bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress faced by gifted Vietnamese students: what might contribute to it?
Authors: Nguyen Minh Hang Thi , Hoang Nam Phuong Thi , Nong Men Thi
Published: November 2015

Background

Gifted students might have to face an abundance of stress. Nevertheless, very little evidence in Vietnam indicates how much stress those students are experiencing and what might predict it. This study aims to examine the stress level in students of the High School for Gifted Students in Hanoi and factors that might contribute to the stress.

Participants and procedure

This is a cross sectional study with the participation of 150 students from the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi. Data were collected from March to April 2015. The first measure was the “Stress Level Test”, which was adapted to the Vietnamese culture to measure academic stress in students. The second measure examined factors contributing to stress: 1) social life, 2) family, 3) school work, 4) personal relationships, 5) well-being, 6) adapting skills.

Results

The results showed that 74% of students were experiencing mild to medium stress, which was found to be higher in girls and in students who lived away from home. The six predicting factors significantly contribute 17.30% to students’ stress experience, of which school work (p = .001) and students’ well-being (p = .011) can individually predict stress. These outcomes suggested that more attention should be focused on this specific population and more actions need to be taken to help them perform better at school.

Conclusions

Students of the High School for Gifted Students definitely experienced a considerable amount of stress which was related to school pressure and their well-being. For them to have a better high school life, more recreational and leisure time activities outside the classroom need to take place. In addition, more approachable and functional advisors and counseling personnel would be an ideal solution to this problem.
Materiality, Language and the Production of Knowledge: Art, Subjectivity and Indigenous Ontology
Authors: Barrett Estelle
Published: November 2015

Since all theories of knowing deal with the being of subjects, objects, instruments and environments, they can be viewed as onto-epistemological.  This chapter examines key ideas that emerge from the work of Julia Kristeva – 'the speaking subject', 'materiality of language' and 'heterogeneity' – to demonstrate how ontology and epistemology are inextricably entwined in knowledge production. Kristeva also affirms both the agency of matter and  the dimension of human/subjective agency implicated in cultural production. This is contrasted with Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s account creative practice. The article also draws on the artistic work of researcher-practitioner Brian Martin, and his account of the relationship between Indigenous Australian art and culture to demonstrate that in an Indigenous world view, the real, the immaterial, the imaginary and the representational occur concurrently.
Black carbon aerosol in winter northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, China: the source, mixing state and optical property
Authors: Wang Q. Y. , Huang R.-J. , Cao J. J. , Tie X. X. , Ni H. Y. , Zhou Y. Q. , Han Y. M. , Hu T. F. , Zhu C. S. , Feng T. , Li N. , Li J. D.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Black carbon (BC) aerosol at high altitudes of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau has potential effects on the regional climate and hydrological cycle. An intensive measurement campaign was conducted at Qinghai Lake (~ 3200 m above sea level) at the edge of the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during winter using a ground-based single particle soot photometer (SP2) and a photoacoustic extinctiometer (PAX). The average concentration of refractory BC (rBC) and number fraction of coated rBC were found to be 160 ± 190 ng m−3 and 59 % for the entire campaign, respectively. Significant enhancements of rBC loadings and number fraction of coated rBC were observed during a pollution episode, with an average value of 390 ng m−3 and 65 %, respectively. The mass size distribution of rBC particles showed log-normal distribution, with a peak diameter of ~ 187 nm regardless of the pollution level. Five-day backward trajectory analysis suggests that the air masses from north India contributed to the increased rBC loadings during the campaign. The potential source contribution function (PSCF) model combined with the fire counts map further proves that biomass burning from north India is an important potential source influencing the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during the pollution episode. The rBC mass absorption cross section (MACrBC) at λ = 532 nm was slightly larger in clean days (14.9 m2 g−1) than during the pollution episode (9.3 m2 g−1), likely due to the effects of brown carbon and the uncertainty of the MACrBC calculation. The MACrBC was positively correlated with number fraction of coated rBC during the pollution episode with an increasing rate of 0.18 (m2 g−1) %−1. The number fraction of coated rBC particles showed positive correlation with light absorption, suggesting that the increase of coated rBC particles will enhance the light absorption. Compared to rBC mass concentration, rBC mixing sate is more important in determining absorption during the pollution episode, estimated from the same percentage-wise increment of either rBC mass concentration or the number fraction of coated rBC. The estimated BC direct radiative forcing was +0.93 W m−2 for the pollution episode, which is 2 times larger than that in clean days. Our study provides insight into the potential climatic impacts of rBC aerosol transported to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau from south Asian regions, and is also useful for future modeling studies.
SOA formation from the photooxidation of α-pinene: systematic exploration of the simulation of chamber data
Authors: McVay R. C. , Zhang X. , Aumont B. , Valorso R. , Camredon M. , La Y. S. , Wennberg P. O. , Seinfeld J. H.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Chemical mechanisms play an important role in simulating the atmospheric chemistry of volatile organic compound oxidation. Comparison of mechanism simulations with laboratory chamber data tests our level of understanding of the prevailing chemistry as well as the dynamic processes occurring in the chamber itself. α-pinene photooxidation is a well-studied system experimentally, for which detailed chemical mechanisms have been formulated. Here, we present the results of simulating low-NO α-pinene photooxidation experiments conducted in the Caltech chamber with the Generator for Explicit Chemistry and Kinetics of Organics in the Atmosphere (GECKO-A) under varying concentrations of seed particles and OH levels. Unexpectedly, experiments conducted at low and high OH levels yield the same SOA growth, whereas GECKO-A predicts greater SOA growth under high OH levels. SOA formation in the chamber is a result of a competition among the rates of gas-phase oxidation to low volatility products, wall deposition of these products, and condensation into the aerosol phase. Various processes, such as photolysis of condensed-phase products, particle-phase dimerization, and peroxy radical autoxidation, are explored to rationalize the observations. In order to explain the observed similar SOA growth under different OH levels, we conclude that vapor wall loss in the Caltech chamber is likely of order 10−5 s−1, consistent with previous experimental measurements in that chamber. We find that GECKO-A tends to overpredict the contribution to SOA of later-generation oxidation products under high OH conditions. The key role of the interplay among oxidation rate, product volatility, and vapor-wall deposition in chamber experiments is illustrated.
Time-resolved characterization of primary and secondary particle emissions of a modern gasoline passenger car
Authors: Karjalainen P. , Timonen H. , Saukko E. , Kuuluvainen H. , Saarikoski S. , Aakko-Saksa P. , Murtonen T. , Dal Maso M. , Ahlberg E. , Svenningsson B. , Brune W. H. , Hillamo R. , Keskinen J. , Rönkkö T.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Changes in traffic systems and vehicle emission reduction technologies significantly affect traffic-related emissions in urban areas. In many densely populated areas the amount of traffic is increasing, keeping the emission level high or even increasing. To understand the health effects of traffic related emissions, both primary and secondary particles that are formed in the atmosphere from gaseous exhaust emissions need to be characterized. In this study we used a comprehensive set of measurements to characterize both primary and secondary particulate emissions of a modern gasoline passenger car. Our aerosol particle study covers the whole process chain in emission formation, from the engine to the atmosphere, and takes into account also differences in driving patterns. We observed that in mass terms, the amount of secondary particles was 13 times higher than the amount of primary particles. The formation, composition, number, and mass of secondary particles was significantly affected by driving patterns and engine conditions. The highest gaseous and particulate emissions were observed at the beginning of the test cycle when the performance of the engine and the catalyst was below optimal. The key parameter for secondary particle formation was the amount of gaseous hydrocarbons in primary emissions; however, also the primary particle population had an influence. Thus, in order to enhance human health and wellbeing in urban areas, our study strongly indicates that in future legislation, special attention should be directed into the reduction of gaseous hydrocarbons.
Landscape-scale changes in forest canopy structure across a partially logged tropical peat swamp
Authors: Wedeux B. M. M. , Coomes D. A.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Forest canopy structure is strongly influenced by environmental factors and disturbance, and in turn influences key ecosystem processes including productivity, evapotranspiration and habitat availability. In tropical forests increasingly modified by human activities, the interplay between environmental factors and disturbance legacies on forest canopy structure across landscapes is practically unexplored. We used airborne laser scanning (ALS) data to measure the canopy of old-growth and selectively logged peat swamp forest across a peat dome in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and quantified how canopy structure metrics varied with peat depth and under logging. Several million canopy gaps in different height cross-sections of the canopy were measured in 100 plots of 1 km2 spanning the peat dome, allowing us to describe canopy structure with seven metrics. Old-growth forest became shorter and had simpler vertical canopy profiles on deeper peat, consistent with previous work linking deep peat to stunted tree growth. Gap size frequency distributions (GSFDs) indicated fewer and smaller canopy gaps on the deeper peat (i.e. the scaling exponent of Pareto functions increased from 1.76 to 3.76 with peat depth). Areas subjected to concessionary logging until 2000, and illegal logging since then, had the same canopy top height as old-growth forest, indicating the persistence of some large trees, but mean canopy height was significantly reduced. With logging, the total area of canopy gaps increased and the GSFD scaling exponent was reduced. Logging effects were most evident on the deepest peat, where nutrient depletion and waterlogged conditions restrain tree growth and recovery. A tight relationship exists between canopy structure and peat depth gradient within the old-growth tropical peat swamp forest. This relationship breaks down after selective logging, with canopy structural recovery, as observed by ALS, modulated by environmental conditions. These findings improve our understanding of tropical peat swamp ecology and provide important insights for managers aiming to restore degraded forests.
The socio-ecohydrology of rainwater harvesting in India: understanding water storage and release dynamics at tank and catchment scales
Authors: Van Meter K. J. , Basu N. B. , McLaughlin D. L. , Steiff M.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Rainwater harvesting (RWH), the small-scale collection and storage of runoff for irrigated agriculture, is recognized as a sustainable strategy for ensuring food security, especially in monsoonal landscapes in the developing world. In south India, these strategies have been used for millennia to mitigate problems of water scarcity. However, in the past 100 years many traditional RWH systems have fallen into disrepair due to increasing dependence on groundwater. This dependence has contributed to an accelerated decline in groundwater resources, which has in turn led to increased efforts at the state and national levels to revive older RWH systems. Critical to the success of such efforts is an improved understanding of how these ancient systems function in contemporary landscapes with extensive groundwater pumping and shifted climatic regimes. Knowledge is especially lacking regarding the water-exchange dynamics of these RWH "tanks" at tank and catchment scales, and how these exchanges regulate tank performance and catchment water balances. Here, we use fine-scale water-level variation to quantify daily fluxes of groundwater, evapotranspiration (ET), and sluice outflows in four tanks over the 2013 northeast monsoon season in a tank cascade that covers a catchment area of 28 km2. At the tank scale, our results indicate that groundwater recharge and irrigation outflows comprise the largest fractions of the tank water budget, with ET accounting for only 13–22 % of the outflows. At the scale of the cascade, we observe a distinct spatial pattern in groundwater-exchange dynamics, with the frequency and magnitude of groundwater inflows increasing down the cascade of tanks. The significant magnitude of return flows along the tank cascade leads to the most downgradient tank in the cascade having an outflow-to capacity ratio greater than 2. The presence of tanks in the landscape dramatically alters the catchment water balance, with runoff decreasing by nearly 75 %, and recharge increasing by more than 40 %. Finally, while water from the tanks directly satisfies ~40 % of the crop water requirement across the northeast monsoon season via surface water irrigation, a large fraction of the tank water is "wasted," and more efficient management of sluice outflows could lead to tanks meeting a higher fraction of crop water requirements.
The Reality of the Real Rate
Authors: Berro Kelsey , Colman Gregory , Dave Dhaval M
Published: November 2015

Prevailing economic theory suggests an important distinction between nominal and real values. This concept of purchasing power helps explain the motivation behind basic economic decisions such as whether to invest, save, or consume. Consumers and businesses that make decisions without consideration of purchasing power are assumed to exhibit “money illusion”, the failure to adjust nominal values for changes in prices. The standard assumption used for macroeconomic theory and modeling is that consumers and investors lack money illusion, that is, their consumption and investment responds to real variables. This study tests this standard assumption, and examines the effects of nominal and real interest rates on home buying attitudes using micro-data from the University of Michigan: Survey of Consumers. More specifically, the purpose of this research is to compare the impact of various mortgage rates on home buying optimism including the traditional 30-year-fixed rate, the personal real rate calculated using respondents’ one and five-year inflation expectations, and the market real rate calculated from the 30-year TIPS breakeven rate. This is the first study that tests person-specific real rates generated from survey data in addition to market-wide real rates to answer this question. Across all models, results reveal that the nominal rate is more highly influential than real rates in determining home buying optimism. These results have implications for further adjustment to standard macroeconomic modeling.
Movilidad femenina: los reveses de la utopía socio-espacial en las poblaciones de Santiago de Chile
Authors: Figueroa Martínez Cristhian , Forray Claps Rossana
Published: November 2015

Daily displacement is one of the main activities of women in the poor neighborhoods of Latin American cities. Their female status makes heavy demands of them in connection with household support,, accompaniment, maintenance of family relationships and neighborhood social networks, etc. They are consequently obliged to make countless trips both inside and outside their neighborhoods. Through an analysis of the daily travel routines of women in Santa Julia, a poor neighborhood in Santiago, this article shows how the urban design of the political project of “popular promotion” has turned out to be a double-edged weapon. These women’s habitual pathways are being threatened by public space today, a situation which reignites the old debate on whether urban design by itself can transform society.
Inmigración y mercado de trabajo: nichos laborales por género y nacionalidad en España
Authors: Odriozola Leire Aldaz , Peña Begoña Eguía
Published: November 2015

This article analyzes whether greater heterogeneity within the labor force leads to labor inequality from the perspective of position in the labor market. The research was conducted for Spain, given its great demographic diversity today, as a result of the many transformations that have taken place in recent decades. First, various indices are calculated to verify the existence of labor niches based on gender and nationality. A correspondence analysis is also applied to study a possible link between gender and nationality as determining factors of the position of different groups of workers in the labor market. The study confirms said connection and reveals that immigrant workers are employed mainly in the activities-occupations that are most highly characterized by gender. Consequently, any possible competition between immigrant and native workers will be among workers of the same sex. This fact will have to be taken into consideration in studies that analyze the economic impact of immigration on the labor conditions of the native workforce.
Solution-processed organic trilayer solar cells incorporating conjugated polyelectrolytes
Authors: Cha Myoung Joo , Seo Jung Hwa
Published: November 2015

We report solution-processed organic trilayer solar cells consisting of a bottom poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) layer, a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) interlayer and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) top layer, wherein the CPE exists as an interlayer within the donor–acceptor junction. The influence of interlayer thickness on device properties was investigated, as well as the behavior of molecular dipoles in the trilayer solar cells when influenced by external electrical stimuli. We found that incorporation of an interlayer which is too thick results in decreased performance due to reduced short-circuit current (J
SC), open-circuit voltage (V
OC), and fill factor (FF). However the V
OC is found to increase significantly when a thin CPE layer is used in conjunction with an external electric field. These results provide an experimental approach to probe the influence of interfacial dipoles on the solar cell parameters and behavior of charge separating organic donor/acceptor junctions, yielding fundamental information about the influence of electrical dipoles on the donor/acceptor interface in organic solar cells.
Towards a standard model for research in agent-based modeling and simulation
Authors: Fachada Nuno , Lopes Vitor V. , Martins Rui C. , Rosa Agostinho C.
Published: November 2015

Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a bottom-up modeling approach, where each entity of the system being modeled is uniquely represented as an independent decision-making agent. ABMs are very sensitive to implementation details. Thus, it is very easy to inadvertently introduce changes which modify model dynamics. Such problems usually arise due to the lack of transparency in model descriptions, which constrains how models are assessed, implemented and replicated. In this paper, we present PPHPC, a model which aims to serve as a standard in agent based modeling research, namely, but not limited to, conceptual model specification, statistical analysis of simulation output, model comparison and parallelization studies. This paper focuses on the first two aspects (conceptual model specification and statistical analysis of simulation output), also providing a canonical implementation of PPHPC. The paper serves as a complete reference to the presented model, and can be used as a tutorial for simulation practitioners who wish to improve the way they communicate their ABMs.
Novel Use of Ultrasound Elastography to Quantify Muscle Tissue Changes After Dry Needling of Myofascial Trigger Points in Patients With Chronic Myofascial Pain
Authors: Turo Diego , Otto Paul , Hossain Murad , Gebreab Tadesse , Armstrong Katherine , Rosenberger William F. , Shao Hui , Shah Jay P. , Gerber Lynn H. , Sikdar Siddhartha
Published: November 2015

Objectives

To compare a mechanical heterogeneity index derived from ultrasound vibration elastography with physical findings before and after dry‐needling treatment of spontaneously painful active myofascial trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle.

Methods

Forty‐eight patients with chronic myofascial pain enrolled in a prospective interventional trial of 3 weekly dry‐needling treatments for active myofascial trigger points. Trigger points were evaluated at baseline and at treatment completion using palpation, the pressure‐pain threshold, and the mechanical heterogeneity index. Thirty patients were reevaluated at 8 weeks. Trigger points that “responded” changed to tissue that was no longer spontaneously painful, with or without the presence of a palpable nodule. Trigger points that “resolved” changed to tissue without a palpable nodule. The mechanical heterogeneity index was defined as the proportion of the upper trapezius muscle that appeared mechanically stiffer on elastography. Statistical significance for comparisons was determined at P < .05.

Results

Following 3 dry needle treatments, the mechanical heterogeneity index decreased significantly for the 38 myofascial trigger points (79% of 48) that responded to treatment. Among these, the baseline mechanical heterogeneity index was significantly lower for the 13 trigger points (27% of 38) that resolved, but the decrease after 3 dry needle treatments did not reach significance. The pressure‐pain threshold improved significantly for both groups. At 8 weeks, the mechanical heterogeneity index decreased significantly for the 22 trigger points (73% of 30) that responded and for the 10 (45% of 22) that resolved. The pressure‐pain threshold improvement was significant for trigger points that responded but did not reach significance for resolved trigger points.

Conclusions

The mechanical heterogeneity index identifies changes in muscle tissue properties that correlate with changes in the myofascial trigger point status after dry needling.
Using Acoustic Structure Quantification During B‐Mode Sonography for Evaluation of Hashimoto Thyroiditis
Authors: Rhee Sun Jung , Hong Hyun Sook , Kim Chul-Hee , Lee Eun Hye , Cha Jang Gyu , Jeong Sun Hye
Published: November 2015

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of Acoustic Structure Quantification (ASQ; Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, Nasushiobara, Japan) values in the diagnosis of Hashimoto thyroiditis using B‐mode sonography and to identify a cutoff ASQ level that differentiates Hashimoto thyroiditis from normal thyroid tissue.

Methods

A total of 186 thyroid lobes with Hashimoto thyroiditis and normal thyroid glands underwent sonography with ASQ imaging. The quantitative results were reported in an echo amplitude analysis (Cm2) histogram with average, mode, ratio, standard deviation, blue mode, and blue average values. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic ability of the ASQ values in differentiating Hashimoto thyroiditis from normal thyroid tissue. Intraclass correlation coefficients of the ASQ values were obtained between 2 observers.

Results

Of the 186 thyroid lobes, 103 (55%) had Hashimoto thyroiditis, and 83 (45%) were normal. There was a significant difference between the ASQ values of Hashimoto thyroiditis glands and those of normal glands (P < .001). The ASQ values in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis were significantly greater than those in patients with normal thyroid glands. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the ratio, blue average, average, blue mode, mode, and standard deviation were: 0.936, 0.902, 0.893, 0.855, 0.846, and 0.842, respectively. The ratio cutoff value of 0.27 offered the best diagnostic performance, with sensitivity of 87.38% and specificity of 95.18%. The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.86 to 0.94, which indicated substantial agreement between the observers.

Conclusions

Acoustic Structure Quantification is a useful and promising sonographic method for diagnosing Hashimoto thyroiditis. Not only could it be a helpful tool for quantifying thyroid echogenicity, but it also would be useful for diagnosis of Hashimoto thyroiditis.
Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of Accurate Uterine Fibroid Ablation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Guided High‐Intensity Focused Ultrasound With Shot Sonication
Authors: Xu Yonghua , Fu Zhongxiang , Yang Lixia , Huang Zili , Chen Wen-Zhi , Wang Zhibiao
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of uterine fibroid treatment using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐guided high‐intensity focused ultrasound (US) with shot sonication for accurate ablation. Forty‐three patients with 51 symptomatic uterine fibroids were treated with MRI‐guided high‐intensity focused US with shot sonication, which was a small acoustic focus of higher intensity with a shorter time (2 seconds) of US exposure and a shorter cooling time (2–3 seconds). The treatment efficacy and adverse events were analyzed, and the changes in the severity of symptoms and the reduction in fibroid volume were assessed 3 and 6 months after the procedure. All patients were successfully treated in a single session, without major complications, and the mean nonperfused volume ratio ± SD was 84.3% ± 15.7% (range, 33.8%–100%).Complete ablation was achieved in 13 T2‐hypointense fibroids from 10 patients, and partial ablation was achieved in 38 fibroids from 33 patients. The overall mean treatment time was 135.0 ± 50.9 minutes (2.2 ± 0.8 hours). The transformed symptom severity scores and mean fibroid volumes decreased significantly after treatment (P < .05). In conclusion, MRI‐guided high‐intensity focused US with shot sonication is a feasible, safe, and effective technique for ablation of uterine fibroids and complete ablation of T2‐hypointense fibroids.
Ultrasound‐Guided Biceps Peritendinous Injections in the Absence of a Distended Tendon Sheath
Authors: Stone Taylor J. , Adler Ronald S.
Published: November 2015

This retrospective study evaluated the technical success rate of a novel injection into the long head of the biceps tendon sheath by a rotator interval approach in 26 patients. A 25‐gauge, 1.5‐in needle was positioned into the rotator interval from a lateral approach, where a therapeutic injection was performed. Postinjection sonograms images were reviewed to assess for fluid within the sheath to calculate the technical success rate. Fluid distention of the biceps tendon sheath was shown in all 26 cases, corresponding to a 100% technical success rate. In addition, postinjection ultrasound imaging of the anterior shoulder provided additional diagnostic findings in 6 of 26 patients (23%).
Accuracy of Spleen Measurement by Medical Residents Using Hand‐Carried Ultrasound
Authors: Arishenkoff Shane , Eddy Christopher , Roberts J. Mark , Chen Luke , Chang Silvia , Nair Parvathy , Hatala Rose , Eva Kevin W. , Meneilly Graydon S.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Easily palpable splenomegaly can be identified on physical examination, but it is difficult to detect lesser degrees of splenomegaly. Rapid bedside assessment can be conducted with hand‐carried ultrasound. We performed this study to determine whether medical residents could reliably assess spleen size using hand‐carried ultrasound after a brief educational intervention.

Methods

Postgraduate year 1 internal medicine residents were shown a brief (45‐minute) presentation on ultrasound basics, the use of hand‐carried ultrasound, and principles of splenic ultrasound imaging. They practiced on each other, using hand‐carried ultrasound to assess spleen size, for 1 hour in the presence of an instructor. Patients with varying degrees of splenomegaly and hospital staff were recruited at Vancouver General Hospital. A sonographer measured spleen size in each participant using conventional ultrasound. Subsequently, the trained residents scanned the participants using hand‐carried ultrasound, blinded to the sonographer's measurements and the participants' diagnoses. The instructor was not present during scanning.

Results

Twelve first‐year residents (8 male and 4 female; mean age ± SEM, 28 ± 1 years; all with limited prior ultrasound training) and 19 patients and staff members (10 male and 9 female; mean age, 60 ± 4 years; body mass index, 24 ± 2 kg/m2) were recruited. The greatest longitudinal measurements were 14.0 ± 0.7 cm with conventional ultrasound administered by the sonographer and 13.2 ± 0.9 cm with hand‐carried ultrasound administered by the residents (P > .05, not significant). The correlation between conventional and hand‐carried ultrasound was r = 0.81 (P < .001).

Conclusions

Internal medicine residents can reliably assess spleen size at the point of care using hand‐carried ultrasound with minimal training. Our findings, if replicated in other centers and in different clinical scenarios, may change the way that clinicians examine the spleen.
Coupling changes in densities and porosity to fluid pressure variations in reactive porous fluid flow: Local thermodynamic equilibrium
Authors: Malvoisin Benjamin , Podladchikov Yury Yu. , Vrijmoed Johannes C.
Published: November 2015

Mineralogical reactions which generate or consume fluids play a key role during fluid flow in porous media. Such reactions are linked to changes in density, porosity, permeability, and fluid pressure which influence fluid flow and rock deformation. To understand such a coupled system, equations were derived from mass conservation and local thermodynamic equilibrium. The presented mass conservative modeling approach describes the relationships among evolving fluid pressure, porosity, fluid and solid density, and devolatilization reactions in multicomponent systems with solid solutions. This first step serves as a framework for future models including aqueous speciation and transport. The complexity of univariant and multivariant reactions is treated by calculating lookup tables from thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Simplified cases were also investigated to understand previously studied formulations. For nondeforming systems or systems divided into phases of constant density, the equations can be reduced to porosity wave equations with addition of a reactive term taking the volume change of reaction into account. For closed systems, an expression for the volume change of reaction and the associated pressure increase can be obtained. The key equations were solved numerically for the case of devolatilization of three different rock types that may enter a subduction zone. Reactions with positive Clapeyron slope lead to an increase in porosity and permeability with decreasing fluid pressure resulting in sharp fluid pressure gradients around a negative pressure anomaly. The opposite trend is obtained for reactions having a negative Clapeyron slope during which sharp fluid pressure gradients were only generated around a positive pressure anomaly. Coupling of reaction with elastic deformation induces a more efficient fluid flow for reactions with negative Clapeyron slope than for reactions with positive Clapeyron slope.
Data‐driven numerical simulations of equatorial spread F in the Peruvian sector 3: Solstice
Authors: Hysell D. L. , Milla M. A. , Condori L. , Vierinen J.
Published: November 2015

We present results from a continuing effort to simulate equatorial spread F (ESF) using observations from the Jicamarca Radio Observatory near Lima, Peru. Jicamarca measures vertical and zonal plasma drifts along with plasma number density profiles overhead. The number density profiles are used to initialize a three‐dimensional regional model of the ionosphere capable of simulating plasma density irregularities produced during ESF conditions. The vertical drifts measurements are used to drive the numerical simulation continuously. Neutral winds are derived from the new Horizontal Wind Model '14 (HWM‐14) model, and the zonal winds are scaled so as to make the zonal plasma flows at the start of the simulation agree with the ISR profile measurements. Coherent scatter radar imagery from Jicamarca is used to validate the simulation results. Campaign data were collected in April and December 2014, and a few events representative of low and high ESF activity were selected for analysis. The numerical simulations are able to reproduce the level of activity observed along with the gross features of the ESF irregularities and radar plumes. Data from a network of HF beacons are being incorporated into the forecast analysis in order to elucidate radar plumes which sometimes appear even when the simulation fails to predict them.
Interglacials of the last 800,000 years
Authors:   Past Interglacials Working Group of PAGES
Published: November 2015

Interglacials, including the present (Holocene) period, are warm, low land ice extent (high sea level), end‐members of glacial cycles. Based on a sea level definition, we identify eleven interglacials in the last 800,000 years, a result that is robust to alternative definitions. Data compilations suggest that despite spatial heterogeneity, Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5e (last interglacial) and 11c (~400 ka ago) were globally strong (warm), while MIS 13a (~500 ka ago) was cool at many locations. A step change in strength of interglacials at 450 ka is apparent only in atmospheric CO2 and in Antarctic and deep ocean temperature. The onset of an interglacial (glacial termination) seems to require a reducing precession parameter (increasing Northern Hemisphere summer insolation), but this condition alone is insufficient. Terminations involve rapid, nonlinear, reactions of ice volume, CO2, and temperature to external astronomical forcing. The precise timing of events may be modulated by millennial‐scale climate change that can lead to a contrasting timing of maximum interglacial intensity in each hemisphere. A variety of temporal trends is observed, such that maxima in the main records are observed either early or late in different interglacials. The end of an interglacial (glacial inception) is a slower process involving a global sequence of changes. Interglacials have been typically 10–30 ka long. The combination of minimal reduction in northern summer insolation over the next few orbital cycles, owing to low eccentricity, and high atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations implies that the next glacial inception is many tens of millennia in the future.
Hierarchical segmentation of the Malawi Rift: The influence of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity and kinematics in the evolution of continental rifts
Authors: Laó‐Dávila Daniel A. , Al‐Salmi Haifa S. , Abdelsalam Mohamed G. , Atekwana Estella A.
Published: November 2015

We used detailed analysis of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission‐digital elevation model and observations from aeromagnetic data to examine the influence of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity and kinematics in the segmentation of largely amagmatic continental rifts. We focused on the Cenozoic Malawi Rift, which represents the southern extension of the Western Branch of the East African Rift System. This north trending rift traverses Precambrian and Paleozoic‐Mesozoic structures of different orientations. We found that the rift can be hierarchically divided into first‐order and second‐order segments. In the first‐order segmentation, we divided the rift into Northern, Central, and Southern sections. In its Northern Section, the rift follows Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic terrains with structural grain that favored the localization of extension within well‐developed border faults. The Central Section occurs within Mesoproterozoic‐Neoproterozoic terrain with regional structures oblique to the rift extent. We propose that the lack of inherited lithospheric heterogeneity favoring extension localization resulted in the development of the rift in this section as a shallow graben with undeveloped border faults. In the Southern Section, Mesoproterozoic‐Neoproterozoic rocks were reactivated and developed the border faults. In the second‐order segmentation, only observed in the Northern Section, we divided the section into five segments that approximate four half‐grabens/asymmetrical grabens with alternating polarities. The change of polarity coincides with flip‐over full‐grabens occurring within overlap zones associated with ~150 km long alternating border faults segments. The inherited lithospheric heterogeneity played the major role in facilitating the segmentation of the Malawi Rift during its opening resulting from extension.
Using the Reverse Order Technique with Non‐Native Speakers or Through an Interpreter
Authors: Ewens Sarah , Vrij Aldert , Mann Samantha , Leal Sharon
Published: November 2015

We examined whether the reverse order technique can be implemented when people speak through an interpreter. A total of 40 Chinese, 40 Korean and 30 Hispanic participants were interviewed in English or in their own native language through an interpreter. Interviewees were asked to tell the truth or lie about a secret meeting they viewed. They were asked to recall what they saw in chronological order and then in reverse order. The reverse order technique revealed two cues to deceit (detail and commissions) when an interpreter was present, whereas no cues to deceit emerged when interviewees spoke in English. This suggests that the reverse order technique can be used with an interpreter but possibly not with non‐native speakers. Perhaps the combined task of speaking in a non‐native language and reporting in reverse order is mentally taxing for liars and truth tellers, thus making differences between them unlikely to emerge. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advanced Charged Sponge‐Like Membrane with Ultrahigh Stability and Selectivity for Vanadium Flow Batteries
Authors: Zhao Yuyue , Li Mingrun , Yuan Zhizhang , Li Xianfeng , Zhang Huamin , Vankelecom Ivo F. J.
Published: November 2015

Advanced charged sponge‐like porous membranes with ultrahigh stability and selectivity are designed and fabricated for vanadium flow battery (VFB) applications. The designed porous membranes are fabricated via constructing positively charged cross‐linked networks on the pore walls of polysulfone membranes. The charge density of the pore walls can be tuned by changing the crosslinking time. The positively charged pore walls can effectively retain vanadium ions via Donnan exclusion, hence keeping extremely high selectivity, while the crosslinked network effectively increases the membrane stability. As a result, the designed membranes exhibit an outstanding performance, combining extremely high selectivity and stability. The single cell assembled with the prepared porous membrane shows a columbic efficiency of 99% and an energy efficiency of 86% at a current density of 80 mA cm−2, which is much higher than Nafion 115 (93.5%; 82.3%). A battery assembled with the prepared membrane shows a stable battery performance over more than 6000 cycles, which is by far the longest record for porous membranes ever reported. These results indicate that advanced, charged, sponge‐like, porous membranes with a crosslinked pore‐wall structure are highly promising for VFB applications.
Type II Anion Relay Chemistry: Exploiting Bifunctional Weinreb Amide Linchpins for the One‐Pot Synthesis of Differentiated 1,3‐Diketones, Pyrans, and Spiroketals
Authors: Farrell Mark , Melillo Bruno , Smith Amos B.
Published: November 2015

The design, synthesis, and validation of new highly effective bifunctional linchpins for type II anion relay chemistry (ARC) has been achieved. The mechanistically novel negative‐charge migration that comprises the Brook rearrangement is now initiated by a stabilized tetrahedral intermediate, which is generated by nucleophilic addition to a Weinreb amide, rather than by a simple oxyanion that is generated from an epoxide. As a result, the linchpin preserves the carbonyl functionality in the ARC adducts, thus permitting access to functionally complex systems in a single flask without the need for further chemical manipulations. This tactic was validated with the one‐pot preparation of monoprotected 1,3‐diketones as well as pyran and spiroketal scaffolds, depending on the choice of nucleophile, electrophile, and work‐up conditions.
Synthesis, structural characterization and biological studies of neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes with mercaptotriazole Schiff bases
Authors: Ain Qurratul , Pandey Sarvesh Kumar , Pandey Om Prakash , Sengupta Soumitra Kumar
Published: November 2015

A series of neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes of type [Ln(L)Cl(H2O)3] have been synthesized with Schiff bases (LH2) derived from 3‐(phenyl/substituted phenyl)‐4‐amino‐5‐mercapto‐1,2,4‐triazoles and isatin. The structures of the complexes were established using elemental analysis, molar conductivities, magnetic moments, infrared, NMR (1H, 13C) and UV–visible spectra, X‐ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. The thermal behaviour of these compounds under non‐isothermal conditions was investigated using thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry. The intermediates obtained at the end of various thermal decomposition steps were identified from elemental analysis and infrared spectral studies. All the ligands and their complexes were also screened for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Colletotrichum capsici. The screening results were correlated with the structural features of the compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrospun polyurethane membrane with Ag/ZnO microparticles as an antibacterial surface on polyurethane sheets
Authors: Pelíšková Michaela , Slobodian Petr , Sedlařík Vladimír , Zatloukal Martin , Kuřitka Ivo
Published: November 2015

A method of antibacterial modification of the polyurethane (PU) surface is presented in this article. An electrospun PU membrane with an incorporated antibacterial agent was applied as a coating of the PU sheets. As an antibacterial agent, a hybrid bimetallic filler was used; it combined the antibacterial effects of silver and zinc oxide. With an electrospun submicrometer‐fiber membrane, the filler was uniformly and thinly applied on the PU surface by compression molding. The antibacterial activities of three filler concentrations were tested, and they demonstrated an effective antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43020.
Efficient visible photoinitiator with high‐spectrum stability in an acid medium for free‐radical and free‐radical‐promoted cationic photopolymerization based on erythrosine B derivatives
Authors: Nan Xuying , Huang Yi , Fan Qinguo , Shao Jianzhong , Yao Yuhua
Published: November 2015

Three dye‐linked photoinitiators with excellent spectral stability in an acid medium were synthesized by the covalent bonding of a coinitiator (tertiary amine) and a benzoyl group or two coinitiators to the phenolic and carboxyl group position of erythrosine B. The combination of the iodonium salt and free tertiary amino used to initiate the free‐radical/cationic visible photopolymerization was investigated to acquire the relationship between the structure and performance. The photoinitiating ability of the derivative with the phenolic position bearing a coinitiator was poorer than of the derivative with the carboxyl group bearing one because of the strong back electron transfer of the former. For the derivative with a linked coinitiator on the carboxyl position, the proximity effect between the sensitizer and the coinitiator moiety resulted in an excellent photoinitiating ability for radical/cationic polymerization; this suggested its potential for application. Although radical/cationic photopolymerization could be initiated by the derivative/coinitiator/iodonium salt, the different component ratios between them had different effects on these two polymerizations; this provided useful information for the design of effective photoinitiators for different polymerizations. On the basis of the fluorescence quenching and photopolymerization results, a corresponding synergistic mechanism was proposed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43035.
Understanding the mechanical and interfacial properties of core–shell structured bamboo–plastic composites
Authors: Xian Yu , Wang Cuicui , Wang Ge , Ren Wenhan , Cheng Haitao
Published: November 2015

Core–shell structured bamboo–plastic composites (BPCs) were directly prepared with a single‐screw/single‐screw coextruder system. The effects of different shell layers, such as high‐density polyethylene (HDPE), bamboo pulp fiber (BPF)/HDPE, and white mud (WM)/HDPE, were studied in the context of the mechanical properties and the characteristics of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of BPC. The mechanical properties of the core–shell structured BPC were characterized by flexure, short‐beam shear, and impact tests. The surface morphologies of BPC were analyzed with field emission scanning electron microscopy. The ITZ properties were studied with dynamic mechanical analysis and nano‐indentation testing. The results show that the flexural properties, short‐beam strength, and impact strength decreased profoundly in the presence of BPF or WM. The dynamic mechanical analysis results suggest that the ITZ properties decreased, as indicated by the reductions in the storage modulus, loss modulus, and loss factor; the nano‐indentation results show that on the addition of BPF or WM, a gradient in the hardness and modulus of elasticity appeared across ITZ. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43053.
Antioxidant films based on gelatin capsules and minimally processed beet root (Beta vulgaris L. var. Conditiva) residues
Authors: Iahnke Aline Oliveira e Silva , Costa Tania Maria Haas , de Oliveira Rios Alessandro , Flôres Simone Hickmann
Published: November 2015

Biocomposite films were prepared by incorporating different concentrations of beet root residue powder (BRP) (2, 4, 8, and 12 g BRP/100 g water) into films based on residues of gelatin capsules (GCR) (40 g GCR/100 g water). Control films had no BRP added. A complete mechanical, physicochemical, barrier, optical, and antioxidant characterization of all films was performed. Among all the films considered, BRP12 was found to present the most adequate properties and was further investigated. SEM micrographs showed that BRP12 presented a less homogeneous surface in comparison with the control film, but they showed similar thermal stability. After 15 days of soil degradation, the films lost over 75% of weight. The films were effective on protecting sunflower oil from primary oxidation process, and BRP12 showed higher protection than control film. Therefore, this study suggests that the formulated films could act as promising antioxidant materials and contribute to environmentally friendly technologies. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43094.