bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of electromagnetic propagation in the magnetic plasma state in spin-ice systems
Authors: López-Bara F. I. , López-Aguilar F.
Published: May 2017

Low energy excitation states in magnetic structures of the so-called spin-ices are produced via spin flips among contiguous tetrahedrons of their crystal structure. When there are sufficient free positive and negative charges, the system behaves as a magnetic plasma, which could correspond to the highest temperature peak of the specific heat. The electromagnetic waves in both unconfined and confined systems (waveguides) filled with materials of magnetic charges can be able to transmit information and energy. The only problem is the low temperature for which these magnetic entities appear in the spin-ice materials. However, similar behaviour may be present in other compounds at higher temperatures. This analysis is addressed to study physical properties which should be present in those new materials. Therefore, in this paper, we obtain some magnetic linear responses, the effective masses of the magnetic charges from the precession movement of the monopoles which coincides with a strong electromagnetic absorption frequency, the plasmonic physical magnitude which is identified with the cut propagation frequency in a wave guide, and other properties of the electromagnetic propagation in these compounds with effective magnetic monopoles such as the modification of the electromagnetic fields of the wave in the presence of magnetic charges and currents. All these electromagnetic properties can serve as tests for detecting magnetic entities which mimic the behaviour of magnetic monopoles in other different new materials. Besides, these analyses can be illuminating for obtaining possible circuital applications of these materials that lead to “Magnetronic” devices.
Efficiently reducing transition curvature in heat-assisted magnetic recording with state-of-the-art write heads
Authors: Vogler Christoph , Abert Claas , Bruckner Florian , Suess Dieter
Published: May 2017

Curvatures of bit transitions on granular media are a serious problem for the read-back process. We address this fundamental issue and propose a possibility to efficiently reduce transition curvatures with state-of-the-art heat-assisted magnetic recording heads. We compare footprints of conventional with those of the proposed head design on different media, consisting of exchange coupled and single phase grains. Additionally, we investigate the impact of various recording parameters, such as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the applied heat pulse and the coercivity gradient near the write temperature of the recording grains. The footprints are calculated with a coarse grained model, based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation. The presented simulations show a transition curvature reduction of up to 40%, in the case of a medium with exchange coupled grains and a heat pulse with a FWHM of 40 nm. We further give the reason for the straightening of the bit transitions, by means of basic considerations with regard to the effective recording time window of the write process. Besides the transition curvature reduction, the proposed head design yields an improvement of the transition jitter in both down-track and off-track directions.
Soft X-ray spectroscopy of nanoparticles by velocity map imaging
Authors: Kostko O. , Xu B. , Jacobs M. I. , Ahmed M.
Published: May 2017

Velocity map imaging (VMI), a technique traditionally used to study chemical dynamics in the gas phase, is applied here to study X-ray photoemission from aerosol nanoparticles. Soft X-rays from the Advanced Light Source synchrotron, probe a beam of nanoparticles, and the resulting photoelectrons are velocity mapped to obtain their kinetic energy distributions. A new design of the VMI spectrometer is described. The spectrometer is benchmarked by measuring vacuum ultraviolet photoemission from gas phase xenon and squalene nanoparticles followed by measurements using soft X-rays. It is demonstrated that the photoelectron distribution from X-ray irradiated squalene nanoparticles is dominated by secondary electrons. By scanning the photon energies and measuring the intensities of these secondary electrons, a near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectrum is obtained. The NEXAFS technique is used to obtain spectra of aqueous nanoparticles at the oxygen K edge. By varying the position of the aqueous nanoparticle beam relative to the incident X-ray beam, evidence is presented such that the VMI technique allows for NEXAFS spectroscopy of water in different physical states. Finally, we discuss the possibility of applying VMI methods to probe liquids and solids via X-ray spectroscopy.
Robust regression and its application in absolute gravimeters
Authors: Hu M. , Zhang W. M. , Zhong M.
Published: May 2017

Maximum-likelihood estimation of robust regression is employed to process absolute gravimeter data because this method is insensitive to outliers. Gravity values obtained by both ordinary least squares and different approaches for robust regression are compared with the results obtained by the g9 processing software for the FG5 gravimeter. The results show that the accuracy of gravity data can be improved by rejecting certain outliers via adjustments to a suitable weighting function of time-distance pairs. A convenient method of identifying those outliers by their weight is also presented.
In-situ determination of the flat band carrier concentration and surface charge density of individual semiconductor nanowires by a combination of electrical and field emission measurements
Authors: Chen Yicong , Song Xiaomeng , Li Zhibing , Deng Shaozhi , She Juncong , Xu Ningsheng , Chen Jun
Published: May 2017

The carrier concentration of semiconductor nanowires is one of the most important parameters for their nanoelectronic and optoelectronic applications. Because of their nanoscale geometry, the carrier concentration of nanowires is related to their flat band carrier concentration and surface charge density. Usually, these fundamental properties can be derived from the electrical transport and capacitance measurements of a nanowire field effect transistor (FET). Considering that the FET fabrication process can easily affect the nanowire surface, in-situ determination of these properties is of great interest. In this work, a method based on the chemical adsorption-induced surface band bending and field emission penetration effect was proposed to fulfill this task. Using this technique, the flat band carrier concentration and the surface charge density of a free-standing ZnO nanowire were obtained to be 0.7–2 × 1018 cm−3 and 1.07–3.73 × 1012 e/cm2, respectively. Compared with the conventional method based on a nanowire FET, this result provides a simple and nondestructive way to study these fundamental electrical properties of a nanowire.
Ab Initio evaluation of electron transport properties of Pt, Rh, Ir, and Pd nanowires for advanced interconnect applications
Authors: Lanzillo Nicholas A.
Published: May 2017

The electronic and structural properties of nanowires composed of either Pt, Ir, Rh, or Pd are calculated using density functional theory and a non-equilibrium Green's function scattering approach. The results for these nanowires are compared with Cu nanowires of comparable dimensions and evaluated for potential use in interconnect technology applications. The cohesive energies of the Pt, Rh and Ir nanowires are found to be stronger than the corresponding value for bulk Cu, indicating superior structural integrity and resistance to electromigration relative to Cu. Several of the nanowires considered are found to exhibit larger values of ballistic conductance relative to Cu, with maximum conductance occurring along the [110] crystallographic direction. Electron scattering at some representative twin grain boundaries is evaluated and an empirical resistivity model is used to quantitatively estimate the impact of grain size on total resistivity.
The advection of microparticles, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in response to very low Reynolds numbers
Authors: Morley Sinéad T. , Walsh Michael T. , Newport David T.
Published: May 2017

The lymphatic system is an extensive vascular network that serves as the primary route for the metastatic spread of breast cancer cells (BCCs). The dynamics by which BCCs travel in the lymphatics to distant sites, and eventually establish metastatic tumors, remain poorly understood. Particle tracking techniques were employed to analyze the behavior of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 BCCs which were exposed to lymphatic flow conditions in a 100 μm square microchannel. The behavior of the BCCs was compared to rigid particles of various diameters (η = dp/H= 0.05–0.32) that have been used to simulate cell flow in lymph. Parabolic velocity profiles were recorded for all particle sizes. All particles were found to lag the fluid velocity, the larger the particle the slower its velocity relative to the local flow (5%–15% velocity lag recorded). A distinct difference between the behavior of BCCs and particles was recorded. The BCCs travelled approximately 40% slower than the undisturbed flow, indicating that morphology and size affects their response to lymphatic flow conditions (Re < 1). BCCs adhered together, forming aggregates whose behavior was irregular. At lymphatic flow rates, MCF-7s were distributed uniformly across the channel in comparison to the MDA-MB-231 cells which travelled in the central region (88% of cells found within 0.35 ≤ W ≤ 0.64), indicating that metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells are subjected to a lower range of shear stresses in vivo. This suggests that both size and deformability need to be considered when modelling BCC behavior in the lymphatics. This finding will inform the development of in vitro lymphatic flow and metastasis models.
Microwave-excited ultrasound and thermoacoustic dual imaging
Authors: Ding Wenzheng , Ji Zhong , Xing Da
Published: May 2017

We designed a microwave-excited ultrasound (MUI) and thermoacoustic dual imaging system. Under the pulsed microwave excitation, the piezoelectric transducer used for thermoacoustic signal detection will also emit a highly directional ultrasonic beam based on the inverse piezoelectric effect. With this beam, the ultrasonic transmitter circuitry of the traditional ultrasound imaging (TUI) system can be replaced by a microwave source. In other words, TUI can be fully integrated into the thermoacoustic imaging system by sharing the microwave excitation source and the transducer. Moreover, the signals of the two imaging modalities do not interfere with each other due to the existence of the sound path difference, so that MUI can be performed simultaneously with microwave-induced thermoacoustic imaging. In the study, the performance characteristics and imaging capabilities of this hybrid system are demonstrated. The results indicate that our design provides one easy method for low-cost platform integration and has the potential to offer a clinically useful dual-modality tool for the detection of accurate diseases.
rMFilter: acceleration of long read-based structure variation calling by chimeric read filtering
Authors: Liu Bo , Jiang Tao , Yiu S M , Li Junyi , Wang Yadong
Published: May 2017

Motivation

Long read sequencing technologies provide new opportunities to investigate genome structural variations (SVs) more accurately. However, the state-of-the-art SV calling pipelines are computational intensive and the applications of long reads are restricted.

Results

We propose a local region match-based filter (rMFilter) to efficiently nail down chimeric noisy long reads based on short token matches within local genomic regions. rMFilter is able to substantially accelerate long read-based SV calling pipelines without loss of effectiveness. It can be easily integrated into current long read-based pipelines to facilitate SV studies.

Availability and implementation

The C ++ source code of rMFilter is available at https://github.com/hitbc/rMFilter.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pseudo-marginal Metropolis–Hastings sampling using averages of unbiased estimators
Authors: Sherlock Chris , Thiery Alexandre H. , Lee Anthony
Published: May 2017

We consider a pseudo-marginal Metropolis–Hastings kernel ${\mathbb{P}}_m$ that is constructed using an average of $m$ exchangeable random variables, and an analogous kernel ${\mathbb{P}}_s$ that averages $s<m$ of these same random variables. Using an embedding technique to facilitate comparisons, we provide a lower bound for the asymptotic variance of any ergodic average associated with ${\mathbb{P}}_m$ in terms of the asymptotic variance of the corresponding ergodic average associated with ${\mathbb{P}}_s$. We show that the bound is tight and disprove a conjecture that when the random variables to be averaged are independent, the asymptotic variance under ${\mathbb{P}}_m$ is never less than $s/m$ times the variance under ${\mathbb{P}}_s$. The conjecture does, however, hold for continuous-time Markov chains. These results imply that if the computational cost of the algorithm is proportional to $m$, it is often better to set $m=1$. We provide intuition as to why these findings differ so markedly from recent results for pseudo-marginal kernels employing particle filter approximations. Our results are exemplified through two simulation studies; in the first the computational cost is effectively proportional to $m$ and in the second there is a considerable start-up cost at each iteration.
Psychological Distress Among Smokers in the United States: 2008–2014
Authors: Zvolensky Michael J , Jardin Charles , Wall Melanie M , Gbedemah Misato , Hasin Deborah , Shankman Stewart A , Gallagher Matthew W , Bakhshaie Jafar , Goodwin Renee D
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Decline in smoking in the United States has slowed over the past 25 years. Mental health problems are common among smokers, and may be an impediment to quitting and remaining abstinent. The study investigated the relationship between serious (past-30-day) psychological distress (SPD) and smoking, estimated trends in the prevalence of SPD among current, former, and never smokers in the United States from 2008 to 2014, and investigated whether heterogeneity in these trends varied by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

Data were drawn from the National Household Survey on Drug Use (NSDUH), an annual cross-sectional study of persons ages 12 and over (N = 270 227). SPD and smoking in the past 30 days were examined using logistic regression models among adults 18 and older. The prevalence of SPD was examined annually among current, former, and never smokers from 2008 to 2014.

Results

SPD increased among smokers in the United States from 2008 to 2014. An increase in SPD was more rapid among non-daily smokers than daily smokers. The prevalence of SPD was higher among younger smokers, those with less formal education and lower annual family income and higher among current smokers than former and never smokers. The relationships between SPD and smoking were stronger among smokers with higher education levels and annual family income.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest an increase in SPD among smokers over time and that as smoking has declined, those with SPD are comprising a greater proportion of the remaining smokers. Results suggest that mental health must be integrated into mainstream tobacco control efforts.

Implications

The greater prevalence and increasing rate of Serious Psychological Distress among smokers, relative to former- and never-smokers, from 2008 to 2014 provides support that the greater mental health burden among smokers may be contributing to the slowed reduction in smoking prevalence in the United States. In addition, relationships between SPD and smoking were consistently stronger among smokers with higher levels of education and annual family income. Such results suggest the necessity of incorporating mental health treatments in tobacco use reduction efforts.
Sensitivity of the DN4 in Screening for Neuropathic Pain Syndromes
Authors: VanDenKerkhof Elizabeth G. , Stitt Larry , Clark Alexander J. , Gordon Allan , Lynch Mary , Morley-Forster Patricia K. , Nathan Howard J. , Smyth Catherine , Toth Cory , Ware Mark A. , Moulin Dwight E.
Published: May 2017

Objectives:

Several tools have been developed to screen for neuropathic pain. This study examined the sensitivity of the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) in screening for various neuropathic pain syndromes.

Materials and Methods:

This prospective observational study was conducted in 7 Canadian academic pain centers between April 2008 and December 2011. All newly admitted patients (n=2199) were approached and 789 eligible participants form the sample for this analysis. Baseline data included demographics, disability, health-related quality of life, and pain characteristics. Diagnosis of probable or definite neuropathic pain was on the basis of history, neurological examination, and ancillary diagnostic tests.

Results:

The mean age of study participants was 53.5 years and 54.7% were female; 83% (n=652/789) screened positive on the DN4 (≥4/10). The sensitivity was highest for central neuropathic pain (92.5%, n=74/80) and generalized polyneuropathies (92.1%, n=139/151), and lowest for trigeminal neuralgia (69.2%, n=36/52). After controlling for confounders, the sensitivity of the DN4 remained significantly higher for individuals with generalized polyneuropathies (odds ratio [OR]=4.35; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15, 8.81), central neuropathic pain (OR=3.76; 95% CI: 1.56, 9.07), and multifocal polyneuropathies (OR=1.72; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.85) compared with focal neuropathies.

Discussion:

The DN4 performed well; however, sensitivity varied by syndrome and the lowest sensitivity was found for trigeminal neuralgia. A positive DN4 was associated with greater pain catastrophizing, disability and anxiety/depression, which may be because of disease severity, and/or these scales may reflect magnification of sensory symptoms and findings. Future research should examine how the DN4 could be refined to improve its sensitivity for specific neuropathic pain conditions.
Improving the Efficiency of Speech-In-Noise Hearing Screening Tests
Authors: Smits Cas
Published: May 2017

Objective:

Speech-in-noise hearing screening tests have become increasingly popular. These tests follow an adaptive procedure with a fixed number of presentations to estimate the speech reception threshold. The speech reception threshold is compared with an established cutoff signal to noise ratio (SNR) for a pass result or refer result. A fixed SNR procedure was developed to improve the efficiency of speech-in-noise hearing screening tests.

Design:

The cutoff SNR is used for all presentations in the fixed-SNR procedure. After each response a reliable test result is given (pass/refer) or an extra stimulus is presented. The efficiency and pass/refer rates between the adaptive procedure and the fixed-SNR procedure were compared.

Results:

An average reduction of 67% in the number of presentations can be achieved (from 25 to an average of 8.3 presentations per test).

Conclusions:

The fixed-SNR procedure is superior in efficiency to the adaptive procedure while having nearly equal refer and pass rates.
Trochanteric Entry for Femoral Lengthening Nails in Children: Is It Safe?
Authors: Hammouda Ahmed I. , Jauregui Julio J. , Gesheff Martin G. , Standard Shawn C. , Herzenberg John E.
Published: May 2017

Background:

Antegrade intramedullary (IM) nailing for skeletally immature femur fractures can damage the capital femoral epiphysis blood supply, leading to avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head. Reported AVN rates are 2% for piriformis entry and 1.4% for trochanteric entry. None of previous reports described IM lengthening nails for limb lengthening procedures. We have used self-lengthening telescopic nails with a proximal Herzog bend and standard trochanteric entry for femoral lengthening in children. The purpose of this study is to determine whether trochanteric entry IM lengthening nails can be used safely (no AVN or proximal femoral deformity) in the skeletally immature femur.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed between 2004 and 2014 to determine all skeletally immature patients younger than 18 years of age who had a reamed IM lengthening nail inserted through the greater trochanter, with at least 1-year follow-up.

Results:

Thirty-one femurs were lengthened in 28 patients (17 males and 11 females). The etiology was congenital femoral deficiency (10), achondroplasia (6), post-traumatic (5), hemihypertrophy (3), Ollier disease (2), and miscellaneous (5). An attending surgeon was present for all procedures. Mean age at time of surgery was 12.9 years (range, 7 to 17 y). Mean follow-up was 3.5 years (range, 1.4 to 9 y). The average amount of lengthening was 5.4 cm (range, 3 to 6.7 cm). Twenty-four nails were 10.7 mm in diameter. Seven nails were 12.5 mm in diameter. Intramedullary skeletal kinetic distractor was used in 18 femurs and PRECICE in 13 femurs. Ten segments (7 intramedullary skeletal kinetic distractor; 3 PRECICE) experienced 13 complications. None of the patients developed AVN or proximal femoral deformity.

Conclusions:

IM lengthening nails inserted through the greater trochanter may be utilized in skeletally immature patients without increased risk of AVN of the femoral head or proximal femoral deformity. Larger trials would be helpful to confirm our hypothesis. We recommend careful surgical technique with liberal use of the image intensifier to avoid trauma to the femoral head blood supply.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—therapeutic.
Clonal Seborrheic Keratosis Versus Pagetoid Bowen Disease: Histopathology and Role of Adjunctive Markers
Authors: Kalegowda Inchara Yeliur , Böer-Auer Almut
Published: May 2017

Clonal seborrheic keratosis (CSK) and pagetoid Bowen disease (squamous cell carcinoma in situ) (PBD) share similar histological features making it sometimes difficult to differentiate the 2. The study group included 29 and 13 cases of CSK and PBD, respectively. Both groups were examined histopathologically (suprabasal mitotic figures, broad rete ridges, crowding of nuclei, nuclear pleomorphism, necrotic keratinocytes, parakeratosis, and dermal inflammation) and immunohistochemically (CK10, Ki-67, and p16). P values for all parameters were calculated using Fisher exact test, 2 tailed. Significant differences were seen regarding mitosis, crowding, nuclear pleomorphism (more common in PBD), and broad rete ridges (more common in CSK). Significant differences were also noted with Ki-67, CK10, and p16 antibodies. Increased Ki-67-positive cells and the presence of >75% positive p16 cells were commonly seen in PBD, whereas CK10-negative cells were a common finding in CSK. A spectrum of staining patterns was observed with CK10 and p16. There is no single reliable criterion to distinguish CSK from PBD. A panel of markers comprising CK10, Ki-67, and p16 seems to be useful in the context of relevant histology.
Terra Firma-Forme Dermatosis Misdiagnosed as Nevoid Acanthosis Nigricans
Authors: Demirci Gulsen Tukenmez , Mansur Ayse Tulin , Demiralay Ebru
Published: May 2017

Terra firma-forme dermatosis (TFFD) is a clinical condition characterized by brown–gray, velvety, pigmented patches or plaques, resembling dirt on the skin. Nevoid acanthosis nigricans (NAN) is a rare and recently described form of acanthosis nigricans occurring during childhood or early adulthood. Herein we describe a patient with TFFD, initially misdiagnosed as NAN. The patient had developed hyperkeratotic and hyperpigmented plaques on and around the umbilicus during pregnancy. Though regular in bathing practices, she could not clear away the lesions and concerned marks for inesthetic appearance. Histopathological findings were compatible with NAN, and she was prescribed 10% urea lotion. On a dramatic healing after 3 weeks, a diagnosis of TFFD is considered and confirmed by the lesions getting wiped away by vigorous rubbing with alcohol pads. We discuss the key points of differentiating TFFD from NAN, and underline the importance of alcohol test for accurate diagnosis.
Hailey–Hailey Disease With Coexistent Herpes Virus Infection: Insights Into the Diagnostic Conundrum of Herpetic/Pseudoherpetic Features in Cutaneous Acantholytic Disorders
Authors: Leitch Claire S. , Panthagani Anusha P. , Tidman Michael J. , Biswas Asok
Published: May 2017

The specific histopathologic diagnosis of a primary acantholytic disorder takes into account the distribution and extent of acantholysis, presence or absence of dyskeratosis, nature of the dermal inflammatory cell infiltrate, and immunofluorescence findings. Herpes virus infection is a common cause of secondary acantholysis where distinctive viral cytopathic changes aid in making it a clear-cut diagnosis in majority of cases. We present a case of coexistence of Hailey–Hailey disease and herpes simplex virus infection to compare and contrast their histopathologic features. This is imperative because acantholytic cells from primary acantholytic disorders may occasionally show cytological features traditionally associated with herpes virus infection (pseudoherpetic changes). The objective of this article is to create a greater awareness of pseudoherpetic changes and also to explore the clinical significance of coexistence of a primary acantholytic disorder and herpes virus infection, as in this case.
Air Pump–Assisted Graft Centration, Graft Edge Unfolding, and Graft Uncreasing in Young Donor Graft Pre-Descemet Endothelial Keratoplasty
Authors: Jacob Soosan , Narasimhan Smita , Agarwal Amar , Agarwal Athiya , A.I. Saijimol
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To assess an air pump–assisted technique for graft centration, graft edge unfolding, and graft uncreasing while performing pre-Descemet endothelial keratoplasty (PDEK) using young donor grafts.

Methods:

Continuous pressurized air infusion was used for graft centration, graft edge unfolding, and graft unwrinkling.

Results:

Ten eyes of 10 patients underwent PDEK with donors aged below 40 years. In all eyes, the donor scrolled into tight scrolls. In all cases, the air pump–assisted technique was effective in positioning and centering the graft accurately and in straightening infolded graft edges and smoothing out graft creases and wrinkles. Endothelial cell loss was 38.6%. Postoperative best-corrected visual acuity at 6 months was 0.66 ± 0.25 in decimal equivalent. Continuous pressurized air infusion acted as a third hand providing a continuous pressure head that supported the graft and prevented graft dislocation as well as anterior chamber collapse during intraocular maneuvering. Adequate maneuvering space was available in all cases, and bleeding, if any, was tamponaded successfully in all cases.

Conclusions:

Although very young donor grafts may be used for PDEK, they are difficult to center and unroll completely before floating against host stroma. An air pump–assisted technique using continuous pressurized air infusion allows successful final graft positioning even with very young donor corneas. It thus makes surgery easier as several key steps are made easier to handle. It additionally helps in tamponading hemorrhage during peripheral iridectomy, increasing surgical space, preventing fluctuations in the anterior chamber depth, and promoting graft adherence.
The Third Time’s a Charm
Authors: Butts Brittany , Higgins Melinda , Dunbar Sandra , Reilly Carolyn
Published: May 2017

Background and Objective:

Since first being published in 2009, the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test (AHFKT) has proven a reliable and valid instrument and has been used in multiple studies. Given advances in heart failure (HF) self-care, we proposed to reevaluate the psychometric properties of the AHFKTv2 across these recent studies and update the instrument.

Methods:

Demographic, clinical, and baseline AHFKTv2 data from 4 intervention studies in persons with HF were combined for this analysis (N = 284). The 30 questions of the AHFKT are focused on 5 HF self-care knowledge domains: pathophysiology, nutrition, behavior, medications, and symptoms. Characteristics of the sample were analyzed using descriptive statistics; validity testing with t tests and Mann-Whitney 2-group tests and Pearson r and Spearman ρ correlations; and reliability calculations and factor analysis were performed based on tetrachoric correlations.

Results:

Participants were 22 to 84 years of age, 66% were African American, 63% were male, and 94% had New York Heart Association class II to III HF. Mean AHFKT score was 80.6% (±11%). Hypotheses that higher levels of knowledge would be associated with higher education level (t = −2.7, P < .01) and less sodium consumption (ρ = −0.22, P = .03) were validated. Factor analysis revealed 1 general knowledge factor with good reliability, Cronbach’s α was .87. Item response analysis identified individual questions requiring review and revision.

Conclusion:

Comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the AHFKTv2 confirmed its internal consistency reliability and validity and provided direction for production of the AHFKTv3 available for use in research and clinical practice.
Leukocyte Adhesion as an Indicator of Oxygenator Thrombosis During Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy?
Authors: Wilm Julius , Philipp Alois , Müller Thomas , Bredthauer Andre , Gleich Otto , Schmid Christof , Lehle Karla
Published: May 2017

Thrombosis is the most common technical complication with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Accumulations of leukocytes on the gas exchange membranes within a membrane oxygenator (MO) may initiate thrombosis and influence outcome. MOs (n = 41) were removed routinely from adult patients on ECMO, preserved, and analyzed for their cellular deposits using nuclear (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and cell type–specific markers (CD45; von Willebrand factor, vWF). The extent of cellular colonization was correlated with patient data. Blood contact caused adhesion of leukocytes and accumulation of vWF. Six MOs contained “pseudomembranes” (PM). MOs with PM were from younger patients (median [interquartile range {IQR}]; age, 36 [30–47] vs. 61 [51–71] years; p = 0.040) and the leukocyte count before ECMO was on average higher (21 [16–24] vs. 15 [8–18] ×109 per L; p = 0.051) compared with PM-free MOs. The development of PMs did not influence pressure drop across the MO. Data indicating coagulation disorder within the MOs (d-dimers, fibrinogen, and platelets) were not significantly different between the groups. There was only one acute MO thrombosis in a PM-free MO. The support time of the analyzed MOs with PM tended to be longer when compared with PM-free MOs (11 [6–19] vs. 8 [5–11] days). Nevertheless, all patients with MOs with PMs were successfully weaned (6/6 vs. 17/35) and discharged from hospital (6/6 vs. 17/35; p = 0.027) compared with patients with PM-free MOs. In conclusion, elderly people on ECMO showed reduced PM formation that may reduce the risk of MO thrombosis. Younger patients had no negative effect.
Deep Neural Networks in Computational Neuroscience
Authors: Kietzmann Tim C , McClure Patrick , Kriegeskorte Nikolaus
Published: May 2017

The goal of computational neuroscience is to find mechanistic explanations of how the nervous system processes information to give rise to cognitive function and behaviour. At the heart of the field are its models, i.e. mathematical and computational descriptions of the system being studied, which map sensory stimuli to neural responses and/or neural to behavioural responses. These models range from simple to complex. Recently, deep neural networks (DNNs) have come to dominate several domains of artificial intelligence (AI). As the term “neural network” suggests, these models are inspired by biological brains. However, current DNNs neglect many details of biological neural networks. These simplifications contribute to their computational efficiency, enabling them to perform complex feats of intelligence, ranging from perceptual (e.g. visual object and auditory speech recognition) to cognitive tasks (e.g. machine translation), and on to motor control (e.g. playing computer games or controlling a robot arm). In addition to their ability to model complex intelligent behaviours, DNNs excel at predicting neural responses to novel sensory stimuli with accuracies well beyond any other currently available model type. DNNs can have millions of parameters, which are required to capture the domain knowledge needed for successful task performance. Contrary to the intuition that this renders them into impenetrable black boxes, the computational properties of the network units are the result of four directly manipulable elements:input statistics, network structure, functional objective, andlearning algorithm. With full access to the activity and connectivity of all units, advanced visualization techniques, and analytic tools to map network representations to neural data, DNNs represent a powerful framework for building task-performing models and will drive substantial insights in computational neuroscience.
Uncertainties in tumor allele frequencies limit power to infer evolutionary pressures
Authors: Noorbakhsh Javad , Chuang Jeffrey H.
Published: May 2017

We read with great interest the paper by Williams,et. al.[1], who argued for neutral evolution in tumors by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. They supported this conclusion by showing highR2values for fits to a neutral evolution model predictingM∝ 1 /f, whereMis the number of somatic mutations with allele frequency ≥f. However, we believe a conclusion of neutrality must be treated cautiously, as highR2values are consistent with many evolutionary models.
Juvenile hormone, but not nutrition or social cues, affects reproductive maturation in solitary alkali bees (Nomia melanderi)
Authors: Kapheim Karen M. , Johnson Makenna M.
Published: May 2017

Eusocial insect colonies are defined by extreme variation in reproductive activity among castes, but the ancestral conditions from which this variation arose are unknown. Investigating the factors that contribute to variation in reproductive physiology among solitary insects that are closely related to social species can help to fill this gap. We experimentally tested the role of nutrition, juvenile hormone, and social cues on reproductive maturation in solitary alkali bees (Halictidae:Nomia melanderi). We find that alkali bee females emerge from overwintering with small Dufour's glands and small ovaries, containing oocytes in the early stages of development. Oocyte maturation occurs rapidly, and is staggered between the two ovaries. Lab-reared females reached reproductive maturity without access to mates or nesting opportunities, and many had resorbed oocytes. Initial activation of these reproductive structures does not depend on pollen consumption, though dietary protein or lipids may be necessary for long-term reproductive activity. JH is likely to be a limiting factor in alkali bee reproductive activation, as females treated with JH were more likely to develop mature oocytes and Dufour's glands. Unlike for related social bees, the effects of JH were not suppressed by the presence of older, reproductive females. These results provide important insight into the factors that influence reproductive activity in an important native pollinator, and those that may have been particularly important in the evolution of reproductive castes.
4-Methoxy-N-(1-methyl-1H-indazol-7-yl)benzenesulfonamide hemihydrate
Authors: Bouissane Latifa , Mojahidi Souad , Rakib El Mostapha , Chicha Hakima , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: May 2017

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, 2C15H15N3O3S·H2O, comprises two crystallographically independent organic molecules and one water molecule, all in general positions. Each organic molecule comprises an indazolyl system linked through a sulfonamide group to a methoxybenzene ring. The most important difference between the two organic molecules is the dihedral angle between the fused-ring system and the methoxybenzene ring, which is 56.32 (7)° in one molecule and 35.35 (8)° in the other. In the crystal, the organic and water molecules are connected into supramolecular chains along thecaxis through O—H...N, O—H...O, N—H...O and N—-H...N hydrogen bonds; in addition, a π–π interaction between pyrazolyl rings [inter-centroid separation = 3.7547 (12) Å] is noted.
1-(3-Bromo-6-nitro-1H-indazol-1-yl)ethan-1-one
Authors: Mohamed Abdelahi Mohamed Mokhtar , El Bakri Youness , Minnih Mohamed Said , Benchidmi Mohammed , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: May 2017

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C9H6BrN3O3, consists of two independent molecules differing in the rotational orientations of the nitro and acetyl substituents. In the crystal, head-to-head π-stacking between pairs of adjacent molecules forms dimers which are associated into stacks by C—Br...π(ring) interactions. C—H...O hydrogen bonds tie the stacks together.
Social mobility and Fair Access to the accountancy profession in the UK
Authors: Duff Angus
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider how Big Four and mid-tier accountancy firms in the UK are responding to political concerns about social mobility and Fair Access to the accountancy profession.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were undertaken with 18 public accountancy firms, ranked in the Top 30 by fee income, operating in the UK to identify how they are recruiting staff in the light of the Fair Access to the Professions’ agenda. Bourdieusian sociology is used to inform the findings.

Findings

The Big Four firms employ a discourse of hiring “the brightest and the best” to satisfy perceived client demand, where symbolic capital is instantiated by reputational capital, reflecting prestige and specialisation, supported by a workforce with elite credentials. For mid-tier firms, reputational capital is interpreted as the need for individuals to service a diverse client portfolio. In general, most interviewees demonstrated relatively limited awareness of the issues surrounding the Fair Access agenda.

Research limitations/implications

The interviews with accountancy firms are both exploratory and cross-sectional. Furthermore, the study was undertaken at an embryonic point (2010) in the emerging Fair Access discourse. Future work considering the accountancy profession could usefully examine if, and how, matters have progressed.

Social implications

The investigation finds that accountancy firms remain relatively socially exclusive, largely due to the requirement for high educational entry standards, and interviewees’ responses generally indicate only limited attempts at engagement with political agendas of promoting Fair Access to the profession.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to empirically evaluate how the accountancy profession is responding to the Fair Access agenda; documents changing patterns of recruitment in accountancy employment, including the hiring of non-graduates to undertake professional work; and augments the literature considering social class and accounting.
Structure of intellectual capital – an international comparison
Authors: Inkinen Henri , Kianto Aino , Vanhala Mika , Ritala Paavo
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Academics and practitioners around the world have shown interest in what constitutes the relevant intellectual capital (IC) in firms. However, studies have largely neglected to examine whether IC has identical or different structural elements in various parts of the world. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that country-specific institutional structures may impact the perception of IC, and empirically analyse whether differences exist between five countries drawing on the institutional theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This study tests for the differences in the underlying categorizations of IC in a sample consisting of 708 firms across five countries. Confirmatory factor analysis and comparison of different possible IC models are conducted to empirically examine the IC structure.

Findings

The results demonstrate that IC has predominantly the same underlying elements across the examined countries. However, trust capital in Finland and renewal capital in Serbia are structurally different compared to other countries.

Research limitations/implications

Institutional theory and multinational corporate superculture can explain the similarity in the IC structures across countries. Specifically, globalized markets carry institutionalized rules, norms, and expectations for the participating firms; under the influence of this superculture, the firms begin to assimilate. Conversely, the differences suggest that some country- and culture-specific differences remain even during the transition to global markets.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to question the assumption that IC has identical structural elements across the world, and merges theories of IC and institutions to explain the possible origins of these differences.
The quality of the metacommunication of the interface and search system of the CAPES Portal of e-Journals
Authors: Gomes Gracielle Mendonça Rodrigues , Cendon Beatriz Valadares
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The study aims to propose the use of the semiotics inspection method (SIM) which is an interpretative and qualitative method from semiotics engineering (SE) for the evaluation of the communicability of systems and to evaluate digital libraries and information retrieval systems (IRS). The paper presents the results of the application of this method in the evaluation of the quality of the communicability of the interface and search system of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) Portal of e-Journals, a major scientific digital library in Brazil. There are proposed solutions to improve this system included.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used the SIM to evaluate the system. Two evaluators inspected the system. They performed the comparison and the analysis of three types of metamessages (metalinguistic, static and dynamic). The metamessages generated by the evaluators were contrasted to find inconsistencies and ambiguities in the CAPES Portal of e-Journals. Finally, the last step of the method was the final assessment about the inspection.

Findings

The evaluators identified 52 problems of communicability. These problems were ranked according to severity ratings established by Nielsen (1994). They were grouped in ten types of problems present in the interface and in the search system of the CAPES Portal of e-Journals.

Originality value

This research contributes theoretically to the field of information retrieval and to the area of human–computer interaction and, in particular, to the theory of SE by adapting SE methods that allow the evaluation of communicability to the context of the scientific IRS. Results obtained through scientific methods should contribute to development of the interface and search tools of IRS to better support query formulation and retrieval of relevant information and more efficiently satisfy the information needs of individuals.
What influences teachers to continue using cloud services?
Authors: Wang Chia-Sui , Jeng Yu-Lin , Huang Yong-Ming
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of teachers’ continuance intention concerning cloud services.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a cloud service, namely, Google Sites, to support teacher collaboration and further develop a research model to explore the determinants of their continued usage intention.

Findings

The findings reveal that continued intention to use the cloud services is primarily determined by their attitude towards using it; attitude towards using is affected by perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness; and perceived ease of use is influenced by facilitating conditions, while perceived usefulness is influenced by social influence.

Practical implications

This study determines that teachers intend to continue using cloud services once training in using such services has been provided and if they hear favourable opinions from others.

Originality/value

The paper enables us to better understand factors affecting teachers' continuance intention toward cloud services.
An assessment of rural libraries and information services for rural development
Authors: Omeluzor Saturday U. , Oyovwe-Tinuoye Gloria O. , Emeka-Ukwu Uche
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the rural libraries and information services for rural development in Delta State, Nigeria.

Design methodology/approach

The study adopted both descriptive and exploratory research designs. Questionnaire, observation and structured interview guide were the major instruments for data collection. Total enumeration was used to gather data from respondents in 16 functional rural libraries in Delta State.

Findings

The study revealed the challenges that surround the rural people in accessing information in rural libraries. It showed that only 16 rural libraries were established and functional in 16 communities within the 25 local government areas. Findings also showed that the rural libraries were not able to fulfil their roles. It was evident that the information needs of the rural people which made them to access the library were not adequately met because of some hindrances such as inadequate up-to-date information materials, lack of awareness, illiteracy, language barrier, inadequate skilled personnel and inadequate infrastructure and facilities.

Practical implications

The important finding in this study is that rural libraries are the most relevant institution to disseminate information about government policies, inculcating reading habits and developing skill and knowledge of people. Therefore, underdevelopment of rural libraries and inadequate information sources and facilities will hinder access to information and development of the people who need them.

Originality value

This research is the first of its kind to assess rural libraries and information services for the development of rural people in the 16 rural libraries in Delta State of Nigeria.
Assessment of global law and psychiatry research in the period of 1993-2012
Authors: Lv Hong
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper (bibliometric analysis) is to analyse the global scientific outputs, research patterns, research emphases and trends of law and psychiatry (L&P) research during 1993-2012 from the Web of Science (WOS) database. Besides, the paper also offers an overview to deepen intercultural understanding and cooperation in the field among professionals concerned with the interface of this research field and related disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted a bibliometric study of the characteristics and patterns of publication outputs, major journals, network of co-occurrence of authors, international productivity and collaboration.

Findings

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and Psychiatry, Psychology and Law were the representative journals in the field of L&P research. The results from the analysis of co-occurrence of authors suggest that the L&P co-authorship network analysis is relatively fragmented. In addition, the most productive institution was the University of California System, which published the most inter-institutional collaborative publications and was the top institution by centrality measures. The Harvard University published the most single-institute publications. The most productive country was the USA, which was the top country by centrality measures. The USA was the most collaborative country and took the central position in the collaborative network.

Originality/value

This is the first study to quantify and evaluate global research productivity in L&P viewed through the WOS during 1993-2012, which might provide a potential guide for future research among professionals concerned with the interface of L&P, as it is a very constructive contribution to the area.