bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘We Live Like This’: Local Inequalities and Disproportionate Risk in the Context of Extractive Development and Climate Change on New Hanover Island, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Roberts Jason
Published: October 2018

This study examines the local processes, effects, and responses to large‐scale logging and agricultural development efforts in subsistence communities on New Hanover Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Recently, New Hanover became the site of three special agricultural and business leases (SABLs) that combined to cover approximately 79% of the island. The proliferation of SABLs within PNG is an outcome of recent national development initiatives promoting a significant increase in the production of commercial agricultural crops such as oil palm and biofuel. Accordingly, SABLs are designed to facilitate the development of long‐term commercial agricultural industries in rural locations across the country through the conversion of forested lands and the simplification of communal land tenure, for the purposes of private lease. However, SABLs have simultaneously provided a convenient loophole around more restrictive national forestry policies and thereby become attractive to traditional logging interests in the Asian/Pacific region. Consequently, many SABLs across PNG have failed to produce viable agricultural development or broad local benefit. It is within this context, that this study pays particular attention to the experiences of women and lower‐status landowners living through the processes of SABL conversion, during the El Nino drought of 2015. The study details the statuses and roles of these groups within the overall development process, the ways in which their social relationships changed in the context of development, why these groups were particularly vulnerable to the broad livelihood effects of forest conversion and drought, how they adapted to these effects, and what their hopes were regarding the future of the development project and life on the island. This study adds to current theoretical interests on emerging neoliberal frontiers of land and resource control by examining these SABL landscapes on New Hanover as contemporary examples of land grabs and documenting the very real local level consequences of this phenomenon. The study is also particularly significant in light of the growing threats to forests and forest‐dependent livelihoods and the recognition of the importance of local forest practices to global sustainability.
Routes to halogen‐free flame‐retardant polypropylene wood plastic composites
Authors: Yin Huajie , Sypaseuth Fanni D. , Schubert Martina , Schoch Rebecca , Bastian Martin , Schartel Bernhard
Published: October 2018

Developing halogen‐free flame retardants with reasonably high efficiency, which thus function at limited loadings in polypropylene‐based wood/plastic composites (WPC), is still a challenge. Cost‐effective flame‐retarded WPC have been identified as a way to open the door to an interesting, broader spectrum of application in the building and transportation sectors. This work imparts a systematic comprehensive understanding and assessment of different basic routes to halogen‐free flame‐retarded WPC, taking into account economic and environmental considerations. Cheap, halogen‐free single‐component flame retardants and their multicomponent systems are investigated at reasonable filling grades of 20 wt%. The basic routes of promising synergistic multicomponent systems are discussed, and their potential and limits assessed. Optimizing the consistency of fire residue; closing the surface of inorganic‐organic residual layers; the thermal stabilization and design of the residue, eg, synergistic combination of ammonium polyphosphate and expandable graphite; and the combination of different flame‐retardant mechanisms, eg, intumescence and flame inhibition, are proposed as promising routes to boost the flame‐retardant efficiency.
Polylactide/poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)/rare earth complexes as biodegradable light conversion agricultural films
Authors: Wang Dongmei , Yu Yinlei , Ai Xue , Pan Hongwei , Zhang Huiliang , Dong Lisong
Published: October 2018

Rare earth europium(III) complex with α‐thenoyltrifluoroacetone and triphenylphosphine oxide (Eu (TTA)3(TPPO)2, shortened as EuTT) was synthesized in this paper, then blended with polylactide (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) to prepare the biodegradable agricultural films. Through the optical performance, mechanical properties, and other research, the results showed that the rare earth complex could convert the sun's ultraviolet light to red light when doped polymer. Moreover, the relative intensity ratio of 5D0/7F2 to 5D0/7F1 of PLA/PBAT/EuTT film could reach 3.79, which implied that the film had strong fluorescence intensity and high color purity. The highest tensile strength of the film could reach 36.7/25.2 MPa, and the elongation at break was 462.8/483.0% in the machine and in the transverse direction when the added amount of Eu (TTA)3(TPPO)2 was 0.1 wt%. The tensile strength of the film was 33.3/20.1 MPa, and the elongation at break could reach 535.8/413.6% when the added amount of Eu (TTA)3(TPPO)2 was increased up to 0.3 wt%. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the Eu (TTA)3(TPPO)2 could cause depolymerization of polylactide, resulting in a decrease in the molecular weight of PLA. Furthermore, the crystallization ability of PLA was also improved. In this paper, the biodegradable films exhibited excellent ultraviolet light conversion ability and mechanical properties.
Vanillin‐derived phosphorus‐containing compounds and ammonium polyphosphate as green fire‐resistant systems for epoxy resins with balanced properties
Authors: Xu Xiwei , Wang Sheng , Ma Songqi , Yuan Wangchao , Li Qiong , Feng Jie , Zhu Jin
Published: October 2018

Flame retardants from vanillin when utilized together with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) yield excellent synergistic flame retardancy toward epoxy resins. Bisphenol A epoxy resins have been widely used due to their excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, electrical properties, adhesion, etc., while they are flammable. Environment‐friendly and bio‐based flame retardants have captured increasing attention due to their ecological necessity. In this paper, 3 bio‐based flame retardants were synthesized from abundant and more importantly renewable vanillin, and their chemical structures were determined by 1H NMR and 13C NMR. They were used together with APP (an environment‐friendly commercial flame retardant) to improve the fire resistance of bisphenol A epoxy resin. With the addition APP content of 15 phr, the modified bisphenol A epoxy resin could reach UL‐94V0 rating during vertical burning test and limit oxygen index values of above 35%, but reducing APP content to 10 phr, the flame retardancy became very poor. With the total addition content of 10 phr, the epoxy resins modified by 7 to 9 phr APP and 1 to 3 phr bio‐based flame retardants with epoxy groups or more benzene rings showed excellent flame retardancy with UL‐94V0 rating and limit oxygen index values of around 29%. The Tgs of the epoxy resins could be remained or even increased after introducing bio‐based flame retardants, as the control; those of APP alone‐modified epoxy resins compromised a lot. The green synergistic flame‐retardant systems have a great potential to be used in high‐performance materials.
Understanding care and outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A review of the AYA HOPE study
Authors: Smith Ashley Wilder , Keegan Theresa , Hamilton Ann , Lynch Charles , Wu Xiao‐Cheng , Schwartz Stephen M. , Kato Ikuko , Cress Rosemary , Harlan Linda ,   AYA HOPE Study Collaborative Group
Published: October 2018

Historically, adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer have been an understudied population, and their unique care experiences, needs, and outcomes were not well understood. Thus, 10 years ago, the National Cancer Institute supported the fielding of the Adolescent and Young Adult Health Outcomes and Patient Experiences (AYA HOPE) study to address this gap. We recruited individuals diagnosed at ages 15 to 39 with germ cell, Hodgkin and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and sarcoma from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries into the first multicenter population‐based study of medical care, physical, and mental health outcomes for AYAs with cancer in the United States. This review of the 17 published manuscripts showed low awareness of clinical trials and substantial impact of cancer on financial burden, education and work, relationships and family planning, and physical and mental health. It highlights the feasibility of a longitudinal population‐based study and key lessons learned for research on AYAs with cancer in and beyond the United States.
Autistic traits in neurotypical individuals are associated with increased landmark use during navigation
Authors: Blanchette Caroll‐Ann , Amirova Jamila , Bohbot Veronique D. , West Greg L.
Published: October 2018

People adopt two distinct learning strategies during navigation. “Spatial learners” navigate by building a cognitive map using environmental landmarks, and display more grey matter in the hippocampus. Conversely, “response learners” memorize a series of rigid turns to navigate and display more grey matter in the caudate nucleus of the striatum. Evidence has linked these two structures with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autistic traits in non‐clinical populations. Both people with ASD and neurotypical people with higher levels of autistic traits have been shown to display more grey matter in the hippocampus and less functional activity in the caudate nucleus. We therefore tested 56 healthy participants who completed the Autism Quotient (AQ) Scale and the 4‐on‐8 Virtual Maze (4/8 VM), which determines the reliance on landmarks during navigation. We found that people who relied on landmarks during navigation also displayed significantly higher scores on the AQ Scale. Because spatial strategies are associated with increased attention to environmental landmark use and are supported by the hippocampus, our results provide a potential behavioral mechanism linking higher autistic traits (e.g., increased attention to detail and increased sensory processes) to increased hippocampal grey matter.
Synthesis of poly(Nε‐phenoxycarbonyl‐l‐lysine) by polycondensation of activated urethane derivative and its application for selective modification of side chain with amines
Authors: Akbulut Huseyin , Ando Shota , Yamada Shuhei , Endo Takeshi
Published: October 2018

We report a methodology for the synthesis of Nε‐phenoxycarbonyl‐protected poly(l‐lysine) on the side chain by chain growth polycondensation of Nα,Nε‐bis(phenoxycarbonyl)‐l‐lysine proceeded through the selective elimination of phenol and CO2 from the Nα phenoxycarbonyl moiety at 50 °C in N,N‐dimethylacetamide in the presence of a primary amine used as an initiator. After optimization of reaction condition, the addition of acetic acid during polycondensation proved effective for the realization of the predicted molecular weight and narrow dispersity of the corresponding polypeptide by adjusting the feed ratio of monomer to the amine initiator because of the suppression of interchain coupling that occurs between the amino terminus of poly(l‐lysine) and the Nε‐phenoxycarbonyl group on the polymer side chains. Furthermore, taking advantage of the potentially reactive Nε‐phenoxycarbonyl moiety on the side chain, post‐polymerization modification was effectively achieved by the nucleophilic reaction of amine compounds including primary, secondary, and aromatic amines through the formation of urea linkage, providing a useful platform for synthesis of selective side chain functionalization of poly(l‐lysine) samples. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 2522–2530
Ultrafast excited state dynamics of a bithiophene‐isoindigo copolymer obtained by direct arylation polycondensation and its application in indium tin oxide‐free solar cells
Authors: Tegegne Newayemedhin A. , Abdissa Zelalem , Mammo Wendimagegn , Andersson Mats R. , Schlettwein Derck , Schwoerer Heinrich
Published: October 2018

A low band gap copolymer, P2TI (Eg = 1.6.eV), with bithiophene as donor and isoindigo as acceptor units is designed and synthesized by the direct arylation polycondensation (DAP) method. Absorbance of the polymer spans from 300 to 780 nm. It exhibits an absorption coefficient (ε) of 96 L/g cm in solution at its maxima. A HOMO level of −5.42 eV and LUMO level of −3.72 eV is measured by square wave voltammetry. ITO‐free solar cells fabricated using a P2TI:PCBM71 bulk heterojunction shows a moderate efficiency of 1.02% with a high open circuit voltage of 0.81 V. An intramolecular charge transfer state is found in the relaxation of P2TI in solution, which is generated with a time constant of 2 ps as measured by femtosecond‐transient absorption spectroscopy. Charge carriers were generated in <250 fs in P2TI:PCBM71 films. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2018, 56, 1475–1483
A bow‐tie model for analyzing explosion and fire accidents induced by unloading operation in petrochemical enterprises
Authors: Chen Mengmeng , Wang Kai
Published: October 2018

Explosion and fire accidents happen frequently in petrochemical enterprises. For improving risk management, Bow‐tie method is applied to analyze causes, consequences, and control methods of such disasters. Based on fault tree analysis, 42 combination scenarios of primary events leading to explosion and fire accident are achieved. Important order of primary events is determined. Event tree is developed where four consequences, with different occurrence probability and loss degree, are obtained considering of success or failure of emergency evacuation and automatic fire extinguishing system. Structure of Bow‐tie model is established where three accident sources, including limit concentration of liquefied petroleum gas, equipment fault or operation error and fire source, are taken into account. After identification of accident causes and consequences, precautionary and loss‐reducing measures are proposed. The model was applied to analyze explosion and fire accident occurring in Jinyu group of China, demonstrating poor connection between the pipe and oil tank truck and non‐explosion‐proof equipment resulted in the accident. The delayed emergency excavation and failure of automatic fire extinguishing system led to fully developed fire and heavy casualties. To reduce such disasters, controlling suggestions in terms of educational training, intelligent monitoring, equipment management, and safety management were provided for Jinyu group. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Process Saf Prog 38: 78–86, 2019
Photoluminescence Study of B‐Trions in MoS2 Monolayers with High Density of Defects
Authors: Kaupmees Reelika , Komsa Hannu‐Pekka , Krustok Jüri
Published: October 2018

Photoluminescence spectroscopy has been used to investigate the details of B band emission from single‐layer MoS2 samples grown by chemical vapor deposition. The evolution of the peak shape upon variable excitation power is well described by a combination of exciton and trion contributions, from which B trion binding energy of 18 meV has been extracted. It has been suggested that the absence of accompanying A trion emission in our samples, as well as the enhanced intensity of the B band, can be ascribed to a fast non‐radiative recombination channel arising from the large defect density in our samples. It has been found that band‐selective recombination channels or formation of dark/bright trions are possible microscopic scenarios for our observations.
A novel pseudo‐maximum likelihood estimation method for accelerated degradation tests under Wiener process
Authors: Wang Han , Zhao Yu , Ma Xiaobing , Wang Zhihua
Published: October 2018

For reliability assessment based on accelerated degradation tests (ADTs), an appropriate parameter estimation method is very important because it affects the extrapolation and prediction accuracy. The well‐adopted maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method focuses on interpolation fitting and obtains results via maximizing the likelihood of the observations. However, a best interpolation fitting does not necessarily yield a best extrapolation. In this paper, therefore, a pseudo‐MLE (P‐MLE) method is proposed to improve the prediction accuracy of constant‐stress ADTs by considering the degradation mechanism equivalence under Wiener process. In particular, the degradation mechanism equivalence is characterized by a mechanism equivalence factor which presents the proportional relationship between degradation rate and variation. Then, the mechanism equivalence factor is determined via a two‐step method. The other model parameters can be estimated by the general MLE method. The asymptotic variances of acceleration factors and the p‐quantile of product failure time under normal condition are adopted to compare the statistical properties of the proposed method and the general MLE approach. Numerical examples show that the novel P‐MLE method may not achieve a maximum likelihood but can provide more benefits regarding prediction accuracy enhancement especially when the sample size is limited.
Padé extrapolated effective Hamiltonians in the Fock space relativistic coupled cluster method
Authors: Zaitsevskii Andréi , Eliav Ephraim
Published: October 2018

The application of the conventional multiroot multireference coupled cluster methods to the description of molecular excited electronic states in wide areas of molecular geometries are frequently prevented by numerical instabilities due to the presence of intruder states. An efficient solution of this problem can consist in the intruder state avoidance through appropriate modification of energy denominators in coupled cluster equations followed by the suppression of the errors caused by this modification by the operator (matrix) Padé extrapolation of the sequences of resulting approximate effective Hamiltonians. Simple numerical illustrations of the efficiency of the extrapolation procedure are provided on examples of implementations within the Fock space relativistic coupled cluster approach.
The golden (Syrian) hamster as a model for the study of reproductive biology: Past, present, and future
Authors: Hirose Michiko , Ogura Atsuo
Published: October 2018

Background

The golden (Syrian) hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a small rodent that belongs to the Cricetidae family. It has several unique features that are advantageous for the study of reproductive and developmental biology, including a consistent estrous cycle (4 days), high responsiveness to conventional superovulation regimens, and the short gestation period (16 days).

Methods

Based on the published reports, the development in assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the golden hamsters was summarized.

Main findings

The technical ease of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in this species has contributed to our understanding of the basic mechanisms of mammalian fertilization in the last century. However, a strong developmental block in vitro of hamster embryos and unavailability of gene‐modified strains has hampered its broader use in biomedical fields. A recently developed in vivo transfection method has enabled us to generate gene knockout hamsters without any major obstacles. It would be interesting to revisit the genes whose functions could not be identified using mouse models.

Conclusion

The authors expect that gene knockout hamsters might be able to substitute for mice—at least in part—for better understanding of gene functions in mammals including humans.
Finite‐time fully distributed formation reconfiguration control for UAV helicopters
Authors: Wang Dandan , Zong Qun , Tian Bailing , Wang Fang , Dou Liqian
Published: October 2018

This paper studies finite‐time fully distributed formation and reconfiguration control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicle helicopter with disturbances and uncertainty. Based on adaptive and terminal sliding‐mode control techniques, a disturbance observer‐based fully distributed control strategy is proposed, which is independent of least nonzero eigenvalue of Laplacian matrix and achieves practical finite‐time formation tracking for a moving leader without any additional condition. The proposed method is proved superior to the existing method in converging time. The finite‐time stability of the closed‐loop error is proved by the Lyapunov theory. Considering formation configuration changing as a result of a task change, a modified finite‐time fully distributed controller including potential energy function gradient terms with an adaptive law is proposed. The novelty of the reconfiguration controller is that an adaptive law is firstly integrated in the gradient items, then the asymptotical stability is extended to practical finite‐time stability. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed algorithm.
What drives “customer loyalty”? The role of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Park Eunil , Kim Ki Joon
Published: October 2018

Given the importance of customer loyalty in the sustainability and success of the service industry, this study develops a loyalty‐enhancement model that integrates corporate social responsibility, service quality, customer satisfaction, and trust and applies the model to the case of South Korean mobile telecommunication service companies in order to explicate the process through which these factors contribute to increasing the sense of loyalty among service subscribers. Results of a structural equation modeling analysis (N = 910) revealed that corporate social responsibility and service quality led customers to experience greater satisfaction with and trust in the service, which in turn encouraged customers to be more loyal to their current service providers. Implications of the notable findings and limitations are discussed.
Depth profiling of tungsten coating layer on CuCrZr alloy using LIBS approach
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Sun Li‐Ying , Liu Ping , Sattar Harse , Zhao Dongye , Mu Zongxin , Ding Hongbin
Published: October 2018

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was employed to find the depth profile of W‐coated CuCrZr alloy. Cathodic arc deposition method was applied to produce tungsten coating on the CuCrZr alloy. The LIBS measurements were carried out by using a Nd:YAG laser at its fundamental wavelength (1064 nm) with various fluences. The spectral intensity emitted from laser induced plasma of the coating material was investigated for both elemental and depth‐profile analyses in terms of linear correlation coefficient. Other surface characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray) were also used to determine morphology and elemental composition. It is observed that nonuniform radial energy distribution of Gaussian laser beam caused gradual decay of spectral lines of the coating and rise of substrate lines. The results indicate that the spectral intensity from W coating was higher than that from the bulk material at same laser fluence. The high‐resolution in‐depth profile was achieved at low fluence. This study demonstrates that LIBS is a promising technique for the depth‐profiling analysis of W coating of EAST‐like material and can be used to determine the material erosion and impurity deposition on plasma facing components.
Adsorption Energetics of Atoms and Diatomic Gases with Electrocatalysis Approach towards Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reaction on Pt Surfaces
Authors: Baraiya Bhumi A. , Mankad Venu , Jha Prafulla K.
Published: October 2018

The computational study of chemisorption of atoms and gases intends to provide a great insight in the developing of an up‐to‐date elusive assessment of a correct choice of the site for the adsorption on platinum surfaces i. e. a key step for many chemical processes in catalysis and surface sciences. A density functional theory (DFT) calculation using generalized gradient approximation (GGA) scheme and supercell model with the inclusion of modified dispersion correction (DFT−D2) has been performed to explore the adsorption trends and evaluate adsorption energies of H, C, N, O, and S (atoms) and H2, C2, N2, O2, and S2 (homonuclear diatomic molecules) on Pt(111) and Pt(100) surfaces for multiple sites, in search of the most active catalytic site. Our chemisorption data revealed that the incorporation of DFT−D2 correction strengthens the adsorption energy by the amount of 0.05 eV to 0.67 eV for atoms and gases. Finally, this study focuses on unveiling catalytic activity of the two seemingly simplest electrochemical reactions; the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on numerous sites of Pt surfaces using the adsorption strength of H and O with the inclusion of DFT−D2 correction, which shows the good consistency with the results of standard DFT calculations. The highest catalytic activity towards HER is shown by Pt(100) in contrast to the best OER catalytic activity by Pt(111) surface with their respective most favorable 4fh and top sites.
Hedgehog‐Like Gold‐Coated Magnetic Microspheres that Strongly Inhibit Tumor Growth through Magnetomechanical Force and Photothermal Effects
Authors: Chen Yang , Han Pomchol , Wu Ying , Zhang Zefei , Yue Yan , Li Wenhao , Chu Maoquan
Published: October 2018

Using magnetomechanical force to kill cancer cells has attracted great attention recently. This study presents novel hedgehog‐like microspheres composed of needle‐like magnetic nanoparticles with carbon and gold double shells. Using a novel low‐frequency vibrating magnetic field (VMF), these microspheres with sharp surfaces can seriously damage cancer cells and strongly inhibit mouse tumor growth through mechanical force. The cell killing efficiency depends on VMF exposure time, frequency, strength, and microsphere concentration. The maximum mechanical force generated by one microsphere acting on a cancer cell under a VMF is about 35.79 pN. The microspheres also induce photothermal ablation after being triggered by near‐infrared laser irradiation. Mouse tumors could not be detected after treatment with the synergistic stimuli of mechanical force and photothermal ablation. These results reveal a simple and highly efficient strategy using magnetic microspheres for local treatment of solid tumors in a remote and noninvasive manner.
“Flash” Annealing in a Cold‐Rolled Low Carbon Steel Alloyed with Cr, Mn, Mo, and Nb: Part II—Anisothermal Recrystallization and Transformation Textures
Authors: Castro Cerda Felipe Manuel , Kestens Leo A. I. , Petrov Roumen H.
Published: October 2018

The aim of the present investigation is to study the microstructure and texture evolution in a cold‐rolled low carbon steel subjected to continuous heating and subsequent quenching. Peak‐annealing and quenching experiments are carried out at different temperatures at three heating rates (10, 400, and 1000 °C s−1). The texture evolution in ferrite and martensite is analyzed separately via Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) measurements. It is observed that the recrystallization is virtually completed at 771 °C in samples heated at 10 °C s−1. Conversely, the recrystallization is suppressed in samples heated at rates ≥400 °C s−1. In samples heated at 10 °C s−1, the ferrite texture evolves according to the well‐known recrystallization behavior, showing a maximum in {113}<110> components, whereas in samples heated at rates ≥400 °C s−1, the texture is similar to the one of the cold‐rolled material. It is concluded that the texture evolution in martensite is strongly dependent on the evolution of recrystallization textures in ferrite. A particular grain substructure product of the interaction between the recrystallization of ferrite and massive austenite formation is observed after heating at rates ≥400 °C s−1. However, this substructure seems to have effect neither on the textures of ferrite nor on the work hardening behavior.
Echoes from the coast: Assessment of residents’ perception of environmental hazards and risks in coastal communities of Nigeria
Authors: Olowoporoku Oluwaseun
Published: October 2018

Human settlements can be threatened by presence of environmental hazards, as their incidence is often unpredictable in temporal and spatial dimension. Coastal communities in oil‐producing states are often at risk of natural and technological environmental hazards as well as those emanating from residents’ living conditions. This paper therefore examines the residents’ perception of environmental hazards and risks in coastal communities of Nigeria. This work is aimed at providing information that could guide in improving environmental awareness and safety in the study area. Three coastal communities (Sapele, Oghara, and Koko) were selected in Delta State, Nigeria. One ward was randomly selected out of every three wards in each community. Thus, three wards were selected in Sapele, two in Oghara, and one in Koko, and a questionnaire was administered on every fifth residential building in each of the selected wards. A total of 218 residents were selected for the survey using this systematic sampling technique. The study established that residents were aware of environmental hazards and risks in the study area. Furthermore, the study found out that residents did not perceive environmental hazards and risks emanating from their living conditions as threats to their living compared to technological (oil‐induced) and natural environmental risks. The study recommends that government and all concerned agencies synergize efforts to create enlightenment programs and implement policies that could enhance residents’ awareness of environmental hazards and risks arising from their living conditions. Also environmental hazards and risks education should be introduced into school curriculum. Finally, the government should promulgate and enforce laws to guide the activities of industrialists and manage the threats from flood in the study area.
The light radion window
Authors: Abu-Ajamieh Fayez , Lee Jun Seok , Terning John
Published: October 2018

Abstract

Inspired by the Contino-Pomarol-Rattazzi mechanism we explore scenarios with a very light (1 keV to 10 GeV) radion which could be associated with the suppression of the electroweak contribution to vacuum energy. We construct explicit, realistic models that realize this mechanism and explore the phenomenological constraints on this class of models. Compared with axion-like particles in this mass range, the bounds from SN 1987a and from cosmology can be much weaker, depending on the mass of the radion and its coupling to other particles. With couplings suppressed by a scale lower than 100 TeV, much of the mass window from 100 keV to 10 GeV is still open.
Hybrid statistical estimation of mutual information and its application to information flow
Authors: Biondi Fabrizio , Kawamoto Yusuke , Legay Axel , Traonouez Louis-Marie
Published: October 2018

Analysis of a probabilistic system often requires to learn the joint probability distribution of its random variables. The computation of the exact distribution is usually an exhaustiveprecise analysison all executions of the system. To avoid the high computational cost of such an exhaustive search,statistical analysishas been studied to efficiently obtain approximate estimates by analyzing only a small but representative subset of the system’s behavior. In this paper we propose ahybrid statistical estimation methodthat combines precise and statistical analyses to estimate mutual information, Shannon entropy, and conditional entropy, together with their confidence intervals. We show how to combine the analyses on different components of a discrete system with different accuracy to obtain an estimate for the whole system. The new method performs weighted statistical analysis with different sample sizes over different components and dynamically finds their optimal sample sizes. Moreover, it can reduce sample sizes by using prior knowledge about systems and a newabstraction-then-samplingtechnique based on qualitative analysis. To apply the method to the source code of a system, we show how to decompose the code into components and to determine the analysis method for each component by overviewing the implementation of those techniques in the HyLeak tool. We demonstrate with case studies that the new method outperforms the state of the art in quantifying information leakage.
Sustained Elevation of Postoperative Serum Level of Carbohydrate Antigen 19‐9 is High‐Risk Stigmata for Primary Hepatic Recurrence in Patients with Curatively Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Motoi Fuyuhiko , Murakami Yoshiaki , Okada Ken‐ichi , Matsumoto Ippei , Uemura Kenichiro , Satoi Sohei , Sho Masayuki , Honda Goro , Fukumoto Takumi , Yanagimoto Hiroaki , Kinoshita Shoichi , Kurata Masanao , Aoki Shuichi , Mizuma Masamichi , Yamaue Hiroki , Unno Michiaki ,   for the Multicenter Study Group of Pancreatobiliary Surgery (MSG‐PBS)
Published: October 2018

Background

Survival after surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) is poor and heterogeneous, even for curative (R0) resection. Serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19‐9 levels are important prognostic markers for resected PA. However, sustained elevation of CA19‐9 in association with the patterns of recurrence has been rarely investigated.

Methods

Patients who underwent R0 resection (n = 539) were grouped according to postoperative serum CA19‐9 levels (Group E: sustained elevation; Group N: no elevation). Clinicopathological factors, patterns of recurrence, and survival were compared between the groups.

Results

Group E (n = 159) had significantly shorter median overall survival (17.1 vs. 35.4 months, p < 0.0001) than Group N (n = 380). Postoperative CA19‐9 elevation was a significant independent predictor of poor survival in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio 1.98, p < 0.0001). The rate of hepatic recurrence in Group E was 2.6‐fold higher than in Group N (45% vs. 17%, p < 0.0001). Postoperative CA19‐9 elevation was a strongest independent predictor of primary hepatic recurrence (p < 0.0001) by a multiple regression model. Loco‐regional, peritoneal, and other distant recurrence did not differ between the groups. The extent of preoperative CA19‐9 elevation was correlated sustained elevation of CA19‐9 after surgery (p < 0.0001) and primary hepatic recurrence (p = 0.0019).

Conclusions

Sustained CA19‐9 elevation was strong predictor of primary hepatic recurrence and short survival in cases of R0 resection for PA.
Role of Palliative Resection in Patients with Incurable Advanced Gastric Cancer Who are Unfit for Chemotherapy
Authors: Omori Hayato , Tanizawa Yutaka , Makuuchi Rie , Irino Tomoyuki , Bando Etsuro , Kawamura Taiichi , Terashima Masanori
Published: October 2018

Background

The REGATTA trial showed that gastrectomy followed by chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer with a single non‐curable factor did not improve survival outcomes in comparison with chemotherapy alone. Chemotherapy is therefore the mainstay treatment for incurable gastric cancer. However, for patients who are unfit for chemotherapy, the role of palliative gastrectomy remains controversial.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 207 patients with in curable gastric cancer who underwent palliative gastrectomy or bypass surgery because of urgent symptoms who were treated from 2002 to 2014. Fifty‐nine of these patients who did not receive chemotherapy following surgery were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into the palliative gastrectomy group (n = 40) and the bypass surgery group (n = 19). The survival outcomes of the two groups were compared. Independent prognostic factors were identified using multivariate analysis.

Results

The rate of patients who underwent gastrectomy was significantly higher among patients whose tumors were located in the upper third (n = 19/20, 95%) than in patients whose tumors were located in the lower or middle third (n = 21/39, 54%, p = 0.001). The median survival time (MST) in the gastrectomy group (145 days) was significantly longer than that in the bypass group (86 days) (p = 0.008). Bypass surgery was identified as an independent prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis (HR = 2.3; 95%CI = 1.3–4.2 p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Palliative gastrectomy may improve survival in patients with incurable gastric cancer who show emergent symptoms and who are unfit for chemotherapy.
Analysis of eye-tracking behaviours in a pediatric trauma simulation
Authors: Damji Omar , Lee-Nobbee Patricia , Borkenhagen David , Cheng Adam
Published: October 2018

Eye-tracking devices are able to capture eye movements, which are further characterized by fixations. The application of eye tracking in a trauma setting has not been explored. Visual fixation can be utilized as a surrogate measure of attention during the management of a trauma patient. We aimed to determine the feasibility of using eye tracking and to characterize eye tracking behaviours of pediatric emergency medicine physicians during management of a simulated pediatric trauma patient. Each participant was equipped with a head-mounted eye-tracking device during a standardized simulated pediatric trauma scenario. Each session was video recorded, with visual fixations defined as >0.2 seconds, and characterized by start time, duration, and the area of interest. Data from seven videos were analysed; 35% of eye fixations were directed towards the mannequin, 16% towards the monitor, and 13% towards the bedside doctor. Visual eye tracking in a trauma simulation is feasible. Frequency of fixations tends to be highest towards the patient. Eye tracking within trauma simulation may provide new insights into quality improvement and inform advancements in pediatric trauma.
Preventing hospital-acquired Legionnaires’ disease: A snapshot of clinical practices and water management approaches in US acute-care hospitals
Authors: Ehret Karen M. , Chamberlain Allison T. , Berkelman Ruth L. , Fridkin Scott K.
Published: October 2018

In 2017, we surveyed 101 SHEA Research Network hospitals regarding Legionnaires’ disease (LD). Of 29 respondents, 94% have or are developing a water management plan with varying characteristics and personnel engaged. Most LD diagnostic testing is limited to urine antigen testing. Many opportunities to improve LD prevention and diagnosis exist.
From Romana Gens to cumbiatella: propaganda, migration and identity in Italo-Peruvian mobilities
Authors: Suárez Trejo Javier
Published: October 2018

Branding promotes and sells products and services through the creation of an identity – the brand. What happens when the promoter of a brand is a government? What transformations does a national identity experience when it becomes a brand to export? Is national branding a contemporary form of promoting national identities? To explore these questions, the article focuses on two artefacts that show the propaganda/branding strategies of Italians in Peru and Peruvians in Italy during the twentieth century: the magazine Romana- Gens ne la Terra de ‘Los Incas’ (1934–1941) and the ad-documentary Marca Perú in Loreto, Italy (2012). The analysis of these artefacts shows three dimensions of Italo-Peruvian mobilities. First, the complex negotiations of foreign populations that seek to integrate into their adoptive countries (and/or desired market). Second, the reversal of the direction of migration: Latin America was a point of arrival for the Italian immigrants from the nineteenth century until the 1970s, but during the last decades of the twentieth century, it became a point of departure to Italy, which was seen as a place of economic progress. Finally, the specific politics of affects in the relationship of Italian and Peruvian immigrants with national identities built during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Obstacle to Peace? Ethnic Geography and Effectiveness of Peacekeeping
Authors: Di Salvatore Jessica
Published: October 2018

Under what conditions does peacekeeping reduce one-sided violence in civil wars? This article argues that local sources of violence, particularly ethnic geography, affect peacekeeping effectiveness. Existing studies focus on the features of individual missions, yet curbing one-sided violence also depends on peacekeepers’ capacity to reduce the opportunities and incentives for violence. Moving from the idea that territorial control is a function of ethnic polarization, the article posits that peacekeepers are less effective against one-sided violence where power asymmetries are large (low polarization) because they (1) create incentives for escalation against civilians and (2) are less effective at separating/monitoring combatants. The UN mission in Sierra Leone from 1997 to 2001 is examined to show that UN troops reduce one-sided violence, but their effectiveness decreases as power asymmetries grow.
RE-ODORIZATION, DISEASE, AND EMOTION IN MID-NINETEENTH-CENTURY ENGLAND
Authors: TULLETT WILLIAM
Published: October 2018

This article argues that smell's place in nineteenth-century medicine and public health was distinctly ambiguous. Standard narratives in the history of smell argue that smell became less important in this period whilst also arguing that urban spaces were deodorized. The causal motor for the latter shift is medical theories about odour and miasma. By contrast, this article argues that sanitary practices of circulation, ventilation, and disinfection proceeded despite, not because of, medical attitudes to smell. Surgeons and physicians argued that odours were no indicator of disease causing matter and distrusted the use of smell because of its subjective qualities and resistance to linguistic definition. Yet these qualities made smell all the more powerful in sanitary literature, where it was used to generate a powerful emotional effect on readers. Histories of smell need to attend not just to deodorization but re-odorization; the disjuncture between practices of smelling and their textual or visual representation; and chronologies that track the shelving and re-deploying of ways of sensing in different times, places, and communities rather than tracking the de novo emergence of a modern Western sensorium. In mid-nineteenth-century England, smell retained its power, but that power now came from its rhetorical rather than epistemological force.
Biocultural determinants of overweight and obesity in the context of nutrition transition in Senegal: a holistic anthropological approach
Authors: Cohen Emmanuel , Gradidge Philippe Jean-Luc , Ndao Amadou , Duboz Priscilla , Macia Enguerran , Gueye Lamine , Boëtsch Gilles , Pasquet Patrick , Holdsworth Michelle , Chapuis-Lucciani Nicole
Published: October 2018

Senegal is experiencing a rising obesity epidemic, due to the nutrition transition occurring in most African countries, and driven by sedentary behaviour and high-calorie dietary intake. In addition, the anthropological local drivers of the social valorization of processed high-calorie food and large body sizes could expose the population to obesity risk. This study aimed to determine the impact of these biocultural factors on the nutritional status of Senegalese adults. A mixed methods approach was used, including qualitative and quantitative studies. Between 2011 and 2013, fourteen focus group discussions (n=84) and a cross-sectional quantitative survey (n=313 women;n=284 men) of adults in three different socio-ecological areas of Senegal (rural:n=204; suburban:n=206; urban:n=187) were conducted. Dietary intake (Dietary Diversity Scores), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), body weight norms (Body Size Scale), weight and health statuses (anthropometric measures and blood pressure) were measured. Middle-aged and older Senegalese women were found to value overweight/obesity more than younger Senegalese in all regions. In addition, young urban/suburban adults had a tendency for daily snacking whilst urban/suburban adults tended to be less physically active and had higher anthropometric means. A binary logistic regression model showed that being female, older, living in urban/suburban areas and valuing larger body size were independently associated with being overweight/obese, but not high-calorie diet. Univariate analyses showed that lower physical activity and higher socioeconomic status were associated with being overweight/obese. Finally, overweight/obesity, which is low in men, is associated with hypertension in the total sample. The nutrition transition is currently underway in Senegal’s urban/suburban areas, with older women being more affected. Since several specific biocultural factors jointly contribute to this phenomenon, the study’s findings suggest the need for local public health interventions that target women and which account for the anthropological specificities of the Senegalese population.
Life-Cycle Asset Allocation with Ambiguity Aversion and Learning
Authors: Peijnenburg Kim
Published: October 2018

Ambiguity and learning about the equity premium can simultaneously explain the low fraction of financial wealth allocated to stocks over the life cycle and the stock market participation puzzle. Individuals are ambiguous about the size of the equity premium and are averse to this ambiguity, resulting in lower stock allocations over the life cycle, consistent with the data. As agents get older, they learn about the equity premium and increase their allocation to stocks. Furthermore, I find that ambiguity leads to underdiversification, home bias, lower Sharpe ratios, and higher savings. Similar results cannot be obtained by assuming higher risk aversion.
The Relation between Corporate and Government Debt Maturity in Europe
Authors: Lugo Stefano , Piccillo Giulia
Published: October 2018

This article investigates the gap-filling explanation for corporate debt maturity choices in a multi-country setting. We argue that companies adjust their debt maturity in response to shocks in government debt maturity both at home and abroad; the difference between the two effects depends on the markets’ relative size and level of integration. Focusing on the European case and treating the Economic and Monetary Union as a shock in market integration, we find strong empirical support for our predictions. Our results have relevant implications for the opportunity for individual governments to use their debt maturity structure as a policy tool.
Can Strong Corporate Governance Selectively Mitigate the Negative Influence of “Special Interest” Shareholder Activists? Evidence from the Labor Market for Directors
Authors: Del Guercio Diane , Woidtke Tracie
Published: October 2018

Union and public pension funds, the most prolific institutional activists employing low-cost targeting methods, are often accused of pursuing private benefits. Extant literature finds that unions representing workers, as stakeholders, are not aligned with shareholders. Limiting shareholder power may mitigate “special interest” activism but can also exacerbate managerial agency problems. In two different settings, majority approved and withdrawn shareholder proposals, we examine and find supportive evidence that the director labor market as a corporate governance mechanism can selectively mitigate the negative influence that conflicted stakeholder-shareholder union funds have over firms without stifling all influence of low-cost activists.
Distracted Institutional Investors
Authors: Schmidt Daniel
Published: October 2018

I investigate how distraction affects the trading behavior of professional asset managers. Exploring detailed transaction-level data, I show that managers with a large fraction of portfolio stocks that have an earnings announcement are significantly less likely to trade in other stocks, suggesting that these announcements divert attention from trading decisions for other stocks. This distraction effect is more pronounced for nonpassive managers who engage in active stock selection choices. Finally, I identify three channels through which distraction hurts managers’ performance: Distracted managers trade less profitably, incur slightly higher transaction costs, and are less likely to close losing positions.