bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prescriptive Training Courseware: IS-Design Methodology
Authors: McKay Elspeth
Published: March 2018

Information systems (IS) research is found in many diverse communities. This paper explores the human-dimension of human-computer interaction (HCI) to present IS-design practice in the light of courseware development. Assumptions are made that online courseware provides the perfect solution for maintaining a knowledgeable, well skilled workforce. However, empirical investigations into the effectiveness of information technology (IT)-induced training solutions are scarce. Contemporary research concentrates on information communications technology (ICT) training tools without considering their effectiveness. This paper offers a prescriptive IS-design methodology for managing the requirements for efficient and effective courseware development. To develop the methodology, we examined the main instructional design (ID) factors that affect the design of IT-induced training programs. We also examined the tension between maintaining a well-skilled workforce and effective instructional systems design (ISD) practice by probing the current ID models used by courseware developers since 1990. An empirical research project, which utilized this IS-design methodology investigated the effectiveness of using IT to train government employees in introductory ethics; this was a study that operationalized the interactive effect of cognitive preference and instructional format on training performance outcomes. The data was analysed using Rasch item response theory (IRT) that models the discrimination of people’s performance relative to each other’s performance and the test-items’ difficulty relative to each test-item on the same logit scale. The findings revealed that IS training solutions developed using this IS-design methodology can be adapted to provide trainees with their preferred instructional mode and facilitate cost effective eTraining outcomes.
Agamben, “Bare Life,” and Archaic Greek Poetry
Authors: Hawkins Tom
Published: March 2018

In this article, I take up the work of Giorgio Agamben, whose biopolitical theories, and in particular, the idea of “bare life,” are widely adduced in contemporary, morally charged discussions of politics, immigration studies, and the marginalization of various social groups. Agamben builds his ideas upon a reading of Aristotle, but I argue that his identification of Aristotle as the ur-source of biopolitical thinking misses an earlier moralizing discourse found in archaic Greek literary sources. I analyze passages of archaic epic and iambic poetry that describe proto-biopolitical moments before suggesting that the Ionian pharmakos ritual represents an early example of working with something like Agamben’s “bare life.” Biopolitics requires the logistics and technical infrastructure of an advanced civic bureaucracy, but the narrative fantasy of a community cohering around the abjection of select members of the group can be found already in the moralizing strategies of archaic Greek biopoetics.
Triangulation in Archaic Poetics: Comparison and Complication
Authors: Sampson C. Michael
Published: March 2018

This article considers the form(s) in which moral advice is expressed in lyric and the context(s) in which it is performed, with an eye to addressing the complications that invariably result. Advice in archaic lyric, it argues, is crafted to defy a straightforward interpretation: whether a poet proceeds directly or indirectly, triangulation of some sort is inevitable. Moralizing strategies complicate the poet–audience binary by introducing additional, mediating material or perspectives whose relationship to the advice at stake is inherently ambiguous. Advice presented indirectly via comparanda or mythological exempla, for example, adds to the point being made, while a more direct form of address gestures toward both universal maxim and particular addressee(s). A hermeneutics of reception must therefore acknowledge the interpretive work that is left to a poem’s audience(s) and account for the poetic tendency simultaneously to compare and to complicate. The paradox is that however much these strategies project their transparency, the content (i.e., advice) is nonetheless obfuscated.
A Sympotic Self: Instruction through Inebriation in Anacreon
Authors: Miller Peter J.
Published: March 2018

As early as the fifth century, Anacreon was the poet of wine, love, and song; even his death—choking on a pip—is attributed to the grape. The fact that the symposion looms large in the extant fragments is, therefore, hardly surprising. In this article, I examine Anacreon’s sympotic verse and its moral quality. While the ethical character of Xenophanes’ and Theognis’ sympotic fragments has been acknowledged, most scholars consider Anacreon as a poet of love, rather than of moral instruction. Recently, Lear and Hobden have begun to address the moral and instructive character of Anacreon’s verse. I build on these analyses by examining the Anacreontic speaker’s presentation of moral value through his own person; there are 46 first-person statements in Anacreon, an important fact considering the narrative and psychological potency of “I” statements in early Greek lyric. In contrast to gnomic statements that purport to be generalized prescriptions, Anacreon’s performative “I” offers an alternative mode of moralizing delivery. These first persons, however, are not the same person: Anacreon gives a multitude of perspectives on appropriate sympotic behaviour. I read the Anacreontic speaker’s diverse and changing persona as a challenging and embodied moral perspective, which destabilizes the idea of a true self, and consequently denies the stereotyping of ancient poetic biography. By enunciating Anacreon’s songs, the speaker puts his own body and individuality into play in the “educative” space of the symposion. In Anacreon’s verse, the self itself becomes the space on which sympotic instructions—moral imperatives—are inscribed and displayed to others.
Food Movements Oscillating Between Autonomy and Co-Production of Public Policies in the City of Madrid
Authors: Simon-Rojo Marian , Bernardos Inés Morales , Landaluze Jon Sanz
Published: March 2018

In the aftermath of the economic crisis in the city of Madrid,
food geography transformed. The urban unemployed began to engage in
agriculture in periurban
areas, creating new alliances between producers
and consumers. Over a period of 15 years the alternative food movement
organized on the fringe gave way to agroecological civic platforms that are
highly assertive, and a dialogue with political institutions has opened. A key
moment in the advance of this proactive attitude came about in the municipal
elections of May 2015. Activists ascended to positions of political power
and the backdrop of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, created an opportunity
for the food movement to move from protest to program, and public
policies permeated by agroecological principles.
Relationship between external ventricular drain clamp trials and ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: a single-center study
Authors: Ascanio Luis C. , Gupta Raghav , Adeeb Nimer , Moore Justin M. , Griessenauer Christoph J. , Mayeku Julie , Tachie-Baffour Yaw , Thomas Ranjit , Alturki Abdulrahman Y. , Schmalz Philip G. R. , Ogilvy Christopher S. , Thomas Ajith J.
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVE

Currently, there is no established standard regarding the ideal number of external ventricular drain (EVD) clamp trials performed before ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate this relationship.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all patients presenting with SAH between July 2007 and December 2016 was performed. Patients with SAH who had received an EVD within the first 24 hours of hospital admission and had undergone at least 1 clamp trial prior to EVD removal were eligible for inclusion in the study. Patient demographics, clinical presentations, SAH etiologies and grades, clamp trial data, hospital lengths of stay, and functional outcomes were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred fourteen patients with nontraumatic SAH complicated by posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus were included in the study. The median patient age was 57 years (range 28–90 years), with a male/female ratio of 1:1.7. A ruptured aneurysm was the underlying etiology of SAH in 79.8% of patients. A majority of patients (69.4%) had a Hunt and Hess grade III–V on admission. The median number of clamp trials performed was 2 (range 1–6). A VP shunt was required in 40.4% of patients. In those who underwent 2 and 3 clamp trials, 60% and 38.9%, respectively, did not require subsequent VP shunt placement.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical placement of a VP shunt is associated with complications. Clamp trials are routinely performed before making the decision to insert a shunt. In the present study, the authors found that a significant percentage of patients passed their second and third clamp trials without requiring subsequent shunt insertion. These data support performing multiple clamp trials prior to shunt placement.
Risk factors for wound-related reoperations in patients with metastatic spine tumor
Authors: Carl Hannah M. , Ahmed A. Karim , Abu-Bonsrah Nancy , De la Garza Ramos Rafael , Sankey Eric W. , Pennington Zachary , Bydon Ali , Witham Timothy F. , Wolinsky Jean-Paul , Gokaslan Ziya L. , Sacks Justin M. , Goodwin C. Rory , Sciubba Daniel M.
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVE

Resection of metastatic spine tumors can improve patients’ quality of life by addressing pain or neurological compromise. However, resections are often complicated by wound dehiscence, infection, instrumentation failures, and the need for reoperation. Moreover, when reoperations are needed, the most common indication is surgical site infection and wound breakdown. In turn, wound reoperations increase morbidity as well as the length and cost of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to examine perioperative risk factors associated with increased rate of wound reoperations after metastatic spine tumor resection.

METHODS

A retrospective study of patients at a single institution who underwent metastatic spine tumor resection between 2003 and 2013 was conducted. Factors with a p value < 0.200 in a univariate analysis were included in the multivariate model.

RESULTS

A total of 159 patients were included in this study. Karnofsky Performance Scale score > 70, smoking status, hypertension, thromboembolic events, hyperlipidemia, increasing number of vertebral levels, and posterior approach were included in the multivariate analysis. Thromboembolic events (95% CI 1.19–48.5, p = 0.032) and number of levels involved were independently associated with increased wound reoperation rates in the multivariate model. For each additional spinal level involved, the risk for wound reoperations increased by 21% (95% CI 1.03–1.43, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Although wound complications and subsequent reoperations are potential risks for all patients with metastatic spine tumor, due to adjuvant radiotherapy and other medical comorbidities, this study identified patients with thromboembolic events or those requiring a larger incision as being at the highest risk. Measures intended to decrease the occurrence of perioperative venous thromboembolism and to improve wound care, especially for long incisions, may decrease wound-related revision surgeries in this vulnerable group of patients.
Clinical Trials for Disease-Modifying Therapies in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Primer, Lessons Learned, and a Blueprint for the Future
Authors: Cummings Jeffrey , Ritter Aaron , Zhong Kate
Published: March 2018

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has no currently approved disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), and treatments to prevent, delay the onset, or slow the progression are urgently needed. A delay of 5 years if available by 2025 would decrease the total number of patients with AD by 50% in 2050. To meet the definition of DMT, an agent must produce an enduring change in the course of AD; clinical trials of DMTs have the goal of demonstrating this effect. AD drug discovery entails target identification followed by high throughput screening and lead optimization of drug-like compounds. Once an optimized agent is available and has been assessed for efficacy and toxicity in animals, it progresses through Phase I testing with healthy volunteers, Phase II learning trials to establish proof-of-mechanism and dose, and Phase III confirmatory trials to demonstrate efficacy and safety in larger populations. Phase III is followed by Food and Drug Administration review and, if appropriate, market access. Trial populations include cognitively normal at-risk participants in prevention trials, mildly impaired participants with biomarker evidence of AD in prodromal AD trials, and subjects with cognitive and functional impairment in AD dementia trials. Biomarkers are critical in trials of DMTs, assisting in participant characterization and diagnosis, target engagement and proof-of-pharmacology, demonstration of disease-modification, and monitoring side effects. Clinical trial designs include randomized, parallel group; delayed start; staggered withdrawal; and adaptive. Lessons learned from completed trials inform future trials and increase the likelihood of success.
HardIDX: Practical and secure index with SGX in a malicious environment
Authors: Fuhry Benny , Bahmani Raad , Brasser Ferdinand , Hahn Florian , Kerschbaum Florian , Sadeghi Ahmad-Reza
Published: March 2018

Software-based approaches for search over encrypted data are still either challenged by lack of proper, low-leakage encryption or slow performance. Existing hardware-based approaches do not scale well due to hardware limitations and software designs that are not specifically tailored to the hardware architecture, and are rarely well analyzed for their security (e.g. the impact of side channels). Additionally, existing hardware-based solutions often have a large code footprint in the trusted environment susceptible to software compromises. In this paper we present HardIDX: a hardware-based approach, leveraging Intel’s SGX, for search over encrypted data. It implements only the security critical core, i.e., the search functionality, in the trusted environment and resorts to untrusted software for the remainder. HardIDX is deployable as a highly performant encrypted database index: it is logarithmic in the size of the index and searches are performed within a few milliseconds rather than seconds. We formally model and prove the security of our scheme showing that its leakage is equivalent to the best known searchable encryption schemes. Our implementation has a very small code and memory footprint yet still scales to virtually unlimited search index sizes, i.e., size is limited only by the general – non-secure – hardware resources.
Iterative reconstruction for low dose dual energy CT using information-divergence constrained spectral redundancy information
Authors: Lin Jiahui , Zhang Hao , Huang Jing , Bian Zhaoying , Zhang Shanli , Wang Yongbo , Liao Yuting , Li Sui , Zhang Hua , Zeng Dong , Ma Jianhua
Published: March 2018

Dual energy computed tomography (DECT) can improve the capability of differentiating different materials compared with conventional CT. However, due to non-negligible radiation exposure to patients, dose reduction has recently become a critical concern in CT imaging field. In this work, to reduce noise at the same time maintain DECT images quality, we present an iterative reconstruction algorithm for low-dose DECT images where in the objective function of the algorithm consists of a data-fidelity term and a regularization term. The former term is based on alpha-divergence to describe the statistical distribution of the DE sinogram data. And the latter term is based on the redundant information to reflect the prior information of the desired DECT images. For simplicity, the presented algorithm is termed as “AlphaD-aviNLM”. To minimize the associative objective function, a modified proximal forward-backward splitting algorithm is proposed. Digital phantom, physical phantom, and patient data were utilized to validate and evaluate the presented AlphaD-aviNLM algorithm. The experimental results characterize the performance of the presented AlphaD-aviNLM algorithm. Speficically, in the digital phantom study, the presented AlphaD-aviNLM algorithm performs better than the PWLS-TV, PWLS-aviNLM, and AlphaD-TV with more than 49%, 34%, and 40% gains for the RMSE metric, 1.3%, 0.4%, and 0.7% gains for the FSIM metric and 13%, 8%, and 11% gains for the PSNR metric. In the physical phantom study, the presented AlphaD-aviNLM algorithm performs better than the PWLS-TV, PWLS-aviNLM, and AlphaD-TV with more than 0.55%, 0.07%, and 0.16% gains for the FSIM metric.
A new approach for reducing beam hardening artifacts in polychromatic X-ray computed tomography using more accurate prior image
Authors: Wang Hui , Xu Yanan , Shi Hongli
Published: March 2018

PURPOSE:

Metal artifacts severely degrade CT image quality in clinical diagnosis, which are difficult to removed, especially for the beam hardening artifacts. The metal artifact reduction (MAR) based on prior images are the most frequently-used methods. However, there exists a lot misclassification in most prior images caused by absence of prior information such as the spectrum distribution of X-ray beam source, especially many or big metal included. The purpose of this work is to find a more accurate prior image to improve image quality.

METHODS:

The proposed method comprise of following four steps. First, the metal image is segmented by thresholding an initial image, where the metal traces are identified in the initial projection data using the forward projection of the metal image. Second, the accurate absorbent model of certain metal image is calculated according to the spectrum distribution of certain X-ray beam source and energy-dependent attenuation coefficients of metal. Then, a new metal image is reconstructed by the general analytical reconstruction algorithm such as filtered back projection (FPB). The prior image is obtained by segmenting the difference image between the initial image and the new metal image into air, tissue and bone. Finally, the initial projection data are normalized by dividing the projection data of prior image pixel to pixel, the corrected image is obtained by interpolation, denormalization and reconstruction.

RESULTS:

Some clinical images with dental fillings and knee prostheses are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm and normalized metal artifact reduction (NMAR) and linear interpolation (LI) method. The results demonstrate the artifacts can be reduced efficiently by the proposed method.

CONCLUSIONS:

The proposed method could obtain an exact prior image using the prior information about X-ray beam source and energy-dependent attenuation coefficients of metal. As a result, the better performance of reducing beam hardening artifacts can be improved, even though there were many or big implants. Moreover, the process of the proposed method is rather simple and little extra calculation burden is necessary. It has superiorities over other algorithms when include big or many implants.
Clinical validation of CT image reconstruction with interior tomography
Authors: Ge Gary , Zhang Jie , Winkler Michael , Lumby Cynthia , Cong Wenxiang , Wang Ge
Published: March 2018

Active x-ray collimation is well adopted in radiography and fluoroscopy for radiation dose reduction and image quality improvement. The application of this concept in computed tomography (CT) is significantly limited due to the truncation of projection data. Generally, an internal field of view (FOV) inside an imaging object cannot be exactly reconstructed only from the truncated projection data. Recent research shows that given some prior information of the FOV image, interior tomography can provide a unique and stable solution for image reconstruction of an internal FOV. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of interior reconstruction based on patient datasets obtained from a clinical CT scanner with dual x-ray tubes, which simultaneously gives full projections and truncated projections. Image reconstructions are performed from full and truncated projection data for the comparison of image quality, respectively. The reconstructed CT images were reviewed by a radiologist and a resident. The evaluation results of two observers showed that CT images reconstructed with truncated projections met clinically diagnostic requirements and were comparable to clinical images. This study demonstrates that with the development of interior tomography, active x-ray collimation in the imaging plane can be readily employed in CT imaging to further reduce patient radiation and improve image quality.
Computed tomography findings of testicular adrenal rest tumors resulted from 21-hydroxylase deficiency
Authors: Li Xiao , Xu Zhuodong , Wang Ximing
Published: March 2018

21-hydroxylase deficiency is a rare kind of autosomal recessive disorders, which can result in congenital adrenal hyperplasia and/or testicular adrenal rest tumors. 21-hydroxylase deficiency with TARTs is prone to be misdiagnosed as Leydig cell tumors. Although the sonographic characteristics of TARTs have been summarized in previous reports, its features in computed tomography images were rarely reported. In this study, we presented and summarized the clinical and imaging data of a special case suffering this disease, aiming to improve the imaging diagnosis performance.
Antiviral Activity of Novel Quinoline Derivatives against Dengue Virus Serotype 2
Authors: De la Guardia Carolina , Stephens David , Dang Hang , Quijada Mario , Larionov Oleg , Lleonart Ricardo
Published: March 2018

Dengue virus causes dengue fever, a debilitating disease with an increasing incidence in many tropical and subtropical territories. So far, there are no effective antivirals licensed to treat this virus. Here we describe the synthesis and antiviral activity evaluation of two compounds based on the quinoline scaffold, which has shown potential for the development of molecules with various biological activities. Two of the tested compounds showed dose-dependent inhibition of dengue virus serotype 2 in the low and sub micromolar range. The compounds 1 and 2 were also able to impair the accumulation of the viral envelope glycoprotein in infected cells, while showing no sign of direct virucidal activity and acting possibly through a mechanism involving the early stages of the infection. The results are congruent with previously reported data showing the potential of quinoline derivatives as a promising scaffold for the development of new antivirals against this important virus.
A Population Study of Gaseous Exoplanets
Authors: Tsiaras A. , Waldmann I. P. , Zingales T. , Rocchetto M. , Morello G. , Damiano M. , Karpouzas K. , Tinetti G. , McKemmish L. K. , Tennyson J. , Yurchenko S. N.
Published: March 2018

We present here the analysis of 30 gaseous extrasolar planets, with temperatures between 600 and 2400 K and radii between 0.35 and 1.9 R
Jup. The quality of the HST/WFC3 spatially scanned data combined with our specialized analysis tools allow us to study the largest and most self-consistent sample of exoplanetary transmission spectra to date and examine the collective behavior of warm and hot gaseous planets rather than isolated case studies. We define a new metric, the Atmospheric Detectability Index (ADI) to evaluate the statistical significance of an atmospheric detection and find statistically significant atmospheres in around 16 planets out of the 30 analyzed. For most of the Jupiters in our sample, we find the detectability of their atmospheres to be dependent on the planetary radius but not on the planetary mass. This indicates that planetary gravity plays a secondary role in the state of gaseous planetary atmospheres. We detect the presence of water vapour in all of the statistically detectable atmospheres, and we cannot rule out its presence in the atmospheres of the others. In addition, TiO and/or VO signatures are detected with 4σ confidence in WASP-76 b, and they are most likely present in WASP-121 b. We find no correlation between expected signal-to-noise and atmospheric detectability for most targets. This has important implications for future large-scale surveys.
New Self-lensing Models of the Small Magellanic Cloud: Can Gravitational Microlensing Detect Extragalactic Exoplanets?
Authors: Mróz Przemek , Poleski Radosław
Published: March 2018

We use three-dimensional distributions of classical Cepheids and RR Lyrae stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) to model the stellar density distribution of a young and old stellar population in that galaxy. We use these models to estimate the microlensing self-lensing optical depth to the SMC, which is in excellent agreement with the observations. Our models are consistent with the total stellar mass of the SMC of aboutunder the assumption that all microlensing events toward this galaxy are caused by self-lensing. We also calculate the expected event rates and estimate that future large-scale surveys, like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), will be able to detect up to a few dozen microlensing events in the SMC annually. If the planet frequency in the SMC is similar to that in the Milky Way, a few extragalactic planets can be detected over the course of the LSST survey, provided significant changes in the SMC observing strategy are devised. A relatively small investment of LSST resources can give us a unique probe of the population of extragalactic exoplanets.
Photoevaporation Does Not Create a Pileup of Giant Planets at 1 au
Authors: Wise A. W. , Dodson-Robinson S. E.
Published: March 2018

The semimajor axis distribution of giant exoplanets appears to have a pileup near 1 au. Photoevaporation opens a gap in the inner few au of gaseous disks before dissipating them. Here, we investigate if photoevaporation can significantly affect the final distribution of giant planets by modifying gas surface density and hence Type II migration rates near the photoevaporation gap. We first use an analytic disk model to demonstrate that newly formed giant planets have a long migration epoch before photoevaporation can significantly alter their migration rates. Next, we present new 2D hydrodynamic simulations of planets migrating in photoevaporating disks, in which each are paired with a control simulation of migration in an otherwise identical disk without photoevaporation. We show that in disks with surface densities near the minimum threshold for forming giant planets, photoevaporation alters the final semimajor axis of a migrating gas giant by at most 5% over the course of 0.1 Myr of migration. Once the disk mass has become low enough for photoevaporation to carve a sharp gap, migration has almost completely stalled due to the low surface density of gas at the Lindblad resonances. We find that photoevaporation modifies migration rates so little that it is unlikely to leave a significant signature on the distribution of giant exoplanets.
MMT Spectroscopy of Supernova Remnant Candidates in M33
Authors: Long Knox S. , Blair William P. , Milisavljevic Dan , Raymond John C. , Winkler P. Frank
Published: March 2018

To date, over 220 emission nebulae in M33 have been identified as supernova remnants (SNRs) or SNR candidates, principally through [S ii]:Hα line ratios that are elevated compared to those in H ii regions. In many cases, the determination of a high [S ii]:Hα line ratio was made using narrow-band interference filter images and has not been confirmed spectroscopically. Here, we present MMT 6.5 m optical spectra that we use to measure [S ii]:Hα and other line ratios in an attempt to determine the nature of these suggested candidates. Of the 197 objects in our sample, 120 have no previously published spectroscopic observations. We confirm that the majority of candidate SNRs have emission line ratios characteristic of SNRs. While no candidates show Doppler-broadened lines expected from young, ejecta-dominated SNRs (≳1000 km s−1), a substantial number do exhibit lines that are broader than H ii regions. We argue that the majority of the objects with high [S ii]:Hα line ratios (>0.4) are indeed SNRs, but the distinction between H ii regions and SNRs becomes less obvious at low surface brightness, and additional criteria, such as X-ray detection, are needed. We discuss the properties of the sample as a whole and compare it with similar samples in other nearby galaxies.
Parametric Decay Instability and Dissipation of Low-frequency Alfvén Waves in Low-beta Turbulent Plasmas
Authors: Fu Xiangrong , Li Hui , Guo Fan , Li Xiaocan , Roytershteyn Vadim
Published: March 2018

Evolution of the parametric decay instability (PDI) of a circularly polarized Alfvén wave in a turbulent low-beta plasma background is investigated using 3D hybrid simulations. It is shown that the turbulence reduces the growth rate of PDI as compared to the linear theory predictions, but PDI can still exist. Interestingly, the damping rate of the ion acoustic mode (as the product of PDI) is also reduced as compared to the linear Vlasov predictions. Nonetheless, significant heating of ions in the direction parallel to the background magnetic field is observed due to resonant Landau damping of the ion acoustic waves. In low-beta turbulent plasmas, PDI can provide an important channel for energy dissipation of low-frequency Alfvén waves at a scale much larger than the ion kinetic scales, different from the traditional turbulence dissipation models.
The Infrared Medium-deep Survey. IV. The Low Eddington Ratio of A Faint Quasar at z ∼ 6: Not Every Supermassive Black Hole is Growing Fast in the Early Universe
Authors: Kim Yongjung , Im Myungshin , Jeon Yiseul , Kim Minjin , Hyun Minhee , Kim Dohyeong , Kim Jae-Woo , Taak Yoon Chan , Yoon Yongmin , Choi Changsu , Hong Jueun , Jun Hyunsung David , Karouzos Marios , Kim Duho , Kim Ji Hoon , Lee Seong-Kook , Pak Soojong , Park Won-Kee
Published: March 2018

To date, most of the luminous quasars known at z ∼ 6 have been found to be in maximal accretion with the Eddington ratios,

, suggesting enhanced nuclear activities in the early universe. However, this may not be the whole picture of supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth, since previous studies have not reached faint quasars that are more likely to harbor SMBHs with low

. To gain a better understanding of the accretion activities in quasars in the early universe, we obtained a deep near-infrared (NIR) spectrum of a quasar, IMS J220417.92+011144.8 (hereafter IMS J2204+0112), one of the faintest quasars that has been identified at z ∼ 6. From the redshifted C iv
λ1549 emission line in the NIR spectrum, we find that IMS J2204+0112 harbors a SMBH with a solar mass of about a billion and

, but with a large uncertainty in both quantities (0.41 dex). IMS J2204+0112 has one of the lowest Eddington ratios among quasars at z ∼ 6, but a common value among quasars at z ∼ 2. Its low

can be explained with two scenarios; the SMBH growth from a stellar-mass black hole through short-duration super-Eddington accretion events or from a massive black hole seed (

) with Eddington-limited accretion. NIR spectra of more faint quasars are needed to better understand the accretion activities of SMBHs at z ∼ 6.
Ovarian Strumal Carcinoid Tumour: Case Report
Authors: Antovska Vesna S. , Krstevska Iskra , Trajanova Milka , Gosheva Irena , Chelebieva Jasmina , Prodanova Irina
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND: Ovarian strumal carcinoid is a germ cell tumour characterised by a mixture of thyroid tissue and carcinoid. Ovarian struma is a very rare occurrence with 0.3-1% incidence of all ovarian tumours and 3% of mature teratomas. Primary carcinoid ovarian tumours are still uncommon as a part of mature teratoma or mucinous cystadenoma. There are four major variants of a carcinoid tumour: insular, trabecular, strumal and mucinous. A strumal carcinoid is an unusual form of ovarian teratoma composed of an intimate admixture of thyroid/carcinoid tissues.CASE REPORT: This is a case report of a 59-year old woman with a 5-year clinical history of perimenopausal uterine bleeding and three explorative curettages. Gynaecological and ultrasound examinations revealed ovarian enlargement with a diameter of 50 mm with hypoechoic zones suspected of benign teratoma. The diagnostic test such as Ca-125, AFP, free-T4 and TSH was in normal range. A smooth, solid right ovarian 50 an mm-size tumour, as well as small amount of fluid in the Douglas pouch, was found during the total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and staging biopsy.  The histopathology revealed teratoma with strumal carcinoid tumour IA stage according to AJCC 2010 of the right ovary and negative cytopathology of the fluid from the Douglas pouch. On the postoperative 2-year control, the patient was tumour free, and Ca-125, free-T4 and TSH were in normal range.CONCLUSION: We would like to point out those specific diagnostic tools, such as ultrasound and Ca-125 have low specificity and sensitivity in detection of this rare ovarian malignancy.
Body Weight Concern and Belief among Adolescent Egyptian Girls
Authors: Mahfouz Nermine N. , Fahmy Reham F. , Nassar Maysa S. , Wahba Saneya A.
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND: Body weight concern and belief in adolescent females are of great importance. They are the keys to successful dietary interventions including dietary habits’ modifications to practice a healthy diet. This critical phase of transition from childhood to adulthood is the most sensitive stage of behavioural rectification.AIM: This study was conducted with the aim to figure out the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and the association of body image satisfaction and believe with body mass index in adolescent girls aged 16-18 years.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and three Egyptian adolescent females were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Their mean age was (17.4 ± 0.64) years old. Self-administered questionnaires about the students’ body satisfaction and weight belief were answered by the candidates. Their body mass index was calculated. Also, sociodemographic data were collected. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 16.0. Chi-square test was conducted for the variables.RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of the students were within normal weight, 3.3% were underweight, while 18.2% and 10.5% were overweight and obese respectively. Body dissatisfaction was prevalent among 37.4%. The prevalence of body dissatisfaction was higher in both obese and underweight candidates reaching (93.8% and 80%) respectively. This reflects students’ awareness of their body shape.CONCLUSION: More than one-third of adolescent females were dissatisfied with their body image. The subjective belief about self-body image matched the objective Body Mass Index measurements.
Re-evaluation of the discriminatory power of DNA barcoding on some specimens of African Cyprinidae (subfamilies Cyprininae and Danioninae)
Authors: Adeoba Mariam I. , Kabongo Ronny , Van der Bank Herman , Yessoufou Kowiyou
Published: March 2018

Specimen identification in the absence of diagnostic morphological characters (e.g., larvae) can be problematic even for experts. The goal of the present study was to assess the performance of COI in discriminating specimens of the fish family Cyprinidae in Africa, and to explore whether COI-phylogeny can be reliably used for comparative phylogenetic analysis. The main objective was to analyse a matrix of COI sequences for 315 specimens from 15 genera of African Cyprinidae using various distance-based identification methods alongside multiple tests of DNA barcode efficacy (barcode gap, species monophyly on NJ tree). Some morphological and biological characters were also mapped on a COI-phylogeny reconstructed using Maximum Parsimony. First, the results indicated the existence of barcode gaps, a discriminatory power of COI ranging from 79 % to 92 %, and that most nodes form well-supported monophyletic clades on an NJ tree. Second, it was found that some morphological and biological characters are clustered on the COI-phylogeny, and this indicates the reliability of these characters for taxonomic discrimination within the family. Put together, our results provide not only an additional support for the COI as a good barcode marker for the African Cyprinidae but it also indicate the utility of COI-based phylogenies for a wide spectrum of ecological questions related to African Cyprinidae.
La motivation à l’adolescence. Un enjeu identitaire
Authors: Chéreau Myriam
Published: March 2018

L’objectif de cet article est de présenter un modèle du système motivationnel et de sa dynamique propre aux adolescents d’aujourd’hui en termes d’Analyse Transactionnelle. À l’adolescence, la motivation évolue à la baisse. Elle demande aux parents et aux professionnels une posture réflexive distanciée pour comprendre ce qui est en jeu et appelle un accompagnement éducatif spécifique. En tant que praticienne de l’AT, je suis coach en éducation pour des jeunes, des parents, formatrice et superviseure en AT auprès de professionnels, auteur d’articles et d’études de recherche sur le décrochage scolaire. J’ai la conviction que la motivation change de nature à l’adolescence à un moment clé où le jeune a besoin de savoir qui il est. Je veux montrer que ce changement relève d’un processus d’autonomisation et répond à un enjeu identitaire. Cet article vise à partager une réflexion soutenue par l’expérience et la recherche en éducation. Il s’adresse aux professionnels de la relation d’aide en éducation.
Des contes pour grandir. Donner des permissions aux enfants : « L’heure du conte » à l’école maternelle
Authors: Le Guernic Agnès
Published: March 2018

Dans la première partie de la scolarité primaire qui correspond en France à l’école maternelle (de 3 à 6 ans), on favorise la réussite des enfants/élèves en leur donnant des permissions qu’ils ne reçoivent pas forcément chez eux. La lecture des contes traditionnels, pratique courante dans les classes, est une bonne occasion de leur donner ces permissions et de commencer l’alphabétisation émotionnelle. Les exemples que j’ai choisis sont « Blanche-Neige », conte des frères Grimm et « Le Chat Botté », conte de Perrault.
"Public relations and participatory culture," edited by A. L. Hutchins and N. T. J. Tindall
Authors: Bury Rhiannon
Published: March 2018

Book review of A. L. Hutchins and N. T. J. Tindall, editors. Public Relations and Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge, 2016, hardcover, $160 (246p), ISBN 9781138787728; e-book, $60 (246p) ISBN 9781315766201
"The culture industry and participatory audiences," by Emma Keltie
Authors: Stanfill Mel
Published: March 2018

Review of Emma Keltie. The culture industry and participatory audiences. New York: Springer, 2017. Hardcover $99.99 (152 p) (ISBN 9783319490274); e-book $79.99 (ISBN 9783319490281).
FATIGUE DETECTION USING THE STRENGTH OF DOMINANT EEG SOURCE: A BEAMFORMING APPROACH
Authors: Kouchaki Samaneh , Boostani Reza , Razavipour Fatemeh
Published: March 2018

It is evident that the electroencephalogram (EEG) rhythms are slightly changed when the efficacy of mental activity declines (brain fatigue). Nonetheless, this slight change is not easily detectable by the so far suggested scalp EEG features. The goal of this paper is to propose an EEG-based biomarker, which has a congruity to the mental fatigue variation to detect the transition from non-fatigue to the fatigue mental state. The strength of the dominant EEG source, extracted by minimum variance beamformer (MVB), is proposed here as a discriminative feature to remarkably classify the two mental states. To assess the proposed scheme, EEG signals of 17 volunteers were recorded via 32 electrodes before and after taking an exhausting mental exam (3[Formula: see text]h) and the extracted EEG features were labeled as non-fatigue and fatigue, respectively. After removing the eye-blink effect, the proposed feature along with the conventional EEG features were extracted from the recorded EEGs and then applied to support vector machine (SVM) and 1-nearest neighbor (1NN) classifiers in order to differentiate these two mental states. The best result is achieved by applying the proposed feature to the SVM classifier providing 97.06% classification accuracy which is significantly ([Formula: see text]) superior to its counter parts.
Synthesis of Nickel-Al2O3 Nanopowders and the Research of their Low Dielectric Constant Properties
Authors: Hu Wei , Li Cheng , Zheng Shun Li , Xiang Tengfei , Liu Pan Jin , Ding Shi Bing
Published: March 2018

A nickel coating on the surface of alumina particles, used as a reinforcement in metal-ceramic composite materials, its dielectric and electromagnetic properties have important application value. In this paper, nickel was deposited on alumina powder surface by the way of hydrothermal and sintering. The results showed that the nickel powders were fcc structure. The size of the crystal grains ranged from 10 nm-50 nm. The electro-magnetic characteristics were measured by HP 8722ES microwave net work analyzer in the band of 2-18 GHz. It was showed that both the Ni-Al203 and Co-Al203 nanopowders had low dielectric constant, low electromagnetic and good properties in microwave absorption.
Fabrication of Flexible and Semitransparent PTB7:PC71BM Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Fujii Shunjiro
Published: March 2018

Semitransparent bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells have attracted a strong attention due to the possible use in new photovoltaic applications. However, semitransparent BHJ solar cells on flexible substrates have not yet been developed. In this work, flexible BHJ solar cells were fabricated on an ITO/PET substrate using an inverted PET/ITO/PFN/PTB7:PC71BM/MoO3/Au device structure. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device was 3.4 %. Fabrication of semitransparent solar cells was further demonstrated utilizing a MoO3/Au/MoO3 transparent anode. The semitransparent solar cell showed bifacial energy generation when illuminated from both front and backside. The PCEs with illumination from the ITO or Au/MoO3 side were 2.7 % and 2.1 %, respectively. These results showed that a semitransparent PTB7:PC71BM solar cell was successfully fabricated on flexible PET substrates.
AC Plus Deposition Method to Fabricate Array Ni Nanowires
Authors: Chang Zue Chin , Ling J.Y. , Chen Chien Chon
Published: March 2018

The fabrication processes of nanomaterials adopt semiconductor manufacturing technology mostly, and restrain from mass production due to high vacuity, expensive equipment, and long cycle time. This research offers a relatively simple and convenient fabrication process to improve the manufacturing technology of nanowires. Starting with aluminum film of high purity, this research utilized anodizing to produce the array nanoporous mold, electrochemical deposition to inject ion-state metal, oxidation-reduction method to obtain metal nanowires, and annealing to result the oxidation of metal nanowires. The influence of substrate and oxidation layers was investigated with respect to parameters such as voltage, current, and time. In order to get the best control of array dispersion, diameters, and depth, the influence of temperature over the process is also investigated. A higher anodizing temperature was utilized to stabilize the fabrication process of the array nanoporous mold. The resulted metal nanowires were analyzed with X-ray diffraction, FE-SEM, and TEM, to inspect the morphology and crystallography. The observations are summarized. (a) The preferred orientation of nickel nanowires being annealed at the 600°C pure nitrogen is NiO(111). (b) As the oxidation temperature rises, NiO in pure oxygen or the atmosphere would transfer into Ni2O3 due to the size effect. Nickel nanowires in pure oxygen could oxidize into Ni2O3 at a lower temperature of 500°C. (c) Nickel nanowires both in pure oxygen and in the atmosphere would transfer stably into Ni2O3 at 900°C.
Effect of Hubbard U on the Electronic Properties of Monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3(001) Superconductor
Authors: Jacosalem Naomi Jane P. , Ambolode II Leo Cristobal C.
Published: March 2018

Recent studies identified some factors that contribute to the enhancement of Tc in monolayer FeSe/STO superconductor. It has been claimed that electron doping and electron-phonon coupling play a crucial role in high-Tc superconductivity. However, electron doping and electron-phonon mechanism alone cannot fully explain the high-Tc of monolayer FeSe/STO. In this study, we introduce another factor, the Hubbard U correction, and investigate its effect. The electronic structure calculations on single-layer FeSe grown on STO using density functional theory with Hubbard U (DFT+U) is presented. It is found that the Hubbard U suppresses the hole-like band at the Brillouin zone center leading to an electronic structure that resembles the experimental ARPES data. This suggests that electron correlation in monolayer FeSe/STO system plays a crucial role in the origin of high-Tc superconductivity.
Selective Laser Fusion of Titanium Based Gradient Alloy Reinforced by Nano Sized TiC Ceramic
Authors: Shishkovsky Igor , Scherbakov Vladimir
Published: March 2018

The surface improvement of light-weighted metals by adding of hard ceramic particles into a metal matrix has promised to be perspectives for aerospace industry. In the present study, titanium carbides of nano size were incorporated to the titanium substrate by a selective laser melting (SLM) of Ti + (10, 15 and 20 wt.%) TiC powder mixtures via an Ytterbium fiber laser with 1.075 mm wavelength. Optimal regimes of the 3D laser additive process were determined. We studied how the interfacial properties would change due to the difference in composition in case of the titanium matrix nano composites (TMNC) reinforced with carbides. The phase analysis of the fabricated TMNC showed that the initial carbide particles are dissolved after the remelting with different velocities. A particular attention was paid to the carbide dilution and secondary carbides formation mechanisms when the TiC was mixed with titanium. Various parameters, such as microstructure, phase constitution and mechanical properties of the gradient TMNCs were investigated by means of OM, SEM, XRD and microhardness measurement. It was shown that the microstructure had two types of heterogeneity: the TiC particles at the interlayer interfaces and element chemical segregation on the boundaries of the tracks.
Effect of La3+ Substitution on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Mn-Zn Ferrite Prepared by Sol-Gel Auto-Combustion Method
Authors: Guan Beh Hoe , bin Zahari Muhammad Hanif , Lee Kean Chuan
Published: March 2018

Spinel ferrite with the chemical formula of Mn0.5Zn0.5LaxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10) were prepared by a sol-gel auto-combustion method. The effect of the rare-earth substitution on the microstructural properties of the synthesized powders were investigated through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), while for the magnetic properties, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements were made. XRD patterns revealed characteristic peaks corresponding to spinel Mn-Zn ferrite structures with accompanying secondary phases, such as Fe2O3 and LaFeO3. The initial addition of La3+ into the spinel ferrite system resulted in an initial spike of the lattice parameter and crystallite size before proceeding to decrease as the rare-earth content continues to decrease. FESEM micrographs reveals agglomerated particles with considerable grain size distribution. The magnetic properties, especially the saturation magnetization, Ms, was found to decrease with each increase in La3+ substitution. The research findings revealed the critical influence of the La3+ substitution towards the overall structural and magnetic properties of the Mn-Zn ferrite samples.