bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AI assisted ethics
Authors: Etzioni Amitai , Etzioni Oren
Published: May 2016

The growing number of ‘smart’ instruments, those equipped with AI, has raised concerns because these instruments make autonomous decisions; that is, they act beyond the guidelines provided them by programmers. Hence, the question the makers and users of smart instrument (e.g., driver-less cars) face is how to ensure that these instruments will not engage in unethical conduct (not to be conflated with illegal conduct). The article suggests that to proceed we need a new kind of AI program—oversight programs—that will monitor, audit, and hold operational AI programs accountable.
Observational study of prevalence of sleep disorder in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Turaga Suryaprabha , Soanpet Preetika , Manikinda Jayasree , Kohat Abhijeet , Davidi Samatha
Published: May 2016

Background Reduced sleep quality with subsequent excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is found in patients with epilepsy.

Aim To know the frequency of sleep disorders in comparison to control group to know the predictors of sleep disorders that have implications on management of patient with epilepsy.

Materials and methods 199 patients with epilepsy and 48 controls, who attended Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences were taken into the study.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) are two questionnaires commonly used in clinical assessment of EDS and sleep quality.

Results 24.6% of PWE are found to have problems with sleep disorders when compared to controls (10.6%). PWE had significantly higher scores when compared to controls in global PSQI total scores (3.78 vs. 2.43). Sleep latency and medication use (0.83 vs. 0.53 and 0.52 vs. 0.06 respectively) as well as sleep quality and sleep efficiency are poor as indicated by high scores (0.75 vs. 0.40 and 0.22 vs.0.20 respectively).

Conclusion Poor sleep quality of PWE in PSQI correlated with EDS of ESS. Poor control of seizures, polytherapy, and partial epilepsy make the PWE statistically more vulnerable to poor sleep quality thereby having therapeutic implications.
An Analysis of Media-Reported Venomous Snakebites in the United States, 2011–2013
Authors: Wasko Dennis K. , Bullard Stephan G.
Published: May 2016

Background

Venomous snakebite is a widespread natural hazard in the United States. A common perception exists that the majority of these snakebites are “illegitimate,” resulting from deliberate interaction with snakes (such as attempting to move or kill the animal), but there is little quantitative information available regarding the conditions under which bites occur.

Methods

To better understand the circumstances under which victims are bitten, we compiled a dataset of media-reported snakebites in the United States between 2011 and 2013. A total of 332 reported snakebites were recorded. Of these, 307 were from snakes encountered under natural circumstances and 25 were under captive-care conditions.

Results

Most reported victims were adult males. Although some bites occurred during intentional handling of snakes and such activity may relate to bite severity, the majority of victims reported being unaware of the snake before they were bitten. Accidentally stepping on or placing the hands near an unseen snake were the activities most frequently associated with bites under natural conditions.

Conclusions

Although bias in snakebite reporting patterns by the media is likely, across the United States “legitimate” bites from unseen snakes appear to be the norm.
Bitten by a Dragon
Authors: Ducey Stephen D. , Cooper Jeffrey S. , Wadman Michael C.
Published: May 2016

Komodo dragons ( Varanus komodoensis) are large lizards known to take down prey even larger than themselves. They rarely attack humans. A 38-year-old woman was bitten by a Komodo dragon on her hand while cleaning its enclosure. She was transiently hypotensive. The wounds were extensively cleaned, and she was started on prophylactic antibiotics. Her wounds healed without any infectious sequelae. Komodo dragon bites are historically thought to be highly infectious and venomous. Based on a literature review, neither of these are likely true. As in any bite, initial stabilization followed by wound management are the main components to therapy.
Handbook of Computational Social Choice
Authors: Moulin Hervé
Published: May 2016

The rapidly growing field of computational social choice, at the intersection of computer science and economics, deals with the computational aspects of collective decision making. This handbook, written by thirty-six prominent members of the computational social choice community, covers the field comprehensively. Chapters devoted to each of the field's major themes offer detailed introductions. Topics include voting theory (such as the computational complexity of winner determination and manipulation in elections), fair allocation (such as algorithms for dividing divisible and indivisible goods), coalition formation (such as matching and hedonic games), and many more. Graduate students, researchers, and professionals in computer science, economics, mathematics, political science, and philosophy will benefit from this accessible and self-contained book.
Taming the Imperial Imagination
Authors: Bayly Martin J.
Published: May 2016

Taming the Imperial Imagination marks a novel intervention into the debate on empire and international relations, and offers a new perspective on nineteenth-century Anglo-Afghan relations. Martin J. Bayly shows how, throughout the nineteenth century, the British Empire in India sought to understand and control its peripheries through the use of colonial knowledge. Addressing the fundamental question of what Afghanistan itself meant to the British at the time, he draws on extensive archival research to show how knowledge of Afghanistan was built, refined and warped by an evolving colonial state. This knowledge informed policy choices and cast Afghanistan in a separate legal and normative universe. Beginning with the disorganised exploits of nineteenth-century explorers and ending with the cold strategic logic of the militarised 'scientific frontier', this book tracks the nineteenth-century origins of contemporary policy 'expertise' and the forms of knowledge that inform interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere today.
The Doctrine of Odious Debt in International Law
Authors: King Jeff
Published: May 2016

According to the doctrine of odious debt, loans which are knowingly provided to subjugate or defraud the population of a debtor state are not legally binding against that state under international law. Breaking with widespread scepticism, this groundbreaking book reaffirms the original doctrine through a meticulous and definitive examination of state practice and legal history. It restates the doctrine by introducing a new classification of odious debts and defines 'odiousness' by reference to the current, much more determinate and litigated framework of existing public international law. Acknowledging that much of sovereign debt is now governed by the private law of New York and England, Jeff King explores how 'odious debts' in international law should also be regarded as contrary to public policy in private law. This book is essential reading for practising lawyers, scholars, and development and human rights workers.
Explanatory Pluralism
Authors: Mantzavinos C.
Published: May 2016

Explaining phenomena is one of the main activities in which scientists engage. This book proposes a new philosophical theory of scientific explanation by developing and defending the position of explanatory pluralism with the help of the notion of 'explanatory games'. Mantzavinos provides a descriptive account of the explanatory activity of scientists in different domains and shows how they differ from commonsensical explanations offered in everyday life by ordinary people and also from explanations offered in religious contexts. He also shows how an evaluation and a critical appraisal of explanations put forward in different social arenas can take place on the basis of different values. Explanatory Pluralism provides solutions to all important descriptive and normative problems of the philosophical theory of explanation as illustrated in sophisticated case studies from economics and medicine, but also from mythology and religion.
Plato on the Metaphysical Foundation of Meaning and Truth
Authors: Hestir Blake E.
Published: May 2016

What is the nature of truth? Blake Hestir offers an investigation into Plato's developing metaphysical views, and examines Plato's conception of being, meaning, and truth in the Sophist, as well as passages from several other later dialogues including the Cratylus, Parmenides, and Theaetetus, where Plato begins to focus more directly on semantics rather than only on metaphysical and epistemological puzzles. Hestir's interpretation challenges both classical and contemporary interpretations of Plato's metaphysics and conception of truth, and highlights new parallels between Plato and Aristotle, as well as clarifying issues surrounding Plato's approach to semantics and thought. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of ancient Greek philosophy, metaphysics, contemporary truth theory, linguistics, and philosophy of language.
Teaching Macroeconomics with Microsoft Excel®
Authors: Barreto Humberto
Published: May 2016

Humberto Barreto gives professors a simple way to teach fundamental concepts for any undergraduate macroeconomics course using Microsoft Excel® with Excel workbooks and add-ins and videos freely available on his university website. The Excel files are designed to be used by students with any textbook, and have been used many times by the author in his own teaching. Each Excel workbook contains links to short screencasts, around five to ten minutes, that show the cursor and typing as the file is manipulated with narration that walks the student through the steps needed to complete a task. The book shows professors a simple way to present macroeconomic models and incorporate data into their courses.
The Formation and Identification of Rules of Customary International Law in International Investment Law
Authors: Dumberry Patrick
Published: May 2016

Rules of customary international law provide basic legal protections to foreign investors doing business abroad. These rules remain of fundamental importance today despite the growing number of investment treaties containing substantive investment protection. In this book, Patrick Dumberry provides a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of custom in the field of international investment law. He analyses two fundamental questions: how customary rules are created in this field and how they can be identified. The book examines the types of manifestation of State practice which should be considered as relevant evidence for the formation of customary rules, and to what extent they are different from those existing under general international law. The book also analyses the concept of States' opinio juris in investment arbitration. Offering guidance to actors called upon to apply customary rules in concrete cases, this book will be of significant importance to those involved in investment arbitration.
Instrumentalists and Renaissance Culture, 1420–1600
Authors: Coelho Victor , Polk Keith
Published: May 2016

This innovative and multi-layered study of the music and culture of Renaissance instrumentalists spans the early institutionalization of instrumental music from c.1420 to the rise of the basso continuo and newer roles for instrumentalists around 1600. Employing a broad cultural narrative interwoven with detailed case studies, close readings of eighteen essential musical sources, and analysis of musical images, Victor Coelho and Keith Polk show that instrumental music formed a vital and dynamic element in the artistic landscape, from rote function to creative fantasy. Instrumentalists occupied a central role in courtly ceremonies and private social rituals during the Renaissance, and banquets, dances, processions, religious celebrations and weddings all required their participation, regardless of social class. Instrumental genres were highly diverse artistic creations, from polyphonic repertories revealing knowledge of notated styles, to improvisation and flexible practices. Understanding the contributions of instrumentalists is essential for any accurate assessment of Renaissance culture.
The Aztec Economic World
Authors: Hirth Kenneth G.
Published: May 2016

This study explores the organization, scale, complexity, and integration of Aztec commerce across Mesoamerica at Spanish contact. The aims of the book are threefold. The first is to construct an in-depth understanding of the economic organization of precolumbian Aztec society and how it developed in the way that it did. The second is to explore the livelihoods of the individuals who bought, sold, and moved goods across a cultural landscape that lacked both navigable rivers and animal transport. Finally, this study models Aztec economy in a way that facilitates its comparison to other ancient and premodern societies around the world.  What makes the Aztec economy unique is that it developed one of the most sophisticated market economies in the ancient world in a society with one of the worse transportation systems. This is the first book to provide an updated and comprehensive view of the Aztec economy in thirty years.
Managing Portfolio Credit Risk in Banks
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Arindam
Published: May 2016

Credit risk is the risk resulting from the uncertainty that a borrower or a group of borrowers may be unwilling or unable to meet their contractual obligations as per the agreed terms. It is the largest element of risk faced by most banks and financial institutions. Potential losses due to high credit risk can threaten a bank's solvency. After the global financial crisis of 2008, the importance of adopting prudent risk management practices has increased manifold. This book attempts to demystify various standard mathematical and statistical techniques that can be applied in measuring and managing portfolio credit risk in the emerging market in India. It also provides deep insights into various nuances of credit risk management practices derived from the best practices adopted globally, with case studies and data from Indian banks.
Development and Application of Syndromic Surveillance for Severe Weather Events Following Hurricane Sandy
Authors: Tsai Stella , Hamby Teresa , Chu Alvin , Gleason Jessie A. , Goodrow Gabrielle M. , Gu Hui , Lifshitz Edward , Fagliano Jerald A.
Published: May 2016

Objective

Following Hurricane Superstorm Sandy, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) developed indicators to enhance syndromic surveillance for extreme weather events in EpiCenter, an online system that collects and analyzes real-time chief complaint emergency department (ED) data and classifies each visit by indicator or syndrome.

Methods

These severe weather indicators were finalized by using 2 steps: (1) key word inclusion by review of chief complaints from cases where diagnostic codes met selection criteria and (2) key word exclusion by evaluating cases with key words of interest that lacked selected diagnostic codes.

Results

Graphs compared 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year periods of 8 Hurricane Sandy-related severe weather event indicators against the same period in the following year. Spikes in overall ED visits were observed immediately after the hurricane for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, the 3 disrupted outpatient medical care indicators, asthma, and methadone-related substance use. Zip code level scan statistics indicated clusters of CO poisoning and increased medicine refill needs during the 2 weeks after Hurricane Sandy. CO poisoning clusters were identified in areas with power outages of 4 days or longer.

Conclusions

This endeavor gave the NJDOH a clearer picture of the effects of Hurricane Sandy and yielded valuable state preparation information to monitor the effects of future severe weather events. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:463–471)
Public investment and electric vehicle design: a model-based market analysis framework with application to a USA–China comparison study
Authors: Kang Namwoo , Ren Yi , Feinberg Fred M. , Papalambros Panos Y.
Published: May 2016

Governments encourage use of electric vehicles (EV) via regulation and investment to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Manufacturers produce vehicles to maximize profit, given available public infrastructure and government incentives. EV public adoption depends not only on price and vehicle attributes, but also on EV market size and infrastructure available for refueling, such as charging station proximity and recharging length and cost. Earlier studies have shown that government investment can create EV market growth, and that manufacturers and charging station operators must cooperate to achieve overall profitability. This article describes a framework that connects decisions by the three stakeholders (government, EV manufacturer, charging station operator) with preferences of the driving public. The goal is to develop a framework that allows the effect of government investment on the EV market to be quantified. This is illustrated in three scenarios in which we compare optimal public investment for a city in USA (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and one in China (Beijing) to minimize emissions, accounting for customer preferences elicited from surveys conducted in the two countries. Under the modeling assumptions of the framework, we find that high customer sensitivity to prices, combined with manufacturer and charging station operator profit maximization strategies, can render government investment in EV subsidies ineffective, while a collaboration among stakeholders can achieve both emission reduction and profitability. When EV and station designs improve beyond a certain threshold, government investment influence on EV adoption is attenuated apparently due to diminishing customer willingness to buy. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that a diversified government investment portfolio could be especially effective for the Chinese market, with charging costs and price cuts on license plate fees being as important as EV subsidies.
Direct numerical simulation of the incompressible temporally developing turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Kozul M. , Chung D. , Monty J. P.
Published: May 2016

We perform a direct numerical simulation (DNS) investigation of the incompressible temporally developing turbulent boundary layer. The approach is inspired by temporal simulations of flows which are generally thought of as developing in space, such as wakes and mixing layers. Compressible boundary layers have previously been studied in this manner yet the temporal approach appears to be under-exploited in the literature concerning incompressible boundary layers. The flow is the turbulent counterpart to the laminar Rayleigh problem or Stokes’ first problem, in which a fluid at rest is set into motion by a wall moving at constant velocity. An initial profile that models the effect of a wall-mounted trip wire is implemented and allows the characterisation of initial conditions by a trip Reynolds number. For the current set-up, a trip Reynolds number of 500 based on the trip-wire diameter successfully triggers transition yet only mildly perturbs the flow so it assumes a natural development at the lowest possible Reynolds number based on momentum thickness. A systematic trip study reveals that as the ratio of momentum thickness to trip-wire diameter approaches unity, our flow approaches a state free from the effects of its starting trip Reynolds number. The transport of a passive scalar by this flow is also simulated. The role played by domain size is investigated with two boxes, sized to accommodate two chosen final Reynolds numbers. Comparisons of the skin friction coefficient, velocity and scalar statistics demonstrate that the temporally developing boundary layer is a good model for the spatially developing boundary layer once initial conditions can be neglected. Analysis of similarity solutions suggests such a rapprochement of the spatial and temporal boundary layers may be expected at high Reynolds numbers given that the only terms that asymptotically persist are those common to both cases. If one seeks statistics for the turbulent boundary layer, the temporal boundary layer is therefore a viable method if modest convergence is sufficient. We suggest that such a temporal set-up could prove useful in the study of turbulence dynamics.
Microstreaming generated by two acoustically induced gas bubbles
Authors: Doinikov Alexander A. , Bouakaz Ayache
Published: May 2016

A theory is developed that describes microstreaming generated by two interacting gas bubbles in an acoustic field. The theory is used in numerical simulations to compare the characteristics of acoustic microstreaming at different frequencies, separation distances between the bubbles and bubble sizes. It is shown that the interaction of the bubbles leads to a considerable increase in the intensity of the velocity and stress fields of acoustic microstreaming if the bubbles are driven near the resonance frequencies that they have in the presence of each other. Patterns of streamlines for different situations are presented.
Cascades and wall-normal fluxes in turbulent channel flows
Authors: Cimarelli A. , De Angelis E. , Jiménez J. , Casciola C. M.
Published: May 2016

The present work describes the multidimensional behaviour of scale-energy production, transfer and dissipation in wall-bounded turbulent flows. This approach allows us to understand the cascade mechanisms by which scale energy is transmitted scale-by-scale among different regions of the flow. Two driving mechanisms are identified. A strong scale-energy source in the buffer layer related to the near-wall cycle and an outer scale-energy source associated with an outer turbulent cycle in the overlap layer. These two sourcing mechanisms lead to a complex redistribution of scale energy where spatially evolving reverse and forward cascades coexist. From a hierarchy of spanwise scales in the near-wall region generated through a reverse cascade and local turbulent generation processes, scale energy is transferred towards the bulk, flowing through the attached scales of motion, while among the detached scales it converges towards small scales, still ascending towards the channel centre. The attached scales of wall-bounded turbulence are then recognized to sustain a spatial reverse cascade process towards the bulk flow. On the other hand, the detached scales are involved in a direct forward cascade process that links the scale-energy excess at large attached scales with dissipation at the smaller scales of motion located further away from the wall. The unexpected behaviour of the fluxes and of the turbulent generation mechanisms may have strong repercussions on both theoretical and modelling approaches to wall turbulence. Indeed, actual turbulent flows are shown here to have a much richer physics with respect to the classical notion of turbulent cascade, where anisotropic production and inhomogeneous fluxes lead to a complex redistribution of energy where a spatial reverse cascade plays a central role.
The response of glaciers to climatic persistence
Authors: ROE GERARD H. , BAKER MARCIA B.
Published: May 2016

The attribution of past glacier length fluctuations to changes in climate requires characterizing glacier mass-balance variability. Observational records, which are relatively short, are consistent with random fluctuations uncorrelated in time, plus an anthropogenic trend. However, longer records of other climate variables suggest that, in fact, there is a degree of temporal persistence associated with internal (i.e. unforced) climate variability, and that it varies with location and climate. Therefore, it is likely that persistence does exist for mass balance, but records are too short to confirm its presence, or establish its magnitude, with conventional statistical tests. Extending the previous work, we explore the impact of potential climatic persistence on glacier length fluctuations. We use a numerical model and a newly developed analytical model to establish that persistence, even of a degree so small as to be effectively undetectable in the longest mass-balance records, can significantly enhance the resulting glacier length fluctuations. This has a big impact on glacier-excursion probabilities: what was an extremely unlikely event (<1%) can become virtually certain (>99%), when persistence is incorporated. Since the actual degree of climatic persistence that applies to any given glacier is hard to establish, these results complicate the attribution of past glacier changes.
A flow cytometric method to measure prokaryotic records in ice cores: an example from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide drilling site
Authors: SANTIBÁÑEZ PAMELA A. , McCONNELL JOSEPH R. , PRISCU JOHN C.
Published: May 2016

Microorganisms were the earliest inhabitants on our planet that occupy nearly every environment, and play a major role in biogeochemical cycles. Despite their global importance, there remains a paucity of data on microbial responses to long-term environmental and climatic changes. Microorganisms are known to be immured in glacial ice, but no high-resolution temporal records of their density exist, owing in large part to the lack of appropriate clean methodology that allows for rapid analysis of samples over depth. We describe a clean and time efficient method that can produce a high-temporal resolution record of prokaryotic density archived in ice cores. The method combines acquisition of discrete samples using a continuous ice-core melting system coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) of DNA-stained samples. Specifically, we evaluate the performance of the FCM measurement technique in terms of specificity, precision, accuracy and minimum detection limits. Examples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core are included to show the efficacy of the method.
The Ecology of Work-Related Injury and Illness in Australia
Authors: Athanasou James A
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this paper is to explore the context of injury and its consequences for the vocational rehabilitation of Australian workers. This report was derived from a secondary analysis of the seventh national survey of Work-Related Injuries by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is a stratified, random, multiple household survey of 42,100 private dwellings. Work-related injury affects 1 in every 25 of those who had worked at some time in the last 12 months. There were high probabilities of a workplace injury for those in labouring-type jobs and workers who exceeded 35–39 hours per week. Occupational injury is heterogeneous in nature and but there is clearly a restriction in the range of clientele encountered in rehabilitation. A second implication for professional rehabilitation arises from the type of injury. Work-related injuries in Australia are dominated overwhelmingly by musculoskeletal conditions. Work-related injury is a major cause of disability and there are consistently large numbers of people each year that will be requiring some vocational rehabilitation services.
A critical review of exercise as a treatment for clinically depressed adults: time to get pragmatic
Authors: Schuch Felipe Barreto , Morres Ioannis Dimitrios , Ekkekakis Panteleimon , Rosenbaum Simon , Stubbs Brendon
Published: May 2016

Objective

Although considerable evidence supports the efficacy of exercise as an antidepressant treatment, critical reviews informing routine practice and future research directions are scarce.

Methods

We critically reviewed exercise studies for clinically depressed adults, focussing on the PICOS criteria referred to participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study designs.

Results

Most studies have not screened their samples for symptom heterogeneity. Also, they have employed heterogeneous exercise interventions and control groups that may lead to an underestimation of the benefits of exercise. In addition, pragmatic trials allowing scalable replication and implementation in routine practice are scarce. Future studies, can consider the research domain criteria as a diagnostic framework, and conduct moderator analyses to identify depressed subgroups with symptomatology and biopsychosocial characteristics associated with differential responses to exercise interventions. The search for biomarkers of the antidepressant responses to exercise should be prioritised. Further, non-physically active comparison groups should be used to minimise treatment cross-overs and thus the underestimation of the effects of exercise interventions. Finally, the use of outcome measures that maintain their validity at low and moderate levels of symptom severity and the development of trials with a pragmatic design are essential.

Conclusion

The current evidence base is fraught with methodological considerations that need to be taken into account in order to increase further our understanding on the impact of exercise as medicine in depression. Future research should include moderator analyses, incorporate biomarker assays, use appropriate control and comparison groups, assess outcomes with psychometrically sensitive measures, and prioritise pragmatic trials towards transition to routine practice.
Pair production by Schwinger and Breit–Wheeler processes in bi-frequent fields
Authors: Otto A. , Nousch T. , Seipt D. , Kämpfer B. , Blaschke D. , Panferov A. D. , Smolyansky S. A. , Titov A. I.
Published: May 2016

Counter-propagating and suitably polarized light (laser) beams can provide conditions for pair production. Here, we consider in more detail the following two situations: (i) in the homogeneity regions of anti-nodes of linearly polarized ultra-high intensity laser beams, the Schwinger process is dynamically assisted by a second high-frequency field, e.g. by an XFEL beam; and (ii) a high-energy probe photon beam colliding with a superposition of co-propagating intense laser and XFEL beams gives rise to the laser-assisted Breit–Wheeler process. The prospects of such bi-frequent field constellations with respect to the feasibility of conversion of light into matter are discussed.
Impact of early home language exposure on phonological and orthographic skills and their contributions to English literacy abilities in English monolingual and Chinese–English bilingual adults
Authors: YEONG STEPHANIE H. M. , FLETCHER JANET , BAYLISS DONNA M.
Published: May 2016

Relatively little is known about the importance of phonological and orthographic processing skills for reading and spelling in monolingual and bilingual adults. We compared these underlying skills, using a series of phonological and orthographic tasks, in English monolingual (n = 28), English first language and Chinese second language bilingual (n = 21), and Chinese first language and English second language bilingual adults (n = 22) who were equally proficient in reading and spelling English, and examined the contributions of these skills to English word reading and spelling for each group. The results showed group differences in phonological processing, with English monolingual adults having better phonological skills than both groups of bilingual adults. No significant group differences were found for orthographic processing. Regression analyses showed phonological skills were a unique predictor of English word reading for both bilingual groups, but not for the English monolingual group. Orthographic skills were a significant predictor of English word spelling, but only for the English monolingual adults. This suggests there may be a long-lasting influence of being exposed to two contrasting languages on skills underlying literacy in bilingual individuals.
Development of a cryocatcher prototype and measurement of cold desorption
Authors: Bozyk L. , Hoffmann D.H.H. , Kollmus H. , Spiller P.
Published: May 2016

The superconducting synchrotron SIS100 of the FAIR accelerator project will provide heavy ion beams of highest intensities. SIS100 is the first synchrotron with a special design, optimized for the control of ionization beam loss. Ionization beam loss is the most pronounced loss mechanism at operation with high-intensity, intermediate charge state heavy ions. The new synchrotron layout comprises an ion catcher system, which in combination with a charge separator lattice shall suppress dynamic vacuum effects.

A prototype cryogenic ion catcher, including a dedicated cryostat has been designed, manufactured, and tested under realistic conditions with beams from the heavy-ion synchrotron SIS18 at GSI. The gas desorption induced by the impact of heavy ions on this cryocatcher has been measured. For the very first time, a rise of desorption yield with increasing beam energy has been observed. However, measurements at room temperature have confirmed the known decrease of the pressure rise in the investigated energy regime. A transition temperature of 18 K, underneath hydrogen is adsorbed, could be verified several times. The results are significant and used to predict the ionization beam loss at operation of SIS100 at full-beam intensity.
The complex relationship between CD4 count, HIV viral load, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis, and skin-and-soft-tissue infection risk in patients with HIV: insights from a causal diagram and simulation study
Authors: HEMMIGE V. , LAUDERDALE D. S. , DAVID M. Z.
Published: May 2016

Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) due toStaphylococcus aureus, particularly community-associated methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(CA-MRSA), are common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected populations in the United States. Studies have differed as to the importance of epidemiological and immunological factors in this relationship, and have employed conflicting strategies for variable selection in multivariate analyses. Developments in causal inference methods in epidemiology have emerged in the last decade to clarify relationships between variables and identify appropriate variables to include in and exclude from multivariate analysis. In this paper, we develop a causal diagram to clarify the pathways linking CA-MRSA and HIV. We focus on the role played by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis, prescribed to many severely immunocompromised HIV patients and potentially protective against SSTIs, which both mediates and moderates the relationship between immunological parameters and SSTI risk. We demonstrate, using simulated data, that statistical models may yield biased results if they do not account for how HIV viral load may also be a marker of adherence to TMP-SMX prophylaxis. We conclude with a proposed causal model that includes both the epidemiological as well as immunological factors that may explain the increased risk of initial and recurrent SSTI risk in HIV-infected populations.
Socioeconomic status and vaccine coverage during wild-type poliovirus emergence in Israel
Authors: BINYAMINY B. , BILENKO N. , HAAS E. J. , GROTTO I. , GDALEVICH M.
Published: May 2016

In August 2013, a nationwide vaccination campaign with bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) was initiated after isolation of wild-type poliovirus type 1 (WPV-1) in routine sewage surveillance in Israel. The campaign started in the Southern district and later extended to the entire country. This study examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES), and compliance with bOPV vaccine during the campaign. Nationwide data relating to SES by geographical cluster were correlated with vaccine coverage rates in the same areas. All analyses were conducted separately for Jews and Arabs. Coverage with the bOPV vaccination campaign in the Arab population (92·4%) was higher than in the Jewish population (59·2%). This difference was consistently present in all SES clusters. In the Jewish population there was an inverse correlation between SES and vaccination coverage rates (R= −0·93,P< 0·001). Lower vaccination coverage with supplemental vaccine activities in higher SES groups is a challenge that needs to be addressed in future public health events and emergencies in order to achieve satisfactory protection rates for the public.
Asymptotic Structure of Graphs with the Minimum Number of Triangles
Authors: PIKHURKO OLEG , RAZBOROV ALEXANDER
Published: May 2016

We consider the problem of minimizing the number of triangles in a graph of given order and size, and describe the asymptotic structure of extremal graphs. This is achieved by characterizing the set of flag algebra homomorphisms that minimize the triangle density.
Pre-existing cognitive impairment and post-operative cognitive dysfunction: should we be talking the same language?
Authors: Evered Lisbeth , Silbert Brendan , Scott David A.
Published: May 2016

Changes in cognition are known to follow anesthesia and surgery in older individuals (Evered et al., 2011). Although survival per se was the prime outcome in the 19th and early 20th centuries for invasive procedures, a link was none-the-less observed with adverse cognitive outcomes as far back as 1887 (Savage, 1887). Historical reports of “insanity” or “weak mindedness” after anesthesia appeared within 40 years of the first anesthetic having been administered and anecdotal and retrospective reports have implicated anesthesia ever since. However, it was not until the 1970s that these observations received any sound scientific evaluation, when clinicians became aware of cognitive changes following cardiac surgery. It was assumed that the cardiopulmonary bypass (heart lung machine) must have been the main culprit because it was this factor which so greatly distinguished cardiac surgery from non-cardiac surgery (Shaw et al., 1987). This long held belief entered surgical folklore and was the basis for many publications endeavoring to identify particular aspects of the heart lung machine responsible for this cognitive decline.
What is this thing called “SAD”? A critique of the concept of seasonal affective disorder
Authors: Hansen Vidje , Skre Ingunn , Lund Eiliv
Published: May 2016

Background– Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is supposed to be caused by lack of daylight in winter. Yet the population of Northern Norway, living without sun for two winter months, does not spontaneously complain about depression during the dark period.Aims– To summarize research bearing upon the validity of the concept of SAD.Method– Review of relevant literature concerning the epidemiology of SAD and the questionnaire developed to measure it in general populations, the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).Results– Large population studies from northern Norway do not point to a higher prevalence of depression in winter than expected in any other general population. The psychometric properties of SPAQ are rather poor, and the diagnosis of SAD based on SPAQ bears little relationship to a meaningful concept of depression.Conclusions– Seasonal Affective Disorder is not a valid medical construct. Instead, “Recurrent depression with seasonal pattern” as defined in the DSM-IV and the ICD-10 should be used as terms. However, more research is needed to establish whether it is at all fruitful to single out such a subtype of recurrent depression.

Declaration of Interest: None.
The Medial Frontal Cortex Mediates Self-Other Discrimination in the	Joint Simon Task
Authors: Liepelt Roman , Klempova Bibiana , Dolk Thomas , Colzato Lorenza S. , Ragert Patrick , Nitsche Michael A. , Hommel Bernhard
Published: May 2016

Abstract. Interacting with other individuals confronts cognitive control systems with the problem of how to distinguish between self-generated (internally triggered) and other-generated (externally triggered) action events. Recent neuroscience studies identified two core brain regions, the anterior medial frontal cortex (aMFC) and the right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ), to be potentially involved in resolving this problem either by enhancing self-generated versus other-generated event representations (via aMFC) and/or by inhibiting event representations that are externally triggered (via rTPJ). Using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we investigated the role of the aMFC and the rTPJ for the online control of self-generated versus other-generated event representations in a joint Simon task. In two experimental sessions, participants received anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS (1 mA intensity applied for 20 min), while performing an auditory joint Simon task. In addition to a general performance enhancement during cathodal (inhibitory) and anodal (excitatory) stimulation with increased practice, we found a significantly increased joint Simon effect (JSE) during cathodal stimulation of the aMFC (Experiment 1), as compared to sham stimulation. No modulation of the JSE was found during stimulation of the rTPJ (Experiment 2). By enhancing self-generated event representations the aMFC seems to be crucially involved in resolving the self-other discrimination problem in the joint Simon task.
Active mode locking of quantum cascade lasers in an external ring cavity
Authors: Revin D. G. , Hemingway M. , Wang Y. , Cockburn J. W. , Belyanin A.
Published: May 2016

Stable ultrashort light pulses and frequency combs generated by mode-locked lasers have many important applications including high-resolution spectroscopy, fast chemical detection and identification, studies of ultrafast processes, and laser metrology. While compact mode-locked lasers emitting in the visible and near infrared range have revolutionized photonic technologies, the systems operating in the mid-infrared range where most gases have their strong absorption lines, are bulky and expensive and rely on nonlinear frequency down-conversion. Quantum cascade lasers are the most powerful and versatile compact light sources in the mid-infrared range, yet achieving their mode-locked operation remains a challenge, despite dedicated effort. Here we report the demonstration of active mode locking of an external-cavity quantum cascade laser. The laser operates in the mode-locked regime at room temperature and over the full dynamic range of injection currents.
Coral snakes predict the evolution of mimicry across New World snakes
Authors: Davis Rabosky Alison R. , Cox Christian L. , Rabosky Daniel L. , Title Pascal O. , Holmes Iris A. , Feldman Anat , McGuire Jimmy A.
Published: May 2016

Batesian mimicry, in which harmless species (mimics) deter predators by deceitfully imitating the warning signals of noxious species (models), generates striking cases of phenotypic convergence that are classic examples of evolution by natural selection. However, mimicry of venomous coral snakes has remained controversial because of unresolved conflict between the predictions of mimicry theory and empirical patterns in the distribution and abundance of snakes. Here we integrate distributional, phenotypic and phylogenetic data across all New World snake species to demonstrate that shifts to mimetic coloration in nonvenomous snakes are highly correlated with coral snakes in both space and time, providing overwhelming support for Batesian mimicry. We also find that bidirectional transitions between mimetic and cryptic coloration are unexpectedly frequent over both long- and short-time scales, challenging traditional views of mimicry as a stable evolutionary ‘end point’ and suggesting that insect and snake mimicry may have different evolutionary dynamics.
Incorrect interpretation of carbon mass balance biases global vegetation fire emission estimates
Authors: Surawski N. C. , Sullivan A. L. , Roxburgh S. H. , Meyer C.P. Mick , Polglase P. J.
Published: May 2016

Vegetation fires are a complex phenomenon in the Earth system with many global impacts, including influences on global climate. Estimating carbon emissions from vegetation fires relies on a carbon mass balance technique that has evolved with two different interpretations. Databases of global vegetation fire emissions use an approach based on ‘consumed biomass’, which is an approximation to the biogeochemically correct ‘burnt carbon’ approach. Here we show that applying the ‘consumed biomass’ approach to global emissions from vegetation fires leads to annual overestimates of carbon emitted to the atmosphere by 4.0% or 100 Tg compared with the ‘burnt carbon’ approach. The required correction is significant and represents ∼9% of the net global forest carbon sink estimated annually. Vegetation fire emission studies should use the ‘burnt carbon’ approach to quantify and understand the role of this burnt carbon, which is not emitted to the atmosphere, as a sink enriched in carbon.
High rate of drug resistance among tuberculous meningitis cases in Shaanxi province, China
Authors: Wang Ting , Feng Guo-Dong , Pang Yu , Liu Jia-Yun , Zhou Yang , Yang Yi-Ning , Dai Wen , Zhang Lin , Li Qiao , Gao Yu , Chen Ping , Zhan Li-Ping , Marais Ben J , Zhao Yan-Lin , Zhao Gang
Published: May 2016

The clinical and mycobacterial features of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) cases in China are not well described; especially in western provinces with poor tuberculosis control. We prospectively enrolled patients in whom TBM was considered in Shaanxi Province, northwestern China, over a 2-year period (September 2010 to December 2012). Cerebrospinal fluid specimens were cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis; with phenotypic and genotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST), as well as genotyping of all positive cultures. Among 350 patients included in the study, 27 (7.7%) had culture-confirmed TBM; 84 (24.0%) had probable and 239 (68.3%) had possible TBM. DST was performed on 25/27 (92.3%) culture positive specimens; 12/25 (48.0%) had “any resistance” detected and 3 (12.0%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Demographic and clinical features of drug resistant and drug susceptible TBM cases were similar. Beijing was the most common genotype (20/25; 80.0%) with 9/20 (45%) of the Beijing strains exhibiting drug resistance; including all 3 MDR strains. All (4/4) isoniazid resistant strains had mutations in the katG gene; 75% (3/4) of strains with phenotypic rifampicin resistance had mutations in the rpoB gene detected by Xpert MTB/RIF®. High rates of drug resistance were found among culture-confirmed TBM cases; most were Beijing strains.
Breath-print analysis by e-nose for classifying and monitoring chronic liver disease: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: De Vincentis Antonio , Pennazza Giorgio , Santonico Marco , Vespasiani-Gentilucci Umberto , Galati Giovanni , Gallo Paolo , Vernile Chiara , Pedone Claudio , Antonelli Incalzi Raffaele , Picardi Antonio
Published: May 2016

Since the liver plays a key metabolic role, volatile organic compounds in the exhaled breath might change with type and severity of chronic liver disease (CLD). In this study we analysed breath-prints (BPs) of 65 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), 39 with non-cirrhotic CLD (NC-CLD) and 56 healthy controls by the e-nose. Distinctive BPs characterized LC, NC-CLD and healthy controls, and, among LC patients, the different Child-Pugh classes (sensitivity 86.2% and specificity 98.2% for CLD vs healthy controls, and 87.5% and 69.2% for LC vs NC-CLD). Moreover, the area under the BP profile, derived from radar-plot representation of BPs, showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.84 (95% CI 0.76–0.91) for CLD, of 0.76 (95% CI 0.66–0.85) for LC, and of 0.70 (95% CI 0.55–0.81) for decompensated LC. By applying the cut-off values of 862 and 812, LC and decompensated LC could be predicted with high accuracy (PPV 96.6% and 88.5%, respectively). These results are proof-of-concept that the e-nose could be a valid non-invasive instrument for characterizing CLD and monitoring hepatic function over time. The observed classificatory properties might be further improved by refining stage-specific breath-prints and considering the impact of comorbidities in a larger series of patients.