bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Waste audit: Pathway to attain sustainability at Qatar University
Authors: Hasan Syed E. , Azeez Naeem , Khan Sazzadur , Kazimi Kazim , Abadalla Mobeen , Abdulkarim Abdala , Alosta Khalid , Farah Mohammad , Galalach Mohamed , Hamed Alhosain , Harish Mohammad , Hazim Mahtab , Khan Moisur , Shabbir Fahad M. , Talkhan Ahmed M.
Published: April 2017

Waste audit has proved to be a valuable first step in development of a viable waste minimization and recycling program. Waste characterization has been successfully used at many educational institutions in the United States and elsewhere for advancing campus sustainability plan. As part of the requirements for the special topic course: “Solid and Hazardous Waste Management,” taught by the first author at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, in Spring 2016, students conducted waste audit of selected buildings on the campus. The designated buildings were visited before performing the waste audit and a questionnaire was used to record vital information about each building. Using common materials along with a portable electronic balance, the students sorted the waste into various categories to determine relative amount of each type generated at a particular building. The audit was conducted twice at each of the four buildings to obtain an average value. While the waste stream at the four buildings consisted essentially of paper, plastics, metals, and food waste, it was found that the relative abundance of each of type of waste was a function of the purpose and use of the building. Details of the waste audit procedure, materials and methods, along with discussion of the results obtained are included in the presentation. Results of the waste audit should provide baseline data for developing a sound waste minimization and recycling program at Qatar University. This information, combined with assessment of energy and water use on the campus, would serve as major steps in reduction of greenhouse gases by preventing recyclables from ending up in landfills; saving natural resources by increased recycling; and conservation of energy and water resources. Recommendations are made for expanding waste audit to cover all buildings on the campus to obtain comprehensive data for advancing Qatar University's sustainability plan. We recommend that a concerted effort be initiated to encourage the campus community to sort paper, plastic, metal, and food waste before tossing them into the trash receptacles; avoid co-mingling the waste, and to practice energy and water conservation.
Effects of light-diffusing plastic film on lettuce production and quality attributes
Authors: Riga Patrick , Benedicto Leyre
Published: April 2017

In general, plants grown under diffuse light yield higher biomass than those grown under direct light as a result of a more uniform distribution of the light across the plant canopy. We compared the effects of a light-diffusing plastic film and a clear plastic film on growth of Batavia lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in two greenhouses during five growth periods. Lettuce grown under the light-diffusing film were smaller (up to 36%) than control plants grown under the clear film, due to the fewer leaves per plant (up to 22%) and lower mean values of individual leaf area (up to 29%). The photosynthetically active radiations use efficiency was sometimes lower (up to 23%) in lettuces grown under the light-diffusing film. The pigment contents tended to be lower in plants grown under the light-diffusing plastic. The total macroelement contents of the lettuces grown under the light-diffusing plastic were up to 10% higher than in the lettuces grown under clear plastic, mainly as a result of higher leaf K contents (up to 19% higher). In addition, use of the light-diffusing plastic tended to increase leaf nitrate contents (by up to 23%). The leaf solid soluble content and acidity values were higher in the lettuces grown under the light-diffusing plastic, while leaf pH values were lower than in the control plants. The findings showed that the light-diffusing plastic was detrimental to production of compact heads of lettuce, and to some quality parameters such as nitrate and pigment contents. Nevertheless, open-leaf cultivars would likely show a different response to the diffuse light.
The influence of ethics education on awareness of nursing students with no clinical experience regarding the code of ethics: A case study
Authors: Kang Se-Won
Published: April 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of ethics education on Korean nursing students’ awareness regarding the code of ethics. This study employed a one group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 48 sophomore nursing students with no clinical experience from a city in Korea. In this study, ethics education involved lectures related to “nursing ethics and professionalism”. Data were collected in September and December 2016. The collected data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, and paired t tests. The mean score on awareness regarding the code of ethics increased from 3.75 to 4.40 after the ethics education (t = 6.350, p < .001). Scores on the sub-domains of nurses and patients, obligations of nurses as experts, and nurses and cooperators also increased significantly (t = 6.224, t = 5.436, t = 4.969, respectively, all p < .001). In this study, ethics education was found to raise nursing students’ awareness regarding the code of ethics. Both awareness and practice of the code of ethics are crucial for adherence to the moral standards of professional behaviors required from medical professionals. Ethics education needs to be implemented, as it is indispensable for building a desirable ethical value system among future medical professionals and for enabling them to put ethical behaviors into practice by improving their moral judgment and sensitivity.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 1
Authors: Sun Barbara
Published: April 2017

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2017
Bisphenol A Impairs Synaptic Plasticity by Both Pre‐ and Postsynaptic Mechanisms
Authors: Hu Fan , Li Tingting , Gong Huarui , Chen Zhi , Jin Yan , Xu Guangwei , Wang Ming
Published: April 2017

Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental xenoestrogen, has been reported to induce learning and memory impairments in rodent animals. However, effects of BPA exposure on synaptic plasticity and the underlying physiological mechanisms remain elusive. Our behavioral and electrophysiological analyses show that BPA obviously perturbs hippocampal spatial memory of juvenile Sprague–Dawley rats after four weeks exposure, with significantly impaired long‐term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus. These effects involve decreased spine density of pyramidal neurons, especially the apical dendritic spine. Further presynaptic findings show an overt inhibition of pulse‐paired facilitation during electrophysiological recording, which suggest the decrease of presynaptic transmitter release and is consistent with reduced production of presynaptic glutamate after BPA exposure. Meanwhile, LTP‐related glutamate receptors, NMDA receptor 2A (NR2A) and AMPA receptor 1 (GluR1), are significantly downregulated in BPA‐exposed rats. Excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) results also show that EPSCNMDA, but not EPSCAMPA, is declined by 40% compared to the baseline in BPA‐perfused brain slices. Taken together, these findings reveal that juvenile BPA exposure has negative effects on synaptic plasticity, which result from decreases in dendritic spine density and excitatory synaptic transmission. Importantly, this study also provides new insights into the dynamics of BPA‐induced memory deterioration during the whole life of rats.
Nitrogenase Cofactor: Inspiration for Model Chemistry
Authors: Djurdjevic Ivana , Einsle Oliver , Decamps Laure
Published: April 2017

The cofactor of nitrogenase is the largest and most intricate metal cluster known in nature. Its reactivity, mode of action and even the precise binding site of substrate remain a matter of debate. For decades, synthetic chemists have taken inspiration from the exceptional structural, electronic and catalytic features of the cofactor and have tried to either mimic the unique topology of the entire site, or to extract its functional principles and build them into novel catalysts that achieve the same—or very similar—astounding transformations. We review some of the available model chemistry as it represents the various approaches that have been taken from studying the cofactor, to eventually summarize the current state of knowledge on catalysis by nitrogenase and highlight the mutually beneficial role of model chemistry and enzymology in bioinorganic chemistry.
In vitro study of the proliferation and growth of human fetal osteoblasts on Mg and Si co‐substituted tricalcium phosphate ceramics
Authors: Parra Juan , García Páez Ismael H. , De Aza Antonio H. , Baudin Carmen , Rocío Martín M. , Pena Pilar
Published: April 2017

The objective of this work was to study the feasibility of the solid state sintering, a conventional ceramic processing method, to obtain Mg and Si co‐substituted tricalcium phosphate bioceramics and composites containing diopside. A series of new Ca3(PO4)2 based ceramics has been prepared from attrition milled mixtures of synthetic Ca3(PO4)2 and CaMg(SiO3)2 powders, isostatically pressed and sintered at 1250–1300°C. Materials containing 0, 1, and 5 wt % of CaMg(SiO3)2 were constituted by β + α ‐ Ca3(PO4)2 solid solutions while the material containing 60 wt % of CaMg(SiO3)2 was a constituted by β‐ Ca3(PO4)2 and CaMg(SiO3)2. The biological responses of the developed ceramics were studied in vitro using human fetal osteoblast cultures. Culture times ranged from 1 to 21 days. The new family of materials promotes the adhesion and proliferation of human osteoblasts cultured onto their surface forming a monolayer and showing a normal morphology. The results of the MTT and Alamar Blue assays showed that the soluble components extracted from the Mg/Si‐ co‐substituted Ca3(PO4)2 and the Ca3(PO4)2‐CaMg(SiO3)2 composite were noncytotoxic. The specimens with diopside exhibited a better in vitro behavior which is attributed to the release of Si and Mg ions to the culture medium, enhancing the activity of cells. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2266–2275, 2017.
Clinical, Biochemical, and Genetic Features of 41 Han Chinese Families With Primary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy, and Their Therapeutic Response to Etoricoxib: Results From a Six-Month Prospective Clinical Intervention
Authors: Li Shan-Shan , He Jin-We , Fu Wen-Zhen , Liu Yu-Juan , Hu Yun-Qiu , Zhang Zhen-Lin
Published: April 2017

Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO) is a rare inherited disease caused by genetic defects in the prostaglandin metabolism pathway; disturbed prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) catabolism resulting in increased PGE2 level is suggested in the pathogenesis. Forty-three Han Chinese patients with PHO were studied and 41 of them were treated. Mutations in the HPGD gene, causing hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, primary, autosomal recessive 1 (PHOAR1; OMIM 259100), were identified in seven patients, and mutations in the SLCO2A1 gene, causing hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, primary, autosomal recessive 2 (PHOAR2; OMIM 614441), were identified in 36 patients. Clinical phenotypes of PHO varied, ranging from mild isolated finger clubbing to severe pachydermia and disabling joint swelling, even within families. Circulating PGE2 metabolism features of PHOAR2 were different from those of PHOAR1. Different frequency and severity of pachydermia between the subgroups were also indicated. A percentage of PHOAR2 patients suffered from gastrointestinal hemorrhage, but this symptom was not observed in the PHOAR1 subgroup. Clinical evidence highlighted the essential role of sex hormones in prostaglandin transporter regulation with respect to PHOAR2 onset, although no significant associations of urinary PGE2 or PGE-M with sex hormones were identified. Treatment with etoricoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, was proved to be beneficial and safe. We detected its notable efficacy in decreasing urinary PGE2 levels in the majority of the enrolled patients during 6 months of intervention; clinical phenotypes assessed, including pachydermia, finger clubbing, and joint swelling, were improved. We found no visible evidence of a positive effect of etoricoxib on periostosis; however, significant links between urinary PGE2 and serum bone turnover markers indicated a potential role of decreased PGE2 in periostosis management. This is the largest reported cohort of subjects genetically diagnosed with PHO. For the first time, we systematically investigated the biochemical and clinical differences between PHOAR1 and PHOAR2, and prospectively showed the positive efficacy and safety of etoricoxib for PHO patients. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Solid‐Phase Synthesis of a Seventh‐Generation Inverse Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer: Importance of the Loading Ratio on the Resin
Authors: Kao Chai‐Lin , Huang Adela Ya‐Ting , Chen Hui‐Ting
Published: April 2017

Here, this study overcomes the current barriers to efficient solid‐phase synthesis of high‐generation dendrimers by decreasing the loading ratio on the resin. G7 inverse poly(amidoamine) dendrimer is now prepared, for the first time, through a solid‐phase synthesis using only 50% of the available reactive sites and by choosing a large resin. This preparation takes only 15 d to afford highly pure product in 80% yield with precipitation being the only purification procedure used. The results clearly show the amount of the initial monomer loaded on the resin to be a vital factor for the ability to use solid‐phase synthesis to produce large dendrimers. This finding also sets stage for the applications of solid‐phase synthesis for the preparation of other macromolecules.

image
Enhancement of optical gain by controlling waveguide modes in semipolar InGaN quantum well laser diodes
Authors: Sakai Shigeta , Matsuura Keigo , Yamaguchi Atsushi A.
Published: April 2017

Waveguide modes in semipolar InGaN quantum‐well (QW) laser diodes (LDs) with cleaved‐facet cavity mirrors have been theoretically investigated using a 4 × 4 transfer matrix technique. It is shown that the waveguide mode can be controlled by changing the refractive‐index contrast in the waveguide structures, although previous studies suggest that the waveguide modes are either ordinary or extraordinary due to the birefringence of the material itself, and that optical gain cannot be fully utilized for lasing because the polarization direction which determines optical gain in the devices does not coincide with the polarization direction in the waveguide mode. This behavior can be explained based on the competition between the layer‐structural effect and the material birefringence. From the results of our calculations, it is concluded that the utilization of a high refractive‐index‐contrast waveguide structure is effective in enhancing the optical gain in semipolar LDs with cleaved‐facet cavity mirrors.
The role of Domanik deposits in the formation of oil pools in the central areas of the Volga–Ural petroleum province (Buzuluk depression)
Authors: Kiseleva Yu.A. , Zheglova T.P. , Dakhnova M.V. , Mozhegova S.V. , Nazarova E.S. , Nechitailo G.S.
Published: April 2017

The results of genetic typification of oils and bitumens from oil source rocks (OSR) of the Buzuluk depression are presented. Crude oils within the study area were divided into five genetic types, which differ both in organic-matter composition and in the conditions of its accumulation. Characteristic of the potential source rock was given for each oil type. Oil-to-source rock bitumen correlation studies were performed using biomarker distribution. The studies have shown that only oils from the Upper Devonian–Middle Carboniferous deposits (oils of Types I and II) were generated by Domanik rocks. Middle Devonian oils (Types III–V) are not related to the Domanik strata. The identified relationships between oils and organic matter of different facies-genetic types of Domanikoid-Domanikite OSR can be used to refine the stratigraphic volume and geographic distribution boundaries of Domanik deposits in the study area.
SAFAVIDS BEFORE EMPIRE: TWO 15TH-CENTURY ARMENIAN PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Carlson Thomas A.
Published: April 2017

Armenian sources from the 15th century provide distinctive viewpoints on the history of the Safaviyyih Sufi order before the foundation of the Safavid Empire. The history of T‘ovma of Metsop‘ suggests an earlier intermediate step in the militarization of the order, which scholars have typically viewed as an unprecedented development beginning after 1447, and ascribes to the Safavi shaykh the idea of taxing non-Muslims to encourage conversion to Islam. A second Armenian text, a previously unknown colophon, describes Haydar's attack on Shirvan in 1488 and the suffering of the Muslim and Christian sedentary population, as well as an episode of interreligious mockery. It is probably the earliest extant source to identify the Qizilbash by their distinctive red hats. Together, these sources suggest ways in which the Safaviyyih order's development was conditioned by the multireligious environment. They are examples of the value of non-Muslim sources even for late medieval Islamic history.
The Changing Face of the Holy Roman Empire
Authors: Scott Hamish
Published: April 2017

Few institutions have possessed as enduring importancein Europe's history as the Holy Roman Empire. Dating its foundation to Charlemagne's coronation in 800, it survived for a millennium, being dissolved only in 1806 in the face of the overwhelming threat from Napoleonic imperialism. Its geographical extent was equally remarkable: at its peak, imperial territory stretched eastward from the North Sea as far as Poland, and southward from the shores of the Baltic deep into the Italian Peninsula. Around 1800, shortly before its nemesis, the Empire was Europe's second largest polity, with a territorial area of around 687,000 square kilometers. It was eclipsed only by Russia, which during the later-seventeenth and eighteenth century had expanded spectacularly. Its population too was impressive: with around twenty-nine million inhabitants, its only rivals were France and Russia. Claiming descent from ancient Rome, the Empire long embodied the idea of a unified Christendom, while its defensive role against Ottoman expansion from the late fifteenth century onward sustained its religious mission even after the Protestant Reformation. Yet it is often squeezed out of accounts of Europe's past, an exclusion which is particularly evident for the early modern centuries.
Bare nouns in Danish with special reference to the object position
Authors: Müller Henrik Høeg
Published: April 2017

Based on a discussion of correlations between syntactic position, prosodic cues, aspect and generic vs. non-generic interpretations, this paper substantiates that Danish Bare Plural count nouns (BPs) have a wider distribution than Bare Singular count nouns (BSs). BPs, unlike BSs, can occur in subject position, function as both generic and existential arguments, and appear with all aspectual verb classes. However, BPs and BSs expressing a non-generic, modificational meaning concur in object position of activity verbs and stative verbs with a possession relation implicature. These V+BP and V+BS structures, it is suggested, form a progressive continuum of three different subtypes of pseudo-incorporation (PI), namely (i) PI of BPs (low integration as inspise æbler‘eat apples’), (ii) PI oftype 1BSs (medium integration as inmale hus‘paint house’), and (iii) PI oftype 2BSs (maximum integration as inspille violin‘play violin’).
Plant gum identification in historic artworks
Authors: Granzotto Clara , Arslanoglu Julie , Rolando Christian , Tokarski Caroline
Published: April 2017

We describe an integrated and straightforward new analytical protocol that identifies plant gums from various sample sources including cultural heritage. Our approach is based on the identification of saccharidic fingerprints using mass spectrometry following controlled enzymatic hydrolysis. We developed an enzyme cocktail suitable for plant gums of unknown composition. Distinctive MS profiles of gums such as arabic, cherry and locust-bean gums were successfully identified. A wide range of oligosaccharidic combinations of pentose, hexose, deoxyhexose and hexuronic acid were accurately identified in gum arabic whereas cherry and locust bean gums showed respectively PentxHexy and Hexn profiles. Optimized for low sample quantities, the analytical protocol was successfully applied to contemporary and historic samples including ‘Colour Box Charles Roberson & Co’ dating 1870s and drawings from the American painter Arthur Dove (1880–1946). This is the first time that a gum is accurately identified in a cultural heritage sample using structural information. Furthermore, this methodology is applicable to other domains (food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, biomedical).
Individual size but not additional nitrogen regulates tree carbon sequestration in a subtropical forest
Authors: Wu Jianping , Duan Honglang , Liu Wenfei , Wei Xiaohua , Liao Yingchun , Fan Houbao
Published: April 2017

Recent studies have indicated that tree carbon accumulation in subtropical forests has been negatively affected by global change phenomena such as warming and drought. However, the long-term effect of nitrogen addition on plant carbon storage remains poorly understood in these regions. In this study, we conducted a 10-year field experiment examining the effect of experimental N addition on plant growth and carbon storage in a subtropical Chinese fir forest. The N levels were 0 (control), 60, 120, and 240 kg ha−1yr−1, and the N effects on tree carbon were divided into stand and individual levels. The results indicated that tree carbon storage at the stand scale was not affected by long-term N addition in the subtropical forest. By contrast, significant impacts of different tree size classes on carbon sequestration were found under different N treatments, which indicated that the amount of plant carbon sequestration was significantly enhanced with tree size class. Our findings highlight the importance of community structure and growth characteristics in Chinese fir forests, in which individual size but not additional N regulates tree carbon sequestration in this subtropical forest.
Nonspecific synaptic plasticity improves the recognition of sparse patterns degraded by local noise
Authors: Safaryan Karen , Maex Reinoud , Davey Neil , Adams Rod , Steuber Volker
Published: April 2017

Many forms of synaptic plasticity require the local production of volatile or rapidly diffusing substances such as nitric oxide. The nonspecific plasticity these neuromodulators may induce at neighboring non-active synapses is thought to be detrimental for the specificity of memory storage. We show here that memory retrieval may benefit from this non-specific plasticity when the applied sparse binary input patterns are degraded by local noise. Simulations of a biophysically realistic model of a cerebellar Purkinje cell in a pattern recognition task show that, in the absence of noise, leakage of plasticity to adjacent synapses degrades the recognition of sparse static patterns. However, above a local noise level of 20%, the model with nonspecific plasticity outperforms the standard, specific model. The gain in performance is greatest when the spatial distribution of noise in the input matches the range of diffusion-induced plasticity. Hence non-specific plasticity may offer a benefit in noisy environments or when the pressure to generalize is strong.
Analysis and design of power conditioning circuit for piezoelectric vibration energy harvester
Authors: Savarimuthu Kirubaveni , Sankararajan Radha , Murugesan Sudha
Published: April 2017

This study presents the design of a piezoelectric vibration energy generator with power conditioning circuit to power CMOTE wireless sensor node. The test result shows that the energy harvester produces a maximum AC output voltage of 3 V with an optimal resistive load of 200 Ω for 1.5 m/s2 acceleration at the resonant frequency of 275 Hz. The output power from the energy harvester is 65.9 mW. The characterisation analysis of energy harvester without tip mass and effect caused by the addition of mass at different positions have been analysed. Additional mass reduces the device frequency to 21.5 Hz and improves the output voltage up to 3.632 V. A single‐stage AC–DC power converter which integrates the rectification and boosting circuit is designed, simulated and implemented in hardware to extract the maximum power from harvester to attain higher efficiency. The designed circuit will operate at a minimum AC voltage of 0.5 V. The minimum output from the harvester is rectified, boosted to 7VDC output and regulated to 3.3 V to power wireless sensor node. The conversion efficiency of the circuit is improved to 70.03% with reduced loss of 19.76 mW by size reduction.
Lateral Ventricle to Sylvian Fissure Shunt for Obstructive Hydrocephalus: First Report
Authors: Patkar Sushil
Published: April 2017

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathway studies have revealed that the CSF secreted from the choroid plexus of the ventricles after egressing from the fourth ventricle reaches the basal suprasellar cistern and ultimately the sylvian cisterns. From the sylvian cistern, the CSF travels over the cerebral convexity subarachnoid space to reach the superior sagittal sinus and enters the bloodstream. Diverting CSF from the lateral ventricle with a shunt catheter to the sylvian cistern can be an option to treat obstructive hydrocephalus. An adult patient with posttraumatic hydrocephalus with contraindications to ventriculoperitoneal and ventriculoatrial shunt placement underwent this procedure of diverting CSF from the lateral ventricle to the sylvian cistern successfully, and he had immediate relief of symptoms of raised intracranial pressure. Although preliminary results seem logical and promising, more cases and longer follow-up is required to consider this shunt operation an option in the treatment of obstructive hydrocephalus.
Benthic trophic status of aquatic transitional environments with distinct morphological and dynamic characteristics on the south-western Atlantic coast
Authors: Pita Ana Laura , Giménez Luis , Kandratavicius Noelia , Muniz Pablo , Venturini Natalia
Published: April 2017

The benthic trophic status of Uruguayan coastal estuarine habitats (permanently open estuaries and open or closed coastal lagoons) was evaluated, twice in 1 year and at different spatial scales, using the amount and biochemical composition of the sedimentary organic matter. Nested hierarchical ANOVAs were applied to evaluate differences at the habitat level, among sites for each type of estuarine habitat (three estuaries and three lagoons) and between sectors located at different distances from the sea (inner v. outer sectors). Morphological and hydrodynamic differences between the two types of habitats explained site-to-site variations in eutrophic conditions in the open or closed coastal lagoons and meso-oligotrophic conditions in permanently open estuaries. These differences followed the patterns found for sediment grain size, with inner sectors (lower-energy areas) favouring the accumulation of finer sediments and higher amounts of degraded–detrital organic matter. In autumn, biochemical parameters indicated the dominance of aged and more degraded organic matter, with both types of habitats having a low nutritional value no matter which sector was considered. By contrast, in spring, biochemical composition showed the prevalence of fresh and more labile sedimentary organic matter with a high food value, especially in the outer sectors.
Strict 𝑆-numbers of the Volterra operator
Authors: Bakşi Özlem , Khan Taqseer , Lang Jan , Musil Vít
Published: April 2017

For Volterra operator

V
:

L
1

(
0
,
1
)
→
C
[
0
,
1
]

V\colon L^1(0,1)\to C[0,1]

and summation operator

σ
:

ℓ
1

→
c

\sigma \colon \ell ^1\to c

, we obtain exact values of Approximation, Gelfand, Kolmogorov and Isomorphism numbers.
Global viscosity solutions of generalized Kähler-Ricci flow
Authors: Streets Jeffrey
Published: April 2017

We apply ideas from viscosity theory to establish the existence of a unique global weak solution to the generalized Kähler-Ricci flow in the setting of commuting complex structures. Our results are restricted to the case of a smooth manifold with smooth background data. We discuss the possibility of extending these results to more singular settings, pointing out a key error in the existing literature on viscosity solutions to complex Monge-Ampère equations/Kähler-Ricci flow.
Perturbations of local maxima and comparison principles for boundary-degenerate linear differential equations
Authors: Feehan Paul
Published: April 2017

We develop strong and weak maximum principles for boundary-degenerate elliptic and parabolic linear second-order partial differential operators,

A
u
:=
−

t
r

(
a

D
2

u
)
−
⟨
b
,
D
u
⟩
+
c
u

Au := -\mathrm {tr}(aD^2u)-\langle b, Du\rangle + cu

, with partial Dirichlet boundary conditions. The coefficient,

a
(
x
)

a(x)

, is assumed to vanish along a nonempty open subset,

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

, called the degenerate boundary portion, of the boundary,

∂

O

\partial \mathscr {O}

, of the domain

O

⊂

R

d

\mathscr {O}\subset \mathbb {R}^d

, while

a
(
x
)

a(x)

is nonzero at any point of the nondegenerate boundary portion,

∂
1

O

:=
∂

O

∖

∂
0

O

¯

\partial _1\mathscr {O} := \partial \mathscr {O}\setminus \overline {\partial _0\mathscr {O}}

. If an

A
A

-subharmonic function,

u
u

in

C
2

(

O

)

C^2(\mathscr {O})

or

W

l
o
c

2
,
d

(

O

)

W^{2,d}_{\mathrm {loc}}(\mathscr {O})

, is

C
1

C^1

up to

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

and has a strict local maximum at a point in

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

, we show that

u
u

can be perturbed, by the addition of a suitable function

w
∈

C
2

(

O

)
∩

C
1

(

R

d

)

w\in C^2(\mathscr {O})\cap C^1(\mathbb {R}^d)

, to a strictly

A
A

-subharmonic function

v
=
u
+
w

v=u+w

having a local maximum in the interior of

O

\mathscr {O}

. Consequently, we obtain strong and weak maximum principles for

A
A

-subharmonic functions in

C
2

(

O

)

C^2(\mathscr {O})

and

W

l
o
c

2
,
d

(

O

)

W^{2,d}_{\mathrm {loc}}(\mathscr {O})

which are

C
1

C^1

up to

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

. Points in

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

play the same role as those in the interior of the domain,

O

\mathscr {O}

, and only the nondegenerate boundary portion,

∂
1

O

\partial _1\mathscr {O}

, is required for boundary comparisons. Moreover, we obtain a comparison principle for a solution and supersolution in

W

l
o
c

2
,
d

(

O

)

W^{2,d}_{\mathrm {loc}}(\mathscr {O})

to a unilateral obstacle problem defined by

A
A

, again where only the nondegenerate boundary portion,

∂
1

O

\partial _1\mathscr {O}

, is required for boundary comparisons. Our results extend those of Daskalopoulos and Hamilton, Epstein and Mazzeo, and Feehan, where

t
r

(
a

D
2

u
)

\mathrm {tr}(aD^2u)

is in addition assumed to be continuous up to and vanish along

∂
0

O

\partial _0\mathscr {O}

in order to yield comparable maximum principles for

A
A

-subharmonic functions in

C
2

(

O

)

C^2(\mathscr {O})

, while the results developed here for

A
A

-subharmonic functions in

W

l
o
c

2
,
d

(

O

)

W^{2,d}_{\mathrm {loc}}(\mathscr {O})

are entirely new. Finally, we obtain analogues of all the preceding results for parabolic linear second-order partial differential operators,

L
u
:=
−

u
t

−

t
r

(
a

D
2

u
)
−
⟨
b
,
D
u
⟩
+
c
u

Lu := -u_t - \mathrm {tr}(aD^2u)-\langle b, Du\rangle + cu

.
Amenability versus property (𝑇) for non-locally compact topological groups
Authors: Pestov Vladimir
Published: April 2017

For locally compact groups amenability and Kazhdan’s property

(
T
)

(T)

are mutually exclusive in the sense that a group having both properties is compact. This is no longer true for more general Polish groups. However, a weaker result still holds for SIN groups (topological groups admitting a basis of conjugation-invariant neighbourhoods of identity): if such a group admits sufficiently many unitary representations, then it is precompact as soon as it is amenable and has the strong property

(
T
)

(T)

(i.e., admits a finite Kazhdan set). If an amenable topological group with property

(
T
)

(T)

admits a faithful uniformly continuous representation, then it is maximally almost periodic. In particular, an extremely amenable SIN group never has strong property

(
T
)

(T)

, and an extremely amenable subgroup of unitary operators in the uniform topology is never a Kazhdan group. This leads to first examples distinguishing between property

(
T
)

(T)

and property

(
F
H
)

(FH)

in the class of Polish groups. Disproving a 2003 conjecture by Bekka, we construct a complete, separable, minimally almost periodic topological group with property

(
T
)

(T)

having no finite Kazhdan set. Finally, as a curiosity, we observe that the class of topological groups with property

(
T
)

(T)

is closed under arbitrary infinite products with the usual product topology.
9. Military justice in the field
Authors: Fidell Eugene R.
Published: April 2017

Military justice has to be portable because armies deploy. Field operations in unfamiliar environments generate their fair share of military justice controversies. Some of these are a function of the imposition of special rules intended to prevent friction with the local populace. Other deployment-related prohibitions may reflect requirements of the law of war, including the Geneva Conventions. ‘Military justice in the field’ explains that battlefield crimes have proven to be both difficult and controversial to prosecute. At times there have been questions about which rules of engagement governed. Bringing cases to court also requires a series of obstacles to be overcome. Where should trials be conducted when crimes are committed on deployment?
The Double Volar Flap Technique for Aesthetic Repair of Syndactyly and Polysyndactyly of Toe without Skin Grafting
Authors: Miyanaga Toru , Shimada Kenichi , Kishibe Miyuki , Yamashita Masanobu , Yamashita Akiko
Published: April 2017

Background:

Aesthetic repair of syndactyly of the toes is desirable because patients may have psychological concerns about its appearance. There are 2 important factors for the aesthetic repair of syndactyly of the toe. One is to hide the operative scar from the visual site (dorsal site), whereas the other is to create an interdigital space close to the normal anatomical skin characteristics (2 general types of skin: glabrous and hairy).

Methods:

In total, 12 patients (4 males and 8 females) with 15 syndactylous webs were operated on by using the double volar flap technique. The following 3 local flaps were designed with this technique: an M-shaped flap designed on the dorsal side of the interdigital region (flap A) and double volar flaps (flaps B and C) designed on the volar side of the interdigital region. Flap A was used for reconstruction of the web slope, whereas flaps B and C were used for reconstruction of the proximal sidewall of toes.

Results:

The corrected toes showed a deep and natural interdigital commissure with no exposure of skin grafts or conspicuous scars on the dorsal visible side. The scars on the volar side were also inconspicuous.

Conclusions:

The double volar flap method for repair of syndactyly and polysyndactyly of the toes has the same advantages as those of the local flap method, in addition to an optimum aesthetic result through matching with the normal anatomical skin characteristic of the interdigital space and hiding of the operative scar from the visual site.
Greater fear of visceral pain contributes to differences between visceral and somatic pain in healthy women
Authors: Koenen Laura Ricarda , Icenhour Adriane , Forkmann Katarina , Pasler Annika , Theysohn Nina , Forsting Michael , Bingel Ulrike , Elsenbruch Sigrid
Published: April 2017

This functional magnetic resonance imaging study addressed similarities and differences in behavioral and neural responses to experimental visceral compared with somatic pain stimuli and explored the contribution of fear of pain to differences between pain modalities. In N = 22 healthy women, we assessed blood oxygen level–dependent responses to rectal distensions and cutaneous heat stimuli matched for perceived pain intensity. Fear of pain and pain unpleasantness were assessed before and after scanning. Visceral pain was more fear evoking and more unpleasant, and trial-by-trial intensity ratings failed to habituate across trials (all interactions modality × time: P < 0.01). Differences in fear of pain and pain intensity independently contributed to greater visceral pain unpleasantness (combined regression model: R
2 = 0.59). We observed joint neural activations in somatosensory cortex and frontoparietal attention network (conjunction analysis: all pFWE <0.05), but distensions induced greater activation in somatosensory cortex, dorsal and ventral anterior insula, dorsal anterior and midcingulate cortices, and brainstem, whereas cutaneous heat pain led to enhanced activation in posterior insula and hippocampus (all pFWE <0.05). Fear of visceral pain correlated with prefrontal activation, but did not consistently contribute to neural differences between modalities. These findings in healthy women support marked differences between phasic pain induced by rectal distensions vs cutaneous heat, likely reflecting the higher salience of visceral pain. More studies with clinically relevant pain models are needed to discern the role of fear in normal interindividual differences in the response to different types of pain and as a putative risk factor in the transition from acute to chronic pain.
Community-based evaluation in online communities
Authors: Jarke Juliane
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The idea of “best practice” is very much built into information systems and the ways in which they organise and structure work. The purpose of this paper is to examine how “best practice” may be identified (produced) through a community-based evaluation process as opposed to traditional expert-based evaluation frameworks. The paper poses the following research questions: how does “best practice” (e)valuation in online communities differ depending on whether they are produced by community members or experts? And what role play these two practices of valuation for online community performance?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a three-year ethnographic study of a large-scale online community initiative run by the European Commission. Participant observation of online and offline activities (23 events) was complemented with 73 semi-structured interviews with 58 interviewees. The paper draws on Science and Technology Studies, and in particular actor-network theory.

Findings

Promoting the idea of “best practice” is not just an exercise about determining what “best” is but rather supposes that best is something that can travel across sites and be replicated. The paper argues that it is crucial to understand the work performed to coordinate multiple practices of producing “best practice” as apparatuses of valuation. Hence if practices are shared or circulate within an online community, this is possible because of material-discursive practices of dissociation and association, through agential cuts. These cuts demarcate what is important – and foregrounded – and what is backgrounded. In so doing new “practice objects” are produced.

Research limitations/implications

The research was conducted in the European public sector where participants are not associated through shared organisational membership (e.g. as employees of the same organisation). An environment for determining “best practice” that is limited to an organisation’s employees and more homogeneous may reveal further dynamics for “best practice” production.

Practical implications

This paper sheds light on why it is so difficult to reach commensuration in crowd-sourced environments.

Originality/value

The paper provides an analysis of how online community members collaborate in order to identify relevant and meaningful user-generated content. It argues that “best practice” is produced through a process of commensuration.
A review on recent advances of CNTs as gas sensors
Authors: Rana Md.Masud , Ibrahim Dauda Sh. , Mohd Asyraf M.R. , Jarin S. , Tomal Amanullah
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This review paper aims to focus on recent advances of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to produce gas sensors. Gas sensors are widely used for monitoring hazardous gas leakages and emissions in the industry, households and other areas. For better safety and a healthy environment, it is highly desirable to have gas sensors with higher accuracy and enhanced sensing features.

Design/methodology/approach

In this review, the authors focus on recent contributions of CNTs to the technology for developing different types of gas sensors. The design, fabrication process and sensing mechanism of each gas sensor are summarized, together with their advantages and disadvantages.

Findings

Nowadays, CNTs are well-known materials which have attracted a significant amount of attention owing to their excellent electrical, electronic and mechanical properties. On exposure to various gases, their properties allow the detection of gases using different methods. Therefore, over recent years, researchers have developed several different types of gas sensors along with other types of sensors for temperature, strain, pressure, etc.

Originality/value

The main purpose of this review is to introduce CNTs as candidates for future research in the field of gas sensing applications and to focus on current technical challenges associated with CNT-based gas sensors.
Sleep quality, clinical and psychological manifestations in women with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Moraleda Virginia , Prados Germán , Martínez María P. , Sánchez Ana I. , Sabio José M. , Miró Elena
Published: April 2017

Aim

Sleep problems are a common complaint in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. We analyzed sleep quality with subjective and objective measures in a sample with SLE and its possible relationships with the main manifestations of the disease.

Methods

Twenty‐one women with SLE and 20 healthy women participated in the study. All participants were evaluated with actigraphy for a week and they completed self‐report instruments of sleep quality, quality of life, fatigue, anxiety, depression and perceived stress. Comparison analyses between the two groups were done using Chi‐square and Student's t‐tests. The association between sleep quality and the remaining variables was explored using Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

SLE patients had higher fragmentation index in the actigraphic analysis and a perception of poorer sleep quality, more fatigue, anxiety and depression than the control group. Bivariate analyses showed that the perception of more sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction was associated with a lower health‐related quality of life, more fatigue, emotional discomfort and more perceived stress. Also, the fragmentation index in the actigraphy was significantly related to the perception of poorer quality of sleep.

Conclusion

SLE women had a poorer sleep quality (objective and subjective). These alterations could play a modulatory role in clinical and psychological manifestations of the disease and affect the quality of life in this population. More research is needed to clarify these relations and to determine the potential benefits of interventions directed to improve sleep in the clinical managing of the patients with SLE.
Popular Hazards and Policy Rhetoric
Authors: Best Joel
Published: April 2017

Popular hazards are common activities that involve some risks of harm, such as driving a car, possessing or shooting a gun, drinking alcohol, or smoking marijuana. In each of these cases, many millions of Americans engage in the activity, but only a small fraction of them harm themselves or other people. Because the activity is so common, the number harmed may be substantial, although more serious harms tend to be much more infrequent than less serious harms. Social policy debates almost always focus on some particular popular hazard, yet we can see rhetorical similarities—parallel arguments—in how advocates frame what are understood to be very different social issues. Thus, discourse about legalizing recreational marijuana use tends to invoke claims that are quite similar to those opposing further gun control. The category of popular hazards allows us to recognize parallels in policy debates about seemingly unrelated social issues. Focusing on the underlying policy issue—balancing popularity and hazardousness—encourages considering alternative ways to construct social policies.
Skin irritation testing of antimicrobial conjugated electrolytes
Authors: Wilde Kristin N. , Nguyen Phuong A. H. , Whitten David G. , Canavan Heather E.
Published: April 2017

Each year, the United States spends about $20 billion to treat people who have been infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Even so, the development of new antibiotics has slowed considerably since the mid-20th century. As a result, researchers are looking into developing synthetic compounds and materials with antimicrobial activities such as those made by the Schanze and Whitten groups [ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 3, 2820 (2011)]. Previously, they have demonstrated that poly(phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) based electrolytes and oligomeric end-only phenylene ethynylene (EO-OPE) based electrolytes possess strong biocidal activity. However, before the PPE and OPE can be used with humans, skin irritation tests are required to ensure their safety. In this work, in vitro skin assays are used to predict in vivo irritation. Tissues were conditioned for 24 h, exposed to test substances for 1 h, and then tested for viability using colorimetric and cytokine assays. Concentrations up to 50 μg/ml were tested. Viability assays and cytokine (IL-1α) assays demonstrated that the two polymers, three symmetric oligomers, and three “end only” oligomers were nonirritants. In addition, electrospun mats consisting of several promising compounds, including poly(caprolactone), were evaluated. Therefore, all test substances are conservatively classified as nonirritants after a 1 h exposure time period.
Homogenization-based interval analysis for structural-acoustic problem involving periodical composites and multi-scale uncertain-but-bounded parameters
Authors: Chen Ning , Yu Dejie , Xia Baizhan , Liu Jian , Ma Zhengdong
Published: April 2017

This paper presents a homogenization-based interval analysis method for the prediction of coupled structural-acoustic systems involving periodical composites and multi-scale uncertain-but-bounded parameters. In the structural-acoustic system, the macro plate structure is assumed to be composed of a periodically uniform microstructure. The equivalent macro material properties of the microstructure are computed using the homogenization method. By integrating the first-order Taylor expansion interval analysis method with the homogenization-based finite element method, a homogenization-based interval finite element method (HIFEM) is developed to solve a periodical composite structural-acoustic system with multi-scale uncertain-but-bounded parameters. The corresponding formulations of the HIFEM are deduced. A subinterval technique is also introduced into the HIFEM for higher accuracy. Numerical examples of a hexahedral box and an automobile passenger compartment are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the presented method for a periodical composite structural-acoustic system with multi-scale uncertain-but-bounded parameters.