are no studies that focus on whether and how design‐driven innovation (DDI) can be pursued by retail firms as an innovation strategy. In the attempt to close this gap in our understanding of innovation in retail firms, this paper discusses 104 examples of strategic innovation projects identified by automotive retail firms which operate in the UK, Germany, Italy, Serbia and Spain. The exploratory empirical analysis shows that a certain number of automotive retail firms (although not the majority) choose DDI as a strategy embodied in strategic innovation projects designed to achieve superior performance. Moreover, by following the typology proposed by Sawhney and colleagues, the analysis suggests that these projects are elicited by spatial reconfiguration and expansion, whereas temporal innovation does not seem to provide a fertile ground for DDI.
Comparing and contrasting life history variation in four aphid hyperparasitoids
Authors: BUITENHUIS ROSEMARIJE , HARVEY JEFFREY A. , VET LOUISE E. M. , BOIVIN GUY , BRODEUR JACQUES
Published: February 2017

1. In primary parasitoids, significant differences in life history and reproductive traits are observed among parasitoids attacking different stages of the same host species. Much less is known about hyperparasitoids, which attack different stages of primary parasitoids.

2. Parasitoids exploit hosts in two different ways. Koinobionts attack hosts that continue feeding and growing during parasitism, whereas idiobionts paralyse hosts before oviposition or attack non‐growing host stages, e.g. eggs or pupae.

3. Koino‐/idiobiosis in primary parasitoids are often associated with different expression of life history trade‐offs, e.g. endo‐ versus ectoparasitism, high versus low fecundity and short versus long life span.

4. In the present study, life history parameters of two koinobiont endoparasitic species (Alloxysta victrix; Syrphophagus aphidivorus), and two idiobiont ectoparasitic species (Asaphes suspensus; Dendrocerus carpenteri) of aphid hyperparasitoids were compared. These hyperparasitoids attack either the parasitoid larva in the aphid before it is killed and mummified by the primary parasitoid or the parasitoid prepupa or pupa in the dead aphid mummy.

5. There was considerable variation in reproductive success and longevity in the four species. The idiobiont A. suspensus produced the most progeny by far and had the longest lifespan. In contrast, the koinobiont A. victrix had the lowest fecundity. Other developments and life history parameters in the different species were variable.

6. The present results reveal that there was significant overlap in life history and reproductive traits among hyperparasitoid koinobionts and idiobionts, even when attacking the same host species, suggesting that selection for expression of these traits is largely association specific.
Vattimo and Ecclesiology
Authors: Edward Harris Matthew
Published: February 2017

Gianni Vattimo (b. 1936) is a postmodern philosopher working within the field of hermeneutics. For someone who is not a theologian first and foremost and who only views himself as a ‘half‐believer’, it is perhaps hard to see what he could possibly have to contribute to a debate on ecclesiology, a theoretical study of the Church. Nevertheless, his relatively recent writings which constitute his ‘return to religion’ offer a surprising amount of interesting and relevant material on this topic. On one level, coming from a Catholic background, Vattimo can appear polemical against what he sees as the worst abuses of the Church. However, he grounds this explicitly political and ethical attack in something approximating religionless Christianity. In my opinion, Vattimo's version of religionless Christianity has benefits over Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, not only in embedding the power of Christianity culturally, but also in explaining why the notion of the Church must continue. Nevertheless, a closer analysis shows that his return to religion is centred not on faith or ethics, but too much on hermeneutics and his personal views to be a plausible ecclesiology.
Political Culture in Jamaica Before Anticolonial Nationalism
Authors: Richards Jake Christopher
Published: February 2017

This paper considers scholarship on political culture in Jamaica in 1865, the year of the Morant Bay rebellion. It situates the historiography of political culture in relation to three trends: first, an older historiography that envisaged the rebellion as indicative of nationalist consciousness; second, a more recent focus on the local politics of protest in the period 1838–1900; and third, another recent approach of explaining political culture through the dynamic relationship between metropole and colony. The paper then goes on to suggest that the latter two approaches are congenial to analysing the Underhill Meetings, a set of key political discussions prior to the rebellion which nevertheless have been underutilized in the historiography. The paper concludes by considering the possible linkages between the Underhill Meetings and the reform initiatives of the post‐rebellion colonial state. Overall, it argues for the possibility of island‐wide political consciousness without the need for ethno‐nationalism or “imagined communities”
Collusion Under Risk Aversion and Fixed Costs
Authors: Bernhardt Dan , Rastad Mahdi
Published: February 2017

We analyze collusion under demand uncertainty by risk‐averse cartels that care about the utility derived from profits. With sufficient risk aversion and non‐trivial fixed operating costs, it becomes difficult for cartels to collusively restrict output both when demand is low and marginal dollars are highly valued, and when demand is high and potential defection profits are high: output relative to monopoly levels becomes a U‐shaped function of demand. Greater risk aversion or higher fixed operating costs make collusion more difficult to support in recessions, but easier to support in booms.
Defining hypotension in anesthetized infants by individual awake blood pressure values: a prospective observational study
Authors: Weber Frank , Koning Laurens , Scoones Gail P.
Published: February 2017

Background

Blood pressure (BP) is the most commonly applied clinical surrogate parameter for tissue perfusion and cerebral autoregulation. Hypotension during anesthesia may contribute to unfavorable outcome in young children. Hypotension in anesthetized infants can be defined using BP values relative to individual awake baseline or absolute BP values.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the two definitions and to compare the incidences of hypotension.

Method

This was a prospective observational study in 151 infants <12 months of age. The percentage of successful awake BP measurements was calculated and related to the infant's behavioral state. Hypotension under sevoflurane anesthesia was defined by a decrease of mean arterial pressure (MAP) relative to awake baseline (>20% in infants <6 months, >40% in infants >6 months) or absolute MAP values (<35 mmHg in infants <6 months, <43 mmHg in infants >6 months). The incidences of hypotension using the two definitions were compared.

Results

Awake BP values were obtained in 85% of the patients. Calm patients were more likely to allow their BP to be measured than anxious patients. Anxious patients had higher preinduction MAP values than calm patients. The relative BP approach resulted in a higher incidence of postinduction hypotension than using absolute BP values.

Conclusions

Awake BP values were unobtainable in 15% of our patients, resulting in the necessity to define hypotension under anesthesia using absolute BP values. Definitions of hypotension using either absolute MAP or values relative to awake baseline are not interchangeable.
Is the Precautionary Principle Really Incoherent?
Authors: Boyer‐Kassem Thomas
Published: February 2017

The Precautionary Principle has been an increasingly important principle in international treaties since the 1980s. Through varying formulations, it states that when an activity can lead to a catastrophe for human health or the environment, measures should be taken to prevent it even if the cause‐and‐effect relationship is not fully established scientifically. The Precautionary Principle has been critically discussed from many sides. This article concentrates on a theoretical argument by Peterson (2006) according to which the Precautionary Principle is incoherent with other desiderata of rational decision making, and thus cannot be used as a decision rule that selects an action among several ones. I claim here that Peterson's argument fails to establish the incoherence of the Precautionary Principle, by attacking three of its premises. I argue (i) that Peterson's treatment of uncertainties lacks generality, (ii) that his Archimedian condition is problematic for incommensurability reasons, and (iii) that his explication of the Precautionary Principle is not adequate. This leads me to conjecture that the Precautionary Principle can be envisaged as a coherent decision rule, again.
An Experimental Study on Heterogeneous Porous Stacks in a Thermoacoustic Heat Pump
Authors: Tasnim Syeda Humaira
Published: February 2017

Growing evidence suggests that research must be done to develop energy efficient systems and clean energy conversion technologies to combat the limited sources of fossil fuel, its high price, and its adverse effects on environment. Thermoacoustic is a clean energy conversion technology that uses the conversion of sound to thermal energy and vice versa for the design of heat engines and refrigerators. However, the efficient conversion of sound to thermal energy demands research on altering fluid, operational, and geometric parameters. The present study is a contribution to improve the efficiency of thermoacoustic devices by introducing a novel stack design. This novel stack consists of alternative conducting and insulating materials or heterogeneous materials. The author examined the performance of eight different types of heterogeneous stacks (combination 1–8) that are only a fraction of the displacement amplitude long and consisted of alternating aluminum (AL) and Corning Celcor or reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) foam materials. From the thermal field measurements, the author found that combination eight performs better (12% more temperature difference at the stack ends) than all the other combinations. One interesting feature obtained from these experiments is that combination 7 produces the minimum temperature at the cold end (17% less than other combinations). The thermal performance of the heterogeneous stack is compared to that of the traditional homogeneous stack. Based on the study, the newly proposed stack design provides better cooling performance than a traditionally designed stack.
Evaluation of Sliding Wear Resistance of Physical Vapor Deposited Coatings by the Ball-Cratering Test Method
Authors: Vijayasarathi P. , Ilaiyavel S. , Suresh Prabhu P.
Published: February 2017

In this study the microstructure and wear characteristics of uncoated, TiAlN, AlCrN, and TiCN multilayer coated AISI 410 stainless steel. Tribological properties of the coatings were investigated by high carbon steel ball friction in dry sliding, sliding velocity of 0.3927 m s−1, sliding distance of 248.43 m, and under a load range of 2–4 N at room temperature. Among all the multilayer coatings tested, TiCN gave the superior wear resistance, followed by TiAlN and AlCrN. This indicates that the presence of C in TiCN coating leads to increase the wear resistance. At 2–3 N load in which oxidation was present, AlCrN coating shows the excellent wear resistance followed by TiAlN and TiCN coatings. The coating with a TiAlN proved good to acceptable wear resistance between 3 N and 4 N load. The wear rates and worn surfaces were investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) attachment), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Talysurf profilometry analysis, which demonstrate that the grooved regions, pits, ploughing ridge, and cavities were found along the worn surface of the uncoated, TiAlN, and AlCrN coated surface. This result exposed that hard-coated particles were observed on the high carbon steel ball surface.
CT protocol management: simplifying the process by using a master protocol concept
Authors: Szczykutowicz Timothy P. , Bour Robert K. , Rubert Nicholas , Wendt Gary , Pozniak Myron , Ranallo Frank N.
Published: February 2017

This article explains a method for creating CT protocols for a wide range of patient body sizes and clinical indications, using detailed tube current information from a small set of commonly used protocols. Analytical expressions were created relating CT technical acquisition parameters which can be used to create new CT protocols on a given scanner or customize protocols from one scanner to another. Plots of mA as a function of patient size for specific anatomical regions were generated and used to identify the tube output needs for patients as a function of size for a single master protocol. Tube output data were obtained from the DICOM header of clinical images from our PACS and patient size was measured from CT localizer radiographs under IRB approval. This master protocol was then used to create 11 additional master protocols. The 12 master protocols were further combined to create 39 single and multiphase clinical protocols. Radiologist acceptance rate of exams scanned using the clinical protocols was monitored for 12,857 patients to analyze the effectiveness of the presented protocol management methods using a two‐tailed Fisher's exact test. A single routine adult abdominal protocol was used as the master protocol to create 11 additional master abdominal protocols of varying dose and beam energy. Situations in which the maximum tube current would have been exceeded are presented, and the trade‐offs between increasing the effective tube output via 1) decreasing pitch, 2) increasing the scan time, or 3) increasing the kV are discussed. Out of 12 master protocols customized across three different scanners, only one had a statistically significant acceptance rate that differed from the scanner it was customized from. The difference, however, was only 1% and was judged to be negligible. All other master protocols differed in acceptance rate insignificantly between scanners. The methodology described in this paper allows a small set of master protocols to be adapted among different clinical indications on a single scanner and among different CT scanners.

PACS number: 87.57.Q
A three‐field monoisocentric inverse breast treatment planning technique without half‐beam blocking
Authors: Zhang Tiezhi , Dilworth Joshua T. , Marina Ovidiu , Chen Peter , Benedetti Lisa , Liu Qiang
Published: February 2017

The purpose of this study was to introduce a three‐field monoisocentric inverse treatment planning method without half‐beam blocks for breast cancer radiation treatments. Three‐field monoisocentric breast treatment planning with half‐beam blocks limits the tangential field length to 20 cm. A dual‐isocenter approach accommodates patients with larger breasts, but prolongs treatment time and may introduce dose uncertainty at the matching plane due to daily setup variations. We developed a novel monoisocentric, three‐field treatment planning method without half‐beam blocking. The new beam‐matching method utilizes the full field size with a single isocenter. Furthermore, an open/IMRT hybrid inverse optimization method was employed to improve dose uniformity and coverage. Geometric beam matching was achieved by rotating the couch, collimator, and gantry together. Formulae for three‐field geometric matching were derived and implemented in Pinnacle scripts. This monoisocentric technique can be used for patients with larger breast size. The new method has no constraints on the length of tangential fields. Compared with the dual‐isocenter method, it can significantly reduce patient setup time and uncertainties.

PACS number: 87.55.D‐
The effect of body contouring on the dose distribution delivered with volumetric‐modulated arc therapy technique
Authors: Lee Jaegi , Park Jong Min , Wu Hong‐Gyun , Kim Jin Ho , Ye Sung‐Joon
Published: February 2017

The purpose of the study was to investigate the dosimetric effect defining the body structure with various Hounsfield unit (HU) threshold values on the dose distributions of volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. Twenty patients with prostate cancer and twenty patients with head and neck (H&N) cancer were retrospectively selected. For each patient, the body structure was redefined with HU threshold values of , , , and . For each patient, dose‐volumetric parameters with those body structures were calculated using identical VMAT plans. The differences in dose‐volumetric parameters due to the varied HU threshold values were calculated. For the prostate boost target volume, the maximum dose, mean dose, , and with were higher than those with by approximately 0.7% (). For H&N target volumes, the changes in of the targets receiving 67.5 Gy, 54 Gy, and 48 Gy between and were , , and , respectively (). The differences were larger for H&N VMAT plans than for prostate VMAT plans due to the inclusion of an immobilization device in the irradiated region in H&N cases. To apply all attenuating materials to dose calculation, the body structure would be defined with . Otherwise, systematic error of about 1%, resulting in underdosage of the target volume, can occur.

PACS number: 87.55.ne
Quantification of dental prostheses on cone‐beam CT images by the Taguchi method
Authors: Kuo Rong‐Fu , Fang Kwang‐Ming , TY Wong , Hu Chia Yu
Published: February 2017

The gray values accuracy of dental cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) is affected by dental metal prostheses. The distortion of dental CBCT gray values could lead to inaccuracies of orthodontic and implant treatment. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of scanning parameters and dental metal prostheses on the accuracy of dental cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) gray values using the Taguchi method. Eight dental model casts of an upper jaw including prostheses, and a ninth prosthesis‐free dental model cast, were scanned by two dental CBCT devices. The mean gray value of the selected circular regions of interest (ROIs) were measured using dental CBCT images of eight dental model casts and were compared with those measured from CBCT images of the prosthesis‐free dental model cast. For each image set, four consecutive slices of gingiva were selected. The seven factors (CBCTs, occlusal plane canting, implant connection, prosthesis position, coping material, coping thickness, and types of dental restoration) were used to evaluate scanning parameter and dental prostheses effects. Statistical methods of signal to noise ratio (S/N) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with 95% confidence were applied to quantify the effects of scanning parameters and dental prostheses on dental CBCT gray values accuracy. For ROIs surrounding dental prostheses, the accuracy of CBCT gray values were affected primarily by implant connection (42%), followed by type of restoration (29%), prostheses position (19%), coping material (4%), and coping thickness (4%). For a single crown prosthesis (without support of implants) placed in dental model casts, gray value differences for ROIs 1–9 were below 12% and gray value differences for ROIs 13–18 away from prostheses were below 10%. We found the gray value differences set to be between 7% and 8% for regions next to a single implant‐supported titanium prosthesis, and between 46% and 59% for regions between double implant‐supported, nickel‐chromium alloys (Ni‐Cr) prostheses. Quantification of the effect of prostheses and scanning parameters on dental CBCT gray values was assessed.

PACS numbers: 87.59.bd, 87.57Q
Intensity‐modulated radiation therapy dose verification using fluence and portal imaging device
Authors: Sumida Iori , Yamaguchi Hajime , Das Indra J. , Kizaki Hisao , Aboshi Keiko , Tsujii Mari , Yamada Yuji , Suzuki Osamu , Seo Yuji , Isohashi Fumiaki , Ogawa Kazuhiko
Published: February 2017

Patient‐specific quality assurance for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) dose verification is essential. The aim of this study is to provide a new method based on the relative error distribution by comparing the fluence map from the treatment planning system (TPS) and the incident fluence deconvolved from the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) images. This method is validated for 10 head and neck IMRT cases. The fluence map of each beam was exported from the TPS and EPID images of the treatment beams were acquired. Measured EPID images were deconvolved to the incident fluence with proper corrections. The relative error distribution between the TPS fluence map and the incident fluence from the EPID was created. This was also created for a 2D diode array detector. The absolute point dose was measured with an ionization chamber, and the dose distribution was measured by a radiochromic film. In three cases, MLC leaf positions were intentionally changed to create the dose error as much as 5% against the planned dose and our fluence‐based method was tested using gamma index. Absolute errors between the predicted dose of 2D diode detector and of our method and measurements were and respectively. The gamma passing rate (3% global / 3 mm) of the TPS was higher than that of the 2D diode detector (), and lower than that of the EPID (). The gamma passing rate (2% global / 2 mm) of the TPS was higher than that of the 2D diode detector, while the gamma passing rate of the TPS was lower than that of EPID (). For three modified plans, the predicted dose errors against the measured dose were 1.10%, 2.14%, and . The predicted dose distributions from the EPID were well matched to the measurements. Our fluence‐based method provides very accurate dosimetry for IMRT patients. The method is simple and can be adapted to any clinic for complex cases.

PACS numbers: 87.55.D‐, 87.55.km, 87.55.Qr, 87.57.uq