bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistical properties of linear-hyperbranched graft copolymers prepared via “hypergrafting” of ABm monomers from linear B-functional core chains: A molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Rabbel Hauke , Frey Holger , Schmid Friederike
Published: November 2015

The reaction of ABm monomers (m = 2, 3) with a multifunctional Bf-type polymer chain (“hypergrafting”) is studied by coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The ABm monomers are hypergrafted using the slow monomer addition strategy. Fully dendronized, i.e., perfectly branched polymers are also simulated for comparison. The degree of branching of the molecules obtained with the “hypergrafting” process critically depends on the rate with which monomers attach to inner monomers compared to terminal monomers. This ratio is more favorable if the ABm monomers have lower reactivity, since the free monomers then have time to diffuse inside the chain. Configurational chain properties are also determined, showing that the stretching of the polymer backbone as a consequence of the “hypergrafting” procedure is much less pronounced than for perfectly dendronized chains. Furthermore, we analyze the scaling of various quantities with molecular weight M for large M (M > 100). The Wiener index scales as M2.3, which is intermediate between linear chains (M3) and perfectly branched polymers (M2ln(M)). The polymer size, characterized by the radius of gyration Rg or the hydrodynamic radius Rh, is found to scale as Rg,h ∝ Mν with ν ≈ 0.38, which lies between the exponent of diffusion limited aggregation (ν = 0.4) and the mean-field exponent predicted by Konkolewicz and co-workers [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 238301 (2007)] (ν = 0.33).
Strain-effect transistors: Theoretical study on the effects of external strain on III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors on flexible substrates
Authors: Shervin Shahab , Kim Seung-Hwan , Asadirad Mojtaba , Ravipati Srikanth , Lee Keon-Hwa , Bulashevich Kirill , Ryou Jae-Hyun
Published: November 2015

This paper presents strain-effect transistors (SETs) based on flexible III-nitride high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) through theoretical calculations. We show that the electronic band structures of InAlGaN/GaN thin-film heterostructures on flexible substrates can be modified by external bending with a high degree of freedom using polarization properties of the polar semiconductor materials. Transfer characteristics of the HEMT devices, including threshold voltage and transconductance, are controlled by varied external strain. Equilibrium 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is enhanced with applied tensile strain by bending the flexible structure with the concave-side down (bend-down condition). 2DEG density is reduced and eventually depleted with increasing compressive strain in bend-up conditions. The operation mode of different HEMT structures changes from depletion- to enchantment-mode or vice versa depending on the type and magnitude of external strain. The results suggest that the operation modes and transfer characteristics of HEMTs can be engineered with an optimum external bending strain applied in the device structure, which is expected to be beneficial for both radio frequency and switching applications. In addition, we show that drain currents of transistors based on flexible InAlGaN/GaN can be modulated only by external strain without applying electric field in the gate. The channel conductivity modulation that is obtained by only external strain proposes an extended functional device, gate-free SETs, which can be used in electro-mechanical applications.
Efficient all polymer solar cells employing donor polymer based on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene unit
Authors: Ding Guanqun , Yuan Jianyu , Huang Xiaodong , Liu Zeke , Shi Guozheng , Shi Shaohua , Ding Jiexiong , Wang Hai-Qiao , Ma Wanli
Published: November 2015

We reported all polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) employing BDT-based donor–acceptor (D–A) polymers composed of benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b’]dithiophene (BDT) and thiadiazolo[3,4-c]pyridine (PyTZ) (PBPT-8 and PBPT-12) as donor and NDI-based n-type polymer Poly{[N,N’-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5’-(2,2’-bithiophene)} (P(NDI2OD-T2)) (N2200) as acceptor. The influence of thermal annealing on the performance of all-PSCs was systematically investigated and discussed. It was found that the pre-annealing of the active blend films could significantly improve the all-PSCs performance. Both PBPT-8/PBPT-12:N2200 systems can deliver promising PCEs (4.12% and 4.25%) at the optimal annealing temperature of 160 oC due to the promoted film quality and charge transport properties. Morphology investigation and carrier mobility measurements have been carried out to analyze the effect of thermal annealing. This study suggests that BDT-based polymer:N2200 systems can be promising candidates for all-PSCs, with thermal annealing as an effective approach to promote the device performance.
Resistance fluctuations in insulating silicon films with superconducting nanoprecipitates – superconductor-to-metal or vortex matter phase transition?
Authors: Heera V. , Fiedler J. , Skorupa W.
Published: November 2015

Silicon films with Ga-rich nanoprecipitates are superconductors or insulators in dependence on their normal state resistance. Even in the insulating state of the film superconducting nanoprecipitates exist below the critical temperature of 7 K and determine its complex transport behavior. In this range sometimes large, random resistance jumps appear that are accompanied by little temperature changes. The resistance fluctuates between a well-defined low-resistance value and a broader band of higher resistances. Jumps to higher resistance are associated with a temperature decrease and vice versa. We present experimental results on these fluctuations and suppose a first order phase transition in the film as probable origin.
Comparison between laser terahertz emission microscope and conventional methods for analysis of polycrystalline silicon solar cell
Authors: Nakanishi Hidetoshi , Ito Akira , Takayama Kazuhisa , Kawayama Iwao , Murakami Hironaru , Tonouchi Masayoshi
Published: November 2015

A laser terahertz emission microscope (LTEM) can be used for noncontact inspection to detect the waveforms of photoinduced terahertz emissions from material devices. In this study, we experimentally compared the performance of LTEM with conventional analysis methods, e.g., electroluminescence (EL), photoluminescence (PL), and laser beam induced current (LBIC), as an inspection method for solar cells. The results showed that LTEM was more sensitive to the characteristics of the depletion layer of the polycrystalline solar cell compared with EL, PL, and LBIC and that it could be used as a complementary tool to the conventional analysis methods for a solar cell.
Electro-optical switch based on continuous metasurface embedded in Si substrate
Authors: Sun Yali , Ling Yonghong , Liu Tongjun , Huang Lirong
Published: November 2015

Switchable metasurfaces with fast responses and high efficiency are highly desirable in various applications. In this paper, we propose and analyze a novel electro-optical switch based on continuous metasurface embedded in Si substrate. The simulative results indicate that the embedded and continuous metasurface structure is able to increase the interaction volume between the metal antennas and the surrounding substrate, hence enhances the tuning effect when changing the refractive index of Si by an injection current, resulting in fully switching between anomalous and normal reflections, and achieving a high extinction ratio even under a smaller refractive index variation.
contamDE: differential expression analysis of RNA-seq data for contaminated tumor samples
Authors: Shen Qi , Hu Jiyuan , Jiang Ning , Hu Xiaohua , Luo Zewei , Zhang Hong
Published: November 2015

Motivation: Accurate detection of differentially expressed genes between tumor and normal samples is a primary approach of cancer-related biomarker identification. Due to the infiltration of tumor surrounding normal cells, the expression data derived from tumor samples would always be contaminated with normal cells. Ignoring such cellular contamination would deflate the power of detecting DE genes and further confound the biological interpretation of the analysis results. For the time being, there does not exists any differential expression analysis approach for RNA-seq data in literature that can properly account for the contamination of tumor samples.

Results: Without appealing to any extra information, we develop a new method ‘contamDE’ based on a novel statistical model that associates RNA-seq expression levels with cell types. It is demonstrated through simulation studies that contamDE could be much more powerful than the existing methods that ignore the contamination. In the application to two cancer studies, contamDE uniquely found several potential therapy and prognostic biomarkers of prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

Availability and implementation: An R package contamDE is freely available at http://homepage.fudan.edu.cn/zhangh/softwares/.

Contact:  zhanghfd@fudan.edu.cn

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Realtime analysis and visualization of MinION sequencing data with npReader
Authors: Cao Minh Duc , Ganesamoorthy Devika , Cooper Matthew A. , Coin Lachlan J. M.
Published: November 2015

Motivation: The recently released Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing platform presents many innovative features opening up potential for a range of applications not previously possible. Among these features, the ability to sequence in real-time provides a unique opportunity for many time-critical applications. While many software packages have been developed to analyze its data, there is still a lack of toolkits that support the streaming and real-time analysis of MinION sequencing data.

Results: We developed npReader, an open-source software package to facilitate real-time analysis of MinION sequencing data. npReader can simultaneously extract sequence reads and stream them to downstream analysis pipelines while the samples are being sequenced on the MinION device. It provides a command line interface for easy integration into a bioinformatics work flow, as well as a graphical user interface which concurrently displays the statistics of the run. It also provides an application programming interface for development of streaming algorithms in order to fully utilize the extent of nanopore sequencing potential.

Availability and implementation: npReader is written in Java and is freely available at https://github.com/mdcao/npReader.

Contact:  m.cao1@uq.edu.au or l.coin@imb.uq.edu.au
Dispatch from the non-HITECH–incented Health IT world: electronic medication history adoption and utilization
Authors: Gabriel Meghan Hufstader , Smith Jaime Y , Sow Max , Charles Dustin , Joseph Seth , Wilkins Tricia Lee
Published: November 2015

Objective To document national trends of electronic medication history use in the ambulatory setting and describe the characteristics and predicting factors of providers who regularly use medication history transaction capabilities through their e-prescribing systems.

Materials and Methods The study used provider-initiated medication history data requests, electronically sent over an e-prescribing network from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data from 138,000 prescribers were evaluated using multivariate analyses from 2007 to 2013.

Results Medication history use showed significant growth, increasing from 8 to 850 million history requests during the study period. Prescribers on the network for <5 years had a lower likelihood of requests than those on the network for 5 or more years. Although descriptive analyses showed that prescribers in rural areas were alongside e-prescribing, and requesting medication histories more often than those in large and small cities, these findings were not significant in multivariate analyses. Providers in orthopedic surgery and internal medicine had a higher likelihood of more requests than family practice prescribers, with 12% and 7% higher likelihood, respectively.

Discussion Early adopters of e-prescribing have remained medication history users and have continually increased their volume of requests for medication histories.

Conclusion Despite the fact that the use of medication histories through e-prescribing networks in the ambulatory care setting has not been encouraged through federal incentive programs, there has been substantial growth in the use of medication histories offered through e-prescribing networks.
How cold atoms got hot: an interview with William Phillips
Authors: Ball Philip
Published: November 2015

William Phillips of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics for his work in developing laser methods for cooling and trapping atoms. Interactions between the light field and the atoms create what is dubbed an ‘optical molasses’ that slows the atoms down, thereby reducing their temperature to within a fraction of a degree of absolute zero. These techniques allow atoms to be studied with great precision, for example measuring their resonant frequencies for light absorption very accurately, so that these frequencies may supply very stable timing standards for atomic clocks. Besides applications in metrology, such cooling methods can also be used to study new fundamental physics. The 1997 Nobel award was widely considered to be a response to the first observation in 1995 of pure Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC), in which a collection of bosonic atoms all occupy a single quantum state. This quantum-mechanical effect only becomes possible at very low temperatures, and the team that achieved it, working at JILA operated jointly by the University of Colorado and NIST, used the techniques devised by Phillips and others. Since then, cold-atom physics has branched in many directions, among them being attempts to make a quantum computer (which would use logic operations based on quantum rules) from ultracold trapped atoms and ions. ‘National Science Review’ spoke with Phillips about the development and future potential of the field.
Near-infrared spectroscopy of quasars at z ∼ 3 and estimates of their supermassive black hole masses
Authors: Saito Yuriko , Imanishi Masatoshi , Minowa Yosuke , Morokuma Tomoki , Kawaguchi Toshihiro , Sameshima Hiroaki , Minezaki Takeo , Oi Nagisa , Nagao Tohru , Kawatatu Nozomu , Matsuoka Kenta
Published: November 2015

We present the results of new infrared spectroscopic observations of 37 quasars at z ∼ 3, selected based on the optical r ′-band magnitude and the availability of nearby bright stars for future imaging follow-up with an adaptive optics system. The supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses (MBH) were successfully estimated in 28 out of 37 observed objects from the combination of the Hβ emission linewidth and continuum luminosity at rest-frame 5100 Å. Comparing these results with those from previous studies of quasars with similar redshift, our sample exhibited slightly lower Eddington ratios (∼−0.11 dex in median), and the SMBH masses are slightly higher (∼0.38 dex in median). The SMBH growth time, tgrow, was calculated by dividing the estimated SMBH mass by the mass accretion rate measured using optical luminosity. We found, given reasonable assumptions, that tgrow was smaller than the age of the universe at the redshift of individual quasars for a large fraction of observed sources, suggesting that the SMBHs in many of our observed quasars are in the growing phase with high accretion rates. A comparison of the SMBH masses derived from our Hβ data and archived C iv data indicated considerable scattering, as indicated in previous studies. All quasars with measured SMBH masses have at least one nearby bright star, such that they are suitable targets for adaptive optics observations to study the mass relationship between SMBHs and host galaxies’ stellar components at high redshift.
The Subaru COSMOS 20: Subaru optical imaging of the HST COSMOS field with 20 filters
Authors: Taniguchi Yoshiaki , Kajisawa Masaru , Kobayashi Masakazu A. R. , Shioya Yasuhiro , Nagao Tohru , Capak Peter L. , Aussel Herve , Ichikawa Akie , Murayama Takashi , Scoville Nick Z. , Ilbert Olivier , Salvato Mara , Sanders David B. B. , Mobasher Bahram , Miyazaki Satoshi , Komiyama Yutaka , Le Fèvre Olivier , Tasca Lidia , Lilly Simon , Carollo Marcella , Renzini Alvio , Rich Michael , Schinnerer Eva , Kaifu Norio , Karoji Hiroshi , Arimoto Nobuo , Okamura Sadanori , Ohta Kouji , Shimasaku Kazuhiro , Hayashino Tomoki
Published: November 2015

We present both the observations and the data reduction procedures of the Subaru COSMOS 20 project, an optical imaging survey of the HST COSMOS field, carried out by using Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope with the following 20 optical filters: six broad-band (B, g′, V, r′, i′, and z′), two narrow-band (NB711 and NB816), and 12 intermediate-band filters (IA427, IA464, IA484, IA505, IA527, IA574, IA624, IA679, IA709, IA738, IA767, and IA827). Part of this project is described in Taniguchi et al. (2007, ApJS, 172, 9) and Capak et al. (2007, ApJS, 172, 99) for the six broad-band and one narrow-band (NB816) filter data. In this paper, we present details of the observations and data reduction for the remaining 13 filters (the 12 IA filters and NB711). In particular, we describe the accuracy of both the photometry and astrometry in all the filter bands. We also present the optical properties of the Suprime-Cam IA filter system in appendices.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato OxyR Is Required for Virulence in Tomato and Arabidopsis
Authors: Ishiga Yasuhiro , Ichinose Yuki
Published: November 2015

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to have a crucial role in plant defense responses and signaling pathways. In addition, ROS also have direct toxicity against pathogens. However, the molecular mechanisms of plant ROS in the direct effects against pathogens is still unclear. To investigate the function of plant ROS in the interactions of plant and bacterial pathogens, we focused on oxyR, encoding an oxidative stress-regulated transcription factor in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (DC3000), and generated an ΔoxyR mutant. The DC3000 ΔoxyR mutant showed high sensitivity to oxidative stress in comparison with wild type and the complemented line. The host plants of DC3000, including tomato and Arabidopsis inoculated with the ΔoxyR mutant, clearly showed reduced disease symptoms as well as reduced bacterial populations. Expression profiles of DC3000 genes revealed that OxyR could regulate the expression of genes encoding ROS-detoxifying enzymes, including catalases (KatB and KatG), in response to ROS. We also demonstrated that the expression of katB could be regulated by OxyR during the infection of DC3000 in Arabidopsis. These results suggest that OxyR has an important role in the virulence of DC3000 by regulating the expression of genes related to oxidative stress.
Reduced Susceptibility to Xanthomonas citri in Transgenic Citrus Expressing the FLS2 Receptor From Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Hao Guixia , Pitino Marco , Duan Yongping , Stover Ed
Published: November 2015

Overexpression of plant pattern-recognition receptors by genetic engineering provides a novel approach to enhance plant immunity and broad-spectrum disease resistance. Citrus canker disease associated with Xanthomonas citri is one of the most important diseases damaging citrus production worldwide. In this study, we cloned the FLS2 gene from Nicotiana benthamiana cDNA and inserted it into the binary vector pBinPlus/ARS to transform Hamlin sweet orange and Carrizo citrange. Transgene presence was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene expression of NbFLS2 was compared by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in response to flg22Xcc was detected in transgenic Hamlin but not in nontransformed controls. Low or no ROS production was detected from nontransformed Hamlin seedlings challenged with flg22Xcc. Transgenic plants highly expressing NbFLS2 were selected and were evaluated for resistance to canker incited by X. citri 3213. Our results showed that the integration and expression of the NbFLS2 gene in citrus can increase canker resistance and defense-associated gene expression when challenged with X. citri. These results suggest that canker-susceptible Citrus genotypes lack strong basal defense induced by X. citri flagellin and the resistance of these genotypes can be enhanced by transgenic expression of the flagellin receptor from a resistant species.
Utility of Postoperative Antibiotics After Percutaneous Pinning of Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures
Authors: Schroeder Nicholas O. , Seeley Mark A. , Hariharan Arun , Farley Frances A. , Caird Michelle S. , Li Ying
Published: November 2015

Background:

Pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures are common injuries that are often treated surgically with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. Although surgical-site infections are rare, postoperative antibiotics are frequently administered without evidence or guidelines for their use. With the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms and heightened focus on health care costs, appropriate and evidence-based use of antibiotics is needed. We hypothesized that postoperative antibiotic administration would not decrease the rate of surgical-site infection.

Methods:

A billing query identified 951 patients with operatively treated supracondylar humerus fractures at our institution over a 15-year period. Records were reviewed for demographic data, perioperative antibiotic use, and the presence of surgical-site infection. Exclusion criteria were open fractures, open reduction, pathologic fractures, metabolic bone disease, the presence of other injuries that required operative treatment, and follow-up <2 weeks after pin removal. χ2 and Fisher exact test were used to compare antibiotic use to the incidence of surgical-site infection.

Results:

Six hundred eighteen patients met our inclusion criteria. Two hundred thirty-eight patients (38.5%) received postoperative antibiotics. Eleven surgical-site infections were identified for an overall rate of 1.8%. The use of postoperative antibiotics was not associated with a lower rate of surgical-site infection (P=0.883). Patients with a type III fracture (P<0.001), diminished preoperative vascular (P=0.001) and neurological status (P=0.019), and postoperative hospital admission (P<0.001) were significantly more likely to receive postoperative antibiotics.

Conclusions:

Administration of postoperative antibiotics after closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures does not decrease the rate of surgical-site infection.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—therapeutic.
Klebsiella pneumoniae Hepatic Abscess and Bacteremia Despite Prophylactic Antibiotics Posttransarterial Bland Embolization
Authors: Hill Ebone' Danielle , Nanjappa Sowmya , Kis Bela
Published: November 2015

Transarterial embolizations have become a common treatment of both unresectable primary and metastatic liver tumors. Infectious complications of this procedure are relatively uncommon because most patients are treated with empiric broad spectrum antibiotics after the procedure. However, infections that may occur include skin infection at the puncture site, hepatic abscess, necrotizing pancreatitis, and cholecystitis. Hepatic abscess formation typically occurs in patients with previous biliary intervention and can often prove fatal. This case describes a patient with no previous biliary intervention who developed Klebsiella pneumoniae hepatic abscess and bacteremia despite prophylactic antibiotics after transarterial bland embolization of a liver metastasis.
The Myriad Advantages of Ultrasonography in Image-Guided Interventions
Authors: Copelan Alexander , Scola Dominic , Roy Anindya , Nghiem Hanh Vu
Published: November 2015

We will review and illustrate the multiple advantages of ultrasound as an image guidance tool, including real-time vessel visualization, multiplanar capability, portability/availability, and decreased procedure time and cost.

We will demonstrate the unique advantages of the use of this imaging modality in the biopsy of small parenchymal lesions particularly those that are not visible with unenhanced computed tomography (CT) or not persistently visible with contrast-enhanced CT or those lesions not readily accessible by CT guidance, the use of direct probe compression to displace bowel away from biopsy targets, the use of direct probe compression to staunch intraprocedural bleeding observed with real-time visualization to minimize postprocedural bleeding complications, and the ability to biopsy masses in pediatric patients as a function of the inherent lack of ionizing radiation.

Finally, we will review and illustrate how the use of preprocedural lesion characterization with ultrasound at times can serve as a problem-solving tool providing an alternative and reasonably confident diagnosis and thus avoiding unnecessary procedures and associated potential risks.
Ultrasound of Biliary Cast Syndrome and Its Mimics
Authors: Hu Bing , Horrow Mindy M.
Published: November 2015

Biliary cast syndrome (BCS) consists of mass-like hardened collections of inspissated bile and sloughed biliary mucosa filling the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts, which show an alternating pattern of dilatation and stricture. It is a rare but serious complication of liver transplantation frequently necessitating repeated percutaneous, endoscopic or surgical stent placements, and cast retrieval. Although not typically considered as the modality of choice for BCS compared with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, ultrasound can be quite useful for this diagnosis. This article reviews the sonographic appearance of BCS in postliver transplant patients and correlates with other imaging modalities including computed tomography, MRCP, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Also reviewed are other intrahepatic pathologies that mimic the appearance of BCS on ultrasound.
The twist-fit problem: finite torsional and shear eigenstrains in nonlinear elastic solids
Authors: Yavari Arash , Goriely Alain
Published: November 2015

Eigenstrains in nonlinear elastic solids are created through defects, growth or other anelastic effects. These eigenstrains are known to be important as they can generate residual stresses and alter the overall response of the solid. Here, we study the residual stress fields generated by finite torsional or shear eigenstrains. This problem is addressed by considering a cylindrical bar made of an incompressible isotropic solid with an axisymmetric distribution of shear eigenstrains. As particular examples, we consider a cylindrical inhomogeneity and a double inhomogeneity with finite shear eigenstrains and study the effect of torsional shear eigenstrains on the axial and torsional stiffnesses of the circular cylindrical bar.
Neural signatures for sustaining object representations attributed to others in preverbal human infants
Authors: Kampis Dora , Parise Eugenio , Csibra Gergely , Kovács Ágnes Melinda
Published: November 2015

A major feat of social beings is to encode what their conspecifics see, know or believe. While various non-human animals show precursors of these abilities, humans perform uniquely sophisticated inferences about other people's mental states. However, it is still unclear how these possibly human-specific capacities develop and whether preverbal infants, similarly to adults, form representations of other agents' mental states, specifically metarepresentations. We explored the neurocognitive bases of eight-month-olds' ability to encode the world from another person's perspective, using gamma-band electroencephalographic activity over the temporal lobes, an established neural signature for sustained object representation after occlusion. We observed such gamma-band activity when an object was occluded from the infants' perspective, as well as when it was occluded only from the other person (study 1), and also when subsequently the object disappeared, but the person falsely believed the object to be present (study 2). These findings suggest that the cognitive systems involved in representing the world from infants' own perspective are also recruited for encoding others' beliefs. Such results point to an early-developing, powerful apparatus suitable to deal with multiple concurrent representations, and suggest that infants can have a metarepresentational understanding of other minds even before the onset of language.
Physics-based multiscale mass transport model in drug delivery and tumor microenvironment
Authors: Ziemys Arturas , Kojic Milos , Ferrari Mauro
Published: November 2015

We describe multiscale transport model, which was developed to simulate drug diffusion and convection in tissues and drug vectors. Models rely on material properties and physical laws of transport. Our methods show that drug transport analysis may provide deep insight into mechanisms of pharmacokinetics useful in nanotherapeutics and transport study within tumor microenvironment. Because the method relies on material properties and structures, the approach can help studying phenotypical differences as well.
Designing health promoting foods for the ageing population: a qualitative approach
Authors: Collins Orla , Bogue Joe
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to gather stakeholder tacit knowledge to design new product concepts with optimal product attributes for new health promoting food products for the ageing population.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research employed a qualitative research method. A total of 16 in-depth interviews were carried out to identify key product design attributes. These attributes were used to design health promoting foods for the ageing population.

Findings

– Age-related conditions affect and alter the design of health promoting foods targeted at the ageing population. Providing the ageing consumer segment with access to health promoting foods facilitates positive ageing intervention. The integration of affordability and convenience elements into ageing food design attributes is important for product acceptance. The multi-level demands and heterogeneity of ageing consumers result in the need for a variety of nutritionally tailored food formats. A dairy-based beverage was considered to be the optimal product concept for the ageing population.

Research limitations/implications

– The inclusion of stakeholders from the food industry could result in levels of food industry bias. The sample size of stakeholders was limited to 16 participants. One interview guide was used throughout all interviews to ensure consistency levels. A more flexible instrument may have captured more specific stakeholder information.

Practical implications

– During the early stages of the new product development process, a market-oriented research methodology can help to optimise product design in terms of product attributes that drive consumer acceptance.

Originality/value

– This paper provides important insights into the significance of stakeholder tacit knowledge generation throughout the need identification stage of the NPD process. Specifically this paper provides stakeholder tacit knowledge on the optimal design of health promoting foods for the ageing population. This knowledge has the ability to provide market-oriented information on health promoting food concepts which can be valuable for food manufacturers to maximise NPD performance, create value and develop competitive advantage within their marketplace. Finally, design templates of health promoting foods for the ageing population are of high strategic importance to food manufacturers, governments, health professionals and medical professionals.
Climate risk management in river-based tilapia cage culture in northern Thailand
Authors: Lebel Phimphakan , Whangchai Niwooti , Chitmanat Chanagun , Lebel Louis
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse how fish farmers manage climate-related risks and explore possible ways to strengthen risk management under current and future climate.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 662 fish farmers in sites across Northern Thailand were interviewed about risks to the profitability of their fish farms and ways such risks were managed. Nonlinear canonical correlation analysis was used to relate risk factors to management practices at farm and river levels. In total, 68 in-depth interviews with farmers and other stakeholders provided additional information on climate risk management practices.

Findings

– Farmers use a combination of adjustments to rearing practices, cropping calendars and financial and social measures to manage those risks, which they perceive as being manageable. Many risks are season, river and place specific; implying that the risk profiles of individual farms can vary substantially. Individual risks are often addressed through multiple practices and strategies; conversely, a particular management practice can have a bearing on several different risks. Farmers recognize that risks must be managed at farm and higher spatial and administrative scales. Social relations and information play critical roles in managing these complex combinations of risks.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first papers to report in detail on how inland fish farmers manage climate-related risks. It underlines the need to consider multiple spatial and temporal scales and that farmers do not manage individual climate-related risks in isolation from other risks.
Exploring the policy environment for mainstreaming community-based adaptation (CBA) in Nepal
Authors: Regmi Bimal Raj , Star Cassandra
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to shed light onto the policy context of mainstreaming community-based adaptation (CBA) in Nepal. Scaling up CBA needs strong policy support.

Design/methodology/approach

– The content and processes of Nepal’s development policies and climate change policies and programmes were examined. The policy analysis was supported by a literature review, review of policy documents and interviews and discussions undertaken with policy-makers, practitioners and communities.

Findings

– Findings show that despite a lack of clear focus on climate change, the decentralization provisions and bottom-up practices within Nepal’s development policies and plans could be the entry points for mainstreaming CBA. However, experience shows that decentralization alone is insufficient because it benefits only a few institutions and individuals, while marginalizing the real beneficiaries. One of the policy conditions to mainstreaming CBA in development is to ensure that there are specific provisions for decentralization and inclusive devolution that can provide power and authority to local institutions and communities to make independent decisions and benefit the needy. There should also be mandatory legal provisions, endorsed by a country’s government, for an inclusive, citizen-centric, participatory and bottom-up policy-making process that involves the most vulnerable households and communities.

Originality/value

– This paper is of relevance to policy-makers and practitioners in Nepal seeking to make informed policy decisions on effectively mainstreaming CBA into development. The analysis provided of the synergy and trade-offs within existing policy provisions and processes can be used to guide the government and stakeholders in Nepal and other least developed countries (LDCs) in creating favorable national- and local-level policies and action plans.
Modelling climate change risks for food security in the Philippines
Authors: Carandang Julien L. , Banaguas Glenn S. , Flores Mary Jane C. , Carandang VI Jose Santos R.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to look into the impacts brought about by climate change to the food security in Saguday, Quirino in the Philippines.

Design/methodology/approach

– A framework for developing community food security was utilized which identified the need to mitigate and address inherent externalities in a community such as flooding due to climate change as necessary preconditions to attaining a food secure environment. The study highlighted Saguday’s risk to externalities using risk assessment and modelling.

Findings

– Data from literature reviews and agency reports were validated by key informant interviews of local and national officials and focus group discussions with different stakeholder groups.

Originality/value

– A modification of the Urban Food Security Planning Process developed by Taylor and Carandang (2010, 2011) was utilized to address the local government unit’s need to mitigate and manage the inherent geographical risks that Saguday has in relation to its agricultural and food productivity.
Enhancing international assignees’ performance with online social networks
Authors: Crowne Kerri Anne , Goeke Richard J. , Shoemaker Mary
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Adjustment to the new locale is one of the primary factors that influence performance on an international assignment. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that depicts how online social networks may contribute to international assignees’ adjustment via their influence on well-being and knowledge transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

– The present research uses network theory and readily available technology to develop a model of how online supportive social networks and informational social networks may increase the international assignee’s well-being and knowledge transfer (with prior/next assignees and with the organization). These increases will subsequently have a positive impact on the assignee’s adjustment and ultimately his/her job performance.

Findings

– Since this paper is conceptual rather than empirical, there are no findings; however, it is argued that online social networks may have a positive impact on an expatriate’s well-being, knowledge transfer, adjustment, and job performance.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper is a conceptual piece, so data will need to be collected to test the model developed here. Furthermore, other factors may influence international assignee adjustment, such as spouse and/or family adjustment.

Practical implications

– Suggestions are provided regarding how organizations can utilize in-house or external online social networks to assist international assignees.

Originality/value

– Despite the ubiquity of online social networks, there is a paucity of research examining the potential impact of online social networks on international assignees.
Fuzzy cognitive mapping for predicting hydromorphological responses to multiple pressures in rivers
Authors: Lorenz Stefan , Martinez‐Fernández Vanesa , Alonso Carlos , Mosselman Erik , García de Jalón Diego , González del Tánago Marta , Belletti Barbara , Hendriks Dimmie , Wolter Christian
Published: November 2015

Different pressures often co‐occur in rivers and act simultaneously on important processes and variables. This complicates the diagnosis of hydromorphological alterations and hampers the design of effective restoration measures.

Here, we present a conceptual meta‐analysis that aims at identifying the most relevant hydromorphological processes and variables controlling ecological degradation and restoration. For that purpose, we used fuzzy cognitive mapping based on conceptual schemes that were created according to 675 scientific peer‐reviewed river hydromorphology studies.

A model generated from this approach predicts responses that are consistent with common understanding of the direct interactions between hydromorphological pressures, processes and variables. However, it also leads to new knowledge beyond traditional hydromorphological models by dealing with the complex interactions of hydromorphology, vegetation, water chemistry and thermal regime.

Water flow dynamics appeared as the most important of all hydromorphological processes affected by simultaneously interacting pressures. Relevant processes such as vegetation encroachment and sediment entrainment are closely linked to water flow.

Synthesis and applications. Our results demonstrate the relevance of natural flow regime rehabilitation for river management. Hence, we suggest focusing primarily on rehabilitating the natural flow regime before carrying out extensive habitat restoration works. This challenging target in river rehabilitation could strongly increase the success of additional habitat restoration.
Road avoidance responses determine the impact of heterogeneous road networks at a regional scale
Authors: D'Amico Marcello , Périquet Stéphanie , Román Jacinto , Revilla Eloy
Published: November 2015

Barrier effect is a road‐related impact affecting several animal populations. It can be caused by behavioural responses towards roads (surface and/or gap avoidance), associated emissions (traffic‐emissions avoidance) and/or circulating vehicles (vehicle avoidance). Most studies so far have described road‐effect zones along major roads, without determining the actual factor inducing the behavioural response.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the factors potentially causing road‐effect zones in a heterogeneous road network (with variations in road width, road surface and traffic volume) and eventually to estimate the reduction of habitat quality imposed by roads within a protected area (Doñana Biosphere Reserve, Spain). As model species, we used two ungulates, red deer Cervus elaphus and wild boar Sus scrofa.

We surveyed the presence of both species along 200‐m transects. All transects started and were perpendicular to reference roads (those with a traffic volume above 10 cars per day), often intersecting unpaved minor roads with virtually no traffic.

The presence probability of both species was mainly affected by the distance to the nearest road (in most cases unpaved roads without traffic), but also by the proximity to reference roads. Red deer presence was also affected by the traffic volume of the nearest reference road. At a regional scale, the overall road network within the protected area imposes a reduction in presence probability of 40% for red deer and 55% for wild boar. A road network optimization, decommissioning unused and unpaved roads, would re‐establish almost entirely the potential habitat quality (91% for both species).

Synthesis and applications. We found that both study species avoided roads regardless of their surface or traffic volume, suggesting a response due to gap avoidance which may be based on the association between linear infrastructures and the possibility of vehicles occurring along them. The overall behavioural response can substantially decrease habitat quality over large scales, including the conservation value of protected areas. For this reason, we recommend road network optimization by road decommissioning to mitigate the impact of roads at a regional scale, with potential positive effects at ecosystem level.
Improving spatial arrangement of honeybee colonies to avoid pollination shortfall and depressed fruit set
Authors: Cunningham Saul A. , Fournier Alice , Neave Michael J. , Le Feuvre Danny
Published: November 2015

Pollination shortfalls affect yield of many crops, and the use of managed honeybee colonies is a common practice for addressing the problem. However, colony density and arrangement strategies are not generally based on replicated scientific trials, so there is considerable uncertainty regarding effectiveness of different practices. We address this problem with experiments in almond orchards in south‐east Australia, considering impacts on honeybee pollen foraging and fruit set.

We examined the effect of distance from colony location on the depletion rate of pollen from flowers near (~40 m) and far (260–490 m) from colonies in almond orchards. We assessed pollen loads of 950 flowers in total, collected at four times of day (9–9:30 h, 11–11:30 h, 13–13:30 h and 15–15:30 h), from 8 near : far pairs. We also surveyed fruit set on nearly 900 trees in replicated transects over two seasons to determine the effect of distance from colony when using large placements of colonies (~120 colonies, N = 581 trees), and effect of colony density when using smaller placements of colonies (N = 313 trees).

Flowers near colonies maintained an approximately constant mean pollen load over the course of the day, indicating that the rate of pollen released by flowers was matched by the rate of pollen collection by bees. Flowers far from colonies increased in pollen load over the course of the day, indicating relatively less pollen‐collecting activity, so that by 15:30 h they had, on average, 46% more than flowers near colonies.

Fruit set declined with distance by 22% over 850 m, consistent with the observation that pollen foraging declines over distance from colony. Fruit set also declined with colony density from 46% at 6·8 colonies per ha to 33% at 2·8 colonies per ha.

Synthesis and applications. Pollen‐collecting activity is relatively low at flowers far from honeybee colonies, creating a risk of lost yield through underpollination. Fruit set declines if colony density is reduced below 6·8 colonies per ha. Pollination outcomes in terms of fruit set are improved when fewer colonies are used per placement (<100) and placements of colonies are arranged with shorter distances (<700 m) between them, so that more trees are within 400 m of colonies.
Comparison of a traditional and non‐traditional residential care facility for persons living with dementia and the impact of the environment on occupational engagement
Authors: Richards Kieva , D'Cruz Rachel , Harman Suzanne , Stagnitti Karen
Published: November 2015

Background

Dementia residential facilities can be described as traditional or non‐traditional facilities. Non‐traditional facilities aim to utilise principles of environmental design to create a milieu that supports persons experiencing cognitive decline. This study aimed to compare these two environments in rural Australia, and their influence on residents’ occupational engagement.

Methods

The Residential Environment Impact Survey (REIS) was used and consists of: a walk‐through of the facility; activity observation; interviews with residents and employees. Thirteen residents were observed and four employees interviewed. Resident interviews did not occur given the population diagnosis of moderate to severe dementia. Descriptive data from the walk‐through and activity observation were analysed for potential opportunities of occupational engagement. Interviews were thematically analysed to discern perception of occupational engagement of residents within their facility.

Results

Both facilities provided opportunities for occupational engagement. However, the non‐traditional facility provided additional opportunities through employee interactions and features of the physical environment. Interviews revealed six themes: Comfortable environment; roles and responsibilities; getting to know the resident; more stimulation can elicit increased engagement; the home‐like experience and environmental layout. These themes coupled with the features of the environment provided insight into the complexity of occupational engagement within this population.

Conclusion

This study emphasises the influence of the physical and social environment on occupational engagement opportunities. A non‐traditional dementia facility maximises these opportunities and can support development of best‐practice guidelines within this population.