bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single‐scan MRI with exceptional resilience to field heterogeneities
Authors: Zhang Zhiyong , Seginer Amir , Frydman Lucio
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Single‐scan two‐dimensional MRI has been generally constrained to acquisitions in high quality magnets. This study introduces a methodology, cross‐term spatiotemporal encoding (xSPEN), that delivers such images under much poorer external field conditions.

Methods

xSPEN departs from conventional k‐space scanning, by relying on spatiotemporally encoding the image being sought. Unlike hitherto proposed SPEN methods, however, xSPEN's image readout does not take place using a field gradient along the direction being probed, but rather with the aid of an ancillary source of inhomogeneous frequency broadening. This ancillary dimension was here imposed by an orthogonal field gradient; for example, images along the “y” axis were read out by application of a “z” gradient. The principles and characteristics of this new approach, compatible with existing scanners and free from the need to collect auxiliary information such as field maps, are presented and discussed.

Results

Single‐ and multi‐slice in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo MRI experiments, confirmed the unusual resilience of this new single‐shot MRI method to multiple chemical sites on phantoms, animals and humans.

Conclusion

xSPEN can deliver single‐scan MRI with good sensitivity and exceptional resilience to field inhomogeneities. This could enable investigations that have hitherto escaped from MRI's scope. Magn Reson Med 77:623–634, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
A multisample dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization system for serial injections in small animals
Authors: Krajewski Marcin , Wespi Patrick , Busch Julia , Wissmann Lukas , Kwiatkowski Grzegorz , Steinhauser Jonas , Batel Michael , Ernst Matthias , Kozerke Sebastian
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Several in vivo applications of dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) require rapid successive injections of hyperpolarized substrates. Here we present the design and performance of a custom‐built multisample dissolution DNP setup for small animal research.

Methods

The DNP setup consists of a commercial wide‐bore magnet charged to 3.35 T, a cryostat, a 94‐GHz microwave source, and a custom‐built skeleton that accommodates four identical sample sticks. Each sample stick features a dissolver locked into the skeleton port and a lifter, which permits moving the sample cup out of the liquid helium bath for dissolution.

Results

The dissolution of the first sample was triggered after 2 hours of polarization buildup during single‐shot operation of the cryostat. Thereafter, a time window of 75–90 min was available to dissolve the remaining three polarized samples. The average liquid state polarization over all four sticks was measured as 18.7% ± 2.3% for [1‐13C] pyruvate 30 s after dissolution. In vivo applicability of the setup using serial injections of [1‐13C] pyruvate to study cardiac metabolism in rats revealed good reproducibility.

Conclusion

The proposed four‐sample DNP insert provides reproducible liquid state polarization of [1‐13C] pyruvate and allows for rapid repeat injections in small animals. Magn Reson Med 77:904–910, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Convex optimized diffusion encoding (CODE) gradient waveforms for minimum echo time and bulk motion–compensated diffusion‐weighted MRI
Authors: Aliotta Eric , Wu Holden H. , Ennis Daniel B.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To evaluate convex optimized diffusion encoding (CODE) gradient waveforms for minimum echo time and bulk motion–compensated diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI).

Methods

Diffusion‐encoding gradient waveforms were designed for a range of b‐values and spatial resolutions with and without motion compensation using the CODE framework. CODE, first moment (M1) nulled CODE‐M1, and first and second moment (M2) nulled CODE‐M1M2 were used to acquire neuro, liver, and cardiac ADC maps in healthy subjects (n=10) that were compared respectively to monopolar (MONO), BIPOLAR (M1 = 0), and motion‐compensated (MOCO, M1 + M2 = 0) diffusion encoding.

Results

CODE significantly improved the SNR of neuro ADC maps compared with MONO (19.5 ± 2.5 versus 14.5 ± 1.9). CODE‐M1 liver ADCs were significantly lower (1.3 ± 0.1 versus 1.8 ± 0.3 × 10−3 mm2/s, ie, less motion corrupted) and more spatially uniform (6% versus 55% ROI difference) than MONO and had higher SNR than BIPOLAR (SNR = 14.9 ± 5.3 versus 8.0 ± 3.1). CODE‐M1M2 cardiac ADCs were significantly lower than MONO (1.9 ± 0.6 versus 3.8 ± 0.3 x10−3 mm2/s) throughout the cardiac cycle and had higher SNR than MOCO at systole (9.1 ± 3.9 versus 7.0 ± 2.6) while reporting similar ADCs (1.5 ± 0.2 versus 1.4 ± 0.6 × 10−3 mm2/s).

Conclusions

CODE significantly improved SNR for ADC mapping in the brain, liver and heart, and significantly improved DWI bulk motion robustness in the liver and heart. Magn Reson Med 77:717–729, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Dynamic control plane management for software‐defined networks
Authors: Li Jian , Yoo Jae‐Hyoung , Hong James Won‐Ki
Published: February 2016

Software‐defined network (SDN) is an emerging network paradigm that allows flexible network management by providing programmability from a separated control plane. Because of the centralized management scheme that SDN adopts, intensive control plane overhead incurs as the scale of SDN increases. The control plane overhead is mainly caused by a massive amount of control messages generated during data plane monitoring and reactive flow instantiation. By far, very few works have addressed the overhead issue on reaction flow instantiation; therefore, we mainly focus on alleviating such overhead in this work. To achieve this goal, we propose a new control plane management (CPMan) method. CPMan aims to realize the following two objectives: first, reduce the number of control messages exchanged through the control channel and second, evenly distribute the control workload across multiple controllers to mitigate the potential performance bottleneck. To realize the former, we propose a lightweight feedback loop‐based control scheme, whereas for the latter, we propose a dynamic switch‐to‐controller (DSC) placement scheme. To show the feasibility of our proposal, we implemented a prototype of the two proposed schemes on top of a carrier‐grade SDN controller and validated its performance in an emulated network. We achieved approximately 57.13% overhead reduction with feedback loop‐based control scheme, while achieved approximately 98.68% balance ratio with DSC placement scheme. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alkali Metal Cation versus Proton and Methyl Cation Affinities: Structure and Bonding Mechanism
Authors: Boughlala Zakaria , Fonseca Guerra Célia , Bickelhaupt F. Matthias
Published: February 2016

We have analyzed the structure and bonding of gas‐phase Cl−X and [HCl−X]+ complexes for X+= H+, CH3+, Li+, and Na+, using relativistic density functional theory (DFT). We wish to establish a quantitative trend in affinities of the anionic and neutral Lewis bases Cl− and HCl for the various cations. The Cl−X bond becomes longer and weaker along X+ = H+, CH3+, Li+, and Na+. Our main purpose is to understand the heterolytic bonding mechanism behind the intrinsic (i.e., in the absence of solvent) alkali metal cation affinities (AMCA) and how this compares with and differs from those of the proton affinity (PA) and methyl cation affinity (MCA). Our analyses are based on Kohn–Sham molecular orbital (KS‐MO) theory in combination with a quantitative energy decomposition analysis (EDA) that pinpoints the importance of the different features in the bonding mechanism. Orbital overlap appears to play an important role in determining the trend in cation affinities.
Hybridization effects on charpy impact behavior of basalt/aramid fiber reinforced hybrid composite laminates
Authors: Bozkurt Ömer Yavuz , Erkliğ Ahmet , Bulut Mehmet
Published: February 2016

Basalt/aramid hybrid fiber reinforced composite laminates were prepared to examine the effect of hybridization on Charpy impact behavior of aramid fiber reinforced composite laminates. The effect of position of basalt layers on the impact behaviors was also investigated by preparing hybrid composite laminates with the substitution of basalt layers into different positions. The position change of basalt layers in the hybrid configurations were resulted in variations in the impact behavior. The impact energy and impact damages strictly depended on impact behavior of fiber at impacted surface due to the difference between deformation characteristics of basalt fiber and aramid fiber. When the basalt layer was at the impacted surface, the hybrid composite laminates exhibited a lower impact energy. This was attributed to the restriction in deformation of aramid layers. The position of basalt layers resulted in variations in the impact behavior of hybrid composite laminates. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:467–475, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
The role of nanoparticle inks in determining the performance of solution processed Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cells
Authors: Qu Yongtao , Zoppi Guillaume , Beattie Neil S.
Published: February 2016

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanoparticle inks synthesized by the injection of metal precursors into a hot surfactant offer an attractive route to the fabrication of Earth‐abundant Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) thin film photovoltaic absorber layers. In this work it is shown that the chemical reaction conditions used to produce CZTS nanoparticle inks have a fundamental influence on the performance of thin film solar cells made by converting the nanoparticles to large CZTSSe grains in a selenium rich atmosphere and subsequent cell completion. The reaction time, temperature and cooling rate of the nanoparticle fabrication process are found to affect doping level, secondary phases and crystal structure respectively. Specifically, prolonging the reaction offers a new route to increase the concentration of acceptor levels in CZTSSe photovoltaic absorbers and results in higher device efficiency through an increase in the open circuit voltage and a reduction in parasitic resistance. Quenching the reaction by rapid cooling introduces a wurtzite crystal structure in the nanoparticles which significantly degrades the device performance, while elevating the reaction temperature of the nanoparticle synthesis introduces a secondary phase Cu2SnS3 in the nanoparticles and results in the highest cell efficiency of 6.26%. This is correlated with increased doping in the CZTSSe absorber and the results demonstrate a route to controlling this parameter. © 2016 The Authors. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell‐free ribosome display and selection of antibodies on arrayed antigens
Authors: Cong Cong , Yu Xin , He Yongzhi , Dai Yujian , Zhang Yongxia , Wang Mingrong , He Mingyue
Published: February 2016

In vitro display technology is a powerful tool for discovery and optimisation of novel antibodies. With increasing demands on various binding molecules in proteomics studies, techniques for a large‐scale generation of antibodies or antibody fragments are needed. Here, we describe a novel method for parallel generation of different antibody fragments (scFv) by integrating cell‐free ribosome display with array technology. We have demonstrated the procedure by successfully isolating scFv antibodies specific to 16 different cancer biomarkers via a single process. Our results provide proof of principle for multiple production of various scFv antibodies simultaneously.
Effects of Na‐sulfopropyl groups on the mechanical properties and morphology of polystyrene‐co‐methacrylate ionomers
Authors: Ko Kwang‐Hwan , Luqman Mohammad , Kim Young‐Wun , Kim Joon‐Seop
Published: February 2016

The dynamic mechanical properties and morphology of poly(styrene‐co−3‐sulfopropyl sodium‐methacrylate) SSPMANa ionomers were investigated. It was found the increasing rate of ionic moduli of the SSPMANa ionomer was very low, and the clusterTgof the ionomers remained more or less constant with increasing ion content. A well‐developed SAXS peak was seen for low ion content SSPMANa ionomers and the peak position changed slightly with ion content. Thus, it was suggested that the presence of the alkyl ester side chains made the ion pairs form multiplets more easily at their prevalent distances, and the small‐agglomerated multiplets were dispersed in the polymer matrix relatively evenly. The interpretation of ionic moduli using a number of theories implied that the multiplets and clusters acted as effective crosslinks and filler particles, respectively, and the size and shape of the clusters were irregular. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2016,54, 1043–1053
Hierarchically Structured Porous Silica Spheres by Microemulsion/Vesicle Templating for Hydrodesulfurization of Fluid Catalytic Cracking Diesel
Authors: Zhou Xiaofeng , Chi Kebin , Duan Aijun , Zhao Zhen , Dong Honghong , Gong Yanjun , Song Shaotong , Wang Xilong , Xu Chunming
Published: February 2016

A series of hierarchically structured porous silica sphere (HSPSS) materials are successfully fabricated by a facile, one‐step microemulsion/vesicle bimodal method in a multicomponent microemulsion system of P123/n‐butanol/1,3,5‐trimethylbenzene/KCl/H2O (surfactant/cosurfactant/oil/salt/water). The pore structures of the obtained HSPSS products consist of mesocellular foam and mesostructured vesicles. In contrast to the traditional porous silica materials the new structures combine two separate, distinct mesophases with different‐sized mesovoids in a single porous sphere. Moreover, the proportion of every mesophase in obtained HSPSS can be easily adjusted by tuning the initially added amount of n‐butanol or KCl in this multicomponent microemulsion system. When the molar ratio of KCl/tetraethoxysilane is 2.15, the obtained HSPSS material is turned into uniform mesostructured vesicle silica spheres, which consist of many small diameter vesicle particles. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity of fluid catalytic cracking diesel over the HSPSS was tested. HSPSS‐0.75‐1.43 catalyst support with multiple mesoporous structures shows the highest HDS efficiency (98.5%) among all the studied catalysts.
Electrical characterization of ZnO/4H‐SiC n–p heterojunction diode
Authors: Kwietniewski Norbert , Masłyk Monika , Werbowy Aleksander , Taube Andrzej , Gierałtowska Sylwia , Wachnicki Łukasz , Sochacki Mariusz
Published: February 2016

The structure and electrical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as well as electrical properties of ZnO/4H‐SiC n–p heterojunction diodes were investigated. Hall measurements of ZnO films show their n‐type high intrinsic conductivity. Structural characterization of the ZnO layers performed using X‐ray diffraction show their polycrystalline morphology. Aluminum (Al) ohmic contacts fabricated to n‐ZnO demonstrate linear characteristics and low resistivities. The I–V measurements of ZnO/4H‐SiC n–p heterojunction showed strong diode‐like behavior with the low leakage current, turn‐on voltage of around 1.7 V, ideality factor of 1.17, and high rectification ratio. Extracting the built‐in potential (1.71 V) from the C–V measurements allowed to determine band offsets and thus the flat‐band energy diagram of produced heterostructure.
Indirect phase transition of TiC, ZrC, and HfC crystal structures
Authors: Abavare Eric K. K. , Dodoo Samuel N. A. , Uchida Kazuyuki , Nkurumah‐Buandoh George K. , Yaya Abu , Oshiyama Atsushi
Published: February 2016

We have performed first‐principles calculations to analyze the electronic structures, static, and dynamical structural stabilities of the pressure‐induced phase transformation of refractory compounds (transition‐metal carbides) from NaCl‐type (B1) to CsCl‐type (B2) via zinc‐blende phase using the plane‐wave pseudopotential approach in the framework of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange and correlation functional. The ground‐state properties, equilibrium lattice constant, bulk moduli, and band structures are determined for the stoichiometry of the compounds and compared with known experimental and theoretical values. We find that the phase‐transition pressure for the indirect phase transition from B1B2 via zinc‐blende structure is about 17‐fold for TiC, 12‐fold for both ZrC and HfC, respectively, when compared with the direct phase transition. Calculated phonon instability exists for the CsCl‐B2 phase, which can prevent the structures from forming and contrary to the zinc‐blende and the NaCl‐B1 phases. The band dispersion and electronic density of states for B1 and B2 crystal phases were explored and found to indicate metallic character in contrast with the zinc‐blende phase, which has a pseudogap opening in the bandgap region suggesting a semiconducting property and also a frequency gap in the phonon spectrum.
Bimetallic Metal‐Organic Frameworks: Probing the Lewis Acid Site for CO2 Conversion
Authors: Zou Ruyi , Li Pei‐Zhou , Zeng Yong‐Fei , Liu Jia , Zhao Ruo , Duan Hui , Luo Zhong , Wang Jin‐Gui , Zou Ruqiang , Zhao Yanli
Published: February 2016

A highly porous metal‐organic framework (MOF) incorporating two kinds of second building units (SBUs), i.e., dimeric paddlewheel (Zn2(COO)4) and tetrameric (Zn4(O)(CO2)6), is successfully assembled by the reaction of a tricarboxylate ligand with ZnII ion. Subsequently, single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal metal cation exchange using the constructed MOF is investigated, and the results show that CuII and CoII ions can selectively be introduced into the MOF without compromising the crystallinity of the pristine framework. This metal cation‐exchangeable MOF provides a useful platform for studying the metal effect on both gas adsorption and catalytic activity of the resulted MOFs. While the gas adsorption experiments reveal that CuII and CoII exchanged samples exhibit comparable CO2 adsorption capability to the pristine ZnII‐based MOF under the same conditions, catalytic investigations for the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides into related carbonates demonstrate that ZnII‐based MOF affords the highest catalytic activity as compared with CuII and CoII exchanged ones. Molecular dynamic simulations are carried out to further confirm the catalytic performance of these constructed MOFs on chemical fixation of CO2 to carbonates. This research sheds light on how metal exchange can influence intrinsic properties of MOFs.
Effect of impregnation time on performance of long glass fiber‐reinforced polypropylene composites
Authors: He Ying , Gong Wei , Zhang Daohai , Qin Shuhao
Published: February 2016

Long glass fiber (LGF)‐reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared using self‐designed impregnation device. Effects of impregnation time on mechanical properties, crystallization, dynamic mechanical properties, and morphology of PP/LGF composites were investigated. The experiment results demonstrate that the excellent tensile strength, Notched Izod impact strength was 152.9 MPa, 31.2 KJ/m2, respectively, and the stiffness of PP/LGF composites was higher, when the impregnation time was 7.03 s. The excellent interfacial adhesion between PP and glass fiber indicates that PP/LGF composites possess the outstanding mechanical properties. The impregnation time scarcely influenced thermal properties of PP/LGF composites. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:174–178, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Introduction
Authors: Bado Souleymane , Forster Brian P. , Ghanim Abdelbagi M. A. , Jankowicz-Cieslak Joanna , Berthold Günter , Luxiang Liu
Published: February 2016

Salinity is a major abiotic stress limiting crop yields in many parts of the world. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) Land and Plant Nutrition Management service estimates that over 400 million hectares (6 %) of the Earth’s land is affected by salt. Breeding for salt tolerance is a major goal for cereal researchers for which screens are required to select out tolerant lines. Screening for salt tolerance in the field is difficult as soil salinity is dynamic, the level of salt varies both horizontally and vertically in the soil profile and changes with time. These environmental perturbations can be overcome by testing in hydroponic system where the testing environment is controlled.
Protocol for measuring soil salinity
Authors: Bado Souleymane , Forster Brian P. , Ghanim Abdelbagi M. A. , Jankowicz-Cieslak Joanna , Berthold Günter , Luxiang Liu
Published: February 2016

A simple protocol is described that tests soil salinity. Water-soluble salts are extracted from soil samples and salt content measured. Accurate field evaluations require sampling at various field locations and various depths and over time take into account the crop species to be grown. Instruments and reagents are listed in preparing soil–water extracts and for measuring salt content. Two methods are provided in measuring salt content, by weight and by electrical conductivity.
Impact of Genomic Counseling on Informed Decision‐Making among ostensibly Healthy Individuals Seeking Personal Genome Sequencing: the HealthSeq Project
Authors: Suckiel Sabrina A. , Linderman Michael D. , Sanderson Saskia C. , Diaz George A. , Wasserstein Melissa , Kasarskis Andrew , Schadt Eric E. , Zinberg Randi E.
Published: February 2016

Personal genome sequencing is increasingly utilized by healthy individuals for predispositional screening and other applications. However, little is known about the impact of ‘genomic counseling’ on informed decision‐making in this context. Our primary aim was to compare measures of participants’ informed decision‐making before and after genomic counseling in the HealthSeq project, a longitudinal cohort study of individuals receiving personal results from whole genome sequencing (WGS). Our secondary aims were to assess the impact of the counseling on WGS knowledge and concerns, and to explore participants’ satisfaction with the counseling. Questionnaires were administered to participants (n = 35) before and after their pre‐test genomic counseling appointment. Informed decision‐making was measured using the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) and the Satisfaction with Decision Scale (SDS). DCS scores decreased after genomic counseling (mean: 11.34 before vs. 5.94 after; z = −4.34, p < 0.001, r = 0.52), and SDS scores increased (mean: 27.91 vs. 29.06 respectively; z = 2.91, p = 0.004, r = 0.35). Satisfaction with counseling was high (mean (SD) = 26.91 (2.68), on a scale where 6 = low and 30 = high satisfaction). HealthSeq participants felt that their decision regarding receiving personal results from WGS was more informed after genomic counseling. Further research comparing the impact of different genomic counseling models is needed.
The impact of the Ponseti treatment method on parents and caregivers of children with clubfoot: A comparison of two urban populations in Europe and Africa
Authors: Malagelada Francesc , Mayet Sadia , Firth Greg , Ramachandran Manoj
Published: February 2016

Purpose

With the Ponseti treatment method established as the gold standard, children with clubfeet face a prolonged treatment regime that might impact on their families. We aimed to determine how Ponseti treatment influences the lives of parents and caregivers and what coping strategies they use. Secondarily, we aimed to identify any potential differences between two urban referral centres for clubfoot.

Methods

A total of 115 parents of children affected with idiopathic clubfoot were recruited and included in two groups: one from the United Kingdom (UK) and the other from South Africa (SA). The participants completed the following three instruments: the Impact on Family Scale (IOFS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Brief COPE.

Results

During the bracing phase, the IOFS showed a trend towards lower scores when compared to the casting phase for both cohorts ( p = 0.247 and p = 0.434, respectively). The SA population scored higher than the UK in the MSPSS in both casting ( p = 0.002) and bracing phases ( p = 0.004) and used coping strategies at a significantly higher level when compared to the UK population ( p < 0.05) in both treatment phases.

Conclusion

This is the first study to show that Ponseti treatment for clubfoot causes an impact on family function. In SA, perceived social support is higher and coping strategies are used more often than in the UK to deal with the stressful circumstances of treatment.
India's Color Complex: One Day's Worth of Matrimonials
Authors: Utley T. Jerome , Darity William
Published: February 2016

Lighter skin complexions may function as a form of capital, particularly for women, in marriage markets. The existence of a preference for light skin for marital partners is an index of the presence of colorism or color bias in a given society. This paper reports on a detailed examination of marital advertisements that appeared in India's Sunday Times on a single day in March 2013. It asks how often skin shade is mentioned in the advertisements placed among those seeking grooms and those seeking brides, how those mentions are distributed by the reported age of the prospective marital partner, and the type of language used to describe the individual's complexion. The study finds that skin shade is described far more often in advertisements placed by prospective brides or their families than prospective grooms or their families, and, whenever complexion is mentioned, the possession of lighter skin shades.
Attachment to God, Vocational Calling, and Worker Contentment
Authors: Kent Blake Victor , Bradshaw Matt , Dougherty Kevin D.
Published: February 2016

Existing organizational research overlooks divine attachment as a “personal characteristic” relevant to work. We argue that secure attachment to God as an internal working model can function as a “secure base” from which individuals form meaningful attachments to their workplace and work position. We further hypothesize that a sense of vocational calling (i.e., a belief that God calls individuals to particular work settings or jobs) will mediate the relationship between secure God attachment and positive work attitudes. We test these hypotheses by analyzing data from the Baylor Religion Survey 2010, a random sample of US adults. Findings demonstrate that secure attachment to God positively relates to affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction. As hypothesized, vocational calling also mediates a large proportion of these relationships. Implications of our findings are discussed in conclusion.
Ambulance referral for emergency obstetric care in remote settings
Authors: Tsegaye Ademe , Somigliana Edgardo , Alemayehu Tadesse , Calia Federico , Maroli Massimo , Barban Paola , Manenti Fabio , Putoto Giovanni , Accorsi Sandro
Published: February 2016

Objective

To evaluate the functionality of an ambulance service dedicated to emergency obstetric care (EmOC) that referred pregnant women to health centers for delivery assistance or to a hospital for the management of obstetric complications.

Methods

A retrospective study investigated an ambulance referral system for EmOC in a rural area of Ethiopia between July 1 and December 31, 2013. The service was available 24 h a day and was free of charge. Women requesting referral were transported to nearby health centers. Assistance was provided locally for uncomplicated deliveries. Women with obstetric complications were referred from health centers to a hospital.

Results

A total of 528 ambulance referrals were recorded. The majority of patients (314 [59.5%]) were transported from villages to health centers. The remaining individuals were brought to a hospital, having been referred from health centers (179 [33.9%]) or were referred directly from villages owing to hospital proximity (35 [6.6%]). Of the 179 patients referred to the hospital from health centers, 84 (46.9%) were diagnosed with major direct obstetric complications. No maternal deaths were recorded among patients using the ambulance service. The cost of the ambulance service was US$ 18.47 per referred patient.

Conclusions

An ambulance service dedicated to EmOC that interconnected health centers and a hospital facilitated referrals and better utilized local resources.
MARITAL STATUS AS A RISK FACTOR IN LIFE INSURANCE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN TAIWAN
Authors: Wang Hsin Chung , Yue Jack C. , Tsai Yi-Hsuan
Published: February 2016

Gender and age are the top two risk factors considered in pricing life insurance products. Although it is believed that mortality rates are also related to other factors (e.g. smoking, overweight, and especially marriage), data availability and marketing often limit the possibility of including them. Many studies have shown that married people (particularly men) benefit from the marriage, and generally have lower mortality rates than unmarried people. However, most of these studies used data from a population sample; their results might not apply to the whole population. In this study, we explore if mortality rates differ by marital status using mortality data (1975–2011) from the Taiwan Ministry of the Interior. In order to deal with the problem of small sample sizes in some marital status groups, we use graduation methods to reduce fluctuations in mortality rates. We also use a relational approach to model mortality rates by marital status, and then compare the proposed model with some popular stochastic mortality models. Based on computer simulation, we find that the proposed smoothing methods can reduce fluctuations in mortality estimates between ages, and the relational mortality model has smaller errors in predicting mortality rates by marital status. Analyses of the mortality data from Taiwan show that mortality rates differ significantly by marital status. In some age groups, the differences in mortality rates are larger between marital status groups than between smokers and non-smokers. For the issue of practical consideration, we suggest modifications to include marital status in pricing of life insurance products.
The Zeldovich spontaneous reaction wave propagation concept in the fast/modest heating limits
Authors: Kassoy D. R.
Published: February 2016

Quantitative mathematical models describe planar, spontaneous, reaction wave propagation (Zeldovich, Combust. Flame, vol. 39, 1980, pp. 211–214) in a finite hot spot volume of reactive gas. The results describe the complete thermomechanical response of the gas to a one-step, high-activation-energy exothermic reaction initiated by a tiny initial temperature non-uniformity in a gas at rest with uniform pressure. Initially, the complete conservation equations, including all transport terms, are non-dimensionalized to identify parameters that quantify the impact of viscosity, conduction and diffusion. The results demonstrate unequivocally that transport terms are tiny relative to all other terms in the equations, given the relevant time and length scales. The asymptotic analyses, based on the reactive Euler equations, describe both induction and post-induction period models for a fast heat release rate (induction time scale short compared to the acoustic time of the spot), as well as a modest heat release rate (induction time scale equivalent to the acoustic time). Analytical results are obtained for the fast heating rate problem and emphasize the physics of near constant-volume heating during the induction period. Weak hot spot expansion is the source of fluid expelled from the original finite volume and is a ‘piston-effect’ source of acoustic mechanical disturbances beyond the spot. The post-induction period is characterized by the explosive appearance of an ephemeral, spatially uniform high-temperature, high-pressure spot embedded in a cold, low-pressure environment. In analogy with a shock tube the subsequent expansion process occurs on the acoustic time scale of the spot and will be the source of shocks propagating beyond the spot. The modest heating rate induction period is characterized by weakly compressible phenomena that can be described by a novel system of linear wave equations for the temperature, pressure and induced velocity perturbations driven by nonlinear chemical heating, which provides physical insights difficult to obtain from the more familiar ‘Clarke equation’. When the heating rate is modest, reaction terms in the post-induction period Euler equations exhibit a form of singular behaviour in the high-activation-energy limit, implying the need to use a nonlinear exponential scaling for time and space, developed originally to describe spatially uniform thermal explosions (Kassoy, Q. J. Mech. Appl. Maths, vol. 30, 1977, pp. 71–89). Here again the result will be the explosive appearance of an ephemeral spatially uniform high-temperature, high-pressure hot spot. These results demonstrate that an initially weak temperature non-uniformity in a finite hot spot can be the source of acoustic and shock wave mechanical disturbances in the gas beyond the spot that may be related to rocket engine instability and engine knock.
Stability of wall bounded, shear flows of dense granular materials: the role of the Couette gap, the wall velocity and the initial concentration
Authors: Varsakelis C. , Papalexandris M. V.
Published: February 2016

In this paper, the stability of a plane, unidirectional Couette flow of a dense granular material is investigated via the means of a normal mode stability analysis. Our studies are based on a continuum mechanical model for the flows of interest coupled with the constitutive expressions for the normal and the shear stresses of the granular material induced by the ${\it\mu}(I)$-rheology. According to our analysis, both the Couette gap and the wall velocity play a destabilizing role in the flows of interest as opposed to the initial concentration that acts as stabilizer. For sufficiently high Couette gaps and wall velocities, unstable modes are recovered. The predicted instability manifests itself through shear-induced dilatancy that, in turn, engenders particle migration and the formation of bulbs, similar to the ones that have been acquired through molecular dynamics simulations.
Signaling by Signature: The Weight of International Opinion and Ratification of Treaties by Domestic Veto Players
Authors: Hugh-Jones David , Milewicz Karolina , Ward Hugh
Published: February 2016

The signing of international treaties is usually considered insignificant for international legal cooperation. Accordingly, International Relations theorists have paid it little attention. We show in this paper how and why treaty signature matters for the ultimate decision to ratify an international treaty. We argue that when multiple well-informed actors publicly sign an international treaty, this can provide a strong signal of issue importance to domestic veto players, and in turn may persuade them to ratify the treaty. We formalize this argument in a two-level signaling game, and test it on a data set of 126 international environmental agreements. We find that treaties are more likely to be ratified when their signatories include countries with high levels of general or issue-specific knowledge.
Laboratory longevity and competitiveness ofDacus ciliatusLoew (Diptera: Tephritidae) following sub-sterilizing gamma irradiation
Authors: Nemny-Lavy E. , Nestel D. , Rempoulakis P.
Published: February 2016

The effect of a sub-sterilizing gamma radiation dose onDacus ciliatusadults was investigated to assess the suitability of the sterile insect technique (SIT) as an alternative method to control this pest. Late pupae (48 h prior to adult emergence) from a laboratory strain were irradiated with 120 Gy of gamma rays emitted by a60Co source. Following adult emergence, the mortality of irradiated and non-irradiated cohorts was recorded. Over a period of 50 days after emergence, no significant negative effects of irradiation upon the longevity of male or female laboratory flies were observed. A laboratory competitiveness study (Fried test), using irradiated laboratory and wild males at a ratio of 3:1 was conducted to assess the ability of irradiated males to reduce the egg hatch rates of a wild population. The overall competitiveness was found to be ca. 0.32, suggesting a reduced, but satisfactory, quality of irradiated laboratory as compared with wild males. Based on the above findings, we calculated and proposed effective male release ratios for field application of SIT againstD. ciliatus.
Understanding the Influence of Faith-Based Organizations on Education Policy in Alberta
Authors: Banack Clark
Published: February 2016

Recent media accounts suggest certain faith-based interest groups are increasingly pressuring provincial governments across Canada to ensure their views on education policy are acted upon. This paper offers a qualitative assessment of the policy influence possessed by faith-based groups active on the education file in Alberta and the factors responsible for this level of influence. Overall, such influence is not directly attributable to the group's size or resources nor can it be explained by the assumption that Alberta is overrun with religious citizens demanding socially conservative policies. Rather, the explanation is found in a more nuanced appreciation of the self-interested electoral calculations made by the long-governing Progressive Conservative party, on the one hand, as well as well as the party's long-running commitment to “school choice” on the other. This sentiment is intimately related to both the province's populist political culture as well as a broader ideological convergence around the principle of “free choice” in general, and the benefits of marketization in particular.
INTERACTION BETWEEN THE MANAGEMENT OF SOIL FERTILITY AND MACROFAUNA REDUCES RUNOFF ON A LIXISOL IN THE NORTH-SUDANIAN ZONE OF BURKINA FASO
Authors: OUEDRAOGO JEAN , OUEDRAOGO ELISÉE , TRAORE MAMADOU , YOUL SANSAN , NACRO HASSAN BISMARCK
Published: February 2016

A study that aims to assess the impact of the interaction between soil macrofauna and soil fertility management methods on runoff, was conducted in the north-sudanian zone of Burkina Faso on a Lixisol with an average slope of 1.5%. Runoff was measured using a runoff plot of 1.04 m2 and crop yields were measured on the effective area of the elementary plot. Biocide treatments used to control the population of macrofauna have eliminated 95% to 99% of soil macrofauna. Except for urea treatment, the results showed that the presence of macrofauna has led to the reduction of runoff in the other treatments. The absolute contribution of macrofauna to runoff varied between 24.58% and 30.74%. Runoff reduction was higher on soil management based on sorghum straw + urea (71.24% in 2008 and 78.80% in 2009) in the presence of soil macrofauna. We concluded that in cropping systems with low external inputs, stimulating the activity of macrofauna by burying material with high ratio of carbon to nitrogen reduces runoff and thus maintains the potential of farm land.
A new deep-water species of Trischizostoma (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Gammaridea: Trischizostomatidae) from western Mexico, NE Pacific Ocean
Authors: Winfield Ignacio , Hendrickx Michel E. , Ortiz Manuel
Published: February 2016

A new species of Trischizostoma collected at depths of 1392–1420 m from western Mexico is described. It represents the first record of the genus in the NE Pacific. The new species is morphologically similar to T. circulare, T. tohokuense and T. richeri. These species all share a large rostrum, expanded eyes and an entire telson. Distinctive characters of the new species include a dorsally unnotched urosomite 1, a subconical coxa 2, a subtriangular propodus of gnathopod 1, a single seta and one protuberance on the palm of gnathopod 2, the presence of 10 spine-teeth in the outer plate of maxilla 1 and of a large, 1-articulate maxilla 1 palp, and the telson with 2 minute simple setae and 2 minute projections distally.
Civilian Victimization and the Politics of Information in the Kurdish Conflict in Turkey
Authors: Belge Ceren
Published: February 2016

During the 1990s, thousands of Kurdish settlements in Eastern Turkey were forcibly evacuated, resulting in the displacement of more than one million Kurdish villagers. This article examines why some villages survived while the populations of others were forcibly displaced. It also addresses the broader question of why particular groups of civilians become more vulnerable to coercion in the course of armed conflict, and how their vulnerability is shaped by the extent and quality of information that states possess about population groups, particularly minorities deemed dangerous to the regime. The author argues that state practices to categorize the identity of minority groups and to collect information about their behavior and allegiances are integral to the dynamics of violence. Such practices make certain categories of citizens more vulnerable to victimization and often introduce biases into the information gathered. Focusing on Turkey's population census, elections, and the use of informants embedded in communities, the author examines information-gathering practices from the national to the local level. The author uses original data on displacement, Kurdish insurgent violence, and election results, as well as interviews with displaced persons and progovernment militia members, tochallenge the view that civilian victimization in counterinsurgency wars stems primarily from states' inability to distinguish civilians from insurgents.
Valuing the health of the support worker in the aged care sector
Authors: GEORGE ESTHER , HALE LEIGH , ANGELO JENNIFER
Published: February 2016

This study explored aged care support workers’ perceptions of how their health was influenced by their job, highlighting similarities and differences of those working in community-based and institution-based care. Support workers working in two institution-based and three community-based aged care organisations were invited to participate. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with ten participants. Open-ended questions probed participants’ perceptions of their health as it related to their work. Data were analysed with the General Inductive Approach. Four central themes were identified, many of which related to mental, as opposed to physical health. ‘Love of the job’ described various sources of satisfaction for participants. These factors commonly overrode the negative aspects. ‘Stress’ encompassed the negative influences on all aspects of health. ‘Support’ described the positive influences on health, which supported participants in their job. ‘Physicality’ described the physical nature of the job and the positive and negative impact this had on participants’ health. Support workers perform numerous tasks, which often impact upon their health. Aspects of the job that may impact the health of the worker are improved communication and support from management, as well as recognition for support workers’ contribution to society. These could be targeted to enhance support worker health. Additional training and reduced time pressure may also represent aspects for improvement, to optimise support workers’ physical health.
Archaeology in the Sirte Basin: Preliminary Results of Mitigation Surveys carried out for Shell 2007–2009
Authors: LeQuesne Charles , Basell Laura S. , Sheibani Ramadan
Published: February 2016

This paper presents in summary form the results of three years of remote sensing and ground-truthing of archaeological sites falling within concession areas held by Shell Libya in the Sirte Basin. This area spans the frontier of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, ranging from Wadi ben Jawwad in the west to Ajdabiyah in the east and south to Jebel Zelten. The work was commissioned by Shell to inform them of archaeological sensitivities during their ongoing operations in the region. The results presented here include the identification of thousands of previously unknown sites of all periods, dating from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Second World War. Prehistoric discoveries include significant numbers of Middle Palaeolithic sites, particularly at Jebel Zelten, and large numbers of Pastoralist Neolithic sites in the coastal hinterland and on palaeoshorelines around sabkhas further north. Traces of Libyan tribes of the first millennium BC have been found in the form of large numbers of pastoralist desert campsites. Extensive evidence for Roman and late antique settlement has been found in the coastal hinterland on both sides of the Gulf of Sirte, as well as evidence for indigenous ‘long hut’ settlements along the desert fringe.
DMP IX: Summary Report on the Fourth Season of Excavations of the Burials and Identity team
Authors: Mattingly David , Abduli Hafed , Aburgheba Hamza , Ahmed Muftah , Esmaia Misbah Ali Ahmed , Baker Steve , Cole Franca , Fenwick Corisande , Rodriguez Mireya Gonzalez , Hobson Matthew , Khalaf Nadia , Lahr Marta , Leitch Victoria , Moussa Farès , Nikita Efthymia , Parker David , Radini Anita , Ray Nick , Savage Toby , Sterry Martin , Schörle Katia
Published: February 2016

The fourth season of the Burials and Identity component of the Desert Migrations Project in 2010 focused on completion of excavation work at two main cemeteries (TAG001 and TAG012) and smaller-scale sampling work at a number of nearby cemeteries. The investigation of a number of burials in a semi-nucleated escarpment cemetery TAG063 produced interesting new information on Proto-Urban Garamantian funerary rites, dating to the latter centuries BC. The excavations at TAG001 were extended to two areas of the cemetery characterised by different burial types to the stepped tombs that were excavated in 2009. A second type of fairly monumental burial was identified, but these had been heavily robbed and it was not possible to demonstrate conclusively that these pre-dated the stepped tombs. Most of the other burials excavated were simple shaft burials and were relatively sparsely furnished with imported goods, in comparison with the larger tombs, though quite a lot of organic material was identified (matting, wood, gourds, textiles and leather). At TAG012, a series of additional mudbrick tombs was emptied. All had been robbed, but pockets of the original fill and associated finds survived intact, yielding some interesting assemblages. The majority of these tombs appear to be Late Garamantian, though some contained artefacts from much earlier times.
DMP XI: Preliminary results from 2010 fieldwork on the human prehistory in the Libyan Sahara
Authors: Lahr M. Mirazón , Foley Robert , Crivellaro Federica , Fernandez José Maillo , Wilshaw Alex , Purdon Adam , Halladay-Garrett Cornelius , Veldhuis Djuke , Mattingly David
Published: February 2016

This paper reports on the results of the work of the Palaeo team of the DMP in January 2010. The fieldwork was focused on two different areas – the Wadi ash-Shati and the southwestern margin of the Ubari Sand Sea. Work in the Wadi ash-Shati confirmed the existence of Oldowan sites in Fazzan (locality SHT11 and environs), which although undated, represent a major addition to the extent of prehistoric occupation of the area. Further work near the site originally studied by Petit-Maire in the 1980s confirmed the association of a shell layer dated to the last interglacial with archaeological artefacts in situ. These artefacts are of MSA affinity, thus placing Fazzan in the context of other northern African sites of that time. The work in the southwestern margin of the basin represented the first formal archaeological survey of that area. This revealed extensive Holocene and MSA occupations, and in a group of sites at the southern edge of the Hamada Zaqher, also Oldowan lithics. Little if any Acheulean remains were observed, while the latter predominate in the interdunes just north of the Wadi al-Ajal. Overall, the spatial and technological analyses of the sites and remains suggest that there were different resource constraints on hominins in the Middle and later Quaternary, shaping the distribution of industries and raw materials. Furthermore, the relative widespread distribution of Oldowan sites – Wadi ash-Shati, southern Messak, and Hamada Zaqher, shows that the Central Sahara played an important role in the evolutionary geography of Lower Pleistocene hominins in Africa.