bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GaAsP/InGaP heterojunction bipolar transistors grown by MOCVD
Authors: Heidelberger Christopher , Fitzgerald Eugene A.
Published: January 2017

Heterojunction bipolar transistors with GaAsxP1−x bases and collectors and InyGa1−yP emitters were grown on GaAs substrates via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, fabricated using conventional techniques, and electrically tested. Four different GaAsxP1−x compositions were used, ranging from x = 0.825 to x = 1 (GaAs), while the InyGa1−yP composition was adjusted to remain lattice-matched to the GaAsP. DC gain close to or exceeding 100 is measured for 60 μm diameter devices of all compositions. Physical mechanisms governing base current and therefore current gain are investigated. The collector current is determined not to be affected by the barrier caused by the conduction band offset between the InGaP emitter and GaAsP base. While the collector current for the GaAs/InGaP devices is well-predicted by diffusion of electrons across the quasi-neutral base, the collector current of the GaAsP/InGaP devices exceeds this estimate by an order of magnitude. This results in higher transconductance for GaAsP/InGaP than would be estimated from known material properties.
Ion acceleration in electrostatic field of charged cavity created by ultra-short laser pulses of 1020–1021 W/cm2
Authors: Bychenkov V. Yu. , Singh P. K. , Ahmed H. , Kakolee K. F. , Scullion C. , Jeong T. W. , Hadjisolomou P. , Alejo A. , Kar S. , Borghesi M. , Ter-Avetisyan S.
Published: January 2017

Ion acceleration resulting from the interaction of ultra-high intensity and ultra-high contrast (∼10−10) laser pulses with thin Al foil targets at 30° angle of laser incidence is studied. Proton maximum energies of 30 and 18 MeV are measured along the target normal rear and front sides, respectively, showing intensity scaling as Ib. For the target front bfront= 0.5–0.6 and for the target rear brear= 0.7–0.8 is observed in the intensity range 1020–1021 W/cm2. The fast scaling from the target rear ∼I0.75 can be attributed enhancement of laser energy absorption as already observed at relatively low intensities. The backward acceleration of the front side protons with intensity scaling as ∼I0.5 can be attributed to the to the formation of a positively charged cavity at the target front via ponderomotive displacement of the target electrons at the interaction of relativistic intense laser pulses with a solid target. The experimental results are in a good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Intriguing substitution of conducting layer triggered enhancement of thermoelectric performance in misfit-layered (SnS)1.2(TiS2)2
Authors: Yin Cong , Hu Qing , Wang Guoyu , Huang Tianyu , Zhou Xiaoyuan , Zhang Xiong , Dou Yunwei , Kang Bin , Tang Jun , Liu Ning , Ang Ran
Published: January 2017

We have systematically investigated the thermoelectric properties of misfit-layered chalcogenide (SnS)1.2(TiS2)2. Surprisingly, an unexpected Cu and Co substitution in the conducting TiS2 layer, acceptor dopant, can induce an exotic enhancement of thermoelectric performance. In particular, the value of dimensionless figure of merit ZT has increased by 33.3% and up to 0.42 at 720 K for Cu-substituted (SnS)1.2(Cu0.02Ti0.98S2)2. The present findings demonstrate that large effective mass and low carrier concentration are responsible for the emergence of large Seebeck coefficient and high power factor. Furthermore, the enhanced disorder effect due to the substitution accounts for the decrease of electronic thermal conductivity, while the increased phonon scattering of interlayer between SnS and TiS2 layers leads to the reduction of phononic thermal conductivity. Consequently, the Cu- and Co-substituted (SnS)1.2(TiS2)2 could be considered as a promising candidate of thermoelectric materials.
Thermal stability and magnetic properties of MgFe2O4@ZnO nanoparticles
Authors: Mallesh S. , Prabu D. , Srinivas V.
Published: January 2017

Magnesium ferrite, MgFe2O4, (MgFO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized through sol-gel process. Subsequently, as prepared particles were coated with Zinc-oxide (ZnO) layer(s) through ultrasonication process. Thermal stability, structure and magnetic properties of as-prepared (AP) and annealed samples in the temperature range of 350 °C-1200 °C have been investigated. Structural data suggests that AP MgFO NPs and samples annealed below 500 °C in air exhibit stable ferrite phase. However, α-Fe2O3 and a small fraction of MgO secondary phases appear along with ferrite phase on annealing in the temperatures range 500 °C- 1000 °C. This results in significant changes in magnetic moment for AP NPs 0.77 μB increases to 0.92 μB for 1200 °C air annealed sample. The magnetic properties decreased at intermediate temperatures due to the presence of secondary phases. On the other hand, pure ferrite phase could be stabilized with an optimum amount of ZnO coated MgFO NPs for samples annealed in the temperature range 500 °C-1000 °C with improvement in magnetic behavior compared to that of MgFO samples.
Tunneling magnetoresistance in nanogranular La1-xSrxMnO3 (x∼0.5)
Authors: Hejtmánek Jiří , Jirák Zdeněk , Kaman Ondřej , Vratislav Stanislav
Published: January 2017

Electric transport and magnetic studies were performed on the La1-xSrxMnO3 (x=0.45-0.55) perovskite manganites. The main focus was given to the nanogranular ceramics of average x=0.47 composition, compacted by spark plasma sintering of molten salt synthesized nanoparticles. This sample can be viewed as a two-phase composite where FM manganite granules are embedded in AFM manganite matrix. The magnetoconductance data observed on this sample reveal a coexistence of distinct low- and high-field contributions, related to the field-induced alignment of ferromagnetic (FM) granules and the spin canting in antiferromagnetic (AFM) matrix, respectively. Their analysis confirms the theoretically predicted scaling of the low-field effect with squared reduced magnetization and provides also a quantitative comparison between the linear coefficient of high-field magnetoconductance and paraprocess seen in the magnetization measurement.
Nitrate increases ethylene production and aerenchyma formation in roots of lowland rice plants under water stress
Authors: Gao Cuimin , Ding Lei , Li Yingrui , Chen Yupei , Zhu Jingwen , Gu Mian , Li Yong , Xu Guohua , Shen Qirong , Guo Shiwei
Published: January 2017

Ethylene increases root cortical aerenchyma formation in maize (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and other species. To further investigate the effects of nitrate, ammonium and water stress on ethylene production and aerenchyma formation in roots, two lowland rice cultivars (Shanyou 63, hybrid indica, and Yangdao 6, inbred indica) were cultured hydroponically with 10% (w/v) polyethylene glycol to simulate water stress. Water stress decreased shoot biomass, stomatal conductivity and leaf water potential in cultivars fed with nitrate but not with ammonium. Water stress induced more aerenchyma formation in cultivars fed with nitrate rather than ammonium, and increased cortical aerenchyma was found in Yangdao 6. Endogenous ethylene production by roots increased significantly under water stress in plants fed with nitrate rather than ammonium. Exogenous ethylene stimulated root cortical aerenchyma formation. Expression of the ethylene biosynthesis gene 1-aminocyclo-propane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS5) was greater in roots fed with nitrate rather than ammonium in the presence and absence of water stress. The expression of ethylene signalling pathway genes involved in programmed cell death (lesion-simulating disease (L.S.D.)1.1 and L.S.D.2; enhanced disease susceptibility (EDS) and phytoalexin-deficient (PAD4)) were regulated by the N form and water stress. In plants of cultivars fed with ammonium, L.S.D.1.1 expression increased under water stress, whereas L.S.D.2, EDS and PAD4 expression decreased. In conclusion, nitrate increases ethylene production and cortical aerenchyma formation in roots of water-stressed lowland rice. However, ammonium increased L.S.D.1.1 expression in water-stressed roots, and decreased ACS5, EDS and PAD4 expression, which would inhibit ethylene production and aerenchyma formation.
Long-wavelength fluctuations and the glass transition in two dimensions and three dimensions
Authors: Vivek Skanda , Kelleher Colm P. , Chaikin Paul M. , Weeks Eric R.
Published: January 2017

Significance

For phase transitions and fluid dynamics, there are significant qualitative differences between two dimensions and three dimensions. However, it has been long assumed that the glass transition is similar in two and three dimensions. Here, we present experimental data on 2D and 3D colloidal systems near their glass transitions. We demonstrate that the differences between two dimensions and three dimensions are due to long-wavelength fluctuations, precisely those that distinguish 2D and 3D phase transitions. We show that the influence of these fluctuations can be disentangled from the underlying dynamics, and that 2D and 3D glass transitions are otherwise similar.
Self-constructed and ascribed identity of the Greek protesters in Syntagma Square
Authors: Goutsos Dionysis , Polymeneas George
Published: January 2017

In this chapter we contrast our findings from a previous study of the textual, discursive and social practices of the Greek protester movements, based on data from the General Assembly proceedings and their resolutions (Goutsos and Polymeneas 2014), with how the protesters in Syntagma square were viewed by others, namely the Greek media in a series of articles coinciding with or following the protests. The protesters’ own linguistic and discursive practices are thus juxtaposed to their recontextualizations and representations by others. A pronounced difference is found between self-constructed and ascribed identity as indicative of the representational power of the media, which have attempted to interpret the protesters’ identity within the existing political context.
Taking stances on the Greek crisis
Authors: Georgalou Mariza
Published: January 2017

In this paper I explore informal conversations about the Greek crisis on the social network site of Facebook, drawing on Du Bois’ (2007) theory on stance, as well as on methods of discourse-centred online ethnography and corpus linguistics. I closely analyse a particular discursive episode between three Greek Facebook users (two male students of International and European Studies and one female Law student) and investigate how they take stances towards austerity and towards one another. Focusing on two interactional stance-taking activities, positioning and (dis)alignment, I argue that while the participants express divergent stances, they also show heightened awareness and criticality of both the crisis context and Facebook’s generic context.
“At night we’ll come and find you, traitors”
Authors: Baider Fabienne , Constantinou Maria
Published: January 2017

Borrowing concepts from traditional semiotics, lexical semantics and critical discourse analysis, this chapter examines how the concept of “nationhood” is constructed via texts, as well as avatars and pseudonyms of Golden Dawn and ELAM (its Greek Cypriot counterpart) followers in virtual communication, while taking into consideration their discourses and the parties’ ideology as represented in official written texts and speeches. The study focuses on the emotions of pride (Self), contempt (Other) and empathy (Nation), especially in the Greek Cypriot context, and argues that the targets of these emotions are very much part of the socio-historical context of the community involved.
Dialogue in video games
Authors: Domsch Sebastian
Published: January 2017

Dialogue is hardwired into the very matrix of video games, not only because they are an interactive medium, but because they are an active one: they react to input by players and can offer their own input. From the beginning, rule structures in video games were communicated through language. The more emphasis a game put on narrative, the more this turned into a dialogue with the player. Video games are usually at least implicitly cast as second-person narratives, hinting at or enacting a dialogue between the narrator/game master and the player. The player’s avatar also communicates within the game. This chapter looks systematically at the relationship between ludic and dialogic structures and at the various forms that dialogue has taken in video games.
Verbal inflectional morphology and modality in compound clause-linkage markers in Japanese
Authors: Tsunoda Mie
Published: January 2017

Japanese has many compound clause-linkage markers (hereafter “CLMs”). Some of them consist of a verbal inflectional suffix and (up to three) particles. They include eleven compound CLMs that have the Concessive conditional meaning (‘even if’) and/or the Concessive meaning (‘even though, although’). In these eleven compound CLMs, different inflectional categories of verbs (i.e. conjugational categories) combined with different particles indicate different degrees of the speaker’s belief or confidence regarding the likelihood of the existence or occurrence of a situation. That is, verbal inflectional morphology plays a crucial role in expressing modal meanings. Such a phenomenon does not seem to have been recognized for Japanese or any other language.
On the Fokker–Planck equations with inflow boundary conditions
Authors: Hwang Hyung Ju , Phan Du
Published: January 2017

The results in this paper extend those of a 2014 work of the first author, Jang and Velázquez. Instead of considering absorbing boundary data, we treat the general inflow boundary conditions and obtain the well–posedness, regularity up to the singular set, and asymptotic behavior of solutions to the Fokker–Planck equation in an interval with the inflow boundary conditions.
Revisiting the tubulin cofactors and Arl2 in the regulation of soluble αβ-tubulin pools and their effect on microtubule dynamics
Authors: Al-Bassam Jawdat
Published: January 2017

Soluble αβ-tubulin heterodimers are maintained at high concentration inside eukaryotic cells, forming pools that fundamentally drive microtubule dynamics. Five conserved tubulin cofactors and ADP ribosylation factor–like 2 regulate the biogenesis and degradation of αβ-tubulins to maintain concentrated soluble pools. Here I describe a revised model for the function of three tubulin cofactors and Arl2 as a multisubunit GTP-hydrolyzing catalytic chaperone that cycles to promote αβ-tubulin biogenesis and degradation. This model helps explain old and new data indicating these activities enhance microtubule dynamics in vivo via repair or removal of αβ-tubulins from the soluble pools
Transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis: the relation between hypo-attenuated leaflet thickening, abnormal valve haemodynamics, and stroke
Authors: Vollema E. Mara , Kong William K. F. , Katsanos Spyridon , Kamperidis Vasileios , van Rosendael Philippe J. , van der Kley Frank , de Weger Arend , Ajmone Marsan Nina , Delgado Victoria , Bax Jeroen J.
Published: January 2017

Aims

The presence of hypo-attenuated leaflet thickening (HALT) and/or reduced leaflet motion on multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) has been proposed as a possible marker for early transcatheter aortic valve thrombosis. However, its association with abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography (another potential marker of thrombosis) and clinical outcomes (stroke) remains unclear. The present study evaluated the prevalence of HALT on MDCT and abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography. In addition, the occurrence of ischemic stroke and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA) was assessed.

Methods and results

A total of 434 patients (mean age 80 ± 7 years, 51% male) who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) were evaluated. Transcatheter valve haemodynamics were assessed on echocardiography at discharge, 6 months, and thereafter yearly (up to 3 years post-TAVR). The presence of HALT and/or reduced leaflet motion was assessed on MDCT performed 35 days [interquartile range 19–210] after TAVR in 128 of these 434 patients. Possible TAVR valve thrombosis was defined by mean transvalvular gradient ≥20 mmHg and aortic valve area (AVA) ≤1.1cm2 on echocardiography or by the presence of HALT or reduced leaflet motion on MDCT. The occurrence of ischemic stroke/TIA at follow-up was recorded. HALT and/or reduced leaflet motion was present in 12.5% of 128 patients undergoing MDCT, and was associated with a slightly higher mean transvalvular gradient (12.4 ± 8.0 mmHg vs. 9.4 ± 4.3 mmHg; P = 0.026) and smaller AVA (1.49 ± 0.39 cm2 vs. 1.78 ± 0.45 cm2, P = 0.017). Only one patient with HALT on MDCT revealed abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography. At 3-year follow-up, abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography were observed in 3% of patients. HALT on MDCT and abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography were not associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke/TIA.

Conclusion

On MDCT, 12.5% of patients showed HALT or reduced leaflet motion, whereas only one of these patients had abnormal valve haemodynamics on echocardiography. Neither HALT nor increased transvalvular gradient were associated with stroke/TIA.
Protistan microzooplankton and the trophic position of tuna: quantifying the trophic link between micro- and mesozooplankton in marine foodwebs
Authors: Landry Michael R. , Décima Moira R.
Published: January 2017

The importance of the trophic link between <200-µm protistan microzooplankton and mesozooplankton is a cornerstone of modern understanding of foodweb structure of marine pelagic ecosystems that is well demonstrated in experimentally measured contributions of protistan consumers to mesozooplankton diets, in constrained global budgets, and in regional studies that show the inadequacies of meeting zooplankton metabolic requirements by herbivory alone. Nonetheless, protistan trophic steps are poorly reflected in stable isotope analyses by standard methods and systematically neglected in fisheries-related trophic research, which focuses instead on interactions that can be measured in stomach contents. Here, we apply recent advances in compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) based on alanine as a trophic indicator of protistan foodweb steps to evaluate the implications of lower foodweb structure on trophic position (TP) estimates of tunas. CSIA-AA results for mesozooplankton of the subtropical North Pacific suggest that tuna TPs are underestimated by 0.9, which give rise to new TP estimates of 4.7–5.4 for the three main tuna species of that region. These, in turn, are used to compute a trophic enrichment factor (TEF = 4.45) based on alanine that includes 15N enrichments for protistan consumers and can be applied more broadly in the region. Accounting for the magnitude and variability of protistan trophic steps in the foodwebs supporting pelagic fisheries has important implications for understanding regional variability in energy flows and foodweb structure and their temporal responses to climate change.
The effect of elevated carbon dioxide on the sinking and swimming of the shelled pteropod Limacina retroversa
Authors: Bergan Alexander J. , Lawson Gareth L. , Maas Amy E. , Wang Zhaohui Aleck
Published: January 2017

Shelled pteropods are planktonic molluscs that may be affected by ocean acidification. Limacina retroversa from the Gulf of Maine were used to investigate the impact of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) on shell condition as well as swimming and sinking behaviours. Limacina retroversa were maintained at either ambient (ca. 400 µatm) or two levels of elevated CO2 (800 and 1200 µatm) for up to 4 weeks, and then examined for changes in shell transparency, sinking speed, and swimming behaviour assessed through a variety of metrics (e.g. speed, path tortuosity, and wing beat frequency). After exposures to elevated CO2 for as little as 4 d, the pteropod shells were significantly darker and more opaque in the elevated CO2 treatments. Sinking speeds were significantly slower for pteropods exposed to medium and high CO2 in comparison to the ambient treatment. Swimming behaviour showed less clear patterns of response to treatment and duration of exposure, but overall, swimming did not appear to be hindered under elevated CO2. Sinking is used by L. retroversa for predator evasion, and altered speeds and increased visibility could increase the susceptibility of pteropods to predation.
Shaping the future of marine socio-ecological systems research: when early-career researchers meet the seniors
Authors: Drakou Evangelia G. , Kermagoret Charlène , Comte Adrien , Trapman Brita , Rice Jake C.
Published: January 2017

As the environmental issues facing our planet change, scientific efforts need to inform the sustainable management of marine resources by adopting a socio-ecological systems approach. Taking the symposium on “Understanding marine socio-ecological systems: including the human dimension in Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (MSEAS)” as an opportunity we organized a workshop to foster the dialogue between early and advanced-career researchers and explore the conceptual and methodological challenges marine socio-ecological systems research faces. The discussions focused on: a) interdisciplinary research teams versus interdisciplinary scientists; b) idealism versus pragmatism on dealing with data and conceptual gaps; c) publishing interdisciplinary research. Another major discussion point was the speed at which governance regimes and institutional structures are changing and the role of researchers in keeping up with it. Irrespective of generation, training or nationality, all participants agreed on the need for multi-method approaches that encompass different social, political, ecological and institutional settings, account for complexity and communicate uncertainties. A shift is needed in the questions the marine socio-ecological scientific community addresses, which could happen by drawing on lessons learnt and experiences gained. These require in turn a change in education and training, accompanied by a change in research and educational infrastructures.
A roadmap for a quantitative ecosystem-based environmental impact assessment
Authors: Coston-Guarini J. , Guarini J.-M. , Hinz Shawn , Wilson Jeff , Chauvaud L.
Published: January 2017

A new roadmap for quantitative methodologies of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is proposed, using an ecosystem-based approach. EIA recommendations are currently based on case-by-case rankings, distant from statistical methodologies, and ecological ideas that lack proof of generality or predictive capacities. These qualitative approaches ignore process dynamics, scales of variations and interdependencies and are unable to address societal demands to link socio-economic and ecological processes (e.g. population dynamics). We propose to re-focus EIA around the systemic formulation of interactions between organisms (organized in populations and communities) and their environments but inserted within a strict statistical framework. A systemic formulation allows scenarios to be built that simulate impacts on chosen receptors. To illustrate the approach, we design a minimum ecosystem model that demonstrates nontrivial effects and complex responses to environmental changes and validated with case study. We suggest that an Ecosystem-Based EIA—in which the socio-economic system is an evolving driver of the ecological one—is more promising than a socio-economic-ecological system where all variables are treated as equal. This refocuses the debate on cause-and-effect, processes, identification of essential portable variables, and allows for quantitative comparisons between projects, which is critical in cumulative effects determinations.
Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory states of adipose tissue in transgenic mice bearing a single TCR
Authors: Matsumoto Ayaka , Taniguchi Kaori , Takeda Naoki , Yamamura Ken-ichi , Arai Satoko , Miyazaki Toru
Published: January 2017

Obesity is accompanied by chronic, low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue, which is associated with insulin resistance and consequent multiple metabolic diseases. In addition to M1 macrophage infiltration, multiple involvements of adipose tissue T lymphocytes in the progression of inflammation have been highlighted recently. Here, we isolated a specific Vα5/Vβ8.2 TCR-bearing T cell that accumulated in obese adipose tissue of mice, and generated transgenic mice expressing this TCR. Under lean conditions with a normal chow diet, CD4+FoxP3+ Treg cells and M2 macrophages increased in adipose tissue with ageing in wild-type mice, but not in transgenic mice. However, both mice exhibited no obvious adipose tissue inflammation such as the formation of crown-like structures (CLSs) of infiltrating macrophages. When fed a high-fat diet, the proportion of adipose tissue Treg cells was markedly small at a similar level in transgenic and wild-type mice. Both types of mice exhibited comparable inflammatory states in adipose tissue, including vast formation of macrophage CLSs, accompanied by insulin resistance. Together, our findings suggest that the absence of an increase in Treg cells and M2 macrophages is not sufficient to initiate inflammatory macrophage infiltration in lean adipose tissue and also provide a new view about the involvement of T cells in promoting obesity-associated inflammation.
Utilizing patient geographic information system data to plan telemedicine service locations
Authors: Soares Neelkamal , Dewalle Joseph , Marsh Ben
Published: January 2017

Objective: To understand potential utilization of clinical services at a rural integrated health care system by generating optimal groups of telemedicine locations from electronic health record (EHR) data using geographic information systems (GISs).

Methods: This retrospective study extracted nonidentifiable grouped data of patients over a 2-year period from the EHR, including geomasked locations. Spatially optimal groupings were created using available telemedicine sites by calculating patients’ average travel distance (ATD) to the closest clinic site.

Results: A total of 4027 visits by 2049 unique patients were analyzed. The best travel distances for site groupings of 3, 4, 5, or 6 site locations were ranked based on increasing ATD. Each one-site increase in the number of available telemedicine sites decreased minimum ATD by about 8%. For a given group size, the best groupings were very similar in minimum travel distance. There were significant differences in predicted patient load imbalance between otherwise similar groupings. A majority of the best site groupings used the same small number of sites, and urban sites were heavily used.

Discussion: With EHR geospatial data at an individual patient level, we can model potential telemedicine sites for specialty access in a rural geographic area. Relatively few sites could serve most of the population. Direct access to patient GIS data from an EHR provides direct knowledge of the client base compared to methods that allocate aggregated data.

Conclusion: Geospatial data and methods can assist health care location planning, generating data about load, load balance, and spatial accessibility.
Using digital and social media platforms for social marketing
Authors: Blair Melissa K.
Published: January 2017

Digital communication tools have transformed the way we can change behaviour. There are benefits for academics and social marketers using digital and social media as tools for both information sharing and behaviour change. Both individual and macro behaviour change principles can be successfully applied in a digital environment and advances in analytics and sensor technology allow social marketers to effectively motivate a participant’s behaviour change journey through relevant and timely support. The combination of network theory and social media has shown that strategically structured online communities can create social environments that promote behaviour change, and social currency is a necessary component in building a social media campaign that has high-value content which in turn creates high engagement and social media campaign success.
Strengthening Healthcare Systems and Health Information Systems
Authors: Sahay Sundeep , Sundararaman T , Braa Jørn
Published: January 2017

Establishment of health information systems has been a central objective of health sector reform in nearly all LMICs over the last two to three decades. Historically, reform processes have taken introduction of health information systems as inhertently strengthening health sector performance. But today it is more appropriate to talk of health sector strengthening as co-evolving with health information systems strengthening, each reinforcing the performance and reform agendas of the other. The need to build synergies is heightened as there are a multitude of global and national health reform processes underway, like those assoicated with the sustainable development goals or with universal health coverage and each of these have expanded informational needs, requiring robust, flexible, and evolving health information systems. An understanding of the challenges faced by efforts at health systems strengthening helps provide meaningful inputs into health information systems design and vice versa. Such an understanding will enrich public health informatics as an academic discipline, as an area of practice, and as a policy domain.
Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Advanced Cancer Patients
Authors: Breitbart William , Applebaum Allison J. , Masterson Melissa
Published: January 2017

The ability to sustain a sense of meaning is significantly associated with important elements of end-of-life despair. Meaning-centered group psychotherapy (MCGP), an eight-session group psychotherapy intervention, was developed to help patients with advanced cancer sustain or enhance a sense of meaning. MCGP has been shown to significantly improve spiritual well-being, sense of meaning, and quality of life and to diminish anxiety, depression, hopelessness, symptom burden distress, and desire for death. The mechanism of this benefit is through the enhancement of meaning. MCGP appears to be a beneficial intervention for emotional and spiritual suffering in advanced cancer patients. This chapter describes the theoretical framework and research basis for pursuing an intervention to enhance or sustain meaning. It also describes the development of MCGP, its evidence base for clinical efficacy, and outlines the intervention in great detail.
Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Advanced Cancer Patients
Authors: Breitbart William , Lichtenthal Wendy G. , Applebaum Allison J. , Masterson Melissa
Published: January 2017

Among the advanced cancer population, existential concerns are major issues that promote significant distress. For patients who are facing death, meaning and the preservation of meaning are not only clinically and existentially important but also central concepts to a therapeutic intervention. Based on Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy and the principles of existential psychology and philosophy, “meaning-centered psychotherapy” was developed to help patients with advanced cancer sustain or enhance a sense of meaning, peace, and purpose in their lives. This chapter provides an overview of work developing and testing individual meaning-centered psychotherapy (IMCP). It provides an overview of the session content in the IMCP intervention. It also presents findings from clinical trials, which support the efficacy of IMCP as an intervention to increase a sense of meaning, spiritual well-being, and hope while decreasing end-of-life despair. Furthermore, it presents difficult scenarios that may arise when delivering IMCP for clinicians interested in this work.
A discovery of young stellar objects in older clusters of the Large Magellanic Cloud
Authors: For Bi-Qing , Bekki Kenji
Published: January 2017

Recent studies have shown that an extended main-sequence turn-off is a common feature among intermediate-age clusters (1–3 Gyr) in the Magellanic Clouds. Multiple-generation star formation and stellar rotation or interacting binaries have been proposed to explain the feature. However, it remains controversial in the field of stellar populations. Here we present the main results of an ongoing star formation among older star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Cross-matching the positions of star clusters and young stellar objects has yielded 15 matches, with 7 located in the cluster centre. We demonstrate that this is not by chance by estimating local number densities of young stellar objects for each star cluster. This method is not based on isochrone fitting, which leads to some uncertainties in age estimation and methods of background subtraction. We also find no direct correlation between atomic hydrogen and the clusters. This suggests that gas accretion for fueling the star formation must be happening in situ. These findings support for the multiple-generations scenario as a plausible explanation for the extended main-sequence turn-off.
State of the Art in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: An Update on Current Clinical Evidence
Authors: Wilson Jefferson R. , Tetreault Lindsay A. , Kim Jun , Shamji Mohammed F. , Harrop James S. , Mroz Thomas , Cho Samuel , Fehlings Michael G.
Published: January 2017

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common cause of spinal cord dysfunction that confronts clinicians on a daily basis. Research performed over the past few decades has provided improved insight into the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of this disorder. We aim to provide clinicians with an update regarding the state of the art in DCM, focusing on more recent research pertaining to pathophysiology, natural history, treatment, consideration of the minimally symptomatic patient, surgical outcome prediction, and outcome measurement. Current concepts of pathophysiology focus on the combination of static and dynamic elements leading to breakdown of the blood–spinal cord barrier at the site of compression resulting in local inflammation, cellular dysfunction, and apoptosis. With respect to treatment, although there is a dearth of high-quality studies comparing surgical to nonoperative treatment, several large prospective studies have recently associated surgical management with clinically and statistically significant improvement in functional, disability, and quality of life outcome at long-term follow-up. When selecting the specific surgical intervention for a patient with DCM, anterior (discectomy, corpectomy, hybrid discectomy/corpectomy), posterior (laminectomy and fusion, laminoplasty), and combined approaches may be considered as options depending on the specifics of the patient in question; evidence supporting each of these approaches is reviewed in detail. Recently developed clinical prediction models allow for accurate forecasting of postoperative outcomes, permitting enhanced communication and management of patient expectations in the preoperative setting. Finally, an overview of outcome measures recommended for use in the assessment of DCM patients is provided.
The Continuum of Neurosurgical Care: Increasing the Neurosurgeon's Role and Responsibility
Authors: Zusman Edie E. , Benzil Deborah L.
Published: January 2017

The Health Care Reform Act has fostered a shift toward capitation and shared risk among providers to improve quality and reduce the escalating costs of healthcare. Like all physicians, neurosurgeons are increasingly being incentivized to participate in efforts to streamline care through the use of surgical pathways to reduce hospital length of stay and prevent readmissions. These changes have expanded the role of the neurosurgeon along the continuum of care for the neurosurgery patient. This paper predicts and advocates for a further broadening of neurosurgery participation from programs that reward physicians for helping to prevent a high-risk patient's need for surgery to management of postacute rehabilitation. It also introduces the concept of risk reduction more generally at the community level through collaborative interventions that improve health through changes to the built environment, innovations in transportation, and improved access to healthy food and recreation opportunities.
Pineoblastoma—The Experience at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Authors: Parikh Kara A. , Venable Garrett T. , Orr Brent A. , Choudhri Asim F. , Boop Frederick A. , Gajjar Amar J. , Klimo Paul
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND: Pineoblastomas are rare, supratentorial, primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To document outcomes with multimodal therapy and evaluate the impact that the degree of surgical resection has on outcome.

METHODS: A departmental brain tumor database was queried to identify all patients with pathologically proven pineoblastoma who were treated from January 1997 to June 2015 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. For each patient, we recorded demographic, pathological, radiological, surgical, and clinical follow-up data. The effect of degree of surgical resection on survival outcomes was analyzed.

RESULTS: Forty-one patients (21 male, 20 female) treated for pineoblastoma were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 5.5 years (range 0.4-28.1) and the median follow-up was 34.5 months. Nineteen patients experienced tumor relapse with a median progression-free survival of 11.3 months, and 18 ultimately succumbed to their disease. Patients who died or experienced treatment failure were younger (median, 2.69 vs 6.5 years, P = .026) and more likely to have metastatic disease at diagnosis (12 [63.2%] vs 5 [22.7%], P = .012). When analyzing only patients 5 years of age or older with focal disease at presentation, those who had a gross total resection or near-total resection—compared with subtotal resection or biopsy—had greater overall survival (75.18 vs 48.57 months), with no patients dying as a result of their cancer.

CONCLUSION: Poor prognostic variables for children with pineoblastoma include young age, metastatic disease at presentation, and tumor relapse. For patients older than 5 years with focal disease, maximal tumor resection should be the goal.
Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Following Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery
Authors: Ramayya Ashwin G. , Abdullah Kalil G. , Mallela Arka N. , Pierce John T. , Thawani Jayesh , Petrov Dmitry , Baltuch Gordon H.
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a safe and efficacious surgical intervention for several movement disorders; however, the 30-day all-cause readmission rate associated with this procedure has not previously been documented.

OBJECT: To perform a retrospective cohort study to estimate the 30-day all-cause readmission rate associated with DBS.

METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients over the age of 18 who underwent DBS surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between 2009 and 2014. We identified patients who were readmitted to an inpatient medical facility within 30 days from their initial discharge.

RESULTS: Over the study period, 23 (6.6%) of 347 DBS procedures resulted in a readmission to the hospital within 30 days. Causes of readmission were broadly categorized into surgery-related (3.7%): intracranial lead infection (0.6%), battery-site infection (0.6%), intracranial hematoma along the electrode tract (0.6%), battery-site hematoma (0.9%), and seizures (1.2%); and nonsurgery-related (2.9%): altered mental status (1.8%), nonsurgical-site infections (0.6%), malnutrition and poor wound healing (0.3%), and a pulse generator malfunction requiring reprogramming (0.3%). Readmissions could be predicted by the presence of medical comorbidities (P < .001), but not by age, gender, or length of stay (Ps > .15).

CONCLUSION: All-cause 30-day readmission for DBS is 6.6%. This compares favorably to previously studied neurosurgical procedures. Readmissions frequently resulted from surgery-related complications, particularly infection, seizures, and hematomas, and were significantly associated with the presence of medical comorbidities (P < .001).
Comprehensive Review of the ThinkFirst Injury Prevention Programs: A 30-Year Success Story for Organized Neurosurgery
Authors: Youngers Emily H. , Zundel Kayt , Gerhardstein Deborah , Martínez Mariela , Bertrán Carlos , Proctor Mark R. , Spatola Mark A. , Neuwelt Edward A.
Published: January 2017

Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries are major public health issues causing significant death and long-term disability in the United States, with higher incidences in young and older adults. The ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on injury prevention education and awareness for people of all ages, with a particular focus on educating children, teens, and young adults. ThinkFirst chapters have evaluated the effectiveness of the ThinkFirst programs in both children and teens by demonstrating significant improvement in knowledge regarding high-risk behaviors postintervention. Here, we review the available literature studying the efficacy of the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation programs, outline current ThinkFirst activity, and discuss future directions of the program. This review discusses the efforts of a number of ThinkFirst chapters in terms of research, legislation, and public communication. It showcases the success of ThinkFirst interventions and suggests future directions which can help improve national injury prevention efforts.
Effects of Cranioplasty on Cerebral Blood Flow Following Decompressive Craniectomy: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Halani Sameer H. , Chu Jason K. , Malcolm James G. , Rindler Rima S. , Allen Jason W. , Grossberg Jonathan A. , Pradilla Gustavo , Ahmad Faiz U.
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND: Cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy (DC) is routinely performed for reconstructive purposes and has been recently linked to improved cerebral blood flow (CBF) and neurological function.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review all available literature to evaluate the effect of cranioplasty on CBF and neurocognitive recovery.

METHODS: A PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE search adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines included studies reporting patients who underwent DC and subsequent cranioplasty in whom cerebral hemodynamics were measured before and after cranioplasty.

RESULTS: The search yielded 21 articles with a total of 205 patients (range 3–76 years) who underwent DC and subsequent cranioplasty. Two studies enrolled 29 control subjects for a total of 234 subjects. Studies used different imaging modalities, including CT perfusion (n = 10), Xenon-CT (n = 3), single-photon emission CT (n = 2), transcranial Doppler (n = 6), MR perfusion (n = 1), and positron emission tomography (n = 2). Precranioplasty CBF evaluation ranged from 2 days to 6 months; postcranioplasty CBF evaluation ranged from 7 days to 6 months. All studies demonstrated an increase in CBF ipsilateral to the side of the cranioplasty. Nine of 21 studies also reported an increase in CBF on the contralateral side. Neurological function improved in an overwhelming majority of patients after cranioplasty.

CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that cranioplasty improves CBF following DC with a concurrent improvement in neurological function. The causative impact of CBF on neurological function, however, requires further study.
High-resolution spectroscopy of the extremely iron-poor post-AGB star CC Lyr
Authors: Aoki Wako , Matsuno Tadafumi , Honda Satoshi , Parthasarathy Mudumba , Li Haining , Suda Takuma
Published: January 2017

High-resolution optical spectroscopy was conducted for the metal-poor post-AGB star CC Lyr to determine its chemical abundances and spectral line profiles. Our standard abundance analysis confirms its extremely low metallicity ([Fe/H] < −3.5) and a clear correlation between abundance ratios and the condensation temperature for 11 elements, indicating that dust depletion is the cause of the abundance anomaly of this object. The very low abundances of Sr and Ba, which are detected for the first time for this object, suggest that heavy neutron-capture elements are not significantly enhanced in this object by the s-process during its evolution through the AGB phase. The radial velocity of this object and profiles of some atomic absorption lines show variations depending on pulsation phases, which could be formed by dynamics of the atmosphere rather than by binarity or contributions of circumstellar absorption. On the other hand, the Hα emission with double peaks shows no evident velocity shift, suggesting that the emission is originating from the circumstellar matter, presumably the rotating disk around the object.
Multi-color simultaneous photometry of the T-Tauri star with planetary candidate, CVSO 30
Authors: Onitsuka Masahiro , Fukui Akihiko , Narita Norio , Hirano Teruyuki , Kusakabe Nobuhiko , Ryu Tsuguru , Tamura Motohide
Published: January 2017

We present three-band simultaneous observations of a weak-line T-Tauri star, CVSO 30 (PTFO 8-8695), which is one of the youngest objects having a candidate transiting planet. The data were obtained with the Multicolor Simultaneous Camera for studying Atmospheres of Transiting exoplanets (MuSCAT) on the 188 cm telescope at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory in Japan. We observed the fading event in the $g^{\prime }_2$-, $r^{\prime }_2$-, and zs, 2-bands simultaneously. As a result, we find a significant wavelength dependence of fading depths of about 3.1%, 1.7%, and 1.0% for the three bands. A cloudless H/He-dominant atmosphere of a hot Jupiter cannot explain this large wavelength dependence. Additionally, we rule out a scenario with the occultation of the gravity-darkened host star. Thus our result is in favor of the fading origin as a circumstellar dust clump or occultation of an accretion hotspot.
Exporting and Firm Performance: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment*
Authors: Atkin David , Khandelwal Amit K. , Osman Adam
Published: January 2017

We conduct a randomized experiment that generates exogenous variation in the access to foreign markets for rug producers in Egypt. Combined with detailed survey data, we causally identify the impact of exporting on firm performance. Treatment firms report 16–26% higher profits and exhibit large improvements in quality alongside reductions in output per hour relative to control firms. These findings do not simply reflect firms being offered higher margins to manufacture high-quality products that take longer to produce. Instead, we find evidence of learning-by-exporting whereby exporting improves technical efficiency. First, treatment firms have higher productivity and quality after controlling for rug specifications. Second, when asked to produce an identical domestic rug using the same inputs and same capital equipment, treatment firms produce higher quality rugs despite no difference in production time. Third, treatment firms exhibit learning curves over time. Finally, we document knowledge transfers with quality increasing most along the specific dimensions that the knowledge pertained to.