bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the therapeutic process in a case of couple therapy for depression: how to deal with a problematic within-system alliance / Análisis del proceso terapéutico en un caso de terapia de pareja para la depresión: cómo lidiar con una alianza intra-sistema problemática
Authors: Montesano Adrian , Izu Sheila
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to analyse the therapeutic process of a case of couple therapy for depression. The evolution of symptoms, marital satisfaction and therapeutic alliance were evaluated during therapy. Results showed that symptoms followed a specific trajectory where the patient displayed a sudden deterioration towards the end of their therapy but, at follow-up, reached a clinically significant change in both individual and relational measures. The analysis of the process highlighted the association between the couple’s relational pattern and its problematic within-system alliance, as well as the relevance of this association for explaining the trajectory of change. The most useful case management interventions were: (a) fostering a relational formulation of symptoms; and (b) the use of therapy termination as an intervention. Results from this case study support the role of relational mechanisms for the process of change and provide technical alternatives that can be applied in cases at risk of failure.
The Effects of Pulmonary Vasodilating Agents on Right Ventricular Parameters in Severe Group 3 Pulmonary Hypertension: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sato Takahiro , Tsujino Ichizo , Sugimoto Ayako , Nakaya Toshitaka , Watanabe Taku , Ohira Hiroshi , Suzuki Masaru , Konno Satoshi , Oyama‐Manabe Noriko , Nishimura Masaharu
Published: August 2016

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)–approved vasodilators improve right ventricular (RV) function in patients with PAH. However, whether PAH‐approved drugs ameliorate RV morphology and function in lung disease–associated pulmonary hypertension (lung‐PH) remains unclear. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the changes in RV volume and ejection fraction (RVEF) in 14 consecutive severe lung‐PH patients treated with PAH‐approved vasodilators. Severe lung‐PH was defined as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (MPAP) of ≥35 mmHg or an MPAP of ≥25 mmHg with a cardiac index (L/min/m2) of <2. Right heart catheterization and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging were performed at baseline and at 3 months after starting sildenafil with or without other PAH‐approved drugs. Follow‐up was conducted at 3 months in 11 participants; compared with baseline values, MPAP and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) decreased by 18% and 37%, respectively. Baseline CMR imaging revealed an elevated RV end‐diastolic volume index (RVEDVI; mL/m2) of 117.5 ± 35.9 and a below‐average RVEF of 25.2% ± 7.2%; after 3 months, RVEDVI decreased by 23.7% (P = 0.0061) and RVEF increased by 32.9% (P = 0.0165). Among the 11 patients, 3 were thought to be a stable and homogenous subset in terms of background lung disease and medical management administered. These 3 patients exhibited similar ameliorations in PVR and RVEF, compared with the other 8 patients. PAH‐approved drug treatment may improve RV dilatation and systolic function among patients with severe lung‐PH. This study was approved by University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN‐CTR) on September 1, 2013 (UMIN000011541).
Hottest summers the new normal
Authors: Camargo Suzana J , Seth Anji
Published: August 2016

With the rise in temperature due to anthropogenic climate change, the occurrence of hot summers, temperature extremes and heat waves is increasing globally. Projections for the coming decades to century indicate increases in the occurrence, magnitude and duration of these events. In a recent paper, Mueller et al (2016 Environ. Res. Lett.

11 044011) showed that half of summers are expected to be ‘hot’ (warmer than the warmest on record) across much of the world in one or two decades. While these results are consistent with earlier work, what is new here includes (i) an earlier timing of emergence of the hot summer signal and (ii) additional confidence due to the rigorous statistical examination of the observations and the analyses of the latest improved suite of model experiments. The potential impacts of these projections on society are extremely serious.
Hypothesis Tests for Neyman’s Bias in Case-Control Studies
Authors: Swanson D.M. , Anderson C.D. , Betensky R.A.
Published: August 2016

Survival bias is a long-recognized problem in case-control studies, and many varieties of bias can come under this umbrella term. We focus on one of them, termed Neyman’s bias or “prevalence-incidence bias.” It occurs in case-control studies when exposure affects both disease and disease-induced mortality, and we give a formula for the observed, biased odds ratio under such conditions. We compare our result with previous investigations into this phenomenon and consider models under which this bias may or may not be important. Finally, we propose three hypothesis tests to identify when Neyman’s bias may be present in case-control studies. We apply these tests to three data sets, one of stroke mortality, another of brain tumors, and the last of atrial fibrillation, and find some evidence of Neyman’s bias in the former two cases, but not the last case.
A rodent model of social rejection
Authors: Shan Haozhe , Ben-Ami Bartal Inbal , Mason Peggy
Published: August 2016

Rats help conspecifics by releasing them from a restrainer only when they have previous social experience with the strain of the restrained rat. When rats have been cross-fostered with rats of a different strain than their own since birth and have never interacted with rats of their own strain, they do not help rats of their own strain when tested as adults. Here we interrogated whether a cross-fostered rat expressed his lack of motivation to help through any behaviors beyond not-helping. Accordingly, a cross-fostered rat was placed in an arena with a trapped rat and the door to the centrally located restrainer was taped shut. We found that cross-fostered rats moved more slowly and approached the trapped rat less than did control, regularly-raised rats tested under the same conditions. We then asked whether the behavior of the cross-fostered rats influenced the trapped rat. After being restrained with cross-fostered rats, trapped rats showed a decrease in exploratory behavior in an open field test compared to trapped rats who were raised normally. The same decrease in movement was observed after subject rats were allowed to freely interact with cross-fostered rats. These results suggest that rats that do not help demonstrate their disinterest to a trapped rat and that trapped rats exposed to apathetic rats show behavior suggestive of an increase in anxiety. In sum, the paradigm introduced here could serve as a rodent model for social rejection.
The Preprocessed Connectomes Project Repository of Manually Corrected Skull-stripped T1-weighted Anatomical MRI Data
Authors: Puccio Benjamin , Pooley James P , Pellman John S , Taverna Elise C , Craddock R Cameron
Published: August 2016

Background

Skull-stripping is the procedure of removing non-brain tissue from anatomical MRI data. This procedure is necessary for calculating brain volume and for improving the quality of other image processing steps. Developing new skull-stripping algorithms and evaluating their performance requires gold standard data from a variety of different scanners and acquisition methods. We complement existing repositories with manually-corrected brain masks for 125 T1-weighted anatomical scans from the Nathan Kline Institute Enhanced Rockland Sample Neurofeedback Study.

Findings

Skull-stripped images were obtained using a semi-automated procedure that involved skull-stripping the data using the brain extraction based on non local segmentation technique (BEaST) software and manually correcting the worst results. Corrected brain masks were added into the BEaST library and the procedure was reiterated until acceptable brain masks were available for all images. In total, 85 of the skull-stripped images were hand-edited and 40 were deemed to not need editing. The results are brain masks for the 125 images along with a BEaST library for automatically skull-stripping other data.

Conclusion

Skull-stripped anatomical images from the Neurofeedback sample are available for download from the Preprocessed Connectomes Project. The resulting brain masks can be used by researchers to improve their preprocessing of the Neurofeedback data, and as training and testing data for developing new skull-stripping algorithms and evaluating the impact on other aspects of MRI preprocessing. We have illustrated the utility of these data as a reference for comparing various automatic methods and evaluated the performance of the newly created library on independent data.
SCN8A mutation in a child presenting with seizures and developmental delays
Authors: Malcolmson Janet , Kleyner Robert , Tegay David , Adams Whit , Ward Kenneth , Coppinger Justine , Nelson Lesa , Meisler Miriam H. , Wang Kai , Robison Reid , Lyon Gholson J.
Published: August 2016

The SCN8A gene encodes the sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 8. Mutations in this gene have been associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy type 13. With the use of whole-exome sequencing, a de novo missense mutation in SCN8A was identified in a 4-yr-old female who initially exhibited symptoms of epilepsy at the age of 5 mo that progressed to a severe condition with very little movement, including being unable to sit or walk on her own.
Measuring Survival of Adherent Cells with the Colony-Forming Assay
Authors: Crowley Lisa C. , Christensen Melinda E. , Waterhouse Nigel J.
Published: August 2016

Measuring cell death with colorimetric or fluorimetric dyes such as trypan blue and propidium iodide (PI) can provide an accurate measure of the number of dead cells in a population at a specific time; however, these assays cannot be used to distinguish cells that are dying or marked for future death. In many cases it is essential to measure the proliferative capacity of treated cells to provide an indirect measurement of cell death. This can be achieved using the colony-forming assay described here. This protocol specifically applies to measurement of HeLa cells but can be used for most adherent cell lines with limited motility.
Measuring Survival of Hematopoietic Cancer Cells with the Colony-Forming Assay in Soft Agar
Authors: Crowley Lisa C. , Waterhouse Nigel J.
Published: August 2016

Colony-forming assays measure the ability of cells in culture to grow and divide into groups. Any cell that has the potential to form a colony may also have the potential to cause cancer or relapse in vivo. Colony-forming assays also provide an indirect measurement of cell death because any cell that is dead or dying will not continue to proliferate. The proliferative capacity of adherent cells such as fibroblasts can be determined by growing cells at low density on culture dishes and counting the number of distinct groups that form over time. Cells that grow in suspension, such as hematopoietic cells, cannot be assayed this way because the cells move freely in the media. Assays to determine the colony-forming ability of hematopoietic cells must therefore be performed in solid matrices that restrict large-scale movement of the cells. One such matrix is soft agar. This protocol describes the use of soft agar to compare the colony-forming ability of untreated hematopoietic cells to the colony-forming ability of hematopoietic cells that have been treated with a cytotoxic agent.
Examination and Disruption of the Yeast Cell Wall
Authors: Okada Hiroki , Kono Keiko , Neiman Aaron M. , Ohya Yoshikazu
Published: August 2016

The cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a complicated extracellular organelle. Although the barrier may seem like a technical nuisance for researchers studying intracellular biomolecules or conditions, the rigid wall is an essential aspect of the yeast cell. Without it, yeast cells are unable to proliferate or carry out their life cycle. The chemical composition of the cell wall and the biosynthetic pathways and signal transduction mechanisms involved in cell wall remodeling have been studied extensively, but many unanswered questions remain. This introduction describes techniques for investigating abnormalities in the cell and spore walls and performing cell wall disruption.
Detecting Single-Nucleotide Substitutions Induced by Genome Editing
Authors: Miyaoka Yuichiro , Chan Amanda H. , Conklin Bruce R.
Published: August 2016

The detection of genome editing is critical in evaluating genome-editing tools or conditions, but it is not an easy task to detect genome-editing events—especially single-nucleotide substitutions—without a surrogate marker. Here we introduce a procedure that significantly contributes to the advancement of genome-editing technologies. It uses droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and allele-specific hydrolysis probes to detect single-nucleotide substitutions generated by genome editing (via homology-directed repair, or HDR). HDR events that introduce substitutions using donor DNA are generally infrequent, even with genome-editing tools, and the outcome is only one base pair difference in 3 billion base pairs of the human genome. This task is particularly difficult in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, in which editing events can be very rare. Therefore, the technological advances described here have implications for therapeutic genome editing and experimental approaches to disease modeling with iPS cells.
Bond-length distributions for ions bonded to oxygen: alkali and alkaline-earth metals
Authors: Gagné Olivier Charles , Hawthorne Frank Christopher
Published: August 2016

Bond-length distributions have been examined for 55 configurations of alkali-metal ions and 29 configurations of alkaline-earth-metal ions bonded to oxygen, for 4859 coordination polyhedra and 38 594 bond distances (alkali metals), and for 3038 coordination polyhedra and 24 487 bond distances (alkaline-earth metals). Bond lengths generally show a positively skewed Gaussian distribution that originates from the variation in Born repulsion and Coulomb attraction as a function of interatomic distance. The skewness and kurtosis of these distributions generally decrease with increasing coordination number of the central cation, a result of decreasing Born repulsion with increasing coordination number. We confirm the following minimum coordination numbers:[3]Li+,[3]Na+,[4]K+,[4]Rb+,[6]Cs+,[3]Be2+,[4]Mg2+,[6]Ca2+,[6]Sr2+and[6]Ba2+, but note that some reported examples are the result of extensive dynamic and/or positional short-range disorder and are not ordered arrangements. Some distributions of bond lengths are distinctly multi-modal. This is commonly due to the occurrence of large numbers of structure refinements of a particular structure type in which a particular cation is always present, leading to an over-representation of a specific range of bond lengths. Outliers in the distributions of mean bond lengths are often associated with anomalous values of atomic displacement of the constituent cations and/or anions. For a sample of[6]Na+, the ratioUeq(Na)/Ueq(bonded anions)is partially correlated with 〈[6]Na+—O2−〉 (R2= 0.57), suggesting that the mean bond length is correlated with vibrational/displacement characteristics of the constituent ions for a fixed coordination number. Mean bond lengths also show a weak correlation with bond-length distortion from the mean value in general, although some coordination numbers show the widest variation in mean bond length for zero distortion,e.g.Li+in [4]- and [6]-coordination, Na+in [4]- and [6]-coordination. For alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal ions, there is a positive correlation between cation coordination number and the grand mean incident bond-valence sum at the central cation, the values varying from 0.84 v.u. for[5]K+to 1.06 v.u. for[8]Li+, and from 1.76 v.u. for[7]Ba2+to 2.10 v.u. for[12]Sr2+. Bond-valence arguments suggest coordination numbers higher than [12] for K+, Rb+, Cs+and Ba2+.
Framing the development and directions of business sustainability efforts
Authors: Høgevold Nils M. , Svensson Göran
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to frame the development and directions of business sustainability efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was undertaken with respect to a convenience sample of reputable companies in Norway, which have implemented significant business sustainability efforts within their organisations, their business networks, the marketplace and in the society, beyond the level of mere compliance.

Findings

Different directions are associated with the development of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability. Business sustainability efforts are not static, but dynamic and based upon continuous flexibility to changes and adaptations over time.

Research Limitations/implications

The current study highlights the need for further research into the development and directions of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability in the marketplace and society. A key suggestion for further research is to further explore the existence of other directions.

Practical Implications

The directions reported, provide a framework to assess the development or the status of companies’ business sustainability efforts in the marketplace and society. Corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability develop over time as experiences are gained and personal impressions move the identified directions forward.

Originality/value

This study contributes to seven interconnected directions of corporate efforts in connection with business sustainability that are both relevant and potentially fruitful to both scholars and practitioners.
Alignment vs rent-extraction effects of stock options. A conceptual model
Authors: Catuogno Simona , Saggese Sara , Sarto Fabrizia
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a conceptual model that systematically interprets how key governance factors drive the alignment and the rent-extraction effects of executive stock options (SOs) as proxied by plan characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on the review of 202 articles published in international academic journals. They collect data from library databases and by hand-searching and citation-tracking relevant papers on the topic. Moreover, the authors review and classify the studies as related with determinants or proxies of alignment and rent-extraction effects of SOs.

Findings

The conceptual model systematically interprets the results of the literature review and identifies the relationships between archetypes, driving factors and proxies of the rent/alignment effect of executive SOs. It highlights that, given ownership archetypes, effective (ineffective) governance practices drive the alignment (rent) aim of SOs as proxied by the optimal (non-optimal) plan design.

Practical implications

This paper supports compensation committees in selecting the SO characteristics that better attract investors and retain executives. Moreover, it guides future policy making interventions aiming at mitigating the rent-extraction effect of SOs.

Originality/value

The paper highlights that the governance determinants of SO aims can be effectively classified as archetypes or drivers of rent-extracting and aligning outcomes of these remuneration tools. Moreover, it offers a useful framework to guide future research efforts by providing a comprehensive interpretation of the relationships between ownership archetypes, driving factors and proxies of SO effects.
Effects of hall and ion slip on MHD peristaltic flow of Jeffrey fluid in a non-uniform rectangular duct
Authors: Ellahi R. , Bhatti M. M. , Pop Ioan
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to theoretically study the problem of the peristaltic flow of Jeffrey fluid in a non-uniform rectangular duct under the effects of Hall and ion slip. An incompressible and magnetohydrodynamics fluid is also taken into account. The governing equations are modelled under the constraints of low Reynolds number and long wave length. Recent development in biomedical engineering has enabled the use of the periastic flow in modern drug delivery systems with great utility.

Design/methodology/approach

– Numerical integration is used to analyse the novel features of volumetric flow rate, average volume flow rate, instantaneous flux and the pressure gradient. The impact of physical parameters is depicted with the help of graphs. The trapping phenomenon is presented through stream lines.

Findings

– The results of Newtonian fluid model can be obtained by taking out the effects of Jeffrey parameter from this model. No-slip case is a special case of the present work. The results obtained for the flow of Jeffrey fluid reveal many interesting behaviours that warrant further study on the non-Newtonian fluid phenomena, especially the shear-thinning phenomena. Shear-thinning reduces the wall shear stress.

Originality/value

– The results of this paper are new and original.
Quality of life in breast cancer sufferers
Authors: Shouman Ahmed Essmat , Abou El Ezz Nahla Fawzy , Gado Nivine , Ibrahim  Goda Amal Mahmoud
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to measure health-related quality of life (QOL) among patients with early stage cancer breast under curative treatment at department of oncology and nuclear medicine at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Identify factors affecting QOL among these patients.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional study measured QOL among early stage female breast cancer (BC) patients and determined the main factors affecting their QOL. Three interviewer administered questionnaires were used.

Findings

– The physical domain mostly affected in BC patients and the functional domain least. Socio-demographic factors that significantly affected BC patients QOL scores were patient age, education, having children and family income. Specific patient characteristics include caregiver presence – a factor that affected different QOL scores. Age at diagnosis, affection in the side of the predominant hand, post-operative chemotherapy and difficulty in obtaining the medication were the disease-related factors that affected QOL scores.

Originality/value

– The final model predicting QOL for early stage female BC patients included age, education and difficulty in obtaining the medication as determinants for total QOL score. Carer presence was the specific patient characteristic that affected different QOL scores.
Improving outpatient phlebotomy service efficiency and patient experience using discrete-event simulation
Authors: Yip Kenneth , Pang Suk-King , Chan Kui-Tim , Chan Chi-Kuen , Lee Tsz-Leung
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a simulation modeling application to reconfigure the outpatient phlebotomy service of an acute regional and teaching hospital in Hong Kong, with an aim to improve service efficiency, shorten patient queuing time and enhance workforce utilization.

Design/methodology/approach

– The system was modeled as an inhomogeneous Poisson process and a discrete-event simulation model was developed to simulate the current setting, and to evaluate how various performance metrics would change if switched from a decentralized to a centralized model. Variations were then made to the model to test different workforce arrangements for the centralized service, so that managers could decide on the service’s final configuration via an evidence-based and data-driven approach.

Findings

– This paper provides empirical insights about the relationship between staffing arrangement and system performance via a detailed scenario analysis. One particular staffing scenario was chosen by manages as it was considered to strike the best balance between performance and workforce scheduled. The resulting centralized phlebotomy service was successfully commissioned.

Practical implications

– This paper demonstrates how analytics could be used for operational planning at the hospital level. The authors show that a transparent and evidence-based scenario analysis, made available through analytics and simulation, greatly facilitates management and clinical stakeholders to arrive at the ideal service configuration.

Originality/value

– The authors provide a robust method in evaluating the relationship between workforce investment, queuing reduction and workforce utilization, which is crucial for managers when deciding the delivery model for any outpatient-related service.
Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach (CARMINA)
Authors: Tricarico Pierfrancesco , Tardivo Stefano , Sotgiu Giovanni , Moretti Francesca , Poletti Piera , Fiore Alberto , Monturano Massimo , Mura Ida , Privitera Gaetano , Brusaferro Silvio
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The European Union recommendations for patient safety calls for shared clinical risk management (CRM) safety standards able to guide organizations in CRM implementation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a self-evaluation tool to measure healthcare organization performance on CRM and guide improvements over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multi-step approach was implemented including: a systematic literature review; consensus meetings with an expert panel from eight Italian leader organizations to get to an agreement on the first version; field testing to test instrument feasibility and flexibility; Delphi strategy with a second expert panel for content validation and balanced scoring system development.

Findings

– The self-assessment tool – Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach includes seven areas (governance, communication, knowledge and skills, safe environment, care processes, adverse event management, learning from experience) and 52 standards. Each standard is evaluated according to four performance levels: minimum; monitoring; outcomes; and improvement actions, which resulted in a feasible, flexible and valid instrument to be used throughout different organizations.

Practical implications

– This tool allows practitioners to assess their CRM activities compared to minimum levels, monitor performance, benchmarking with other institutions and spreading results to different stakeholders.

Originality/value

– The multi-step approach allowed us to identify core minimum CRM levels in a field where no consensus has been reached. Most standards may be easily adopted in other countries.
Risk assessment method for aeroengine multiple failure risk using Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Li Longbiao , Bi Suyi , Sun Youchao
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a method to predict the multi-failure risk of aero engine in service and to evaluate the effectiveness of different corrective actions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The classification of failure risk level, the determination of hazard ratio and the calculation of risk factor and the risk per flight have been proposed. The multi-failure risk assessment process of aero engine has been established to predict the occurrence of failure event and assess the failure risk level. According to the history aero engine failure data, the multi-failure risk, i.e., overheat, blade wounding, pump failure, blade crack, pipe crack and combustor crack, has been predicted considering with and without corrective action. Two corrective actions, i.e., reduce the maintenance interval and redesign the failure components, were adopted to analyze the decreasing of risk level.

Findings

– The multi-failure risk of aero engine with or without corrective action can be determined using the present method. The risk level of combustor crack decreases from high-risk level of 1.18×1e−9 without corrective action to acceptable risk level of 0.954×1e−9 by decreasing the maintenance interval from 1,000 to 800 h, or to 0.912×1e−9 using the redesign combustor.

Research limitations/implications

– It should be noted that probability of detection during maintenance actions has not been considered in the present analysis, which would affect the failure risk level of aero engine in service.

Social implications

– The method in the present analysis can be adapted to other types of failure modes which may cause significant safety or environment hazards, and used to determine the maintenance interval or choose appropriate corrective action to reduce the multi-failure risk level of aero engine.

Originality/value

– The maintenance interval or appropriate corrective action can be determined using the present method to reduce the multi-failure risk level of aero engine.
Cost Optimum Parameters for Rock Bed Thermal Storage at 550–600 °C: A Parametric Study
Authors: Allen Kenneth , Heller Lukas , von Backström Theodor
Published: August 2016

A major advantage of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is their ability to store thermal energy at a cost far lower than that of current battery technologies. A recent techno-economic study found that packed rock bed thermal storage systems can be constructed with capital costs of less than 10 United States dollar (USD)/kWht, significantly cheaper than the two-tank molten salt thermal storage currently used in CSP plants (about 22–30 USD/kWht). However, little work has been published on determining optimum rock bed design parameters in the context of a CSP plant. The parametric study in this paper is intended to provide an overview of the bed flow lengths, particle sizes, mass fluxes, and Biot numbers which are expected to minimize the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for a central receiver CSP plant with a nominal storage capacity of 12 h. The findings show that rock diameters of 20–25 mm will usually give LCOE values at or very close to the minimum LCOE for the combined rock bed and CSP plant. Biot numbers between 0.1 and 0.2 are shown to have little influence on the position of the optimum (with respect to particle diameter) for all practical purposes. Optimum bed lengths are dependent on the Biot number and range between 3 and 10 m for a particle diameter of 20 mm.
Thermo-economic Limitations of Ambient Heat Rejection in Vertical Fin Arrays With Buoyancy-Driven Flow Enhancement Through the Chimney Effect
Authors: Gallandat Noris , Rhett Mayor J.
Published: August 2016

This paper presents the thermo-economic limits of ambient heat rejection in vertical fin arrays with buoyancy-driven flow enhancement through the chimney effect. A one-dimensional semi-analytical thermo-fluidic model is developed to assess the cooling power enhancement of the proposed heat sink design. A bi-objective optimization is performed utilizing genetic algorithm to present the tradeoffs between the cost and the thermal performance of a heat sink. For the considered baseplate geometry, the maximal cooling power without a chimney amounts 1540 W at a heat flux of 1.03 W/cm2. By adding a chimney up to 2.5 m high, the cooling power is increased by 46% to 2250 W at a heat flux of 1.50 W/cm2.
Longitudinal-Fin Heat Sink Optimization Capturing Conjugate Effects Under Fully Developed Conditions
Authors: Karamanis Georgios , Hodes Marc
Published: August 2016

We develop a method requiring minimal computations to optimize the fin thickness and spacing in a fully shrouded longitudinal-fin heat sink (LFHS) to minimize its thermal resistance under conditions of hydrodynamically and thermally developed laminar flow. Prescribed quantities are the density, viscosity, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of the fluid, the thermal conductivity and height of the fins, the width and length of the heat sink, and the pressure drop across it. Alternatively, the length of the heat sink may be optimized as well. The shroud of the heat sink is assumed to be adiabatic and its base isothermal. Our results are relevant to, e.g., microchannel cooling applications where base isothermality can be achieved by using a heat spreader or a vapor chamber. The present study is distinct from the previous work because it does not assume a uniform heat transfer coefficient, but fully captures the velocity and temperature fields by numerically solving the conjugate heat transfer problem in dimensionless form using an existing approach. We develop a dimensionless formulation and compute a dense tabulation of the relevant parameters that allows the thermal resistance to be calculated algebraically over a relevant range of dimensionless parameters. Hence, the optimization method does not require the time-consuming solution of the conjugate problem. Once the optimal dimensionless fin thickness and spacing are obtained, their dimensional counterparts are computed algebraically. The optimization method is illustrated in the context of direct liquid cooling.
Effects of oxidation on residual shear strength of shales within Lea Park Formation
Authors: Nichol Craig F. , Froese Kenneth , Sharma Jitendra S. , Barbour S. Lee
Published: August 2016

The residual shear strength of Cretaceous Lea Park Formation shale near Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, was evaluated to determine its suitability for road construction. Exposure of these shales results in oxidation, leaching, and other geochemical changes, which may affect the physicochemical forces that control the shear strength behaviour. A laboratory geotechnical testing program was complemented with geochemical testing and modelling. In situ pore-water chemistry and cation-exchange site composition were determined from soil-water extracts using an equilibrium geochemical model. It was found that leaching by low ionic strength recharge removes dissolved and adsorbed sodium from surficial deposits. Sulfur oxidation overprinted the effects of leaching by releasing acidity and sulfate, increasing stored gypsum, and increasing dissolved and adsorbed magnesium. Shear testing indicated higher apparent residual friction angles for surficial samples with lower exchangeable sodium; however, this relationship is obfuscated by the impact of increased sand contents on increased strength. Samples at depth exhibited lower apparent residual friction angles with higher clay fractions and greater exchangeable sodium. Fully assessing the long-term stability of the material would require further laboratory testing, and a theoretical basis to link the geochemical model results to the calculation of physicochemical forces in multi-ion, multi-mineral systems. Qualitatively, it can be concluded that near-surface oxidized and leached shales have greater shear strength, with less risk of this strength changing as a result of post-construction weathering.
Consequences of sample disturbance when predicting long-term settlements in soft clay
Authors: Karlsson Mats , Emdal Arnfinn , Dijkstra Jelke
Published: August 2016

An approach for assessing the effects of sample quality is presented. Soil samples were taken using a 50 mm Swedish STII piston sampler and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) mini-block sampler from a soft clay test site. Differences in laboratory test results are identified for several stress paths, assisted by simulations made using an advanced constitutive model. Hitherto such comparisons have focused on differences in basic engineering properties such as strength and stiffness. The effect of choosing alternative model parameters from piston and block samples is demonstrated through the analysis of the long-term settlement of an embankment. The simulations show that substantially larger settlements and lateral displacements are predicted using parameters obtained from the piston samples. Furthermore, the magnitude of the differences is larger than expected. This demonstrates that for this application, relatively small differences in the assessed sample quality, using traditional laboratory data interpretation methods, are amplified when applied to a prototype boundary value problem. It is suggested that a little more care in sampling and testing can result in large cost savings as a result of the more reliable model parameters that can be extracted, particularly when the improved sampling is combined with the use of an advanced constitutive model.
A New Particle Generation Method for Arbitrary 2D Geometries in SPH Modeling
Authors: Xiao Yihua , Dong Huanghuang , Zhan Haifei , Gu Yuantong
Published: August 2016

For smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), homogeneous particle distribution is important to ensure the computational accuracy and stability, but it is hard to achieve this for complex geometries. In this paper, a new particle generation method is developed to generate particles for arbitrary 2D geometries. In the method, the geometry required for generating particles is orthogonally partitioned into a series of sub-domains. Among the resultant sub-domains, the most ones having standard area are directly converted into particles. The others are iteratively meshed into elements with nearly standard area and particles are placed according to these elements. The present method is implemented based on Abaqus. Examples of particle generation are given to compare various particle generation methods. It is found that the present method shows advantages over some existing methods in the approximation of geometric boundary as well as the regularity and homogeneity of particle distribution. Several physical problems are adopted to examine the influence of initial particle distribution on SPH solution. The calculated results show that particle distributions generated by the present method can lead to better accuracy and stability than those created by some existing methods.
Bell Could Become the Copernicus of Probability
Authors: Khrennikov Andrei
Published: August 2016

Our aim is to emphasize the role of mathematical models in physics, especially models of geometry and probability. We briefly compare developments of geometry and probability by pointing to similarities and differences: from Euclid to Lobachevsky and from Kolmogorov to Bell. In probability, Bell could play the same role as Lobachevsky in geometry. In fact, violation of Bell’s inequality can be treated as implying the impossibility to apply the classical probability model of Kolmogorov (1933) to quantum phenomena. Thus the quantum probabilistic model (based on Born’s rule) can be considered as the concrete example of the non-Kolmogorovian model of probability, similarly to the Lobachevskian model — the first example of the non-Euclidean model of geometry. This is the “probability model” interpretation of the violation of Bell’s inequality. We also criticize the standard interpretation—an attempt to add to rigorous mathematical probability models additional elements such as (non)locality and (un)realism. Finally, we compare embeddings of non-Euclidean geometries into the Euclidean space with embeddings of the non-Kolmogorovian probabilities (in particular, quantum probability) into the Kolmogorov probability space. As an example, we consider the CHSH-test.
The Internet of Things
Authors: Stolpe Marco
Published: August 2016

Nowadays, data is created by humans as well as automatically collected by physical things, which embed electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity. Together, these entities constitute the Internet of Things (IoT). The automated analysis of its data can provide insights into previously unknown relationships between things, their environment and their users, facilitating an optimization of their behavior. Especially the real-time analysis of data, embedded into physical systems, can enable new forms of autonomous control. These in turn may lead to more sustainable applications, reducing waste and saving resources

IoT's distributed and dynamic nature, resource constraints of sensors and embedded devices as well as the amounts of generated data are challenging even the most advanced automated data analysis methods known today. In particular, the IoT requires a new generation of distributed analysis methods.

Many existing surveys have strongly focused on the centralization of data in the cloud and big data analysis, which follows the paradigm of parallel high-performance computing. However, bandwidth and energy can be too limited for the transmission of raw data, or it is prohibited due to privacy constraints. Such communication-constrained scenarios require decentralized analysis algorithms which at least partly work directly on the generating devices.

After listing data-driven IoT applications, in contrast to existing surveys, we highlight the differences between cloudbased and decentralized analysis from an algorithmic perspective. We present the opportunities and challenges of research on communication-efficient decentralized analysis algorithms. Here, the focus is on the difficult scenario of vertically partitioned data, which covers common IoT use cases. The comprehensive bibliography aims at providing readers with a good starting point for their own work
The Sociology of Urban Black America
Authors: Hunter Marcus Anthony , Robinson Zandria F.
Published: August 2016

Beginning with W.E.B. Du Bois's The Philadelphia Negro and Ida B. Wells's Southern Horrors, this review revisits and examines sociological research on urban Black Americans from the late nineteenth century to the present. Focusing on the approaches, frameworks, and sociological insights that emerged over this period, we examine this scholarship within two broad frames: the deficit frame and the asset frame. The deficit frame includes scholarship emphasizing both the structures that negatively affect Black urban life (e.g., disappearance of work, residential segregation, poor education, urban poverty) and the cultural “deficits” that either are adaptations to those structural realities or (as some deficit scholars argue) are the cause of urban Black hardships. The asset frame includes scholarship focusing on the agency and cultural contributions of urban Black Americans. Detailing the historical origins and contemporary use of these frames, we demonstrate how the sociology of urban Black America remains a reflection of the possibilities and problems of the broader discipline. The review concludes by outlining new conceptual opportunities offered by what we refer to as chocolate city sociology.
On the Stability of Alternative Additive Equations in Multi-β-Normed Spaces
Authors: Yang Xiuzhong , Ma Jing , Liu Guofen
Published: August 2016

We introduce the notion of multi-β-normed space (0<β≤1) and study the stability of the alternative additive functional equation of two forms in this type of space.
Comparative Diagnosis of Serum IgG1 and Coproantigen ELISA for Fasciolosis Detection of Goats in Mexico
Authors: Villa-Mancera Abel , Molina-Mendoza Pedro , Hernández-Guzmán Karina , Olivares-Pérez Jaime , Sarracent-Pérez Jorge , Zumaquero-Ríos José
Published: August 2016

The objective of present study was to determine the prevalence of natural caprine fasciolosis in the Mixteca region of Mexico using coproantigen and serum IgG1 ELISA tests for comparative purposes. A total of 1070 serum and faecal samples were analyzed for IgG1 antibodies and coproantigens, using ELISA with E/S products as antigen and a monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA. Prevalence of 73.46% was found using the serological ELISA and a percentage of 77.20 was found for coproantigen ELISA. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for serum ELISA were 86.7% and 96.4%, and for the coproantigen ELISA they were 93.1% and 97.8%, respectively. The seropositive samples were further categorized as low, medium, or high positivity. Results show a great proportion of low and medium positive goats when the serum ELISA test was used. Correlation coefficients between coproantigens and seropositivity were statistically significant (P<0.01) for low seropositivity (r=0.93) and medium seropositivity (r=0.84). The accuracy of faecal antigen ELISA was higher compared to indirect ELISA serological test. Two ELISAs were shown to be useful for demonstrating the current status ofF. hepaticainfection in the endemic areas and can be employed in studies on epidemiology as well as anthelmintics treatment for preventing economic loss and the risk of transmission to humans.
Oestrus ovisL. (Diptera: Oestridae) Induced Nasal Myiasis in a Dog from Northern Italy
Authors: Zanzani Sergio A. , Cozzi Luigi , Olivieri Emanuela , Gazzonis Alessia L. , Manfredi Maria Teresa
Published: August 2016

A companion dog from Milan province (northern Italy), presenting with frequent and violent sneezing, underwent rhinoscopy, laryngoscopy, and tracheoscopy procedures. During rhinoscopy, a dipteran larva was isolated from the dog and identified as first instar larval stage ofO. ovisby morphological features. Reports ofO. ovisin domestic carnivores are sporadic and nevertheless this infestion should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis of rhinitis in domestic carnivores living in contaminated areas by the fly as consequence of the presence of sheep and goats. This report described a case of autochthonous infestion in a dog from an area whereO. oviswas not historically present but it could be affected by a possible expansion of the fly as a consequence of climate change. This is the first record ofOestrus ovisinfestion in a dog in Italy and, at the same time, the most northerly finding of larvae of sheep bot fly in the country.
A Formação Gorutuba: sedimentação litorânea a continental na margem leste da Bacia Bambuí (MG)
Authors: Kuchenbecker Matheus , Atman Dora , Costa Ricardo Diniz da , Pedrosa-Soares Antônio Carlos , Babinski Marly
Published: August 2016

Propõe-se neste trabalho a formalização da Formação Gorutuba, unidade que engloba os únicos registros remanescentes de ambientes litorâneos e continentais da margem leste da Bacia Bambuí, desenvolvida durante a Orogênese Brasiliana. As rochas da Formação Gorutuba são reconhecíveis em três áreas principais. Nas serras da Jaíba e Colonial, a unidade apresenta um pacote basal de brecha composta por clastos de calcário imersos em matriz arcoseana, que indicam o retrabalhamento do calcário da Formação Jaíba, subjacente. Arcósio ocorre na forma de lentes e camadas intercaladas na brecha, tornando-se predominante em direção ao topo da unidade, onde ocorrem corpos isolados de ortoconglomerado. Na Serra do Gorutuba, a unidade apresenta o mesmo arranjo estratigráfico, porém assenta-se diretamente sobre siltito da Formação Serra da Saudade. No Sinclinal de Buenópolis, por sua vez, arenitos arcoseanos com estratificações cruzadas acanaladas e eventuais lentes de conglomerado e pelito assentam-se sobre siltito da Formação Serra da Saudade, não ocorrendo a brecha basal. A Formação Gorutuba registra um período de soerguimento, exposição e erosão da extensa plataforma marinha representada pelo Grupo Bambuí. A brecha basal, que ocorre nas áreas mais a norte, registra importante discordância erosiva, associada ao retrabalhamento por ondas da plataforma carbonática Jaíba, cujo soerguimento se relaciona à intensa atividade tectônica do período. O aumento da contribuição siliciclástica para o topo está associado à progressiva instalação de um sistema fluvial de alta energia, que marca a fase de colmatação da bacia. A composição dos sedimentos siliciclásticos presentes na matriz da brecha e no restante da unidade sugere a exumação de fontes graníticas no Orógeno Araçuaí.