bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bi-integrable couplings and tri-integrable couplings of the modified Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur hierarchy with self-consistent sources
Authors: He Baiying , Chen Liangyun , Cao Yan
Published: January 2015

We discuss the bi-integrable couplings and tri-integrable couplings of the modified Ablowitz-Kaup-Newell-Segur (AKNS) hierarchy with self-consistent sources from the enlarged matrix spectral problem and the enlarged zero curvature equations. By using the variational identities over non-semisimple Lie algebras consisting of block matrices, we construct Hamiltonian formulations for integrable couplings, bi-integrable couplings, and tri-integrable couplings.
Note: Improved wire-wound heater
Authors: Steinmann Ricardo G. , Vitoux Hugo
Published: January 2015

The authors have measured, at cryogenic temperature, the upper limit of the heat transfer in different configurations of a wire-wound heater. We found that the heat transferred has an upper limit of about 15 W/cm2 and is dependent on the diameter of the wire. In this paper, we present three ways of increasing the heat transferred by this type of heater and its application in different continuous flow cryostats.
Controllable light diffraction in woodpile photonic crystals filled with liquid crystal
Authors: Ho Chih-Hua , Cheng Yu-Chieh , Maigyte Lina , Zeng Hao , Trull Jose , Cojocaru Crina , Wiersma Diederik S. , Staliunas Kestutis
Published: January 2015

An approach to switching between different patterns of light beams transmitted through the woodpile photonic crystals filled with liquid crystals is proposed. The phase transition between the nematic and isotropic liquid crystal states leads to an observable variation of the spatial pattern transmitted through the photonic structure. The transmission profiles in the nematic phase also show polarization sensibility due to refractive index dependence on the field polarization. The experimental results are consistent with a numerical calculation by Finite Difference Time Domain method.
Amplification and directional emission of surface acoustic waves by a two-dimensional electron gas
Authors: Shao Lei , Pipe Kevin P.
Published: January 2015

Amplification of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by electron drift in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is analyzed analytically and confirmed experimentally. Calculations suggest that peak power gain per SAW radian occurs at a more practical carrier density for a 2DEG than for a bulk material. It is also shown that SAW emission with tunable directionality can be achieved by modulating a 2DEG's carrier density (to effect SAW generation) in the presence of an applied DC field that amplifies SAWs propagating in a particular direction while attenuating those propagating in the opposite direction.
Controllable Fe3O4/Au substrate for surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Cai Qian , Hu Fei , Lee Shuit-Tong , Liao Fan , Li Yanqing , Shao Mingwang
Published: January 2015

In this paper, the Fe3O4/Au nanocomposites were fabricated and employed as surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) substrates. The superparamagnetic nature of Fe3O4/Au nanocomposites makes them suitable for controlled magnetic manipulation. The infrared absorption enhancements of Fe3O4/Au composite were improved as the magnetic field intensity increasing both for mercaptobenzoic acid and nitrobenzoic acid probe molecules. When the magnetic field intensities increase to 280 mT, the infrared enhancement could raise up to 3.3 and 10.7 times for -SH and -NO2 groups, respectively. The enhancement is due to the synergy of localized surface plasmon resonance of Au and the magnetism of Fe3O4. Under the strong magnetic field, the superparamagnetic Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles are highly concentrated, leading to the increase number of SEIRA “active sites” and the surface density of Au nanoparticles. The synergistic effects of both Fe3O4 and Au nanoparticles make the composites an excellent SEIRA substrate. In addition, the Fe3O4/Au nanocomposites were also utilized to determine the thiol and thione tautomers in -SH based molecules.
Structural, magnetic, and dielectric studies of the Aurivillius compounds SrBi5Ti4MnO18 and SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18
Authors: Yuan B. , Yang J. , Song D. P. , Zuo X. Z. , Tang X. W. , Zhu X. B. , Dai J. M. , Song W. H. , Sun Y. P.
Published: January 2015

We have successfully synthesized the Aurivillius compounds SrBi5Ti4MnO18 and SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 using a modified Pechini method. Both samples have an orthorhombic structure with the space group B2cb. The valence state of Mn is suggested to be +3 and the doped Co ions exist in the form of Co2+ and Co3+ based on the results of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sample SrBi5Ti4MnO18 exhibits a dominant paramagnetic state with the existence of superparamagnetic state as evidenced by the electron paramagnetic resonance results, whereas SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 undergoes a ferrimagnetic transition at 161 K originating from the antiferromagnetic coupling of Co-based and Mn-based sublattices, and a ferromagnetic transition at 45 K arising from the Mn3+-O-Co3+ (low spin) interaction. The sample SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 exhibits two dielectric anomalies. One corresponds to a relaxor-like dielectric relaxation which follows the Vogel-Fulcher function and the other dielectric relaxation obeys the Arrhenius law arising from the collective motion of oxygen vacancies. In addition, the sample SrBi5Ti4Mn0.5Co0.5O18 exhibits a magnetodielectric effect caused by the Maxwell-Wagner effect because of the conductivity of the sample. This is demonstrated by the fact that the activation energy in dielectric loss process is close to that for dc conductivity and the magnetodielectric effect is sensitive to the measured frequency.
Acceptor impurity activation in III-nitride light emitting diodes
Authors: Römer Friedhard , Witzigmann Bernd
Published: January 2015

In this work, the role of the acceptor doping and the acceptor activation and its impact on the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of a Gallium Nitride (GaN) based multi-quantum well light emitting diode is studied by microscopic simulation. Acceptor impurities in GaN are subject to a high activation energy which depends on the presence of proximate dopant atoms and the electric field. A combined model for the dopant ionization and activation barrier reduction has been developed and implemented in a semiconductor carrier transport simulator. By model calculations, we demonstrate the impact of the acceptor activation mechanisms on the decay of the IQE at high current densities, which is known as the efficiency droop. A major contributor to the droop is the electron leakage which is largely affected by the acceptor doping.
High-order harmonic generation during propagation of femtosecond pulses through the laser-produced plasmas of semiconductors
Authors: Ganeev R. A. , Suzuki M. , Yoneya S. , Kuroda H.
Published: January 2015

The generation of high-order harmonics of the ultrashort pulses of Ti:sapphire laser in the plasma plumes produced during laser ablation of various semiconductors (Te, Se, Si, As, Sb, and Ge) is reported. Application of two-color pump allowed the generation of enhanced odd and even harmonics. The resonance-induced enhancement of single harmonics was observed in the Ge, Se, Sb, As, and Te plasmas. The enhanced 35th harmonic obtained from selenium plasma was twelve times stronger than the neighboring harmonics. We also demonstrate the quasi-phase-matching of the harmonics generated in the As plasma.
Dark-matter QCD-axion searches
Authors: Rosenberg Leslie J
Published: January 2015

In the late 20th century, cosmology became a precision science. Now, at the beginning of the next century, the parameters describing how our universe evolved from the Big Bang are generally known to a few percent. One key parameter is the total mass density of the universe. Normal matter constitutes only a small fraction of the total mass density. Observations suggest this additional mass, the dark matter, is cold (that is, moving nonrelativistically in the early universe) and interacts feebly if at all with normal matter and radiation. There’s no known such elementary particle, so the strong presumption is the dark matter consists of particle relics of a new kind left over from the Big Bang. One of the most important questions in science is the nature of this dark matter. One attractive particle dark-matter candidate is the axion. The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle arising in a simple and elegant extension to the standard model of particle physics that nulls otherwise observable CP-violating effects (where CP is the product of charge reversal C and parity inversion P) in quantum chromo dynamics (QCD). A light axion of mass 10
−(6–3)
eV (the invisible axion) would couple extraordinarily weakly to normal matter and radiation and would therefore be extremely difficult to detect in the laboratory. However, such an axion is a compelling dark-matter candidate and is therefore a target of a number of searches. Compared with other particle dark-matter candidates, the plausible range of axion dark-matter couplings and masses is narrowly constrained. This focused search range allows for definitive searches, where a nonobservation would seriously impugn the dark-matter QCD-axion hypothesis. Axion searches use a wide range of technologies, and the experiment sensitivities are now reaching likely dark-matter axion couplings and masses. This article is a selective overview of the current generation of sensitive axion searches. Not all techniques and experiments are discussed, but I hope to give a sense of the current experimental landscape of the search for dark-matter axions.
Geographically varying associations between personality and life satisfaction in the London metropolitan area
Authors: Jokela Markus , Bleidorn Wiebke , Lamb Michael E. , Gosling Samuel D. , Rentfrow Peter J.
Published: January 2015

Significance

Recent studies in geographical psychology have demonstrated regional variations in personality—people with similar personality traits are more likely to be found in some regions than others. What is the psychological significance of such spatial clustering? Our study was motivated by the person–environment hypothesis, which postulates that the match between people’s personality and neighborhood characteristics is important for people’s life satisfaction. The results showed that personality traits were differently related to life satisfaction in different postal districts of London metropolitan area, and these varying associations were related to specific neighborhood characteristics, such as population density and ethnic heterogeneity. These findings demonstrate how individuals with different personality dispositions derive life satisfaction from different aspects of their social and physical environments.
Aldehydes and sugars from evolved precometary ice analogs: Importance of ices in astrochemical and prebiotic evolution
Authors: de Marcellus Pierre , Meinert Cornelia , Myrgorodska Iuliia , Nahon Laurent , Buhse Thomas , d’Hendecourt Louis Le Sergeant , Meierhenrich Uwe J.
Published: January 2015

Significance

In molecular clouds out of which stars and planetary systems form, simple solid-state molecules made in large part of H
2
O, CO, CO
2
, CH
3
OH, and NH
3
are abundantly present. In these environments, energetic and thermal processes on these ices, which can be simulated in the laboratory, lead to complex organic matter. Possibly at the origin of the organic matter in our Solar System and incorporated into planetesimals, this material may be considered as a potential source for prebiotic chemistry on telluric planets, following a process that may be quite universal. The composition of these laboratory-evolved ices includes potentially prebiotic species such as amino acids and, as presented in this paper, aldehydes and sugars.
Computer-based personality judgments are more accurate than those made by humans
Authors: Youyou Wu , Kosinski Michal , Stillwell David
Published: January 2015

Significance

This study compares the accuracy of personality judgment—a ubiquitous and important social-cognitive activity—between computer models and humans. Using several criteria, we show that computers’ judgments of people’s personalities based on their digital footprints are more accurate and valid than judgments made by their close others or acquaintances (friends, family, spouse, colleagues, etc.). Our findings highlight that people’s personalities can be predicted automatically and without involving human social-cognitive skills.
Reduced autophagy in livers of fasted, fat-depleted, ghrelin-deficient mice: Reversal by growth hormone
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Fang Fei , Goldstein Joseph L. , Brown Michael S. , Zhao Tong-Jin
Published: January 2015

Significance

Famine kills millions of people each year. Survival requires the maintenance of blood glucose. Famine depletes body fat, thereby removing a source of energy for hepatic glucose production. Here we used a mouse model of fat depletion to show that growth hormone (GH) maintains blood sugar by stimulating hepatic autophagy, the process by which the liver digests its organelles to provide energy and substrates for producing glucose. When fat-depleted mice are fasted, their stomachs secrete ghrelin, a GH secretagogue. The resultant elevation in GH stimulates hepatic autophagy. In mice lacking ghrelin, GH fails to rise appropriately, hepatic autophagy is reduced, and mice die from hypoglycemia. These studies demonstrate a ghrelin-GH-autophagy axis that is required for survival in famine.
Relative contribution of TARPs γ-2 and γ-7 to cerebellar excitatory synaptic transmission and motor behavior
Authors: Yamazaki Maya , Le Pichon Claire E. , Jackson Alexander C. , Cerpas Manuel , Sakimura Kenji , Scearce-Levie Kimberly , Nicoll Roger A.
Published: January 2015

Significance

AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are the primary means through which the CNS carries out rapid, excitatory postsynaptic signaling. Members of the transmembrane AMPAR regulatory protein (TARP) family of AMPAR auxiliary proteins are essential for the localization and function of AMPARs. Yet TARP family members differ in the ways in which they regulate AMPAR function. Much is known about the function of “typical” TARPs such as γ-2, but little about “atypical” TARPs such as γ-7. Using the cerebellar cortex as a model system, in which well-defined neuronal cell types exhibit differential expression of both γ-2 and γ-7, we examined the relative roles of these two TARP family members in both excitatory synaptic transmission and motor behavior related to cerebellar function.
The butterfly effect in cancer: A single base mutation can remodel the cell
Authors: Hart Jonathan R. , Zhang Yaoyang , Liao Lujian , Ueno Lynn , Du Lisa , Jonkers Marloes , Yates John R. , Vogt Peter K.
Published: January 2015

Significance

A single base substitution in one allele of the PIK3CA gene (encoding the catalytic subunit p110α of PI3K) in a human breast epithelial cell induces a gene expression profile that closely resembles the gene expression profile of basal breast cancer. The mutation also causes extensive remodeling of gene signatures that are not known to be connected to the activity of PI3K. The data show that a cancer-specific mutation that induces a gain of function in PI3K has an unexpectedly deep and broad impact on the phenotypic properties of the cell.
Mapping the membrane topography of the TH6–TH7 segment of the diphtheria toxin T-domain channel
Authors: Kienker Paul K. , Wu Zhengyan , Finkelstein Alan
Published: January 2015

Low pH triggers the translocation domain of diphtheria toxin (T-domain), which contains 10 α helices, to insert into a planar lipid bilayer membrane, form a transmembrane channel, and translocate the attached catalytic domain across the membrane. Three T-domain helices, corresponding to TH5, TH8, and TH9 in the aqueous crystal structure, form transmembrane segments in the open-channel state; the amino-terminal region, TH1–TH4, translocates across the membrane to the trans side. Residues near either end of the TH6–TH7 segment are not translocated, remaining on the cis side of the membrane; because the intervening 25-residue sequence is too short to form a transmembrane α-helical hairpin, it was concluded that the TH6–TH7 segment resides at the cis interface. Now we have examined this segment further, using the substituted-cysteine accessibility method. We constructed a series of 18 mutant T-domains with single cysteine residues at positions in TH6–TH7, monitored their channel formation in planar lipid bilayers, and probed for an effect of thiol-specific reagents on the channel conductance. For 10 of the mutants, the reagent caused a change in the single-channel conductance, indicating that the introduced cysteine residue was exposed within the channel lumen. For several of these mutants, we verified that the reactions occurred primarily in the open state, rather than in the flicker-closed state. We also established that blocking of the channel by an amino-terminal hexahistidine tag could protect mutants from reaction. Finally, we compared the reaction rates of reagent added to the cis and trans sides to quantify the residue’s accessibility from either side. This analysis revealed abrupt changes in cis- versus trans-side accessibility, suggesting that the TH6–TH7 segment forms a constriction that occupies a small portion of the total channel length. We also determined that this constriction is located near the middle of the TH8 helix.
Caribbean spiny lobsters equally avoid dead and clinically PaV1-infected conspecifics
Authors: Candia-Zulbarán Rebeca I. , Briones-Fourzán Patricia , Lozano-Álvarez Enrique , Barradas-Ortiz Cecilia , Negrete-Soto Fernando
Published: January 2015

Social behaviour in Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) is mediated by conspecific chemical cues. These lobsters can be attracted to shelters emanating chemical cues from conspecifics but tend to avoid shelters emanating chemical cues from injured conspecifics, dead conspecifics, and conspecifics with visible signs of a potentially lethal disease caused by the pathogenic Panulirus argus virus 1 (PaV1). However, previous studies have not controlled for the presence of PaV1 (i.e. subclinical infection) in grossly “healthy” lobsters, although visible signs of disease do not appear until several weeks after infection. We conducted a controlled experiment using a set of 2 m-long Y-mazes to examine and contrast the response of P. argus lobsters to shelters emanating chemical cues from conspecifics in four different conditions: uninfected, subclinically PaV1-infected (i.e. infected but not diseased), clinically PaV1-infected (i.e. infected and diseased), and dead. Using polymerase chain reaction, we tested for PaV1 in all grossly healthy lobsters and used exclusively uninfected lobsters in intermolt as focal lobsters. Focal lobsters similarly avoided shelters emanating chemical cues from clinically infected (80% avoidance) and from dead conspecifics (85% avoidance), but their response to chemical cues from uninfected and from subclinically infected conspecifics did not differ significantly from random. These results indicate that PaV1-diseased lobsters produce chemical cues that are as repellent to conspecifics as are chemicals emanating from dead conspecifics, and that subclinically infected lobsters either do not emit the repellent chemicals or they do so at sub-threshold levels. However, the nature of the repellent chemicals and whether they originate from the pathogen or the host remains to be determined.
Influence of Open Alleys in Field Trials Assessing Yield Effects from Fungicides in Corn
Authors: Vincelli Paul , Lee Chad
Published: January 2015

Including open alleys at ends of plots is a common practice when field-testing foliar fungicides used in corn production. Open alleys facilitate movement of workers and equipment between plots during spray application. Open alleys affect crop yield estimates in small plots typically used in replicated, randomized experimental designs, because of reduced interplant competition. However, no published research has tested whether the alley effect interacts with fungicide to bias the assessment of the agronomic effects of the latter. We tested this hypothesis over 2 years by evaluating yield with and without application of Headline AMP (containing pyraclostrobin and metconazole) plus nonionic surfactant applied once at VT/R1 in 7.6-m plots separated on their ends by 1.5-m alleys free of aboveground vegetation. In each plot, data were collected from seven subplots, each measuring 1.09 m of row-length and running parallel to the long axis of the plot. Consistent with previous reports, yields of subplots were substantially higher toward plot ends than in the central areas of plots. Surprisingly, a significant (P < 0.10) fungicide × subplot interaction was observed in both experiments, indicating that the yield response from fungicide depended on subplot position within the plot. However, yield differences due to fungicide were trivial when comparing regression-based yield estimates from all seven subplot positions to those obtained from only the centermost three subplot positions. Our study does not lend support to the hypothesis that the open-alley design creates a meaningful bias in assessment of treatment effects due to foliar fungicides in corn. However, additional research on this question is warranted, given the complexities of comparing results in large-scale plots vs. small plots, the limitations of our study, and the widespread use of fungicides on field corn in the United States.
Crystal structure of dichloridobis(4-ethylaniline-κN)zinc
Authors: Govindaraj J. , Thirumurugan S. , Reddy D. Snehalatha , Anbalagan K. , SubbiahPandi A.
Published: January 2015

The title compound, [ZnCl2(C8H11N)2], was synthesized by the reaction of zinc dichloride and 4-ethylaniline. The Zn2+cation is coordinated by two Cl−anions and the N atoms of two 4-ethylaniline ligands, forming a distorted Zn(N2Cl2) tetrahedron. The dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 85.3 (2)° The Zn atom lies on a twofold rotation axis. The ethyl substituents are disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.74 (2):0.26 (2) ratio. In the crystal, N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds link the molecules into sheets perpendicular to theaaxis. C—H...Cl interactions also occur.
Government-led critical success factors in PPP infrastructure development
Authors: Wibowo Andreas , Alfen Hans Wilhelm
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify 30 government-led critical success factors (CSFs) from both the meso and micro levels in public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure development, measured the importance of these factors, and evaluated the government performance within the Indonesian context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors used weighted gap analysis, the Mann-Whitney test, and the Holland and Copenhaver procedure to support the analysis.

Findings

– The agreement-adjusted mean scores suggest that the identified CSFs are essential, but that these CSFs underperform in Indonesia. The tests indicated that the gap between performance and importance was significant on both the individual and aggregate level, and no respondent-background bias was observed in the data sets.

Practical implications

– This paper provides valuable information for prospective international investors who might be interested in alternative PPP investment opportunities in Indonesia.

Originality/value

– This paper enriches the existing body of knowledge on Indonesia’s PPP activities. This is important as, despite the fact that Indonesia offers one of the largest opportunities in Asia for investment in the national infrastructure sector, studies on Indonesia’s PPPs are rarely reported in the literature. This paper also offers a simple, practical, and replicable approach with a sound theoretical basis that can assist governments in identifying and evaluating PPP-specific determinant factors under their control, as well as in measuring their performance on these factors.
Assessment of the healthy dietary diversity of a main meal in a self-service restaurant
Authors: Bernardo Greyce Luci , Proença Rossana Pacheco da Costa , Calvo Maria Cristina Marino , Fiates Giovanna M.R. , Hartwell Heather
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a first proposal of a healthy dietary diversity index to evaluate meals in self-service restaurants.

Design/methodology/approach

– This was a cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study in a Brazilian buffet-style restaurant. The study group was selected by systematic sampling and consisted of 678 individuals aged 16-81 years, who were regular diners at a selected restaurant during lunchtime. Photographs were used to assess food choices and a sociodemographic questionnaire was administered to the subjects. A healthy dietary diversity model was created following WHO recommendations and the Brazilian Food Guide. A consensus workshop was conducted with experts to discuss and classify certain dishes as more or less healthy (high/low energy density). The model attributed negative (−3.0-0.0) and positive (0.0-12.0) scores to different food groups. Higher scores meant greater diversity on the plate, and therefore a greater chance of a healthy meal (=9.0), while a lower score reflected a higher variety of energy-dense foods, such as fried dishes (=6.0).

Findings

– Most diner’s plates (65.3 per cent) obtained low diversity score indexes (=6) and were considered inadequate, represented the dishes where intake should be controlled from a nutritional viewpoint (over caloric meal). There was a significant association between healthy diversity scores (=9.0) and low variety of high energy density dishes on the plates.

Originality/value

– This method of assessing the healthy dietary diversity of a main meal could be tested as an innovative model for investigating the food choices of individuals who eat away from home.
The effect of stress and visible health problems on the intent to continue health food consumption
Authors: Wang Edward S.-T. , Li Yeah-Luen
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The increasing importance of health food sales and the growing number of consumers purchasing health foods necessitates that marketers develop enhanced understanding of health food consumers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical extension to the health belief model (HBM) that integrates personal stress and environmental cues (visible health problems) with its constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected through a quantitative face-to-face survey of 384 health food consumers in Taiwan, and structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.

Findings

– The results show that the perceived benefits and barriers of health foods are critical antecedents of continued-consumption intention. Personal stress and visible health problems substantially influence consumers’ perceived susceptibility to and severity of health problems, and perceived susceptibility consequently leads to consumer continued consumption. However, the results indicate an irrelevant relationship between perceived severity of health problems and continued-consumption intentions.

Originality/value

– Based on the HBM, the authors integrated perceived stress and visible health problems into the health food consumer research. The findings can improve the understanding of managers in the health food market regarding the role that stress and visibility play in consumer decisions.
Consumers’ mental model of food safety for fresh vegetables in Nairobi
Authors: Lagerkvist Carl Johan , Okello Julius J. , Karanja Nancy
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine consumers’ perception of food safety for vegetables at traditional urban market outlets in a developing country context and test whether curiosity-motivated information acquisition and personal control over choice of stimuli influence consumer involvement, resulting in more differentiated mental models.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) in standard and modified form was used to develop consumers’ mental models for food safety.

Findings

– The cognitive content and structure of aggregated consumers’ mental models were identified and mapped. The maps included negative and positive meanings, indicating a need to tackle the hygiene problems prevailing in most traditional markets. ZMET generated a more differentiated map when people were empowered with a camera to collect stimuli.

Research limitations/implications

– Using ZMET to understand food safety perceptions avoids consumers being led in their responses, views and feelings about food safety.

Practical implications

– Policy, regulatory frameworks and marketing actions by value chain actors in the fresh vegetable subsector should give priority to tackling the hygiene problem prevalent in most traditional markets in developing countries.

Originality/value

– This paper provides novel needs-driven theoretical and practical insights into the actual meaning representation of food safety, which actually drives consumer thoughts and behaviour. Making use of a camera in the collection of self-provided images for the ZMET interview led to higher levels of involvement and further differentiation of mental models.
The determinants for sustainability of an employee suggestion system
Authors: Lasrado Flevy , Arif Mohammed , Rizvi Aftab
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Although the corporations widely use the suggestion schemes to elicit the creative ideas of their employee, sustaining a suggestion scheme is still a challenge. Employee suggestion schemes have been studied from many perspectives to illustrate its objectives, nature, content, process, significance and the benefits. Arguments have also been made with respect to the success and failures of the suggestion schemes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors to assess the sustainability of a suggestion system.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper thus explores the critical success factors of suggestion scheme through a literature review and filters the critical determinants for sustainability of suggestion using factor analysis. The data collection was done using a survey technique.

Findings

– The results identity the five major factors as determinants to sustainability of a suggestion system as reported in the paper.

Originality/value

– This paper has made an attempt to explore the determinants to assess the sustainability of a suggestion system and has contributed toward the new knowledge in terms of sustainability of a suggestion system.
Utilizing lean tools to improve value and reduce outpatient wait times in an Indian hospital
Authors: Miller Richard , Chalapati Nirisha
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to demonstrate how lean tools were applied to some unique issues of providing healthcare in a developing country where many patients face challenges not found in developed countries. The challenges provide insight into how lean tools can be utilized to provide similar results across the world.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on a qualitative case study carried out by a master’s student implementing lean at a hospital in India.

Findings

– This paper finds that lean tools such as value-stream mapping and root cause analysis can lead to dramatic reductions in waste and improvements in productivity. The problems of the majority of patients paying for their own healthcare and lacking transportation created scheduling problems that required patients to receive their diagnosis and pay for treatment within a single day. Many additional wastes were identified that were significantly impacting the hospital’s ability to provide care. As a result of this project, average outpatient wait times were reduced from 1 hour to 15 minutes along with a significant increase in labor productivity.

Practical implications

– The results demonstrate how lean tools can increase value to the patients. It also provides are framework that can be utilized for healthcare providers in developed and developing countries to analyze their value streams to reduce waste.

Originality/value

– This paper is one of the first to address the unique issues of implementing lean to a healthcare setting in a developing country.
The Medical Motorway: improving the quality of care in the context of an ageing population
Authors: Suchak Shreena
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to improve quality in health care.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article developed the concepts of the health-care services in the form of a Medical Motorway.

Findings

– Different conceptual approaches to providing efficiency of services whilst improving quality of patient care in the context of an ageing population are presented.

Originality/Value

– Personal viewpoint.
A reflexive account on my positionality in a collaborative action research project in a Seychelles secondary school
Authors: Simeon Jemma
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The paper is based on a doctoral action research project in which three ESL teachers and the author in one secondary school in the Seychelles focused on strategy instruction in the process approach to writing instruction with the aim of helping students become effective writers. The project enabled the author to establish relationships with the participating teachers as educator, facilitator and collaborator. To ensure the trustworthiness of the research, the author needed to clarify and explore the complex relationships to the setting and participants being studied. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, the author reflexively discusses the development nature of my research: language learning strategies (LLS) and draw upon my experience of working with three ESL Seychellois teachers in the reflection and planning stage of the Core Action Research project to critically reflect on the negotiation of my position in practice.

Findings

– Reflecting on the author’s positionality in relation to how the teacher participants constructed the identity has helped the author to be more reflexive and engage with the research process in a more meaningful way.

Originality/value

– The author’s experience suggests that one’s positionality is never fixed and stable, but rather may be characterized as changing and fluctuating according to the context, content, feelings and ideas expressed.
Acne patients frequently associated with abnormal plasma lipid profile
Authors: Jiang Hao , Li Chang Yi , Zhou Lu , Lu Bin , Lin Yinghui , Huang Xiaoqi , Wei Bin , Wang Qiang , Wang Leping , Lu Jianqi
Published: January 2015

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between plasma lipid profile and acne. Acne patients (n = 181) and healthy volunteers (n = 130) matched in terms of both age and sex were enrolled. Plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) and lipoprotein (LP)(a) levels were measured. TC, LDL‐C and LP(a) levels in male and female patients with severe acne were significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). TG in male patients with severe and moderate acne was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). LP(a) in male and female patients with mild, moderate and severe acne was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). The constituent ratio of male and female patients with TC, TG, LDL‐C and LP(a) over the normal range was signi‐ficantly higher than in the healthy control group. In this study, acne patients were frequently associated with abnormal lipid profile, providing a new basis for further exploration of the pathogenesis, as well as new treatments, of acne vulgaris.
Efficacy of statins on sirtuin 1 and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression: the role of sirtuin 1 gene variants in human coronary atherosclerosis
Authors: Kilic Ulkan , Gok Ozlem , Elibol‐Can Birsen , Uysal Omer , Bacaksiz Ahmet
Published: January 2015

Statins are 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and are used to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) due to their pleiotropic effects. Recently, greater focus has been placed on the role of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in cardiovascular disease research. However, insufficient data exist on the relationships between statins, SIRT1 protein levels, and SIRT1 gene variants. In the present study, we investigated the effects of statins, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, in CAD patients by analysing the associations between SIRT1 gene variants, rs7069102C>G and rs2273773C>T, and SIRT1/endothelial nitric oxide (eNOS) expression, as well as total antioxidant and oxidant status, and the oxidative stress index. SIRT1 expression was significantly higher, and eNOS expression was significantly lower in CAD patients when compared with controls. Statin treatment reduced SIRT1 expression and increased eNOS expression, similar to the levels found in the control population, independent from the studied SIRT1 gene variants. Oxidative stress parameters were significantly increased in CAD patients, and were decreased by statin treatment, demonstrating the antioxidative effects of statins on atherosclerosis. These results indicate that statin treatment could produce its protective effect on cardiovascular disease through the inhibition of SIRT1 expression. This is the first study reporting on the effect of statins, specifically atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, on SIRT1 expression in CAD patients.
Language ability, executive functioning and behaviour in school‐age children
Authors: Karasinski Courtney
Published: January 2015

Background

Many children with language impairment present with deficits in other areas, including executive functioning (EF), attention and behaviour. Similarly, many children receiving services for attention or behaviour problems have deficits in language ability.

Aims

To evaluate the relations among EF, language ability and behaviour problems in a sample of school‐age children with a wide range of language and behaviour profiles. The following research questions were addressed: Does performance on EF tasks predict language ability? Do language ability and EF predict problems with attention, internalizing and/or externalizing?

Methods & Procedures

EF was defined as referring to the separable, yet related, processes of shifting, updating working memory and inhibition as specified in the latent variable model of EF. Children aged 8–11 years recruited from an urban school district completed standardized language and cognitive assessments and a computerized task assessing EF. Their parents completed standardized questionnaires assessing the children's EF and problem behaviours. Regression analyses were conducted.

Outcomes & Results

Regression analyses revealed that EF did not contribute to language ability beyond the variance accounted for by nonverbal reasoning. Language ability contributed to attention problems when entered as a single predictor, but was no longer significant when the EF measures were added to the model. Language ability did not significantly contribute to internalizing or externalizing behaviour problems. Parent‐reported inhibition was a robust predictor of attention, internalizing and externalizing behaviour problems.

Conclusions & Implications

In this sample of school‐age children, language ability was related to attention problems, but not to internalizing or externalizing. Children with behaviour problems may have particular difficulty with inhibition.
Microbiological and Physicochemical Analysis of Pumpkin Juice Fermentation by the Basidiomycetous Fungus Ganoderma lucidum
Authors: Zhao Jing , Liu Wei , Chen Dong , Zhou Chunli , Song Yi , Zhang Yuyu , Ni Yuanying , Li Quanhong
Published: January 2015

A new protocol for processing of pumpkin juice was set up which included fermentation by the basidiomycete Ganoderma lucidum at 28 °C for 7 d. The growth curve of G. lucidum in pumpkin juice was successfully (R2 = 0.99) fitted by a 4‐parameter logistic model and the ideal highest biomass was estimated to be 4.79 g/L. G. lucidum was found to have a significant acidification effect on pumpkin juice. The lowest pH (4.05 ± 0.05) and highest total titratable acidity (14.31 ± 0.16 mL 0.1 M NaOH/100 mL) were found on the 4th day during fermentation. Sugars in pumpkin juice fermented with G. lucidum showed a significant decrease, especially glucose and fructose. On the contrary, the release of exo‐polysaccharides and free amino acids greatly enriched the pumpkin juice. The variation of color index and viscosity also mirrored the above behavior. Based on headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry, 68 volatile compounds were identified, including 17 esters, 14 alcohols, 13 phenyl compounds, 11 aldehydes, 8 ketones, 3 acids, 1 furan, and 1 benzothiazole. The pumpkin juices fermented for different days were markedly differentiated with principal component analysis and the fermentation process was tentatively divided into 3 periods: the booming (from the 1st to 4th day), steady (from the 5th to 6th day), and decline (the 7th day) period.
Posttreatment Effects of Topiramate Treatment for Heavy Drinking
Authors: Kranzler Henry R. , Wetherill Reagan , Feinn Richard , Pond Timothy , Gelernter Joel , Covault Jonathan
Published: January 2015

Background

We examined whether the effects of topiramate and a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2832407) in GRIK1, which encodes a kainate receptor subunit, persisted following a 12‐week, placebo‐controlled trial in 138 heavy drinkers with a treatment goal of reduced drinking. During treatment, topiramate 200 mg/d significantly reduced heavy drinking days and increased the frequency of abstinent days (Am J Psychiatry, 2014, 171:445). In the European‐American (EA) subsample (n = 122), rs2832407 moderated the treatment effect on heavy drinking.

Methods

Patients were re‐interviewed 3 and 6 months after the end of treatment. During treatment, we obtained 92.4% of drinking data, with 89.1 and 85.5% complete data at the 3‐ and 6‐month follow‐up visits, respectively. We examined 4 outcomes over time in the overall sample and the EA subsample: percent heavy drinking days (PHDD), percent days abstinent (PDA), serum γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) concentration, and a measure of alcohol‐related problems.

Results

In the full sample, the lower PHDD and higher PDA seen with topiramate treatment were no longer significant during follow‐up. Nonetheless, the topiramate‐treated patients had lower alcohol‐related problem scores during treatment and both follow‐up periods. Further, in the EA subsample, the greater reduction in PHDD seen with topiramate treatment in rs2832407*C‐allele homozygotes persisted throughout follow‐up, with no significant effects in A‐allele carriers. A reduction in GGTP concentration was consistent with the reduction in heavy drinking, but did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

There are persistent therapeutic effects of topiramate in heavy drinkers, principally in rs2832407*C‐allele homozygotes.
Factors associated with over‐serving at drinking establishments
Authors: Buvik Kristin , Rossow Ingeborg
Published: January 2015

Aims

To address characteristics of drinking establishments, bartenders and patrons that may affect the likelihood of over‐serving.

Design

A systematic examination of 425 purchase attempts with pseudo‐intoxicated patrons enacting scripts that, according to the law, should lead to the denial of alcohol sales.

Setting and Participants

Drinking establishments in the three largest cities in Norway (Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo) were visited by male and female actors aged 20–30 years on weekend nights, with a total of 425 purchase items.

Measurements

Over‐serving was recorded when the pseudo‐intoxicated patron was served alcohol. Characteristics of the drinking establishment, the bartender and the pseudo‐intoxicated patron were recorded systematically.

Results

Pseudo‐intoxicated patrons were served in 347 of 425 purchase attempts (82%). In bivariate analyses, the over‐serving rate increased with venue characteristics, music/noise level and intoxication level among patrons. These factors were intercorrelated and correlated with poor lighting. The over‐serving rate was also higher when the pseudo‐intoxicated patron was female and when the purchase attempt occurred after midnight. In multi‐variate analyses, two factors increased the likelihood of over‐serving significantly: a high problematic bar indicator score (poor lighting, high music/noise level and high intoxication level among patrons) [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.9, 6.4] and female gender of pseudo‐intoxicated patrons (adjusted OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.4, 4.7). The rate of over‐serving was 95% when both risk factors were present and 67% when both factors were absent.

Conclusions

In urban settings in Norway, it is likely that over‐serving occurs frequently, and is increased by the risk factors of poor lighting, loud music and high intoxication level among patrons.
Nonparametric Inference in Hidden Markov Models Using P-Splines
Authors: Langrock Roland , Kneib Thomas , Sohn Alexander , DeRuiter Stacy L.
Published: January 2015

Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are flexible time series models in which the distribution of the observations depends on unobserved serially correlated states. The state-dependent distributions in HMMs are usually taken from some class of parametrically specified distributions. The choice of this class can be difficult, and an unfortunate choice can have serious consequences for example on state estimates, and more generally on the resulting model complexity and interpretation. We demonstrate these practical issues in a real data application concerned with vertical speeds of a diving beaked whale, where we demonstrate that parametric approaches can easily lead to overly complex state processes, impeding meaningful biological inference. In contrast, for the dive data, HMMs with nonparametrically estimated state-dependent distributions are much more parsimonious in terms of the number of states and easier to interpret, while fitting the data equally well. Our nonparametric estimation approach is based on the idea of representing the densities of the state-dependent distributions as linear combinations of a large number of standardized B-spline basis functions, imposing a penalty term on non-smoothness in order to maintain a good balance between goodness-of-fit and smoothness.
Phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic ranking of pipizine flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) with implications for the evolution of aphidophagy
Authors: Mengual Ximo , Ståhls Gunilla , Rojo Santos
Published: January 2015

The taxonomic rank and phylogenetic relationships of the pipizine flower flies (Diptera: Syrphidae: Pipizini) were estimated based on DNA sequence data from three gene regions (COI, 28S and 18S) and 111 adult morphological characters. Pipizini has been treated as a member of the subfamily Eristalinae based on diagnostic adult morphological characteristics, while the larval feeding mode and morphology is shared with members of the subfamily Syrphinae. We analysed each dataset, both separately and combined, in a total evidence approach under maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood. To evaluate the influence of different alignment strategies of rDNA 28S and 18S genes on the resulting topologies, we compared the topologies inferred from a multiple alignment using fast Fourier transform (MAFFT) program with those topologies resulting from aligning the secondary structure of these rDNA genes. Total evidence analyses resolved pipizines as a sister group of the subfamily Syrphinae. Although the structural alignment and the MAFFT alignment differed in the inferred relationships of some clades and taxa, there was congruence in the placement of pipizines. The homogeneous morphology of the Pipizini clade in combination with their unique combination of characters among the Syrphidae suggest a change of rank to subfamily. Thus, we propose to divide Syrphidae into four subfamilies, including the subfamily Pipizinae stat. rev.