bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conjoint Analysis for Ticket Offerings at the Cleveland Indians
Authors: Gershenfeld Gabriel
Published: March 2015

Evaluating the appeal of seat location, food, and ticket-price characteristics for an entertainment event can be difficult using only historical data. Survey-based conjoint analysis provided guidance on segment preferences, sales forecasts, and new offerings for the renovation of the club section in a Major League Baseball ballpark. Positive results were achieved in terms of ticket sales and revenue, generating value for fans and the team, thus allowing for increased investment in the Cleveland Indians’ on-field product. Perhaps more importantly, visual and interactive presentations of the model increased the understanding and acceptance of the methods, improving the organization’s analytics capability. Subsequent applications have used additional conjoint methods to analyze a variety of internal products.
Physician Scheduling for Continuity: An Application in Pediatric Intensive Care
Authors: Smalley Hannah K. , Keskinocak Pınar , Vats Atul
Published: March 2015

A physician schedule that maximizes continuity (i.e., reduces instances of patients being treated by multiple physicians) could improve the efficiency of handoffs—the transfer of patients from the care of one physician to another. We present a modeling and solution approach for assigning physicians to service and call shifts in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston (Children’s). We developed the handoff continuity score (HCS) for measuring the continuity of a schedule. We combined the HCS with a mixed-integer programming model (MIP) with the objective of maximizing the HCS, while minimizing violations of physician preferences. For a 51-week horizon and a physician pool of 16 physicians, no feasible solution to this MIP is found within 48 hours using CPLEX 12.4. However, an iterative heuristic incorporating modified versions of the MIP produces a schedule (3.42 percent optimality gap) for the scheduling instance faced by Children’s for this period. Our solution approach facilitates resource optimization, and automated scheduling requires less time than manually constructing such a schedule. We generated six-month schedules that were implemented in the PICU at Children’s in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Such automated schedule construction allows for creation of schedules that maximize continuity.
ASP, Art and Science of Practice: Educating Military Operations Research Practitioners
Authors: Brown Gerald G. , DeGrange Walter C. , Dell Robert F. , Fricker Ronald D.
Published: March 2015

The 2013 UPS George D. Smith Prize was awarded to the Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Operations Research (OR) department for “effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research, management science, or analytics.” In the spirit of the prize, this paper shares details about our degree program. The program is closely linked to its military sponsor, the United States Department of Defense, in a unique relationship that ensures NPS students and faculty are focused on critical and important problems facing the military. Our students bring firsthand knowledge of the challenges our organization faces, and leave our academic program as OR practitioners prepared to immediately meet those challenges.
Book Reviews
Authors: Bollapragada Srinivas
Published: March 2015

In Book Reviews, we review an extensive and diverse range of books. They cover theory and applications in operations research, statistics, management science, econometrics, mathematics, computers, and information systems. In addition, we include books in other fields that emphasize technical applications. The new book reviews editor, Wenjing Shen ( wenjings@drexel.edu ), will be pleased to receive an email from those willing to review a book, with an indication of specific areas of interest. If you are aware of a specific book that you would like to review, or you think should be reviewed, please contact Wenjing.

The following books are reviewed in this issue of Interfaces, 45(2), March–April 2015: Nonlinear Optimization Applications Using the GAMS Technology, Neculai Andrei; Integrating Renewables in Electricity Markets, Juan M. Morales, Antonio J. Conejo, Henrik Madsen, Pierre Pinson, and Marco Zugno; Modelling and Managing Airport Performance, Konstantinos G. Zografos, Giovanni Andreatta, and Amedeo R. Odoni.
Collecting in an urban context: Relationships between collections and space in the home
Authors: McKenzie Sally M. , McMahon Bronte , Verlaat Ivy , Snow Stephen , Buys Laurie
Published: March 2015

Collecting has become a popular hobby within western society, with collectables including anything from ‘bottle tops’ to ‘skyscrapers’. As the nature and size of these collections can impact upon the use of space in the home, the purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the collections, space in the home and the impacts on others. This qualitative study explores the experiences of eleven Australian collectors, investigating the motivations, practices and adaption techniques used within their urban home environment. The themes of sentimentality, sociability and spatial tensions, including physical, personal and use of space are discussed within the context of their home and family environments. Overall the practice of collecting objects is a complex, varied, sentimental and sociable activity, providing enjoyment, knowledge and friendships. Space can be a central consideration to the practice of collecting as collections shape and are shaped by the available space in a household.
Immigrants as aliens in the Ghostbusters films
Authors: Clark Zoila
Published: March 2015

In this study, I will argue that Ghostbusters I (Reitman, 1984) and Ghostbusters II (Reitman, 1989) expose the ghosting patriarchal policies of the United States immigration system. These two films exemplify the way in which US attitudes towards minorities and people from other cultures shift from a position of fear and aggression to one of harmony and understanding. This is a complex process that has been gradually evolving since the blossoming of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The old ‘white actor playing a Chinese man’ trick: Get Smart and race
Authors: Harmes Meredith A. , Harmes Marcus K. , Harmes Barbara
Published: March 2015

This article examines the portrayal of Chinese characters in Get Smart (1965–70). Get Smart was a 1960s American spy comedy based on the premise of good (Control) against evil (KAOS) set against the back drop of the Cold War. Many of the episodes in this comedy featured a Chinese character as the enemy. This article will examine the way the characterization and performance of the Chinese roles play out in Get Smart. It locates them within the long-standing but now highly dubious tradition of ‘yellowface’ casting in American vaudeville, theatre and cinema, as Caucasian actors almost always played the Chinese roles in Get Smart. More particularly it examines Get Smart and especially the episodes with Chinese characters as examples of adaptation. Doing so suggests that different and at times competing conceptions of Chinese archetypes have been brought onto the screen, from the oriental villainy of Sax Rohmer and Ian Fleming to the criminal detective genius of Earl Derr Biggers’ Chan stories. These archetypes (and indeed stereotypes would be a better word in some instances), nonetheless permit the argument that Get Smart brings onto the screen a reasonably complex understanding of its Chinese characters and a critical view of the American characters.
‘Bush camp’? The Topp Twins and Antipodean camp
Authors: Bannister Matthew
Published: March 2015

This article extends Nick Perry’s concept of Antipodean camp – that there is a camp style common to settler popular cultures of Australia and New Zealand – by also considering possible differences between the two cultures and by re-emphasizing camp’s relation to gay and queer cultures. The Topp Twins, lesbian, anarchist, variety entertainers, are discussed as an act that both extend and challenge Perry’s ideas and the traditional association of camp and gay male culture. The article finishes by considering the degree to which they articulate a particularly New Zealand style, which I refer to as ‘bush camp’.
Something borrowed, something blue: Bluebeard dismembers romance in Australasia and beyond
Authors: Butler Lucy
Published: March 2015

This article surveys a range of relatively recent works in which the Bluebeard figure of fairy tale appears to cut to the paradoxical ‘heart’ of the mythology of romantic love in popular culture. Creative practitioners in Australasia and beyond are using the sinister figure of Bluebeard to critique romantic mythology, probing, in particular, the fraught intersection of love, knowledge and artistry. In the works of Jane Campion, Nick Cave, Sarah Quigley and others, Bluebeard comes to signify the violence that can accompany the lover and/as artist’s attempts to define the self through the other and the other through the self. In recent times, Bluebeard and his wife are doubled in their pursuit of penetrative knowledge of the other in the name of love, and this romantic quest is here equated with an erasure of the beloved’s subjectivity and the reduction of love’s potential. Bluebeard, in the hands of these predominately female creators, lends himself to an exploration of the contemporary dilemmas of love, encouraging us to question the demands we make of each other and ourselves in the realm of romance. This article focuses on Bluebeard in recent Australasian works read in an international and historical context.
SIMULATION OF RADIATIVE HEAT FLUX DISTRIBUTION UNDER AN INFRARED HEAT EMITTER
Authors: Loufek Jan , Královcová Jiřina
Published: March 2015

The article deals with a heat radiation model used for heat flux calculation of an infrared heater. In general, we consider a system consisting of a set of objects, whereas a single object could stand for a heater, a reflector or a heated body. Each of the objects is defined by its bounding surface. The presented model applies a 2D restriction of the real system. The aim of a particular simulation is to obtain a heat flux distribution all over the heated body under given conditions such as objects temperature and material properties. Furthermore, the implemented model is used to design a reflector profile to obtain a desired heat flux distribution. The paper presents the implemented model, a comparison of simulated and measured data and an example of reflector design.
MICROSTRUCTURE DESCRIPTION AND MICROMECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SPRUCE WOOD
Authors: Prošek Zdeněk , Králík Vlastimil , Topič Jaroslav , Nežerka Václav , Indrová Kateřina , Tesárek Pavel
Published: March 2015

The knowledge about the microstructure and morphology of individual phases also allows an artificial modification of the material, or its processing, to produce engineered products with required properties. The purpose of our work was to investigate the distribution of elastic stiffness within the tissues of individual cells using the finest equipment and to observe the morphology of individual phases. A quasi-static nanoindentation was carried out on the cell walls of earlywood and latewood tracheids of spruce wood. The dynamic modulus mapping, also known as nanoDMA, was utilized to obtain the map of elastic moduli over the entire tracheid cross-section. In particular, it was found that the stiffness cells walls is approximately 10.5 GPa and 12.5 GPa in the case of earlywood and latewood tracheids, respectively. The difference between earlywood and latewood elastic stiffness is attributed to a different chemical composition and orientation of fibrils. The acquired data are indispensible for micromechanical modeling and design of engineered products with superior mechanical properties.
Once-weekly administration of dulaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, as monotherapy and combination therapy: review of the AWARD studies
Authors: Shestakova Marina V. , Yudovich Ekaterina A.
Published: March 2015

For the purpose of exploring the development, pharmacology and clinical trial program related to dulaglutide, we conducted a nonsystematic review of dulaglutide, focusing on the AWARD (Assessment of Weekly Administration of LY2189265 [dulaglutide] in Diabetes Assessment) program of randomized, phase 3 studies. Dulaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that causes a variety of antidiabetogenic actions by acting on the incretin system. Steady-state plasma concentrations of dulaglutide are achieved between 2 and 4 weeks following a once-weekly administration. The AWARD 16 studies were conducted in patients with different treatment needs, ranging from patients with mild diabetes who can be treated with diet management and exercise to patients for whom target glycemic control cannot be achieved with conventional insulin treatment. Changes in HbA1c from baseline to the primary endpoint assessment (primary efficacy outcome) with dulaglutide were generally dose-dependent and significantly greater than those of active comparators and placebos (AWARD 15) or non-inferior to the comparators (AWARD 6). The results of secondary outcome measures demonstrated that glycemic control attained with dulaglutide was sustained for long-term and that a greater proportion of patients treated with dulaglutide achieved a target HbA1c level of 7.0% compared with placebo and/or active comparators. Reduction in fasting serum glucose, glucagon levels and body weight after dulaglutide treatment were noted in most AWARD studies. Although treatment-emergent adverse events were common with dulaglutide, the incidence was similar to that of active comparators in most AWARD studies, and serious adverse events were generally infrequent, except in patients with more severe disease or with prolonged therapy. Hypoglycemic and immunogenic events were also infrequent.
In patients with type 2 diabetes, dulaglutide improves glycemic control and leads to clinically useful reduction in body weight in a range of treatment settings.
Anarchisten!
Authors: Kühnis Nino
Published: March 2015

Nino Kühnis untersucht auf der Basis der französisch- und deutschsprachigen schweizerischen Zeitungen die Entwicklung der kollektiven Identität der anarchistischen Gruppierungen in der Schweiz. Die permanente Arbeit an der eigenen Identität wird als ein Prozess sichtbar, der auch die Fremdzuschreibungen in Zeitungen der Mehrheitsgesellschaft spiegelt und der sich mit Bezug auf die gesellschaftlich-politischen Ereignisse vollzieht. Damit gelingt am Beispiel der Anarchisten und Anarchistinnen eine Diskussion über Mechanismen und Medien von Ausgrenzung und Verfolgung. Das Buch ist ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Anarchismusforschung und zur Theorie der kollektiven Identitäten.
Deutsch-Chinesische Arbeitswelten
Authors: Schreiter Anne
Published: March 2015

Interkulturelle Herausforderungen werden in Theorie und Praxis häufig an nationale Zugehörigkeiten geknüpft. Anne Schreiter hinterfragt solche vereinfachten Erklärungsmodelle, indem sie Mitarbeiter_innen sowohl in deutschen Unternehmen in China als auch in chinesischen Unternehmen in Deutschland zu Wort kommen lässt. Ihre Erzählungen verdeutlichen, wie die Betroffenen ihren besonderen Arbeitsalltag meistern und welche Strategien dabei zum Einsatz kommen. Die Studie ist nicht nur für wirtschafts- und sozialwissenschaftliche Forschungen interessant, sondern bietet auch Praktiker_innen einen wertvollen Einblick in komplexe interkulturelle Arbeitswelten.
The Case of "Judith": A Neuropsychologist's Perspective
Authors: Webb Nadia
Published: March 2015

Executive Functioning (EF) deficits may be the most catastrophic form of brain injury, as they alter one’s personality and sense of self while impeding the ability to make use of rehabilitation, compensatory strategies, psychotherapy and social support. The injury itself can produce a loss of appreciation for the deficits, as well as depression, apathy and a lack of empathy. Although EF deficits can be nuanced, individuals with EF deficits are often presumed incapable of benefiting from higher order interventions. Ward and Hogan’s (2015) case study of Judith effectively contradicts this assumption. While this case does not offer traditional neuropsychological assessment results, it highlights how the value of such measures rests in their ecological validity. The years of psychotherapy and intervention that Judith underwent offer ample ecological data and an opportunity to comment on the neurobiological aspects of Judith’s injury and recovery beyond the assessment setting.
Design of a teledermatology system to support the consultation of dermoscopic cases using mobile technologies and cloud platform
Authors: Jaworek-Korjakowska Joanna , Tadeusiewicz Ryszard
Published: March 2015

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in humans regardless of age, gender, or race. One of the most common malignant skin cancers is melanoma, which is a dangerous proliferation of melanocytes. In the last several years, an increasing melanoma incidence has been observed worldwide, and the incidence rate is increasing faster than those of any other skin cancer. The correct identification and diagnosis of moles still creates problems to inexperienced dermatologists and family physicians. In this paper, we present a new approach to the problem of assessing difficult cases in dermatology. We propose a teledermatology system to support the consultation process between family physicians and experts in the field of dermoscopic images. The system consists of a desktop monitoring application and a special smartphone application implemented for experts. If necessary, the physician can send the dermoscopic image to two dermatologists for further examination. This cloud-based architecture provides an interesting system for a fast and efficient exchange of dermatological information. Initial results and assessment of doctors are promising and indicate that the application can be used as a decision support system for dermoscopic images.
Existence and uniqueness results for a class of BVPs for nonlinear fractional differential equations
Authors: Foukrach Djamal , Moussaoui Toufik , Ntouyas Sotiris K.
Published: March 2015

This paper studies some new existence and uniqueness results for boundary value problems for nonlinear fractional differential equations by using a variety of fixed point theorems. Some illustrative examples are also presented.
Redox diversity in ERAD-mediated protein retrotranslocation from the endoplasmic reticulum: a complex puzzle
Authors: Suzuki Yutaka , Schmitt Manfred J.
Published: March 2015

Misfolded and incorrectly assembled proteins in the secretory pathway are eliminated by ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation in a process known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Retrotranslocation of diverse substrates including misfolded proteins and viruses occurs through channels in the ER membrane, which are also utilized for host cell penetration by A/B class protein toxins such as cholera toxin, ricin or K28. According to the current view, disulfide-bonded proteins must either be reduced or rearranged to ensure translocation competence and entry into the cytosol from the ER. As the underlying mechanisms are still largely mysterious, we here focus on the redox status and disulfide isomerization of ERAD substrates and the role of oxidoreductases in the essential process of ER-to-cytosol retrotranslocation.
On the Soliton Solution and Jacobi Doubly Periodic Solution of the Fractional Coupled Schrödinger–KdV Equation by a Novel Approach
Authors: Ray S. Saha
Published: March 2015

In this paper, fractional coupled Schrödinger–Korteweg–de Vries equation (or Sch–KdV) equation with appropriate initial values has been solved by using a new novel method. The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo sense. By using the present method, we can solve many linear and nonlinear coupled fractional differential equations. Basically, the present method originated from generalized Taylor’s formula [1]. The results reveal that the proposed method is very effective and simple for obtaining approximate solutions of fractional coupled Schrödinger–KdV equation. Numerical solutions are presented graphically to show the reliability and efficiency of the method. The method does not need linearization, weak nonlinearity assumptions or perturbation theory. The convergence of the method as applied to Sch–KdV is illustrated numerically as well as derived analytically. Moreover, the results are compared with those obtained by the Adomian decomposition method (ADM).
The lifespan development of cognate guessing skills in an unknown related language
Authors: Vanhove Jan , Berthele Raphael
Published: March 2015

This study investigates the lifespan development of the ability to correctly guess the meaning of foreign-language words with known translation-equivalent cognates. It also aims to identify the cognitive and linguistic factors driving this development. To this end, 159 German-speaking Swiss participants aged 10 to 86 were asked to translate 45 written and 45 spoken isolated Swedish words with German, English or French cognates. In addition, they were administered an English language test, a German vocabulary test as well as fluid intelligence and working memory tests. Cognate guessing skills were found to improve into young adulthood, but whereas they show additional increases in the written modality throughout adulthood, they start to decrease from age 50 onwards for spoken stimuli. Congruently with these findings, L1 vocabulary knowledge is a stronger predictor of written cognate guessing success, whereas fluid intelligence is the most important predictor in the spoken modality. Raw data and computer code used for the analyses are freely available online.
Magnetic Damping of Liquid Steel Flows in Horizontal Single Belt Casting (HSBC)
Authors: Mahdi Aboutalebi M. , Isac Mihaiela , Guthrie Roderick I. L.
Published: March 2015

A preliminary computational fluid flow model has been developed to simulate the magnetic braking of liquid steel on a water-cooled, rapidly moving, horizontal belt. The liquid steel issuing from the proposed vertical slot-nozzle should ideally move isokinetically with the belt during freezing. In this study, ANSYS Fluent 14.5 software was used to model the 3-D turbulent flow of liquid steel. A 288 core High Performance Computer cluster located at the McGill Metals Processing Centre was used for high-speed computation. The standard k–ε model was used to simulate the turbulence. Similarly, the magnetic induction method was used to calculate the induced heterogeneous magnetic field, from which the current density and electromagnetic forces produced were computed. The behavior of the proposed magnetic flow control was first validated against previous experimental work and was then applied to predict the performance of the proposed slot nozzle. The predicted results show that by applying a DC Magnetic brake to the proposed metal delivery system, near isokinetic conditions can be rapidly established.
Safety Information-Seeking Behaviour of Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in Selected Locations in Nigeria
Authors: Nwagwu Williams E. , Igwe Ebelechukwu G.
Published: March 2015

Artisanal and small-scale mining constitutes a significant component of the mining sector activities in Nigeria. Many studies have been carried out on the artisanal and small-scale mining, but the studies focused mainly on exploration, excavation, exploitation and marketing of mined minerals, among others. The results of the studies, however, show that the miners are not provided with adequate safety information they require to minimize mining-related accidents and illnesses. In view of this observation, this study looks at the information behaviour of these miners. Guided by the theory of planned behaviour, this study examines specifically the information-seeking behaviour of 357 artisanal and small-scale miners in selected locations in Nigeria using a questionnaire, interviews and observations as the instruments for data collection. More than 95% of the miners reported the need for safety information and that they currently rely on their colleagues, who they also consider as most useful, for such information. Besides perceiving themselves as capable of performing information seeking and using safety information, more than 84% of the miners would actually invest in seeking for safety information. Miners who are married, and work full-time and have tertiary education reported seeking information the most; the information behaviour of those miners who have tertiary education is influenced largely by their positive attitudes towards what others feel about their actions (
Variables Related to School Media Center LGBT Collections
Authors: Oltmann Shannon M.
Published: March 2015

The inclusion of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) literature in school media centers can be controversial, but such material can be beneficial in helping LGBT students come to terms with their sexuality and with helping to foster understanding in non-LGBT students. To examine the extent of such collections in school media centers, this research conducted a checklist exercise to examine the holdings of school libraries in two very different states, one in the northeastern United States and one in the southern United States. The study examined variables that may correlate with the number of LGBT books available in the libraries; these variables were size of school enrollment, type of locale, the existence of a fairness ordinance, demographic diversity, and political affiliation.
Access and Use of Digital Resources: A Survey of Their Value for Faculty in Three Ghanaian Universities
Authors: Dadzie Perpetua , van der Walt Thomas
Published: March 2015

This paper is culled from a doctoral study that investigated the development and management of digital libraries in selected academic libraries in Ghana. In this article, the authors report on the value that faculty members place on access to and use of digital resources and their implications for library services in three Ghanaian universities. The survey method was used to administer a structured questionnaire to 230 faculty members. Using convenience sampling, 10% of faculty were selected from the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the University of Cape Coast. Univariate and bivariate analyses were done to construct frequencies and establish relationships among respondents. Findings showed that less than half of the faculty members were aware of and used digital resources such as the online databases, institutional repositories, the library’s website and the online public access catalogue (OPAC). Nevertheless, the impact of the resources on them was very positive. The study recommended the need for university librarians to interact with faculty during orientation sessions for new faculty as well as new heads of departments. Additionally, subject librarians should work closely with departmental heads to be allocated periods for presentation on available digital resources, their usefulness for their own career enhancement and for their teaching role. The underlying implications of this study show that more advocacies are required from university libraries to enhance the use of digital resources.
The Relationship of Learning Culture, Learning Method, and Organizational Performance in the University and College Libraries in Taiwan
Authors: Yu Ti , Chen Chao-chen
Published: March 2015

Over the past few decades, organizational learning has become a significant concept for the development of organizations. Numerous scholars and experts in librarianship have advocated the importance of creating a learning library for handling various challenges, such as the rapid development of the Internet and digital technology. However, an effective learning organization relies on a positive learning culture and starts with an individual’s commitment to learn. This study investigated the learning methods that are commonly adopted by staff in Taiwan’s university and college libraries, measuring their values regarding the organizational learning culture and knowledge performance, and exploring the relationships among individual learning methods, organizational learning culture, and knowledge performance in these libraries. Based on the Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) and previous studies, this study designed and conducted a questionnaire survey of 478 library employees in 162 universities and colleges across Taiwan. Some key findings of this study included: (1) the individual learning method of “self-learning by using Internet resources” is adopted most frequently by library staff in Taiwan’s universities and colleges; (2) the overall values of staff members regarding their organizational learning cultures are not strong; (3) the two dimensions “creating continuous learning opportunities” and “creating systems to capture and share learning” can influence the methods of library staffs’ learning formally and informally, and they can positively contribute to enhance the knowledge performance of the library. In addition, informal learning methods are likely to enhance organizational knowledge performance.
Excuse me, but can you tell me where the Nordic House is located? Linguistic strategies in inter-Nordic communication in Iceland illustrated through participant observation
Authors: Börestam Ulla
Published: March 2015

In Iceland, Danish is taught as a foreign language parallel to English. One purpose for this is to promote inter-Nordic communication, since Danish is generally held to be intercomprehensible for both Norwegian and Swedish speakers. Assuming the role of tourists, field workers who were native speakers of Danish, Norwegian or Swedish approached Icelandic adolescents (aged 15–20), asking in their native language for directions to the Nordic House in Reykjavík. The investigation was conducted at three different time periods (1983, 1999/2004 and 2006) and showed that the proportion of young people understanding the question thus posed to them decreased from two thirds (1983) to a little less than 40% (2006). At the same time, the number switching to English while answering the question increased. In 2006, a large majority (80%) was inclined to do so, while only one third did so in 1983, roughly 25 years earlier.
Chemical approaches for nanoscale patterning based on particle lithography with proteins and organic thin films
Authors: Saner ChaMarra K. , Lu Lu , Zhang Donghui , Garno Jayne C.
Published: March 2015

Nanopatterning methods based on particle lithography offer generic capabilities for high-throughput fabrication with thin film materials, such as organothiol and organosilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), polymer films, biological samples, and nanoparticles. Combining scanning probe microscopy with sample preparation based on approaches with particle lithography produces robust test platforms for ultrasensitive surface measurements. For example, nanopatterns of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) can be prepared on surfaces of Si(111) using designed protocols of particle lithography combined with steps of either vapor deposition, immersion, or contact printing. Changing the physical approaches for applying molecules to masked surfaces produces nanostructures with designed shapes and thickness. Billions of nanostructures can be prepared using strategies for particle lithography, requiring only basic steps of mixing, heating, centrifuging, and drying. Arrays of exquisitely small and regular nanopatterns can be prepared with few defects and high reproducibility. For nanopatterns prepared with SAMs, the endgroups can be designed to spatially define the interfacial selectivity for adsorption of proteins, nanoparticles, or electrolessly deposited metals. Particle lithography has become a mature technique, with broad applicability for thin film materials. Images and measurements acquired with scanning probe microscopy will be described for samples prepared using particle lithography-based approaches.
Cui Bono, Benefit Corporation? An Experiment Inspired by Social Enterprise Legislation in Germany and the US
Authors: Fischer Sven , Goerg Sebastian J. , Hamann Hanjo
Published: March 2015

How do barely incentivized norms impact incentive-rich environments? We take social enterprise legislation as a case in point. It establishes rules on behalf of constituencies without institutionalized means of enforcement. By relying primarily on managers’ other-regarding concerns while leaving corporate incentive structures unaltered, how effective can such legislation be? We ran a laboratory experiment with a framing likened to German corporate law which traditionally includes social standards. Our results show that a stakeholder provision, as found in both Germany and more recent US regulation, cannot overcome material incentives. Yet even in the absence of adverse incentives the stakeholder duty does not foster other-regarding behavior. Our experiment illustrates the paramount importance of taking into account both incentives and framing effects when designing institutions. We tentatively discuss potential policy implications for social enterprise legislation and the stakeholder debate.
Radiative Decay of Light Leptonic Magnetic Monopoles in an Extended Standard Model
Authors: Stumpf Harald
Published: March 2015

Based on the theory of Lochak and the experiments of Urutskoiev, it has been suggested by Urutskoiev that, during discharges in water (fluids), light leptonic magnetic monopoles can be created in order to understand accidents in power plants. In previous papers, it was demonstrated that these processes could and should be described within the effective electroweak sector of an extended Standard Model with symmetry breaking where, according to Lochak, the magnetic monopoles are considered as excited neutrinos. For massive excited neutrinos, no conservation of magnetic charge does exist, i.e., these particles can decay. The radiative decay is due to the transmutation of an excited neutrino into an ordinary neutrino. Details of the decay process are discussed, and it is shown that massive excited neutrinos are Majorana fermions that, owing to their magnetic charge, participate in electromagnetic processes, although this charge is not conserved. Numerical estimates for transition rates and emitted frequencies are given.
Antibiotic and Diagnostic Discordance Between ED Physicians and Hospitalists for Pediatric Respiratory Illness
Authors: Coon Eric R. , Maloney Christopher G. , Shen Mark W.
Published: March 2015

Background and Objective:

Imperfect diagnostic tools make it difficult to know the extent to which a bacterial process is contributing to respiratory illness, complicating the decision to prescribe antibiotics. We sought to quantify diagnostic and antibiotic prescribing disagreements between emergency department (ED) and pediatric hospitalist physicians for children admitted with respiratory illness.

Methods:

Manual chart review was used to identify testing, diagnostic, and antibiotic prescribing decisions for consecutive children admitted for respiratory illness in a winter (starting February 20, 2012) and a summer (starting August 20, 2012) season to a tertiary, freestanding children’s hospital. Respiratory illness diagnoses were grouped into 3 categories: bacterial, viral, and asthma.

Results:

A total of 181 children admitted for respiratory illness were studied. Diagnostic discordance was significant for all 3 types of respiratory illness but greatest for bacterial (P < .001). Antibiotic prescribing discordance was significant (P < .001), with pediatric hospitalists changing therapy for 93% of patients prescribed antibiotics in the ED, including stopping antibiotics altogether for 62% of patients.

Conclusions:

Significant diagnostic and antibiotic discordance between ED and pediatric hospitalist physicians exists for children admitted to the hospital for respiratory illness.
Lipids and Fatty Acids in the Preterm Infant, Part 2: Clinical Considerations
Authors: Martin Camilia R.
Published: March 2015

Lipids and fatty acids are vital for development and health. The influence of these compounds begins in utero and continues throughout life. Premature birth abruptly disrupts lipid- and fatty acid–induced regulatory pathways. This is compounded by current nutritional practices in the neonatal intensive care unit that fail to meet fetal requirements, resulting in acute alterations in circulating fatty acid levels. Altered fatty acid profiles are linked to mechanisms responsible for common neonatal morbidities. Optimizing delivery of fats and critical fatty acids in the preterm infant can have profound effects on health and vulnerability to disease. Part 1 provides a review of the basic mechanisms in the parenteral and enteral delivery of lipids and fatty acids, including normal pathways of digestion and absorption. Part 2 focuses on the unique clinical considerations and limitations posed by the preterm infant and discusses potential future enteral and parenteral strategies to optimize delivery of these vital nutrients.
Social Dominance, School Bullying, and Child Health: What Are Our Ethical Obligations to the Very Young?
Authors: Halpern Jodi , Jutte Douglas , Colby Jackie , Boyce W. Thomas
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND:

Recent research shows that by age 5, children form rigid social hierarchies, with some children consistently subordinated, and then later, bullied. Further, several studies suggest that enduring mental and physical harm follow. It is time to analyze the health burdens posed by early social dominance and to consider the ethical implications of ongoing socially caused harms.

METHODS:

First, we reviewed research demonstrating the health impact of early childhood subordination. Second, we used philosophical conceptions of children’s rights and social justice to consider whether children have a right to protection and who has an obligation to protect them from social harms.

RESULTS:

Collectively, recent studies show that early subordination is instantiated biologically, increasing lifetime physical and mental health problems. The pervasive, and enduring nature of these harms leads us to argue that children have a right to be protected. Further, society has a role responsibility to protect children because society conscripts children into schools. Society’s promise to parents that schools will be fiduciaries entails an obligation to safeguard each child’s right to a reasonably open future. Importantly, this role responsibility holds independently of bearing any causal responsibility for the harm. This new argument based on protecting from harm is much stronger than previous equality of opportunity arguments, and applies broadly to other social determinants of health.

CONCLUSIONS:

Social institutions have a role responsibility to protect children that is not dependent on playing a causal role in the harm. Children’s rights to protection from social harms can be as strong as their rights to protection from direct bodily harms.
Soft tissue-cutting law, i.e. the career concept of an autopsy assistant
Authors: Kormos Timea , Csatai Tamás , Jäckel Márta
Published: March 2015

Practical experience shows that the autopsy assistant society is fairly divided. There are some people who would have needed a thorough basic training, and there are those who – due to their diligence and the close cooperation with physician colleagues – would deserve an opportunity for further progress due to their extensive knowlegde. As regards the autopsy assistant profession the training, and the training system as well has changed significantly, and it requires further changes. Examining the issue in a wide spectrum, the aim of the authors is, as much as possible, to promote the formation of an “Autopsy assistant career,” in which they want to create a predictable way for the members of the profession from the phase of becoming a student (competency, training, exams, vocational training, single note) to obtaining the master’s degree. The authors would like to provide a summary about their experience and plans regarding this issue. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(10), 399–403.
α-Relaxation and Morphology Transition of Perfluorosulfonate Ionomer Membranes
Authors: Matos B. R. , Santiago E. I. , Muccillo R. , Velasco-Davalos I. A. , Ruediger A. , Tavares A. C. , Fonseca F. C.
Published: March 2015

Nafion α-relaxation has been the subject of intense investigations as it regulates the performance of electric actuators and polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC). Dielectric spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements of Nafion membranes allowed identifying the conformation transition of the polymeric aggregates as the process underlying the α-transition. The dielectric permittivity curves of Nafion showed that for temperatures T > 120 °C, the α-relaxation displaces to lower frequencies. Such unusual behavior was attributed to an elongation of Nafion polymeric aggregates occurring at T ∼ 120 °C and is in agreement with both water uptake measurements and morphological changes inferred from AFM analyses.
Evaluation of Critical Resolved Shear Stresses for Various Plastic Deformation Mechanisms To Understand Mechanical Properties of Magnesium-Yttrium Alloys
Authors: Mineta T. , Miura S.
Published: March 2015

In order to understand enhanced mechanical properties of magnesium-yttrium (Mg-Y) alloys, applied stresses which were required to operate independent plastic deformation mechanisms on various stress axes were evaluated. Moreover, for this analysis, mechanical tests including newly-established testing method “pure-shear test” were conducted to evaluate Critical Resolved Shear Stresses (CRSSes) for various plastic deformation mechanisms of Mg-Y solid solution alloy single crystals with various Y concentration. Relatively higher solid solution strengthening of dominant plastic deformation mechanisms such as basal slip and extension twin at room temperature, results in increase in the activation of non-basal slip system. By a simple analysis based on von-Mises criterion with experimental CRSS values, it is revealed that enhanced mechanical properties of Mg-Y alloys might be attributed to the decrease of difference in the activity of plastic deformation mechanisms by Y addition.
Effect of Morphological Change on Unipolar and Bipolar Switching Characteristics in Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3 Based RRAM
Authors: Panwar Neeraj , Kumbhare Pankaj , Singh Ajit K. , Venkataramani N. , Ganguly Udayan
Published: March 2015

We have demonstrated that pulsed laser deposition (PLD) conditions, i.e. O2 partial pressure (pO2) and temperature (T), enable control over the polarity of resistance switching in PCMO (Pr0.7C0.3MnO3) i.e. unipolar resistive switching (URS) vs. bipolar resistive switching (BRS). We observe by detailed physical characterization that BRS occurs in poly-crystalline thin films while URS is seen in amorphous films – indicating the materials origin of URS vis-a-vis BRS. BRS shows attractive lower voltage operation, no forming and lower variability than URS.
Enhancement of visible light photocatalytic activity of tantalum oxynitride and tantalum nitride by coupling with bismuth oxide; an example of composite photocatalysis
Authors: Adhikari Shiba P , Zhang Lifeng , Gross Michael , Lachgar Abdou
Published: March 2015

Composite photocatalysts comprised of two semiconducting oxides, with suitable band gaps and band positions, have been reported as an effective approach to enhance photocatalytic activity in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic evaluations of semiconducting composites made by combing bismuth oxide with either tantalum oxynitride or tantalum nitride. Visible light active composites were synthesized using solution chemistry synthesis method. The composites were characterized by powder X- ray diffraction (PXRD), diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated for generation of hydrogen from an aqueous methanol solution under visible light irradiation (λ≥ 420 nm). The as-prepared composite catalysts are found to have longer photogenerated charge-carrier life time, resulting in enhanced photocatalytic activities.
Length Matters: Keeping Atomic Wires in Check
Authors: Cunningham Brian , Todorov Tchavdar N. , Dundas Daniel
Published: March 2015

Dynamical effects of non-conservative forces in long, defect free atomic wires are investigated. Current flow through these wires is simulated and we find that during the initial transient, the kinetic energies of the ions are contained in a small number of phonon modes, closely clustered in frequency. These phonon modes correspond to the waterwheel modes determined from preliminary static calculations. The static calculations allow one to predict the appearance of non-conservative effects in advance of the more expensive real-time simulations. The ion kinetic energy redistributes across the band as non-conservative forces reach a steady state with electronic frictional forces. The typical ion kinetic energy is found to decrease with system length, increase with atomic mass, and its dependence on bias, mass and length is supported with a pen and paper model. This paper highlights the importance of non-conservative forces in current carrying devices and provides criteria for the design of stable atomic wires.
Möglichkeiten zur Reduktion von Suszeptibilitätsartefakten durch Mikrochips bei Untersuchungen im 0,5-Tesla-Magnetresonanztomographen
Authors: Oechtering G. , Ludewig E. , Piesnack S.
Published: March 2015

Gegenstand und Ziel: Mikrochips führen bei der Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) zu gravierenden fokalen Bildstörungen. Diese Suszeptibilitätsartefakte können die Beurteilbarkeit der Halsregion erheblich einschränken. Ziel der Studie war, den Einfluss des Sequenztyps auf die Größe des Artefakts zu untersuchen und herauszufinden, welche Möglichkeiten zur Artefaktreduktion bei Veränderung bestimmter Sequenzparameter bestehen. Weiterhin sollte geklärt werden, wie groß der Abstand zwischen Spinalkanal und Mikrochip mindestens sein muss, um spinale Strukturen beurteilen zu können. Material und Methoden: Die Untersuchungen erfolgten an Kadavern von 26 Katzen und zwei Hunden. An einem 0,5-Tesla-MRT wurde für verschiedene Sequenztypen (SE, TSE, GRE) und Kombinationen modifizierter Sequenzparameter (TE, Voxelgröße, Ausleserichtung) das Ausmaß des Artefakts ermittelt. Eine ergänzende computertomographische Untersuchung diente dazu, die Distanz zwischen Spinalkanal und Mikrochip zu messen. Ergebnisse: Die geringsten Artefaktgrößen zeigten sich bei einer T1-gewichteten TSE-Sequenz mit kleiner Echozeit (10 ms) und kleiner Voxelgröße (große Scanmatrix von 256 x 256 Pixel, kleines Field of View von 160 mm, geringe Schichtdicke von 2 mm). Durch Anpassung der Phasen-/Frequenzkodierung war es möglich, die Form der Bildstörung und die Richtung der maximalen Ausdehnung des Artefakts zu beeinflussen. Lag das Zentrum des Mikrochips näher als 19 mm von der Mitte des Wirbelkanals entfernt, ließen sich auch mit dieser optimierten Sequenz die spinalen Strukturen auf Höhe des Mikrochips nicht beurteilen. Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz: Besonders bei kleinen Hunden und Katzen ist die Gefahr groß, dass durch die geringe Distanz zwischen Mikrochip und Wirbelsäule diagnoserelevante Bildinformationen durch Suszeptibilitäten verloren gehen. Durch die Wahl der Sequenzparameter sind Größe und Form von Suszeptibilitätsartefakten in bedeutendem Umfang beeinflussbar. Eine T1-gewichtete TSE-Sequenz bietet dabei das größte Potenzial zur Artefaktunterdrückung.