bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Switching biological functionalities of biointerfaces via dynamic covalent bonds
Authors: Deng Jie , Liu Xinyue , Ma Lang , Cheng Chong , Sun Shudong , Zhao Changsheng
Published: December 2015

We construct a stimuli responsive biointerface via a dynamic covalent bond that could switch its surface biofunctionalities on demand. The switchability is achieved via reversible attaching/detaching of aldehyde end-functionalized biomacromolecules.
Anti-IgG-anchored liquid crystal microdroplets for label free detection of IgG
Authors: Lee Kyubae , Gupta Kailash Chandra , Park Soo-Young , Kang Inn-Kyu
Published: December 2015

AIgG anchored LC microdroplets showing configurational transition from radial (a) to bipolar (b) upon interaction with IgG.
Unexpected SiMe3 effect on color-tunable and fluorescent probes of dendritic polyphenyl naphthalimides with aggregation-induced emission enhancement
Authors: Wang Hua , Liang Yan , Xie Huanling , Lu Haifeng , Zhao Shigui , Feng Shengyu
Published: December 2015

In two AIE-active dyes, the dye with SiMe3 presented a wider color-tunable range and was remarkably more sensitive in fluorescence detection than the dye with phenyl group.
Multiple access channel with common message and secrecy constraint
Authors: Zivari‐Fard Hassan , Akhbari Bahareh , Ahmadian‐Attari Mahmoud , Aref Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2015

The authors study the problem of secret communication over a multiple‐access channel with a common message. Here, the authors assume that two transmitters have confidential messages, which must be kept secret from the wiretapper (the second receiver), and both of them have access to a common message which can be decoded by the two receivers. The authors call this setting as multiple‐access wiretap channel with common message (MAWC‐CM). For this setting, the authors derive general inner and outer bounds on the secrecy capacity region for the discrete memoryless case and show that these bounds meet each other for a special case called the switch channel. As well, for a Gaussian version of MAWC‐CM, the authors derive inner and outer bounds on the secrecy capacity region. Providing numerical results for the Gaussian case, the authors illustrate the comparison between the derived achievable rate region and the outer bound for the considered model and the capacity region of compound multiple access channel.
Frequency dependence of the acoustic field generated from a spherical cavity transducer with open ends
Authors: Li Faqi , Song Dan , Zeng Deping , Lin Zhou , He Min , Lei Guangrong , Wu Junru , Zhang Dong , Wang Zhibiao
Published: December 2015

Resolution of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) focusing is limited by the wave diffraction. We have developed a spherical cavity transducer with two open ends to improve the focusing precision without sacrificing the acoustic intensity (App Phys Lett 2013; 102: 204102). This work aims to theoretically and experimentally investigate the frequency dependence of the acoustic field generated from the spherical cavity transducer with two open ends. The device emits high intensity ultrasound at the frequency ranging from 420 to 470 kHz, and the acoustic field is measured by a fiber optic probe hydrophone. The measured results shows that the spherical cavity transducer provides high acoustic intensity for HIFU treatment only in its resonant modes, and a series of resonant frequencies can be choosen. Furthermore, a finite element model is developed to discuss the frequency dependence of the acoustic field. The numerical simulations coincide well with the measured results.
Biobanking genetic resources: challenges and implementation at the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program
Authors: Purdy P. H. , Wilson C. S. , Spiller S. F. , Blackburn H. D.
Published: December 2015

There is adequate infrastructure in the US to identify and acquire germplasm from the major beef and dairy cattle and swine breeds. However, when we venture outside these species, the same tasks become more difficult because of a lack of breed associations, databases that include genotypic and phenotypic data and low numbers of animals. Furthermore, acquisition of germplasm from non-cattle and non-swine species can be difficult because these animals are often not located near the National Animal Germplasm Program, which makes collection and preservation of the samples in a timely manner that much more complicated. This problem is compounded because not all preservation protocols are optimised for field collection conditions or for all types of germplasm. Since 1999, the USDA National Animal Germplasm Program has worked to overcome these obstacles by developing policies, procedures and techniques in order to create a germplasm repository for all agricultural species (wild and domesticated) in the US. Herein, we describe these activities and illustrate them via a case study on how our efforts collecting Navajo-Churro sheep have created a secure backup of germplasm and how we specifically overcome these issues as they relate to rare and minor breeds of agricultural species.
Teaching Residents Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Skills for Alcohol Use: Using Chart-Stimulated Recall to Assess Curricular Impact
Authors: Wamsley Maria A. , Steiger Scott , Julian Katherine A. , Gleason Nathaniel , O'Sullivan Patricia S. , Guy Michelle , Satterfield Jason M.
Published: December 2015

Background: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) improves identification and intervention for patients at risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Residency curriculum is designed to teach SBIRT skills, but resources are needed to promote skill implementation. The electronic health record (EHR) can facilitate implementation through integration of decision-support tools. The authors developed electronic tools to facilitate documentation of alcohol assessment and brief intervention and to reinforce skills from an SBIRT curriculum. This prospective cohort study assessed primary care internal medicine residents’ use of SBIRT skills and EHR tools in practice using chart-stimulated recall (CSR). Methods: Postgraduate year 2 and 3 residents received a 5-hour SBIRT curriculum with skills practice and instruction on SBIRT electronic tools. Participants were then given a list of their patients seen in a 1-year period who were drinking at/above the recommended limit. Trainees selected 3 patients to review with a faculty member in a CSR. Faculty used a 24-item chart checklist to assess application of SBIRT skills and electronic tool use and met with residents to complete a CSR interview. CSR interview notes were analyzed qualitatively to understand application of SBIRT skills and EHR tool use. Results: Eighteen of 20 residents participated in the CSR, and 5 faculty reviewed 46 patient charts. Residents documented alcohol use (84.2% of charts) and assessment of quantity/frequency of use (71.0%) but were less likely to document assessment for an AUD (34%), an appropriate plan (50.0%), or follow-up (55%). Few residents used EHR tools. Residents reported barriers in addressing alcohol use, including lack of knowledge, patient barriers, and time constraints. Conclusions: More intensive training in SBIRT with opportunities for practice and feedback may be necessary for residents to consistently apply SBIRT skills in practice. EHR tools need to be better integrated into the clinic workflow in order to be useful.
Implementing an Opioid Risk Assessment Telephone Clinic: Outcomes from a Pharmacist-Led Initiative in a Large Veterans Health Administration Primary Care Clinic, December 15, 2014–March 31, 2015
Authors: Jacobs Sara C. , Son Elizabeth K. , Tat Christina , Chiao Phillip , Dulay Maya , Ludwig Alison
Published: December 2015

Background

In response to the national epidemic of prescription opioid misuse and related adverse outcomes, two clinical pharmacists developed a telephone risk assessment clinic to promote safe opioid prescribing through a monthly assessment of patient medication use, aberrant behaviors, and side effects.

Methods

A pilot group of five primary care providers and their patients with chronic nonmalignant pain on chronic opioid therapy, defined as having received prescription opioid medications for ≥90 days in the last 120 days, were identified. A risk assessment evaluation based on Veterans Health Administration/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain was created. Factors assessed were receipt of non-San Francisco Veterans Administration Health Care System controlled substance prescriptions through California's prescription drug monitoring program, urine drug test (UDT) results, and aberrant behaviors. Pharmacist-recommended changes to regimen and provider response to recommendation were compiled. The pilot was conducted from December 15, 2014, to March 31, 2015.

Results

Among 608 patients on chronic opioid therapy, 148 were assigned to pilot providers and 447 assessments were completed. Twenty-five (16.8%) patients had non-VA controlled substance prescriptions, of which 14 (56.0%) patients filled a non-VA controlled substance within 3 months of the start of pilot. Seventeen UDT results inconsistent with their prescribed regimens were identified from 12 patients (8.1%). Pharmacists recommended 66 changes to chronic opioid prescriptions in 48 patients (32.4%), including decreasing quantity of opioid(s) (33.3%), discontinuing chronic opioid therapy (22.7%), and delaying a fill (19.7%). Sixty-one of 66 (92.5%) pharmacist recommendations for regimen change were implemented by providers. Chronic opioid therapy was discontinued in 14 (9.5%) patients over the course of the pilot study.

Conclusions

A pharmacist-led telephone risk assessment clinic improved adherence to clinical guidelines and changed opioid prescribing practices in more than one third of assessed patients.
Landau resonant modification of multiple kink mode contributions to 3D tokamak equilibria
Authors: King J.D. , Strait E.J. , Ferraro N.M. , Hanson J.M. , Haskey S.R. , Lanctot M.J. , Liu Y.Q. , Logan N. , Paz-Soldan C. , Shiraki D. , Turnbull A.D.
Published: December 2015

Detailed measurements of the plasma’s response to applied magnetic perturbations provide experimental evidence that the form of three-dimensional (3D) tokamak equilibria, with toroidal mode number n  =  1, is determined by multiple stable kink modes at high-pressure. For pressures greater than the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability limit, as calculated without a stabilizing wall, the 3D structure transitions in a way that is qualitatively predicted by an extended MHD model that includes kinetic wave-particle interactions. These changes in poloidal mode structure are correlated with the proximity of rotation profiles to thermal ion bounce and the precession drift frequencies suggesting that these kinetic resonances are modifying the relative amplitudes of the stable modes. These results imply that each kink may eventually be independently controlled.
Simulation of gross and net erosion of high-Z materials in the DIII-D divertor
Authors: Ding R. , Stangeby P.C. , Rudakov D.L. , Elder J.D. , Tskhakaya D. , Wampler W.R. , Kirschner A. , McLean A.G. , Guo H.Y. , Chan V.S. , Snyder P.B.
Published: December 2015

The three-dimensional Monte Carlo code ERO has been used to simulate dedicated DIII-D experiments in which Mo and W samples with different sizes were exposed to controlled and well-diagnosed divertor plasma conditions to measure the gross and net erosion rates. Experimentally, the net erosion rate is significantly reduced due to the high local redeposition probability of eroded high-Z materials, which according to the modelling is mainly controlled by the electric field and plasma density within the Chodura sheath. Similar redeposition ratios were obtained from ERO modelling with three different sheath models for small angles between the magnetic field and the material surface, mainly because of their similar mean ionization lengths. The modelled redeposition ratios are close to the measured value. Decreasing the potential drop across the sheath can suppress both gross and net erosion because sputtering yield is decreased due to lower incident energy while the redeposition ratio is not reduced owing to the higher electron density in the Chodura sheath. Taking into account material mixing in the ERO surface model, the net erosion rate of high-Z materials is shown to be strongly dependent on the carbon impurity concentration in the background plasma; higher carbon concentration can suppress net erosion. The principal experimental results such as net erosion rate and profile and redeposition ratio are well reproduced by the ERO simulations.
Emergencies: diagnosis
Authors: Dallimore Jon , Albert Edi , Dallimore Jon , Siderfin Charlie
Published: December 2015

History and examination: an introduction for non-clinicians - Clinical measurements - Illness assessment form
Risks from animals
Authors: Warrell David A. , Bond Jim , Conway Robert , Davies John , Figgins Lloyd , Fox Simon , Healey Beth , Whitton Lucy
Published: December 2015

Animals that can cause severe trauma - Treatment of trauma caused by animals - Venomous land animals - Venomous marine animals - Poisonous fish and shellfish
Cold climates
Authors: Imray Chris , Davis Ian , Johnson Chris , Johnson Clive , Oakley Howard , Roberts Barry
Published: December 2015

The polar environment - Travel in cold climates - Whiteout - Humans in polar areas - Preparations for a polar trip - Infectious diseases in polar areas - Hypothermia - Freezing cold injuries - Non-freezing cold injury - Snow blindness (photokeratitis) - Skin problems - Problems of prolonged polar travel
Caving
Authors: Johnson Chris , Cooper Paul
Published: December 2015

The underground environment - Humans underground - Risk management underground - Specific medical problems for cavers
Validation of a Novel Virtual Reality Training Curriculum for Robotic Cardiac Surgery a Randomized Trial
Authors: Valdis Matthew , Chu Michael W. A. , Schlachta Christopher M. , Kiaii Bob
Published: December 2015

Objective

Robotic cardiac surgery training has relied entirely on classical methods of surgical teaching. We sought to evaluate the impact of a virtual reality (VR) simulation curriculum to improve skill acquisition in robotic cardiac surgery.

Methods

We randomly assigned 20 surgical trainees to undergo a 9-exercise VR curriculum on a robotic surgical simulator or a control group that received no additional training. The trainees were then evaluated in a blinded fashion by assessing their de-identified video recordings of the following: (1) standardized robotic internal thoracic artery harvest and (2) mitral valve annuloplasty performed in porcine models, using a validated time-based scoring system and an objective intraoperative scoring tool. Postintervention assessments were compared to baseline.

Results

Trainees randomized to the VR group were faster than the control group for both the internal thoracic artery harvest (957.3 ± 98.9 vs. 749.1 ± 171.9; P = 0.004) and mitral annuloplasty (580.4 ± 14.4 vs. 463.8 ± 86.4; P < 0.001) and scored significantly higher with the intraoperative scoring tool (22.8 ± 2.7 vs. 11.0 ± 4.5; P < 0.001). Additionally, the VR group achieved a proficiency level similar to our experts for both time-based scores (P = 0.624 and P = 0.967), and the intraoperative assessment (P = 0.110), whereas the control group was not able to meet this level of proficiency for any of the primary outcomes. The average duration of training to successfully complete all required tasks was 9.3 hours.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that a VR simulation curriculum can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of learning in robotic cardiac surgery. Further evaluation of this curriculum is required for its widespread implementation in surgical training (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT#02357056).
Multi-objective enhanced PSO algorithm for optimizing power losses and voltage deviation in power systems
Authors: Chen Gonggui , Liu Lilan , Guo Yanyan , Huang Shanwai
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– For one thing, despite the fact that it is popular to research the minimization of the power losses in power systems, the optimization of single objective seems insufficient to fully improve the performance of power systems. Multi-objective VAR Dispatch (MVARD) generally minimizes two objectives simultaneously: power losses and voltage deviation. The purpose of this paper is to propose Multi-Objective Enhanced PSO (MOEPSO) algorithm that achieves a good performance when applied to solve MVARD problem. Thus, the new algorithm is worthwhile to be known by the public.

Design/methodology/approach

– Motivated by differential evolution algorithm, cross-over operator is introduced to increase particle diversity and reinforce global searching capacity in conventional PSO. In addition to that, a constraint-handling approach considering Constrain-prior Pareto-Dominance (CPD) is presented to handle the inequality constraints on dependent variables. Constrain-prior Nondominated Sorting (CNS) and crowding distance methods are considered to maintain well-distributed Pareto optimal solutions. The method combining CPD approach, CNS technique, and cross-over operator is called the MOEPSO method.

Findings

– The IEEE 30 node and IEEE 57 node on power systems have been used to examine and test the presented method. The simulation results show the MOEPSO method can achieve lower power losses, smaller voltage deviation, and better-distributed Pareto optimal solutions comparing with the Multi-Objective PSO approach.

Originality/value

– The most original parts include: the presented MOEPSO algorithm, the CPD approach that is used to handle constraints on dependent variables, and the CNS method which is considered to maintain a well-distributed Pareto optimal solutions. The performance of the proposed algorithm successfully reflects the value of this paper.
A comprehensive sensorless control of DFIG-based wind turbines
Authors: Abedinzadeh Taher , Tohidi Sajjad
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an improved approach for estimation of the rotor position and speed of doubly fed induction generator, which can be used in vector control and direct torque control (DTC) schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Some novel equations are developed for calculation of the rotor position and rotor speed. Such equations do not need to the value of stator flux linkage and just, measured values of the stator voltage and currents as well as rotor current are required to be known.

Findings

– The simulation results verify the satisfactory steady-state and dynamic performance of proposed approach with both the vector control and DTC schemes. The results show that the proposed estimation approach benefits from the starting on the fly, robustness against the variations of the most of the stator and rotor parameters and immunity against the noise.

Originality/value

– The proposed estimation approach is novel and the outcome of the research of authors. It is simple and effective and, no approximation is made in the calculations. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can be successfully implemented in various control strategies, e.g. DTC and vector control.
Upward and downward conjugate mixed convection heat transfer in a partially porous cavity
Authors: Bourouis Abderrahim , Omara Abdeslam , Abboudi Said
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a numerical study of conjugate heat transfer by mixed convection and conduction in a lid-driven enclosure with thick vertical porous layer. The effect of the relevant parameters: Richardson number (Ri=0.1, 1, 10) and thermal conductivity ratio (Rk=0.1, 1, 10, 100) are investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

– The studied system is a two dimensional lid-driven enclosure with thick vertical porous layer. The left vertical wall of the enclosure is allowed to move in its own plane at a constant velocity. The enclosure is heated from the right vertical wall isothermally. The left and the right vertical walls are isothermal but temperature of the outside of the right vertical wall is higher than that of the left vertical wall. Horizontal walls are insulated. The governing equations are solved by finite volume method and the SIMPLE algorithm.

Findings

– From the finding results, it is observed that: for the two studied cases, heat transfer rate along the hot wall is a decreasing function of thermal conductivity ratio irrespective of Richardson numbers contrary to the heat transfer rate along the fluid-porous layer interface which is an increasing function of thermal conductivity ratio. At forced convection dominant regime, the difference between heat transfer rate for upward and downward moving wall is insensitive to the thermal conductivity ratio. For downward moving wall, average Nusselt number is higher than that of upward moving wall.

Practical implications

– Some applications: building applications, furnace design, nuclear reactors, air solar collectors.

Originality/value

– From the bibliographic work and the authors’ knowledge, the conjugate mixed convection in lid-driven partially porous enclosures has not yet been investigated which motivates the present work that represent a continuation of the preceding investigations.
Influence of incidence angle on the aerodynamic characteristics of square cylinders with rounded corners
Authors: Miran Sajjad , Sohn Chang Hyun
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the variation of wake structures and aerodynamic forces with changes in the cylinder corner radius and orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Numerical simulations were performed for flow past a square cylinder with different corner radii placed at an angle to the incoming flow. In the present study, the rounded corner ratio R/D=0 (square cylinder), 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 (where R is the corner radius and D is the characteristic dimension of the body) and the angle of incidence α in the range of 0°-45° were considered.

Findings

– The numerical model was validated by comparing the present results with results in the available literature, and they were found to be in good agreement. The critical incidence angle for the rounded corner cylinder – corresponding to the minimum mean drag coefficient (C

D
), the minimum root mean square value of the lift coefficient C

L,RMS), and the maximum Strouhal number – shifted to a lower incidence angle compared with the sharp corner square cylinder. The minimum drag and lift coefficient at R/D=0 were observed for the critical incidence angle αcri=12°, whereas for R/D=0.1-0.4, the minimum drag and lift coefficient were found to be within the range of 5°-10° for α.

Originality/value

– The presented results shows the importance of the incidence angle and rounded corners of the square cylinder for reduction of aerodynamic forces. The two parameters support the shear layer flow reattachment on the lateral surface of the cylinder, have a strong correlation with the reduction of the wake width, and hence reduced the values of C

D
and C

L
.
Nanofluid flow past an impulsively started vertical plate with variable surface temperature
Authors: Vemula Rajesh , Chamkha A J , M. P. Mallesh
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the numerical modelling of transient natural convection flow of an incompressible viscous nanofluid past an impulsively started semi-infinite vertical plate with variable surface temperature.

Design/methodology/approach

– The problem is governed by the coupled non-linear partial differential equations with appropriate boundary conditions. A robust, well-tested, Crank-Nicolson type of implicit finite-difference method, which is unconditionally stable and convergent, is used to solve the governing non-linear set of partial differential equations.

Findings

– The local and average values of the skin-friction coefficient (viscous drag) and the average Nusselt number (the rate of heat transfer) decreased, while the local Nusselt number increased for all nanofluids, namely, aluminium oxide-water, copper-water, titanium oxide-water and silver-water with an increase in the temperature exponent m. Selecting aluminium oxide as the dispersing nanoparticles leads to the maximum average Nusselt number (the rate of heat transfer), while choosing silver as the dispersing nanoparticles leads to the minimum local Nusselt number compared to the other nanofluids for all values of the temperature exponent m. Also, choosing silver as the dispersing nanoparticles leads to the minimum skin-friction coefficient (viscous drag), while selecting aluminium oxide as the dispersing nanoparticles leads to the maximum skin-friction coefficient (viscous drag) for all values of the temperature exponent m.

Research limitations/implications

– The Brinkman model for dynamic viscosity and Maxwell-Garnett model for thermal conductivity are employed. The governing boundary layer equations are written according to The Tiwari-Das nanofluid model. A range of nanofluids containing nanoparticles of aluminium oxide, copper, titanium oxide and silver with nanoparticle volume fraction range less than or equal to 0.04 are considered.

Practical implications

– The present simulations are relevant to nanomaterials thermal flow processing in the chemical engineering and metallurgy industries. This study also provides an important benchmark for further simulations of nanofluid dynamic transport phenomena of relevance to materials processing, with alternative computational algorithms (e.g. finite element methods).

Originality/value

– This paper is relatively original and illustrates the influence of variable surface temperature on transient natural convection flow of a viscous incompressible nanofluid and heat transfer from an impulsively started semi-infinite vertical plate.
An efficient discontinuous Galerkin method for two-phase flow modeling by conservative velocity projection
Authors: Jamei Mehdi , Ghafouri H
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a novel sequential implicit discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for two-phase incompressible flow in porous media. It is based on the wetting phase pressure-saturation formulation with Robin boundary condition (Klieber and Riviere, 2006) using H(div) velocity projection.

Design/methodology/approach

– The local mass conservation and continuity of normal component of velocity across elements interfaces are enforced by a simple H(div) velocity projection in lowest order Raviart-Thomas (RT0) space. As further improvements, the authors use the weighted averages and the scaled penalties in spatial DG discretization. Moreover, the Chavent-Jaffre slope limiter, as a consistent non-oscillatory limiter, is used for saturation values to avoid the spurious oscillations.

Findings

– The proposed model is verified by a pseudo 1D Buckley-Leverett problem in homogeneous media. Two homogeneous and heterogeneous quarter five-spot benchmark problems and a random permeable medium are used to show the accuracy of the method at capturing the sharp front and illustrate the impact of proposed improvements.

Research limitations/implications

– The work illustrates incompressible two-phase flow behavior and the capillary pressure heterogeneity between different geological layers is assumed to be negligible.

Practical implications

– The proposed model can efficiently be used for modeling of two-phase flow in secondary recovery of petroleum reservoirs and tracing the immiscible contamination in porous media.

Originality/value

– The authors present an efficient sequential DG method for immiscible incompressible two-phase flow in porous media with improved performance for detection of sharp frontal interfaces and discontinuities.
Assessing users satisfaction with web digital library: the case of Universiti Teknologi MARA
Authors: Masrek Mohamad Noorman , Gaskin James Eric
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of user satisfaction in the context of academic web digital library (DL). A model based on the re-specified information system success model was developed and tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study employed survey research methodology with self-administered questionnaire as the research instrument. The questionnaire was developed based on the instruments used by previous researchers. The population of the study was students enrolled for the bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Information Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. These students were chosen because of researcher’s easy access to the sampling frame. Descriptive analysis and inferential analysis which include SEM were executed using IBM SPSS and AMOS statistical software.

Findings

– The findings indicate that information quality, systems quality, service quality, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and cognitive absorption are significant predictor of users’ satisfaction with the web DL.

Research limitations/implications

– Instead of collecting data from students from various faculties, this study only covered students enrolled in one faculty. In the same light, as the respondents were from one faculty, they only report their experience of using one DL. Given these limitations, the results obtained are narrowed in terms of generalizability. The second limitation of the study is related to the predictor variables which only focussed on six variables only.

Practical implications

– From the practical viewpoint, the instrument that has been developed can be used as a diagnostic tool for continuous improvements of the DL.

Originality/value

– From the theoretical viewpoint, the study has developed an empirical based framework that depicts critical factors influencing DL satisfaction. Researchers specializing on the assessment of DL effectiveness can consider adopting the framework for future studies. Alternatively, the framework can be further extended by integrating other variables such as users’ characteristics or organizational characteristics.
Using webcasts for student presentations: a case study
Authors: Ortaçtepe Deniz
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Adopting Davis’ (1989) technology acceptance model (TAM), the purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived differences between asynchronous presentation tools (webcasts) and in-person presentations in a graduate program designed for the professional development of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers at a private university in Turkey.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected for the three different types of presentations (i.e. in-person, video, and Prezi webcasts) the students performed in four different courses throughout the 2013-2014 academic year.

Findings

– The analysis of the data coming from a three-part questionnaire revealed that students preferred in class presentations for learning purposes but agreed that webcasts were higher in quality as they included audio-visual materials. This study also concluded that for procedural knowledge that came from hands-on activities, students preferred in-person presentations, while for conceptual knowledge, Prezi webcasts were more preferred as they allocated time for students to reflect, do more research on, and effectively contribute to online discussions.

Research limitations/implications

– The data came from questionnaires; had there been interviews with the students, more insights could have been gained into their perceptions of webcasts as well as how the students actually used them for learning purposes.

Originality/value

– The studies specifically focussing on the use of audio and video podcasts/webcasts integrated these tools as supplementary materials to course content in traditional lectures. Yet, the use of webcasts as a student presentation tool rather than a duplicate of teachers’ lectures or supplementary materials still remains unknown especially in relation to the extent to which individuals’ acceptance of this instructional technology.
Hyperglycosylated hCG: a Unique Human Implantation and Invasion Factor
Authors: Evans Jemma
Published: December 2015

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), as one of the first embryonic products, has been extensively investigated for its role in implantation and placental development. Discovery of an over‐glycosylated form of this hormone, hyperglycosylated hCG (hCG‐H), has provided an additional level of complexity in our understanding of the implantation and placentation process; the structure, activity and functional implications of alterations in hCG isoforms throughout pregnancy are still being characterized. HCG‐H comprises up to 90% of total hCG measurable in serum and urine during the first 2–3 weeks of pregnancy when invasive trophoblast activity is high, dropping to negligible proportions, less than 5%, of total hCG at the end of the first trimester. Functionally, hCG‐H promotes trophoblast invasion during early pregnancy and has potential roles in immune cell modulation and endothelial function within the uterus at the time of pregnancy initiation. Altered levels of hCG‐H are characteristics of pregnancy complications of altered trophoblast function and inadequate placentation, such as pre‐eclampsia, and also over‐abundance of invasive cytotrophoblasts, such as Down's syndrome. Improving our basic knowledge of the functional role‐specific hCG isoforms plays in the complex cascade of events involved in implantation and placental development, and determining dynamic changes in the structure and activity of hCG isoforms throughout gestation will facilitate evidence‐based decisions in assisted reproduction/in vitro fertilization based on the potential of embryos to implant, provide biomarkers for diagnosis of pregnancy complications associated with altered placental development and enhance understanding of how hCG isoforms may influence receptivity of the endometrium.
HOLDINGS OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN COMPANIES IN FINLAND: PERSISTENCE AND CHANGE IN THE LONGER TERM
Authors: AHONEN Pertti
Published: December 2015

Applying an approach of neo‐institutional research, this article examines the history of company holdings of the national government and local governments in Finland in the longer term. The article examines the genealogy of the institutional forms of these holdings, the diffusion, adoption and adaptation of these forms, and the political legitimacy of new forms and the political de‐legitimation of earlier forms. For theory, the results indicate that the individual tailoring of institutional forms offers flexibility but increases complexity. For practice, the results suggest that the company form may too easily marginalize alternative institutional forms such as co‐operatives, associations, and foundations.
ON THE EMERGENCE OF NON‐PROFIT FIRMS AS ALTERNATIVES TO THE GOVERNMENT*
Authors: MIKAMI Kazuhiko
Published: December 2015

It is well known that many non‐profit firms coexist with government firms in industries that provide collectively consumed goods and services, such as education, healthcare, social services, and art and culture. This paper explores the specific circumstances under which non‐profit firms can emerge as alternatives to the government. We show that a non‐profit firm emerges only when the residents’ median preference for a collective good is significantly low. This finding implies that, somewhat paradoxically, a non‐profit firm emerges to replace the government and provide a collective good only when the majority of residents consider the good non‐essential.
The Residual-Based Predictiveness Curve: A Visual Tool to Assess the Performance of Prediction Models
Authors: Casalicchio Giuseppe , Bischl Bernd , Boulesteix Anne-Laure , Schmid Matthias
Published: December 2015

It is agreed among biostatisticians that prediction models for binary outcomes should satisfy two essential criteria: first, a prediction model should have a high discriminatory power, implying that it is able to clearly separate cases from controls. Second, the model should be well calibrated, meaning that the predicted risks should closely agree with the relative frequencies observed in the data. The focus of this work is on the predictiveness curve, which has been proposed by Huang et al. (Biometrics 63, 2007) as a graphical tool to assess the aforementioned criteria. By conducting a detailed analysis of its properties, we review the role of the predictiveness curve in the performance assessment of biomedical prediction models. In particular, we demonstrate that marker comparisons should not be based solely on the predictiveness curve, as it is not possible to consistently visualize the added predictive value of a new marker by comparing the predictiveness curves obtained from competing models. Based on our analysis, we propose the “residual-based predictiveness curve” (RBP curve), which addresses the aforementioned issue and which extends the original method to settings where the evaluation of a prediction model on independent test data is of particular interest. Similar to the predictiveness curve, the RBP curve reflects both the calibration and the discriminatory power of a prediction model. In addition, the curve can be conveniently used to conduct valid performance checks and marker comparisons.
Possible pharmacotherapy for nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth: 18α‐glycyrrhetinic acid inhibits human gingival fibroblast growth
Authors: Takeuchi R , Hiratsuka K , Arikawa K , Ono M , Komiya M , Akimoto Y , Fujii A , Matsumoto H
Published: December 2015

Background and Purpose

This investigation aimed to establish the basis of a pharmacotherapy for nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth. Gingival overgrowth has been attributed to the enhanced growth of gingival fibroblasts. In this study, we investigated the effects of 18‐α‐glycyrrhetinic acid (18α‐GA) on growth, the cell cycle, and apoptosis and on the regulators of these processes in gingival fibroblasts isolated from patients who presented with nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth.

Experimental Approach

Gingival fibroblasts were cultured in medium containing 1% FBS with/without 10 μM 18α‐GA for 24 or 48 h, and the cell number, cell cycle phase distribution, relative DNA content, apoptotic cell number and morphological characteristics of the cells undergoing apoptosis were measured together with the levels of proteins that regulate these processes and the level of caspase activity.

Key Results

18α‐GA significantly decreased cell numbers and significantly increased the percentage of cells in the sub‐G1 and G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle and the number of apoptotic cells. Nuclear condensation and fragmentation of cells into small apoptotic bodies appeared in the fibroblasts treated with 18α‐GA. In addition, 18α‐GA significantly decreased the protein levels of cyclins A and D1, CDKs 2 and 6, phosphorylated Rb (ser780 and ser807/811), Bcl‐xL and Bcl‐2 and increased the protein levels of p27, cytosolic cytochrome c, pro‐caspase‐3, and cleaved caspase‐3 and the activities of caspases 3 and 9.

Conclusions and Implications

18α‐GA inhibited gingival fibroblast growth by suppressing the G1/S phase transition and inducing apoptosis. In conclusion, 18α‐GA may be used as a pharmacotherapy for nifedipine‐induced gingival overgrowth.
Utility of epirubicin‐incorporating micelles tagged with anti‐tissue factor antibody clone with no anticoagulant effect
Authors: Sugaya Akinori , Hyodo Ichinosuke , Koga Yoshikatsu , Yamamoto Yoshiyuki , Takashima Hiroki , Sato Ryuta , Tsumura Ryo , Furuya Fumiaki , Yasunaga Masahiro , Harada Mitsunori , Tanaka Ryosuke , Matsumura Yasuhiro
Published: December 2015

Tissue factor (TF), an initiator of the extrinsic blood coagulation cascade, is overexpressed in different types of cancer. Tissue factor overexpression is also known as a poor prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. We recently developed anti‐TF antibody (clone1849)‐conjugated epirubicin‐incorporating micelles (NC‐6300), and reported that this anti‐TF1849‐NC‐6300 showed enhanced antitumor activity against TF‐high expressed human pancreatic cancer cells, when compared with NC‐6300 alone. However, clone 1849 antibody inhibited TF‐associated blood coagulation activity. We studied another anti‐TF antibody, clone 1859, which had no effect on blood coagulation and prepared anti‐TF1859‐NC‐6300. In addition, to determine the optimum size of the antibody fragment to conjugate with NC‐6300, three forms of the 1859 antibody (whole IgG, F[ab’]2, and Fab’) were conjugated to NC‐6300. The antitumor effect of each anti‐TF1859‐NC‐6300 was studied in vitro and in vivo, using two human pancreatic cancer cell lines, BxPC3 with high‐expressed TF, and SUIT2 with low levels of TF. In vitro, all forms of anti‐TF1859‐NC‐6300 showed higher cytocidal effects than NC‐6300 in BxPC3, whereas this enhanced effect was not observed in SUIT2. Likewise, all forms of anti‐TF1859‐NC‐6300 significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared to NC‐6300 in the BxPC3, but not in the SUIT2, xenograft model. Among the three forms of conjugates, anti‐TF1859‐IgG‐NC‐6300 had a higher antitumor tendency in TF‐high expressed cells. Thus, we have confirmed an enhanced antitumor effect of anti‐TF1859‐NC‐6300 in a TF‐high expressing tumor; anti‐TF1859‐IgG‐NC‐6300 could be used to simplify the manufacturing process of the antibody–micelle conjugation for future clinical studies.
Krüppel‐like factor 4 promotes high‐mobility group box 1‐induced chemotherapy resistance in osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Huang Jun , Liu Ke , Song Deye , Ding Muliang , Wang Junjie , Jin Qingping , Ni Jiangdong
Published: December 2015

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor, and the frequent acquisition of chemoresistance is often an obstacle to achieving favorable outcomes during chemotherapy. Recently, Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) has been shown to be associated with chemotherapy resistance in a few tumors; however, the involvement of KLF4 in chemotherapy resistance in osteosarcoma cells remains unknown. In this study, quantitative real‐time PCR and western blot analysis revealed that KLF4 expression was significantly increased in response to cisplatin, methotrexate and doxorubicin treatment in osteosarcoma cells, and knockdown of KLF4 increased sensitivity to these anticancer drugs by decreasing cellular clonogenic ability and increasing apoptosis. Moreover, our data suggest that KLF4‐regulated drug resistance might, at least partially, positively regulate high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which was found to be a significant contributor to chemoresistance in osteosarcoma cells in our previous study. In summary, this study highlights the significance of KLF4/HMGB1 interaction in regulating chemotherapy resistance, and suggests that targeting KLF4/high‐mobility group box 1 may be a therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma chemotherapy.
A 15‐Year Comparative Prospective Study of Surgical and Prosthetic Care and Aftercare of Overdenture Treatment in the Atrophied Mandible: Augmentation Versus Nonaugmentation
Authors: Visser Anita , Stellingsma Cornelis , Raghoebar Gerry M , Meijer Henny JA , Vissink Arjan
Published: December 2015

Background

Different treatment strategies for the atrophied mandible are described in literature. The need for long term care and aftercare for these strategies is sparsely described, however.

Purpose

To prospectively assess the need for prosthetic and surgical care and aftercare of two implant treatment strategies for the atrophied mandible.

Materials and Methods

Forty edentulous elderly patients were randomly assigned according to a balanced allocation method to a treatment strategy: dental implants in combination with an augmentation procedure versus a nonaugmentation procedure. All surgical and prosthetic care and aftercare were scored from the first visit until 15 years after implant placement.

Results

Twenty elderly patients completed the 15‐year follow‐up. As expected, the augmentation group needed significantly more surgical time than the nonaugmentation group (338 vs 145 minutes), but the need for prosthetic care and surgical/prosthetic aftercare was comparable. Implant survival was lower in augmented mandibles (88.7% vs 98.7%, p < .05). Aftercare mainly consisted of routine inspections; the need for prosthetic adjustments was minor. Surgical aftercare was hardly needed.

Conclusion

The only difference in the need for surgical and prosthetic (after) care was the extra time needed for performing augmentation surgery and the higher risk on implant loss in augmented mandibles. Otherwise, the need for care and aftercare was of the same magnitude. Thus, when applicable, nonaugmentation surgery is preferred as no general anesthesia is needed and the morbidity is low.
Structuring Supplier Involvement in New Product Development: A China–U.S. Study
Authors: Yan Tingting , Nair Anand
Published: December 2015

Buying and supplying organizations rely on each other for developing better products in an efficient manner, which explains the popularity of involving suppliers in new product development (NPD). However, such involvement is not always successful, partially due to the challenges of structuring a buyer–supplier team to manage joint dependence and dependence asymmetry. This study adopts an organizational dependence view to examine how three types of intergroup structures—administrative (formalization and centralization), task (task interdependence), and physical (colocation)—influence project performance and buyer learning in NPD projects. Furthermore, adopting a contingency theory perspective, we study whether the national context moderates the effects of intergroup structures on project outcomes. We adopt a two‐group structural equation modeling approach to test hypotheses with survey responses from a sample of NPD projects in the United States (US) and China. Results show different ways in which intergroup structures influence project performance and buyer learning in the two culturally, economically, and institutionally distinct countries. We discuss the implications of these new findings and present directions for future research.
Hepatocyte differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells is modulated by stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1 activity
Authors: Rahimi Yaghoub , Mehdizadeh Amir , Nozad Charoudeh Hojjatollah , Nouri Mohammad , Valaei Kobra , Fayezi Shabnam , Darabi Masoud
Published: December 2015

Stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) plays important roles in organ development, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and cancer. Here, we examined the role of SCD1 for the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells to liver cells by using drug inhibition and biochemical experiments. hiPS cells cultured in a pro‐hepatic medium were exposed to an SCD1 inhibitor at various stages throughout differentiation. Liver‐specific markers, specifically α‐fetoprotein, albumin and urea in conditioned medium, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and cytochrome P450 7A1 (CYP7A1) gene expressions and triglyceride in cellular extracts were analyzed at various development stages. Measures of hepatocyte‐specific function and triglyceride accumulation in later stages were strongly inhibited a minimum of −29% (P < 0.05) by SCD1 inhibitor in the early stage of hepatic differentiation and effectively reversed (>30%, P < 0.01) by the addition of oleate. The results were also reproducible with human primary mononuclear cells (hPMN). SCD1 inhibitor had no significant effect on liver‐specific markers when it was added in the hepatic maturation stage. However, it strikingly led to higher albumin (1.6‐fold, P = 0.03) and urea (1.9‐fold, P = 0.02) production, and HNF4α (1.9‐fold, P = 0.02) and CYP7A1 (1.3‐fold, P = 0.03) expression upon incubation during the lineage‐commitment stage. Hepatic differentiation from cultured hiPS cells is sensitive to SCD1 inhibition and this sensitivity is affected by the stage of cellular differentiation. Notably, findings also indicate that this notion can be extended to hPMN. The requirement for SCD1 activity in functional differentiation of hepatocytes may have relevance for human liver disease and metabolic dysregulation.