bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substitutes for leadership: alternative perspectives
Authors: Hussain Ghulam , Wan Ismail Wan Khairuzzaman , Rashid Muhammad Amir , Nisar Fareeha
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore alternative models of substitutes for leadership. These alternative models are a leadership-only model, substitutes for the leadership-only model and substitutes for the leadership-mediated-effects model.

Design/methodology/approach

Four occupational groups were targeted, namely, PhD faculty of institutions of higher education, medical doctors who work in district headquarters’ hospitals, licensed pharmacists and certified engineers. Also, a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data, and 523 usable responses were received.

Findings

Partial least square path modeling was used for data analysis, and the results of structural models revealed that: the dimensions of transformational leadership significantly affected the followers’ outcomes; a few substitutes for leadership also significantly affected the followers’ outcomes; and, in some cases, substitutes for leadership significantly mediated the relationship between dimensions of transformational leadership and followers’ outcomes.

Practical implications

Findings of the study provide useful implications to improve the managerial practices of organizational leaders, work design strategies in organizations and overall organizational policies for effective functioning. Other developing countries with similar socio-economic status may use these findings to improve organizational functioning.

Originality/value

This study makes important contributions to the leadership literature. It tests three alternative models in the domain of substitutes for the leadership theory and tests the separate effects of dimensions of transformational leadership and substitutes for leadership on followers’ work outcomes. Further, it specifies the mediating effects of substitutes for leadership on the dimensions of transformational leadership and followers’ work outcomes. Most important, this study for the first time tests transformational leadership and substitutes for leadership concepts in Pakistani work settings and advances the theoretical and empirical literature in this local context.
Biodiversity and origin of the microbial populations isolated from Masske, a traditional Iranian dairy product made from fermented Ewe's milk
Authors: Ghiamati Fariba , Yavarmanesh Masoud , khomeiri Morteza , Maghsoudlou Yahya
Published: May 2016

Masske is a traditional Iranian dairy product containing 50% butterfat made from fermented ewe's milk. Overall, 672 bacterial isolates were collected from ewe's milk, fermented milk (FM) and Masske samples that were produced in households located in southern regions of the Khorasan Province in Iran. To identify lactic acid bacteria in these samples, a total of 79 Gram‐positive and catalase‐negative isolates were analysed. The identification of isolates was achieved by phenotypic and sequential analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. Enterococcus faecium and Aerococcus viridans were the most frequently isolated species in the samples, but the most commonly present bacteria in Masske were Streptococcus thermophilus.
Feminist Forays in the City: Imbalance and Intervention in Urban Research Methods
Authors: Parker Brenda
Published: May 2016

In this paper I argue that imbalances and silences persist in urban research. In particular, there is insufficient attention to anti‐racist and feminist theoretical, methodological, and empirical insights. Intersectional and materialist urban analyses that take difference seriously are under‐represented, while patriarchy, privilege, and positivism still linger. As a partial and aspirational remedy, I propose a “Feminist Partial Political Economy of Place” (FPEP) approach to urban research. FPEP is characterized by: (1) attention to gendered, raced, and intersectional power relations, including affinities and alliances; (2) reliance on partial, place‐based, materialist research that attends to power in knowledge production; (3) emphasis on feminist concepts of relationality to examine connections among sites, scales, and subjects, and to emphasize “life” and possibility; and (4) the use of theoretical toolkits to observe, interpret and challenge material‐discursive power relations. My own critique and research centers on North American cities, but FPEP approaches might help produce more robust, inclusive, and explanatory urban research in varied geographic contexts.
The morals of moral hazard: a contracts approach
Authors: McCaffrey Matthew
Published: May 2016

Although moral hazard is a well‐known economic concept, there is a long‐standing controversy over its moral implications. The language economists use to describe moral hazard is often value‐laden, and implies moral judgments about the persons or actions of economic agents. This in turn leads some to question whether it is actually a scientific concept, or simply a convenient tool for criticizing certain public policies. At present, there is no consensus about the moral meaning of moral hazard, or about whether the concept can be salvaged by economists. As a first step toward resolving this problem, I suggest a contracts approach to moral hazard. I use the ‘title‐transfer’ theory of contract to clarify the moral content of moral hazard, thereby increasing its value to scholars in numerous disciplines. A contracts view is useful for economic policy discussions because it does not include hidden value judgments. At the same time, however, it is also valuable for ethicists because it directly explains a moral dimension of behavior under moral hazard, namely, the violation of property rights.
Oxytocin and Social Preference in Female House Mice (Mus musculus domesticus)
Authors: Harrison Nicola , Lopes Patricia C. , König Barbara
Published: May 2016

In social species, same‐sex individuals may form social bonds behaviourally expressed as individual preferences, resulting in fitness benefits such as increased offspring survival, longevity and group cohesion. As a result of individual preferences, female house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) form social affiliations while communally nursing and may do so with kin or non‐kin. However, the mechanisms behind the formation of such preferences are unknown. Oxytocin has been linked to a range of social behaviours including bond facilitation, social memory and parental care. Here, we experimentally increased oxytocin in pairs of unfamiliar, unrelated females and predicted that females with elevated oxytocin would demonstrate increased affiliative behaviours compared against a control. Subsequently, we tested for the formation of a social preference, using a preference test with the previous partner and a new unfamiliar female. Our results indicated no significant effect of treatment on positive and negative behaviours between females during the three initial cohabitation days. In both treatments, females demonstrated increased socio‐positive behaviours and cohabitation time with their partner and decreased socio‐negative behaviours and latency to meet, over the 3‐d period. During the partner preference test, control but not oxytocin females demonstrated a significant preference for their cohabitation partner, and oxytocin females spent similar amounts of time with both stimulus females. Therefore, increasing peripheral oxytocin appears not to be involved in the facilitation of initial encounters with a stranger but may hinder the formation of a preference for this new partner.
Dry conditions disrupt terrestrial–aquatic linkages in northern catchments
Authors: Szkokan‐Emilson Erik J. , Kielstra Brian W. , Arnott Shelley E. , Watmough Shaun A. , Gunn John M. , Tanentzap Andrew J.
Published: May 2016

Aquatic ecosystems depend on terrestrial organic matter (tOM) to regulate many functions, such as food web production and water quality, but an increasing frequency and intensity of drought across northern ecosystems is threatening to disrupt this important connection. Dry conditions reduce tOM export and can also oxidize wetland soils and release stored contaminants into stream flow after rainfall. Here, we test whether these disruptions to terrestrial–aquatic linkages occur during mild summer drought and whether this affects biota across 43 littoral zone sites in 11 lakes. We use copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) as representative contaminants, and measure abundances of Hyalella azteca, a widespread indicator of ecosystem condition and food web production. We found that tOM concentrations were reduced but correlations with organic soils (wetlands and riparian forests) persisted during mild drought and were sufficient to suppress labile Cu concentrations. Wetlands, however, also became a source of labile Ni to littoral zones, which was linked to reduced abundances of the amphipod H. azteca, on average by up to 70 times across the range of observed Ni concentrations. This reveals a duality in the functional linkage of organic soils to aquatic ecosystems whereby they can help buffer the effects of hydrologic disconnection between catchments and lakes but at the cost of biogeochemical changes that release stored contaminants. As evidence of the toxicity of trace contaminant concentrations and their global dispersion grows, sustaining links among forests, organic soils and aquatic ecosystems in a changing climate will become increasingly important.
Fiscal Impact of Annexation Methodology on Municipal Finances in North Carolina
Authors: Smith Russell M. , Afonso Whitney B.
Published: May 2016

Municipal annexation is the most common form of local government boundary change and can have profound impacts on the annexing municipality as well as the area being annexed. While urban scholars have often touted the economic benefits of annexation for municipalities, little research has been conducted on the effect of annexation type on the economic well‐being of a municipality. Do voluntary annexations result in a larger economic windfall for annexing municipalities? Do involuntary annexations cost more? This study examined more than 6,000 annexations conducted by North Carolina municipalities between 1990 and 2000 in order to explore the impact annexation methodology had on municipal fiscal health. The results reveal that during the study period annexation resulted in a decrease in municipal fiscal health for North Carolina municipalities and that involuntary annexation had a particularly detrimental effect. This finding contradicts much of the previous research on the economic benefits of annexation for municipalities.
How U.S. Doctors Die: A Cohort Study of Healthcare Use at the End of Life
Authors: Matlock Daniel D. , Yamashita Traci E. , Min Sung‐Joon , Smith Alexander K. , Kelley Amy S. , M. Fischer Stacy
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To compare healthcare use in the last months of life between physicians and nonphysicians in the United States.

Design

A retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

United States.

Participants

Fee‐for‐service Medicare beneficiaries: decedent physicians (n = 9,947) and a random sample of Medicare decedents (n = 192,006).

Measurements

Medicare Part A claims data from 2008 to 2010 were used to measure days in the hospital and proportion using hospice in the last 6 months of life as primary outcome measures adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and regional variations in health care.

Results

Inpatient hospital use in the last 6 months of life was no different between physicians and nonphysicians, although more physicians used hospice and for longer (using the hospital: odds ratio (OR) = 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.93–1.04; hospital days: mean difference 0.26, P = .14); dying in the hospital: OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.95–1.04; intensive care unit (ICU) or critical care unit (CCU) days: mean difference 0.35 more days for physicians, P < .001); using hospice: OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.18–1.29; number of days in hospice: mean difference 2.06, P < .001).

Conclusion

This retrospective, observational study is subject to unmeasured confounders and variation in coding practices, but it provides preliminary evidence of actual use. U.S. physicians were more likely to use hospice and ICU‐ or CCU‐level care. Hospitalization rates were similar.
Rate of short‐term colonization and distribution of leeches (Clitellata: Hirudinida) on artificial substrates
Authors: Adamiak‐Brud Ż. , Bielecki A. , Kobak J. , Jabłońska‐Barna I.
Published: May 2016

Leeches are important members of communities developing on submerged hard substrates. We studied patterns of leech colonization and distribution on artificial substrates, which became more and more common in aquatic ecosystems. We deployed substrates on lake bottom and collected them over a 30‐day period to test the effect of exposure time, orientation in space (upward/downward), surface zone (edge/middle position), as well as interactions among leech individuals with other invertebrates. The results show that the rate of leech colonization depended on exposure time. Leech abundance grew intensively until reaching a stabilization state. The first colonizers were Erpobdellidae species and Helobdella sp. (after 2 days of exposure), whereas the rest of taxa from the Glossiphoniidae family appeared later (7–14 days). Leeches more readily inhabited substratum edges and surfaces directed downwards, than the middle zones and the surfaces facing upwards. Their distribution was contiguous and the tendency for group formation increased with the increasing density. Leeches mostly created small (2–3 individuals), mono or multispecies (groups of individuals less than 2 cm apart) agglomerations on artificial substrates. However, we did not find any relationship between the potential food resources occurring on the plates and leech abundance. Our study shows that leeches are fast colonizers of artificial substrates, with the most important factors affecting their recruitment and distribution including movement and feeding modes, occurrence of other leech individuals on the plates, taxonomic composition of leeches in the surrounding area, substratum orientation and the presence of surface irregularities (edges).
Dedifferentiated chordoid meningioma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation on the middle cranial fossa
Authors: Fudaba Hirotaka , Abe Tatsuya , Morishige Masaki , Momii Yasutomo , Kashima Kenji , Yamada Akira , Nagatomi Hirofumi , Natsume Atsushi , Hirato Junko , Nakazato Yoichi , Fujiki Minoru
Published: May 2016

A 46‐year‐old woman presented with headache and right hemiparesis. MRI demonstrated a mass in the left middle fossa. Total resection was performed. A histological examination of the tumor specimen showed several characteristic morphological features. A chordoid meningioma showing an epithelial‐like palisade arrangement was observed. An anaplastic short spindle cell tumor exhibiting a fascicular pattern was considered to be a rhabdomyosarcoma. After conventional radiotherapy, the tumor was well controlled without any neurological deficit for 20 months. When subsequent recurrences were observed, the patient was treated by surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy. Thirty‐two months after the initial treatment, the patient died due to intracranial dissemination and an autopsy was performed. The histological examination of the recurrent and autopsy specimens showed a prominent sarcoma component. This case appears to be the first reported intracranial tumor diagnosed as a dedifferentiated chordoid meningioma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation.
Managing human disturbance of wildlife in coastal areas
Authors: Wallace Pip
Published: May 2016

Human disturbance of wildlife is an under‐recognised and under‐regulated problem. This article discusses traditional approaches to conservation management in protecting wildlife from disturbance in the context of the New Zealand coastal environment and threatened birds. Limitations and challenges are identified and alternative actions proposed. The key problems are deficiencies in regulation of species disturbance, lack of definition of thresholds of harm that contemplate rarity and conservation status, insufficient comprehensive wildlife conservation planning and the need for innovative planning methods that address species mobility, permeable boundaries and environmental dynamism. Regulatory controls including enforcing setbacks/approach distances through either extended species protection or 'mobile habitat' protection are recommended.
Efficacy and Safety of Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Tachyarrhythmias in 123 Children Under 3 Years of Age
Authors: JIANG HE , LI XIAO‐MEI , LI YAN‐HUI , ZHANG YAN , LIU HAI‐JU
Published: May 2016

Background

The risk‐benefit ratio of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in infants and toddlers remains controversial. Experience with RFCA in these patients is limited. This work is intended to describe the efficacy and safety of RFCA in children under 3 years of age with tachycardia complicated by drug resistance, drug intolerance, or tachycardia‐induced cardiomyopathy.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data from 123 consecutive children under 3 years of age (mean, 2.3 ± 0.8 years; weight, 13.6 ± 2.8 kg) with tachycardia complicated by drug resistance, drug intolerance, or tachycardia‐induced cardiomyopathy; the children underwent an electrophysiology study between 1994 and 2014 at our center. Fifteen children had congenital heart disease, and 27 children were under 1 year of age. Among the 109 children who underwent RFCA, acute success rate (no inducible arrhythmia before procedure completion), 2‐year rate of symptomatic tachyarrhythmia recurrence, and complication rate were assessed.

Results

Among the 123 children studied, 76.4% had atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, 5.7% had atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, 2.4% had focal atrial tachycardia, 6.5% had atrial flutter, and 4.1% had idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia. For RFCA, the acute success rate was 94.5%, and the 2‐year recurrence rate was 6.8%, without any major complications.

Conclusion

RFCA appears to be an effective and safe therapeutic option in selected small children with tachycardia resistant to conventional medical management, tachycardia complicated by drug intolerance, or tachycardia‐induced cardiomyopathy.
Lack of outcome research on New Zealand care and protection family group conference
Authors: Kanyi Teresia
Published: May 2016

Despite the popularity of the New Zealand care and protection family group conference (FGC) and its success in strengthening families, there is no evidence to show that the conference achieves its other desired outcome of protecting children from abuse and neglect. This evidence can only be obtained through evaluative research. For the FGC to maintain its credibility, the critical need for evaluative research in the New Zealand care and protection FGC needs to be addressed. Most of the other countries that have adopted the FGC have undertaken evaluative studies. New Zealand practitioners and researchers can draw from international evaluation studies and develop appropriate research designs and methodologies to evaluate New Zealand’s care and protection FGC.
ThroughBlue: A support group for women affected by depression
Authors: McBride Trish , Fuller Jane
Published: May 2016

Recent US research has validated the benefits and therapeutic value of peer support groups as a treatment component for depression, as has a 2008 Australian study of a women’s mental health support group. As facilitators working weekly with ThroughBlue, a support group of women who have experience of depression, we had already discovered the truth of their findings. This paper is a description of the way this Wellington group works, and may be of use to others looking to set up or facilitate similar groups elsewhere.
An example of a competency assessment portfolio, adapted for publication
Authors: Robb Peter
Published: May 2016

The competency assessment panel which assessed my competency assessment portfolio invited me to adapt it for publication in Social Work Review as a helpful contribution to social work practice. In adapting it I have reduced the word length and paid attention to matters of privacy and confidentiality. I am a registered social worker in an Allied Health Adult Team. I am of Te Arawa/Ngati Whakaue/Ngati Te Roro O Te Rangi descent with Scots/Irish/Spanish ancestry. In describing the main focus of my current role and the key social work tasks and responsibilities involved, I reflect on how I keep my passion and motivation alive.
Reflections from the end of the Earth: Social work planning, preparation and intervention with evacuees on haemodialysis treatment following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake
Authors: Stewardson Anna C. , Crump Nicolette
Published: May 2016

The February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch caused damage to infrastructure which made it impossible for people with end stage renal failure to have haemodialysis treatment in Christchurch for an undetermined period. Guided by the National Civil Defence Emergency Management Plan (Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, 2009) and the National Health Emergency Plan (Ministry of Health, 2008), the National Emergency Response Team decided to transfer dialysis-dependent people out of Christchurch to the Northern District Health Board.This article discusses the links between social work and emergency preparedness and emergency responsiveness and the role of social workers before and immediately after disasters. It will provide a practitioner’s view of the planning, preparation and social work intervention to support identified acute psychosocial needs for the group of haemodialysis patients evacuated from Christchurch to Whangarei following this earthquake, with particular focus on emotional and psychological stress, isolation and financial resources.The evacuated Christchurch patients expressed feeling as if they were being sent to ‘the end of the earth’. This article will reflect on issues of resilience, group dynamics, the role of social workers with evacuees, managing media and community boundaries, and social worker’s self care.
Social work and the media: A collaborative challenge
Authors: Stanfield Deb , Beddoe Liz
Published: May 2016

The news media play a substantial role in providing the public with information about social workers, the people they serve and the public perception of issues affecting vulnerable people. This information provides a platform for public discussion and performs a key role in making public opinion about what social workers do and how well they do it. Negative and inaccurate news reporting undermines public confidence in service provision, profoundly challenges the professionalism of social workers, thereby increasing risk to the vulnerable. Resolving this conflict is challenging; social workers and journalists each have motivations, accountabilities and structural issues thatlead to the inaccurate media portrayal of social work-related stories. This article focuses on the potential of interprofessional education to better manage these barriers, producing socially responsive journalists, media savvy social workers and a collaborative approach towards social justice and democracy. It offers a sampling of interprofessional education projects between schools of social work and journalism, and makes a case for further study in New Zealand.
Te Ara Whakapikōranga
Authors: Te Moananui-Makirere Justine , King Lisa , Eruera Moana , Tukukino Maree , Maoate-Davis Sharlene
Published: May 2016

Mai TE AU I TE WHĀNAU,he whakaāhua te PUNA KI TE PUNA,nā ēra hei whakamau TE TOHU O TE RANGATIRAhei HONO MAI, HONO ATU i a tātou o te AO. I am a reflection of my ancestorsKnowledge inherited and developed to potentiate livesEncapsulating pathways for leadership and sovereigntyWoven into today’s world. Te Ara Whakapikiōranga (pathway to develop and sustain wellbeing), is a cultural framework grounded in Māori knowledge, beliefs and principles. It was developed to support and inform practice for all those who work with the potential and aspirations of whānau towards improved wellbeing. This cultural framework guides the reclamation of practice wisdom inherent within whānau.Whānau are experts of their everyday lived experiences, and hold the knowledge of their stories, past and present, aspirations, issues and complex dynamics that exist between whānau members and their extended and external relationships (Eruera, 2010).The framework is founded in the belief that transformation for whānau must be informed and sustained by whānau themselves. Furthermore, under the right conditions, support and resources, whānau have potential to effect their own positive change towards wellness.This article seeks to:describe the Te Ara Whakapikiōranga framework construction process, which is itself a whānau-centred approach;outline the four wahanga of the framework: te āu i te whānau, puna ki te puna, te tohu o te rangatira, hono mai hono atu;provide examples of the framework application into practice.
KIAORA – the emerging construction of a bicultural professional supervision model
Authors: King Lisa
Published: May 2016

The KIAORA model is the culmination of responding to the challenge of constructing a personal model of professional supervision within a bicultural worldview. Mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori is the tūrangawaewae for construction of a personal model of professional supervision for a Tangata Whenua social work practitioner seeking to transform the Aotearoa New Zealand professional supervision space.
The world we’re in: Social work now and then
Authors: O'Brien Mike
Published: May 2016

The last half century has witnessed significant changes in the highly influential social and economic world in which the practice of social work happens. This paper explores the beginning, middle and end points over that time – 1965-6, 1988, 2013 – identifying the major areas of social, cultural and economic focus in each of these years and examines implications for the delivery of social services and the practice of social work. Drawing on a sample of media focus and presentations for each of the three years (as reflected in a newspaper at the time), the article identifies principal areas of social, cultural and economic interest and attention in each area. It then uses that data to inform a discussion of the ways in which those areas shaped (or failed to shape) social work practice and social services delivery at the time. Drawing on those reflections, the article concludes with a discussion of the ways in which the worlds of clients and practitioners shape social services delivery and organisation and the practice of social work. It concludes with brief reflections on what this might mean for the directions of social work practice.
Editorial
Authors: Nash Mary
Published: May 2016

Editorial for issue 26(4)
Editorial
Authors: Nash Mary , O’Donoghue Kieran
Published: May 2016

Editorial for issue 27(23).
Where to social work in a brave new neoliberal Aotearoa?
Authors: Hyslop Ian Kelvin
Published: May 2016

Uncertainty is embedded in the nature of child protection work, despite the bureaucratic and managerial imperative to eradicate it. The recent focus on the scientific prediction of child abuse within high risk families connects with the neoliberal policy agenda of disciplining the poor and unproductive. Rather than being a new and far-sighted initiative, this policy focus on a dangerous underclass is historically evident within western liberal societies and is particularly prevalent in times of capitalist expansion. Child protection social work in Aotearoa New Zealand is enmeshed with poverty and social deprivation – with the lives of vulnerable families. Current policy initiatives are moving social work towards a stricter policing of the underclass poor. Child ill-treatment is correlated with poverty in the form of inadequate housing, education failure, poor health, low incomes and impoverished communities. It is time to make this clear in a political environment that is bent on divorcing social work from a concern with increasing structural injustice and focusing us on the detection, re-moralisation and/or punishment of deviant abusers. The liberal humanist tradition of social work focuses on the individual redemption of failing subjects. In a punitive neoliberal political environment, this orientation potentially lures social workers into an othering of those who are unable or unwilling to take responsibility for their own moral rehabilitation. We live in pivotal times for social work. This article asks readers to consider the argument put forward and to question where they stand: where might social work be taking you and where would you like to take social work?
Environmental change and sustainable social development: Social work-social development, Volume II
Authors: Hessle Sven
Published: May 2016

Reviewed by Ian G. McLean Waiariki Institute of Technology
A modular route to new antibiotics
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: May 2016

Divide-and-conquer chemistry yields hundreds of candidate medicines.
Can brain scans reveal concussion-linked disease?
Authors: Underwood Emily
Published: May 2016

By highlighting condition typically confirmed by autopsy, protein tracer could alter medical and legal landscape.
The bee whisperer
The Dancing Bees Karl von Frisch and the Discovery of the Honeybee Language
Tania Munz
University of Chicago Press, 2016. 286 pp.
Authors: Callier Viviane
Published: May 2016

A new biography reveals how an ethologist with Jewish heritage earned the Nobel Prize for Nazi-funded research
International migration under the microscope
Authors: Willekens Frans , Massey Douglas , Raymer James , Beauchemin Cris
Published: May 2016

Fragmented research and limited data must be addressed
Philosophy for physicists
The Big Picture On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
Sean Carroll
Dutton, 2016. 480 pp.
Authors: Loewer Barry
Published: May 2016

A cosmologist explores the philosophical implications of the foundational laws of nature
Methane—make it or break it
Authors: Lawton Thomas J. , Rosenzweig Amy C.
Published: May 2016

Biochemical data resolve the controversy over how methanogenic archaea produce methane
BET 2: Should real resuscitationists use airway checklists?
Authors: Hardy Gareth , Horner Daniel
Published: May 2016

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether the use of preprocedural checklists prior to intubation of critically ill patients outside a theatre environment can reduce the incidence of adverse events. Four directly relevant papers were found using the reported search strategy and presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. It is concluded that preprocedural checklists may reduce adverse events in these patients, but that the evidence level is low and further matched cohort studies are needed to prove effectiveness.
Dog bites – are vets missing an educational opportunity?
Authors: Mannion C. J. , Greenberg D.
Published: May 2016

Veterinary surgeons have a key role to play in tackling the public health problem of dog bites, say Christopher Mannion and Danielle Greenberg, who argue that a multiprofessional approach to the problem is needed
LABORATORY EVIDENCE FOR EMOTIONAL EXTERNALITIES: AN ESSAY IN HONOR OF EJ MISHAN
Authors: SGROI DANIEL , PROTO EUGENIO , OSWALD ANDREW J. , DOBSON ALEXANDER
Published: May 2016

Professor EJ Mishan was a world expert on the idea of externalities. In this paper, we provide evidence for the intuitive idea of “emotional externalities”. These might be viewed as psychological spillovers from the well-being of one person upon the well-being of another. A new form of laboratory experiment is implemented. “Happiness” answers are elicited in the first few seconds of the experiment. Tragic life events — like family illness and bereavement — are then studied. The paper documents evidence consistent with a powerful caring-about-others effect. The paper’s results also suggest an approximate equivalence between life-satisfaction data and happiness data.

Statistical offices should incorporate questions to capture people’s life evaluations, hedonic experiences and priorities … All these aspects of subjective well-being (cognitive evaluations, positive affects and negative affects) should be measured separately to get a satisfactory appreciation of people’s lives. Which of these aspects matters more, and for what purpose, is still an open question.

Stiglitz et al., Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2009
Analysis of the Bs → K∓∗K± decay
Authors: Asadi Amin , Mehraban Hossein
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we analyzed the process of [Formula: see text] decay within QCD factorization (QCDF) and final state interaction (FSI) effects. At first, the [Formula: see text] decay is calculated via QCDF approach. The result that is found by using the QCDF method is less than the experimental result. Then we considered FSI effect as a sizable correction where there are the intermediate state [Formula: see text] mesons via the exchange of [Formula: see text]. The experi mental branching ratio of [Formula: see text] decay is [Formula: see text], and our results by QCDF and FSI are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively.
Bose gas in disordered, finite-layered systems
Authors: Barragán V. E. , Fortes M. , Solís M. A. , Salas P.
Published: May 2016

Disorder effects in the thermodynamic properties of an ideal Bose gas confined in a semi-infinite multi-layer structure within a box of thickness [Formula: see text] and infinite lateral extent, are analyzed. The layers are first modeled by a periodic array of [Formula: see text] Dirac-delta functions of equal intensity. Then, we introduce structural and compositional disorder, as well as a random set of layer vacancies in the system to calculate the internal energy, chemical potential and the specific heat for different configurations. Whereas structural and compositional disorder do not reveal a significant change, a dramatic increase in the maximum of the specific heat is observed when the system is depleted a fraction of the order of 0.1–0.2 of random layers compared to the original, fully periodic array. Furthermore, this maximum, which is reminiscent of a Bose–Einstein condensation for an infinite array, occurs at higher temperatures.
Light-modulated resistive switching memory behavior in ZnO/BaTiO3/ZnO multilayer
Authors: Wei Lujun , Sun Bai , Zhao Wenxi , Li Hongwei , Jia Xiangjiang , Wu Jianhong , Chen Peng
Published: May 2016

Nanoscale structure ZnO/BaTiO3/ZnO multilayer was fabricated on silicon (Si) substrate by RF magnetron sputtering system. The light-modulated resistive switching characteristics in ZnO/BaTiO3/ZnO devices were observed. The light-modulated resistive switching shows good repeatability at room temperature.
MCD spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations of magnesium tetra-(15-crown-5-oxanthreno)-phthalocyanine
Authors: Mack John , Mkhize Scebi , Safonova Evgeniya A. , Martynov Alexander G. , Gorbunova Yulia G. , Tsivadze Aslan Yu. , Nyokong Tebello
Published: May 2016

An analysis of the MCD spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations of magnesium tetra-(15-crown-5-oxanthreno)-phthalocyanine is reported. This study provides a reassessment of an earlier study on the nature of the bands in UV-visible absorption spectra of magnesium and zinc tetra-(15-crown-5-oxanthreno)-phthalocyanine that was based on an analysis of TD-DFT calculations for a series of model complexes with the B3LYP functional. A detailed analysis of MCD spectral data and TD-DFT calculations with the CAM-B3LYP functional for the complete Mg(II) complex provides an additional insight into the optical properties and electronic structures of tetra-(15-crown-5-oxanthreno)-phthalocyanines. Thus, the bands in the Q-band region are reassigned as being due exclusively to the Q transition of Gouterman’s 4-orbital model, since intense pseudo-[Formula: see text] terms are observed in the MCD spectrum in a spectral region that had previously been assigned as charge transfer bands.
Benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine or pyridine-N-oxide anchoring groups as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cell
Authors: Schmitz Benjamin , Li Bihong , Waruna Jinadasa R. G. , Lalvani Shashi B. , Kerr Lei L. , Wang Hong
Published: May 2016

Novel benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine or pyridine-[Formula: see text]-oxide groups were prepared through a concise method based on a Pd0 catalyzed cascade reaction. These benzoporphyrins were examined as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. Vicinal pyridine and vicinal pyridine-[Formula: see text]-oxide groups were introduced as new types of anchoring/acceptor groups for dye-sensitized solar cells for the first time. While all the porphyrins showed solar to electricity conversion, benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine-[Formula: see text]-oxide anchoring groups displayed higher conversion efficiency than benzoporphyrins bearing pyridine-anchoring groups.Opp-dibenzoporphyrins display broadened and red-shifted UV-vis absorption and emission bands as compared with those of the monobenzoporphyrins, which arises from the fusion of one more benzene ring and the attachment of two more electron-withdrawing groups to the porphyrin [Formula: see text]-positions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) data and DFT calculation data obtained for these porphyrins agree well with their UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic data. The HOMO energy level derived from the first oxidation potentials indicate that regeneration of the resulting porphyrin radical cation by the redox mediator (I[Formula: see text]/I[Formula: see text] is thermodynamically feasible for all these benzoporphyrin sensitizers (3, 5, 8 and 10). On the other hand, excited state energy levels of these benzoporphyrins calculated from the CV data, the UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopic data are all slightly lower than the energy level of the conduction band of TiO2, suggesting insufficient driving force for efficient electron injection from the porphyrin excited singlet state to the conduction band of TiO2.
First principles calculation of thermo-mechanical properties of thoria using Quantum ESPRESSO
Authors: Malakkal Linu , Szpunar Barbara , Zuniga Juan Carlos , Siripurapu Ravi Kiran , Szpunar Jerzy A.
Published: May 2016

In this work, we have used Quantum ESPRESSO (QE), an open source first principles code, based on density-functional theory, plane waves, and pseudopotentials, along with quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) to calculate the thermo-mechanical properties of thorium dioxide (ThO[Formula: see text]. Using Python programming language, our group developed qe-nipy-advanced, an interface to QE, which can evaluate the structural and thermo-mechanical properties of materials. We predicted the phonon contribution to thermal conductivity ([Formula: see text] using the Slack model. We performed the calculations within local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with the recently proposed version for solids (PBEsol). We employed a Monkhorst-Pack [Formula: see text] k-points mesh in reciprocal space with a plane wave cut-off energy of 150 Ry to obtain the convergence of the structure. We calculated the dynamical matrices of the lattice on a [Formula: see text] mesh. We have predicted the heat capacity, thermal expansion and the phonon contribution to thermal conductivity, as a function of temperature up to 1400[Formula: see text]K, and compared them with the previous work and known experimental results.
Towards Additive Manufacturing of Tungsten Carbide Using Renewable Resources
Authors: Islam Monsur , Martinez-Duarte Rodrigo
Published: May 2016

Here we present preliminary results towards additive manufacturing of carbides. A biopolymer-metal oxide gel composite composed of iota-carrageenan, chitin and tungsten trioxide (WO3) was shaped and heat treated in order to obtain carbide structures. Upon heat treatment of this composite above 900 °C, a porous structure of tungsten carbide (WC) was obtained. The synthesis mechanism of WC was estimated using the result from XRD characterization. The synthesized WC was characterized with SEM, TEM and nitrogen absorption-desorption to investigate the morphology, particle size and pore size distribution. The carbonaceous materials retained the original shape. The ongoing work is on studying the rheology of the gel composites to extrude through additive manufacturing system to obtained 3D printed carbide parts.
Characterization of Porous BEOL Dielectrics for Resistive Switching
Authors: Fan Ye , King Sean W. , Bielefeld Jeff , Orlowski Marius K
Published: May 2016

Porous back-end dielectric materials with porosity ranging from 8% to 25% have been characterized in terms of their resistive switching behavior. The porous dielectric is sandwiched between Cu and W or Pt electrodes. Some metal-insulator-metal structures have a 2 nm SiCN diffusion barrier at either electrode or at both electrodes. 90% of samples are intrinsically conductive due to strong Cu doping of the dielectric. About 10% of the samples display resistive switching behavior, of which devices with two SiCN barriers can be switched repeatedly, demonstrating that resistive switching in porous dielectrics is feasible. The forming voltage of the filaments increases with increasing porosity of the dielectric. Depending on the voltage polarity, Cu and oxygen vacancy conductive filaments can be formed. The properties of resistive switching established in this work provide a solid basis for further improvement of ReRAM devices based on porous dielectrics compatible with CMOS backend.
Performance Enhancement of Metal Floating Gate Memory by Using a Bandgap Engineered High-k Tunneling Barrier
Authors: Jiang Dandan , Jin Lei , Xia Zhiliang , Chen Guoxing , Zou Xingqi , Zhang Yu , Tang Zhaoyun , Huo Zongliang
Published: May 2016

Metal ﬂoating gate (FG) memory has been a promising candidate to continue the scaling of NAND ﬂash technology node beyond 1X nm. In this work, metal FG memory device with high-k engineered tunneling layer has been demonstrated. Compared to a single SiO2 tunneling layer, a metal FG memory device based on the OH/OHA tunneling layer exhibits a larger memory window, low operation voltage, faster program/erase speed, and improved data retention. Enhancements of memory performance and reliability are attributed to the high defect state density at the interface of OH/OHA and large physical thickness of tunneling layer by bandgap engineering. The findings provide a guide for future design of metal FG memory.
(Invited) Atomically Controlled Processing for Si and Ge CVD Epitaxial Growth
Authors: Murota Junichi , Yamamoto Yuji , Costina Ioan , Tillack Bernd , Le Thanh Vinh , Loo Roger , Caymax Matty
Published: May 2016

In this work, the segregation of dopants and surface roughness generation observed during in-situ doping and their suppression by applying an atomic layer doping approach are presented. The impurity segregations are explained by the Langmuir-type adsorption and reaction scheme. Results of nm-order thick Ge epitaxial growth on Si(100) using an ultraclean low-pressure CVD system are obtained. Degradation for epitaxial growth of Si and Ge is induced by the existence of Ge oxide in the CVD reactor. It is suggested that the evaporated Ge oxide is adsorbed on the Si surface and the Ge oxide is reduced to the pure Ge by the Si in accordance with Si oxide formation and that the Ge oxide evaporation is suppressed by SiH4 treatment. These results demonstrate the capability of CVD technology for atomically controlled processing of Si, Si1-xGex and Ge for ultra large scale integration.
(Invited) On the Modeling of the Charge Pumping Curves
Authors: Bauza Daniel
Published: May 2016

This paper discusses the simulation of the charge pumping (CP) curves of conventional MOSFETs with a thick SiO2 dielectric. After recalling the essential of the model derived to that aim, the most salient features this model implies are pointed out. Then, starting from the results published in (1, 2), the trap characteristics used in these papers are discussed. The simulation of such curves with a single trap type is presented before discussing hole and electron emission times and, as reported here for the first time, the way the energy region over which recombination proceeds varies with gate bias during CP measurements. Finally, two particular situations that may be considered thanks to reliable CP curves simulations are dealt with.
Two States Phenomenon Induced By Neighboring Device Coupling Effect in MIS(p) Tunnel Current
Authors: Kao Wei-Chih , Chen Jun-Yao , Hwu Jenn-Gwo
Published: May 2016

In this work, two states phenomenon in the current-voltage behavior of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunnel diode with ultra-thin SiO2 were investigated after negative/positive bias stress. The set state current is lower since the Schottky barrier height increases as electrons trap in the oxide at device edge. However, the positive read voltage leads to electron de-trapping, i.e., charge loss, and therefore the retention of MIS tunnel diode is inferior. In order to enhance the retention, the MIS TD coupled by the remote gate, i.e., gated-MIS TD, was proposed. Two gated-MIS TD’s with dielectric structures, SiO2 and Al2O3/HfO2/SiO2 (AHO) were investigated. By using the gate coupling structure, positive read voltage would not de-trap the trapped electrons directly, which reduced the disturbance due to reading.
Effects of Precursor Flow Rates on Characteristics of Low-K SiOC(H) Film Deposited by Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Cheng Yi-Lung , Huang Chiao-Wei , Sun Chung-Ren , Lee Wen-Hsi
Published: May 2016

In this study, low-dielectric constant (low-k) SiOC(H) films deposited using conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) by varying flow rates of the deposition precursors were investigated through various characterization techniques. The used deposition precursors were DEMS and ATRP, which acted as a network matrix and a sacrificial porogen, respectively. Experimental results indicate that the flow rates of both DEMS and ATRT precursors influenced the properties of the resulting porous low-k SiOC(H) films, but the former caused a larger impact. For porous low-k SiOC(H) films deposited with an increase of DEMS flow rate, an enhanced cross-linking was formed, leading to a higher hardness, smaller pore size, better electric performance, and stronger dielectric breakdown strength. However, a higher dielectric constant (k) was the cost. The k values of porous low-k SiOC(H) films with various ATRP flow rates (1700~2500 sccm) remained unchanged, although, the optimized electrical characteristics and reliability were obtained as ATRP flow rate was 2100 sccm.
(Invited) The Defects of ZnO Nanorods Passivated By Ultra-Thin Al2O3 Film
Authors: Li Shibin , Liu Detao , Zhang Peng , Wang Yafei , Sarvari Hojjatollah , Xuan Yaoyu , Chen Zhi David
Published: May 2016

Despite dramatically improved efficiency of inorganic-organic metal hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs), electron transport is still a challenging issue. In this paper, we report the use of hydrothermal self-assembling ZnO nanorods as electron transport layer in perovskite solar cells. The efficiency of perovskite solar cells is dramatically enhanced by passivating the interface defects via atomic layer deposition of Al2O3 monolayers on ZnO nanorods. By employing Al2O3 monolayers, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) PSCs is typically boosted from ~10.38% to 14.27% on average, with the highest efficiency of 15.35%. We suggest that passivation of defects using atomic layer deposition of monolayers might provide a new pathway for improving all types of PSCs.