bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A C60 Modification Layer Using a Scalable Deposition Technology for Efficient Printable Mesoscopic Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Tian Chengbo , Zhang Shujing , Li Sheng , Mei Anyi , Li Da , Liu Shuang , Zhang Deyi , Hu Yue , Rong Yaoguang , Han Hongwei
Published: July 2018

Carbon‐based, hole‐conductor‐free, full‐printable, mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (PMPSCs) have attracted much attention due to their superior stability, low cost, and potential scalability. However, TiO2 generally shows a relatively low electron mobility, which may result in charge accumulation and recombination at the TiO2/perovskite interface, thus hindering the improvements from the PMPSCs performance. In this study, a simple strategy to deposit a pristine C60 layer using a spray method is reported and the low electrical conductivity of TiO2 in PMPSCs is modified. The preferable electron extraction and transportation properties of pristine C60 and the up‐shifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the C60 modified TiO2, that is, TiO2(C60) layer, efficiently promotes the charge transfer at the interface between the electron transport layer (ETL) and the perovskite. As a result, a significantly improved power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.4% is yielded, which is much higher than that of the control device (13.7%). In addition, the TiO2(C60)‐based device presents a lower hysteresis effect than that of the TiO2‐based device, which can likely be attributed to the reduced space charge accumulation at the perovskite/ETL interface. The present work provides a simple approach to boost the efficiency of PMPSCs and paves the way for the industrialization of PMPSCs.
Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in a Tundish with Channel Type Induction Heating
Authors: Yang Bin , Lei Hong , Bi Qian , Jiang Jimin , Zhang Hongwei , Zhao Yan , Zhou Jian‐An
Published: July 2018

Because of the high heating efficiency, channel type induction heating is utilized in the tundish in order to reduce the temperature fluctuations of the molten steel in the process of continuous casting. In order to have a deep insight into the complex MHD (magneto hydrodynamic) process in the tundish with channel type induction heating, water model and mathematical model are performed to describe the fluid flow and the heat transfer in the tundish. A non‐isothermal water model with channel heater is built to investigate the thermal convection in the tundish. The electromagnetic force and Joule heating are introduced into the momentum equations and the energy conservation equation as a source term, and the coupled flow and temperature field are solved by the finite volume method. The results show that the predicted flow field and temperature field agree with the experimental data. In the case of channel type induction heating, there are two spiral flow in the channel due to electromagnetic force, and the temperature difference of molten steel is 12 °C between the inlet and the outlet of the channel due to Joule heating.
A systems engineering–based approach for framing reliability, availability, and maintainability: A case study for subsea design
Authors: Zhang Juntao , Haskins Cecilia , Liu Yiliu , Lundteigen Mary Ann
Published: July 2018

Framing reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) aspects are critical for an engineering design, as RAM is concerned with the sustained capability of a system throughout its useful life. RAM analysts are responsible to consider both functional and dysfunctional behavior of a given system beyond the perspective of system designer. However, the system concept baseline developed by RAM toolset is often a partial view, which is either too abstract when preparing RAM analysis or too overloaded when integrating RAM analysis with design process. Such practice may not give systemic insights of the design concept, considering specific subsea design challenges such as limited accessibility and requirement for automate control. For this reason, it is of great importance to ensure an effective and sufficient communication between the domain of design and domain of RAM. Integrating with a well‐known engineering discipline, such as systems engineering (SE), may help analysts to create the collaborative design environment necessary to control the design risks for a system with high complexity. This article proposes a new framework that links SE with RAM engineering by connecting relevant concepts and models used. A novel subsea design concept is offered as a case study to demonstrate the key changes in subsea design activities for addressing RAM with the proposed framework.
The hierarchical and perturbative forms of stochastic Schrödinger equations and their applications to carrier dynamics in organic materials
Authors: Wang Yu‐Chen , Ke Yaling , Zhao Yi
Published: July 2018

A number of non‐Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations, ranging from the numerically exact hierarchical form toward a series of perturbative expressions sequentially presented in an ascending degrees of approximations are revisited in this short review, aiming at providing a systematic framework which is capable to connect different kinds of the wavefunction‐based approaches for an open system coupled to the harmonic bath. One can optimistically expect the extensive future applications of those non‐Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations in large‐scale realistic complex systems, benefiting from their favorable scaling with respect to the system size, the stochastic nature which is extremely suitable for parallel computing, and many other distinctive advantages. In addition, we have presented a few examples showing the excitation energy transfer in the Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson complex, a quantitative measure of decoherence timescale of hot exciton, and the study of quantum interference effects upon the singlet fission processes in organic materials, since a deep understanding of both mechanisms is very important to explore the underlying microscopic processes and to provide novel design principles for highly efficient organic photovoltaics.

This article is categorized under:

Theoretical and Physical Chemistry > Reaction Dynamics and Kinetics

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Materials Science
Technoeconomic assessment of hydrothermal liquefaction oil from lignin with catalytic upgrading for renewable fuel and chemical production
Authors: Funkenbusch LiLu T. , Mullins Michael E. , Vamling Lennart , Belkhieri Tallal , Srettiwat Nattapol , Winjobi Olumide , Shonnard David R. , Rogers Tony N.
Published: July 2018

Lignin is a readily available by‐product of the Kraft pulping process, and may be processed via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to produce a bio‐oil suitable for cofeeding into a petroleum refinery hydrotreatment unit. HTL of lignin is performed in near‐critical water and, in addition to the bio‐oil, produces an aqueous organic and solid char phase. The aqueous organics are primarily phenolics, which may be converted into valuable coproducts via liquid–liquid extraction and hydrotreatment to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) compounds. Three technological scenarios were developed: a current technology case, a state‐of‐the‐art research case, and an optimal case based on product targets provided by refiners. For a large Kraft pulp mill (400 metric tons/day of dry lignin), a renewable fuel production of 65–70 million L/year, with capital costs of $114–125 million and a final per liter cost of $0.41–0.44 were estimated. The BTEX coproduct yield ranged from 16.8–18.0 million L/year. An economic analysis of the process revealed that the hydrotreatment steps have the highest installed capital costs, while the liquid–liquid extraction process is the largest operating cost. Based on these results, the minimum selling price (MSP) of the biofuel is between $3.52 and $3.86/gallon, and the MSP of BTEX is between $1.65 and $2.00 per liter. With current technology, coproduction of BTEX does not offset the cost of biofuel production. Improved technology to further lower bio‐oil oxygen content and decrease both capital and operating costs are needed to make HTL‐based fuels competitive with fossil fuel‐based options.

This article is categorized under:

Energy Research & Innovation > Science and Materials

Bioenergy > Economics and Policy

Bioenergy > Systems and Infrastructure
Coordinate free nonlinear incremental discrete mechanics
Authors: Lerbet J. , Challamel N. , Nicot F. , Darve F.
Published: July 2018

In this paper we extend the Kinematic Structural Stability (KISS) issues obtained in the punctual linear case to a full non linear framework. Kinematic Structural Stability (KISS) refers to the stability of conservative or non‐conservative elastic systems under kinematic constraints. We revisite and sometimes introduce some new mechanical and geometrically‐related concepts, using the systematic language of vector bundles: transversality‐stability, tangent stiffness tensor, loading paths and KISS. We bring an intrinsic geometrical meaning to these concepts and we extend the main results to a general nonlinear framework. The lack of connection on the configuration manifold in order to make derivatives of sections is bypassed thanks to the key rule of the nil section of the cotangent bundle. Two mechanical examples illustrate the interest of the new concepts, namely a discrete nonconservative elastic system under non‐conservative loading (Ziegler's column) and, in more details, a four‐sphere granular system with nonconservative interactions called diamond pattern.
Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Antimicrobial Peptides Against Planktonic Culture and Biofilm of Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Jaśkiewicz Maciej , Neubauer Damian , Kazor Kamil , Bartoszewska Sylwia , Kamysz Wojciech
Published: July 2018

Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most challenging pathogens, on account of its predisposition to develop resistance leading to severe, difficult-to-treat infections. As these bacteria are more usually isolated from nosocomial infections, the new therapeutic options are demanded. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are compounds likely to find application in the treatment of A. baumannii. These compounds exhibit a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity and were found to be effective against biofilm. In this study, eight AMPs, namely aurein 1.2, CAMEL, citropin 1.1., LL-37, omiganan, r-omiganan, pexiganan, and temporin A, were tested for their antimicrobial activity. A reference strain of A. baumannii ATCC 19606 was used. Antimicrobial assays included determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum biofilm eradication concentration. Considering the fact that the majority of A. baumannii infections are associated with mechanical ventilation and the use of indwelling devices, the activity against biofilm was assessed on both a polystyrene surface and tracheal tube fragments. In addition, cytotoxicity (HaCaT) was determined and in vitro selectivity index was calculated.
Combined Effects of Bag Holding and Obstacle Avoidance on Gait Characteristics: A Kinematic Study in Healthy Young Adults
Authors: Demura Shinichi , Uchiyama Masanobu
Published: July 2018

Objective

This study examined the influence of holding a bag with one hand on a walkway with an obstacle on gait characteristics.

Methods

Ten healthy male students walked 5 m on obstructed and unobstructed walkways while holding loads corresponding to 0%, 10% and 20% of their body weights. General gait parameters (gait velocity, step length, etc.), the toe-obstacle clearance and the minimum toe clearance, the hip, knee and ankle joint angles of both limbs, and take-off and landing distances were analysed.

Results

With heavier loads, the step length, velocity and landing distance decreased, and flexion angles of the knee and ankle of the support limb increased on both walkways. Clearances were maintained constantly by flexion of the ankle joint in unobstructed trials and by flexion of the hip joint in obstructed trials.

Conclusion

Even in healthy adults, gait properties remarkably change owing to holding loads that equal to 10–20% of body weight on obstructed and unobstructed walkways. Clearance between toe and an obstacle/floor are maintained by using different strategies.
Sports Related Hand Injuries in Hong Kong
Authors: Li Hercy C.K. , Li-Tsang Cecilia W.P.
Published: July 2018

Objective

This study attempted to review the incidence of sports related hand injuries in one of the regional hospitals in Hong Kong and to study the intervention method used in this diagnostic group.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in 2009 to review all the referrals from the Department of Accident and Emergency to the Occupational Therapy Department. Injuries related to sports activities or exercises were selected and their demographic information including gender, age, types of sports engaged in, and types of injuries were recorded.

Results

A total of 596 patients were recorded and 62 of them were identified to have sports related injuries of the hand. Types of injuries included proximal interphalangeal joint volar plate injuries, phalangeal fractures, metacarpal fractures, mallet fingers and gamekeeper's thumb. Twelve different types of sports related injuries were identified, with most injuries caused by contact sports, namely basketball (44%) and football (26%). All patients were treated with standardized splintage and mobilization programme. Seventy-eight percent of the patients completed full course of the therapy and most of them had very satisfactory results in restoration of hand function. Residual problems such as joint stiffness, limitation of full range of motion were found only in five cases. Most of them returned to their previous sports with preventive gadgets. The management of various hand injuries was briefly discussed.

Conclusion

Incidence of sports related hand injuries appear to be on a rising trend and there should be special training for occupational therapists to provide quality therapy services to those injured.
Development of Hand Rehabilitation in Mainland China
Authors: Wong Simon K.M. , Li-Tsang Cecilia W.P.
Published: July 2018

Hand rehabilitation has been a major area of practice for occupational therapists in Hong Kong when the profession first emerged in the early 1970s. It was a time when the economy of Hong Kong relied heavily on small industries and assembly work mainly for export to western countries. Due to lack of awareness of occupational health and safety, most of the workers were injured at work while operating on machines without protective guard. Occupational therapists were trained to handle a huge volume of workers with hand trauma with the goal of helping them maximize hand function so that they could return to the work force. Similar situation occurs in Mainland China nowadays, particularly in the Southern part of the Mainland where industries and factories are densely built to support the industrialization. This paper attempts to review the development of hand rehabilitation postsurgery and to discuss the current assets and challenges in meeting the needs of patients with hand injuries in Mainland China.
A Dynamic Wrist Splint for Palmer Midcarpal Instability: An Enhanced Design
Authors: Wong Josephine M.W. , Kwan Mike W.W. , Au Frederick L.Y. , Ho P.C.
Published: July 2018

A dynamic wrist splint with enhanced design, or the anti ulnocarpus supination splint can help reduce the volar sag of the ulnar carpus to prevent further supination in palmer midcarpal instability. It may replace the static splint if symptoms of ulnocarpus instability are increasingly prominent after the swelling and pain are well controlled.
Construct Validity: A Unitary Concept for Occupational Therapy Assessment and Measurement
Authors: Brown Ted
Published: July 2018

Background

In the traditional view of validity, it is divided it into three sub-types: content, criterion-related, and construct. Validity has recently been reconceptualized as a unitary factor known as construct validity. Five sources of construct validity evidence have been specified: test content, response processes, internal structure, relationships to other variables, and consequential aspects of construct validity. They function either as general validity criteria or as standards for all assessment and measurement.

Purpose

The purpose of the manuscript is to present an overview of the contemporary conceptualization of construct validity and its relevance to occupational therapy practice, education, and research.

Key Issues & Implications

Taken together, the five components of construct validity evidence provide a way of addressing the multiple and interrelated validity questions that need to be answered in order to justify occupational therapy test score interpretation and use by practitioners. Given the context of evidence-based practice, professional standards of practice, increasing calls for accountability, and the fact that validity of a test, instrument, or scale is now seen as being a dynamic process, it is important for occupational therapists to be conversant with this contemporary view of construct validity, and the body of validity evidence related to the assessment tools used in clinical practice.
Validation of Child Behavior Rating Scale in Singapore (Part 1): Rasch Analysis
Authors: Lim Sok Mui , Rodger Sylvia , Brown Ted
Published: July 2018

Background

Young children demonstrate both interpersonal social skills (IPS) and learning-related social skills (LRSS) in the early childhood environments.

Objective

The aim of the paper was to investigate the construct validity and measurement properties of the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) when used to assess young children's IPS and LRSS within early childhood environments in Singapore.

Methods

The participants included 117 children aged 3–6 years, recruited from six preschools in Singapore. Among these children, 28 of them have special needs. The teachers completed the CBRS for all the children.

Results

Eight items were found to fit in a unidimensional scale to measure IPS, while 12 items to measure LRSS. The measurement properties of these two scales were found to be satisfactory.

Conclusion

This study has validated the use of the CBRS to assess IPS and LRSS demonstrated by young Singaporean children. The importance of considering the cultural context when assessing young children's social skills is discussed in the paper.
Elements of Life Satisfaction Amongst Elderly People Living in Institutions in Malaysia: A Mixed Methodology Approach
Authors: Dahlan Akehsan , Nicol Margaret , Maciver Donald
Published: July 2018

Background

Changes in demographic characteristics, social structure and economic status have shifted the direction of care of elderly people in Malaysia. Subsequently, nursing homes and institutions for elderly people becoming a significant care option. The aim of this study is to identify the level of life satisfaction and to examine the elements of life satisfaction amongst the elderly people living in the institutions.

Methods

In this mixed methodology, a survey using translated version of Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was conducted to 82 participants who conformed to the inclusion criteria. Twenty participants who volunteered to discuss about their live experience regarding life satisfaction living in a public elderly institution in Malaysia. The participants were stratified according to age group and gender. Four focus groups were conducted and the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis were used to identify the key themes emerged from the focus groups.

Results

The level of life satisfaction is equivalent to the norms and there is no statistical significant difference between the levels with the demographic variables. Two main themes were developed, contentment and acceptance, reflecting the elements of life satisfaction of the participants in the institution.

Conclusion

The findings are inconsistent with previous findings. However, it identified new elements of life satisfaction for elderly people in the institution.
Effect of the Bobath Technique, Conductive Education and Education to Parents in Activities of Daily Living in Children with Cerebral Palsy in Iran
Authors: Dalvand Hamid , Dehghan Leila , Feizy Awat , Amirsalai Susan , Bagheri Hussein
Published: July 2018

Objective

In children with cerebral palsy, one of the most important roles of occupational therapists is to promote the children's independence in functional performance. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of the Bobath technique, conductive education (CE), and education to parents in activities of daily living (ADLs) in children with cerebral palsy aged 4–8 years in Iran.

Methods

This study was a quasi-experimental clinical trial with pre/post design. Forty-five children with cerebral palsy were selected by convenience sampling in a rehabilitation centre and allocated to three groups by matching closely their sex, age, and IQ; 15 children were in the Bobath group, 15 were in the CE group, and 15 were in the education-to-parents group. Outcome measures were the Goodenough test and the Client Development Evaluation Report.

Results

There were no significant differences in mean age (p =.261) and IQ (p=.449) at baseline among the three groups. There were significant differences in ADLs after treatment within each group (p =.001). Significant differences were also found in the average total ADLs scores between the three groups after treatment (p <.0001). We found that the most effective approach was CE, followed by education to parents and the Bobath technique. There were significant differences between 12 sub-skills out of 16 in ADLs in the three groups, and children in the CE group achieved higher scores in comparison with other groups.

Conclusion

The Bobath technique, CE, and education to parents improved ADL skills in children with cerebral palsy. In the CE approach, group education promoted better social communication and more mobility in familiar environments. On the other hand, practical education and treatment programmes improved ADLs skills.
Reasonable, Adequate and Efficient Allocation of Liability Costs for Automated Vehicles: A Case Study of the German Liability and Insurance Framework
Authors: PÜTZ Fabian , MURPHY Finbarr , MULLINS Martin , MAIER Karl , FRIEL Raymond , ROHLFS Torsten
Published: July 2018

In general, a functioning liability and insurance framework should ensure an adequate level of third party claimant protection and a reasonable and adequate final allocation of liability costs for the involved parties. This research examines whether the liability and insurance framework resulting from the amendment to German Road Traffic Act meets these two central objectives. The article shows that a reasonable and adequate allocation of liability costs is inhibited because of several barriers that hinder the shift of liability costs from the owner of the vehicle to the manufacturer. In particular, it is highly dependent on the practical application of subrogation claims. The ability and the motivation of motor insurers to conduct subrogation claims could be negatively affected because of a lack of required technical and engineering know-how and because a market-wide conduction of subrogation claims would erode the business model of motor insurance. This article proposes changes to the current framework particularly by removing specific exclusions of product liability and by easing the burden of proof of a product defect.
Randomized controlled trial of a self-administered five-day antiseptic bundle versus usual disinfectant soap showers for preoperative eradication of Staphylococcus aureus colonization
Authors: Kline Susan E. , Neaton James D. , Lynfield Ruth , Ferrieri Patricia , Kulasingam Shalini , Dittes Kayleigh , Glennen Anita , Jawahir Selina , Kaizer Alexander , Menk Jeremiah , Johnson James R.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To determine the efficacy in eradicating Staphylococcus aureus (SA) carriage of a 5-day preoperative decolonization bundle compared to 2 disinfectant soap showers, with both regimens self-administered at home.

Design

Open label, single-center, randomized clinical trial.

Setting

Ambulatory orthopedic, urologic, neurologic, colorectal, cardiovascular, and general surgery clinics at a tertiary-care referral center in the United States.

Participants

Patients at the University of Minnesota Medical Center planning to have elective surgery and not on antibiotics.

Methods

Consenting participants were screened for SA colonization using nasal, throat, axillary, and perianal swab cultures. Carriers of SA were randomized, stratified by methicillin resistance status, to a decolonization bundle group (5 days of nasal mupirocin, chlorhexidine gluconate [CHG] bathing, and CHG mouthwash) or control group (2 preoperative showers with antiseptic soap). Colonization status was reassessed preoperatively. The primary endpoint was absence of SA at all 4 screened body sites.

Results

Of 427 participants screened between August 31, 2011, and August 9, 2016, 127 participants (29.7%) were SA carriers. Of these, 121 were randomized and 110 were eligible for efficacy analysis (57 decolonization bundle group, 53 control group). Overall, 90% of evaluable participants had methicillin-susceptible SA strains. Eradication of SA at all body sites was achieved for 41 of 57 participants (71.9%) in the decolonization bundle group and for 13 of 53 participants (24.5%) in the control group, a difference of 47.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.1%–65.7%; P<.0001).

Conclusion

An outpatient preoperative antiseptic decolonization bundle aimed at 4 body sites was significantly more effective in eradicating SA than the usual disinfectant showers (ie, the control).

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02182115
Hospital microbiology laboratory practices for Enterobacteriaceae: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) annual survey, 2015 and 2016
Authors: Shugart Alicia , Walters Maroya Spalding , Weiner Lindsey M. , Lonsway David , Kallen Alexander J.
Published: July 2018

We analyzed clinical microbiology laboratory practices for detection of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in US short-stay acute-care hospitals using data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Annual Facility Survey. Half of hospitals reported testing for carbapenemases, and 1% performed routine polymyxin susceptibility testing using reference broth microdilution.
Sobolev Algebras Through a ‘Carré Du Champ’ Identity
Authors: Bernicot Frédéric , Frey Dorothee
Published: July 2018

We consider abstract Sobolev spaces of Bessel-type associated with an operator. In this work, we pursue the study of algebra properties of such functional spaces through the corresponding semigroup. As a follow-up to our previous work, we show that by making use of the property of a ‘carré du champ’ identity, this algebra property holds in a wider range than previously shown.
Efficacy of herbal extracts and closantel against fenbendazole-resistant Haemonchus contortus
Authors: Dixit A.K. , Das G. , Dixit P. , Sharma R.L.
Published: July 2018

This study assessed the efficacy of closantel vis-à-vis herbal extracts with known anti-parasitic properties, against fenbendazole-resistant nematodes in goats maintained under a semi-intensive system of management at the University goat farm, Jabalpur. Fifty goats were randomly assigned to five groups, each comprising 10 animals, irrespective of their breed, age and sex. Each animal in Group I, II and III was orally administered with aqueous leaf extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) at 1 g/kg body weight, sitaphal (Annona squamosa) at 1.5 g/kg body weight and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) at 1 g/kg body weight, respectively, whereas Group IV was an untreated control group. Each animal in Group V was orally treated with closantel at 10 mg/kg body weight. During the course of the study, all animals were maintained under an identical semi-intensive system of management. Compared to the untreated control group (Group IV), there was no conspicuous reduction in post-treatment (day 10) faecal egg counts (FEC) in animals administered with the herbal extracts (Groups I, II and III), which is suggestive of poor anti-parasitic activity. However, using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), the overall efficacy of closantel was recorded as 95.64%. This supports the rotational use of closantel as a preferred choice over the benzimidazole group of anthelmintics and/or herbal extracts to meet the acute challenge of in situ development of drug-resistant gastrointestinal nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus.
Subjective morbidity following fibular free flap reconstruction in head and neck cancer patients
Authors: Sparkman D M , Simmons M R , Patil Y J
Published: July 2018

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the presence of subjective post-operative donor site morbidity after fibula free flap reconstruction in head and neck cancer patients, utilising three validated instruments: the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire and the Lower Limb Core Scale.

Methods

In this retrospective study, all head and neck cancer patients who underwent fibula free flap reconstruction between January 2009 and July 2014 were identified. All questionnaires and their respective subcomponents were scored.

Results

Twenty-one cases were included. Patients were found to have a higher Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment bothersome index (22.42 vs 13.77, p = 0.03), a lower Short Form 36 Health Survey Physical Component Summary score (42.44 vs 50, p < 0.01) and a decreased Lower Limb Core Scale score (47.08 vs 90.52, p < 0.01), compared to US population norms. The Short Form 36 Health Survey Mental Component Summary scores and Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment function index failed to demonstrate significant differences. Gender affected overall disability.

Conclusion

In this study, significant long-term disability was demonstrated after fibular flap reconstruction, as measured by the Lower Limb Core Scale.
Distribution of Local Social Services and Territorial Justice: the Case of Estonia
Authors: KRIISK KERSTI
Published: July 2018

Distribution of public resources has always been a central issue in public policy. The question of spatial variation in resource allocation as a reflection of differing local conditions is particularly important in decentralised countries with a large number of subunits. On the local level, studies have shown variations in distribution of local welfare but have usually focused on single social policy fields and/or target groups, and often ignored territorial structures. By taking Estonia as a case, this study investigates whether and how the distribution of a range of social services and the structure of disaggregated local social spending corresponds to local socio-demographic conditions. We identify municipal clusters and analyse service provision and social spending on vulnerable groups within them. We use a spatial perspective by taking into consideration the distinction of rural-urban and core-peripheral settings. We show that resource allocation in Estonian municipalities mirrors quite well local socio-demographic structures but the division of municipalities between towns and rural municipalities used in the common discourse of local social policy is too simplified.
Saccade-based termination responses in macaque V1 and visual perception
Authors: NIEMEYER JAMES E. , PARADISO MICHAEL A.
Published: July 2018

Neurons in visual areas of the brain are generally characterized by the increase in firing rate that occurs when a stimulus is flashed on in the receptive field (RF). However, neurons also increase their firing rate when a stimulus is turned off. These “termination responses” or “after-discharges” that occur with flashed stimuli have been observed in area V1 and they may be important for vision as stimulus terminations have been shown to influence visual perception. The goal of the present study was to determine the strength of termination responses in the more natural situation in which eye movements move a stimulus out of an RF. We find that termination responses do occur in macaque V1 when termination results from a saccadic eye movement, but they are smaller in amplitude compared to flashed-off stimuli. Furthermore, there are termination responses even in the absence of visual stimulation. These findings demonstrate that termination responses are a component of naturalistic vision. They appear to be based on both visual and nonvisual signals in visual cortex. We speculate that the weakening of termination responses might be a neural correlate of saccadic suppression, the loss of perceptual sensitivity around the time of saccades.
Exact Distance Colouring in Trees
Authors: BOUSQUET NICOLAS , ESPERET LOUIS , HARUTYUNYAN ARARAT , DE JOANNIS DE VERCLOS RÉMI
Published: July 2018

For an integer q ⩾ 2 and an even integer d, consider the graph obtained from a large complete q-ary tree by connecting with an edge any two vertices at distance exactly d in the tree. This graph has clique number q + 1, and the purpose of this short note is to prove that its chromatic number is Θ((d log q)/log d). It was not known that the chromatic number of this graph grows with d. As a simple corollary of our result, we give a negative answer to a problem of van den Heuvel and Naserasr, asking whether there is a constant C such that for any odd integer d, any planar graph can be coloured with at most C colours such that any pair of vertices at distance exactly d have distinct colours. Finally, we study interval colouring of trees (where vertices at distance at least d and at most cd, for some real c > 1, must be assigned distinct colours), giving a sharp upper bound in the case of bounded degree trees.
Now you hear it, now you don't: Malleable illusory vowel effects in Spanish–English bilinguals
Authors: CARLSON MATTHEW T.
Published: July 2018

Spanish speakers tend to perceive an illusory [e] preceding word-initial [s]-consonant sequences, e.g., perceiving [stið] as [estið] (Cuetos, Hallé, Domínguez & Segui, 2011), but this illusion is weaker for Spanish speakers who know English, which lacks the illusion (Carlson, Goldrick, Blasingame & Fink, 2016). The present study aimed to shed light on why this occurs by assessing how a brief interval spent using English impacts performance in Spanish auditory discrimination and lexical decision. Late Spanish–English bilinguals’ pattern of responses largely matched that of monolinguals, but their response times revealed significant differences between monolinguals and bilinguals, and between bilinguals who had just completed tasks in English vs. Spanish. These results suggest that late bilinguals do not simply learn to perceive initial [s]-consonant sequences veridically, but that elements of both their phonotactic systems interact dynamically during speech perception, as listeners work to identify what it was they just heard.
A new index: Triple Point Conformity Scale (CS3) and its implication in qualitative evaluation of radiotherapy plan
Authors: Ansari Shahnawaz , Satpathy Subrat K. , Ahmad Imteyaz , Singh Priyanka K. , Lad Santosh , Thappa Nimish , Singh B. K.
Published: July 2018

Background

Across the history of radiotherapy, with gradual technological progress and various methods of irradiation, the purpose has always been to deliver homogeneously 100% of the prescribed dose to 100% of the target volume containing the identifiable tumour and/or tumour cells potentially present while limiting the dose to adjacent normal tissues.

Material and methods

The formula for triple point conformity scale is: CS3=(V95+V100+V105)/3VT. (a) Lower limit determination: CS3=(VT+0·93 VT+0·0)/3VT=0·643; (b) Upper limit determination: in order to find out an empirical relation in between V105 and VT, we studied over 593 cancer patients of various sites by taking planning target volume as target, and an empirical relation is derived out as: V105/VT=0·0007. Hence, CS3=(VT+VT+0·0007 VT)/3VT=0·6667~0·667.

Result

Upper and lower limits of CS3 have been calculated at 0·643 and 0·667, respectively. Maximum value of CS3 index is recorded 0·656 while minimum value is 0·478.

Discussion

The CS3 scale constitutes an attractive tool because it could facilitate decisions during analysis of various treatment plans proposed for conformal radiotherapy. Its major advantages are its simplicity and integration of multiple parameters.

Conclusion

The triple point conformity scale (CS3) provides better qualitative information about radiotherapy plans as compared to other conformity indices. This study advises the users to use the CS3 scale to evaluate a conformal radiotherapy plan which encompasses a wide range of relevant clinical volumes, and is able to extract qualitative dosimetric information.
Rio 2.0: revising the Rio scale for SETI detections
Authors: Forgan Duncan , Wright Jason , Tarter Jill , Korpela Eric , Siemion Andrew , Almár Iván , Piotelat Elisabeth
Published: July 2018

The Rio scale is a tool for communicating the significance of a signal to the general public. It assigns scores to signals detected in searches for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), which characterizes both the consequences of a signal and the probability the signal is truly from ETI, in an easily digestible format for laypeople to interpret. In the 17 years since its construction, the number of groups actively conducting searches for evidence of intelligent life beyond the Earth has increased significantly, and theoretical work has established a new suite of observables that are capable of revealing the presence of ETI in a range of astronomical observations. In this paper, we revise the Rio scale, with the aim of (i) achieving consensus across academic disciplines on a scheme for classifying signals potentially indicating the existence of advanced extraterrestrial life, (ii) supplying a pedagogical tool to help inform the public about the process scientists go through to develop an understanding of a signal and (iii) providing a means of calibrating the expectations of the world at large when signals are discussed in the media. We also present (and encourage the SETI community to adopt) a single set of consistent terminology for discussing signals.
Abbreviated dignity therapy for adults with advanced-stage cancer and their family caregivers: Qualitative analysis of a pilot study
Authors: Beck Adrienne , Cottingham Ann H. , Stutz Patrick V. , Gruber Rachel , Bernat Jennifer K. , Helft Paul R. , Wilhelm Laura , Schmidt Karen , Stout Madison E. , Willard Claire , Johns Shelley A.
Published: July 2018

Objective

Dignity therapy (DT) is designed to address psychological and existential challenges that terminally ill individuals face. DT guides patients in developing a written legacy project in which they record and share important memories and messages with those they will leave behind. DT has been demonstrated to ease existential concerns for adults with advanced-stage cancer; however, lack of institutional resources limits wide implementation of DT in clinical practice. This study explores qualitative outcomes of an abbreviated, less resource-intensive version of DT among participants with advanced-stage cancer and their legacy project recipients.

Method

Qualitative methods were used to analyze postintervention interviews with 11 participants and their legacy recipients as well as the created legacy projects. Direct content analysis was used to assess feedback from the interviews about benefits, barriers, and recommendations regarding abbreviated DT. The legacy projects were coded for expression of core values.

Result

Findings suggest that abbreviated DT effectively promotes (1) self-expression, (2) connection with loved ones, (3) sense of purpose, and (4) continuity of self. Participants observed that leading the development of their legacy projects promoted independent reflection, autonomy, and opportunities for family interaction when reviewing and discussing the projects. Consistent with traditional DT, participants expressed “family” as the most common core value in their legacy projects. Expression of “autonomy” was also a notable finding.

Significance of results

Abbreviated DT reduces resource barriers to conducting traditional DT while promoting similar benefits for participants and recipients, making it a promising adaptation warranting further research. The importance that patients place on family and autonomy should be honored as much as possible by those caring for adults with advanced-stage cancer.
THE SEQUEL: THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT, THE NINETEENTH AMENDMENT, AND SOUTHERN BLACK WOMEN'S STRUGGLE TO VOTE
Authors: Gidlow Liette
Published: July 2018

This essay reframes both the woman suffrage narrative and narratives of African American voting rights struggles by focusing on the experiences of southern African American women between the 1870s and the 1920s. It argues that the Fifteenth Amendment remained central to their suffrage strategy long after the failure of the “New Departure” to win court sanction caused white suffragists to abandon it. As white supremacists in the South worked at the turn of the century to disfranchise black men, leading African American suffragists such as Mary Church Terrell, Gertrude Bustill Mossell, and Adella Hunt Logan called for the enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments as well as the enfranchisement of black women. After the federal woman suffrage amendment was ratified in 1920, many southern African American women encountered the same barriers to voting—obstructionist tactics, threats, and violence—that black men had faced a generation earlier. In short, for aspiring African American voters in the South, the failure of the Nineteenth Amendment to secure voting rights for black women constituted a sad sequel to the failure of the Fifteenth Amendment to secure voting rights for black men.

This interpretation offers three significant interventions. It pairs the Reconstruction-era Amendments with the Nineteenth Amendment, recognizing their shared focus on voting rights. It connects the voting rights struggles of southern African Americans across genders and generations. Finally, it finds that, for some women, the canonical “century of struggle” for voting rights continued long after the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified.
CONSTRUCTING THE FRAME OF NEW YORK: COMMERCE, BEAUTY AND THE BATTLE OVER THIRTEENTH AVENUE
Authors: Trask Jeffrey
Published: July 2018

This article examines contests over improving the municipal waterfront in New York during the Gilded Age, and it uncovers the hidden history of Thirteenth Avenue. To maintain its commercial prominence and competitive edge, New York established the Department of Docks in 1870, granting it the authority to manage maritime trade and oversee the redesign and modernization of the city's wharves and piers. Debates about how a modern industrial and commercial waterfront should look centered on new ideas about the aesthetic economy of cities. Business and civic leaders believed that the beauty of the built environment could be leveraged as an asset to attract commerce and industrial investment. But these debates about improving the industrial waterfront ultimately pitted business interests against maritime labor and local manufacturers. Thirteenth Avenue was a small-scale industrial district on the far edge of Greenwich Village that stood in the way of the lucrative transatlantic steamship trade. Siding with mercantile interests over those of small manufacturers, the city condemned Thirteenth Avenue in the 1890s and reclaimed it for the Hudson River to make way for the Chelsea Piers. These elaborate Beaux-Arts piers served as an aesthetic frame for New York City, but they also reflected the unequal dynamics of municipal planning and politics at the turn of the twentieth century.
Sunspots Areas and Heliographic Positions on the Drawings Made by Galileo Galilei in 1612
Authors: Vokhmyanin Mikhail V. , Zolotova Nadezhda V.
Published: July 2018

In 1612, Galileo Galilei made very accurate drawings of the solar disk. Currently, 47 of them are in the open access: 9 in May 3 – 11, 35 in June and July, and 3 in late August. Unfortunately, reports have not provided the clock time, which results in uncertainty of sunspots heliographic coordinates. In the present study, we determine the exact time of the drawings by comparing the positions of the same spots from day to day. The time of the observations, which varies from 12 to 16 UT, gives us the direction of the solar rotation axis and the position of the helioequator. Unlike the spots drawn by Christopher Scheiner in 1611 – 1612, none of the analyzed spots lies within the helioequator. This confirms the quality of the Galileo’s drawings.
Testing Models of the Fast Solar Wind using Spectroscopic and In Situ Observations
Authors: Fludra Andrzej , Landi Enrico
Published: July 2018

We present a new technique to study joint observations of EUV spectral line intensities and in situ charge states of the fast solar wind. We solve the time-dependent equation for ionization and recombination for a chosen element and calculate the charge state evolution along the open magnetic fields for elements such as C, O, Ne, Mg, Si and Fe. Comparing predicted spectral lines intensities above the limb and in situ charge states to observations from SOHO/SUMER and Ulysses/SWICS, we test how well the modelled thermodynamic parameters of the solar wind reproduce observations. We outline the application of this method to Solar Orbiter data.
Prospects for Modeling and Forecasting SEP Events with ENLIL and SEPMOD
Authors: Luhmann J. G. , Mays M. L. , Odstrcil D. , Li Yan , Bain H. , Lee C. O. , Cohen C. M. S. , Mewaldt R. A. , Leske R. A. , Futaana Y.
Published: July 2018

One view of major Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events is that these (proton-dominated) fluxes are accelerated in heliospheric shock sources created by Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), and then travel mainly along interplanetary magnetic field lines connecting the shock(s) to the observer(s). This places a particular emphasis on the role of the heliospheric conditions during the event, requiring a realistic description of the latter to interpret and/or model SEP events. The well-known ENLIL heliospheric simulation with cone model generated ICME shocks is used together with the SEPMOD particle event modeling scheme to demonstrate the value of applying these concepts at multiple inner heliosphere sites.
Ground-Based Observations of Powerful Solar Flares Precursors
Authors: Snegirev Sergei S. , Sheiner Olga A. , Smirnova Anna S.
Published: July 2018

The opportunity of development the short-term forecasting technique of geoeffective solar flares is presented in this study. This technique is based on the effect of growth the fluctuations of horizontal component of geomagnetic field before the solar proton flares, that is considered as a prognostic parameter of solar proton flares.
Regularities of the IMF Sector Structure in the Last 170 Years
Authors: Vokhmyanin Mikhail V. , Zolotova Nadezhda V. , Ponyavin Dmitry I.
Published: July 2018

The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) controls magnetospheric currents which cause variations of the ground-based magnetic field. Regular magnetic observations made in the 19th century allow us to infer daily IMF polarities back to 1844. The results coincide with satellite data in about 79% days. Moreover, for the most part of the 19th and 20th centuries, proxies obtained from various geomagnetic data (Helsinki, Saint-Petersburg, Potsdam, and Ekaterinburg) show the same patterns. This suggests that the reliability of the proxies is sufficient to study the IMF in the past. The large-scale organization of the IMF polarities, the so-called sector structure, reveals semi-centennial north-south displacements of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS).