bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Change in the composition and enzyme activity of culturable lactic acid bacteria in Nuruk during fermentation at different temperatures
Authors: Nam Kang , Lee Nam Keun , Yum Eun-Ji , Kim Yong-Sik , Kim Dae-Hyuk , Yeo Soo-Hwan , Jeong Yong-Seob
Published: February 2016

The microbial composition in Nuruk, a Korean cereal fermentation starter, is a critical factor for the quality and organoleptic properties of traditional alcoholic beverages. This study was aimed at monitoring the compositional change and enzyme activity of culturable lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in two types of Nuruk fermented at different temperatures. All culturable LAB were isolated at various time points (0, 3, 6, 10, 20, and 30 days) and identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. In traditional Nuruk type A (TN-A), which was fermented at 36°C, the population of total culturable LAB during the fermentation period was between 104 and 105 log CFU/mL. On the other hand, the LAB population in traditional Nuruk type B (TN-B) fermented at 45°C (primary fermentation for 10 days) and 35°C (secondary fermentation for 20 days) was 102 log CFU/mL; however, these bacteria could not be detected after 6 days. Major LAB strains were identified in both Nuruk types: (1) from the MRS-culture of TN-A, Pediococcus pentosaceus at 3-30 days; (2) from MRS-culture of TN-B, P. pentosaceus at 3 days and Enterococcus hirae at 6 days. The protease activities of the dominant LAB isolated from the TN-A and TN-B cultures were within the ranges of 0.64~1.03 mg/mL and 0.74~0.81 mg/mL (tyrosine content), respectively, whereas the α-amylase activities were 0.75~0.98 mg/mL and 0.78~0.79 mg/mL (amylose content), respectively.
Binary and ternary cocrystals of sulfa drug acetazolamide with pyridine carboxamides and cyclic amides
Authors: Bolla Geetha , Nangia Ashwini
Published: February 2016

A novel design strategy for cocrystals of a sulfonamide drug with pyridine carboxamides and cyclic amides is developed based on synthon identification as well as size and shape match of coformers. Binary adducts of acetazolamide (ACZ) with lactams (valerolactam and caprolactam, VLM, CPR), cyclic amides (2-pyridone, labeled as 2HP and its derivatives MeHP, OMeHP) and pyridine amides (nicotinamide and picolinamide, NAM, PAM) were obtained by manual grinding, and their single crystals by solution crystallization. The heterosynthons in the binary cocrystals of ACZ with these coformers suggested a ternary combination for ACZ with pyridone and nicotinamide. Novel supramolecular synthons of ACZ with lactams and pyridine carboxamides are reported together with binary and ternary cocrystals for a sulfonamide drug. This crystal engineering study resulted in the first ternary cocrystal of acetazolamide with amide coformers, ACZ–NAM–2HP (1:1:1).
A comparative study of two polymorphs of bis(1-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-2-aminium) carbonate
Authors: Ben Nasr Mahjouba , Aubert Emmanuel , Espinosa Enrique
Published: February 2016

Alkanolamines have been known for their high CO2absorption for over 60 years and are used widely in the natural gas industry for reversible CO2capture. In an attempt to crystallize a salt of (RS)-2-(3-benzoylphenyl)propionic acid with 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol, we obtained instead a polymorph (denoted polymorph II) of bis(1-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-2-aminium) carbonate, 2C4H12NO+·CO32−, (I), suggesting that the amine group of the former compound captured CO2from the atmosphere forming the aminium carbonate salt. This new polymorph was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis at low temperature (100 K). The salt crystallizes in the monoclinic system (space groupC2/c,Z= 4), while a previously reported form of the same salt (denoted polymorph I) crystallizes in the triclinic system (space groupP\overline{1},Z= 2) [Barzagliet al.(2012).ChemSusChem,5, 1724–1731]. The asymmetric unit of polymorph II contains one 1-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-2-aminium cation and half a carbonate anion, located on a twofold axis, while the asymmetric unit of polymorph I contains two cations and one anion. These polymorphs exhibit similar structural features in their three-dimensional packing. Indeed, similar layers of an alternating cation–anion–cation neutral structure are observed in their molecular arrangements. Within each layer, carbonate anions and 1-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-2-aminium cations form planes bound to each other through N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds. In both polymorphs, the layers are linked to each otherviavan der Waals interactions and C—H...O contacts. In polymorph II, a highly directional C—H...O contact (C—H...O = 156°) shows as a hydrogen-bonding interaction. Periodic theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that both polymorphs present very similar stabilities.
Real-time micro-modelling of a million pedestrians
Authors: Lohner R , Baqui Muhammad , Haug Eberhard , Muhamad Britto
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a first-principles model for the simulation of pedestrian flows and crowd dynamics capable of computing the movement of a million pedestrians in real-time in order to assess the potential safety hazards and operational performance at events where many individuals are gathered. Examples of such situations are sport and music events, cinemas and theatres, museums, conference centres, places of pilgrimage and worship, street demonstrations, emergency evacuation during natural disasters.

Design/methodology/approach

– The model is based on a series of forces, such as: will forces (the desire to reach a place at a certain time), pedestrian collision avoidance forces, obstacle/wall avoidance forces; pedestrian contact forces, and obstacle/wall contact forces. In order to allow for general geometries a so-called background triangulation is used to carry all geographic information. At any given time the location of any given pedestrian is updated on this mesh. The model has been validated qualitatively and quantitavely on repeated occasions. The code has been ported to shared and distributed memory parallel machines.

Findings

– The results obtained show that the stated aim of computing the movement of a million pedestrians in real-time has been achieved. This is an important milestone, as it enables faster-than-real-time simulations of large crowds (stadiums, airports, train and bus stations, concerts) as well as evacuation simulations for whole cities.

Research limitations/implications

– All models are wrong, but some are useful. The same applies to any modelling of pedestrians. Pedestrians are not machines, so stochastic runs will be required in the future in order to obtain statistically relevant ensembles.

Practical implications

– This opens the way to link real-time data gathering of crowds (i.e. via cameras) with predictive calculations done faster than real-time, so that security personnel can be alerted to potential future problems during large-scale events.

Social implications

– This will allow much better predictions for large-scale events, improving security and comfort.

Originality/value

– This is the first time such speeds have been achieved for a micro-modelling code for pedestrians.
An efficient finite element formulation for nonlinear analysis of clustered tensegrity
Authors: Zhang Liang , Gao Qiang , Liu Yin , Zhang Hongwu
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose an efficient finite element formulation for nonlinear analysis of clustered tensegrity that consists of classical cables, clustered cables and bars.

Design/methodology/approach

– The derivation of the finite element formulation is based on the co-rotational approach, which decomposes a geometrically nonlinear deformation into a large rigid body motion and a small-strain deformation. A tangent stiffness matrix of a clustered cable is proposed and the Newton-Raphson scheme is employed to solve the nonlinear equation.

Findings

– The derived tangent stiffness matrix, including an additional stiffness terms that describes the slide effect of pulleys, can regress to the stiffness matrix of a classical cable, which is convenient for the implementation of finite element procedure. Two typical numerical examples show that the proposed formulation is accurate and requires less iteration than the force density method.

Originality/value

– The co-rotational formulation of a clustered cable is originally proposed, although some mature methods, such as the TL, Force Density and Dynamic Relaxation method, have been applied to nonlinear analysis of clustered tensegrity. The proposed co-rotational formulation proved efficient.
How does brand innovativeness affect brand loyalty?
Authors: Pappu Ravi , Quester Pascale G.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine how consumers’ perceptions of innovativeness affect an important brand performance metric: consumer brand loyalty. Specifically, the mediating role of perceived quality in this relationship is explained using signaling theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– The conceptual model was tested in two empirical studies for three global consumer electronics brands in two product categories. Data were collected using a mall-intercept approach from consumers at a major shopping precinct in a metropolitan city. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The results provide compelling evidence for the proposed mediation relationship. Study 1 shows that perceived quality fully transmits the impact of brand innovativeness on to brand loyalty. Study 2 confirms this mediation relationship.

Practical implications

– The results can help product managers in their brand management and promotion of new products.

Originality/value

– Emerging research on consumer-level effects of innovativeness provides conflicting advice regarding how consumers’ perceptions of brand innovativeness affect intangible assets such as loyalty toward the brand. The present research reconciles contradictory findings in the literature by uncovering a different route through which consumer perceptions of brand innovativeness affect a key brand performance metric: brand loyalty. Specifically, the present study fills an important knowledge gap in the innovativeness literature and deepens our understanding of the relationship between brand innovativeness and brand loyalty by empirically examining and confirming the role of a hereto overlooked intervening variable, perceived quality.
Consumers’ behavioural intentions after experiencing deception or cognitive dissonance caused by deceptive packaging, package downsizing or slack filling
Authors: Wilkins Stephen , Beckenuyte Carina , Butt Muhammad Mohsin
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to discover the extent to which consumers are aware of air filling in food packaging, the extent to which deceptive packaging and slack filling – which often result from package downsizing – lead to cognitive dissonance and the extent to which feelings of cognitive dissonance and being deceived lead consumers to engage in negative post-purchase behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study analysed respondents’ reactions to a series of images of a specific product. The sample consisted of consumers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the UK. Five photographs served as the stimulus material. The first picture showed a well-known brand of premium chocolate in its packaging and then four further pictures each showed a plate with a different amount of chocolate on it, which represented different possible levels of package fill.

Findings

– Consumer expectations of pack fill were positively related to consumers’ post-purchase dissonance, and higher dissonance was negatively related to repurchase intentions and positively related to both intended visible and non-visible negative post-purchase behaviours, such as switching brand and telling friends to avoid the product. Furthermore, consumers with low product involvement were less likely to repurchase the brand, and were more willing to engage in visible and non-visible negative behaviours.

Research limitations/implications

– The key message from this study is that consumers’ post-purchase dissonance is likely to damage the firm. Although firms may initially achieve increased sales through deceptive packaging and slack filling, these practices risk damaging a brand’s reputation and consumer loyalty to the brand. Firms need to strike a balance between packaging size and content, and as consumer expectations are likely to vary across different products, individual companies should engage in market research and substantive market testing.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates antecedents and consequences of cognitive dissonance experienced by consumers which was caused by perceived deceptive packaging and/or slack filling.
Enacted voluntary simplicity – exploring the consequences of requesting consumers to intentionally consume less
Authors: McGouran Cathy , Prothero Andrea
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the impact intentional non-consumption has on consumer practices, the resulting consumption experiences and meanings attached to the actions of participants and what is learned from this relative to voluntary simplicity, most specifically when participants are asked to become voluntary simplifiers versus volunteering to do so.

Design/methodology/approach

– A phenomenological approach was applied utilising unstructured interviews and autoethnography. Data were analysed through the theoretical lens of voluntary simplicity within the contexts of contemporary Irish consumer culture and the collapse of the Celtic Tiger.

Findings

– The study highlights findings in four key areas: self-imposed parameters of intentional non-consumption and subsequent voluntary simplicity categories; motivations, practices and experiences of participants; the role intentional non-consumption plays relative to personal satisfaction, fulfilment and happiness; and how participant consumption practices reverted to “normal” once the study was complete.

Research limitations/implications

– This study focuses on an all-female group of participants; future research is warranted that explores the issue from a male perspective.

Social implications

– Findings are of particular interest to policy makers seeking to develop initiatives that reduce consumption practices and contribute to discussions that explore the role of consumption in modern society – in particular the wide-ranging debate on whether consumption leads to happiness and how consumers might be persuaded to consume in a more sustainable manner.

Originality/value

– This study adopts an innovative methodology that explores voluntary simplicity and contributes to an understanding of consumption culture by exploring what happens when consumers are asked to reduce their consumption and become voluntary simplifiers. An extension of Huneke’s definition of voluntary simplicity is offered, which recognises the role non-material consumption plays in consumption practices, and explores voluntary simplicity relative not only to individuals’ values and beliefs, as discussed in the literature, but also to their lifestyle activities and wider sociocultural and institutional factors.
Predicting what? The strengths and limitations of a test of persuasive advertising principles
Authors: Wright Malcolm J.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss Armstronget al.’s (2016) finding that ads that more closely follow evidence-based persuasion principles also achieve higher day-after-recall.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author evaluates the importance of Armstronget al.’s result and considers the criticisms that their work only examines some aspects of persuasion and that their dependent variable is known to have a low correlation with sales.

Findings

– Armstronget al.’s result provides a major advance in the knowledge of persuasive advertising. While they do not examine all aspects of persuasion, the scope of their tests is still very extensive. Day-after-recall is also arguably a better measure of advertising effectiveness than sales impact, due to the difficulty of identifying small sales changes among the random fluctuations that constantly occur in most markets and given the known processes by which consumer memory operates.

Originality/value

– By synthesising prior work on advertising and consumer memory, the author provides a simple model of how advertising interacts with memory. This model explains why ad recall ought to be poorly correlated with sales, and highlights the need for Armstronget al.’s result to be followed by further research into how contextual cues at the point of purchase affect memory retrieval and brand choice.
Generalisability of advertising persuasion principles
Authors: Sharp Byron , Hartnett Nicole
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to reflect on the generalisability of the predictive validity test of the Persuasion Principles Index (PPI) conducted by Armstronget al.(2016).

Design/methodology/approach

– Different aspects of the test are considered, such as the sample of ads, the dependent variable and the comparability of the methods used to predict effectiveness, in terms of how relevant these are to real-world advertising testing.

Findings

– The sample of ads and the testing procedure may have contributed to the success of the PPI predictions over the other copy-testing methods. The sample of print ads does not bear a close resemblance to current advertising. The competing copy tests do not represent modern advertising copy testing.

Research/limitations/implications

– More research is needed to test the validity of the principles and the predictive accuracy of the PPI across a range of conditions (e.g. different ads, media, products and cultures). Testing against advertising sales effectiveness would be the ideal next step.

Practical/implications

– It certainly seems the index method has the potential to help advertisers make better decisions regarding what executions to support, for high-involvement products at least. Given the accessibility of the software, it should be easy and cost effective for advertisers to trial the PPI.

Originality/value

– This commentary directs researchers to the real-world conditions under which advertising pre-tests need to be evaluated.
Reflective leadership review: a framework for improving organisational performance
Authors: Castelli Patricia Ann
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe, examine and discuss scholarly literature on reflective leadership, a topic gaining momentum as a result of globalization. Despite the growing popularity of reflective leadership techniques, current and aspiring leaders are struggling to find ways in which to effectively practice reflection as a consequence of a lack of tangible available guidance.

Design/methodology/approach

– Scholarly literature on reflective leadership was examined and presented in this paper. Discussion on the potential efficacy of reflective leadership is also included as the available literature on the topic is scarce in comparison to other more established leadership techniques.

Findings

– Reflective leadership has been shown to improve organizational performance. The advent of globalization further intensifies the need for an effective approach leaders may deploy when assessing the long-term consequences of their actions and decisions. Therefore, methods to extend the theory and effective practice of reflective leadership are necessary to enable the future development of leaders.

Practical implications

– This paper provides leaders with strategies for improving their leadership effectiveness. Practical techniques for utilizing reflective leadership are offered.

Originality/value

– This paper describes the challenges faced by leaders when adopting reflective leadership as a way to improve organizational performance. A universal framework is presented for the effective practice of reflective leadership. This framework provides a basis for future research to test the efficacy of the model.
SOAP and the Web of Science: how to bulk download query results
Authors: Johnson Eric Orace
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to give step-by-step guidance for downloading data from any site that uses a simple object access protocol (SOAP) interface such as Web of Science (WOS)/Web of Knowledge. The SOAP interface is a method that is used widely by Web sites to allow automatic download of data. Using a case study approach, we also discuss some problems that can happen and ways to avoid them. The WOS is used as a demonstration.

Design/methodology/approach

– This case study explores ways to download large amounts of data from a Web site. As pitfalls were encountered, techniques were developed to circumnavigate them. The result is a specific procedure for accessing these types of databases.

Findings

– The paper provides a transferrable procedure that non-technical people can use to access WOS and other SOAP data sources.

Practical implications

– The set of scripts are presented in the paper that will allow others to download data from any site that uses a SOAP interface. Explanations are given so that the procedure can be adapted for other tasks.

Originality/value

– This paper clearly illustrates how to interact with a SOAP interface with explicit instructions for downloading from WOS. It is written for the non- technical with illustrations at each step. Instructions are given for modifying the scripts so that librarians can search using other keywords and dates as well as downloading from other Web sites.
Shodhganga – a national level open access ETD repository of Indian electronic theses: current status and discussions
Authors: Panda Saroja Kumar
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the progress and current status of Shodhganga: a reservoir Indian electronic theses. The paper further discusses the need and importance of a centrally maintained repository in the current age and the role and challenges of universities, libraries and researchers in development of institutional repositories at university levels.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data are collected from Shodhganga server/Web site followed by simple excel analysis which are presented in the paper in the form of tables and graphs.

Findings

– As on 30 June 2015, a total of 40,175 theses have been deposited in the repository by 217 universities. Jawaharlal Nehru University has submitted highest number of theses (4570, 11.37 per cent) followed by Anna University (2910, 7.24 per cent), Mahatma Gandhi University (2056, 5.12 per cent) and Bundelkhand University (1760, 4.38 per cent). Highest number of theses has been submitted from the state of Tamil Nadu. Numbers of theses and site visitors are gradually increasing (2010-2015).

Originality/value

– Shodhganga central repository of Indian electronic theses is an important step of Informational and Library Network Centre and University Grants Commission (UGC) in the Indian subcontinent. The paper recommends that besides UGC-recognised universities, other private/deemed universities, IITs, NITs and IISERs should also be welcomed for voluntarily deposit their theses in the Shodhganga central repository, and one of the fastest way to make progress is to let students upload their works directly.
Industrial Waste Reuse and By‐product Synergy Optimization
Authors: Maillé Martin , Frayret Jean‐Marc
Published: February 2016

By‐product synergy is a growing practice worldwide. It consists in the maximization of resources utilization with the replacement of raw materials by by‐products as inputs for industrial processes. In order to support decision making in such strategic projects, appropriate tools must be developed. This article presents the results of a research project, which includes the development of a multiobjective mathematical programming model for the optimization of by‐product flows, synergy configurations, and investment decisions in eco‐industrial networks. This model is evaluated using data related to the Kalundborg industrial symbiosis (IS) in order to illustrate its utilization, as well as to assess, in a retrospective manner, the behavior of the companies involved with respect to both economic and environmental benefits of synergies. The experiments also illustrate the influence of the municipality on synergy implementation and how a scenario‐based approach can be used to anticipate raw material price increase. The results are generally coherent with the actual timing of synergy initializations. Further, the considerable effect of water price on the length of investments’ payback period illustrates the impact of policies and regulations on IS.
Framework to Evaluate Exposure Relevance and Data Needs for Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials using in Vitro Testing Strategies
Authors: Sharma Monita , Shatkin Jo Anne , Cairns Carolyn , Canady Richard , Clippinger Amy J.
Published: February 2016

This article presents a multistage framework for evaluating the strength of evidence of nanomaterial (NM) exposure characterization data to optimize the utility of in vitro testing strategies for human health risk assessment. This framework is intended to aid risk assessors in evaluating the relevance of data from in vitro tests and to optimize the development of new in vitro testing strategies. The initial stage frames the exposure scenarios of interest in advance of testing to incorporate aspects such as release points, route of exposure, biological and environmental transformations, dose metrics, and biological targets in subsequent stages. The second stage considers characterization in the context of a realistic exposure and the third stage involves designing a testing strategy based on expected exposure conditions. For the fourth and final stage, we propose a matrix approach to evaluate the strength of evidence obtained in the first three stages as a basis for determining the best combination of test conditions and analytical methods available to characterize and measure exposure based on the NM type. This approach can also be used to evaluate existing data for their relevance to the expected exposure scenario and to further develop and optimize in vitro testing strategies. Implementation of the proposed strategy will generate meaningful information on NM properties and their interaction with biological systems, based on realistic exposure scenarios, which will be cost effective and can be applied for assessing risk and making intelligent regulatory decisions regarding the use and disposal of NMs.
Filter-Based Fault Diagnosis of Wind Energy Conversion Systems Subject to Sensor Faults
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Xiong Jing , Ren Mifeng , Shi Yuntao , Xu Jinliang
Published: February 2016

The operational reliability of wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) has attracted a lot of attention recently. This paper is concerned with sensor fault detection (FD) and isolation problems for variable-speed WECSs by using a novel filtering method. A physical model of WECS with typical sensor faults is first built. Due to the non-Gaussianity of both wind speed and measurement noises in WECSs, an improved entropy optimization criterion is then established to design the filter for WECSs. Different from previous entropy-filtering results, the generalized density evolution equation (GDEE) is adopted to reveal the relationship among the estimation error, non-Gaussian noises, and the filter gain. The sensors FD and isolation algorithms are then obtained by evaluating the decision rule based on the residual signals generated by the filter. Finally, simulation results show that the sensor faults in WECSs can be detected and isolated effectively by using the proposed method.
Uranium ion yields from monodisperse uranium oxide particles
Authors: Sharp Nicholas , Fassett John D. , Simons David S.
Published: February 2016

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) plays an important role in nuclear forensics through its ability to identify isotopic ratios of particles accurately and precisely from samples obtained by inspectors [Boulyga et al., J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 30, 1469 (2015)]. As the particle mass can be on the order of subpicograms, it is important to maximize the sample utilization efficiency of U+ to make high-quality isotopic measurements. The influence of primary ion beam species and polarity on U+ sample utilization efficiency has been previously investigated by Ranebo et al. [J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 24, 277 (2009)]. However, the effect of sample substrate on uranium ion production efficiency and sputtering profile has not been investigated. This work will explore those influences on sample utilization efficiency by analyzing monodisperse uranium oxide microspheres deposited onto graphite and silicon planchets. The particles were mapped using an automated scanning electron microscope, and their coordinates were converted to the SIMS coordinate system using fiducial marks. Results indicate higher U+ sample utilization efficiencies when sputtering with O− and O2− on graphite planchets compared with O2+, whereas O2− gave higher U+ sample utilization efficiencies with silicon wafers compared to O− and O2+. Additionally, during sputtering of uranium particles on silicon wafers with O− and O2−, a sudden drop in U+ signal intensity was observed, which was not present during sputtering with O2+ or any primary ion species for particles on graphite. This drop in U+ signal intensity occurred simultaneously with an increase in UO+ and UO2+ signals, indicating a change in the local matrix around the uranium particle that is unique to silicon compared to graphite.
Transaural experiments and a revised duplex theory for the localization of low-frequency tones
Authors: Hartmann William M. , Rakerd Brad , Crawford Zane D. , Zhang Peter Xinya
Published: February 2016

The roles of interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD) were studied in free-field source localization experiments for sine tones of low frequency (250–750 Hz). Experiments combined real-source trials with virtual trials created through transaural synthesis based on real-time ear canal measurements. Experiments showed the following: (1) The naturally occurring ILD is physically large enough to exert an influence on sound localization well below 1000 Hz. (2) An ILD having the same sign as the ITD modestly enhances the perceived azimuth of tones for all values of the ITD, and it eliminates left-right confusions that otherwise occur when the interaural phase difference (IPD) passes 180°. (3) Increasing the ILD to large, implausible values can decrease the perceived laterality while also increasing front-back confusions. (4) Tone localization is more directly related to the ITD than to the IPD. (5) An ILD having a sign opposite to the ITD promotes a slipped-cycle ITD, sometimes with dramatic effects on localization. Because the role of the ITD itself is altered by the ILD, the duplex processing of ITD and ILD reflects more than mere trading; the effect of the ITD can be reversed in sign.
MALT lymphoma of the base of the tongue: a rare case entity
Authors: Iftikhar Haissan , Siddiqui Moghira Iqbaluddin , Minhas Khurram
Published: February 2016

Lymphoma is a malignant tumour arising from lymphoid tissue, with the majority of cases being in the lymph nodes, however, in 1/4th of cases, these tumours are found in extralymphoid tissue. Lymphoid tissue is also found in organs having mucosa, such as the digestive tract, salivary gland and in tracheal tissue. This collection of lymphoid tissue is known as mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma involving this extralymphoidal lymph tissue is known as MALT lymphoma. It was first reported by Isaacson and Wright in 1983, however, it was not included as a working diagnosis in clinical use until it was reclassified as ‘marginal zone B-cell lymphoma’ in a 1994 Revised European American Lymphoma (REAL) classification. It is rarely seen in the head and neck region, and we report the sixth case of MALT lymphoma of the base of the tongue. A 61-year-old man presented with dysphagia and the feeling of a lump in his throat for 5 months.
Reducing income-related inequities in colorectal cancer screening: lessons learned from a retrospective analysis of organised programme and non-programme screening delivery in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Authors: Decker Kathleen M , Demers Alain A , Nugent Zoann , Biswanger Natalie , Singh Harminder
Published: February 2016

Objective

We examined organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme and non-programme faecal occult blood test (FOBT) use from 2008 to 2012 for individuals living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by area-level income.

Setting

Winnipeg, Manitoba, a region with universal healthcare and an organised CRC screening programme.

Participants

Individuals who had a non-programme FOBT were identified from the Provincial Medical Claims database. Individuals who had a programme FOBT were identified from the provincial screening registry. Census data were used to determine average household income based on area of residence.

Statistical analysis

Trends in age-standardised FOBT rates were examined using Joinpoint Regression. Logistic regression was performed to explore the association between programme and non-programme FOBT use and income quintile.

Results

FOBT use (non-programme and programme) increased from 32.2% in 2008 to 41.6% in 2012. Individuals living in the highest income areas (Q5) were more likely to have a non-programme FOBT compared with those living in other areas. Individuals living in areas with the lowest average income level (Q1) were less likely to have had programme FOBT than those living in areas with the highest average income level (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.82). There was no difference in programme FOBT use for individuals living in areas with the second lowest income level (Q2) compared with those living in areas with the highest. Individuals living in areas with a moderate-income level (Q3 and Q4) were more likely to have had a programme FOBT compared with those living in an area with the highest income level (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.15 for Q3 and OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.13 for Q4).

Conclusions

Inequities by income observed for non-programme FOBTs were largely eliminated when programme FOBTs were examined. Targeted interventions within organised screening programmes in very low-income areas are needed.
Identifying determinants of heterogeneous transmission dynamics of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015: a retrospective epidemiological analysis
Authors: Nishiura Hiroshi , Endo Akira , Saitoh Masaya , Kinoshita Ryo , Ueno Ryo , Nakaoka Shinji , Miyamatsu Yuichiro , Dong Yueping , Chowell Gerardo , Mizumoto Kenji
Published: February 2016

Objectives

To investigate the heterogeneous transmission patterns of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in the Republic of Korea, with a particular focus on epidemiological characteristics of superspreaders.

Design

Retrospective epidemiological analysis.

Setting

Multiple healthcare facilities of secondary and tertiary care centres in an urban setting.

Participants

A total of 185 laboratory-confirmed cases with partially known dates of illness onset and most likely sources of infection.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Superspreaders were identified using the transmission tree. The reproduction number, that is, the average number of secondary cases produced by a single primary case, was estimated as a function of time and according to different types of hosts.

Results

A total of five superspreaders were identified. The reproduction number throughout the course of the outbreak was estimated at 1.0 due to reconstruction of the transmission tree, while the variance of secondary cases generated by a primary case was 52.1. All of the superspreaders involved in this outbreak appeared to have generated a substantial number of contacts in multiple healthcare facilities (association: p<0.01), generating on average 4.0 (0.0–8.6) and 28.6 (0.0–63.9) secondary cases among patients who visited multiple healthcare facilities and others. The time-dependent reproduction numbers declined substantially below the value of 1 on and after 13 June 2015.

Conclusions

Superspreaders who visited multiple facilities drove the epidemic by generating a disproportionate number of secondary cases. Our findings underscore the need to limit the contacts in healthcare settings. Contact tracing efforts could assist early laboratory testing and diagnosis of suspected cases.
The relationship between red blood cell distribution width and blood pressure abnormal dipping in patients with essential hypertension: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Su Dan , Guo Qi , Gao Ya , Han Jin , Yan Bin , Peng Liyuan , Song Anqi , Zhou Fuling , Wang Gang
Published: February 2016

Objective

To investigate whether red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with the blood pressure (BP) reverse-dipper pattern in patients with hypertension.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Single centre.

Participants

Patients with essential hypertension were included in our study (n=708). The exclusion criteria included age <18 or >90 years, incomplete clinical data, night workers, diagnosis of secondary hypertension, under antihypertensive treatment, intolerance for the 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and BP reading success rate <70%.

Measurement

Physical examination and ABPM were performed for all patients in our study. The value of RDW was measured using an automated haematology analyser.

Statistical methods

The distribution of RDW in patients with hypertension among different circadian BP pattern groups was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multinomial logistic regression was applied to explore the associations of RDW and other relevant variables with ABPM results.

Results

There was significantly increased RDW in reverse dippers (13.52±1.05) than dippers (13.25±0.85) of hypertension (p=0.012). Moreover, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that RDW (OR 1.325, 95% CI 1.037 to 1.692, p=0.024) and diabetes mellitus (OR 2.286, 95% CI 1.380 to 3.788, p=0.001) were significantly different when comparing the reverse-dipper BP pattern with the dipper pattern. However, there was no difference of RDW between the non-dipper pattern and the reverse-dipper pattern (OR 1.036, 95% CI 0.867 to 1.238, p=0.693). In addition to this, RDW was negatively correlated with the decline rate of nocturnal systolic BP (r=−0.113; p=0.003) and diastolic BP (r=−0.101; p=0.007).

Conclusions

Our results suggested that RDW might associate with the abnormal dipper BP patterns of either reverse dipping or non-dipping homogeneously examined with 24 h ABPM.
Cross-sectional study of the prehospital management of adult patients with a suspected seizure (EPIC1)
Authors: Dickson Jon M , Taylor Louise H , Shewan Jane , Baldwin Trevor , Grünewald Richard A , Reuber Markus
Published: February 2016

Objectives

Suspected seizures are a common reason for emergency calls to ambulance services. Prehospital management of these patients is an important element of good quality care. The aim of this study, conducted in a regional ambulance service in the UK, was to quantify the number of emergency telephone calls for suspected seizures in adults, the associated costs, and to describe the patients’ characteristics, their prehospital management and their immediate outcomes.

Design

Quantitative cross-sectional study using routinely collected data and a detailed review of the clinical records of a consecutive series of adult patients (≥16 years).

Setting

A regional ambulance service within the National Health Service in England.

Participants

Cross-sectional data from all 605 481 adult emergency incidents managed by the ambulance service from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. We selected a consecutive series of 178 individual incidents from May 2012 for more detailed analysis (132 after exclusions and removal of non-seizure cases).

Results

Suspected seizures made up 3.3% of all emergency incidents. True medical emergencies were uncommon but 3.3% had partially occluded airways, 6.8% had ongoing seizure activity and 59.1% had clinical problems in addition to the seizure (29.1% involving injury). Emergency vehicles were dispatched for 97.2% of suspected seizures, the seizure had terminated on arrival in 93.2% of incidents, 75% of these patients were transported to hospital. The estimated emergency management cost per annum of suspected seizures in the English ambulance services is £45.2 million (€64.0 million, $68.6 million).

Conclusions

Many patients with suspected seizures could potentially be treated more effectively and at lower cost by modifying ambulance call handling protocols. The development of innovative care pathways could give call handlers and paramedics alternatives to hospital transportation. Increased adoption of care plans could reduce 999 calls and could increase the rates of successful home or community treatment.
Faster P300 Classifier Training Using Spatiotemporal Beamforming
Authors: Wittevrongel Benjamin , Van Hulle Marc M.
Published: February 2016

The linearly-constrained minimum-variance (LCMV) beamformer is traditionally used as a spatial filter for source localization, but here we consider its spatiotemporal extension for P300 classification. We compare two variants and show that the spatiotemporal LCMV beamformer is at par with state-of-the-art P300 classifiers, but several orders of magnitude faster in training the classifier.
Homogeneous space with non-virtually abelian discontinuous groups but without any proper SL(2, ℝ)-action
Authors: Okuda Takayuki
Published: February 2016

In the study of discontinuous groups for non-Riemannian homogeneous spaces, the idea of “continuous analogue” gives a powerful method (T. Kobayashi [Math. Ann. 1989]). For example, a semisimple symmetric space [Formula: see text] admits a discontinuous group which is not virtually abelian if and only if [Formula: see text] admits a proper [Formula: see text]-action (T. Okuda [J. Differ. Geom. 2013]). However, the action of discrete subgroups is not always approximated by that of connected groups. In this paper, we show that the theorem cannot be extended to general homogeneous spaces [Formula: see text] of reductive type. We give a counterexample in the case [Formula: see text].
Non-fillable invariant contact structures on principal circle bundles and left-handed twists
Authors: Chiang River , Ding Fan , van Koert Otto
Published: February 2016

We define symplectic fractional twists, which subsume Dehn twists and fibered twists and use these in open books to investigate contact structures. The resulting contact structures are invariant under a circle action, and share several similarities with the invariant contact structures that were studied by Lutz and Giroux. We show that left-handed fractional twists often give rise to “algebraically overtwisted” contact manifolds, a certain class of non-fillable contact manifolds.
Network immunization under limited budget using graph spectra
Authors: Zahedi R. , Khansari M.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm that minimizes the worst expected growth of an epidemic by reducing the size of the largest connected component (LCC) of the underlying contact network. The proposed algorithm is applicable to any level of available resources and, despite the greedy approaches of most immunization strategies, selects nodes simultaneously. In each iteration, the proposed method partitions the LCC into two groups. These are the best candidates for communities in that component, and the available resources are sufficient to separate them. Using Laplacian spectral partitioning, the proposed method performs community detection inference with a time complexity that rivals that of the best previous methods. Experiments show that our method outperforms targeted immunization approaches in both real and synthetic networks.
Effective field theory, past and future
Authors: Weinberg Steven
Published: February 2016

I reminisce about the early development of effective field theories of the strong interactions, comment briefly on some other applications of effective field theories, and then take up the idea that the Standard Model and General Relativity are the leading terms in an effective field theory. Finally, I cite recent calculations that suggest that the effective field theory of gravitation and matter is asymptotically safe.
Quantum evolution of a qubit state with decoherence and LFC
Authors: Wang Chao , Luo Jian
Published: February 2016

We study the Rabi oscillation of two-level system in double quantum dots, and found that the Rabi oscillation considering decoherence rate is a cycle attenuated oscillation when the qubit energy asymmetry [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] is the qubit energy asymmetry). The peak of Rabi oscillation alternatively changes in the case of the qubit energy asymmetry [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] is the qubit tunneling matrix element). Moreover, the local field correction (LFC) greatly affects the frequency of Rabi oscillation, in which the Rabi frequency changes fast with LFC increasing.
An Efficient Algorithm for Suffix Sorting
Authors: Peng Zhan , Wang Yuping , Xue Xingsi , Wei Jingxuan
Published: February 2016

The Suffix Array (SA) is a fundamental data structure which is widely used in the applications such as string matching, text index and computation biology, etc. How to sort the suffixes of a string in lexicographical order is a primary problem in constructing SAs, and one of the widely used suffix sorting algorithms is qsufsort. However, qsufsort suffers one critical limitation that the order of suffixes starting with the same [Formula: see text] characters cannot be determined in the kth round. To this point, in our paper, an efficient suffix sorting algorithm called dsufsort is proposed by overcoming the drawback of the qsufsort algorithm. In particular, our proposal maintains the depth of each unsorted portion of SA, and sorts the suffixes based on the depth in each round. By this means, some suffixes that cannot be sorted by qsufsort in each round can be sorted now, as a result, more sorting results in current round can be utilized by the latter rounds and the total number of sorting rounds will be reduced, which means dsufsort is more efficient than qsufsort. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, especially for the text with high repetitions.
Dynamic Partitioned Cache Memory for Real-Time MPSoCs with Mixed Criticality
Authors: Chen Gang , Huang Kai , Cheng Long , Hu Biao , Knoll Alois
Published: February 2016

Shared cache interference in multi-core architectures has been recognized as one of major factors that degrade predictability of a mixed-critical real-time system. Due to the unpredictable cache interference, the behavior of shared cache is hard to predict and analyze statically in multi-core architectures executing mixed-critical tasks, which will not only result in difficulty of estimating the worst-case execution time (WCET) but also introduce significant worst-case timing penalties for critical tasks. Therefore, cache management in mixed-critical multi-core systems has become a challenging task. In this paper, we present a dynamic partitioned cache memory for mixed-critical real-time multi-core systems. In this architecture, critical tasks can dynamically allocate and release the cache resourse during the execution interval according to the real-time workload. This dynamic partitioned cache can, on the one hand, provide the predicable cache performance for critical tasks. On the other hand, the released cache can be dynamically used by non-critical tasks to improve their average performance. We demonstrate and prototype our system design on the embedded FPGA platform. Measurements from the prototype clearly demonstrate the benefits of the dynamic partitioned cache for mixed-critical real-time multi-core systems.
Discreteness is undecidable
Authors: Kapovich Michael
Published: February 2016

We prove that the discreteness problem for two-generated nonelementary subgroups of [Formula: see text] is undecidable in the Blum–Shub–Smale (BSS) computability model.