bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of low frequency noise characteristics inp-type polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors
Authors: Liu Yuan , En Yun-Fei , Fang Wen-Xiao
Published: April 2017

Low frequency noises in the p-type polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors are investigated. It shows a pure 1/f[Formula: see text] (with [Formula: see text] near one) noise behavior which can be explained by emission and trapping processes of carriers between trapping states. Subsequently, the gate voltage-dependent drain current noise power spectral densities closely follow the mobility fluctuation model, and the average Hooge’s parameter is then extracted. By considering traditional tunneling processes, the flat-band voltage spectral density is extracted and the concentration of traps in the grain boundary is calculated to be [Formula: see text]. By converting the frequency to tunneling depth of carriers in the gate oxide, the spatial distribution of gate oxide trapped charges are obtained. Finally, the distribution of localized states in the energy band is extracted. The experimental results show an exponential deep states and tail states distribution in the band gap while [Formula: see text] is about [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]617 K, [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]265 K.
An Extension of Semiuninorms: Weak-Neutral Semiuninorms
Authors: Liu Hua-Wen , Qin Feng
Published: April 2017

By weakening the neutral element condition of semiuninorms, we introduce a new concept called weak-neutral semiuninorms (shortly, wn-semiuninorms). After analyzing their structure, several classes of wn-semiuninorms are presented and discussed. Particularly, based on a kind of monotone unary functions which are not necessarily continuous and strictly monotone, we introduce representable wn-semiuninorms and discuss some of their properties in detail. We show that there is no idempotent proper wn-semiuninorm. Each representable wn-semiuninorm is Archimidean but not strictly monotone, and its additive generator is unique up to a positive multiplicative constant under some conditions. In the discussion about the representable wn-semiuninorms, we also characterize the solutions to a class of Cauchy functional equations on a restricted domain.
Distributivity for 2-Uninorms Over Semi-Uninorms
Authors: Wang Ya-Ming , Qin Feng
Published: April 2017

This paper is mainly devoted to solving the distributivity equations for 2-uninorms over semi-uninorms. Our investigations are motivated by the couple of distributive logical connectives and their generalizations, such as t-norms, t-conorms, uninorms, nullnorms, and fuzzy implications, which are often used in fuzzy set theory. Recently, there are their two generalizations. One is a 2-uninorm covering both a uninorm and a nullnorm, which forms a class of commutative, associative and increasing operators on the unit interval with an absorbing element separating two subintervals having their own neutral elements. The other is a semi-uninorm, which generalizes a uninorm by omitting commutativity and associativity. In this work, all possible solutions of the distributivity equation for the three defined subclasses of 2-uninorms over semi-uninorms are characterized.
An Assessment of Intermediary Roles in Payments for Ecosystem Services Schemes in the Context of Catchment Management: An Example from South West England
Authors: Cook Hadrian , Couldrick Laurence , Smith Laurence
Published: April 2017

Payments for Ecosystems Services (PES) schemes are an underdeveloped component of the policy mix for catchment management in many countries. The importance of intermediaries to such schemes is acknowledged in the literature but few studies go beyond theory to evaluate practice. This paper analyses generic intermediary functions for PES. It then evaluates an innovative example from southwest England that provides illustrations, and some lessons regarding necessary capabilities and characteristics for intermediaries, and understanding of their form, functions and modalities. The ‘UpStream Thinking’ project was co-developed by a private water company and an environmental charity. The former translated effective demand from shareholders and water customers for improved raw water quality into finance, whilst the latter had capabilities for catchment-scale on-farm delivery and trusted acceptance as an intermediary. While any sector can potentially provide a PES intermediary, the value driven, not-for-profit and politically neutral voluntary sector proves to be a good fit. Such ‘boundary organisations’ are also well placed for horizontal coordination of catchment management authorities and actions.
Experimental Analysis of R134a/LPG as Replacement of R134a in a Vapor-Compression Refrigeration System
Authors: Gill Jatinder , Singh Jagdev
Published: April 2017

This paper presents an experimental analysis of a vapor compression refrigeration system (VCRS) using the mixture of R134a and LPG with mass fractions of 28:72 as an alternative to R134a. In this work, we compare the energy performance of both refrigerants, R134a/LPG (28:72) and R134a, in a monitored vapor compression refrigeration system under a wide range of experimental conditions. So, the System with R134a/LPG (28:72) was tested by varying the capillary tube length and refrigerant charge under experimental conditions. Performance comparisons of both the systems are made taking refrigerant R134a as baseline, and the results show that the compressor power consumption, compressor discharge temperature and pull down time obtained with R134a/LPG (28:72) of 118[Formula: see text]g and capillary tube length of 5.1 m in vapor compression refrigeration system are about 4.4% 2.4% and 5.3%, respectively, lower than that obtained with R134a in the studied range. Also, when using R134a/LPG (28:72), the system shows values of refrigeration capacity and COP are about 10.6% and 15.2% respectively, higher than those obtained using R134a, In conclusion, the mixing refrigerant R134a/LPG proposed in this study seems to be an appropriate long-term candidate to replace R134a as a new generation refrigerant of VCRS, because of its well environmentally acceptable properties and its favorable refrigeration performances.
Augmented Reality Enriches Print Media and Revitalizes Media Business
Authors: Siltanen Sanni , Aikala Maiju , Järvinen Sari , Valjus Ville
Published: April 2017

Print media is in a crisis; it is losing its share of advertising—its main source of income—to digital media. Our aim is to determine how augmented reality (AR) and other hybrid media solutions change print media's value chain and what kind of opportunities they offer. We studied both human and technical aspects and critical challenges. We interviewed 20 actors of Finnish advertising and media business, who are very enthusiastic toward AR-enriched interactive hybrid media. User behavior measurability was found to be important. We present a sketch of the hybrid media value chain with the actors. We also describe and discuss selected AR applications. AR technology is mature enough for the mass market; the technical performance of smartphones is high enough for AR applications, and the penetration of smartphones is increasing rapidly. Our main conclusion is that hybrid media is essential to the future of print media.
The Heidelberg Laureate Forum on the moving frontier between mathematics and computer science
Authors: Begoli Edmon , Schlegel Vincent , Atiyah Michael , Adeyemo Praise , Baarslag Tim
Published: April 2017

Young and early-career researchers at the 2016 Heidelberg Laureate Forum discuss how the frontier between mathematics and computer science is shifting, what the future promises, and the implications the frontier's shape and dynamics will have on both fields.
Serving people in crisis to make the world a better place
Authors: Rastogi Nidhi , Divekar Rahul R.
Published: April 2017

Carolin Silbernagl, who leads betterplace lab, the research arm of betterplace.org in Berlin, Germany, is a social technologist, as well as co-founder of dotHIV. Here, she shares what it takes to make betterplace, the first mover in the area of digital social startups in Germany.
How to manage your advisor
Authors: Hunsucker Andrew J.
Published: April 2017

Getting a Ph.D. is a challenge, but in theory at least, students have a lot of support.
Anal Function after Surgery for Low-Lying Rectal Cancer: Comparison of Mechanical and Hand-Sewn Coloanal Anastomosis
Authors: Matsunaga Rie , Nishizawa Yuji , Saito Norio , Yokota Mitsuru , Hayashi Ryuichi , Ito Masaaki
Published: April 2017

Background/Aims: Mechanical coloanal anastomosis (MCAA) or hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis (HCAA) are used in anus-preserving surgery for low-lying rectal cancer. Either method can be used if the lower edge of the tumor is 4-6 cm from the anal verge. The goal of this study was to evaluate differences in the anal function after MCAA or HCAA. Methods: The subjects were 305 consecutive patients with primary rectal cancer tumors situated 4-6 cm from the anal verge who underwent curative anus-preserving surgery between 2004 and 2013. Functional assessment was performed using a questionnaire at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after stoma closure. Results: Of the 305 patients, 145 underwent MCAA and 160 underwent HCAA. The median distance of the tumor from the anal verge was 6.0 cm (range 4.0-6.0) in the MCAA group and 4.5 cm (range 4.0-6.0) in the HCAA group (p < 0.001). A total of 192 patients (73%) responded to the 1-year questionnaire. The median Wexner score was 6 (range 0-17) in the MCAA group and 11 (range 0-20) in the HCAA group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Retention of anal function is feasible after both MCAA and HCAA. MCAA may contribute to better postoperative anal function compared to HCAA.
Post-Progression Survival Associated with Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Docetaxel Monotherapy as Second-Line Chemotherapy
Authors: Kotake Mie , Miura Yosuke , Imai Hisao , Mori Keita , Sakurai Reiko , Kaira Kyoichi , Tomizawa Yoshio , Minato Koichi , Saito Ryusei , Hisada Takeshi
Published: April 2017

Background: In patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the effects of second-line chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) might be confounded by subsequent therapies. Therefore, using individual-level data, we aimed to determine the relationships between progression-free survival (PFS) and post-progression survival (PPS) with OS in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with docetaxel monotherapy as second-line chemotherapy. Methods: Between April 2002 and December 2014, data from 86 patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent second-line docetaxel monotherapy following first-line treatment with platinum combination chemotherapy were analyzed. The relationships of PFS and PPS with OS were analyzed at the individual level. Results: Spearman rank correlation and linear regression analyses showed that PPS was strongly associated with OS (r = 0.86, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.93), whereas PFS was moderately correlated with OS (r = 0.50, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.21). Performance status at the end of second-line treatment and the number of regimens after progression beyond second-line chemotherapy were significantly associated with PPS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In patients with advanced NSCLC with unknown oncogenic driver mutations undergoing docetaxel monotherapy as second-line chemotherapy, when compared with PFS, PPS had a stronger association with OS. This finding suggests that subsequent treatment after disease progression following second-line docetaxel monotherapy has a significant influence on OS.
Allergic and Nonallergic Asthma Have Distinct Phenotypic and Genotypic Features
Authors: Takejima Priscila , Agondi Rosana Câmara , Rodrigues Helcio , Aun Marcelo Vivolo , Kalil Jorge , Giavina-Bianchi Pedro
Published: April 2017

Background: Identification of asthma phenotypes enables a better understanding and management of this heterogeneous disease. Studies have reported associations between human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and asthma in different populations, but the results have been inconclusive and they have rarely considered the distinct disease phenotypes. Our objective was to characterize allergic and nonallergic asthma phenotypes and evaluate possible associations with the HLA system. Methods: A total of 109 patients with asthma were prospectively followed during 2 years. They were divided into 2 groups, i.e., allergic and nonallergic asthma, according to their clinical history and skin prick test and serum-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) results. The control group comprised 297 deceased donors of solid organs. Patients' features and HLA class I and II genotypes were assessed and compared. Results: This study showed different features between asthma phenotypes. Nonallergic patients were older at the onset of asthma symptoms and had a higher rate of intolerance to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Allergic patients had higher total serum IgE levels, reported atopic dermatitis and rhinoconjunctivitis more frequently, and, unexpectedly, had a greater disease severity. New associations between the HLA genotypes and allergic and nonallergic asthma were identified. The HLA-B*42, HLA-C*17, HLA-DPA1*03, and HLA-DPB1*105 genotypes were associated with allergic asthma and the HLA-B*48 genotype with the nonallergic phenotype. The presence of the haplotype HLA-DPA1*03 DQA*05 was associated with allergic asthma, and the presence of HLA-DPA1*03 and the absence of HLA-DQA*05 with nonallergic asthma. Conclusions: Allergic and nonallergic asthma have distinct phenotypic and genotypic features. New associations between asthma phenotypes and HLA class I and II were identified.
Hydrogen Peroxide: A Potential Wound Therapeutic Target
Authors: Zhu Guanya , Wang Qi , Lu Shuliang , Niu Yiwen
Published: April 2017

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a topical antiseptic used in wound cleaning which kills pathogens through oxidation burst and local oxygen production. H2O2 has been reported to be a reactive biochemical molecule synthesized by various cells that influences biological behavior through multiple mechanisms: alterations of membrane potential, generation of new molecules, and changing intracellular redox balance, which results in activation or inactivation of different signaling transduction pathways. Contrary to the traditional viewpoint that H2O2 probably impairs tissue through its high oxidative property, a proper level of H2O2 is considered an important requirement for normal wound healing. Although the present clinical use of H2O2 is still limited to the elimination of microbial contamination and sometimes hemostasis, better understanding towards the sterilization ability and cell behavior regulatory function of H2O2 within wounds will enhance the potential to exogenously augment and manipulate healing.
A percepção de estudantes da Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades da Universidade de São Paulo acerca da disciplina de Resolução de Problemas I e II.
Authors: Rodrigues Juliana Pedreschi , Pacheco Reinaldo Tadeu Boscolo
Published: April 2017

Esta pesquisa apresenta reflexões sobre a experiência de tutoria de estudantes de graduação no Ciclo Básico da Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades da Universidade de São Paulo que cursaram a disciplina de Resolução de Problemas I e II, baseada na metodologia de aprendizagem baseada em problemas, o PBL (Problem-based Learning). Assim sendo, o objetivo principal do presente estudo foi demostrar como se dá esse processo de aprendizagem ativa e as peculiaridades deste tipo de estratégia ao longo de quinze semanas, além da comparação desta metodologia com experiências de aprendizagens que os estudantes vivenciaram no ensino fundamental e médio. Em considerações finais discute-se aspectos positivos e negativos observados nesta metodologia de aprendizagem ativa, as diferenças apreendidas pelos estudantes nos momentos de construção de seus conhecimentos e as particularidades da relação tutor/estudante e estudante/estudante presentes ao longo do processo de aprendizagem por resolução de problemas.
O Curso de Editoração da USP: Um Projeto Democrático
Authors: Ramos Junior José De Paula
Published: April 2017

O presente relato procura apresentar de modo sucinto o processo de reformulação do Projeto Político-Pedagógico e as bases da nova estrutura curricular da graduação em Editoração da Escola de Comunicações e Artes da Universidade de São Paulo (ECA-USP). Tal reforma estendeu-se por mais de três anos e envolveu ampla participação de docentes, alunos e ex-alunos. Em linhas gerais, por meio dessa iniciativa democrática, procurouse não só aperfeiçoar a qualidade acadêmica do curso, mas também permitir que ele contemplasse as mudanças significativas ocorridas na indústria do livro e no mercado editorial nos últimos anos, em virtude, sobretudo, da utilização em larga escala das novas tecnologias
O Radiojornalismo na Universidade de São Paulo
Authors: Maluly Luciano Victor Barros
Published: April 2017

Este artigo aborda a estrutura das disciplinas relacionadas ao ensino do radiojornalismo que são oferecidas no Curso de Comunicação Social, com habilitação em Jornalismo, da Universidade de São Paulo. Como ponto de partida, observou-se a influência do pensamento dos principais docentes por meio de obras publicadas sobre o tema, como livros e artigos. Também foram coletados depoimentos de algumas personagens envolvidas no processo (professores, alunos e colaboradores). Por fim, apresenta-se a metodologia de ensino aplicada ao radiojornalismo na USP.
Aulas Laboratoriais de Geografia: Proposições para o Ensino de Graduação
Authors: Miranda Maria Eliza
Published: April 2017

A cultura científica acadêmica atualmente está enfrentando inúmeros desafios que envolvem, entre outros aspectos, a fragmentação do conhecimento e a diluição de sua essência, dificultando a aptidão natural, a propensão e o potencial próprios dos ingressantes na universidade para contextualizar e englobar o conhecimento a fim de apreender sua complexidade. A metodologia das aulas laboratoriais visa a articular o campo de conhecimento específico, no caso aqui, a Geografia, e o conhecimento geral psicológico e pedagógico, necessários à atuação docente e discente no ambiente acadêmico, desenvolvendo habilidades de reflexão, de pesquisa e de utilização de tecnologias e diversas linguagens no ensino e aprendizagem em nível de graduação. As aulas laboratoriais se configuram como um exercício de independência intelectual e de trabalho colaborativo, que resultam em diferentes entendimentos acerca da natureza do papel docente e discente na universidade, que valoriza a vivência acadêmica do aluno e mobiliza a aprendizagem das relações entre teoria-prática-plano, favorecendo a formação de um sujeito ativo (capaz de fazer escolhas), dialógico na relação com os outros e crítico em relação às tendências que valorizam o individualismo e a efemeridade da vida social e política
Eixo de anatomia radiológica do curso de medicina da escola bahiana de medicina e saúde pública – um relato de experiência
Authors: Barros Rinaldo Antunes , Lins Carolina Freitas , Menezes Marta Silva , Costa Beatriz Teixeira , Dahia Guilherme De Oliveira , Medrado Junior Fernando Azevedo
Published: April 2017

O avanço das técnicas de exames de imagem levou o diagnóstico clínico a um novo patamar na Medicina moderna, tornando-as indispensáveis para todos os médicos. A fim de que estejam aptos a avaliar adequadamente as imagens adquiridas, além de serem necessários conhecimentos em radiologia, é fundamental que os acadêmicos de Medicina se habituem com a anatomia normal vista através dos exames de imagem. Assim, é necessário que a matriz curricular contemple adequadamente essa necessidade através de estratégias pedagógicas eficazes. Tendo em vista tal diretriz, o ensino da Anatomia Radiológica na Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP) é integrado à abordagem da Anatomia Topográfica no componente curricular Introdução à Técnica Operatória (quatro horas de carga horária semanal). Duas horas semanais são reservadas à Anatomia Radiológica e são divididas em uma hora de discussão clínico-radiológica com docente e uma hora de atividade prática com monitores. As outras duas horas são destinadas ao outro eixo, Anatomia Topográfica. Semanalmente, uma região topográfica é abordada. No eixo Anatomia Topográfica, a região é descrita; na discussão clínico-radiológica, um caso clínico é conduzido, abordando o papel dos exames de imagem na investigação diagnóstica, e a atividade prática com os monitores é dividida em três estações (salas) que abordam a identificação de estruturas em três exames de imagem diferentes. Observa-se assim que a implementação do eixo Anatomia Radiológica na EBMSP é uma ação que visa à adequação da matriz curricular às demandas profissionais ao potencializar a formação acadêmica e o aprendizado do aluno desde os primeiros anos da graduação, no que diz respeito à habilidade de interpretação de exames de imagem
Paul Levi and the Origins of the United-Front Policy in the Communist International
Authors: Gaido Daniel
Published: April 2017

During its first four congresses, held annually under Lenin (1919–22), the Communist International went through two distinct phases: while the first two congresses focused on programmatic and organisational aspects of the break with Social-Democratic parties (such as the ‘Theses on Bourgeois Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletariat’, adopted by the first congress, and the 21 ‘Conditions of Admission to the Communist International’, adopted by the second), the third congress, meeting after the putsch known as the ‘March Action’ of 1921 in Germany, adopted the slogan ‘To the masses!’, while the fourth codified this new line in the ‘Theses on the Unity of the Proletarian Front’. The arguments put forward by the first two congresses were originally drafted by leaders of the Russian Communist Party, but the initiative for the adoption of the united-front policy came from the German Communist Party under the leadership of Paul Levi. This article explores the historical circumstances that turned the German Communists into the pioneers of the united-front tactic. In the documentary appendix we add English versions of two documents drafted by Levi: the ‘Letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Germany’ on the Kapp Putsch, dated 16 March 1920, and thekpd’s ‘Open Letter’ of 8 January 1921, which gave rise to the united-front tactic.
Nososticta impercepta sp. nov. (Odonata: Platycnemididae) from Timor, with a key to the Sundaic species
Authors: SEEHAUSEN MALTE , THEISCHINGER GÜNTHER
Published: April 2017

Nososticta impercepta sp. nov. is described and illustrated (holotype ♂: 28.vi.1911, Niki-Niki [South Central Timor Regency], Timor, Indonesia, C.B. Haniel leg., Coll. Ris, No. 2477; deposited at the Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main, Germany). An illustrated key for the species of Nososticta known from the Lesser Sunda Islands is given. The occurrence of N. selysi in Timor is considered to be doubtful. Nososticta emphyla is newly recorded from Sumbawa Island.
Two new species of fungus gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from Kunashir Island, Kuril Islands
Authors: ZAITZEV ALEXANDER
Published: April 2017

Two new species of Mycetophilidae (Diptera), Clastobasis subalternans sp. n. and Phthinia kurilensis sp. n. are described from Kunashir I. (South Kuril Is.). Their relationships with other species of Clastobasis Skuse and Phthinia Winnertz are briefly discussed.
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pott’s Puffy Tumor: Is It Time for a Paradigm Shift in Managing a 250-Year-Old Problem?
Authors: Leong Samuel C.
Published: April 2017

Introduction:

The aim of this study was to review the clinical outcomes and efficacy of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in the management of Pott’s puffy tumor (PPT).

Methods:

Literature PubMed review using a combination of MeSH terms and keywords was undertaken, combined with a single surgeon case series of 3 patients.

Results:

A total of 29 (20 males, median age 25 years) cases were reviewed. The most common etiology was acute frontal sinusitis (62%), followed by a history of chronic rhinosinusitis (28%). Two patients presented with concomitant preseptal cellulitis and cutaneous fistula each, while another had pneumocephalus. The majority of cases (59%) had Draf 1 procedure. Three cases had Draf 3 procedure. Five cases were successfully treated by sinus balloon sinuplasty. Postoperatively, most patients had either oral or intravenous antibiotics of varying duration. There were no further complications following ESS. Both fistulas healed without requiring surgical debridement or closure.

Conclusion:

Some PPT cases can be managed endoscopically. The availability of powered angled instruments, high-definition video, and image guidance systems have provided the modern otolaryngologists with a credible alternative to traditional techniques. Furthermore, improved bioavailability of modern antibiotics may obviate the need for craniotomy and external drains.
The development of an outcome measures toolkit for spinal cord injury rehabilitation
Authors: Chan Christie W. L. , Miller William C. , Querée Matthew , Noonan Vanessa K. , Wolfe Dalton L. ,   the SCIRE Research Team
Published: April 2017

Background.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex medical condition that can be difficult to monitor.

Purpose.

This study aimed to establish a common set of validated outcome measures specifically for SCI clinical practice.

Method.

In a three-round online Delphi process, experts in SCI care across Canada suggested and ranked outcome measures for clinical practice. The facilitators provided feedback between rounds and determined if consensus (at least 75% agreement) was reached on a single outcome measure per clinical area.

Findings.

One hundred and forty-eight outcome measures were initially considered for inclusion. After three rounds, consensus was reached for 23 out of 30 clinical areas. In the remaining seven, more than one outcome measure was recommended. The final toolkit comprises 33 outcome measures with sufficient measurement properties for use with a SCI population.

Implications.

An outcome measures toolkit validated specifically for SCI should lead to improved identification of best practice and enable clinicians to monitor client progress effectively.
Negotiating Flexibility: External Contracting and Working Time Control in German and Danish Telecommunications Firms
Authors: Doellgast Virginia , Berg Peter
Published: April 2017

This study examines how different participation rights and structures affect employee control over working time. The analysis is based on a comparison of matched call center and technician workplaces in two major telecommunications firms in Germany and Denmark. It draws on data from semi-structured interviews with managers, supervisors, and employee representatives between 2010 and 2016. Unions and works councils in both firms agreed to a series of concessions on working time policies in the early 2010s in exchange for agreements to halt or reverse outsourcing. The authors use Lukes’ concepts of decision-making and agenda-setting power to explain these common trends, as well as later divergence in outcomes. Germany’s stronger formal co-determination rights over working time proved a critical power resource for employee representatives as they sought to re-establish employee control in new, more flexible working time models.
Music in Michael Ondaatje’s Divisadero
Authors: Lecker Robert
Published: April 2017

Michael Ondaatje’s Divisadero uses musical references to enhance our understanding of how the story’s characters inhabit time and place. The book’s three parts unfold against a varied musical backdrop that can be experienced as a kind of soundtrack. Although musical allusions appear in Ondaatje’s earlier work, Divisadero is marked by its range of musical references, which run from classical compositions to jazz, opera to rock ’n’ roll, reggae to blues and British new wave. This article examines the way music directs us to see different narrative options in each of the novel’s three parts. One impulse behind the narrative is to connect us to the immediate, to locate the story in mimetic terms that are rooted in the California and Nevada settings that form the backdrop to the first part of the book. The musical references in this part serve to reinforce this sense of presence, as if history could be located and understood in terms of the themes and issues conveyed in particular songs. But another impulse is to work against the immediate, to cast the characters and their experiences as part of an allegorical universe in which actions and choices are symbolic, metaphoric, transhistorical.
Sacralizing the streets: Pedestrian mapping and urban imaginaries in Teju Cole’s Open City and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to Our Hillbrow
Authors: Cumpsty Rebekah
Published: April 2017

This article considers how Teju Cole’s Open City and Phaswane Mpe’s Welcome to Our Hillbrow, two “pedestrian novels”, imagine alternative modes of being and belonging in the postcolonial globalized city by foregrounding the mediatory capacity of indigenous African epistemologies and the sacred in what might otherwise be thought of as a secular environment. The protagonists of these novels embark upon what I term “pedestrian mapping”, as a means of resisting the isolation and marginalization experienced within New York and Johannesburg respectively. Pedestrian mapping enables us to read the incorporation of African epistemologies into the urban environment in tandem with the rituals of walking, thereby exposing the strategies of incorporation and resignification undertaken by Cole’s and Mpe’s protagonists as they establish new physical and ontological “homes”.
A new model for the solidification of metal matrix nanocomposites: Wet cluster engulfment of nanoparticles by the solidification front
Authors: Dehghan Hamedan Ali , Shahmiri Mohammad
Published: April 2017

In this article, a new mechanism so-called wet cluster engulfment and the related formula were proposed to predict the critical solidification velocity for nanoparticles engulfment by a solidification front. According to the mechanism, the most important issue in the engulfing of the nanoparticles is the aggregation of nanoparticles, i.e. the formation of wet clusters in front of solidifying phase. In fact, local clustering of nanoparticles created highly viscous zones in the vicinity of the solidification front so that the nanoparticles and the liquid-filled spaces between them move as a unified mass. Thus, the van der Waals and drag forces between a nanoparticles cluster and the solidification front were calculated analytically. The new formulae were derived for the critical solidification velocity and critical diameter of the clusters as a function of the melt viscosity, the nanoparticle size, the cluster size, and the nanoparticle volume concentration inside the cluster. The theoretical results showed that the new model predicted more accurate values for the critical velocity than the earlier models. The proposed model can explain the formation of nanoparticle-rich zones and zones with a low concentration of nanoparticles in the microstructure of the nanocomposites produced via casting.
Irradiation of poly(vinyl ester)/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Mohaddespour Ahmad , Ahmadi Seyed J , Abolghassemi Hossein , Mahjoub Seyed M , Atashrouz Saeid
Published: April 2017

The effect of electron beam irradiation on pristine poly(vinyl ester) and cured poly(vinyl ester)/clay nanocomposite with different clay contents is studied at irradiation doses ranging from 100 to 1000 kGy at room temperature. Poly(vinyl ester)/clay nanocomposites were prepared with different amounts of organically modified montmorillonite (1, 3, and 5 wt.%) by in situ polymerization method. Morphology properties of synthesized nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction and transition electron microscopy. The irradiation dose up to 500 kGy yields an increase in Young’s modulus and tensile strength of nanocomposites while further irradiation deteriorates the mechanical strength of samples. Irradiation has no considerable influence on the surface hardness of synthesized nanocomposites. Thermogravimetric analysis results reveal the thermal stability of poly(vinyl ester), and its nanocomposites is improved with irradiation up to 500 kGy. However, similar to mechanical perdition at 1000 kGy irradiation, thermal resistance of nanocomposites decreases. The enhancement in mechanical and thermal properties of synthesized nanocomposites is attributed to the cross-linking effect as bonds can be formed directly between the neighbouring chains.
Voluntarily Reported Immunization Registry Data: Reliability and Feasibility to Predict Immunization Rates, San Diego, California, 2013
Authors: Madewell Zachary J. , Wester Robert B. , Wang Wendy W. , Smith Tyler C. , Peddecord K. Michael , Morris Jessica , DeGuzman Heidi , Sawyer Mark H. , McDonald Eric C.
Published: April 2017

Objectives:

Accurate data on immunization coverage levels are essential to public health program planning. Reliability of coverage estimates derived from immunization information systems (IISs) in states where immunization reporting by medical providers is not mandated by the state may be compromised by low rates of participation. To overcome this problem, data on coverage rates are often acquired through random-digit-dial telephone surveys, which require substantial time and resources. This project tested both the reliability of voluntarily reported IIS data and the feasibility of using these data to estimate regional immunization rates.

Methods:

We matched telephone survey records for 553 patients aged 19-35 months obtained in 2013 to 430 records in the San Diego County IIS. We assessed concordance between survey data and IIS data using κ to measure the degree of nonrandom agreement. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate differences among demographic variables between the 2 data sets. These models were used to construct weights that enabled us to predict immunization rates in areas where reporting is not mandated.

Results:

We found moderate agreement between the telephone survey and the IIS for the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (κ = 0.49), pneumococcal conjugate (κ = 0.49), and Haemophilus influenzae type b (κ = 0.46) vaccines; fair agreement for the varicella (κ = 0.39), polio (κ = 0.39), and measles, mumps, and rubella (κ = 0.35) vaccines; and slight agreement for the hepatitis B vaccine (κ = 0.17).

Conclusions:

Consistency in factors predicting immunization coverage levels in a telephone survey and IIS data confirmed the feasibility of using voluntarily reported IIS data to assess immunization rates in children aged 19-35 months.
Effect of Life Events, Social Supports, and Personality on Mental Status in Later Life
Authors: Lee Kyuho , Holst Marissa , Martin Peter , Poon Leonard W.
Published: April 2017

The goal of this study was to explore the influences of proximal and distal life events on mental status in later life. Additionally, life events were categorized into positive and negative experiences. Data from 208 older adults over 80 years of age from the Georgia Centenarian Study were included in this study. Results from a series of blockwise regression analyses indicated that the number of distal negative life events that older adults had experienced was a predictor of older adults’ better mental status. Oldest-old adults’ age, education, social supports, and social provision were also associated with their cognition. Cumulative negative life events may protect people in cognitive function as implicated by our results.
Improved locating algorithm of railway tunnel personnel based on collaborative information fusion in Internet of Things
Authors: Yang Ou
Published: April 2017

With larger-scale of railway construction in China, there are more and more larger-scale tunnel projects in process. Tunnel engineering constructions are very difficult, high risk, and there are many unpredictable factors that may cause safety issues, such as landslides, roof caving and water bursts, threatening the construction personnel’s safety. The personnel positioning tracking systems have been studied and applied preliminarily in railway tunnel construction. It is important to know how many people are underground, and workers must sign in/out one by one at tunnel entrances when they come in or leave; a process that is time-consuming and sometimes irritating to those who line up and must exit one-by-one to sign in. Active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems can respond to transponders on the personnel’s helmets or jackets to quickly identify workers coming and going without stopping to sign in and out. It can also alert management when a person enters without a transponder. Indoor moving target recognition and tracking in Internet of Things is a popular research and application topic in recent years. This paper proposes an indoor moving target recognition and tracking method based on RFID and Charge Coupled Device (CCD) collaborative information fusion. First, RFID technique and the proposed extended virtual reference elimination (extended virtual reference elimination) approach are used to recognize and to coarsely locate the target. Second, based on the coarse localization results, the monitoring/sleeping control of different CCDs will be realized. Subsequently, the background-difference method is used to detect the target in CCD monitoring image and realize precise localization with multiple angle of view fusion. Finally, with weighted average of the two localization results, the moving target location is obtained. The method combines the advantages of RFID fast recognition and localization and CCD precise localization. The experiment results indicate that the proposed collaborative information fusion method can effectively improve the accuracy and real-time performance of indoor moving target tracking.
From senseless to sensory democracy: Insights from applied and participatory theatre
Authors: Ryan Holly Eva , Flinders Matthew
Published: April 2017

This article seeks to stimulate a fresh and inter-disciplinary debate which revolves around the need to move from a ‘senseless democracy’ that is insufficiently attuned to the dilemmas and challenges of fostering meaningful political engagement to a more ‘sensory democracy’. It achieves this by first exploring and dissecting recent works within democratic theory that emphasise the role of ‘watching’ and ‘listening’ within sociopolitical relationships. It then goes on to develop a set of constructive criticisms by applying insights drawn from the fields of practical aesthetics and applied theatre. Not only does this exercise allow us to take the analytical lens far beyond the focus on voice-based forms of expression that have hitherto dominated political analysis, it demonstrates the value of inter-disciplinary scholarship in exposing sensory-subtleties that raise distinctive questions for both politics ‘as theory’ and politics ‘as practice’.
Implementation of effective, self-sustaining headache services in the Republic of Georgia: Evaluation of their impact on headache-related disability and quality of life of people with headache
Authors: Giorgadze Gvantsa , Mania Maka , Kukava Maka , Dzagnidze Ana , Mirvelashvili Ekaterine , Steiner Timothy J , Katsarava Zaza
Published: April 2017

Background

Headache disorders are widespread and disabling. They are common in Georgia, especially headache on ≥15 days/month (HA ≥ 15), but there are no headache services.

Objective

We established headache services meeting local needs, investigating feasibility, consumer uptake and satisfaction, and cost, with an exit strategy bequeathing effective, self-sustaining services that could be rolled out nationwide.

Methods

We created headache centres in Tbilisi and Gori offering free expert care for three visits over three months, and affordable medication thereafter. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients using the service beyond the free period – a measure of both satisfaction and sustainability.

Results

Of 1,445 patients (age 43.7 ± 12.4 years; 10.5% male), 49.8% had episodic migraine, 22.5% episodic tension-type headache, 25.7% HA ≥ 15 (24.5% overusing medication) and 2.0% trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. Only 454 (31.4%) and 51 (3.5%) returned for second and third visits; in these, headache improved and treatment costs decreased. As information about the service spread, five other headache clinics opened in Tbilisi and Kutaisi (western Georgia). Pharmaceutical companies reduced prices (sumatriptan 100 mg from US$7 to US$1).

Conclusion

The study failed to achieve its primary outcome, but sustainable headache services operating to international standards were successfully implemented nonetheless, with demand increasing.
Publishing Single-Case Research Design Studies That Do Not Demonstrate Experimental Control
Authors: Tincani Matt , Travers Jason
Published: April 2017

Demonstration of experimental control is considered a hallmark of high-quality single-case research design (SCRD). Studies that fail to demonstrate experimental control may not be published because researchers are unwilling to submit these papers for publication and journals are unlikely to publish negative results (i.e., the file drawer effect). SCRD studies comprise a large proportion of intervention research in special education. Consequently, the existing body of research, comprised mainly of studies that show experimental control, may artificially inflate efficacy of interventions. We discuss how experimental control evolved as the standard for high-quality SCRD; why, in the era of evidence-based practice, rigorous studies that fail to fully demonstrate experimental control are important to include in the body of published intervention research; the role of non-replication studies in discovering intervention boundaries; and considerations for researchers who wish to conduct and appraise studies that fail to yield full experimental control.
An Examination of Domestic Violence Advocates’ Responses to Reproductive Coercion
Authors: McGirr Sara A. , Bomsta Heather D. , Vandegrift Cortney , Gregory Katie , Hamilton Beth Ann , Sullivan Cris M.
Published: April 2017

Reproductive coercion (RC) is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that continues to lack adequate attention by both researchers and practitioners. RC is defined as “male partners’ attempts to promote pregnancy in their female partners through verbal pressure and threats to become pregnant (pregnancy coercion), direct interference with contraception (birth control sabotage), and threats and coercion related to pregnancy continuation or termination (control of pregnancy outcomes).” This type of partner violence can have serious consequences on a survivor’s health and well-being. Despite the fact that RC has been reported by many women experiencing IPV, and that this type of abuse appears to be disproportionately targeted against marginalized women, little is known about the extent to which advocates either proactively or reactively address it. To redress this, the current study involved a brief online survey sent to domestic violence victim service advocates across the United States and its territories. More than 700 advocates responded about their comfort, practices, and perceived barriers related to RC and survivors’ sexual health. Despite identifying (a) low levels of discomfort when discussing most topics relating to RC and (b) few barriers to discussing RC, few advocates reported regularly engaging in RC-related practices. Both greater levels of discomfort and identification of more barriers were associated with less frequent coercion-related practice. Study implications highlight the need for more specialized advocate training, and organizational support for advocates to comfortably and safely provide information and support about RC to survivors.
Trouble in paradise: Contesting security in Bali
Authors: McDonald Matt , Wilson Lee
Published: April 2017

The last decade in Indonesia has seen the emergence of localized militia groups. In Bali, these groups are now particularly prolific. Conventional wisdom in international relations thought is that these organizations constitute a threat to the authority of the state (its monopoly on the legitimate use of force) and may require national security measures to deal with them. Yet these organizations ultimately define their own role in terms of the provision of security, claiming that they act to preserve or advance core values of their communities. In this sense, their security role with reference to the state is ambiguous: they often enjoy legitimacy at the local level and perform important security functions for their local communities, even while constituting an alternative site of security practice and challenging the (exclusive) security role of the Indonesian state. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article examines these actors as security agents and employs a framework of security contestation to make sense of the manner in which they engage with and redefine the provision of security in Bali. In this context, the emergence and practices of Balinese militia groups challenge the way we view non-state actors in the security space and, more generally, the way we conceive security agency in international relations.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and breast cancer: Beyond the prognostic and predictive utility
Authors: Ravelli Andrea , Roviello Giandomenico , Cretella Daniele , Cavazzoni Andrea , Biondi Alessandra , Cappelletti Maria Rosa , Zanotti Laura , Ferrero Giuseppina , Ungari Marco , Zanconati Fabrizio , Bottini Alberto , Alfieri Roberta , Petronini Pier Giorgio , Generali Daniele
Published: April 2017

The importance of the immune system as a potent anti-tumor defense has been consolidated in recent times, and novel immune-related therapies are today demonstrating a strong clinical benefit in the setting of several solid neoplasms. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes reflect the attempt of the host to eradicate malignancies, and during the last decades, they have been shown to possess an interesting prognostic utility for breast cancer, especially in case of HER2 positive and triple-negative molecular subtypes. In parallel, the clinical evaluation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes has been shown to effectively predict treatment outcomes in both neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Currently, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are promising further predictive utility in view of novel immune-related therapeutic strategies which are coming into the clinical setting launching a solid rationale for the future next-generation treatment options. In this scenario, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes might represent an important resource for the selection of the most appropriate therapeutic strategy, as well as further evaluations of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and the immunoediting process would eventually provide new insights to augment therapeutic success. Considering these perspectives, we review the potential utility of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the definition of breast cancer prognosis and in the prediction of treatment outcomes, along with the new promising molecular-based therapeutic discoveries.