bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water‐based polyurethane dispersions
Authors: Tennebroek Ronald , van der Hoeven‐van Casteren Ilse , Swaans Roel , van der Slot Saskia , Stals Patrick JM , Tuijtelaars Bas , Koning Cor
Published: May 2018

A general overview is presented of the most relevant and commercially available aqueous polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) and their typical properties. This paper starts with the chemistry and the general composition of standard PUDs and subsequently urethane–acrylic hybrid dispersions are presented with special emphasis on the relation between the obtained morphology and the final material properties. In a section regarding crosslinkable PUDs, the two most frequently applied curing mechanisms are mentioned: firstly the introduction of carbonyl groups into PUDs which can be used for curing at room temperature with amino functional compounds by formation of azomethine moieties, and secondly the introduction of unsaturated fatty acid moieties into PUDs, which enable oxidative curing at ambient conditions. The paper then continues with a section on UV‐curable, acryloyl‐functional PUDs, followed by a section on an interesting new development, namely water‐based polyurethanes with special optic and haptic properties. The paper ends with a section on recently reported modifications of PUDs, including carbon nanotube‐ and graphene‐modified PUDs, PUDs modified with silane coupling agents and PUDs modified with biodegradable moieties. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
A critical review of self‐regulated learning interventions for children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Reddy Linda A. , Cleary Timothy J. , Alperin Alexander , Verdesco Arielle
Published: May 2018

School practitioners and educators are frequently challenged by the diverse and pervasive academic and behavioral needs of children at risk for and with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper examines the outcome literature on self‐regulated learning (SRL) interventions for youth with ADHD by systematically reviewing the key intervention components and methodologies used. A total of 34 investigations, including 297 children and adolescents, were reviewed and coded on 34 variables across two dimensions (i.e., intervention components and methodology). In general, SRL interventions can be represented in terms of a three‐phase model of SRL that includes forethought, performance control, and self‐reflection processes. In this review, the vast majority of the published literature used single‐case design studies with a singular focus on the phase of performance control. Weaknesses of the existing literature include a lack of follow‐up data, attrition data, demographic information about teachers or other adult participants, and diversity in the sample. Strengths of the outcome literature are that a majority of the studies reported inclusion/exclusion criteria for samples, the criteria used to diagnose children as ADHD, and clinical significance for assessing treatment outcomes. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research, as well as directions for research and practice.
Sleeping chILD: Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy and polysomnography
Authors: Liptzin Deborah R. , Hawkins Stephen M. M. , Wagner Brandie D. , Deterding Robin R.
Published: May 2018

Objectives

Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy (NEHI) is a children's interstitial and diffuse lung disease of unknown etiology that presents in infancy with characteristic findings of tachypnea, retractions, crackles, and hypoxemia. At the present, the mainstay of treatment is oxygen supplementation to normalize oxygen saturations and decrease work of breathing. There are characteristic pulmonary function, radiographic, and histologic findings, but polysomnography (PSG) data has not been reported. We sought to report PSG data and implications for management and treatment of NEHI patients.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed under a Colorado Institutional Review Board approved protocol for which consent was waived. Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside was used to query the electronic medical record at Children's Hospital Colorado for patients with both a diagnosis of NEHI and a PSG. PSG was performed for clinical reasons. Routine sleep quality and respiratory parameters were recorded and analyzed.

Results

Of our 77 patients with NEHI, 14 (19%) children underwent PSG during the study period. Eight children met criteria for OSA and three met criteria for CSA. Ten patients had low oxygen saturations during a study, six had low sleep efficiency, and three had periodic limb movement disorder.

Conclusions

Patients with NEHI may have sleep related breathing disorders that contribute to disrupted sleep, including obstructive and central sleep apnea, hypoxemia, decreased sleep efficiency, and increased periodic limb movement disorder. PSG should be considered as part of NEHI management, as it may lead to recognition of clinically significant sleep‐disordered breathing.
Reduction of Residual Impurities in Homoepitaxial m‐Plane GaN by Using N2 Carrier Gas in Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy
Authors: Barry Ousmane I , Lekhal Kaddour , Bae Si‐Young , Lee Ho‐Jun , Pristovsek Markus , Honda Yoshio , Amano Hiroshi
Published: May 2018

The reduction of unintentional impurities in m‐plane GaN homoepitaxial layers is demonstrated by using nitrogen (N2), as opposed to hydrogen (H2), as carrier gas in metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis shows that the impurity levels of residual oxygen (O), carbon (C), and silicon (Si) are decreased by nearly one order of magnitude in N2‐grown samples. Although the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values for the on‐axis m‐plane X‐ray rocking curves of all specimens are quite similar (around 50 arcsec), plan‐view scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) measurements reveal a clear reduction of dislocation densities in N2‐grown films. Their origin is likely related to an initial surface roughening with H2 carrier gas, which also causes surface faceting resulting in the formation of large four‐sided pyramidal hillocks, while using N2 results in smoother surfaces. Hence, MOVPE growth with N2 carrier gas is an effective method to lower the impurity incorporation in m‐plane GaN materials in addition to reducing the formation of defects and improving the surface morphology, which can enable the development of high‐performance GaN‐based devices on non‐polar surfaces.
Characterization of Interface Between Accurately Controlled Cu‐Deficient Layer and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Absorber for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
Authors: Nishimura Takahito , Sugiura Hiroki , Nakada Kazuyoshi , Yamada Akira
Published: May 2018

We recently succeeded in controlling a Cu‐deficient Cu(In,Ga)Se2 layer (CDL) on a Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) surface by introducing an Se irradiation after the completion of the second stage in a three‐stage process during CIGS growth. The CDL on the surface causes the formation of a valence band offset (ΔEV) between the CDL and CIGS because the Cu vacancies decrease the valence band maximum of the CDL. Therefore, we can expect the suppression of recombination at the CdS/CIGS interface in CIGS solar cells due to the repelling of holes by ΔEV. The amount of knowledge regarding the properties of CDL/CIGS interfaces is observed to be quite small because a control technique for CDL has not been developed so far. In this study, the compositional and structural properties of an accurately controlled CDL/CIGS interface are investigated in detail. The composition of the interface between the CDL and CIGS is observed using an energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy with the help of a transmission electron microscope. Using nanobeam electron diffraction and Fourier transfer mapping analysis, it is confirmed that the plane in the CDL continuously grows on the plane in CIGS. Further, these results indicate that a high‐quality interface is formed between the CDL and CIGS, which contains only a small amount of dangling bonds. Finally, a high conversion efficiency of 19.4% is achieved in the CIGS solar cell, which can be attributed to the formation of CDL and effect of ΔEV.
Large Band Gap in a Quantum Spin Hall Insulator with Weak Spin–Orbit Coupling
Authors: Wu Zhigang
Published: May 2018

The typical quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulator acquires its band gap through spin–orbit coupling (SOC). However, the intrinsic SOC in most materials is rather weak and creates small band gaps comparable to kBT. Here, we present a method to open a giant band gap (>1 eV) in a QSH phase with a weak SOC, employing the tight‐binding (TB) Kane–Mele model for the QSH insulator with the additional feature of periodic defects. By tuning the periodicity of structural defects, one can induce the intervalley scattering to open a large band gap, and we show that the characteristic metallic edge modes of a QSH phase persist even with the inclusion of such periodic defects. Our TB calculations show the existence of a Z2 odd QSH phase in a Kane–Mele model modified to include periodic defects, demonstrating the coexistence of a giant band gap and the QSH effect with weak SOC.
Electro‐Physical Properties of Gate‐Last Silicon MOSFETs with Low‐Temperature SiOxNy/HfOx Stack After Ultra‐Shallow Fluorine Implantation from RF Plasma
Authors: Mroczyński Robert , Jasiński Jakub
Published: May 2018

Ultra‐shallow fluorine implantation from radio frequency (RF) plasma performed in reactive ion etching (RIE) reactor at room temperature (RT) is adopted to metal‐oxide‐semiconductor field‐effect transistors (MOSFETs) technology on silicon (Si) substrates with gate‐last low‐temperature SiOxNy/HfOx double‐gate dielectric stack. The implantation technology is optimized in order to get the maximum fluorine concentration very close to the silicon sub‐surface region. The electrical characterization of fabricated structures reveals an improved quality of the semiconductor/dielectric interface, i.e., lower interface state density (Nit), effective charge (Qeff) and, as a consequence, enhanced mobility (μeff) value and lower sub‐threshold swing (SS) of the investigated MOSFETs. The presented findings are promising for possible applications of fluorine implantation from RF plasma in modern semiconductor devices.
Scaling agile in large organizations: Practices, challenges, and success factors
Authors: Kalenda Martin , Hyna Petr , Rossi Bruno
Published: May 2018

Context: Agile software development has nowadays reached wide adoption. However, moving agile to large‐scale contexts is a complex task with many challenges involved. Objective: In this paper, we review practices, challenges, and success factors for scaling agile both from literature and within a large software company, identifying the most critical factors. Method: We conduct a focused literature review to map the importance of scaling practices, challenges, and success factors. The outcome of this focused literature review is used to guide action research within a software company with a view to scaling agile processes. Results: Company culture, prior agile and lean experience, management support, and value unification were found to be key success factors during the action research process. Resistance to change, an overly aggressive roll‐out time frame, quality assurance concerns, and integration into preexisting nonagile business processes were found to be the critical challenges in the scaling process. Conclusion: The action research process allowed to cross‐fertilize ideas from literature to the company's context. Scaling agile within an organization does not need to follow a specific scheme, rather the process can be tailored to the needs while keeping the core values and principles of agile methodologies.
Polydentate 4‐Pyridyl‐terpyridine Containing Discrete Cobalt Phosphonate and Polymeric Cobalt Phosphate as Catalysts for Alcohol Oxidation
Authors: Bhat Gulzar A. , Rajendran Antony , Murugavel Ramaswamy
Published: May 2018

Mononuclear discrete cobalt phosphonate [Co(pytpy)(tBuPO3H)2(H2O)]·H2O (1) and 1D zigzag polymeric cobalt phosphate [Co(pytpy)2(dipp)(MeOH)·2MeOH]n (2) were prepared from the reactions of tert‐butyl phosphonic acid (tBuPO3H2) and organic‐soluble 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl phosphate (dippH2) ligands with Co(OAc)2·4H2O in the presence of 4′‐pyridyl 2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine in MeOH/CHCl3(1:1 v/v) solvent mixture at 25 °C. The new compounds were characterized by analytical, thermo‐analytical, and spectroscopic techniques. Further, the molecular structures were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. Mass spectrometry analysis reveal that both the compounds exist in the solution phase as dimers. Compound 1 was employed as homogeneous catalysts for alcohol oxidation reactions using tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxidant.
Technical and Organizational Agile Practices: A Latin-American Survey
Authors: Paez Nicolás , Fontdevila Diego , Gainey Fernando , Oliveros Alejandro
Published: May 2018

Background: Agile Software Development is widely used nowadays and to measure its real usage we need to analyze how its practices are used. These practices have been categorized by several authors and some practitioners have suggested that technical practices have a lower usage level than organizational practices. Objective: In this study we aim to understand the actual usage of technical and organizational agile practices in the Latin-American Agile community. Method: We conducted a three-stage survey in conferences of the Latin-American Agile Community. Results: Organizational practices are much more used than technical ones. The number of practices used is a direct function of organization experience using agile. The difference between technical and organizational practices reduces with the experience of the organization using agile. Team size and project duration seem to have no effect in the number of practices used.
Do Agile Methods Work for Large Software Projects?
Authors: Jørgensen Magne
Published: May 2018

Is it true that agile methods do not scale well and are mainly useful for smaller software projects? Or is it rather the case that it is particularly in the context of larger, typically more complex software projects that the use of agile methods is likely to make the difference between success and failure? To find out more about this, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey analyzing information about 101 Norwegian software projects. Project success was measured as the combined performance of the project regarding delivered client benefits, cost control, and time control. We found that that projects using agile methods performed on average much better than those using non-agile methods for medium and large software projects, but not so much for smaller projects. This result gives support for the claim that agile methods are more rather than less successful compared to traditional methods when project size increases. There may consequently be more reasons to be concerned about how non-agile, rather than how agile methods, scale.
Learning in the Large - An Exploratory Study of Retrospectives in Large-Scale Agile Development
Authors: Dingsøyr Torgeir , Mikalsen Marius , Solem Anniken , Vestues Kathrine
Published: May 2018

Many see retrospectives as the most important practice of agile software development. Previous studies of retrospectives have focused on process and outcome at team level. In this article, we study how a large-scale agile development project uses retrospectives through an analysis of retrospective reports identifying a total of 109 issues and 36 action items as a part of a longitudinal case study. We find that most of the issues identified relate to team-level learning and improvement, and discuss these findings in relation to current advice to improve learning outcome in large-scale agile development.
Inter-team Coordination in Large-Scale Agile Development: A Case Study of Three Enabling Mechanisms
Authors: Bjørnson Finn Olav , Wijnmaalen Julia , Stettina Christoph Johann , Dingsøyr Torgeir
Published: May 2018

Agile methods are increasingly used in large development projects, with multiple development teams. A central question is then what is needed to coordinate feature teams efficiently. This study examines three mechanisms for coordination: Shared mental models, communication and trust in a large-scale development project with 12 feature teams running over a four-year period. We analyse the findings in relation to suggested frameworks for large-scale agile development and a theory on coordination, and provide new recommendations for practice and theory.
Combining STPA and BDD for Safety Analysis and Verification in Agile Development: A Controlled Experiment
Authors: Wang Yang , Wagner Stefan
Published: May 2018

Context: Agile development is in widespread use, even in safety-critical domains. Motivation: However, there is a lack of an appropriate safety analysis and verification method in agile development. Objective: In this paper, we investigate the use of Behavior Driven Development (BDD) instead of standard User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for safety verification with System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) for safety analysis in agile development. Method: We evaluate the effect of this combination in a controlled experiment with 44 students in terms of productivity, test thoroughness, fault detection effectiveness and communication effectiveness. Results: The results show that BDD is more effective for safety verification regarding the impact on communication effectiveness than standard UAT, whereas productivity, test thoroughness and fault detection effectiveness show no statistically significant difference in our controlled experiment. Conclusion: The combination of BDD and STPA seems promising with an enhancement on communication, but its impact needs more research.
Developers’ Initial Perceptions on TDD Practice: A Thematic Analysis with Distinct Domains and Languages
Authors: Choma Joelma , Guerra Eduardo M. , da Silva Tiago Silva
Published: May 2018

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is one of the most popular agile practices among software developers. To investigate the software developers’ initial perceptions when applying TDD, we have performed an exploratory study. This study was carried out with participants who had about ten years of professional experience (on average), the majority of whom with no experience using TDD. The study is in the context of an agile project course at the postgraduate level of a research institute. Participants individually developed medium size projects addressed to different domains and using different programming languages. Through a structured questionnaire with open and semi-open questions, we collected information on TDD effects such as the perceived benefits, encountered difficulties, and developer’s opinion about the quality improvement of the software. Afterward, we conducted a thematic analysis of the qualitative data. Most participants noticed improvements in code quality, but few have a more comprehensive view of the effects of TDD on software design. Our findings suggest that after overcoming the initial difficulties to understand where to start, and know how to create a test for a feature that does not yet exist, participants gain greater confidence to implement new features and make changes due to broad test coverage.
Initial conditions and degrees of freedom of non-local gravity
Authors: Calcagni Gianluca , Modesto Leonardo , Nardelli Giuseppe
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We prove the equivalence between non-local gravity with an arbitrary form factor and a non-local gravitational system with an extra rank-2 symmetric tensor. Thanks to this reformulation, we use the diffusion-equation method to transform the dynamics of renormalizable non-local gravity with exponential operators into a higher-dimensional system local in spacetime coordinates. This method, first illustrated with a scalar field theory and then applied to gravity, allows one to solve the Cauchy problem and count the number of initial conditions and of non-perturbative degrees of freedom, which is finite. In particular, the non-local scalar and gravitational theories with exponential operators are both characterized by four initial conditions in any dimension and, respectively, by one and eight degrees of freedom in four dimensions. The fully covariant equations of motion are written in a form convenient to find analytic non-perturbative solutions.
The DOZZ formula from the path integral
Authors: Kupiainen Antti , Rhodes Rémi , Vargas Vincent
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We present a rigorous proof of the Dorn, Otto, Zamolodchikov, Zamolodchikov formula (the DOZZ formula) for the 3 point structure constants of Liouville Conformal Field Theory (LCFT) starting from a rigorous probabilistic construction of the functional integral defining LCFT given earlier by the authors and David. A crucial ingredient in our argument is a probabilistic derivation of the reflection relation in LCFT based on a refined tail analysis of Gaussian multiplicative chaos measures.
On scalar and vector fields coupled to the energy-momentum tensor
Authors: Jiménez Jose Beltrán , Cembranos Jose A. R. , Sánchez Velázquez Jose M.
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We consider theories for scalar and vector fields coupled to the energy-momentum tensor. Since these fields also carry a non-trivial energy-momentum tensor, the coupling prescription generates self-interactions. In analogy with gravity theories, we build the action by means of an iterative process that leads to an infinite series, which can be resumed as the solution of a set of differential equations. We show that, in some particular cases, the equations become algebraic and that is also possible to find solutions in the form of polynomials. We briefly review the case of the scalar field that has already been studied in the literature and extend the analysis to the case of derivative (disformal) couplings. We then explore theories with vector fields, distinguishing between gauge-and non-gauge-invariant couplings. Interactions with matter are also considered, taking a scalar field as a proxy for the matter sector. We also discuss the ambiguity introduced by superpotential (boundary) terms in the definition of the energy-momentum tensor and use them to show that it is also possible to generate Galileon-like interactions with this procedure. We finally use collider and astrophysical observations to set constraints on the dimensionful coupling which characterises the phenomenology of these models.
Application of the AAST EGS Grade for Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction to a Multi‐national Patient Population
Authors: Hernandez Matthew C. , Birindelli Arianna , Bruce John L. , Buitendag Johannes J. P. , Kong Victory Y. , Beuran Mircea , Aho Johnathon M. , Negoi Ionut , Clarke Damian L. , Di Saverio Salomone , Zielinski Martin D.
Published: May 2018

Background

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) anatomic severity grading system for adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) has demonstrated to be a valid tool in North American patient populations. Using a multi‐national patient cohort, we retrospectively assessed the validity the AAST ASBO grading system and estimated disease severity in a global population in order to correlate with several key clinical outcomes.

Methods

Multicenter retrospective review during 2012–2016 from four centers, Minnesota USA, Bologna Italy, Pietermaritzburg South Africa, and Bucharest Romania, was performed. Adult patients (age ≥ 18) with ASBO were identified. Baseline demographics, physiologic parameters, laboratory results, operative and imaging details, outcomes were collected. AAST ASBO grades were assigned by independent reviewers. Univariate and multivariable analyses with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed.

Results

There were 789 patients with a median [IQR] age of 58 [40–75] years; 47% were female. The AAST ASBO grades were I (n = 180, 23%), II (n = 443, 56%), III (n = 87, 11%), and IV (n = 79, 10%). Successful non‐operative management was 58%. Conversion rate from laparoscopy to laparotomy was 33%. Overall mortality and complication and temporary abdominal closure rates were 2, 46, and 4.7%, respectively. On regression, independent predictors for mortality included grade III (OR 4.4 95%CI 1.1–7.3), grade IV (OR 7.4 95%CI 1.7–9.4), pneumonia (OR 5.6 95%CI 1.4–11.3), and failing non‐operative management (OR 2.4 95%CI 1.3–6.7).

Conclusion

The AAST EGS grade can be assigned with ease at any surgical facility using operative or imaging findings. The AAST ASBO severity grading system has predictive validity for important clinical outcomes and allows for standardization across institutions, providers, and future research. Disease severity and outcomes varied between countries.

Level of evidence III

Study type Retrospective multi‐institutional cohort study.
Towards precise reconstruction of gene regulatory networks by data integration
Authors: Liu Zhi‐Ping
Published: May 2018

Background

More and more high‐throughput datasets are available from multiple levels of measuring gene regulations. The reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks from these data offers a valuable research paradigm to decipher regulatory mechanisms. So far, numerous methods have been developed for reconstructing gene regulatory networks.

Results

In this paper, we provide a review of bioinformatics methods for inferring gene regulatory network from omics data. To achieve the precision reconstruction of gene regulatory networks, an intuitive alternative is to integrate these available resources in a rational framework. We also provide computational perspectives in the endeavors of inferring gene regulatory networks from heterogeneous data. We highlight the importance of multi‐omics data integration with prior knowledge in gene regulatory network inferences.

Conclusions

We provide computational perspectives of inferring gene regulatory networks from multiple omics data and present theoretical analyses of existing challenges and possible solutions. We emphasize on prior knowledge and data integration in network inferences owing to their abilities of identifying regulatory causality.
Assessing the Longer‐Term Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Self‐Reported Driving Ability
Authors: Bernstein John P.K. , Calamia Matthew
Published: May 2018

Background

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can have long‐term cognitive and functional consequences, and recent mTBI has been associated with impaired performance on measures related to driving ability. However, it remains unclear whether mTBI history is associated with poorer driving performance.

Objective

To examine the longer‐term effects of mTBI on self‐reported driving ability.

Design

Retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Online.

Participants

Three hundred eighty‐nine participants (169 who reported an mTBI history and 220 without an mTBI history).

Intervention

Comparing participants who report a history of mTBI with those who do not report a history of mTBI.

Outcomes

Self‐report measures of mTBI history, frequency of aberrant driving behaviors, recent history of car accidents and citations, and previous psychological diagnoses and current symptoms.

Results

Participants with a history of mTBI reported an overall higher frequency of aberrant driving behaviors and committing more driving violations that risked the safety of others than comparison participants. Participants with mTBI also were more likely to have been involved in a car accident within the past 6 months and the past 3 years. Of participants with mTBI, reports of driving violations decreased with longer time since the most recent injury. Driving violations and crash risk also decreased with increased age and years of driving experience.

Conclusions

Individuals with a history of mTBI are more likely to deliberately drive in a manner that risks the safety of others and are at a heightened risk of being involved in a recent car crash. Future work should examine predictor variables in greater depth and incorporate performance‐based measures of driving ability to further explore these topics.

Level of Evidence

III
Can Analysis of Policy Decisions Spur Participation?
Authors: Shapiro Stuart
Published: May 2018

Agencies are frequently required to analyze the impact of their decisions, particularly in the context of regulatory policy. Advocates of analysis have championed the transparency benefit of these requirements. But there has been very little attention paid to the effectiveness of analysis in spurring useful participation in practice. This article examines how analysis can hinder and motivate public participation. Interviews were conducted with 48 analysts (including economists, risk assessors, and environmental impact assessors). In addition I conducted a case study on a unique method for using analysis in partnership with participation, the use of panels of small business owners to evaluate a regulatory proposal by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). I find that participation in agency decisions as a result of traditional analytical requirements has been very uneven. Examples of success exist but so do cases where participation may be deterred by the density and complexity of analysis as well as cases of massive letter-writing campaigns ignored by decision-makers. I recommend a move toward simpler and earlier analysis, and the use of panels (such as described in the case study) to better take advantage of the potential synergy between analysis and participation.
Real-Time, Automated Detection of Ventilator-Associated Events: Avoiding Missed Detections, Misclassifications, and False Detections Due to Human Error
Authors: Shenoy Erica S. , Rosenthal Eric S. , Shao Yu-Ping , Biswal Siddharth , Ghanta Manohar , Ryan Erin E. , Suslak Dolores , Swanson Nancy , Junior Valdery Moura , Hooper David C. , Westover M. Brandon
Published: May 2018

OBJECTIVE

To validate a system to detect ventilator associated events (VAEs) autonomously and in real time.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of ventilated patients using a secure informatics platform to identify VAEs (ie, automated surveillance) compared to surveillance by infection control (IC) staff (ie, manual surveillance), including development and validation cohorts.

SETTING

The Massachusetts General Hospital, a tertiary-care academic health center, during January–March 2015 (development cohort) and January–March 2016 (validation cohort).

PATIENTS

Ventilated patients in 4 intensive care units.

METHODS

The automated process included (1) analysis of physiologic data to detect increases in positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2); (2) querying the electronic health record (EHR) for leukopenia or leukocytosis and antibiotic initiation data; and (3) retrieval and interpretation of microbiology reports. The cohorts were evaluated as follows: (1) manual surveillance by IC staff with independent chart review; (2) automated surveillance detection of ventilator-associated condition (VAC), infection-related ventilator-associated complication (IVAC), and possible VAP (PVAP); (3) senior IC staff adjudicated manual surveillance–automated surveillance discordance. Outcomes included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and manual surveillance detection errors. Errors detected during the development cohort resulted in algorithm updates applied to the validation cohort.

RESULTS

In the development cohort, there were 1,325 admissions, 479 ventilated patients, 2,539 ventilator days, and 47 VAEs. In the validation cohort, there were 1,234 admissions, 431 ventilated patients, 2,604 ventilator days, and 56 VAEs. With manual surveillance, in the development cohort, sensitivity was 40%, specificity was 98%, and PPV was 70%. In the validation cohort, sensitivity was 71%, specificity was 98%, and PPV was 87%. With automated surveillance, in the development cohort, sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 100%, and PPV was 100%. In the validation cohort, sensitivity was 85%, specificity was 99%, and PPV was 100%. Manual surveillance detection errors included missed detections, misclassifications, and false detections.

CONCLUSIONS

Manual surveillance is vulnerable to human error. Automated surveillance is more accurate and more efficient for VAE surveillance.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;826–833
Uptake and Perceptions of E-cigarette use in Vascular Patients
Authors: Taylor Rachael , Sidloff David , Sayers Robert D. , Bown Matthew J. , Saratzis Athanasios
Published: May 2018

Introduction: Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are becoming increasingly popular. However, little is known regarding their patterns of use in patients with established CVD.

Aims: We aimed to assess the perceptions and patterns of use of e-cigarettes in patients presenting to a vascular clinic.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study to identify perceptions and beliefs about e-cigarettes. Semi-structured interviews of consecutive patients consenting to participate were performed over five-months. Individuals were recruited from a vascular surgery outpatient clinic. Initial interviews were based on a questionnaire. Further structured interviews were conducted with patients currently using e-cigarettes, which were transcribed and analysed to assess perceptions and patterns of use.

Results/Findings: Four overarching themes emerged: attraction to e-cigarettes as a harm reduction/smoking cessation strategy; uncertainty regarding the risks of e-cigarettes; use of various types of smoking cessation strategies; dual use and often complete relapse to tobacco products.

Conclusions: Patients with established CVD view e-cigarettes as a means of smoking cessation; however, many relapse to tobacco products or use both simultaneously. Further research is necessary regarding the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation in this high-risk group.
DMD mutation and LTBP4 haplotype do not predict onset of left ventricular dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Van Dorn Charlotte S. , Puchalski Michael D. , Weng Hsin-Yi , Bleyl Steven B. , Butterfield Russell J. , Williams Richard V.
Published: May 2018

Cardiomyopathy develops in >90% of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients by the second decade of life. We assessed the associations between DMD gene mutations, as well as Latent transforming growth factor-beta-binding protein 4 (LTBP4) haplotypes, and age at onset of myocardial dysfunction in DMD. DMD patients with baseline normal left ventricular systolic function and genotyping between 2004 and 2013 were included. Patients were grouped in multiple ways: specific DMD mutation domains, true loss-of-function mutations (group A) versus possible residual gene expression (group B), and LTBP4 haplotype. Age at onset of myocardial dysfunction was the first echocardiogram with an ejection fraction <55% and/or shortening fraction <28%. Of 101 DMD patients, 40 developed cardiomyopathy. There was no difference in age at onset of myocardial dysfunction among DMD genotype mutation domains (13.7±4.8 versus 14.3±1.0 versus 14.3±2.9 versus 13.8±2.5, p=0.97), groups A and B (14.4±2.8 versus 12.1±4.4, p=0.09), or LTBP4 haplotypes (14.5±3.2 versus 13.1±3.2 versus 11.0±2.8, p=0.18). DMD gene mutations involving the hinge 3 region, actin-binding domain, and exons 45–49, as well as the LTBP4 IAAM haplotype, were not associated with age of left ventricular dysfunction onset in DMD.
VAMPIRE VERSUS THE EMPIRE: BRAM STOKER'S REPROACH OFFIN-DE-SIÈCLEBRITAIN INDRACULA
Authors: Koç Ertuğrul , Demir Yağmur
Published: May 2018

Much has been said aboutBram Stoker'sDracula(1897), the out-of-tradition exemplar of the Gothic which, perhaps, has had a more pervasive effect on our understanding of life and death, gender roles and identity, and sex and perversity than any other work of the genre. The vampire from the so-called dark ages has become a symbol standing for the uncontrollable powers acting on us and also for all the discarded, uncanny phenomena in human nature and history. The work, however, has usually been taken by the critics of Gothic literature as “a paradigmatic Gothic text” (Brewster 488) representing the social, psychological, and sexual traumas of the late-nineteenth century. Hence, it has been analysed as a work “breaking [the] taboos, [and in need of being] read as an expression of specifically late Victorian concerns” (Punter and Byron 231). The text has also been seen as “reinforc[ing] readers’ suspicions that the authorities (including people, institutions and disciplines) they trust are ineffectual” (Senf 76). Yet, it has hardly ever been taken as offering an alternativeWeltanschauungin place of the decaying Victorian ethos. True,Draculais afin-de-sièclenovel and deals with the turbulent paradigmatic shift from the Victorian to the modern, and Stoker, by creating the lecherous vampire and his band as thedoppelgängersof the sexually sterile and morally pretentious bourgeois types (who are, in fact, inclined to lascivious joys), reveals the moral hypocrisy and sexual duplicity of his time. But, it is also true that by juxtaposing the “abnormal” against the “normal” he targets the utilitarian bourgeois ethics of the empire: aware of the Victorian pragmatism on which the concept of the “normal” has been erected, he, with an “abnormal” historical figure (Vlad Drăculea of the House of Drăculești, 1431–76) who appears as Count Dracula in the work, attacks the ethical superstructure of Britain which has already imposed on the Victorians the “pathology of normalcy” (Fromm 356). Hence, Stoker's choice of title character, the sadistic Vlad the Impaler, who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the closing years of the Middle Ages, and his anachronistic rendering of Dracula as a Gothic invader of the Early Middle Ages are not coincidental (Figure 8). In the world of the novel, this embodiment of the early and late paradigms is the antagonistic power arrayed against the supposedly stable, but in reality fluctuating,fin-de-siècleethos. However, by turning this personification of the “evil” past into a sexual enigma for the band of men who are trying to preserve the Victorian patriarchal hegemony, Stoker suggests that if Victorian sterile faith in the “normal” is defeated through a historically extrinsic (in fact, currently intrinsic) anomaly, a more comprehensive social and ethical epoch that has made peace with the past can be started.
“A HATEFUL CAWING FROM THE CROWS”: COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN THE CULTURE WARS
Authors: Willett Mischa
Published: May 2018

W. E. Aytoun's satirical verse drama,Firmilian(1854), an anti-radical, scattershot missive meant to re-align British poetic tastes by reversing the aesthetic gains made by Romanticism in the decades prior to its publication, has been called “one of the most successful pieces of literary criticism ever written” (Morton 849). Despite its broad ambitions, however, it has often been read as a narrow attack on the individual poets popular during the summer of its appearance, creating a school where one had not existed before, turning the poets Philip James Bailey, Alexander Smith, Sydney Dobell and others into “the Spasmodic School.” But, as Charles LaPorte and Jason Rudy suggest, despite a myth that grew up later in the century aboutFirmilian'smighty power and the Spasmodic stars’ demise, the label hardly destroyed the poets associated therewith. So didFirmilianaccomplish its purposes? In what ways can we consider it successful if not?
Dionisio Capulong and the elite in early Spanish Manila (c. 1570–1620)
Authors: CROSSLEY JOHN N.
Published: May 2018

When the Spaniards came to settle Manila in 1571 Dionisio Capulong was a young boy. His father was one of the rulers in the region and all were scions of the Muslim royal family of Brunei. The father astutely complied—to a certain extent—with the colonising Spaniards. His son subsequently pursued an ambivalent career alternately working for and rebelling against the Spanish colonisers. Ultimately he became a landowner in the Spanish mode. This is his story. Even from only Spanish reports one can discern great astuteness and opportunism, which enabled the elite to keep local supremacy. Tracing the career of Dionisio Capulong sheds light on the elite in pre-Spanish Manila and environs as well as on Manila's earliest Spanish years.
Crosslinguistic interplay between semantics and phonology in late bilinguals: neurophysiological evidence
Authors: NOVITSKIY NIKOLAY , MYACHYKOV ANDRIY , SHTYROV YURY
Published: May 2018

We investigated effects of crosslinguistic phonological and semantic similarity on the bilingual lexicon of late unbalanced bilinguals. Our masked priming paradigm used L1 (Russian) words as masked primes and L2 (English) words as targets. The primes and the targets either overlapped – phonologically, semantically, both phonologically and semantically – or did not overlap. Participants maintained the targets in memory and matched them against occasionally presented catch stimuli. N170 and N400 components of the word-elicited high-density ERPs were identified and analysed in signal and source space. Crosslinguistic semantic similarity shortened the reaction times. The semantics-related N400 amplitude difference correlated with individual L2 proficiency, while phonological similarity suppressed the N400 amplitude in the semantically unrelated condition. ERP source analysis suggests that these ERP dynamics are underpinned by cortical generators in the left IFG and the temporal pole. We conclude that the semantic and phonological interplay between L1 and L2 suggest an integrated bilingual lexicon.
Kantian Agents and their Significant Others
Authors: Palatnik Nataliya
Published: May 2018

Critics of Kant’s moral philosophy often object that his emphasis on individual autonomy makes him unable to account for our ‘second-personal’ or ‘bipolar’ duties. These are duties we owetoother people rather than duties we havewith respect tothem – as we might have dutieswith respect tothe environment or works of art. With a recent and novel formulation of this objection as my foil, I argue that the apparent force of the ‘bipolarity’ objections rests on a failure to appreciate Kant’s inherently practical approach to ethics. On the positive side, reflection on criticisms of Kant’s treatment of ‘bipolar’ normativity helps to shed new light on his conception of practical agency and its place in his system of morals.
Diapause regulation in Zygogramma bicolorata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a biocontrol agent of Parthenium hysterophorus
Authors: Hasan Fazil , Ansari M. Shafiq , Dhillon Mukesh K. , Muslim Mohammad , Bhadauriya Amarpal Singh , Tanwar Aditya Kumar , Ahmad Salman
Published: May 2018

Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister is a potential biocontrol agent of Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae). This study was carried out to understand the effect of abiotic (temperature and moisture) and biotic factors (age and reproductive status) on the induction and termination of diapause in Z. bicolorata. We also evaluated the effect of diapause on longevity and fecundity of Z. bicolorata. In Z. bicolorata the induction of diapause occurred between the months of July and December. No diapause was observed in May and June, which coincided with the commencement of the monsoon rains. The percentage of diapause induction in Z. bicolorata was found to increase from one generation to another as well as with the age of adults. Diapause significantly increased the fecundity of females as compared to the fecundity in pre-diapause conditions. Soil moisture (80% RH) played an important role in providing the conditions for initiation and termination of diapause. Similarly, 18.4 and 12.5% of diapause adults resumed their activity in 6 and 5 days when exposed to temperatures of 40° and 45° C for 2 h every day, respectively. Exposure of adults to low temperatures, i.e. 5° and 10° C induced 94.3 and 92.5% diapause, respectively, with no adult mortality. Thus, our findings reveal suitable conditions for preventing and inducing diapause in Z. bicolorata, which is of great importance in the suppression of P. hysterophorus. We discuss the implications of these findings in the control of P. hysterophorus.
Influence of maternal adiposity, preterm birth and birth weight centiles on early childhood obesity in an Indigenous Australian pregnancy-through-to-early-childhood cohort study
Authors: Pringle K. G. , Lee Y. Q. , Weatherall L. , Keogh L. , Diehm C. , Roberts C. T. , Eades S. , Brown A. , Smith R. , Lumbers E. R. , Brown L. J. , Collins C. E. , Rae K. M.
Published: May 2018

Childhood obesity rates are higher among Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous Australian children. It has been hypothesized that early-life influences beginning with the intrauterine environment predict the development of obesity in the offspring. The aim of this paper was to assess, in 227 mother–child dyads from the Gomeroi gaaynggal cohort, associations between prematurity, Gestation Related-Optimal Weight (GROW) centiles, maternal adiposity (percentage body fat, visceral fat area), maternal non-fasting plasma glucose levels (measured at mean gestational age of 23.1 weeks) and offspring BMI and adiposity (abdominal circumference, subscapular skinfold thickness) in early childhood (mean age 23.4 months). Maternal non-fasting plasma glucose concentrations were positively associated with infant birth weight (P=0.005) and GROW customized birth weight centiles (P=0.008). There was a significant association between maternal percentage body fat (P=0.02) and visceral fat area (P=0.00) with infant body weight in early childhood. Body mass index (BMI) in early childhood was significantly higher in offspring born preterm compared with those born at term (P=0.03). GROW customized birth weight centiles was significantly associated with body weight (P=0.01), BMI (P=0.007) and abdominal circumference (P=0.039) at early childhood. Our findings suggest that being born preterm, large for gestational age or exposed to an obesogenic intrauterine environment and higher maternal non-fasting plasma glucose concentrations are associated with increased obesity risk in early childhood. Future strategies should aim to reduce the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women of child-bearing age and emphasize the importance of optimal glycemia during pregnancy, particularly in Indigenous women.
Microstructural Records of Earthquakes in the Lower Crust and Associated Fluid‐Driven Metamorphism in Plagioclase‐Rich Granulites
Authors: Petley‐Ragan Arianne , Dunkel Kristina G. , Austrheim Håkon , Ildefonse Benoit , Jamtveit Bjørn
Published: May 2018

Coseismic damage associated with earthquakes in the lower continental crust is accompanied by postseismic annealing and fluid‐mediated metamorphism that influence the physical and chemical development of the continental crust on regional scales. A transition from brittle deformation to crystal‐plastic recrystallization is a recurring characteristic of rocks affected by lower crustal earthquakes and is observed in plagioclase adjacent to pseudotachylytes in granulite facies anorthosites from the Bergen Arcs, western Norway. The microstructural and petrological records of this transition were investigated using electron microscopy, electron microprobe analysis, and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. Microfractures associated with mechanical twins are abundant within plagioclase and contain fine‐grained aggregates that formed by fragmentation with minor shear deformation. The presence of feather features, which are described for the first time in feldspar, suggests that fractures propagate at near the shear wave velocity into the wall rock of earthquake slip planes. Grain size insensitive recrystallization took place within the time frame of pseudotachylyte formation, forming high‐angle grain boundaries required for shear zone initiation. Fluid infiltration synfracture to postfracture facilitated the epitactic replacement of plagioclase by alkali feldspar and the nucleation of clinozoisite, kyanite, and quartz. The grain size reduction and crystallization associated with the microfractures create rheologically weak areas that have the potential to localize strain within the plagioclase‐rich lower crust.