bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tight binding simulation study on zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Sharma Deepa , Jaggi Neena , Gupta Vishu
Published: September 2017

Tight binding simulation studies using the density functional tight binding (DFTB) model have been performed on various zigzag single-walled carbon-nanotubes (SWCNTs) to investigate their electronic properties using DFTB module of the Material Studio Software version 7.0. Various combinations of different eigen-solvers and charge mixing schemes available in the DFTB Module have been tried to chalk out the electronic structure. The analytically deduced values of the bandgap of (9, 0) SWCNT were compared with the experimentally determined value reported in the literature. On comparison, it was found that the tight binding approximations tend to drastically underestimate the bandgap values. However, the combination of Anderson charge mixing method with standard eigensolver when implemented using the smart algorithm was found to produce fairly close results. These optimized model parameters were then used to determine the band structures of various zigzag SWCNTs. (9, 0) Single-walled Nanotube which is extensively being used for sensing NH3, CH4 and NO2 has been picked up as a reference material since its experimental bandgap value has been reported in the literature. It has been found to exhibit a finite energy bandgap in contrast to its expected metallic nature. The study is of utmost significance as it not only probes and validates the simulation route for predicting suitable properties of nanomaterials but also throws light on the comparative efficacy of the different approximation and rationalization quantum mechanical techniques used in simulation studies. Such simulation studies if used intelligently prove to be immensely useful to the material scientists as they not only save time and effort but also pave the way to new experiments by making valuable predictions.
Early diagnosis by comparison between interferometry and Z-scan methods to measure NLO refraction of human skin cancer (BCC and SCC) in vitro
Authors: Behravan M. , Salmani S. , Kavianfar A. , Gharibi A. , Majles Ara M. H.
Published: September 2017

As the nonlinear refractive index ([Formula: see text]) of human cancerous skin tissues is an important parameter in characterizing the optical response in laser–tissue interaction, the interferometry method was applied for early diagnosis. Simple method of interferometry measurement has been applied to measure the tissues’ [Formula: see text] in vitro from cancerous human skin samples (BCC and SCCs) in three thicknesses. Also, to compare the sensitivity and accuracy of the interferometry method, the [Formula: see text]-scan method was used. The results show that in comparison with healthy skin tissue, the cancerous skin has nonlinear response and this index increases with the thickness of samples.
Replicated Computations Results (RCR) Report for “MNO--PQRS: Max Nonnegativity Ordering—Piecewise-Quadratic Rate Smoothing”
Authors: Alexopoulos Christos
Published: September 2017

The article “MNOPQRS: Max Nonnegativity Ordering—Piecewise-Quadratic Rate Smoothing” by Chen and Schmeiser constructs a smooth piecewise-quadratic rate estimate for a nonhomogeneuous Poisson process based on event counts over
k
adjacent time intervals. The event times can be generated by generating a Poisson process with unit rate and inverting the cumulative rate function or by the thinning technique. The overall algorithm has
O
(
k
2
) time complexity and
O
(
k
) space requirements in the number of intervals. This replicated computation report focuses on the reproducibility of the experimental results in the aforementioned article.
Probability Model-Based Test Suite Reduction
Authors: Liu Pan , Ai Jun , Xu Zhenning(Jimmy)
Published: September 2017

The paper presents a test suite reduction approach based on probability models in regression testing. First, we model the process of software testing by using the joint probability of both test cases and program faults, and propose two probability models for the software's old and new versions, respectively. Then, a theorem combining set operations and probability models is given to implement our approach. Different from the traditional coverage-based test suite reduction methods, the reduced test suite constructed by our approach does not need to cover all test requirements, but also remains the same fault detection capability of the original test suite.The paper presents a test suite reduction approach based on probability models in regression testing. First, we model the process of software testing by using the joint probability of both test cases and program faults, and propose two probability models for the software's old and new versions, respectively. Then, a theorem combining set operations and probability models is given to implement our approach. Different from the traditional coverage-based test suite reduction methods, the reduced test suite constructed by our approach does not need to cover all test requirements, but also remains the same fault detection capability of the original test suite.
Technical Debt in Agile Development
Authors: Fontana Francesca Arcelli , Chatzigeorgiou Alexander , Trumler Wolfgang , Izurieta Clemente , Avgeriou Paris , Nord Robert L.
Published: September 2017

We report on the Ninth International Workshop on Managing Technical Debt, collocated with the 18th International Conference on Agile Software Development (XP 2017) in Cologne. The technical debt research community continues to expand through collaborations of industry, tool vendors, and academia. The theme of this year's workshop was on technical debt in agile development. Presentations and discussion centered on the topics: technical debt at the code level, architectural technical debt assessment, agile approaches and their impact on technical debt management, and selling the business case of technical debt management.
The Impact of Ghrelin in Metabolic Diseases: An Immune Perspective
Authors: Pereira Jéssica Aparecida da Silva , Silva Felipe Corrêa da , de Moraes-Vieira Pedro Manoel Mendes
Published: September 2017

Obesity and insulin resistance have reached epidemic proportions. Obesogenic conditions are associated with increased risk for the development of other comorbidities and obesity-related diseases. In metabolic disorders, there is chronic low-grade inflammation induced by the activation of immune cells, especially in metabolic relevant organs such as white adipose tissue (WAT). These immune cells are regulated by environmental and systemic cues. Ghrelin is a peptide secreted mainly by X/A-like gastric cells and acts through the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). This receptor is broadly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and in several cell types, including immune cells. Studies show that ghrelin induces an orexigenic state, and there is increasing evidence implicating an immunoregulatory role for ghrelin. Ghrelin mainly acts on the innate and adaptive immune systems to suppress inflammation and induce an anti-inflammatory profile. In this review, we discuss the immunoregulatory roles of ghrelin, the mechanisms by which ghrelin acts and potential pharmacological applications for ghrelin in the treatment of obesity-associated inflammatory diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D).
Preoperative Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin, and Irinotecan in Resectable Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: Pathological Response as Primary Endpoint and FDG-PET Predictions
Authors: Berenato Rosa , Morano Federica , Pietrantonio Filippo , Cotsoglou Christian , Caporale Marta , Infante Gabriele , Pellegrinelli Alessandro , Alessi Alessandra , Battiston Carlo , Coppa Jorgelina , Padovano Barbara , Mennitto Alessia , Niger Monica , Fucà Giovanni , Lazzati Silvia , Greco Giorgio , Delconte Gabriele , de Braud Filippo , Mazzaferro Vincenzo , Di Bartolomeo Maria
Published: September 2017

Objectives: This phase II trial was aimed at assessing the safety and activity of capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (COI regimen) as a preoperative treatment for resectable gastric cancer (GC) or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. Methods: Patients affected by T3-T4/N0-N+/M0 GC/GEJ cancer were treated with the COI regimen for 4 cycles followed by restaging and gastroresection with D2 lymphadenectomy. Four postoperative cycles were scheduled. The primary endpoint was pathological response rate according to Becker et al. [Cancer 2003;98:1521-1530]. The potential role of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) as a predictive biomarker of pathological tumor response was assessed in a subgroup of 19 evaluable patients. Results: Between January 2011 and October 2015, a total of 40 patients were enrolled. After the preoperative phase, 36 out of 40 patients (90%) were considered eligible for surgery: 12 patients (30%) achieved a pathological response. The most frequent grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhea (27%), nausea (25%), and fatigue (17%). Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in 7.5% of patients. A lower standard uptake value at baseline FDG-PET/CT was associated with pathological response. Conclusion: COI combination is active with a manageable toxicity profile in patients with resectable GC or GEJ cancer. FDG-PET/CT imaging as a surrogate biomarker of pathological response in this setting appears fascinating but should be further investigated.
Difference in Mortality Risk in Elderly People with Bronchial Obstruction Diagnosed Using a Fixed Cutoff or the Lower Limit of Normal of the FEV1/FVC Ratio
Authors: Pedone Claudio , Giua Renato , Scichilone Nicola , Forastiere Francesco , Bellia Vincenzo , Antonelli Incalzi Raffaele
Published: September 2017

Background: Whether a fixed cutoff or the lower limit of normal of the FEV1/FVC ratio should be used to diagnose bronchial obstruction is still a matter of debate. This issue is particularly important for elderly people. Objectives: We used equations applicable up to 90 years of age to evaluate the mortality of elderly people diagnosed with bronchial obstruction using either a fixed cutoff of 0.7 or the lower limit of normal (LLN). Methods: Participants in the SaRA (Salute Respiratoria nell'Anziano, Italian for “Respiratory Health in the Elderly”) study were grouped as follows: FEV1/FVC ≥0.7 and ≥ LLN (n = 535: F-/L-), FEV1/FVC <0.7 but ≥ LLN (n = 118: F+/L-), and FEV1/FVC <0.7 and < LLN (n = 229: F+/L+). We estimated the mortality risk in the three groups over 15 years of follow-up. Results: The mean age was 73 years (58% men). The hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was 1.427 (95% CI: 1.09-1.868) in the F+/L− group and 2.143 (95% CI: 1.13-1.995) in the F+/L+ group. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found no increased mortality in the F+/L− group (HR: 1.007, 95% CI: 0.755-1.342), while the HR in the F+/L+ group was still sizeable (1.474, 95% CI: 1.136-1.911). Conclusions: As expected, using a fixed cutoff translates in a larger number of people to be classified as having bronchial obstruction. In our sample the increased mortality in the F+/L- group is due to the confounding effect of age and sex. Our study lends support to the use of LLN in elderly people.
Reduced Serum Phosphorus Levels Were Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Men But Not in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study among the Japanese Population
Authors: Shimodaira Masanori , Okaniwa Shinji , Nakayama Tomohiro
Published: September 2017

Background: Reduced serum phosphorus (SP) levels are reported to be associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, there have been a few gender-specific studies although SP levels are substantially different between men and women. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 16,041 subjects (9,076 men and 6,965 women) were analyzed. The subjects were divided into 3 groups of gender-specific tertiles based on phosphorus levels: the lowest (T1), middle (T2), and the highest (T3). Results: SP levels were significantly lower in subjects with MetS than in those without MetS in men but not in women. Waist circumference and fasting plasma glucose were negatively and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was positively correlated with SP levels both in men and women. Blood pressure (BP) and triglycerides (TG) were negatively correlated with SP levels in men, while they were positively correlated with SP levels in women. Lower SP levels were associated with the prevalence of MetS in men (T1; 19.9%, T2; 16.9%, and T3; 14.3%; p < 0.001) but not in women (T1; 14.1%, T2; 16.6%, and T3; 15.3%; p = 0.282). Conclusion: BP and TG were unexpectedly positively correlated with SP levels in women. Reduced SP levels were associated with MetS in men but not in women.
Age and Outcomes of Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Patients With Nonischemic Systolic Heart Failure
Authors: Elming Marie Bayer , Nielsen Jens C. , Haarbo Jens , Videbæk Lars , Korup Eva , Signorovitch James , Olesen Line Lisbeth , Hildebrandt Per , Steffensen Flemming H. , Bruun Niels E. , Eiskjær Hans , Brandes Axel , Thøgersen Anna M. , Gustafsson Finn , Egstrup Kenneth , Videbæk Regitze , Hassager Christian , Svendsen Jesper Hastrup , Høfsten Dan E. , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Pehrson Steen , Køber Lars , Thune Jens Jakob
Published: September 2017

Background:

The DANISH study (Danish Study to Assess the Efficacy of ICDs [Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators] in Patients With Non-Ischemic Systolic Heart Failure on Mortality) did not demonstrate an overall effect on all-cause mortality with ICD implantation. However, the prespecified subgroup analysis suggested a possible age-dependent association between ICD implantation and mortality with survival benefit seen only in the youngest patients. The nature of this relationship between age and outcome of a primary prevention ICD in patients with nonischemic systolic heart failure warrants further investigation.

Methods:

All 1116 patients from the DANISH study were included in this prespecified subgroup analysis. We assessed the relationship between ICD implantation and mortality by age, and an optimal age cutoff was estimated nonparametrically with selection impact curves. Modes of death were divided into sudden cardiac death and nonsudden death and compared between patients younger and older than this age cutoff with the use of χ
2
analysis.

Results:

Median age of the study population was 63 years (range, 21–84 years). There was a linearly decreasing relationship between ICD and mortality with age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.003–1.06;
P
=0.03). An optimal age cutoff for ICD implantation was present at ≤70 years. There was an association between reduced all-cause mortality and ICD in patients ≤70 years of age (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51–0.96;
P
=0.03) but not in patients >70 years of age (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.68–1.62;
P
=0.84). For patients ≤70 years old, the sudden cardiac death rate was 1.8 (95% CI, 1.3–2.5) and nonsudden death rate was 2.7 (95% CI, 2.1–3.5) events per 100 patient-years, whereas for patients >70 years old, the sudden cardiac death rate was 1.6 (95% CI, 0.8–3.2) and nonsudden death rate was 5.4 (95% CI, 3.7–7.8) events per 100 patient-years. This difference in modes of death between the 2 age groups was statistically significant (
P
=0.01).

Conclusions:

In patients with systolic heart failure not caused by ischemic heart disease, the association between the ICD and survival decreased linearly with increasing age. In this study population, an age cutoff for ICD implantation at ≤70 years yielded the highest survival for the population as a whole.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00542945.
The Politics of World Polity: Script-writing in International Organizations
Authors: Kentikelenis Alexander E. , Seabrooke Leonard
Published: September 2017

Sociologists have long examined how states, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), and professional groups interact in order to institutionalize their preferred norms at the transnational level. Yet, explanations of global norm-making that emphasize inter-organizational negotiations do not adequately explain the intra-organizational script-writing—that is, the codification of norms in prescriptive behavioral templates—that underpins this process. This article opens the black box of how scripts emerge and institutionalize within IGOs. Script-writing is a function of both world-cultural frames and material interests, held by different intra-organizational actors: scientific IGO staff and state representatives in governing bodies, respectively. The interplay between these frames and interests determines whether scripts will institutionalize. In this theoretical model, world-cultural and power-political explanations are pertinent to different, mutually informing, and coexisting aspects of the script-writing process. As a corollary of our approach, we present a conceptual framework for the study of intra-IGO script-writing, which is contingent on three normative struggles: among IGO staff, within an IGO’s board of directors, and between the staff and the board. To empirically substantiate our arguments, we examine scripts on taxation and capital controls by the International Monetary Fund. We conclude by discussing the broader implications of our model for the study of international organizations and the engines of global norm-making.
Analyzing Decision Logs to Understand Decision Making in Serious Crime Investigations
Authors: Dando Coral J. , Ormerod Thomas C.
Published: September 2017

Objective

To study decision making by detectives when investigating serious crime through the examination of decision logs to explore hypothesis generation and evidence selection.

Background

Decision logs are used to record and justify decisions made during serious crime investigations. The complexity of investigative decision making is well documented, as are the errors associated with miscarriages of justice and inquests. The use of decision logs has not been the subject of an empirical investigation, yet they offer an important window into the nature of investigative decision making in dynamic, time-critical environments.

Method

A sample of decision logs from British police forces was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to explore hypothesis generation and evidence selection by police detectives.

Results

Analyses revealed diversity in documentation of decisions that did not correlate with case type and identified significant limitations of the decision log approach to supporting investigative decision making. Differences emerged between experienced and less experienced officers’ decision log records in exploration of alternative hypotheses, generation of hypotheses, and sources of evidential inquiry opened over phase of investigation.

Conclusion

The practical use of decision logs is highly constrained by their format and context of use. Despite this, decision log records suggest that experienced detectives display strategic decision making to avoid confirmation and satisficing, which affect less experienced detectives.

Application

Potential applications of this research include both training in case documentation and the development of new decision log media that encourage detectives, irrespective of experience, to generate multiple hypotheses and optimize the timely selection of evidence to test them.
Moving to a shrinking city? Some suggestive observations on why college-educated professionals came to New Orleans and why they stayed
Authors: Ehrenfeucht Renia , Nelson Marla
Published: September 2017

The 2010 Census showed population increases in urban core neighbourhoods in US shrinking or legacy cities. Influenced by Florida’s creative class theory, municipal leaders in shrinking cities have sought to attract and retain creative and college-educated residents as a revitalisation strategy and implemented amenity-based policy initiatives. Nevertheless, when compared with strong market cities, weak market cities have fewer amenities and less robust job markets. Why college-educated professionals would choose to live in cities with weak job markets and declining services is not well explained. Based on findings from two sets of interviews conducted five years apart with college-educated professionals living and working in New Orleans, we found that a subset of professionals seeking opportunities to assist in the recovery were drawn to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They subsequently stayed because they valued the pace of their life and the ease at which they could maintain professional and personal networks, more than specific amenities. They stayed even though they found professional opportunities to be limited and considered some amenities and services including parks and transit worse than other cities where they had lived.
Reward-related limbic memory and stimulation of the cannabinoid system: An upgrade in value attribution?
Authors: Brancato Anna , Cavallaro Angela , Lavanco Gianluca , Plescia Fulvio , Cannizzaro Carla
Published: September 2017

While a lot is known about the mechanisms promoting aversive learning, the impact of rewarding factors on memory has received comparatively less attention. This research investigates reward-related explicit memory in male rats, by taking advantage of the emotional-object recognition test. This is based on the prior association, during conditioned learning, between a rewarding experience (the encounter with a receptive female rat) and an object; afterwards rat discrimination and recognition of the ‘emotional object’ is recorded in the presence of a novel object, as a measure of positive limbic memory formation. Since endocannabinoids are critical for processing reward and motivation, the consequences of the stimulation of cannabinoid signalling are also assessed by the administration of WIN 55,212-2 at pre- and post-conditioning time.

Our results show that rats encode the association between object and rewarding experience, form positive limbic memory of the emotional object, and retrieve this information in the face of novelty. Stimulation of the cannabinoid system at pre-conditioning time is able to strengthen reward-related explicit memory in the presence of novelty, whereas post-conditioning activation increases approach behaviour to novel stimuli.

The assessment of limbic memory by the emotional-object recognition test can help unveiling the addictive and confounding properties of psychotropic drugs.
On early-Holocene moisture and small-mammal histories in the Bonneville basin, Western United States
Authors: Schmitt Dave N , Lupo Karen D
Published: September 2017

Comparisons of Bonneville basin small-mammal skeletal assemblages from low-elevation caves with a collection from an upper piedmont rock shelter support Oviatt et al.’s hypothesis that early-Holocene moisture may have been the result of groundwater discharge rather than precipitation and runoff. After cool and moist late-Pleistocene environs were replaced by warmer and drier Holocene climates, low-elevation small-mammal communities increased in taxonomic richness and evenness and continued to support large numbers of rodent and leporid species well-adapted to mesic contexts. At the same time, the more upland small-mammal community along the Bonneville shoreline on the basin’s margin experienced declines in richness and evenness and the extirpation of a number of mesic-adapted mammals. Overall differences in the composition of these early-Holocene assemblages suggest the basin bottom sustained moist and energetically auspicious habitats considerably longer than regional adjacent uplands, and it is possible that this low-elevation moisture was the result of Pleistocene Lake Bonneville groundwater discharge.
Tell Me Who, and I’ll Tell You How Fair: A Model of Agent Bias in Justice Reasoning
Authors: Cojuharenco Irina , Marques Tatiana , Patient David
Published: September 2017

A salient and underresearched aspect of un/fair treatment in organizations can be the source of justice, in terms of a specific justice agent. We propose a model of agent bias to describe how and when characteristics of the agent enacting justice are important to justice reasoning. The agent bias is defined as the effect on overall event justice perceptions of specific agent characteristics, over and above the effect via distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. For justice recipients to focus on agent characteristics rather than on the event being evaluated in terms of fairness is an unexplored bias in justice judgments. Agent warmth, competence, and past justice track record (entity justice) are identified as agent characteristics that influence justice judgments. Agent characteristics can influence overall event justice perceptions positively or negatively, depending on the ambiguity in terms of justice of the event and on its expectedness from a particular justice agent. Finally, we propose that agent bias is stronger when justice recipients use intuitive versus analytic information processing of event information. Our model of agent bias has important theoretical implications for theories of organizational justice and for other literatures, as well as important practical implications for organizations and managers.
The Impact of Age on Morbidity and Mortality following Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Mcloughlin James M. , Lewis James M. , Meredith Kenneth L.
Published: September 2017

Background

In patients with esophageal cancer, treatment decisions often involve a balance between a high-risk procedure and the chance for long-term benefit. The decision can be additionally challenging for elderly patients since some studies have reported an increased incidence of morbidity and mortality in this age group, and data are not clear on the overall benefit of multimodality therapy.

Methods

To investigate the management and outcomes associated with esophagectomy in elderly patients with esophageal cancer, we performed a review of the literature as well as an analysis of our own institutional data, with a focus on the impact of age on surgical outcomes. We examined type of surgery, neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, postoperative complications, length of hospitalization, and mortality as variables in elderly patients with esophageal cancer.

Results

When assessing the impact of age on the success of esophagectomy, several studies have concluded that advanced age itself is not a predictor of outcomes as much as associated comorbidities are. Our own experience suggests that age is not associated with adverse outcomes when controlling for patient comorbidities. This finding is similar to data reported elsewhere.

Conclusions

When considering treatment for patients of advanced age, the risks of treatment should be compared with the survival benefits of the therapy prescribed, taking into account additional factors such as poor performance status, existing comorbidities, and residual tumor following neoadjuvant therapy. Many reports, as well as our own experience, have concluded that when adjusted for comorbidities, patient age does not significantly affect outcomes.
Not Just by Walking Distance: Residential Segregation and Children’s Network Integration in the City of Bremen
Authors: Windzio Michael , Trommer Maximilian
Published: September 2017

How does residential segregation affect 12-year-old children’s networks of home visit with their friends? According to social exchange theory, children visiting the household of their friends’ family increases integration. Focus theory suggests that the effect of residential segregation on these visits is mediated by “intermediary” network ties of friendship and spending leisure time. Accordingly, spatial segregation influences networks of home visits by a stepwise process of network creation and intensification, and not just by walking distance. Empirical evidence is based on a school survey in the German city of Bremen and combines exponential random graph ( p*) models (ERGM) for networks with path analysis. Results of direct and indirect effects are in line with focus theory: 57% of the effect of spatial proximity on ties in the visits-at-home network is mediated by ties in networks of spending leisure time together, which, in turn, is mediated by the influence of spatial proximity on ties in friendship networks.
Partner unmitigated communion moderates communal coping benefits in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Helgeson Vicki S , Seltman Howard , Korytkowski Mary T , Hausmann Leslie RM
Published: September 2017

The study goal was to determine whether partner’s level of unmitigated communion moderated the relation of partner communal coping to patient health. Couples in which one person was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes ( n = 123) were interviewed separately and asked to discuss a diabetes-related problem. Communal coping behavior (from videotaped discussions) interacted with partner communal coping, such that partner communal coping was related to lower patient distress, higher patient self-efficacy, and higher patient medication adherence only when partners scored lower on unmitigated communion. The extent to which perceived emotional responsiveness and overprotective behavior mediated these relations was explored.
Evidencing domestic violence*, including behaviour that falls under the new offence of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’
Authors: Bishop Charlotte , Bettinson Vanessa
Published: September 2017

In 2015 an offence of ‘controlling or coercive behaviour’ was introduced under the Serious Crime Act, criminalising for the first time the non-physical abuse which so often occurs in the domestic context. This new offence implicitly recognises the psychological and emotional harm which can result from an ongoing pattern of behaviour, and the need to consider the controlling or coercive nature of this behaviour in the context of the power dynamics of the relationship in question. Unique evidential difficulties are raised by this offence, in part because of the ways in which gendered expectations can disguise the controlling and coercive nature of certain behaviours. At the same time, to increase the number of prosecutions for domestic violence offences, including under the new offence, acknowledgement of the ongoing trauma often experienced by victims, and the ways in which this may hinder their ability to safely and effectively participate in the criminal justice process, is required. We will outline recommendations to enable this participation, whilst also asserting the need for creative prosecution methods which allow these type of cases to be prosecuted without being solely reliant upon the victim’s oral testimony in court.
Broscience: Creating trust in online drug communities
Authors: Bilgrei Ola Røed
Published: September 2017

This study explores the social mechanisms involved in online community trust. Drawing on interviews with members from two Norwegian Internet drug forums, the article illustrates how forum members evaluate the trustworthiness of online user-generated drug content, referred to as ‘broscience’. First, the shared narratives and boundaries within the forums generated a sense of collective identity, where members defined their online surroundings in terms of community trust and collaboration. Second, the subcultural argot within the forums helped members express a level of subcultural competence and authenticity, in which they were able to assess their credibility and initial trustworthiness. Third, the reputation linked to online identities created expectations and predictability as a basis for evaluating members’ trustworthiness. These findings touch upon the ambivalence of trust in an online setting and highlight the communal process that caused their ambivalence to be suspended, thereby enabling online community trust.
A Car2X sensor model for virtual development of automated driving
Authors: Eichberger Arno , Markovic Gerald , Magosi Zoltan , Rogic Branko , Lex Cornelia , Samiee Sajjad
Published: September 2017

Automated driving requires a reliable digital representation of the environment, which is achieved by various vehicle sensors. Wireless devices for communication between vehicles and infrastructure (Car2X communication) provide additional data beyond the vehicle’s sensor range. In order to reduce the amount of on-road testing, there has been an increased use of numerical simulation in the development of automated driving functions, which demands accurate simulation models for the sensors involved. The present research deals with the development of Car2X sensor models for conceptual, automated driving investigations based on relatively simple yet computationally efficient mathematical models featuring parameters derived from on-road hardware testing. For analysis purposes, variations in range and reliability in different driving situations were measured and depicted in Google Earth. For the sensor model, a combination of geometric and stochastic models was chosen. The modeling is based on a link budget calculation that considers system and path losses, where wave propagation is described using Nakagami probability density functions. For intersections, an additional term is added to account for the path loss with geometric parameters of the intersection. After model parametrization, an evaluation was conducted. In addition, as a sample case, Car2X was added to an adaptive cruise control, and the improved functionality was demonstrated using vehicle dynamics simulation. This extended adaptive cruise control used information from the indicator of surrounding vehicles to react faster to lane changes by these vehicles.
Gender-specific Pathways of Peer Influence on Adolescent Suicidal Behaviors
Authors: Fletcher Jason M.
Published: September 2017

The author explores new directions of understanding the pathways of peer influence on adolescent suicidal behavior by leveraging quasi-experimental variation in exposure to peer suicidal behaviors and tracing the flows of influence throughout school environments and networks. The author uses variation in peers’ family members’ suicide attempts to deploy an across–grade level, within-school analysis to estimate causal effects. Key findings include a gender-specific pathway, whereby girls are affected by their female grademates’ experiences with family member suicidality but are unaffected by their male grademates. These specific pathways allow novel approaches to be used that leverage the gender specificity of the influences within an instrumental variable analysis. The findings suggest large (gender-specific) peer effects on suicidal behaviors in adolescence.
The Gender Wage Gap: Extent, Trends, and Explanations
Authors: Blau Francine D. , Kahn Lawrence M.
Published: September 2017

Using Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) microdata over the 1980–2010 period, we provide new empirical evidence on the extent of and trends in the gender wage gap, which declined considerably during this time. By 2010, conventional human capital variables taken together explained little of the gender wage gap, while gender differences in occupation and industry continued to be important. Moreover, the gender pay gap declined much more slowly at the top of the wage distribution than at the middle or bottom and by 2010 was noticeably higher at the top. We then survey the literature to identify what has been learned about the explanations for the gap. We conclude that many of the traditional explanations continue to have salience. Although human-capital factors are now relatively unimportant in the aggregate, women's work force interruptions and shorter hours remain significant in high-skilled occupations, possibly due to compensating differentials. Gender differences in occupations and industries, as well as differences in gender roles and the gender division of labor remain important, and research based on experimental evidence strongly suggests that discrimination cannot be discounted. Psychological attributes or noncognitive skills comprise one of the newer explanations for gender differences in outcomes. Our effort to assess the quantitative evidence on the importance of these factors suggests that they account for a small to moderate portion of the gender pay gap, considerably smaller than, say, occupation and industry effects, though they appear to modestly contribute to these differences. ( JEL I26, J16, J24, J31, J71)
On Economic Interdependence and War
Authors: Morelli Massimo , Sonno Tommaso
Published: September 2017

In this article, we review the book Economic Interdependence and War by Dale C. Copeland, and take this opportunity to describe and discuss the current debate on the topic from an interdisciplinary perspective. We also provide novel insights on the measurability of dependence expectations' effects on conflict, using the interaction with geography and endowment asymmetries. (JEL D74, D84, F14, F51, Q34)
Recent Advances in Understanding and Managing Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Alvarez Paulino , Tang WH Wilson
Published: September 2017

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle leading to abnormal structure or function in the absence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, or valvular or congenital heart disease. Currently, cardiomyopathy is the leading diagnosis of heart transplant patients worldwide. Incorporation of next-generation sequencing strategies will likely revolutionize genetic testing in cardiomyopathy. The use of patient-specific pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for disease modeling and therapeutic testing has opened a new avenue for precision medicine in cardiomyopathy. Stem cell therapy, gene therapy, interfering RNA, and small molecules are actively being evaluated in clinical trials.
Phenotypic and genotypic detection of carbapenemase enzymes producing gram-negative bacilli isolated from patients in Khartoum State
Authors: Dahab R.A. , Ibrahim Alamin Mohamed , Altayb Hisham N.
Published: September 2017

Background: Carbapenems are used as antibiotics of last resort for treating infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli, but emergence of Carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli have been reported due to the production of Carbapenemase enzymes that significantly limits treatment options for life-threatening infections.

Objective: This study aimed to detect Carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli from patients attended to different hospitals in Khartoum state and to detect Carbapenemase enzymes production by phenotypic and genotypic methods.

Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in Khartoum state in the period from February to August 2016. Hundred and forty nine Gram-negative bacilli bacteria were isolated from different clinical specimens. Blood agar, Chromogenic agar media, MacConkey agar, XLD mediaandstandard biochemical tests were used for isolation and identification of Gram-negative bacilli from different samples. Standard antimicrobial susceptibility testing to Carbapenem antibiotic was performed for all isolates, then detection of Carbapenemase enzymes production for the resistant isolates was performed using Modified Hodge Test and PCR.

Results: Hundred and forty nine Gram-negative bacilli were isolated from 147 different clinical specimens. The most predominant Gram-negative bacilli isolates was E.coli (54.4%), followed by Klebsiella species (29.5%). More than fifty percent of the isolates were Carbapenem resistant. Fifty six percent of the resistant isolates were positive by Modified Hodge Test. By using PCR, 17.3% of resistant organisms were harbored blaOXA48 gene, and 6.7% harbored blaIMP gene. E.coli was the most bacteria that harbored the blaoxa48 followed by Klebsiella species. blaIMP gene was harbored only by E.coli.

Conclusion: The percentage of resistance to Carbapenems due to production of Carbapenemase enzymes is very high in Sudan.BlaOXA48 gene is more predominant than blaIMP in this study.
Ocean Current Energy Conversion System in Wallacea Region Using Variable Speed Control Approach
Authors: Nugraha Aditya Sukma , Rijanto Estiko
Published: September 2017

Ocean Current Energy Conversion System (OCECS) is a promising green energy resource in this globe. The Thermohaline circulation data indicates that the Wallacea region has the potential of ocean current energy resources. This paper is aimed to propose research and development of OCECSs to be implemented in the Wallacea region. Firstly, four types of green energy conversion systems extracted from ocean are reviewed. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. Secondly, the potential of OCECS in the Wallacea region is described. Third, many types of turbines used for OCECS are reviewed and the turbine type for OCECS is selected to be implemented in the Wallacea region. Fourth, control strategy is proposed.From the work reported in this paper it is concluded that it is appropriate to implement OCECSs using axial flow water turbines in the Wallacea region, and that to maximize energy conversion variable speed control approach is selected together with control of mechanism to move the turbine vertically as well as to rotate the turbine in yaw direction.
O
rpheus
DB
Authors: Huang Silu , Xu Liqi , Liu Jialin , Elmore Aaron J. , Parameswaran Aditya
Published: September 2017

Data science teams often collaboratively analyze datasets, generating dataset versions at each stage of iterative exploration and analysis. There is a pressing need for a system that can support dataset versioning, enabling such teams to efficiently store, track, and query across dataset versions. We introduce O
rpheus
DB, a dataset version control system that "
bolts on
" versioning capabilities to a traditional relational database system, thereby gaining the analytics capabilities of the database "for free". We develop and evaluate multiple data models for representing versioned data, as well as a light-weight partitioning scheme, L
yre
S
plit
, to further optimize the models for reduced query latencies. With L
yre
S
plit
, O
rpheus
DB is on average 10
3
× faster in finding effective (and better) partitionings than competing approaches, while also reducing the latency of version retrieval by up to 20× relative to schemes without partitioning. L
yre
S
plit
can be applied in an online fashion as new versions are added, alongside an intelligent migration scheme that reduces migration time by 10× on average.
Probabilistic database summarization for interactive data exploration
Authors: Orr Laurel , Balazinska Magdalena , Suciu Dan
Published: September 2017

We present a probabilistic approach to generate a small, query-able summary of a dataset for interactive data exploration. Departing from traditional summarization techniques, we use the Principle of Maximum Entropy to generate a probabilistic representation of the data that can be used to give approximate query answers. We develop the theoretical framework and formulation of our probabilistic representation and show how to use it to answer queries. We then present solving techniques and give three critical optimizations to improve preprocessing time and query accuracy. Lastly, we experimentally evaluate our work using a 5 GB dataset of flights within the United States and a 210 GB dataset from an astronomy particle simulation. While our current work only supports linear queries, we show that our technique can successfully answer queries faster than sampling while introducing, on average, no more error than sampling and can better distinguish between rare and nonexistent values.
Kodaira–Saito vanishing via Higgs bundles in positive characteristic
Authors: Arapura Donu
Published: September 2017

The goal of this paper is to give a new proof of a special case of the Kodaira–Saito vanishing theorem for a variation of Hodge structure on the complement of a divisor with normal crossings. The proof does not use the theory of mixed Hodge modules, but instead reduces it to a more general vanishing theorem for semistable nilpotent Higgs bundles, which is then proved by using some facts about Higgs bundles in positive characteristic.
Halicarnassus – Salmakis. A pre-Classical sympoliteia?
Authors: Piñol-Villanueva Adrià
Published: September 2017

The article focuses on the status of the settlement of Salmakis and the Salmakitans mentioned in two Halicarnassian inscriptions: Syll.3 46 and Syll.3 45 respectively. On the basis of some thematic and formal features of Syll.3 45, it is suggested that the status quo mirrored in the inscription is that resulting from a sympoliteia whereby Halicarnassus had absorbed the neighbouring polis of Salmakis. The article closes with some considerations on the possible location of Salmakis.
Lucius Sergius Catilina. Karriereperspektiven und Karriere eineshomo paene novusin der späten Römischen Republik
Authors: Schietinger Georg-Philipp
Published: September 2017

Berühmt-berüchtigt ist L. Sergius Catilina für seinen letztlich misslungenen Staatsstreich, dieconiuratio Catilinae. Seiner gescheiterten Verschwörung sowie deren Instrumentalisierung durch Sallust und Cicero verdankt er überhaupt seinen verhältnismäßig hohen Bekanntheitsgrad. So pendelt folgerichtig das Catilina-Bild zwischen dem ruchlosen Verbrecher auf der einen und dem Sozialrevolutionär auf der anderen Seite. Beide Betrachtungsweisen verstellen den Blick auf den genuinen, historischen Catilina als relativ verarmten und sozial wie politisch abgestiegenen Patrizierspross. Als solcher strebte er nach der Restaurierung seiner altehrwürdigengens, was er mittels eines erfolgreichencursus honorumbis hinauf zum Konsulat zu erreichen trachtete. Im Zeitraum zwischen 66 und 63 v. Chr. bot sich ihm dafür wegen des schlagbaren Mitbewerberfelds ein einmaliges Chancenfenster. Spätestens ab 63 v. Chr. versuchte er seine karriereperspektivischen Defizite, nämlich die dürftigecommendatio maiorum, die unzureichende Profilierung durch eigene Erfolge während seiner frühen politischen Laufbahn und das Fehlen eines mächtigen Förderers mittels eines dezidiert politisch-programmatischen Wahlkampfes zu kompensieren.
Meniere's Disease: An Overview and Training Considerations
Authors: Piper Timothy J. , Paulsen Trevor D. , Black Laurie , Brees Taryn N. , Schulte Jefree J.
Published: September 2017

MENIERE'S DISEASE IS A CHRONIC DISORDER THAT AFFECTS HEARING AND BALANCE. CURRENTLY, 615,000 INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNITED STATES SUFFER FROM MENIERE'S DISEASE, YET THERE IS LITTLE INFORMATION RELATED TO SPECIFIC TRAINING METHODS OR PRACTICES. THIS ARTICLE WILL ADDRESS THE IDENTIFICATION, MANAGEMENT PROCESS, TRAINING RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS UNIQUE POPULATION.